How to Select Dragon Bone Flower Seeds? A Detailed Guide to Seedling Cultivation Methods
Dragon bone flower is also known as Ba Wang Bian, Ba Wang Hua, sword flower, etc. It is a green plant covered with spines, with red edible berries. A well-grown dragon bone flower can grow very tall, and some can reach 3 m in length. So if you want to grow it from seeds, how should dragon bone flower seeds be selected? What seedling cultivation methods are there? Let's take a look below.
How to select dragon bone flower seeds?
What many people do not know is that dragon bone flower actually also has seeds. Its seeds are obovate, relatively small, only 2mm long, 1mm wide, and 0.8mm thick. The seed coat is black, and the hilum is small. Generally, when buying seeds, you should choose mature seeds, that is, those that are black in appearance, and also pay attention to whether the seeds are plump and their color. However, seed propagation is rarely used; basically, cuttings are used. Select branches and stems that are in good growing condition and bear many flowers, dry them, then place them in a cool place. After about a week, the wound will heal, and finally they can be used for cuttings.
What seedling cultivation methods are there for dragon bone flower?
1. Site selection
It likes light, is relatively drought-tolerant, does not tolerate shade, and fears waterlogging. Its planting site should be chosen in a plot with sufficient sunlight and good drainage. In order to make full use of the land and facilitate its climbing, it can be planted beside courtyard stone walls, or beside stones at the foot of rocky hills, or among stone crevices. It can grow in many types of soil, but calcareous loam is most suitable.
2. Cutting propagation
Take branches and stems from individual plants with a large number of flowers and large blooms for propagation. From the selected plant, cut a 30 cm long stem segment, place it in a cool place for about a week, and once the wound heals, it can be used for cuttings. This can be done throughout the year. But spring is the most suitable.
3. Planting
The row spacing is 3x4 m. Dig planting pits with a diameter and depth of 30 cm each. In each pit, apply an appropriate amount of decomposed pig manure, cow manure, plant ash, or phosphate fertilizer 0.25 kg, and mix with 3 kg of organic matter as base fertilizer. After mixing the base fertilizer with the soil, fill the soil back into the pit, and make a mound about 20 cm above the ground.
4. Cutting method
When planting, the cut surface of the stem segment must not directly touch the soil. It should be placed obliquely on a medium made of organic fibrous material mixed with crushed stones, wood shavings, bagasse, or rice straw. Place 1-2.5 kg each of crushed stones and organic fibrous medium in each pit. When inserting, distribute 2-3 branches obliquely in each pit evenly.
5. Field planting
After field planting, keep the medium such as wood shavings, bagasse, and rice straw applied in the pit moist, but do not let water accumulate, so as to facilitate rooting and prevent root rot. If there is nothing nearby for it to climb on, a trellis should be built or stones laid for it to climb. When building a trellis, bamboo, wooden strips, or cement poles can be used to drive stakes between rows, and then wire can be used to pull and build a frame, with a height of 1-1.5 m and a width of 2-3 m.
6. Flower harvesting
After harvesting flowers, the dense branches that have already flowered and old branches should be pruned away to allow them to sprout and renew again, fully receive sunlight and ventilation, and promote the next flowering.
Dragon bone flower can also be used as a rootstock for grafting and is called a universal rootstock. Many people use it to graft Christmas cactus, kalanchoe, or crown of thorns, etc., and they are relatively easy to keep alive. Moreover, people also attach importance to the feng shui role of dragon bone, which has the effect of neutralizing negative energy and protecting the home.
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