How to Grow Globe Amaranth? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods
Globe amaranth, also known as bachelor's button and fireball flower, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is distributed throughout China. The flowers of globe amaranth are very brightly colored with high gloss, and their ornamental value is also very great. Moreover, the flower spikes of globe amaranth have medicinal effects such as relieving cough, reducing phlegm, relieving asthma and improving eyesight, and are very popular among many people. So how should globe amaranth be cultivated? Below, the editor brings you the cultivation methods for globe amaranth. Let's take a look!
1. Propagation Methods
The propagation methods for globe amaranth are mainly seed sowing and cuttings. Before sowing, first soak the seeds in warm water for about one day, then mix them with plant ash, and direct sowing can be used as the main method. Then choose a seedbed with sufficient sunlight, normal drainage and irrigation, and soft soil with high fertility. After sowing, cover with soil, keep the temperature at around 22°C, and seedlings will emerge after about half a month. After the seedlings emerge uniformly, do the thinning work well, then water with urea and spray foliar fertilizer. For cutting propagation, in June, select healthy shoots about 5 cm long, keep about 3 nodes, and insert them directly into a sand bed. The temperature is also around 22°C, and they can be transplanted after about three weeks.
2. Water and Fertilizer Management
Globe amaranth has a relatively high demand for fertilizer. So when planting globe amaranth, we should not only apply sufficient base fertilizer at planting time. When it enters the vigorous growth period, it should also be top-dressed about once every two weeks. The fertilizer should mainly be thin liquid fertilizer, in which the proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be appropriately increased. Moreover, globe amaranth likes to grow in slightly moist, somewhat dry soil, and has a certain degree of drought tolerance. So after new leaves grow, be careful to reduce the amount of watering. When globe amaranth enters flower bud differentiation, appropriately increase the amount of watering to ensure the flowering rate and flower quality of globe amaranth.
3. Daily Management
During the growth process, globe amaranth needs sufficient light. So we should pay attention to controlling light well, among which at least about 4 hours of light time should be maintained every day. The shade level of the cultivation site should not be too great, otherwise it will hinder the growth of globe amaranth, reduce flower quality, and the flower color will also become dull and lusterless. Then also do a good job in the prevention and control of pests and diseases, especially during the seedling stage of globe amaranth, when damping-off disease is very likely to occur, which will have a great impact on the growth of globe amaranth, and in severe cases will lead to death. Therefore, everyone must strengthen management and reduce the incidence of disease.
4. Shaping During the Flowering Period
When globe amaranth seedlings grow to about 15 cm tall, pinch off the growing tips to increase the number of branches. Then pinch again according to the actual growth situation of globe amaranth. When shaping, it is best to shape globe amaranth into a round form to improve its ornamental value. After the plant is shaped and fixed, then do the branch pinching work well, which can achieve the purpose of controlling the flowering period. After entering the flowering period, the soil should be kept slightly moist, the flowers must not be allowed to touch water, and no topdressing should be applied. Just provide normal light. After the flowering period, prune the flower stalks to improve the flowering rate the next year.
The above is a brief introduction to the cultivation methods for globe amaranth. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!