A Complete Analysis of the Latest Cultivation Methods for Cineraria
Cineraria is one of the main ornamental plants of the winter and spring season, also known as the wealth chrysanthemum, cucumber flower, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Pericallis in the Asteraceae family, often grown as a 1- to 2-year-old plant, and is divided into tall varieties and dwarf varieties. Its flowers are brilliant, and it can be planted in flower beds or potted and arranged in corridors and passages, giving people a fresh and pleasant feeling. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods of cineraria!
The Growth Habits of Cineraria
Cineraria prefers a warm, humid, and well-ventilated environment. It does not tolerate high temperatures and is afraid of frost. It is generally cultivated in a low-temperature greenhouse. The temperature at night should not be lower than 5℃, though small seedlings can withstand a low temperature of 1℃; during the day it should not exceed 20℃, with 10-15℃ being most suitable. If the room temperature is too high, it tends to grow leggy, causing the internodes to elongate and losing its commercial value. If the temperature is too low, it affects the plant's growth and the flowers develop small. Cineraria is a light-loving plant; with sufficient sunlight, the leaves are thick and deep in color and the flowers are brightly colored, but excessively strong sunlight can also cause the leaves to curl and lose their vitality. Because cineraria's leaves are large and thin, it needs to maintain sufficient moisture, but it must not be too wet, and it is best if the leaves do not wilt.
The Cultivation Value of Cineraria
1. Decorative applications: Cineraria is a greenhouse flower. Grown in pots as an indoor display, its flowering period is early, and blooming in the cold winter is especially precious. Its flower colors are rich and brilliant, especially the blue flowers, which shimmer with a velvety luster and are elegant and moving. It blooms uniformly with full flower shapes, and can be displayed on indoor low tables and racks, or multiple pots can be arranged in rows to form patterns to decorate hotel inner courtyards, meeting venues, or theater forecourts, a mass of flowers, full of joy.
2. Ornamental value: Cineraria has abundant and brilliant flower colors. The main cultivated varieties include Europe's “red flower”, Africa's “pink flower”, and the Mediterranean's “red with spots”, etc. Cineraria is one of the main ornamental potted flowers during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival. Cineraria is cross-pollinated, and therefore has many horticultural varieties.
The Propagation Methods of Cineraria
1. Sowing method: Cineraria is generally sown in late July, and it takes about half a year from sowing to flowering. The sowing time can also be determined according to the desired flowering time; for example, for flowers needed at New Year's Day, sowing can be chosen in mid-to-late June. When the daylight is longer, flower buds can appear earlier, but the stems are slender and the plants are smaller, affecting the overall ornamental effect. Early sowing results in lush plants with larger flower shapes, so the sowing period should not be delayed until after August.
2. Cutting method: Double-petaled varieties of cineraria do not easily set seed, so cuttings can be used. Usually from January to June, sprouts from the roots or axillary buds after flowering are cut as cuttings and inserted into sand; they can take root in about 20-30 days, and after 5-6 months of nurturing they can bloom. Root tender buds can also be used for division propagation.
The Cultivation Methods of Cineraria
1. Soil: Cineraria prefers sandy loam rich in humus and well-drained. It is averse to drought and afraid of waterlogging, and is suitable for neutral and slightly acidic soil. For planting cineraria, the potting soil can be mixed with 4 parts garden soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts compost soil, and 2 parts river sand, and add cake fertilizer and superphosphate as base fertilizer.
2. Watering: Cineraria's leaves are large and thin, so it needs to maintain sufficient moisture, but the potting soil must not be too wet; it is best to keep the leaves from wilting. Usually watering should be based on the dryness and wetness of the potting soil; water again after it dries, about once every 2-3 days. Clean water can be sprayed on the leaf surface once a day, and in hot weather it can be sprayed twice to lower the temperature and increase air humidity. After flower buds appear, watering should be controlled as much as possible. During the flowering period, the pot should be placed in a cool environment of 8-12℃, which can extend the flowering period to 30-40 days.
3. Sunlight: Cineraria is a short-day, light-loving flower. Sufficient lighting conditions can not only make the plant's crown neat and compact with abundant flowers and lush leaves, but also enhance disease resistance and reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases. Insufficient light will make the flower stems grow slender and the flower colors pale and impure, affecting the appearance. It is suitable to have 8 hours of sunlight per day, and direct scorching sun should be avoided in summer, otherwise the leaf tips will turn yellow and withered. It should be placed in a well-ventilated place with scattered light for care, and in snowy winters, insufficient light should be prevented.
4. Temperature: Cineraria likes warmth but does not tolerate high temperatures, and grows best under conditions of 15-20℃. When the temperature is higher than 21℃, leggy growth can occur, which is not conducive to the formation of flower buds. When the temperature is lower than 5℃, the plant stops growing and developing, and below 0℃ frost damage occurs. The suitable temperature for flowering is 10-15℃; below 6℃ it cannot bud and open, and above 18℃ it will make the flower stems grow slender and affect the ornamental value.
5. Fertilization: In addition to applying base fertilizer at planting time, cineraria should be given a thin cake fertilizer topdressing every 7-10 days during the growth process, and diluted chemical fertilizer can also be used. After flower buds appear, 1-2 additional applications of 1000-fold potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can be added. Fertilization continues until flowering (stop applying during the rainy season). If the leaves are contaminated during fertilization, they should be rinsed promptly.
6. Pests: The common pests and diseases of cineraria are aphids and red spider mites. For more serious aphid and red spider mite damage, a 2000-fold dimethoate dilution can be sprayed to kill them. Because red spider mites generally occur on the underside of the leaves, while aphids generally occur on the tender tops of cineraria, when spraying, the underside of the leaves and the top of the plant should be the focus, and the upper surface of the leaves should also be properly sprayed.