How to sow evening primrose? A detailed guide to the latest sowing method
The evening primrose has a petite plant type, and just as its name suggests, it blooms at night, visible only to the moon. Its flowering period is from June to September, and its flower colors are rich and gorgeous, with relatively large blooms. The flowers are golden yellow when they first open and gradually turn bright red, giving it extremely high ornamental value. In addition, it also has excellent medicinal value. So how should we grow it? The common propagation method for evening primrose is sowing. Below, let us look at the steps of its sowing method.
Sowing time
The flowering period of evening primrose is from June to September. In order not to miss its flowering period and to let it grow quickly, it is mostly sown in spring or autumn. For spring sowing, choose early or mid-April; for autumn sowing, mostly choose mid or late October. China has a vast territory, and the climate and temperature vary from place to place, so the sowing time should be adjusted specifically according to local actual conditions. For example, in cold northern regions, the temperature is generally lower, and wind and snow do not melt easily, which can easily cause missing seedlings and broken rows. In this case, autumn sowing is better than spring sowing. In warm southern regions, spring sowing can be done before wheat sowing, when the soil has already thawed, which is beneficial to seedling growth.
Site selection and disinfection
Evening primrose likes light and fears waterlogging, so you should choose fertile, loose soil with good drainage. Before sowing, the soil should be disinfected. The simplest and most effective method is high-temperature disinfection, which eliminates pathogens and pests in the soil, reduces the probability of later diseases and pests, and allows the plants to grow healthily.
Seed treatment
To increase the seed germination rate, soak the seeds in warm hot water for several hours before sowing, until the seeds absorb water and swell. The main point is that the soaking water temperature should not be too high. If the water temperature is too high, it will directly scald the seeds. A water temperature of 20-40 degrees is most suitable.
Sowing method
Evening primrose seeds are relatively small, so you need to use a toothpick or small tweezers and similar tools to place them one by one on the soil surface, then cover them with about 1 cm of soil. Then place the sowing flowerpot into water, with the water depth at one-half to two-thirds of the flowerpot height, and let the water slowly soak upward.
Later management
After sowing, when the potting soil is slightly dry, you can water with a sprayer. It is not suitable to water directly, because direct watering will make the potting soil too wet, which is not conducive to seed germination. For autumn sowing, if a cold wave and low temperature occur, you can wrap the entire flowerpot with plastic film, which helps keep warmth and moisture. After the seedlings emerge, remove the plastic film in time and place the flowerpot in a sunny area so the seedlings receive sufficient light. Otherwise, the seedlings will grow extremely weak, which is not conducive to flowering during the flowering period. Once the seedlings grow more than three leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.
The above is all the content on how to sow evening primrose. After reading the above, I wonder how much everyone has learned and whether you have the confidence to grow your own pot of evening primrose.