How to Propagate and Care for Chinese Lantern Plants?

Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi) is an herbaceous perennial plant. It belongs to the nightshade family and grows in neat clumps, about 22 inches tall and wide. Its stems are covered with medium-sized (3 inches) green leaves, which resemble the shape of an ovate-rhombic leaf. It also has smooth and slightly wavy edges.

In summer, it produces small white, bell-shaped flowers, but they aren't very noticeable. In fact, during late summer, a papery, globose, orange-red calyx, resembling the shape of a Chinese lantern, grows around each ripening fruit. This plant adds a splash of color in the fall, which makes it so eye-catching.

To find out more about this plant, like how it grows and taken care of, read this blog carefully.

Overview of Chinese Lantern Plant

Care Tips of Chinese Lantern Plant

Here are 5 care tips to maintain it. It’s easy to care for when they do not spread in the garden.

Light

Chinese lantern plants tend to flourish in full sun; therefore, ensure to plant them in a south or west-facing direction. Additionally, this plant can also thrive in partial afternoon shade, which makes the hot climate advantageous for it.

Soil and Water

The Chinese lantern plant requires well-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH, ranging from 6.6 to 7.3. Also, use soil rich in organic matter, as this helps the plant thrive and spread. However, if you need to control how much the plant spreads, use average, unenriched soil.

Importantly, this plant prefers soil that is consistently moist, but not soggy. Also, be careful not to overwater as it can lead to root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

This plant thrives in temperatures of 70°F during the day and 55°F during the night.

Remember to plant after the last frost has passed in your area, as cold or frost will kill the plant. Additionally, it does not have any specific humidity preference.

Fertilizer

During spring, you can begin to fertilize when the new growth becomes visible. Use a slow-release, balanced fertilizer and make sure to follow the product’s instructions. However, if the plant grows fast and spreads rapidly, it's better to avoid applying fertilizer because fertilizer can add further to the growth.

Pruning

Although it's not required to prune the plant, pruning small branches leads to better plant growth. However, avoid pruning the Chinese lantern plants while they are blooming.

How to Pot and Repot a Chinese Lantern Plant?

Chinese Lantern plants can easily grow in containers, so it's a good option if there's a dearth of space for aggressive and huge growth. Ensure to plant it in a container of 2 feet or larger. You can fill it with potting soil or your average garden soil. Lastly, add compost to it.

Now, you can start to pot the plant from seed directly in the container or use a transplant. If multiple seedlings or transplants begin to grow, you can remove the weaker ones and leave one or two healthiest plants as they continue to grow.

Keep in mind that this plant will eventually die in the containers for winter, but will regrow each spring. So, it's not essential to repot if you started with a large container. However, if the plant outgrows the pot, it's important to shift the plant to a larger container with fresh soil.

How to Propagate a Chinese Lantern Plant?

You can propagate Chinese lanterns in two ways - with seeds or division.

By Seeds:-

• The Chinese lantern plant produces seeds, which later dry out and sprout into seedlings. These are the new baby plants that sprout up unexpectedly and on their own. Therefore, the plant self-seeds to spread around the area.

By Division:-

• The plant is spread by rhizomes. Here are the following steps on how the propagation is done.

Step 1: Use a shovel to lift the entire plant out of the ground in the spring.

Step 2: Use pruners to divide it into small sections.

Step 3: Now, plant these sections in a different area. Ensure to keep them well-watered before you can see the new growth.

Grow Chinese Lantern From Seed

You can begin to sow the seeds outdoors during late spring. But, you may get faster results if you do it indoors in seedling trays for 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost.

• Sowing Outdoors: Pour organic material into the top 6 inches of the average soil. Sow the seeds across the soil, ensuring that only ¼ inch of soil covers the seeds. Remember to keep the soil moist to see seedlings coming out within 14 to 21 days.

• Sowing Indoors: Use a seedling tray and similar steps to sow the seeds in a seed-starting mix. Then, keep the tray in a warm, sunny location, ensuring the seeds stay moist until they begin to sprout. Those seedlings must harden off before you transplant them into your garden once all potential danger of frost has passed.

Overall, if you plant Chinese lantern plants from seeds every year in containers, it's a great way to grow them. It's easier to remove and dispose of the container plant when the growing season is over and plant new seeds the following year. This method helps prevent the aggressive spreading of the plant in your garden.

Some Common Pests and Problems

Chinese lantern plants may face some pest problems as they can attack them or build a home there. So, here are a few pests to watch out for:

• Cucumber beetles

• Flea beetles

• False potato beetles

You can identify pest issues by looking for holes in the leaves. If there is an infestation, ensure to treat the plant, including leaves, husks, and stem, with neem oil.

Fungal disease can also cause problems for the plant. Hence, never overcrowd the plant and ensure there is always better air circulation to avoid diseases.