How to grow the five-pointed star flower? A detailed guide to the latest cultivation methods
The five-pointed star flower is also known as golden silk thread, brocade screen, cypress vine, and so on. It is an annual slender twining herbaceous plant in the genus Ipomoea of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). Its flowering period is long; in China, in the Anhui, Hubei, and Hunan areas, it can bloom from April to November each year. It is often used as an excellent plant for courtyard flower trellises and flower hedges, and can also be grown in pots and displayed indoors. Now let us take a look at how to grow the five-pointed star flower!
Growth habits of the five-pointed star flower
The five-pointed star flower is native to tropical America and is now widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions around the world. It likes warmth, dislikes cold, and fears frost. When temperatures are low, growth becomes very slow. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 20-25°C. It requires a sunny environment. Most types are not strict about day length, but Ipomoea lobata only blooms when the daylight period is shorter than 12 hours. It is not strict about soil, but grows well in fertile, loose soil.
Propagation methods of the five-pointed star flower
The five-pointed star flower is propagated by seed. Sowing and growing seedlings with ordinary seedling nutrient soil allows it to grow well. When sowing in seedling trays, sow about 100 grams per square meter of seedbed. After sowing, cover with about 1.5 cm of fine soil, not too shallow, otherwise the seed coat may easily be lifted out of the soil. Keep the soil temperature at 20-25°C; dry seeds emerge in 4 days. The five-pointed star flower emerges easily, but often unevenly, so seeds should be carefully selected to make the seedlings uniform. Seedlings are very afraid of drought; when drought is slightly severe, they will wither and die, and even watering will make it hard for them to recover. This point should be especially noted during seedling cultivation.
Cultivation methods for the five-pointed star flower
1. Planting: Plant the five-pointed star flower after the last frost. In areas where nighttime temperatures are still relatively low, early planting is generally not recommended. For single-row planting, the spacing between plants is about 35 cm. For seedling cultivation or fertile soil, the plant spacing should be appropriately larger.
2. Watering: During the growth period, the five-pointed star flower should generally be watered once a day. In summer, when the weather is hot and the plants grow vigorously, water once in the morning and once in the afternoon, but never allow water to accumulate in the pot.
3. Fertilizing: Apply decomposed liquid fertilizer water once a month to the five-pointed star flower. There is no need to pinch back the plant throughout the growing period; let it climb naturally. As long as attention is paid to watering and fertilizing to promote rapid stem growth, flowering will be more abundant.
4. Guiding the vines: In the early stage, manually help guide the vines onto trellises, fences, trees, or other supports. In the middle and later stages, the plant has a very strong climbing ability, so except for shaping, there is no need to manage it; just let it climb and twine.
5. Seed collection: The capsules of the five-pointed star flower ripen unevenly, and after ripening they easily split open, so seeds should be harvested in batches in a timely manner. Seeds remain viable for 4-5 years. The roots can be used as medicine and have the effect of clearing heat and reducing swelling, and are used to treat ear sores and hemorrhoids and fistula.