What is the planting method for baby's breath seeds? Why does it fail to bloom in winter?

Baby's breath is also called Gypsophila paniculata (conical soapwort); its flowers are very small and arranged together like a conical umbel, very beautiful. Baby's breath comes in many colors and is a flower plant commonly used in fresh-cut flowers. So what is the planting method for baby's breath seeds? Why does it fail to bloom in winter?

1. What is the planting method for baby's breath seeds?

1. Temperature requirements

Because baby's breath is rather afraid of heat throughout its entire growing period, and the optimum sowing temperature is 15-20°C, it is often sown after mid-to-late September: first disinfect the substrate used for sowing; the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it by stirring, carrying out high-temperature sterilization.

2. Soil requirements

Choose soft soil, first wet the soil thoroughly, sow the seeds after it has set, then cover with a thin layer of soil; sunlight and temperature are essential; the watering principle is to water thoroughly when dry, and watering should be reduced after the seedling stage; as baby's breath grows, leggy growth will appear, requiring continuous addition of soil to stabilize it, and it must not be too densely planted.

3. Sowing precautions

First wet the peat soil, then sow; keep out of light, and cover with soil (just enough to cover the seeds); cover with plastic wrap and poke some small holes in the wrap with a toothpick; place in a light-shaded spot and be careful to maintain ventilation

4. Watering

Baby's breath easily dies when repotted, but if transplanted with soil, it is relatively easy to establish; after transplanting, watering must be done very carefully so as not to knock over the seedlings; if it is in a flower pot, you can keep adding water to the saucer, letting it slowly absorb water upward until the surface layer of the soil is moist, then pour out the water in the saucer.

5. Post-planting management

About 20-35 days after planting, lateral buds begin to sprout from the lower part of the plant; at this point, you can retain the lower 3-4 pairs of leaves and pinch off the main apex to let the side branches grow, so as to obtain high yield. Generally keep 6-8 side branches per plant. Most varieties need 70-90 days from pinching to flowering. Not pinching is also possible, but the yield will be lower.

2. Why does baby's breath fail to bloom in winter?

1. Unsuitable temperature

The optimal growing temperature for baby's breath is around 15°C-25°C. Baby's breath does not like a hot and rainy growing environment. If the temperature is too high or too low, baby's breath will only grow stems and leaves without blooming.

Therefore, if we want baby's breath to bloom, we need to avoid having it rained on as much as possible, and when the temperature is too high or too low, we should pay attention to growing it indoors and maintain a suitable temperature.

2. Insufficient nutrients

Unlike many flowers, baby's breath likes to grow in slightly alkaline sandy soil, and its soil requirements are fertile and loose, good drainage, rich in organic matter, and with moderate water content. Therefore, there are still certain demands on soil fertility. If nutrients are insufficient, the plant will grow poorly, and wanting it to bloom is even harder.

When growing baby's breath, we basically need to repot and change the soil every spring, in order to maintain good soil fertility and promote the growth of baby's breath. To make baby's breath grow lush with branches and leaves, we generally need to fertilize baby's breath about once every half month. If it is close to the flowering period, we need to pay attention not to continue fertilizing, so as to avoid excessive nutrients causing the flowers to wither prematurely and affecting the ornamental effect.

3. Too little watering

Apart from not liking to be rained on, baby's breath actually needs quite a lot of water. When growing baby's breath, we should pay attention to keeping the pot soil moist and not too dry. Soil that is too dry will cause baby's breath seedlings to grow slowly and have too few branches. In that case, the later flowering effect will also be poor.

However, when we water baby's breath, more is not always better. Water accumulating in the flower pot will also cause poor growth of baby's breath, and watering for too long will cause root rot; once the roots rot, the plant cannot be saved and there will no longer be any chance of it blooming. In addition, just like fertilizing, we should also appropriately reduce watering during flowering.