How to sow and propagate Eustoma? These key points you need to master
Many flower lovers are very fond of Eustoma, but they don't know how to propagate it themselves. In fact, Eustoma is a perennial plant and is generally propagated by sowing. If you successfully propagate Eustoma from seed, then as long as you take good care of it, it can bloom every year. The editor will briefly introduce the sowing and propagation method of Eustoma for you; those who like it can learn about it together.
Eustoma
1. First, prepare seedling soil or seedling blocks. For convenience, you can use separate small seedling pots as much as possible, so that germination can avoid the phenomenon of leggy growth caused by different germination times. Then, after filling with soil, spray it with a spray bottle, and then set it in a larger water basin below, so that the soil can be completely soaked through.
2. Those using seeds should carefully open the bag, because Eustoma seeds are especially tiny, like dust, and even a heavy breath seems to blow them away, so you must be careful. It is best to have something underneath to catch them, spread a layer of white paper, so that even if they accidentally fall, you won't have trouble finding them. Then use a toothpick slightly moistened with water, touch the seeds once, and they will stick to the toothpick; then planting them in the seedling pot is much more convenient. It should be noted that Eustoma seeds do not need to be covered with soil on top. Just place them directly on the surface of the soil.
3. After placing the seeds, if there is a lid, you can cover it to keep moisture; if there is no lid, you can cover with a layer of household plastic wrap. This can maintain humidity. Just open it every day to let in some air. You can also use a very fine spray bottle to mist water every day. If you feel you can't get it right, you can just set it in a water basin to maintain humidity. But be sure to remember, do not leave it in there for 24 hours; just mist lightly every day, or let it sit for a while. Personally, I think seeds also need to breathe; if soaked too long, the seeds will rot, and instead it will be harder for them to germinate. Generally, they will germinate in about 15-20 days after sowing, and some slower ones germinate in 30 days. Dear friends, you must be patient and not give up on them; keep maintaining humidity before they germinate.
4. After germination, there is no need to cover with a lid. They can get diffused light, but absolutely do not expose them to strong sunlight, because newly germinated seedlings are very fragile, and with one exposure they can easily dry out and die. At this time, there is also no need to put them in a water basin every day; just put them in when they look a bit dry. For newly sprouted ones, try to mist gently, because the seedlings are very small and will fall over if sprayed too forcefully.
5. Once the leaves grow a bit larger, they can be planted in their final position. Eustoma has a taproot system, so it is best to move it as little as possible, because each move will cause some degree of damage, so try to move it as little as possible. Remember to put some base fertilizer in the pot; this can save a lot of trouble. The Eustoma I planted, from planting in May last year until it bloomed this year, apart from base fertilizer, I did not apply any other fertilizer; only after blooming did I supplement with other fertilizers. So personally, I think base fertilizer is very important; it is both simple and convenient. After planting in the final position, water only when it is almost completely dry; there is no need to water frequently. I think the more you pay attention to it, the faster it dies. My Eustoma at home was basically left alone, just set aside, and when I remembered, I watered it thoroughly; as long as the watering is thorough, that's enough.
Baby's Breath Gypsophila Baby's Breath Flower Guide: How to grow Baby's Breath / How to propagate Baby's Breath
Baby's Breath Flower ProfileBaby's Breath Gypsophila
Aliases: Panicled Baby's Breath, Double-flowered Gypsophila, Gypsophila, Chalk Plant
Classification: Perennial herbaceous flower
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Caryophyllales, Caryophyllaceae, Gypsophila genus
Full bloom period: Summer
Baby's Breath, originally named double-flowered Gypsophila, is native to the Mediterranean coast. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family as a perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots. It is an evergreen dwarf small shrub, with a plant height of about 65-70 cm, slender and smooth stems, and many branches. The leaves are narrow and long, sessile, opposite, and pinkish green in color. It likes a warm, humid, and sunny environment, is suitable for planting in flower beds, roadsides, and flower hedges, and is also very suitable for potted viewing and bonsai making. It blooms in early summer, with flowers like beans, each with 5 petals and a slight fragrance. Its alias is Po Tong Qian; it can be used as a medicinal plant and can also serve as a companion for roses as a lover's flower.
Cultivation methods and precautions for Baby's Breath Introduction to Baby's Breath
Baby's Breath, originally named double-flowered Gypsophila, is native to the Mediterranean coast. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family as a perennial herbaceous flower with persistent roots. It is an evergreen dwarf small shrub, with a plant height of about 65-70 cm, slender and smooth stems, and many branches. The leaves are narrow and long, sessile, opposite, and pinkish green in color. It likes a warm, humid, and sunny environment, is suitable for planting in flower beds, roadsides, and flower hedges, and is also very suitable for potted viewing and bonsai making. It blooms in early summer, with flowers like beans, each with 5 petals and a slight fragrance. Its alias is Po Tong Qian; it can be used as a medicinal plant and can also serve as a companion for roses as a lover's flower.
Morphological characteristics of Baby's Breath Morphological characteristics
Perennial herb, 30-80 cm tall. Roots thick and strong. Stems solitary, rarely several clustered, upright, much branched, hairless or glandular-hairy below. Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 2-5 cm long, 2.5-7 mm wide, apex acuminate, midvein obvious. Paniculate cyme much branched, loose, flowers small and numerous; pedicels slender, 2-6 mm long, hairless; bracts triangular, acute; calyx broad. Teeth bell-shaped, 1.5-2 mm long, with broad purple veins, calyx ovate, rounded-obtuse, margin white, membranous; petals white or pale red, spoon-shaped, about 3 mm long, about 1 mm wide, apex truncate or rounded-obtuse; filaments flat-linear, nearly equal in length to petals, anthers arranged round; ovary ovoid, about 1 mm in diameter, style slender. Capsule spherical, slightly longer than persistent calyx, 4-valved; seeds small, round, about 1 mm in diameter, reddish brown, with neat blunt wart-like protrusions. Flowering period June-August, fruiting period August-September. Flowers terminal on branch tips, arranged in a compound corymb. Small snow-white flowers, spread evenly in thousands, clear and elegant; as cut flowers they are top-grade floral material, and after drying in the shade they become natural added dried flowers. Varieties include semi-double or double forms; double forms bloom more and densely. It can bloom all year round, but due to weak heat tolerance, in flatland summer high temperatures it must be cultivated in a greenhouse.
Texture hard, not easy to break, cross-section shows 2-3 rings of anomalous vascular bundles, perennial and dwarf, with a strong bitter and astringent odor, often mixed into Stellaria dichotoma as medicine. Stems slender and creeping, spreading flat on the ground in patches, leaves alternate, round or kidney-shaped, 0.5-3.5 cm in diameter, not divided or 5-7 deeply lobed to the middle, margins bluntly serrate, upper surface green, smooth or sparsely hairy, lower surface usually pubescent; petioles slender, 0.5-9 cm long. Simple umbels opposite leaves, born on nodes, umbel peduncles 0.5-3 cm long; involucral bracts 4-10, oblanceolate, about 2 mm long; each umbel has 10-15 flowers, flowers sessile or with short stalks; no calyx teeth, petals ovate. Schizocarp slightly heart-shaped, laterally flattened, smooth or spotted, central ribs slightly sharp. Flowering period is more than one month.
Shape
Baby's Breath is an evergreen dwarf small shrub. At the beginning of each summer, countless flower buds gather on the branch tips, flowers fine as beans, each with 5 petals, white as clouds,
with a slight fragrance, like ten thousand stars shining, hanging all over the horizon. If you take a distant glance, it is also like early morning mist and evening sunset haze, hence the alias "Chalk Plant."
Stems and leaves
Main roots thick and strong, stems clustered and much branched. Leaves oblong-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 cm long, 5-12 mm wide, apex pointed, base slightly narrowed, slightly stem-clasping, cymes terminal or axillary, arranged in a conical round shape.
Flowers
Flowers relatively small, dense. Bracts ovate, membranous, apex acute. Pedicels 2-4 mm long. Calyx bell-shaped, 2-2.5 mm long, calyx teeth 5, ovate-triangular, margin membranous, ciliate; petals 5 cm, pink or white, obovate, 4-5.5 mm long; stamens 10, longer than petals; ovary elliptical, style 2 cm exceeding petals. Capsule ovate-spherical, longer than calyx, apex 4-cleft. Flowering period May-July.
Seeds
Seeds nearly kidney-shaped, about 1.2-1.5 mm long, light gray.
Ecological habits of Baby's Breath Growth environment
Native to the Mediterranean coast. It likes to grow in a warm, humid, and sunny environment, and has the characteristics of being relatively shade-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and drought-tolerant. It is suitable for growing in well-drained, fertile, and loose loam. The cultivation soil is best as slightly alkaline calcareous loam, and drainage and sunlight need to be good. When the plant height is already above 20 cm, the irrigation amount should be reduced as appropriate; slight drought can promote flowering. Especially after flowering, poor drainage or long-term rain can easily rot the roots. It likes warmth and avoids high temperature and high humidity. The suitable growth temperature is 10-25°C, and it is mainly propagated by sowing.
Habits
Perennial Gypsophila is a long-day plant, with a flowering period from June to August. Flower bud differentiation requires more than 13 hours of sunshine. As day length increases, flower bud differentiation speeds up. Different types of perennial Gypsophila have differences in critical day length; generally, large-flowered varieties are more sensitive to long days than small-flowered varieties. Under natural growth conditions, it is generally planted in autumn and blooms from May to June the following year. With an unheated greenhouse, it can be marketed from April to May. In recent years, there has been cultivation for marketing from March to May, October to November, or January to February of the following year, according to year-round production. Baby's Breath is native to the dry summer zones of Europe, northern Africa, and central and western Asia. It likes coolness and grows best under conditions of sufficient sunlight and air circulation. The suitable growth temperature is 15-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C, with insufficient water content, it easily causes rosette-like clustering, growing only roots and stems without flowering. The soil should be loose, rich in organic matter, with moderate water content, and a pH (acidity and alkalinity value) of about 7.
Suitable environment
It likes a warm, humid, and sunny environment, is relatively shade-tolerant and cold-tolerant, and is suitable for growing in well-drained, fertile, and loose loam. The cultivation soil is best as slightly alkaline calcareous loam, and drainage and sunlight need to be good. The roots are prone to rot. It likes warmth and avoids high temperature and high humidity. The suitable temperature for potted Baby's Breath growth is 10-25°C.
Growth environment
Baby's Breath is native to the Caucasus in the former Soviet Union (Europe, northern Africa, and central and western Asia). It is cold-tolerant and avoids hot, rainy conditions. It is suitable for growing in sunny environments and loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly alkaline sandy loam. The suitable growth temperature is 15-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C, it easily causes rosette-like clustering, growing only stems without flowering. The soil should be loose, rich in organic matter, with moderate water content, and a pH of about 7. In southern China, it is mostly planted in autumn, with about 2,000 plants per mu. After pinching, each plant retains 4-6 branches, and ultimately can produce more than 5 flowering stems. If cultivated in a greenhouse, the flowering period can be further regulated, striving for market listing before the Spring Festival. Because the selling price per stem is several times higher than other cut flowers, most flower sellers divide large branches into thin branches and sell them at prices according to quality, sometimes in short supply. For commercial cut flower production of Baby's Breath, seedling propagation is mainly by tissue culture, and can also be propagated by cuttings; some single-petal types can be propagated by seeds.
Cultivation techniques of Baby's Breath Cultivation management
Baby's Breath can be used in landscaping in most cities and can maintain a flowering period of more than 300 days, which other varieties cannot compare with. It is also an indispensable cut flower variety with broad market prospects. The specific cultivation techniques are as follows.
1. Land preparation
Before planting in the final position, the soil should be deeply plowed 40-50 cm, sufficient organic fertilizer should be applied, and some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be appropriately added. For acidic or neutral soil, some lime should be appropriately applied to adjust the soil pH. Make high beds, with the bed surface 30-40 cm high.
2. Final planting
Plant 2,000-2,500 plants per mu (1 mu = 667 sq m), using double-row planting, with row spacing of 50 cm and plant spacing of 35-50 cm. Before final planting, irrigate sufficiently, then choose a cloudy day for final planting, and after planting water thoroughly. Planting time: for cut flower cultivation, if produced in a greenhouse, it can be planted in summer or autumn or even early spring. In this way, flowers are harvested from early autumn until early summer. After harvesting flowers, the plants should be dug up in June-July, then cold-stored until August-September, and then planted in the final position again.
3. Fertilizer and water management
Like other herbaceous flowers, Baby's Breath has relatively high requirements for fertilizer and water, but it is most afraid of indiscriminate fertilization, concentrated fertilizer, and one-sided application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. It is required to follow the two fertilizer (water) principles of "light fertilizer applied frequently, small amounts and many times, complete nutrition" and "alternate dry and wet, dry means thoroughly dry, do not water if not dry, water thoroughly when watering," and after fertilizing, keep leaves and flowers dry at night. After final planting, topdress in stages, mainly nitrogen fertilizer in the early stage and mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer in the later stage. Water management must be strictly controlled; excessive moisture weakens growth, and water accumulation can cause root rot and death. When the plant grows to 30 cm, watering should be controlled, especially during the bud stage, and it should also be drier during the flowering period. In rainy areas, a shed should be built to avoid rain during cultivation.
Spring
After the temperature rises, growth resumes rapidly and gradually enters the flower bud differentiation stage and flowering stage, with great requirements for fertilizer and water. Fertilizer and water management follows the sequence of "Huabao" - clear water - "Huabao" - clear water, with an interval cycle of about 2-4 days. After entering the seed-setting stage, stop fertilizer supply.
Autumn
After sown seedlings are potted and recover for a period, fertilizer and water management should be quickly brought up to speed. Fertilizer and water management follows the sequence of "Huabao" - "Huabao" - clear water - "Huabao" - "Huabao" - clear water, with an interval cycle of about 1-3 days. On sunny days or during high temperatures, the interval cycle is shorter; on cloudy and rainy days or during low temperatures, the interval cycle is longer or no watering is done.
Winter
Although it continues to grow, the relatively low temperature will slow its growth rate, and its requirements for fertilizer and water are not great; fertilizer and water may even need to be controlled. Fertilizer and water management follows the sequence of "Huabao" - clear water - clear water - "Huabao" - clear water - clear water, with an interval cycle of about 4-7 days. Watering time should be arranged as much as possible at noon on sunny days when the temperature is relatively high.
Maintenance methods
The cultivation soil is best as slightly alkaline calcareous loam; the roots are prone to rot. During the flowering process, cutting off spent flowers with three leaves can extend the flowering period.
It likes warmth and avoids high temperature and high humidity. The suitable growth temperature is 10-25°C. Panicled Baby's Breath can bloom year-round.
Flowering regulation
The growth and flowering characteristics of perennial Gypsophila are its growth and development characteristics. In addition to the two self-deceiving characteristics of flowering under long days and rapid stem elongation after flower bud formation, there are also three points: namely, plants that have already become rosetted in autumn break the rosette after receiving low temperature, and growth activity increases. After activity increases, even under the relatively low temperature conditions of early spring, it grows slowly. After growth reaches a certain degree, if the temperature rises, flower buds form under long days, and at the same time, the flowering stems elongate rapidly and bloom. If it encounters summer high temperatures, growth activity decreases, and under autumn coolness and short-day conditions it enters winter in a rosette state. If a rosette state forms, in autumn and winter the growth activity of perennial Gypsophila is extremely low, and it is in a state where it is difficult to flower. High temperature and long-day treatment can be used to prevent the occurrence of rosette formation.
Specific methods: cultivate with a temperature of 15-25°C and more than 16 hours of sunshine (preferably lighting late at night), and cut flowers can be obtained in autumn, winter, or early spring; or, starting in mid-July, cold-store the plants at 2-3°C until mid-September for final planting, then cultivate under long-day conditions at temperatures above 8°C, and they bloom in December; rosette formation can also be prevented with hormones. When a rosette is about to form, spraying with aminopurine (300×10-6), or spraying with gibberellin (300×10-6), can both significantly promote the elongation and flowering of perennial Gypsophila.
Cultivation tips
Suitable germination temperature: 15-20°C. Sowing period: early autumn-early spring. After seedlings are planted in the final position and survive, pinch once to promote more branching. When the plant height is above 20 cm, reduce the irrigation amount as appropriate; slight drought can promote flowering, generally blooming in mid-to-late May. In cold areas, spring sowing is suitable; in areas where the soil does not freeze, autumn sowing can be used. The optimal germination temperature is 21-22°C. Seedlings emerge in 7-10 days. After final planting, when they grow to about 8 nodes, pinch; when side buds grow to 5-10 cm, remove buds, removing weak ones and keeping strong ones. Water frequently in the early stage after final planting, and appropriately control water when flower buds begin to form.
Planting conditions Suitable growth temperature
Growth is best at a daytime temperature of 25°C. If it exceeds 30°C, and the time or number of days is too long, the probability of deformed flowers increases. The nighttime temperature is best at 10-15°C. If below 10°C, especially below 10°C, plus short days in autumn and winter, it easily causes a dormant state or clustering.
Demand for sunlight
For most commercial varieties, the critical photoperiod for flowering is approximately between 12-18 hours. Long-day treatment itself only effectively induces differentiation of flower spikes, while more long-day treatment can obtain more flowers. And a longer photoperiod can not only promote earlier flowering, but also make the flowers larger. As for Bristol Fairy's demand for long light, it is not as sensitive as other varieties such as Perfecta diamuna; it can bloom with 12 hours of light. This is one of the reasons why this variety became the main variety for professional production in Taiwan, China.
Light intensity requirements
Light has an extremely profound effect on whether Baby's Breath blooms, especially in winter. If Baby's Breath in summer is given 80-24Klux illuminance, all plants can bloom; the difference is that the less illuminance the plant receives, the relatively fewer flowers it sets. In winter, with 58Klux, all plants can bloom; while with 24Klux, even if a continuous 24-hour full-light period is given, they cannot bloom.
Soil requirements
Generally, well-drained slightly alkaline calcareous soil or gravelly loam is best.
Water requirements
During the seedling stage, the demand for water is relatively high. After pinching, sufficient water and fertilizer are still needed so that the plant can gradually transition from the vegetative growth stage to the reproductive growth stage, that is, enter the bolting stage (flowering stage). Until small flower spikes emerge and petals grow out, water should be slightly reduced to prevent a decrease in cut flower quality and stem strength, and also to promote neat blooming of all flowers. Especially in the hot and humid summer season, whether water is controlled appropriately is often the main factor determining the success or failure of Baby's Breath cultivation.
Cultivation techniques Planting
First, from the perspective of cultivation techniques, the planting field must use a good drainage system. In addition, weeds in the field must be cleared away, and the soil turned twice. For fields with less fertile soil, fertilizer should be applied in advance. Box-style cultivation with a width of 2.5-3 m and unlimited length is better. Break up soil clumps and level the soil surface for easy management. Select small seedlings about 15 cm tall from the seedbed, 2-3 plants per clump, and transplant at a plant-row spacing of 20 cm × 30 cm, planting about 8,000-10,000 plants per mu. Planting slightly deeper helps increase roots. Choose a cloudy and rainy day or a sunny afternoon for transplanting; after planting, water to keep moist, and generally new roots will regrow in 3-5 days. Afterward, according to weather conditions, apply a 1%-2% urea or compound fertilizer solution together with watering, which is conducive to rapid growth. Prune according to tree shape and growth height to increase crown diameter. Generally, in 6-8 months, it can grow into large seedlings about 30 cm tall, which can then be used in landscaping projects. The larger the plant shape and crown diameter, the higher the price.
Cultivation tips
Baby's Breath likes coolness and grows best under conditions of sufficient sunlight and air circulation. The suitable growth temperature is 15-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C, it easily causes rosette-like clustering, growing only stems without flowering. The soil should be loose, rich in organic matter, with moderate water content, and a pH of about 7.
Cutting propagation
March to May
After treatment with rooting powder or 500 mg/kg naphthaleneacetic acid, cuttings are inserted into a seedbed with a 1:1 medium of perlite and rice husk ash, kept warm and moist, and root in about 25-30 days. Because cutting rooting is relatively difficult, tissue-cultured seedlings are now mostly used.
Choose a plot with loose soil and good drainage, apply sufficient base fertilizer, using 10 kg nitrogen, 7 kg phosphorus, and 14 kg potassium per 100 sq m; the amount of base fertilizer should account for 60%-70% of the total fertilizer amount. Final planting should be shallow, and soil should gradually be hilled up later. Final planting spacing should be about 50 cm.
Side branches. When side branch leaves unfold, keep 3-4 side branches and remove the rest. During the seedling stage, more watering is needed to keep the soil moist, and combined with watering, apply a thin fertilizer every 10 days or so, mainly nitrogen fertilizer. During the seedling stage, loosen the soil and hill up soil frequently to ensure the soil is loose and breathable and the root system develops well. At the same time, pay attention to timely weeding.
Bolting stage management
June to August
Bolting stage. During this period, apply heavy fertilizer and water, reduce the proportion of nitrogen fertilizer, increase the amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and at the same time apply more quick-acting fertilizers such as calcium nitrate and plant ash. Stop nitrogen fertilizer 45 days before flowering (late bolting stage), control water, and use 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate for foliar topdressing once a week. Baby's Breath must be cultivated strictly protected from rain, and watering should also be dry rather than wet; it especially fears waterlogging, and in the rainy season even more attention should be paid to smooth drainage inside and outside the shed.
During the flowering period, to prevent branches from becoming weak, strictly control water and also control fertilizer, and foliar topdressing may be done appropriately. In the plum rain season, prevent the occurrence of Phytophthora blight; after summer rain, promptly spray with 500 times chlorothalonil to prevent and control common diseases of Baby's Breath such as Phytophthora disease and gray mold. In hot and dry seasons, Baby's Breath is easily harmed by red spiders.
September to December
After September, artificial electric lighting supplementation is needed to meet the long-day conditions for winter flower production, to induce flower bud differentiation and shift vegetative growth to reproductive growth. Methods of all-night lighting or late-night (22:00 to 2:00) lighting are often used, and the light intensity should be ensured at 50-100 lux. Winter flower production also requires maintaining a temperature above 15°C; low temperatures below 10°C easily produce rosette-like clustered leaves and prevent normal bolting
Cut flowers and marketing
There is no fixed standard for cutting Baby's Breath flowers. The international market mostly uses weight as the standard, generally requiring one stem to be no less than 10 grams; some cut at the base of the stem, using the entire reproductive stem as a unit. The domestic market generally requires each stem to have three branches. The suitable time for cutting fresh flowers is when 75% of the flowers have opened; if the transport distance is relatively long, it may be appropriately earlier.
Wild Baby's Breath has small single-petal flowers and reproduces by seeds. It is a typical long-day plant; autumn sowing and spring flowering are typical characteristics of long-day plants. Wild species of Baby's Breath have small flowers and single petals, with relatively low commercial value, and are mostly used as breeding materials, rarely cultivated commercially.
Propagation methods of Baby's Breath
Baby's Breath is mainly propagated by sowing.
Components: contains flavonoids, phenols, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins
Suitable germination temperature: 15-20°C. Sowing period: autumn-early spring. Suitable growth temperature: 10-25°C. Flowering period: May-July. Seedling raising: choose loose soil to make a bed, sow in September, cover lightly with fine soil, germinate in about 10 days, and move to a cold frame before winter to overwinter. Cultivation: transplant with soil to open ground in spring the following year. After seedlings are planted in the final position and survive, pinch once to promote more branching. When the plant height is above 25 cm, reduce the irrigation amount as appropriate; slight drought can promote flowering. It blooms in mid-to-late May. This species can also be directly sown in open ground before freezing in November or sown in early spring. Mainly cutting propagation. In spring, carry out hardwood cuttings, cutting mature branches from the previous year 10-15 cm long, insert into a sand bed, generally rooting in about 30 days. In the plum rain season, softwood cuttings can be used, selecting young tip shoots of the current year for cuttings, rooting in 2-3 weeks after insertion. When repotting every spring, add fresh fertile soil. During the growth period, keep the pot soil moist and fertilize once every 2 weeks to promote more branches and leaves and abundant flowering. In autumn, pay attention to pruning the whole plant to maintain a good plant shape.
Propagation method Tissue culture
Using shoot tip culture, the propagation coefficient is high, root growth is good, and seedling quality is good. Using tissue-cultured seedlings to produce cut flowers, the flower stems are upright, the color is pure, and the cut flower quality is high.
Cuttings
The rooting rate is not very high. It is advisable to select cuttings with 4-5 pairs of leaves, treat with rooting powder or other auxins, and insert them into a cutting bed with perlite as the medium. It is not restricted by season, but the best periods are mid-to-late March to early July and late September to early November. When the temperature is above 15°C, they generally root in 20 days.
It can be sprayed with 600 times 65% zineb wettable powder. Pests include aphids and red spiders; spray to kill with 1000 times 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.
Disease control of Baby's Breath
Because this variety grows quickly, the cultivation time is greatly shortened. There are few diseases and pests during the growing season. If aphids are found harming leaves during the seedling stage, ordinary 800 times dichlorvos can be used to kill them. This variety is suitable for cultivation in all four seasons, generally mainly spring, autumn, and winter. In summer rainy days, transplanting with soil generally will not cause seedling death, and the survival rate is high.
Baby's Breath is mainly harmed by leaf spot disease, which can be sprayed with 600 times 65% zineb wettable powder. Stem rot and shrinkage disease are fatal diseases of Baby's Breath; before final planting, the soil should be disinfected with formaldehyde solution. Pests include aphids, mites, and red spiders; spray to kill with 1000 times 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate, or with 1000 times dicofol and 1500 times fenvalerate.
Variety classification of Baby's Breath Varieties
At present, the following 6 varieties perform relatively well: native to the Eurasian continent. Gypsophila muralis reaches 50 cm (20 in) tall, much branched, leaves narrow, blue-green, widely cultivated. Common varieties include "Carminea" (deep rose-red flowers), "Grandiflora Alba" (large white flowers), and "Rosea" (pale rose flowers). Baby's Breath reaches 1 m (40 in) tall, similar in appearance to Gypsophila muralis, but with thicker rhizomes, flowers white to pale pink. A common variety is "Compacta." In recent years, coastal open cities in China have successively introduced Baby's Breath, especially Shanghai, which has introduced more and better ones. Yunnan and Guangdong also have many flower farms gradually putting it into production. There are many horticultural varieties. At present, the world cut flower market and China's introduced cultivation mainly include 5 varieties.
Fairy
Most used in cut flower production, accounting for about 80%, small-flowered type. Flowers white, very adaptable, able to withstand summer high temperatures and winter low temperatures, relatively easy to cultivate, and also easy for year-round production. It can also be cultivated in summer, can bloom year-round, and the flower color is pure white.
Perfect
Flowers large, internodes short, stems thick and upright, flowers relatively large, crystal white, suitable for making corsages and dried flowers. During high temperatures, it easily produces rosette-like clustering, and flowering stops at low temperatures. Cultivation is difficult, but the price is high.
Flamingo
A large-flowered variety selected from Fairy. Internodes short, flowering delayed at low temperatures. Year-round production is relatively difficult. The plant is relatively short, coarse-growing and easy to grow, blooms in autumn, and the flower color is pure white.
Hamingo
Flowers pale pink, flowers small, stems slender, blooms in spring.
RedSea
Flowers deep peach-red, flowers large, stems thick. Planted in spring in high-cold zones and sold in autumn, the flower color is very bright and not easy to fade. In warm areas, it can bloom from autumn to spring. It is a newly selected variety.
Better varieties
(1) "Fairy." It can also be cultivated in summer, can bloom year-round, and the flower color is pure white.
(2) "Perfect." Not tolerant of low-temperature weather, flowers relatively large, crystal white, suitable for making corsages and dried flowers.
(3) "Flamingo." Plant relatively short, coarse-growing and easy to grow, blooms in autumn, and the flower color is pure white.
(4) "Hamingo," stems and branches slender, blooms in spring, flower color pale red.
(5) "RedSea." Stems thick, can bloom from spring to autumn, flower color peach-red. Among the above varieties in the international market, "Fairy" has the largest sales volume, accounting for about 70%-80% of total Baby's Breath sales.
Distribution area of Baby's Breath Production areas
Produced in the **Altai Mountains and Tashkurgan. Grows at altitudes of 1100-1500 m in riverbanks, grasslands, fixed sand dunes, stony slopes and farmland. Also found in Kazakhstan, Russia (Siberia), Mongolia (western), Europe (western, central and eastern), and North America. The type specimen was collected from Siberia, Russia. Baby's breath has a gregarious nature; wild baby's breath can often be seen in clusters beside fields and ditches, especially when midsummer arrives, when it sends up long stems one after another, adorned with small white petal-like flowers. Baby's breath is not a native plant but comes from South America, and only arrived in China after World War II. Gypsophila paniculata, also called baby's breath, xia cao, or si shi zhu, is an annual or biennial herb of the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), native to Asia Minor to the Caucasus region, and prefers a cool climate.
The medicinal or dietary therapeutic value of baby's breath flowers
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Huhua Network is for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health problem should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and the treatment of any disease should follow a doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting mission: To love yourself, start from reality and strictly follow the doctor's advice. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field within your heart with care.
The medical content on Huhua Network is for reference only and cannot be regarded as professional advice. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel. Medicinal value
Hydrocotyle
Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi, Xingzi cao
[Name]Latin scientific name: Herba Hydrocotylis
[English name]Lawn Pennywort Herb
[Chinese scientific name]Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi.
[Chinese aliases]Po tong qian, luo de da, xing zi cao.
[Collection and preparation] Harvest in summer and autumn when the flowers and leaves are luxuriant, wash clean, dry in the shade or use fresh.
[Chemical composition] Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenolics, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins, etc.
[Nature and flavor] Neutral in nature, bitter in taste.
[Usage and dosage] 15-25 grams; for external use, an appropriate amount, pound the fresh product and apply to the affected area.
[Notes](1) This product has the effect of dispelling wind and clearing heat. For wind-fire red eyes, it can be used together with mulberry leaf, dian di mei and other medicines; for sore and swollen throat, it can be used together with tu niu xi, bai mao xia ku cao and others; to treat snake-like sores, the fresh whole plant can be pounded, soaked in alcohol for half a day, and then applied to the affected area with a cotton ball.
[Excerpt]"National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicines"
Medicinal uses
Medicinal plant -- Hydrocotyle
Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi
[Name]
Latin scientific name: Herba Hydrocotylis
English name: Lawn Pennywort Herb
Chinese scientific name: Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi
Chinese aliases: Man tian xing, po tong qian, luo de da
[Plant morphology] Tianhuquoi is a perennial low-growing herb with an odor. Stems slender and creeping, spreading flat on the ground in patches. Leaves alternate, round or kidney-shaped; a single umbel opposite the leaves, borne at the nodes, the umbel stalk 0.5-3 cm long; involucral bracts 4-10, oblanceolate, about 2 mm long; each umbel has 10-15 flowers, flowers sessile or with short stalks; no calyx teeth, petals ovate, greenish-white. Schizocarp slightly heart-shaped, flattened on the sides, smooth or spotted, with somewhat sharp central ridges. Flowering period May.
Grows on moist roadsides, grasslands, hillsides, wall bases, riverbanks, and streamsides. Distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Shaanxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan.
[Collection and preparation] Harvest in summer and autumn when the flowers and leaves are luxuriant, wash clean, dry in the shade or use fresh.
[Chemical composition] Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenolics, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins.
[Nature and flavor] Neutral in nature, pungent in taste.
[Functions and indications] Clear heat and promote diuresis, resolve phlegm and relieve cough. Used for acute icteric hepatitis, acute nephritis, whooping cough, urinary tract stones, athlete's foot, herpes zoster, conjunctivitis, erysipelas.
The garden uses of baby's breath flowers
Baby's breath has abundant branching and a strong sense of three-dimensionality. It is used as a filler flower in floral art and has very good application prospects. Besides being used as pot-surface decoration, baby's breath can also be grown alone in pots as an ornamental plant to beautify balconies and rooms. It can also be used as a groundcover plant, planted in lawns or open ground.
Comparison of the roles and uses of baby's breath flowers
According to aesthetic principles, red and green are strongly contrasting colors; red in particular is a stimulating tone, while white is a transitional color and belongs to the harmonizing tones. Using baby's breath as a filler material in flower arrangements can handle the relationships of weight, density, intensity, concealment and exposure, pitch, height and distance in the arrangement, making the work more layered and deeper, fully displaying a sense of three-dimensionality, haziness and fluffiness. For example, simply arranging a few rose branches can certainly express beauty, but if a bunch of baby's breath is added, it can create an even stronger foiling effect, making the theme and the accompanying elements appear very harmonious and integrated, with a completely unified spirit. This is just like the folk saying, "However good the peony is, it ultimately needs the support of green leaves." It can be seen that the fondness of people with artistic cultivation for baby's breath is not accidental. A bouquet of baby's breath paired with roses given to a lover means that a beautiful love story can be created, with the stars of the sky as witnesses!
According to the widely recognized language of flowers in the United States: pairing red roses with baby's breath expresses "single-minded devotion"; pairing carnations with baby's breath expresses "kindness and warmth"; pairing gladiolus with baby's breath expresses "wishing you great prospects"; pairing forget-me-nots with baby's breath expresses "friendship forever"... These conventions are not necessarily all suitable for our country's customs and are only for reference. For fresh flower harvesting, when 40-60% of the small flowers on the flowering branches have opened, they can be harvested. Use pruning shears to harvest mature flowering branches, with branch lengths of 60-80 cm; after harvesting, place them in clean water to absorb water and stay fresh. After returning to the packaging room, it is best to insert the bases into preservative solution for 8-12 hours. In order to obtain high-quality fresh flowers, light and flower-forcing solution can also be used for 12-24 hours of flower-forcing treatment.
Uses
In early summer, baby's breath continuously produces small white flowers; the blooms are abundant and delicate, evenly distributed. Like a sky full of stars, hazy and charming, and also like snow covering a whole tree, clear and lovely. It is suitable for planting in flower beds, roadsides and flower hedges, and is also very suitable for potted ornamental display and bonsai making. Baby's breath is likewise an indispensable filler flower material in flower arrangements; inserting a few sprigs of baby's breath into a bouquet immediately adds a touch of charm. Baby's breath is a flower loved by people of elegant taste, and has always implied "purity, far-reaching aspiration, romance, love." Hundreds of exquisite, delicate, pure white small flowers, when a breeze passes, send forth a delicate fragrance, appearing even more warm and cozy.
Selection method
Material characteristics: The snow-white, fluffy baby's breath flowers are extremely small and light, and in floral art are often used as a supporting role, paired with roses, lisianthus and others to form a typical bouquet of love. In fact, appreciating baby's breath alone is also very distinctive; tie it into bunches and use it as the main flower in a vase, and one can immediately feel a relaxed and lively atmosphere. After natural air-drying, it can also be made into dried flowers; the whole plant can be dyed or pressed, offering even more variations in use.
Key points for purchase: Choose plants with snow-white flower color, buds that are not dry or yellow-brown, and fresh green, firm stems.
Overview of other information about baby's breath flowers
Gypsophila, original name double-petaled Gypsophila, is a small white double-petaled flower. It is often used for bouquet decoration. It is also sometimes planted in schools.
Describes the dizzy feeling of seeing stars. Yuan dynasty, Zhu Kai, "Haotian Pagoda," Act Four: "First I'll throw you a sky full of stars, so do not blame us monks for lacking this compassionate nature." "Stories to Enlighten the World, First Series," Volume Thirteen: "Lord Yan hurried over and grabbed him without letting go; he twisted around and aimed a single punch at Lord Yan's face, making him see a sky full of stars, and he fainted and fell." This makes the book more readable!
The name of a firework. "Dream of the Red Chamber," Chapter 54: "As they were speaking, outside they set off one kind after another. There were also many small firecrackers such as 'Nine Dragons Enter the Clouds,' 'A Thunderclap on Flat Ground,' and 'Ten Flying Shots.'"
Describes something dense or spread everywhere without regularity. Liu Qing, "History of Entrepreneurship," Part One, Chapter Twenty: "Like that 'sky full of stars' seedling field, there is simply no place for anyone to set foot."
Chemical composition
Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenolics, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins, etc. Flavonoid compounds include: diosmetin, luteolin, quercetin, luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside, acacetin 5-hydroxy-3',4',6,7-tetramethoxyflavone, acacetin, hesperidin, acaciin, acacetin 7-O-beta-D-galactoside.
Scientific name
Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Huquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi.
Gypsophila oldhamianaMiq
Classification
Caryophyllales, Caryophyllaceae, Gypsophila
Baby's breath, scientific name double-petaled Gypsophila. Belongs to Caryophyllaceae, a perennial herbaceous plant. Native to the Mediterranean coast. In early summer, baby's breath blooms with continuous balls of small white flowers; the blooms are abundant and delicate, evenly distributed, like a sky full of stars, hazy and charming, clear and lovely, and also like morning mist or evening haze, hence the alias "xia cao."
Baby's breath, po tong qian, luo de da, si shi zhu, su gen cao.
In early summer, baby's breath blooms with small white flowers in continuous flower balls. The blooms are abundant and delicate, evenly distributed, like a sky full of stars, hazy and charming, clear and lovely, and also like morning mist or evening haze, hence the name "xia cao." Baby's breath is petite and exquisite, with a plain snow-white color, and its unique texture is light, refreshing and delicate.
Also known as
Linear Dianthus, round-leaved Gypsophila, Gypsophila paniculata, G. paniculata L.
Baby's breath
Family and genus
Caryophyllaceae, Gypsophila.
Distribution and habits: Native to the Mediterranean coast. Prefers warm and humid climate conditions, likes light, and fears waterlogging. Propagation and cultivation method: Mainly seed propagation. Chemical composition: Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenolics, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins. [5] Functions and indications: Clear heat and promote diuresis, resolve phlegm and relieve cough. Used for acute icteric hepatitis, acute nephritis, whooping cough, urinary tract stones, athlete's foot, herpes zoster, conjunctivitis, erysipelas.
? Stem: Stems creeping on the ground, rooting at the nodes, smooth and hairless.
? Leaves: Leaves round heart-shaped, shallowly lobed, alternate, with long petioles, bluntly serrate.
? Flowers: Single umbel, axillary, with pedicels, flowers white-green or tinged with pink.
? Fruit: Fruit flattened spherical, tea-brown, seeds flat, semicircular.
? Characteristics: Perennial herb, stems creeping on the ground, rooting at the nodes, smooth and hairless. Leaves round heart-shaped, shallowly lobed, alternate, with long petioles, bluntly serrate. Single umbel, axillary, with pedicels, flowers white-green or tinged with pink, fruit flattened spherical, tea-brown, seeds flat, semicircular. Its reproductive ability is probably hard to match, so it is also called bian di jin.
Generally speaking, baby's breath has extremely strong vitality, roots quickly, tolerates long-distance transport and transplanting, with a survival rate of over 95%. Propagation generally uses cuttings; in spring, cut about 10 cm of new branches from the plant, insert 3-4 stems as a cluster into a sand bed, spray water to keep moist, and they will root in about 15 days. After another 20 or more days of cultivation, they are transplanted into soil and grown into large seedlings for sale.
Morphological characteristics: Perennial herbaceous plant, up to 90 cm tall, the whole plant hairless, slightly covered with white powder, vigorous, much branched, spreading in all directions, leaves opposite, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate.
Plant attributes
1. Ornamental flowers
In China, there are mainly two herbaceous plants that bear many small flowers, namely the annual Gypsophila elegans and the perennial baby's breath. [Habits]Prefers a warm, humid and sunny environment, relatively tolerant of shade, cold-resistant, and grows best in well-drained, fertile and loose loam. The cultivation soil is best if slightly alkaline calcareous loam; the roots are prone to rot. It likes warmth and avoids high temperature and excessive moisture; the optimum growing temperature is 11-25°C.
2. Medicinal plants Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi, Xingzi cao [Name]Latin scientific name: Herba Hydrocotylis English name: Lawn Pennywort Herb Chinese scientific name: Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi Chinese aliases: Man tian xing, po tong qian, luo de da, xing zi cao!
[Collection and preparation]Harvest in summer and autumn when the flowers and leaves are luxuriant, wash clean, dry in the shade or use fresh. [Chemical composition] Contains flavonoid glycosides, phenolics, amino acids, volatile oil, coumarins. [Nature and flavor]Neutral in nature, pungent in taste.
Plant information
Gypsophila oldhamiana (G. oldhamiana Miq.) alias: xia cao. Distributed in Gansu, Shanxi, Henan and other provinces, mostly self-produced and self-sold. Root cylindrical or conical, 10-15 cm long, 2-5 cm in diameter; commercially sold products mostly have the brown outer skin removed, but the sunken areas of longitudinal wrinkles retain residue, forming alternating brown-white textures. Texture hard, not easy to break; cross-section shows anomalous vascular bundles in 2-3 rings; has a strong bitter and astringent taste. Often used as a substitute for Yin Chai Hu in medicine.
Gypsophila paniculata, Chinese scientific name: Tianhuquoi, Zhonghua Tianhuquoi, Pudu Tianhuquoi, Chinese aliases: Man tian xing, po tong qian, luo de da, si shi zhu, su gen xia cao. Family and genus: Caryophyllaceae, Gypsophila.
Morphological characteristics: Perennial herbaceous plant, up to 90 cm tall, the whole plant hairless, slightly covered with white powder, vigorous, much branched, spreading in all directions, leaves opposite, lanceolate to linear.
Background
Baby's breath, Caryophyllaceae, Gypsophila, wild baby's breath has single-petaled flowers and reproduces by seed; it is a typical long-day plant, and autumn sowing with spring flowering is a typical characteristic of long-day plants like baby's breath. The progeny are uniform and stable, perfectly retaining the excellent traits of the mother generation. Through the efforts of breeders at home and abroad, several varieties that are insensitive or slightly sensitive to day length have been improved, laying a good foundation for year-round cultivation and supply of cut baby's breath. Today, the mainstream varieties of cut baby's breath in Kunming -- Early Maturing Large Flower (insensitive to day length) and Snow White (slightly sensitive to day length) -- are two bud sport lines selected by Mr. Liu Jiaxun of Yunnan Keyi Flower Company from the old variety Perfect, and they have been mass-propagated by tissue culture for production.
Situation overview
English name -- Gypsophila; baby's breath is also called po tong qian.
In China, there are mainly two herbaceous plants that bear many small flowers, namely the annual Gypsophila elegans (G. elegans, i.e. si shi zhu) and the perennial baby's breath (G. paniculata, i.e. Gypsophila paniculata).
Native to Eurasia. Gypsophila elegans grows up to 50 cm (20 in); much branched; leaves narrow, blue-green; widely cultivated, but with thick rhizomes; flowers white to pale pink; a common variety is "Compacta."
The cultural background and flower language of baby's breath flowers
Because baby's breath looks plain and inconspicuous, it has long been in a state of blooming and fading unnoticed. Only the girls of Tunisia, which is rich in olive oil, had a special fondness for it. By the early 19th century, when many upper-class people in Europe took up the craze for flower arranging, more and more flower lovers fell in love with this "lady in the deep boudoir." Today, baby's breath has risen to become one of the world's top ten fresh flowers, standing on equal footing with roses, tulips and carnations.
Flower color: White
Flowering period: Early summer
Paired flower language
Pairing red roses with baby's breath expresses "single-minded devotion";
Pairing carnations with baby's breath expresses "kindness and warmth";
Pairing gladiolus with baby's breath expresses "wishing you great prospects";
Pairing forget-me-nots with baby's breath expresses "friendship forever."
Baby's breath flower language: Purity, care, longing, supporting role, true love, pure heart, genuine fondness, concern, purity.
The flower language of baby's breath is longing, purity, dreams, genuine fondness. It is loved by people of elegant taste and implies "purity, far-reaching aspiration, romance." A cluster of exquisite, delicate, pure white small flowers, loosely gathered together, like the countless stars in the boundless night sky, hazy like mist, full of the beauty of grace and simplicity, and also tender and moving like a lover's breath. When a breeze passes, a delicate fragrance spreads, appearing even more warm and romantic.
Symbolic meaning
Baby's breath is a flower loved by people of elegant taste, and has always implied "purity, far-reaching aspiration, romance." Its simple and elegant beauty is also sweet and moving like a lover's breath. When a breeze passes, a delicate fragrance spreads, appearing even more warm and cozy.
[Representative zodiac sign]Capricorn
[Lucky zodiac sign]Virgo
[Purchase]Best to choose those with pure white, full flowers, few blind branches, and fresh green, elastic stems.
[Cut flower lifespan]7-12 days
[Flower language]Care, purity, joy, genuine fondness.
Gifting recipients
1. As a filler material for roses given to a lover, it can create a beautiful love story;
2. Paired with gladiolus given to graduating classmates, it means "great prospects."
Type: Caryophyllaceae
Place of origin: Europe, Asia, northern Africa
Flower color: White
Flowering period: Early summer
Scientific name is double-petaled Gypsophila. Belongs to Caryophyllaceae, a perennial herbaceous plant. Native to the Mediterranean coast. Leaf color pink-green; in early summer, baby's breath blooms with continuous balls of small white flowers; the blooms are abundant and delicate, evenly distributed, like a sky full of stars, hazy and charming, clear and lovely, like morning mist or evening haze, hence the alias "xia cao." The pure white and delicate baby's breath is like twinkling stars all over the sky. Between the twinkling, it seems to reveal a gentle, alluring smile. Baby's breath, an annual herbaceous plant, has many-branched stems, lanceolate leaves, and flowers blooming at the tip of each fine branch, numerous like stars, with a very soft and beautiful flower shape. In Western flower arranging, baby's breath is often regarded as "versatile," because it can be freely paired with various different types of flowers, not stealing others' splendor, yet able to show its own elegance and loveliness at the right time, without losing its own style. This trait is something other flowers simply cannot surpass!
Baby's breath is petite and exquisite, with a plain snow-white color. Its unique texture is light, refreshing and delicate, like a baby's breathing, with a trace of joy in the tranquility. So in the West, baby's breath has a very lovely name, called "Baby's breath"!!
The flower language of baby's breath is longing, purity, dreams, genuine fondness. It is loved by people of elegant taste and implies purity, far-reaching aspiration, romance. A cluster of exquisite, delicate, pure white small flowers; when a breeze passes, a delicate fragrance spreads, appearing even more warm and romantic.
Giving you a bouquet of elegant flowers paired with baby's breath, under a sky full of stars, I whisper my endless love for you. Let the starlight bear witness to our love; may we stay together in this life, loving each other for a long, long time, until forever...
Because baby's breath looks plain and inconspicuous, it has long been in a state of blooming and fading unnoticed. Only the girls of Tunisia, which is rich in olive oil, had a special fondness for it. By the early 19th century, when many upper-class people in Europe took up the craze for flower arranging, more and more flower lovers fell in love with this "lady in the deep boudoir." Today, baby's breath has risen to become one of the world's top ten cut flowers, standing on equal footing with roses, tulips and carnations.
In floral creation, baby's breath is generally used as a filler material for the main flower, often called the "bridesmaid flower." With its foiling, the main flower becomes even more brilliant. Just like a supporting role in a film, only with the supporting role's enhancement does the protagonist become more vivid and full. The protagonist and supporting role depend on each other and bring out the best in each other, so that the theme's ideas can be expressed most thoroughly. Using baby's breath as a foil can handle the relationships of weight, density, intensity, concealment and exposure, pitch, height and distance in an arrangement, making the work more profound and the theme more prominent.
Watching over love, longing, purity, dreams, genuine fondness, supporting role, yet indispensable, the love that is willing to be a supporting role. Purity, far-reaching aspiration, romance, warmth.
[Symbolic blood type]Type A baby's breath bonsai
[Representative zodiac sign]Capricorn
[Lucky zodiac sign]Virgo
[Purchase]Best to choose those with pure white, full flowers, few blind branches, and fresh green, elastic stems.
[Cut flower lifespan]8-12 days
[Gifting recipients]
As a filler material for roses given to a lover, it can create a beautiful love story
Gladiolus given to graduating classmates symbolizes "a bright future and great prospects."
Baby's Breath Flower Language and Legends - Legend One
In Greece, there were two very close sisters.
They lived happily together every day, with no secrets between them.
One day, a young man came to this small mountain village, badly wounded, and collapsed by the roadside.
The younger of the two sisters saved the young man.
In his daze, the young man remembered a pair of gentle eyes watching over him, hoping he would survive.
The younger sister asked the elder sister to look after the young man, while she went to fetch a doctor.
During this time, the young man regained consciousness and mistakenly thought it was the elder sister who had saved him.
That night, the elder sister said to the younger sister: "I have fallen in love with that young man."
The younger sister simply watched the two of them become a couple, living happily together every day.
Seeing her elder sister's happiness, the younger sister hid her love for the young man again and again.
Until one day, Ares came searching for the young man and arrived at this small mountain village.
He threatened the lives of the entire village to force the young man to appear.
The elder sister was frightened and begged the young man to leave the mountain village.
Just as the young man agreed to the elder sister's plea, the younger sister drugged him unconscious and then disguised herself as the young man.
She was killed by Ares.
Her blood stained the entire mountain village red, and the girl's soul remained suspended in the night sky.
With her last strength, she erased the young man's memories and prayed that her elder sister would bring him happiness.
When the flower goddess learned of this, she merged her drifting soul into the grassland where the young man had fallen unconscious.
And so, that grassland bloomed with mottled white petals, which is Baby's Breath.
The flower language of Baby's Breath is: purity, care, love, supporting role, true love, a pure heart.
Most of today's famous flowers that people chase after serve as the "lead" in arrangements. But Baby's Breath, renowned worldwide for many years, is a rare and precious "supporting role." In the 1980s of this century, when flower arranging reached its artistic peak, Baby's Breath rose to become one of the world's top ten cut flowers, standing on equal footing with famous flowers such as roses, tulips, and carnations, which flower enthusiasts abroad regarded as a fair development. Baby's Breath has upright stems, spreading branches, lance-shaped leaves, sessile and opposite, with fresh pink-green leaves and dense flower buds. When in full bloom, each branch produces countless tiny white flowers like beans, each with 5 petals, forming clusters of cymes, giving off a faint fragrance, like countless stars dotting the sky. Viewed from afar, it resembles morning mist or evening haze, swirling in the air, a vast blur, hence it is also called "haze grass." Based on these characteristics, Baby's Breath looks like a nun in white robes, plain and unadorned. This ordinary appearance makes it hard to say at first glance where its beauty lies. It is said that in Tunisia, rich in olive trees, girls are deeply attached to it, often gathering it from the wild to plant at home. When asked why they like this small flower, they answer: "I love its purity and simplicity, without any pretense." After the 19th century, this flower gradually spread to countries around the world, and more and more people appreciated it. Especially in 1935, American horticultural experts bred a new variety called "double-flowered gypsophila" from the original single-petaled variety, resembling round white pearls, like stars twinkling in the sky. Coupled with the flourishing rise of artistic flower arranging in both East and West, people truly came to recognize the extraordinary elegance that Baby's Breath reveals.
Legend Two
To be precise, Baby's Breath is not a flower but a grass, a grass that blooms small white flowers in spring. Legend says Baby's Breath was a shepherd boy who herded sheep on the grassland every day, living a leisurely and carefree life. One day, a father and daughter moved to the grassland, making a living by herding horses. Before long, the boy and girl were together herding sheep and horses by the only small river on the grassland. The riverside had lush grass, and both the flocks and herds loved to stay there, and the boy and girl also loved to stay there, soaking their feet in the water, watching the white clouds and blue sky. But one day a local tyrant came to the grassland, took a fancy to the girl, and planned to seize her as a concubine, forcibly piling betrothal gifts at the girl's home. The next day she was to be taken away, but the girl swore she would rather die than submit. The boy planned to leave with the girl overnight, fleeing this place. At night, they ran toward the small river, where a small boat was moored to carry them across. But the tyrant heard the news and came with his servants. The boy and girl finally reached the riverside. The boy let the girl board the boat first, and as he was about to board himself, he was struck in the heart by an arrow from the tyrant's servant. The boy fell in a pool of blood. The girl wanted to get off the boat to save him, but the pursuers had already caught up. The boy urged the boatman to set off. The boatman sighed and pushed off with his pole. Watching the boat leave safely, the boy smiled and closed his eyes. His soul slowly drifted into the sky and unexpectedly transformed into a sky full of stars, illuminating that boat sailing at night. The next day, the boy's body strangely disappeared, and only the river water suddenly grew many fine small grasses, covered with many white flowers. From then on, people called this plant Baby's Breath.
Baby's Breath Flower Pictures
How to Grow Potted Baby's Breath - Flowering Period Management for Potted Baby's Breath
Baby's Breath is a perennial herb that can be cultivated for ornamental purposes. So how much do you know about the cultivation methods for potted Baby's Breath? The following is our compiled content on how to grow potted Baby's Breath. We hope you enjoy it!
Cultivation Methods for Potted Baby's Breath
1. Water and Fertilizer Management
Potted Baby's Breath should be watered frequently during the growing season to keep the soil moist. In summer, spray water on the leaves 1-2 times a day. During the rainy season, check regularly and avoid water accumulation in the pot. In winter, reduce watering frequency appropriately, generally watering thoroughly once every 3-6 days (when the soil surface is slightly dry and turning white). Before peak flowering each year (i.e., April-May), apply 2-3 times a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer solution at a concentration of 0.3%-0.5%. In midwinter, apply 1-2 times a dilute organic fertilizer solution; do not fertilize in other seasons. Avoid concentrated fertilizer.
2. Light and Temperature Requirements
Baby's Breath is a subtropical tree species and should avoid strong direct sunlight. In summer, provide 50%-70% shade. In winter, it can overwinter outdoors in the south; in the north, it should be moved indoors, with room temperature preferably maintained at 5-12°C.
3. Repotting and Pruning
Usually repot and change soil once every 1-2 years, in spring during February-March or in late autumn. Replace all old soil and appropriately prune the roots. Repotting can be combined with raising the roots to form exposed roots and enhance ornamental value. Each winter after partial leaf fall until before spring bud break, perform one shaping and pruning session: shorten long branches and leggy branches, thin out dense and weak branches, and remove diseased, pest-infested, and other messy branches that affect appearance. During the growing season, pinch, disbud, and remove side branches as needed to maintain a beautiful shape. Healthy pruned branches can be used for cuttings propagation.
4. Pest and Disease Control
Potted Baby's Breath has relatively few pests and diseases, with occasional aphids and snails. Once they occur, promptly apply targeted treatment. For severely affected plants, remove them from the pot, replace with fresh growing medium, wash the roots clean, cut off diseased roots, soak the roots in the above-mentioned pesticide for 30 minutes, then repot. Generally, the plant can be saved.
Ornamental Uses of Potted Baby's Breath
Cut Flower Uses
Because Baby's Breath has a plain appearance and does not attract attention, it has long been in a state of blooming and fading unnoticed. Only girls in Tunisia, rich in olive trees, have a special affection for it. By the early 19th century, many upper-class people in Europe took up the craze of flower arranging, which made more and more flower enthusiasts fall in love with this “lady in the boudoir.” Today, Baby's Breath has risen to become one of the world's top ten cut flowers, standing on equal footing with roses, tulips, and carnations.
Baby's Breath is often used to decorate bouquets. Elegant and refined, it is a premium cut flower material for arrangements, and after air-drying it becomes a natural pressed dried flower.
Baby's Breath is an annual herbaceous plant with multiple branches on the stem, lance-shaped leaves, and flowers blooming at the tips of each fine branch, numerous like stars. The flower shape is very delicate and soft. In Western flower arranging, Baby's Breath is often regarded as "versatile" because it can be freely paired with various types of flowers without overshadowing them, while appropriately displaying its own elegance and charm without losing its own style. This quality is something other flowers cannot surpass!
Floral Art Creation
Baby's Breath is generally used as a filler material for the main flower and is often called the "bridesmaid flower." With its complement, the main flower becomes even more brilliant. Like a supporting role in a film, only with the supporting role's contrast does the lead become more vivid and full. Lead and supporting roles depend on each other and enhance each other, so that the theme's ideas can be expressed most vividly. Using Baby's Breath as a complement can handle the relationships of weight, density, depth, concealment and exposure, elevation and depression, height and distance in floral arrangements, making the work more profound and the theme more prominent, fully displaying a sense of three-dimensionality, haziness, and fluffiness. For example, simply arranging a few rose branches can certainly express their beauty, but adding a bunch of Baby's Breath can create an even stronger highlighting effect.
The snow-white, fluffy Baby's Breath flowers are extremely small and light, often used as a supporting role in floral art, paired with roses, lisianthus, etc., as a typical bouquet for love. Actually, appreciating Baby's Breath alone is also very distinctive. Bundle them tightly as the main flower in a vase, and you immediately feel a relaxed and lively atmosphere. After natural air-drying, they can also be made into dried flowers; the whole plant can be dyed or pressed, offering more variations in use.
Purchasing Tips: Choose plants with snow-white flowers, buds free of drying or yellow-brown discoloration, and fresh green, firm stems.
The Flower Language of Baby's Breath
Baby's Breath is a flower beloved by those of refined taste, traditionally embodying the meaning of "purity, aspiration, and romance."
Baby's Breath flower language: care, longing, purity, true love, a pure heart, joy, concern, purity, watching over love, the love that is willing to play a supporting role.
[Flower Language] Missing, purity, dreams, genuine fondness, supporting role, but indispensable
[Symbolic Blood Type] Type A
[Lucky Zodiac Sign] Virgo
[Representative Zodiac Sign] Capricorn
[Purchasing] Choose ones with pure white, plump flowers, few blind branches, and fresh green, elastic stems.
[Cut Flower Lifespan] 8-12 days
[Gifting Occasions]
As a filler for roses given to a lover, it can create a beautiful love story;
Paired with gladiolus given to graduating classmates, it symbolizes "great prospects."
Flowering Period Management for Potted Baby's Breath
September to December
After September, artificial electric lighting is needed to supplement light to meet the long-day conditions for winter flower production, inducing flower bud differentiation and shifting vegetative growth to reproductive growth. Overnight lighting or late-night lighting (from 22:00 to 2:00) is often used, ensuring light intensity at 50-100 lux. Winter flower production also requires maintaining temperatures above 15°C; low temperatures below 10°C easily produce rosette-shaped leaf clusters.
Temperature
Growth is best at a daytime temperature of 25°C. If it exceeds 30°C for too long a time or too many days, the probability of deformed flowers increases. The optimal nighttime temperature is 10-15°C. If below 10°C, combined with short autumn and winter days, it easily causes dormancy or clustering.
Sunlight
For most commercial varieties, the critical photoperiod for flowering is approximately between 12-18 hours. Long-day treatment itself only effectively induces flower spike differentiation, while more long-day treatment can yield more flowers. And a longer photoperiod not only promotes earlier flowering but also produces larger flowers. Bristol Fairy's demand for long light is not as sensitive as other varieties like Perfecta diamuna; it can flower with 12 hours of light, which is one of the reasons this variety became the main variety for professional production in Taiwan, China.
Light Intensity
Light has a profound influence on whether Baby's Breath flowers, especially evident in winter. If summer Baby's Breath is given 80-24 Klux illumination, all plants can flower; the difference is that the less light the plant receives, the fewer flowers it produces. In winter, plants given 58 Klux can all flower; those given 24 Klux cannot flower even with continuous 24-hour full light.
Soil Preparation
Roots are prone to rot. Generally, well-drained slightly alkaline calcareous soil or gravelly loam is best. For acidic or neutral soil, appropriately apply some lime to adjust the soil pH.
Before planting, deep plow the soil 40-50 cm, apply sufficient organic fertilizer, and appropriately add some phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Make raised beds with a bed height of 30-40 cm.
Planting
Plant 2000-2500 plants per mu (1 mu = 667 sq m), using double-row planting, with row spacing of 50 cm and plant spacing of 35-50 cm. Before planting, irrigate thoroughly, then plant on an overcast day, and water thoroughly after planting. Planting time: For cut flower cultivation, if produced in a greenhouse, it can be planted in summer, autumn, or even early spring. This way, flowers can be harvested from early autumn until early summer. After harvesting, plants should be dug up in June-July, then cold-stored until August-September, and replanted.
Water
Seedlings have a relatively high demand for water. After pinching, sufficient water and nutrients are still needed for the plant to gradually transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, that is, entering the bolting stage (flowering stage). Until the small flower spikes emerge and petals grow out, water should be slightly reduced to prevent reduced cut flower quality and stem strength, while also promoting uniform flowering. Especially in the hot and humid summer season, proper water control is often the main factor determining the success of Baby's Breath cultivation.
Water management must be strictly controlled; overly wet conditions weaken growth, and water accumulation causes root rot and death. When plants reach 30 cm, control watering, especially carefully during the bud stage; the flowering period should also be on the dry side. In rainy areas, build shelters to protect from rain.
Fertilizer
Like other herbaceous flowers, Baby's Breath has relatively high fertilizer and water requirements, but it is most afraid of indiscriminate fertilizing, concentrated fertilizer, and one-sided application of nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Follow the two fertilizing (watering) principles of “light fertilizer applied frequently, small amounts with more applications, complete nutrition” and “alternate dry and wet, dry until thoroughly dry, do not water if not dry, water until thoroughly soaked,” and after fertilizing, keep leaves and flowers dry at night. After planting, apply fertilizer in stages: mainly nitrogen fertilizer in the early stage, mainly phosphorus-potassium fertilizer in the later stage.
Spring:
After temperatures rise, growth rapidly recovers and gradually enters the flower bud differentiation and flowering stages, with high fertilizer and water demands. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of “Hua Bao” → clear water → “Hua Bao” —— clear water, with an interval of about 2-4 days. After entering the seed-setting stage, stop fertilizer supply. Red and yellow Baby's Breath placed together
Autumn:
After sown seedlings are potted and recover for a period, fertilizer and water management should be quickly stepped up. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of “Hua Bao” → “Hua Bao” → clear water → “Hua Bao” → “Hua Bao” → clear water —— in sequence, with an interval of about 1-3 days. On sunny days or during high temperatures, the interval is shorter; on cloudy or rainy days or during low temperatures, the interval is longer or skip watering.
Winter:
Although it continues to grow, the lower temperatures slow its growth rate, and fertilizer and water demands are not high, even requiring fertilizer and water control. Fertilizer and water management follows the cycle of “Hua Bao” → clear water → clear water → “Hua Bao” → clear water —— clear water in sequence, with an interval of about 4-7 days. Watering should be done at noon on sunny days when temperatures are higher.