You can plant a coral shrub (Solanum pseudocapsicum) in two different ways: as a cutting or as a seedling that you have grown yourself from seeds.
Do you want to bring something exotic into your garden that looks great but doesn't require too much care? Then the coral shrub is the best choice for you. With its pinnate leaves and large flowers, it is a real eye-catcher in the garden and is also quite undemanding. All it really needs is lots of sun and plenty of water. The most popular coral shrub varieties are e.g. Erythrina crista-galli, Erythrina caffra, Compacta and Erythrina caffra. They are all very easy to plant. Either via cuttings or via seeds.
Grow coral bush from seed
❶ Seeds for the coral bush can be bought in garden shops or you can win them for free from an existing coral bush. Your neighbors who already have a coral bush are sure to give you some seeds. Then simply remove the three to four millimeter long kidney-shaped seeds from the ripe berries.
Important: When removing, be sure to wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. The berries of the coral bush are poisonous.
Leave the seeds to dry in a well-ventilated area indoors until next spring.
❷ In March, place the seeds in a commercial seed tray with substrate, keeping a distance of at least one centimeter. Important: The coral shrub is a dark germ. So the seeds will only sprout if they are covered with soil.
Then cover the tray with cling film, place in a warm, bright place out of direct sunlight and keep the substrate moderately moist. Once a day, remove the film for a few minutes for ventilation.
❸ After two weeks the seeds will start to germinate and you can remove the foil. As soon as the seedlings have reached a height of about 10 centimetres, they must be separated.
❹ After the ice saints, you can repot the small coral bushes into a large bucket and place them on theBring balcony or terrace.
Plant coral bush as a cutting
❶ A coral shrub cutting should be around 15 centimeters long and should be obtained in early summer. To do this, cut the bottom end diagonally and just below an eye, the top end straight and just above an eye. Then remove all leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
❷ Put the lower half of the cutting in a plant pot and put it in a warm and bright place.
Keep the substrate moist and cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag to create a favorable climate. Additional advantage of the plastic bag: insects have no opportunity to lay their eggs in the ground.
❸ When the plant begins to visibly grow, you can be sure that the rooting phase has been successful. Now wait about two weeks and then repot the coral bush into a larger pot.