When to sow moss rose, and how to easily get a potted plant to spill over with blooms?
Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is a common flower with a wide range of colors. It gets its name because it only opens when there is sunlight, and it is also called "noon flower." Moss rose is also a source of black dye and is widely used in industry. Moss rose is very easy to care for and can grow well without much attention, which is why it is loved by many flower enthusiasts. Besides being planted outdoors, it can also be grown in pots indoors for decoration.When is moss rose generally sown? How can a potted plant easily spill over with blooms?
I. Introduction to moss rose
1. Other names: Banzhilian, foreign purslane, dragon-beard peony, pine-leaf peony, noon flower.
2. Origin: Native to Brazil and Argentina in South America. It is now grown in most parts of China, mainly distributed in Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Guizhou, Shanxi, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places, mostly growing naturally on hillsides and at the edges of fields.
3. Propagation methods: Seed sowing and cuttings.
4. Flower colors: Imperial red, bright red, purple-red, deep red, crimson, white, snow blue, deep yellow, pale yellow and other colors.
5. Flower meaning: Because of its special blooming time and rich flower colors, moss rose symbolizes positivity, loyalty, light, silent love, and so on.
6. Main value: Medicinal and landscape decorative value.
II. When is moss rose sown?
Moss rose is a flower that loves light and tolerates poor soil. Generally, it can be sown in spring, summer and autumn. Because winter temperatures are low and there is little sunlight, it is not suitable for its growth, and the whole plant will generally die off. So in most cases moss rose is sown in spring, that is, in March to April, which extends its growth period and blooming time. Generally it takes about two months from sowing to flowering, and the flowering period is relatively long.
In the warmer south, as long as the growth temperature for moss rose is reached (not lower than 18°C), it can be sown earlier.
If you choose the seed-sowing method for moss rose, it is actually somewhat difficult, because its seeds are rather hard to collect and it rarely sets seed after flowering. For ordinary home pot growing, the cutting method is chosen. If you really must sow seeds, it is recommended to buy ready-made flower seeds at the flower market.
III. How to make a potted moss rose spill over with blooms?
(1) Method for making a potted moss rose spill over with blooms -- pinching off tips
The common method for making moss rose spill over with blooms is pinching off the tips, and there are two ways to do this. One is to let the moss rose grow and branch naturally, and then pinch off the tips on the branched stems; this method suits the case of a single moss rose in a home pot. The other is to pinch off the tips at the seedling stage to encourage more branching; this method suits the case of dense planting from the start. Either way, the aim is to make the moss rose produce more beautiful flowers.
(2) Key care points for making a potted moss rose spill over with blooms
1. Choose a suitable variety
Perennial moss rose blooms year-round but sets little seed, while annual moss rose can set seed; after the whole plant dies in winter, it drops its seeds into the pot, and the next year it can spill over with blooms. Generally, for a potted plant to spill over with blooms, the latter is chosen. Of course, it is not impossible for perennial moss rose to spill over with blooms either; you just need to propagate it by cuttings. In ornamental value, perennial moss rose is superior to annual, so it depends on the grower's own choice.
2. Apply base fertilizer and top dressing
To make moss rose spill over with blooms, in preparing the potting soil, besides choosing loose soil with good aeration and good drainage, you must also provide enough base fertilizer, so that it can fully absorb nutrients during its growth period and achieve the effect of spilling over with blooms. Just in case, you can carry out reasonable top dressing; before flowering you can increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and during the growth period you can increase nitrogen fertilizer, basically on a half-month cycle. Moss rose grown this way has vivid colors and large flowers.
3. Pinch and top at the right time
Pinching and topping is a common way to make moss rose spill over with blooms. As long as you remove the pointed buds on its stems, it will keep branching. Once the stems reach a height of more than 5 cm, you can top them.
Summary: From this article we can see that the most suitable sowing season for moss rose is spring; compared with sowing, cuttings are easier to grow; to easily make it spill over with blooms, the common practice is pinching and topping. Have you learned it?