How to propagate Calceolaria by sowing? These key points you need to master

Calceolaria has a very unique appearance, and it is also a relatively common and popular flowering plant in winter and spring. However, because Calceolaria is native to Chile, it prefers a cool environment, and cultivation in high-temperature regions is often more difficult. Friends who like Calceolaria and want to propagate it themselves can use the sowing method for propagation.

Calceolaria

For propagating Calceolaria, it is best to use the sowing method, which can be done from late August to September when the weather is cool. It should not be done too early, as hot and stuffy weather easily causes the seedlings to rot, while sowing too late results in smaller plants. Calceolaria seeds are very small, so sowing should not be too dense. After sowing, cover with a thin layer of sifted fine soil. Once sowing is complete, place the pot in a water tray to soak up water. After the potting soil is moistened, cover with a glass sheet and move it to a shaded place. Seedlings can emerge in about a week. After the seedlings emerge, remove the glass cover, place them in a ventilated spot with light, thin the seedlings promptly if they are too dense, and lower the temperature to 15°C to help the seedlings grow strong.

When saving seeds, pay attention to selecting excellent mother plants and carrying out artificial pollination. When the flowers are about to fade, the corolla can be removed to avoid rotting that affects seed setting, and also to concentrate nutrients and help the seeds develop plump.

Management during the seedling stage of Calceolaria must be meticulous. Excessive temperature, overly wet soil, and similar conditions can all cause seedling collapse and death. Diseased plants should be removed promptly, zineb should be sprayed, and the potting soil should be kept relatively dry. In indoor cultivation, when the air is overly dry, red spider mites and aphids are also likely to cause damage. Dimethoate diluted 500 times can be sprayed for control, and water can be sprinkled on the ground to increase air humidity.

How to grow Calceolaria

Flower Bonsai Network Flower Care Column: How to grow Calceolaria will introduce to you the cultivation methods of Calceolaria, and how to grow Calceolaria well

(1) Overview of Calceolaria

Calceolaria, also known as pocketbook flower, is a perennial herbaceous potted flower of the Scrophulariaceae family. It has a short plant, peculiar flower shape, and bright colors, and is one of the excellent potted flowers for indoor decoration and beautification in winter and early spring. Its full blooming period coincides with the Spring Festival, and using it to decorate the family living room, dining room, study, and bedroom adds a rich spring atmosphere to the festive season.

(2) Key cultivation points for Calceolaria

Temperature: The suitable temperature for growth is 15°C. If the room temperature is higher than 20°C, it is unfavorable for its growth, bud formation, and flowering. During flowering, maintaining the temperature at around 8°C can prolong the flowering time.

Light: Calceolaria is a long-day plant, and increasing light can make it bloom earlier.

Water: Calceolaria is averse to waterlogging. During care and management, watering must follow the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet." When watering, be careful not to let water droplets accumulate on the leaf surface or buds, otherwise it will cause heart rot and leaf rot.

Air humidity: Calceolaria likes a cool and humid environment, and ventilation must be good. When placed indoors, attention should be paid to spraying some water to increase indoor air humidity.

Fertilization: Calceolaria prefers fertilizer. During the growth period, apply a thin organic liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days, and a few applications of compound fertilizer can also be interspersed. The concentration should not exceed 0.3%.

Propagation: Both sowing and stem cuttings can be used, but sowing is better. Sowing should be carried out when the weather is cool and should not be too early. If it is too early, the high temperature makes the seedlings prone to rotting. Usually, sowing in mid-September is suitable.

New techniques for growing Calceolaria

Calceolaria, formerly named: pocketbook flower, Latin name: Calceolaria crenatiflora. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Scrophulariaceae family and the genus Calceolaria. In landscaping, it is mostly cultivated as an annual flower. The stems, branches, and leaves of the whole plant have fine hairs, and the leaves are ovate and opposite. The flower shape is distinctive, with a two-lipped corolla. The upper lip is upright and smaller, while the lower lip is swollen like a pouch, forming an empty chamber in the middle, with the stigma borne between the two sac-like structures. Flower colors vary richly. Single-color varieties include yellow, white, red, and other shades, while bi-color flowers have orange, pink, brownish-red, and other spots on various base colors.

Flower colors vary richly, the flower shape is distinctive, the flower diameter is 3-4 cm, the natural flowering period is from February to May, and the seeds mature after June. It likes a cool, humid, and well-ventilated environment. It is mostly grown as a potted plant in winter and spring for indoor home decoration, and can also decorate conference halls, and can also be used for celebration decorations and so on.

I. Propagation methods

(1) Sowing method. Sowing is suitable in early to mid-September in shallow pots. The sowing soil is best prepared with 6 parts fully decomposed leaf mold and 4 parts river sand, and the soil should be sterilized. After sowing, no soil covering is needed. Water by the soaking method, cover the pot with glass and newspaper, place it in a shaded place or in a cold frame, and keep it at 18-20°C. Seedlings emerge after 1 week. After the seedlings emerge, promptly remove the glass and newspaper, and gradually expose them to light. When the seedlings have all emerged and the room temperature is relatively high, spray a 1000-fold solution of triadimefon to prevent damping-off. When the room temperature is relatively low, spray 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote root growth and strong seedlings. Transplant when there are 2-3 true leaves.

(2) Stem cutting method. To preserve the characteristics of excellent varieties, soft stem cuttings can also be used during the growth period.

II. Key cultivation points

(1) Soil. Sandy loam rich in humus is preferable, such as leaf mold, garden soil, and fine sand in a ratio of 3:2:2, mixed with a small amount of phosphate fertilizer.

(2) Temperature. During the growth period, it is more suitable to control the temperature at about 20°C during the day and about 10°C at night; when the temperature during the flowering period is 5-15°C, the flowering period can be prolonged.

(3) Water. Watering should be even, and it must not be too dry or too wet. During the flowering period, protect it from rain. In addition to reasonable watering, it is also necessary to frequently spray into the air and sprinkle water on the ground, but the soil moisture must not be too high, and attention should be paid to ventilation. When watering and fertilizing, do not let fertilizer water splash on the leaves, especially for purple-flowered varieties.

(4) Fertilization. From leaf expansion to before flowering, apply 10%-15% decomposed cake fertilizer once every 7-10 days; before flower bud formation, apply bone meal or superphosphate and other phosphorus fertilizers once; during the peak growth period, apply about 40% decomposed fertilizer water once a week. Generally, rinse with water immediately after fertilizing, and no water should remain splashed on the leaf surface or buds.

(5) Light. Avoid strong light during the growth period, especially after June, shade from excessively strong sunlight, strengthen ventilation, and pay attention to watering. Calceolaria is a long-day plant, and long-day conditions promote flower bud development and earlier flowering. In the north, if you want it to bloom at New Year's Day or Spring Festival, you can extend the daily light duration to 13-14 hours through evening lighting.

(6) Pests and diseases. Damping-off easily occurs at the seedling stage. Under high temperature and high humidity conditions, it easily causes physiological diseases such as root and leaf rot. Pests include aphids and red spider mites, which harm flower branches and leaves.

(7) Artificial pollination. At the early flowering stage, select plants with excellent flower shape and color and strong growth as seed-bearing mother plants. During the flowering period, maintain air circulation, keep it appropriately dry, and place it in a slightly cool and shaded place; if the temperature is too high, it easily leads to poor seed setting. Carry out artificial pollination and isolate it from other varieties. Because the seed maturation period is inconsistent, harvest as they mature. After the harvested capsules are dried in the shade, rub out the seeds. They must not be exposed to the sun. It is best to dry them in a cool place and then store them in a ventilated and dry place.

III. Flowering period regulation

(1) Forcing cultivation. If you want it to bloom at Christmas or New Year's Day, sow in mid-August, control the room temperature at 18-20°C, and it will sprout in about 7 days; in early to mid-September, divide the seedlings and pot them, maintaining 10-15°C; in early October, control the temperature at 15-20°C; in mid-November, control the temperature below 15°C and provide long-day conditions, with 13-14 hours of light per day; in late November, keep the room temperature at 15-18°C, and it can bloom in late December.

(2) Retarding cultivation. If you want it to bloom on "May Day," the sowing period can be postponed to late October, and the room temperature should be controlled at 15-20°C; after dividing the seedlings in late November, lower the temperature to 10-13°C to make it grow slowly; in mid-December, pot it, keep the temperature at 15-20°C, and repot and transplant as the plant grows. In mid-to-late March, if the flower buds are still small, increase the temperature to about 15°C, and it can enter the early flowering stage in late April.