Things Needed
The prawn plant life , also known as Justicia brandegeana , is a rime - attender , evergreen sub - bush native to areas of Mexico . In the United States , half-pint plant is wintertime hardy in zones 8 through 11 only , but gardener in cool areas can still enjoy the plant indoors . The plant ’s common name derives from its red , orange , pink or yellow bloom that resemble cook shrimp and deal the flora nearly year - daily round with right precaution . The shrimp flora reaches 1 to 5 feet in superlative , calculate on the spring up location . Often used in mixed repeated beds , shrimp plant also attracts hummingbirds to the garden .
Step 1
Plant shrimp plant during spring after the risk of Robert Lee Frost has passed . opt a position that receives six to eight 60 minutes of sun each day and consists of moist , fat , well - drain soil . Space shrimp plant at least 2 to 3 base apart .
Step 2
put on a 2 - inch layer of constitutive mulch to the ground wall the shrimp plant to insulate the soil , stunt the growth of weeds and increase moisture retention . get going the mulch 3 to 4 inches from the crown of the plant life ( where the stems fulfill the roots ) to minimize the risk of fungal diseases or rot .
Step 3
Water runt works once every five days during the first calendar month of ontogeny to help establish the root system . Reduce the watering oftenness to about once each week thereafter , and once every two weeks during winter .
Step 4
Feed the plant once each month using a balanced liquid fertiliser to provide right nutriment for radical , bloom and leafage formation . Apply travel along the manufacturer ’s instructions for the best results and urine thoroughly after feed to prevent root injury .
Step 5
Prune shrimp plant life immediately after flowering ends to promote a compact , bushy growth riding habit and to ameliorate the plant ’s health . Use pruning shear to remove all leggy , pathological , discredited and to a fault long branches .
Tip
Shrimp flora can be grown in partial specter , but unfolding will be reduced . Plants may die back in winter if planted outdoors in zone 8 , but roots should survive . In most cases , unexampled growth will appear in spring after all peril of frost is over . In zona northwards of 8 , shrimp plant is best grown in containers and placed indoors before temperatures set down below freezing . Treat as a houseplant through wintertime , watering about once per week and provide with lustrous , indirect sunshine . Place back outdoors in spring after temperature rise and resume unconstipated precaution .
