A Complete Guide to the Latest Methods for Growing Cineraria
Cineraria is also known as wealth chrysanthemum, cucumber flower and so on. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Pericallis in the Asteraceae family, usually grown as a 1- to 2-year-old plant, and is divided into tall varieties and dwarf varieties. Its flower language is joy, delight, happiness, family joy and prosperity, making it suitable as a gift for relatives and friends during the Spring Festival. With its bright colors, it expresses the best of intentions. Now let us take a look at how to grow cineraria!
Cineraria's Growth Habits
Cineraria likes a warm, humid and well-ventilated environment. It is not tolerant of high temperatures and is afraid of frost. It is generally grown in a low-temperature greenhouse, with the nighttime temperature no lower than 5°C, though seedlings can also withstand a low of 1°C, and the daytime temperature no higher than 20°C, with 10-15°C being most suitable. If the room temperature is too high, it tends to grow leggy, causing the internodes to stretch and losing its commercial value. If the temperature is too low, it affects plant growth and the flowers develop small. Because cineraria leaves are large and thin, it needs sufficient water, but the soil must not be too wet; it is best to keep the leaves from wilting.
Cineraria's Propagation Methods
Cineraria is generally propagated by sowing seeds, sown shallowly on the surface of a pot in August, with the temperature kept at 20-25°C; they germinate in 10-20 days, and it takes 6 months from sowing to flowering. After sowing, the seed box should be placed under a shade shed or under the shade of a tree. If sowing is done in a seedbed, a shade shed must be built above the seedbed to reduce the radiant heat of the sun. Double-petaled varieties are mainly propagated by cuttings; after cutting off the upper part of the plant, take the strong shoots sprouting from the stem base and insert them in coarse sand.
Cineraria's Growing Methods
1. Soil: Cineraria originates from the Atlantic Canary Islands and is widely cultivated in parks or courtyards across China. It likes sandy loam rich in humus and well-drained, is averse to drought and afraid of waterlogging, and prefers neutral and slightly acidic soil.
2. Sunlight: Cineraria likes sunlight during its growing period and should not be shaded. Turn the flower pot regularly so that the branches and leaves receive light evenly and the plant shape stays upright rather than leaning. After the flowers fade, the plant still needs moderate light to adapt to seed development.
3. Watering: Cineraria leaves are large and thin, so it needs sufficient water, but the potting soil must not be too wet; keeping the leaves from wilting is the right level. Normally, water according to how dry or moist the potting soil is, watering again after it dries, about once every 2-3 days. You can spray water on the leaves with clean water once a day, and twice a day in hot weather, to lower the temperature and increase air humidity. After flower buds appear, watering should be controlled as much as possible, and during the flowering period the pot should be placed in a cool environment of 8-12°C, which can extend the flowering period to 30-40 days.
4. Temperature: Cineraria likes warmth but is not tolerant of high temperatures, and grows best under conditions of 15-20°C. When the temperature is above 21°C, leggy growth can occur, which is not conducive to flower bud formation. When the temperature is below 5°C, the plant stops growing and developing, and below 0°C frost damage occurs. The suitable temperature for flowering is 10-15°C; below 6°C it cannot open its buds, and above 18°C the flower stems grow slender, affecting its ornamental value.
5. Fertilizing: Apart from applying base fertilizer at planting time, cineraria should be given a thin cake fertilizer top dressing once every 7-10 days during growth, or diluted chemical fertilizer can be used. After flower buds appear, 1-2 additional applications of 1000-fold diluted monopotassium phosphate solution can be given, and fertilizing continues until flowering (stop during the rainy season). If fertilizer contaminates the leaves, rinse them promptly.
6. Pests: The common pests and diseases of cineraria are aphids and red spider mites. For serious aphid and red spider mite infestations, a 2000-fold diluted dimethoate solution can be sprayed to kill them. Because red spider mites generally occur on the underside of leaves, while aphids generally occur on the tender tops of cineraria, when spraying, focus on the underside of the leaves and the top of the plant, and also spray the upper surface of the leaves appropriately.