The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon is a common garden shrub flower species, also known as white hibiscus, palm tree flower, big bowl flower, hedge flower, etc. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the genus Hibiscus in the mallow family, with brilliant colors, suitable for planting along roadsides, in parks, courtyards and other places, and can be planted alone, in rows or in mass plantings. It grows relatively fast with luxuriant branches and leaves. Let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for Rose of Sharon below!
Growth Habits of Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon is mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, originating from the African continent, where Hibiscus species are numerous and display rich genetic diversity. It has strong adaptability to the environment, is relatively tolerant of dryness and poor soil, and has no strict requirements for soil, especially preferring light and a warm, humid climate. It is slightly shade-tolerant, prefers a warm, humid climate, tolerates pruning, and is both heat-tolerant and cold-tolerant, but in northern regions cultivation requires protection for overwintering. It likes moisture and is also drought-tolerant, has no strict requirements for soil, and can grow even in heavy clay. It has strong sprouting ability.
Cultivation Value of Rose of Sharon
1. Landscaping: Rose of Sharon is an important flowering shrub for summer and autumn viewing. In the south it is mostly used as a flower hedge or green hedge, while in the north it is used as a courtyard accent and indoor potted plant. Rose of Sharon has strong resistance to harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and chlorides, and also has a strong dust-retention function, making it a major greening tree species for polluting factories.
2. Edible: Rose of Sharon has extremely high nutritional value, containing protein, fat, crude fiber, as well as reducing sugars, vitamin C, amino acids, iron, calcium, zinc, etc., and contains flavonoid active compounds. The flower buds have a crisp texture when eaten, while fully bloomed Rose of Sharon flowers are smooth and refreshing to eat. Rose of Sharon juice made from the flowers has a health effect of quenching thirst and refreshing the mind. Patients with high blood pressure who often eat plain Rose of Sharon soup dishes experience good dietary therapeutic effects.
3. Medicinal: The flowers, fruits, roots, leaves and bark of Rose of Sharon can all be used as medicine, having the effect of preventing and treating viral diseases and lowering cholesterol. The flowers contain saponarin, isovitexin, saponins, etc., and have a certain inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi. They can treat intestinal wind diarrhea, and when taken internally can treat nausea, dysentery, rectal prolapse, vomiting blood, bloody stool, mumps, excessive vaginal discharge, etc. External application can treat sores, boils and swellings.
Propagation Methods of Rose of Sharon
1. Division: For division of Rose of Sharon, before sprouting in early spring, dig up vigorous adult clumps, take 3 main branches as 1 clump, and plant at a spacing of 50×60 cm between plants and rows.
2. Cuttage: Cuttage of Rose of Sharon can be carried out from mid-March to early April in combination with pruning and shaping. For open-field cuttage in red soil or sandy soil, soil moisture must be maintained, and at a temperature of 17°C to 20°C it roots very easily.
3. Sowing: Sowing propagation of Rose of Sharon is generally carried out in April in spring. After the fruits mature in October, collecting seeds in November to December is most suitable. After harvesting, extract the seeds and store them dry at low temperature, then sow in rows or broadcast in April of the following spring.
4. Layering: The branches of Rose of Sharon root very easily. Before sprouting in spring, dig a shallow trench beside the mother plant, lay 1-year-old branches horizontally into the small trench, cover with soil, and keep the soil in the layering trench moist; they will root and send out shoots quickly.
Cultivation Techniques of Rose of Sharon
1. Transplanting: Rose of Sharon can be transplanted in both spring and autumn. Bare roots can be dipped in mud slurry, and part of the branch tips should be properly pruned off; it roots very easily. When planting, base fertilizer should be applied in the planting hole, generally compost or decomposed barnyard manure mixed with a small amount of compound fertilizer, and no further fertilization may be needed afterward.
2. Fertilization: During cultivation of Rose of Sharon, in order to increase flower yield and quality, before flowering in summer, topdressing should be carried out on trees with weaker vigor. Compost mixed with an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer can be used and applied to the base in combination with weeding and earthing up.
3. Watering: During cultivation of Rose of Sharon, pay attention to drainage and waterlogging prevention in the rainy season. During the flowering period, if drought occurs, attention should be paid to irrigation. At the end of autumn, late-autumn shoots, overly dense branches, weak small branches and dead branches should be pruned off to facilitate ventilation and light penetration, maintain plant shape and prevent cold for overwintering.
4. Pruning: For Rose of Sharon planted as hedges and walls, shaping and pruning should be carried out 2 to 3 times before sprouting in spring and during the growth period. For those scattered in gardens, after planting, in the spring of the second year, cut back the trunk to promote branching at the base, so that 2-year-old seedlings can be trained into an ideal tree shape.
5. Earthing Up: During the growth period of Rose of Sharon, 2 to 3 times of weeding and earthing up should be carried out. Carry out the first earthing up before seedlings sprout in spring, and carry out the second earthing up in combination with weeding when the branches grow their 4th to 5th leaves after leaf expansion.
6. Pests: The main pests of Rose of Sharon include red spiders, aphids, bagworms, noctuid moths, longhorn beetles, etc. When pests and diseases occur, diseased and pest-infested branches can be pruned off, and safe, efficient, low-toxicity pesticides can be selected for spray control or trapping. Attention should be paid to early control, avoiding pesticide application during the flowering and harvest period, to ensure that the harvested Rose of Sharon flowers are not contaminated by pesticides.
7. Diseases: Rose of Sharon commonly suffers from leaf spot and rust damage; spray with 65% zineb wettable powder at 600 times dilution. Pests also include whiteflies and scarab beetles, mainly aphids, as well as geometer moths and leaf rollers, which can be killed by spraying with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution. An environmentally safe insect removal method is diluted detergent.