Cultivation methods and care management key points for herbaceous flowers

Herbaceous flowers have the characteristics of a high propagation rate, fast growth, and brilliant flower colors, and are important materials for arranging flower beds. The herbaceous flowers commonly used in the "May 1st" flower beds in the Fangshan area of Beijing include Salvia splendens, marigold, petunia, cold chrysanthemum, and corn poppy. From September 2009 to May 2010, the author at the flower base of the Fangshan Landscape Institute cultivated the marigold and petunia used in the "May 1st" flower beds using different cultivation and seedling-raising methods.

Herbaceous flower planting materials and methods

Materials

The petunia seeds were self-collected by the base in the autumn of 2008, and the marigold seeds were purchased domestic F1 generation seeds. The cuttings used for petunia were young shoots of the current year.

Methods

Open-field cultivation combined with greenhouse cultivation was carried out in the garden, with observation and recording, comparing seedling growth and plant flowering, and comparing the seedling-raising effects of applying different cultivation materials and seedling-raising techniques.

Marigold staged sowing experiment

Marigold was sown at 3 different times. The first was November 15, 2009, the second was December 1, 2009, and the third was December 15, 2009.

The sowing method was all pot sowing

The soil was old pot soil that had been sieved and then filled into a shallow seedling pot, the surface soil was smoothed, then the seeds were scattered evenly, covered with soil about 3 mm thick, watered by the bottom-watering method of soaking the pot, covered with glass and placed in a slightly shaded place to wait for germination.

After the seeds germinated and the seedlings grew one pair of true leaves, they were thinned and transplanted into seedling containers, with a plant and row spacing of 5 cm × 5 cm. When the seedlings grew larger, they were potted for final planting, with a pot specification of 15 cm × 10 cm, and the pot soil was a mixture of old pot soil and cow manure at 2:1. During the seedling stage, watering was controlled, watering only when dry and stopping when wet, to prevent excessive growth. Liquid fertilizer was applied once every 15 days, the pots were turned once a week, and weeding and pesticide application were done in time. In order to promote more branching and more flower buds, pinching was done in time. After the flower buds appeared, in order to control the flowering period, the flower buds that appeared too early were removed.

Petunia sowing and cutting comparison experiment: pot sowing on November 4, 2009. The flower seeds were picked in the garden in the autumn of 2008, the soil was old pot soil that had been sieved and then filled into a shallow seedling pot, the surface soil was smoothed, then the seeds were mixed evenly with soil and broadcast, without covering with soil, watered by the bottom-watering method of soaking the pot, covered with glass and placed in a slightly shaded place to wait for germination.

Thinning began when the seedlings grew two cotyledons but the true leaves had not yet unfolded. When 1 true leaf grew, they were transplanted into plastic seedling containers, with a plant and row spacing of 2 cm × 2 cm. On February 19, 2010, the transplanted petunias were potted for the first time, with a pot specification of 10 cm × 6 cm, and the pot soil was a mixture of garden soil, leaf mold, and cow manure at a ratio of 4:2:1. More than a month later, they were potted for the second time, that is, repotted, with a pot specification of 15 cm × 10 cm, and the pot soil was a mixture of garden soil, leaf mold, and cow manure at 4:2:1.

Cutting on November 4, 2009. Young shoots were cut from flowers of the current year as cuttings, the cuttings were 2.5 cm long, the last node was inserted into vermiculite, pressed firm by hand, sprayed thoroughly with water, and placed in a relatively shaded place. After rooting, they were potted on January 8, 2010, with a pot specification of 10 cm × 6 cm. They were repotted on March 20, with a pot specification of 15 cm × 10 cm, and the soil used for both pottings was a mixture of garden soil, leaf mold, and cow manure at 4:2:1.

The daily care and management of the two methods were similar, that is, maintaining moisture, but watering could not be too much, so as to avoid excessive growth of stems and leaves. More phosphorus and potassium fertilizer was applied and less nitrogen fertilizer, during the seedling stage the leaves were sprayed with potassium dihydrogen phosphate twice, and after final planting and care, fertilizer water was applied once every half month. Pinching was done twice in total, the first on February 22, 2010, and the second on March 11.

Herbaceous flower planting results and analysis

Marigold experiment results: In order to shorten the marigold seedling-raising cycle, observations were made on the time to become seedlings for different sowing dates. The data showed that sowing at 3 different times all could produce plants that flowered on time before the holiday, and when the flowers were in full bloom, the plant height, crown width, flower color, and flower quantity differed little. Plants sown later were taller than plants sown earlier, which may be related to the higher indoor temperature, causing excessive growth of the plants. Therefore, during planting, the room temperature should be well controlled so that the plants are more robust.

The results showed that the sowing time of marigold could be postponed to mid-December, and it could still be ensured to bloom before Labor Day of the following year, with good growth.

Petunia experiment results: The seeds germinated one week after sowing, germinated uniformly, with a germination rate of 90%; after potting, flower buds first appeared in mid-to-late March 2010, and they bloomed on April 28, with a bicolor flower color. The cuttings began to grow callus tissue 10 days after insertion, and successively rooted after 15 days, with a rooting rate of 96%; flower buds appeared on March 15, 2010, and they bloomed on April 25, with a bicolor flower color.

Petunia sowing and cutting were carried out on the same day. Although the full blooming periods were different, with cutting being two or three days earlier than sowing, the seedlings raised by both methods could open on time before the holiday. For seedlings raised by sowing and cutting, when in full bloom, the plant height, crown width, flower color, and number of flowers differed little. Sown petunia seedlings were short and small, with slow growth during the seedling stage; from germination to the first potting was more than two months, and the plant height was only 2.1 cm; cut petunias rooted slowly, but the rooting rate was high. For cut petunias, from cutting to the first potting was more than one month, the plants were relatively larger and easier to manage, and in the later growth stage, water and fertilizer had to be controlled to prevent excessive growth. Therefore, in production, it is better to use the cutting method to cultivate petunia.

Summary: From the above experiments, it can be seen that under the current cultivation conditions in Fangshan, Beijing, using the cutting method to raise petunia seedlings has a good effect, with the characteristics of easy material sourcing, a high rooting rate, and a shortened cultivation cycle. Marigold sown from mid-November to mid-December can all produce seedlings for the holiday, with little difference in quality.

Herbaceous flower Acorus calamus price and planting precautions

Acorus calamus is commonly known as sweet flag, and mainly grows along riversides with shallow water, swamps, ponds, and so on. It is cultivated in China, Japan, the Americas, and other places. It is very suitable for decorating garden pond landscapes, not only beautifying the environment but also having a good mosquito-repelling effect. As a herbaceous flower, Acorus calamus is very easy to cultivate, and its requirements for the cultivation environment are not very high, so the price of Acorus calamus will not be very high, and the selling price when made into medicinal material is also within a range people can accept. This article mainly introduces precautions for herbaceous flower planting and the price of Acorus calamus.

Introduction to Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus is a perennial aquatic herbaceous plant. Its leaves are fragrant, slender and flat, and about 0.5-1.2 m long. The rhizome grows underground and is about 0.5-2 m long. The leaves are emerald green, born at the base on the stem, and it flowers from June to September. The fruit matures in October. Acorus tatarinowii grows tender buds from the mud every spring in March, enters its best growth temperature at 20-25 degrees Celsius, and stops growing below minus 10 degrees Celsius; after frost in early autumn, the aboveground part withers and dies, the underground part shrinks under the soil and goes dormant, and in the following spring it produces new leaves again; this repeats, and once planted in a pond it can be preserved forever, and it will not die even after growing for several decades.

Acorus calamus price

The price of aquatic flower Acorus calamus seedlings is cheap, with a single plant price between 0.8 yuan and 1 yuan, and about 13.5 yuan/kg by kilogram. Medicinal Acorus calamus is Acorus calamus that has been dried, with a price between 11 yuan/kg and 13 yuan/kg. Acorus calamus also varies according to different places of origin. South of the Yangtze River is a high-yield area for Acorus calamus, so the price there is relatively lower than in other areas.

Precautions for planting the herbaceous flower Acorus calamus

Soil:

Herbaceous flowers have relatively low soil requirements, and some herbaceous flowers are almost not selective about soil. Usually, the soil for planting herbaceous flowers is required to be loose and fertile, with good water retention and permeability, excellent granular structure, and high humus content. Using formulated soil will have a better effect. Formulated soil generally uses garden soil plus humus soil, peat soil, and decomposed barnyard manure. This mixed formulated soil is loose and breathable, retains water and heat, and is fertile, making it very suitable for planting herbaceous flowers. Before planting, rake it fine and level it, water it thoroughly, and then sow at the right time.

Sowing:

Before sowing, first water the ground thoroughly, then scatter the seeds evenly. After sowing, cover with fine sandy soil, with a covering thickness of 1-1.5 times the seed diameter. If too thin, the seeds will emerge with their caps on and grow poorly; if too thick, it will not be easy for them to sprout. The best temperature for seed germination and growth is 10-26 degrees Celsius, and attention should be paid to heat preservation and moisture retention.

Management:

When herbaceous flower seedlings grow to three true leaves, they must be transplanted. If potting for final planting, water thoroughly to help them recover from transplanting. The transplanting row and plant spacing is usually about 20x20 cm, and after planting, water thoroughly to help them recover from transplanting. After recovery, follow the principle of watering when dry and watering thoroughly once dry. When the flower seedlings reach the bud stage, appropriately increase fertilizer, and fertilizer should be applied together with watering so that the fertilizer goes with the water.

There are several methods of propagating Acorus calamus. The most convenient, fastest, and least troublesome method is division propagation. After they successively sprout in early spring, dig out the rhizomes and divide them. The method is to cut the dug rhizomes into sections and then plant them into the soil. The leaf clusters of Acorus calamus are emerald green, the plant shape is graceful, dignified, and elegant, and the leaves also have a fragrance. It is most suitable for waterside banks and vertical greening, and can also be used as a potted flower for viewing. The flowers are also one of the materials for cut flowers. It has very few diseases and insect pests and basically does not get sick.

Acorus calamus has very strong medicinal properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is often used to treat diseases such as fever with delirium, forgetfulness, chest tightness, stomach pain, rheumatic arthralgia, and carbuncle and swelling toxins. Because its efficacy is very strong and its price is not high, its medical use range is very wide, but there are also many unscrupulous merchants who use the cheaper dried rhizome of Bergenia purpurascens to pass off as Acorus calamus, because the two are very similar, so attention should be paid to identification when using them. Potted Acorus calamus has good ornamental value, and the whole plant has a light fragrance, and it is also suitable to be placed indoors to adjust the atmosphere.

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