A Detailed Guide to Propagating Cleome by Seed

Cleome

The tall, upright cleome has uniquely shaped petals, captivating flower colors, and blooms that compete in splendor. Because it is so well cultivated, there is no wild cleome in China. If flower lovers like it, they can buy potted plants from the flower market to grow at home, or of course they can buy seeds to plant.

Propagating Cleome by Seed

1. Sterilizing the substrate

Sterilize the substrate used for sowing. The best method is to put it in a pot and heat it until it is hot, which will scald any pests or diseases to death.

2. Stratification

Soak the seeds in warm water at 25-30 degrees Celsius for 3 to 10 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell up.

3. Sowing

For tiny seeds that are hard to pick up with your hands or other tools, you can moisten one end of a toothpick with water, stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, cover with substrate 1 cm thick, then place the sowing pot into water with the water depth at 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's height, and let the water slowly soak up from below (this method is called the "pot immersion method").

For larger seeds that can be picked up with your hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them in spots at a spacing of 3 x 3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate at a thickness of 2 to 3 times the size of the seeds. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-holed watering can to moisten the sowing substrate. Later, when the potting soil is slightly dry, water again, and still take care not to water too forcefully, so as not to wash the seeds out.

4. Management after sowing

After the seedlings emerge following sowing, remove the plastic film promptly, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 every morning or after 3:30 in the afternoon, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly; after most of the seeds have sprouted, thin the seedlings appropriately: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings so that the remaining seedlings have some space between them; once most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.

How to Propagate Cleome: Sowing and Cutting Methods

How to propagate cleome: it can generally be propagated by sowing or by cuttings, and both propagation methods work. Flower lovers can choose the appropriate propagation method according to their own conditions. Below, the cutting and sowing propagation methods for cleome are organized separately for the convenience of flower lovers.

Cleome is generally sown in mid-April.

First, sow the cleome seeds in an open-ground seedbed, and they will emerge evenly. Generally, cleome seedlings grow slowly, so after sowing they need to be thinned in time. Transplant when they have 2 to 3 true leaves, and set them out in the ground or in pots in June.

During the growing period, fertilize cleome once every half month. If too much fertilizer is applied, the plants tend to grow leggy, affecting plant form and flowering. Generally, those sown in spring bloom in autumn, and those sown in autumn bloom indoors in winter and spring.

First prepare the materials for cleome cuttings, such as nutrient soil or river sand, peat soil, and cleome branches, then insert the cleome into the prepared potting soil.

Generally, the optimum temperature for cleome cuttings to root is 18-25 degrees C. Below 18 degrees C, the relative humidity of the air must be kept at 75-85%. Humidity can be increased by misting the cuttings, and 50-80% of sunlight must be shaded out. After the root system grows out, gradually remove the shade net.

How to Sow Cleome: Seed Planting Method for Cleome

Cleome is generally propagated by sowing seeds. So how do you sow cleome? Flower lovers should first prepare the cleome planting materials in advance, including seeds, soil, flower pots, etc. Below is a summary of the steps for the cleome seed planting method.

The soil used for planting cleome needs to be sterilized before use. Generally, the potting soil can be put in a pot and heated until hot, which will scald any pests or diseases to death.

The materials needed for the cleome sowing substrate are peat and perlite. The perlite should be soaked through with water before use. Mix the imported peat and perlite together in a ratio of 7:3, spray water to moisten the substrate, then stir evenly to ensure the sowing substrate is loose and breathable.

For tiny seeds that are hard to pick up with your hands or other tools, you can moisten one end of a toothpick with water, stick the seeds one by one onto the surface of the substrate, cover with substrate 1 cm thick, then place the sowing pot into water with the water depth at 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's height, and let the water slowly soak up from below (this method is called the “pot immersion method”);

For larger seeds that can be picked up with your hands or other tools, place the seeds directly into the substrate and sow them in spots at a spacing of 3×3 cm. After sowing, cover with substrate at a thickness of 2 to 3 times the size of the seeds. After sowing, use a sprayer or a fine-holed watering can to moisten the sowing substrate. Later, when the potting soil is slightly dry, water again, and still take care not to water too forcefully, so as not to wash the seeds out.

Cleome sprouts about one week after sowing, that is, the radicle breaks through the seed coat. After the seeds sprout, they need to be watered thoroughly regularly. The best time to fertilize is to fertilize once every other watering, that is, after each watering, wait until the substrate has dried slightly, then fertilize. Alternately apply two water-soluble fertilizers: a water-soluble compound fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio of 14:0:14, and a water-soluble compound fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio of 20:10:20. At this time, the fertilizer concentration is 100 PPM.

After the seedlings emerge following sowing, remove the plastic film promptly, and let the seedlings receive sunlight before 9:30 every morning or after 3:30 in the afternoon, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly.

After most of the seeds have sprouted, thin the seedlings appropriately: pull out the diseased and unhealthy seedlings so that the remaining seedlings have some space between them; once most of the seedlings have grown 3 or more leaves, they can be transplanted into pots.

When the seedlings have grown 2 true leaves, they need to be transplanted once at a spacing of about 10 cm between plants. When the young seedlings have grown to about 5 cm, set them out in the garden at a spacing of 30 cm to 40 cm between plants and rows.