How to Plant Balloon Flower Seeds? A Full Guide to the Planting Method
Balloon flower seeds can be sown in spring or summer. Before sowing, soak them in water for about eight hours, then take them out and cover them with a wet gunny sack to wait for them to sprout. After sprouting, evenly broadcast the seeds into prepared furrows and cover with fine soil or wood ash. In arid areas, watering is needed after sowing to keep the soil moist. During the seedling emergence period, pay attention to loosening the soil and weeding, and also to thinning and filling in seedlings. So how should balloon flower be managed after the seeds are planted? Let's learn about it together with the editor of Tuliu.com.
Field Management Techniques for Balloon Flower
1. Raising seedlings
Because balloon flower emerges slowly, covering and protective measures should be used in production. Among these, you can use a 2 m wide plastic film to cover the sown balloon flower field. Press the edges down with soil to prevent it from being damaged by wind; you can also use crop straw such as wheat straw and rice straw to cover the surface of the balloon flower field with a layer. The specific covering method should be chosen according to the actual situation.
2. Weeding
Around the Spring Equinox, apply 50% acetochlor emulsifiable concentrate in the sowing or transplanting field after the beds are made and 7-10 days before transplanting, before the weeds emerge. While using chemical weeding, combine it with manual weeding, so that weeds resistant to the herbicide can be removed and the growth of balloon flower can be better ensured.
3. Water and fertilizer
In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer before sowing, balloon flower also needs three topdressings. First, apply urea when the balloon flower seedlings have two pairs of true leaves; second, apply urea and potassium dihydrogen phosphate around the Beginning of Autumn; third, in the winter after one year of growth, apply farmyard manure, urea and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. It is best to fertilize balloon flower in combination with irrigation. In rainy weather, drain balloon flower promptly, and in drought, irrigate promptly.
4. Pest and disease control
Common diseases during balloon flower cultivation include root rot, powdery mildew, root-knot nematode disease and anthracnose, and everyone should apply different amounts of chemicals according to the different severity.
The above is an introduction to the planting methods and later field management techniques for balloon flower. I hope it can help you.