How to Select Scarlet Sage Seeds? A Detailed Guide to Seedling Cultivation Methods
Scarlet sage, also known as western red or ivory red, is a very beautiful flower, often grown as an annual or biennial. Scarlet sage has a very long flowering period; when it blooms, a long inflorescence looks like strings of little firecrackers, fiery and festive. Moreover, scarlet sage generally blooms in spring, so during the Spring Festival it can be seen on many occasions. So how should scarlet sage seeds be selected? What are the seedling cultivation methods? Let's find out together.
How to select scarlet sage seeds?
Scarlet sage is one of the main flower materials for flower beds and flower borders in China, mainly red dwarf varieties, with relatively uniform color and plant type. Excellent scarlet sage varieties introduced from abroad in white, pink, orange, purple, and mixed colors are basically also dwarf types, and seed prices are relatively high. Of course, there are also some newly approved varieties with unique ornamental effects that need no pruning, are suitable for extensive management, and are especially suitable for flower bed and flower border applications. Therefore, when choosing seeds, you must clearly identify the variety and consider all practical conditions comprehensively, so as to benefit subsequent planting work.
What are the seedling cultivation methods?
1. Sowing and seedling cultivation
Scarlet sage seeds number about 250-280 per gram; generally choose 200-cell or 288-cell plug trays. For the sowing medium, generally choose imported seedling soil or sterilized domestic seedling soil. Substrate pH: 5.8-6.2, EC: 0.5-0.75. After sowing, cover with soil. Seeds generally germinate in 6-7 days, and the temperature is best kept at 20-25°C.
2. Seedling management
Germination stage one: radicles appear within 4-5 days. Keep appropriate moisture, but do not soak through. Substrate temperature should be 22-24°C, and provide 100 Lux of light.
Germination stage two: cotyledons fully developed. The substrate should be slightly moist but not soaked through. After cotyledons appear, lower the temperature to 20-21°C; generally no fertilization is needed.
Germination stage three: the first true leaf appears. Keep moisture moderate; improper watering can cause early flowering. Control the temperature at 18-20°C, and apply about 3500 times diluted 14-0-14 or 20-10-20 alternately.
Germination stage four: drooping leaves indicate the substrate is too dry, the EC concentration is too high, or the temperature is too low. When the root system is basically formed and 2 true leaves appear, moisture and temperature are the same as stage three, and pay attention to ventilation, which can make the plants more robust and prevent leggy growth.
3. Transplanting and potting
When 3-4 true leaves appear, they can be potted. Generally choose nutrient pots of 13 cm or more. For the substrate, generally choose garden soil plus organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer. When transplanting seedlings, it is best to let the new roots of scarlet sage carry more substrate, to help with seedling recovery. Shade netting is needed to shorten the seedling recovery period. After about 10 days, remove the shade netting and let the plants receive full sunlight.
4. Pest and disease management
The main disease is mosaic disease, which can be controlled by spraying stomach poisons such as 80% dichlorvos, 90% trichlorfon, or 80% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution. The main pests are red spiders and planthoppers, which can be sprayed with 2% dicofol at 1000 times dilution or 40% monocrotophos at 2000 times dilution, once every 5 to 7 days.
After scarlet sage finishes blooming, there are some small seeds inside the petals. The extracted seeds can be used for sowing or stored properly. With proper management, strings of red flowers will bloom at the tips of the branches, which is quite worth looking forward to.
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