Detailed Explanation of Chrysanthemum Planting Techniques and Field Management Points
Chrysanthemum is a plant of the Asteraceae family, with its flower heads used as medicine. It is a major commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, with the effects of dispelling wind and dissipating heat, clearing the liver and brightening the eyes. It mainly treats externally contracted wind-heat, dizziness and headache, and other conditions. Regularly drinking chrysanthemum tea has the benefits of preventing summer heat, relieving restlessness, calming the mind, and brightening the eyes. Chrysanthemum is cultivated throughout the country, among which the famous ones include Anhui's Boju, Zhejiang's Hangbaiju, Henan's Huaijuhua, and Hebei's Qijuhua, which are important export Chinese medicinal materials in China, sold far to Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, and Taiwan, China. Chrysanthemum prefers a warm climate and a sunny environment, can tolerate cold, and fears waterlogging, but cannot lack water during the seedling and flowering stages. Chrysanthemum is a short-day plant and is very sensitive to day length. Only with no more than 10 hours of light per day can it form buds and bloom.
Planting and Cultivation Techniques
1. Site selection and land preparation: The land for planting chrysanthemum has no strict requirements for soil, but it is best to choose well-drained, fertile, loose soil rich in humus for growth. Clay land and low-lying land are not suitable for planting, saline-alkali land is not suitable for planting, and continuous cropping should be avoided.
2. Propagation methods: There are division propagation and cutting propagation.
① Division propagation: After harvesting chrysanthemum in November, cut the chrysanthemum stems level with the ground, select robust, disease-free plants, dig out all their roots, and replant them on a fertile plot, applying a layer of farmyard manure to keep them warm through winter. In March to April of the following year, uncover the manure and soil, water them, and in May, when the chrysanthemum seedlings grow to 15 cm high, dig out the whole plant, divide it into several plants, and immediately plant them in the field. When planting, the spacing between plants and rows is 40 cm. Dig holes, plant 1-2 seedlings per hole, cover with soil and press firmly after planting, and water with settling water. Generally, one mu of old seedlings can plant about 15 mu of production field.
② Cutting propagation: In April to May or June to August, select thick, disease-free new shoots as cuttings. Take the middle section, cut it into small sections of 10-15 cm, treat the cuttings with plant hormones, then insert the cuttings into the seedbed with a row spacing of 20-25 cm and a plant spacing of 6-7 cm, press firmly and water. Roots can develop in about 20 days. Apply human and livestock manure water once every month thereafter. When the seedlings are 20 cm high, they can be transplanted out of the nursery.
③ Transplanting: Division seedlings are transplanted in April to May, and cutting seedlings in May to June. Choose a cloudy day, after rain, or the evening of a sunny day. On the prepared bed surface, dig holes with a row spacing and plant spacing of 40 cm each, with a hole depth of 6 cm. Then dig up the seedlings with soil. Plant 1 plant per hole for cutting seedlings, and 1-2 plants per hole for division seedlings. After planting, cover with soil and press firmly, and water with settling water.
Field Management for Planting
1. Cultivation and weeding: After the chrysanthemum seedlings are transplanted and survive, 4-5 weedings should be carried out before budding. Each weeding should be shallow rather than deep, and soil should be banked up at the same time to prevent the chrysanthemum seedlings from lodging.
2. Topdressing: Chrysanthemum likes fertilizer. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, 5 topdressings should be carried out during the growing period. The first is after transplanting and turning green, applying 10-15 kg of urea to promote seedling growth. The second is at the branching stage, when cake fertilizer and human manure can be applied per mu. The third fertilization is at the budding stage.
3. Bud removal: After chrysanthemum branches, around Xiaoman, when the seedlings are 25 cm high, carry out the first pinching, choosing a sunny day to remove 1-2 cm of the terminal bud. After that, pinch once every half a month and stop after Dashu. Otherwise, there will be too many branches, poor nutrition, and the flower heads will become small and fine, which will instead affect the yield and quality of chrysanthemum.
4. Pest and disease control: Common diseases of chrysanthemum include root rot, downy mildew, brown spot, and so on. In rainy seasons, chrysanthemum is prone to wilting of the leaves of the whole plant. When pulled up, the root system is seen to be moldy and rotten, and there are root-knot nematodes, seriously affecting the growth of chrysanthemum. The control method is to treat chrysanthemum seedlings and planting holes with carbofuran before transplanting, which can avoid rot. In addition, diseased plants should be pulled out in time. In the rainy season, field water should be drained in time. Other pests and diseases can be treated by conventional methods.
Harvesting and Processing
Generally harvested from Frost's Descent to the Start of Winter. The suitable harvest period is when the flower center has opened by 2/3. Chrysanthemum should be harvested on a sunny day, and after harvesting it should be processed in time to prevent rot and discoloration. Each producing area has traditional processing methods. The processing method of Boju is as follows: When the flowers are in full bloom and the petals are generally white, cut them together with the stems, tie them into small bundles, hang them upside down in a ventilated and dry place to dry. They must not be exposed to the sun, otherwise the fragrance will be poor. When dried to 80 percent, the flowers can be picked off, placed in a fumigation room and fumigated with sulfur to whiten them, and after fumigation spread them thinly and sun-dry for 1 day to dry. Then box them. The processing method of Gongju is: directly dry them in a drying room, using smokeless charcoal as fuel, controlling the temperature of the drying room between 40-50°C, spreading the chrysanthemums on bamboo curtains, and when the flower color is dried to ivory white, take them out of the drying room and then place them in a ventilated and dry place until completely dry. The yield per mu of chrysanthemum is generally about 100 kg. Those with large heads, white or bright yellow flowers, thick petals or many tightly packed petals, and a clear fragrance are considered best.
High-Yield Planting Techniques and Cultivation Management Points for Gongju
Gongju was originally named Huiju. Because of its excellent quality, it is praised by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the "crown of chrysanthemums" and a "national treasure." It has many medicinal and health functions, including dispersing wind and clearing heat, calming the liver and brightening the eyes. It can calm the central nervous system, enhance capillary anti-inflammatory power, and inhibit the activity of various bacteria and toxins. Long-term drinking can prevent summer heat and relieve restlessness, clear the five internal organs, detoxify and strengthen the body, brighten the eyes and refresh the mind, benefit intelligence and prolong life, and prevent many diseases. It has wide uses and can be processed into medicine or made into chrysanthemum crystals, chrysanthemum wine, or directly brewed for drinking with dried chrysanthemum. Some also soak dried chrysanthemum in water for bathing or use it as pillow filling to maintain health. In recent years, our city has also developed tea chrysanthemum series drinks such as Gongju gift tea, double chrysanthemum tea, and sea shell spitting pearls. Gongju products are famous at home and abroad, deeply favored by consumers, and market demand is increasing day by day. At present, Gongju has become one of the important agricultural products for increasing farmers' income and earning foreign exchange through exports in our city. In order to further expand the cultivation area of Gongju and improve yield and quality, the high-quality and high-yield cultivation techniques and processing methods of Gongju are introduced as follows:
Main Habits and Morphological Characteristics
Gongju is a perennial herbaceous plant with persistent roots. It is sensitive to day length and is a short-day plant. It is easy to form buds and bloom under short-day stimulation of less than 10 hours per day. It likes light and avoids shade. Insufficient light will lead to poor plant development and reduced flowering.
Gongju prefers ventilation and coolness, and is most suitable for growing in fertile, loose, moist, well-drained sandy loam. However, its moisture tolerance is relatively weak. Poor soil drainage and excessive humidity will lead to poor growth or even root rot and death. If it is too dry, there will be few branches and slow growth. Especially when water is lacking during the flowering period, the leaves become smaller and the number of flowers decreases, which will reduce yield and lower quality.
Gongju likes warmth, but is also relatively cold-tolerant. Its roots overwinter underground and can withstand low temperatures of minus 10-15°C. The flowers can withstand slight frost, but heavy frost will greatly reduce yield and lower quality.
Gongju branches are fragile, and under natural growth they are prone to being blown down or broken by wind. The plant height is generally 60-100 cm. The root system is distributed horizontally in the topsoil, and the rhizome produces adventitious buds. Flowers are borne at the ends of branches or in leaf axils. The flower color is white, and it is a small chrysanthemum with flat petals.
Site Selection, Land Preparation, and Applying Sufficient Base Fertilizer
The Gongju plot should be flat land without pollution sources and where chrysanthemum has not been planted before. Our city has a wide suitable range for planting Gongju. Flat mountain land and gentle slopes can be used for contiguous planting, and gaps in tea, mulberry, and orchard land as well as grain and oil farmland can also be used for intercropping. However, site selection must be based on the habits of Gongju to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. It requires shelter from wind and facing the sun, fertile soil, and convenient drainage and irrigation. Avoid shaded plots, compacted and sticky soil that easily accumulates water, and planting at wind gaps. Low-lying waterlogged plots and lowland areas prone to frost damage should also not be selected. Sections with heavy fog are unfavorable for producing high-quality chrysanthemums because they affect harvesting and baking quality and are prone to disease. Chrysanthemum continuous cropping leads to severe disease and poor production, so crop rotation is advisable.
For land used for planting chrysanthemum, it is best to deep plow in winter (25 cm), turn and harrow in spring, and apply sufficient base fertilizer. According to soil fertility, apply 1000-1500 kg of organic fertilizer such as barnyard manure or compost per mu, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and about 100 kg of cake fertilizer. On flat land, make ridges and dig drainage ditches well, with a ridge spacing of 30-40 cm and a ridge width of 70-80 cm. Mountain land drains better, so ridges do not need to be made.
Cultivating Strong Seedlings
Chrysanthemums that are not raised as seedlings grow weakly when planted, and their flowers are thin and small. Gongju must be produced by cultivating strong seedlings. For the propagation of Gongju seedlings, the division propagation method is commonly used in production. Chrysanthemum plants cultivated by this method are tall, have many branches, bloom abundantly, and have relatively large flowers.
1. Division propagation method: After the chrysanthemum harvest is completed, cut off all the old stems of the chrysanthemum level with the ground, and leave the roots of robust plants in the soil. Or dig up the roots and bury them together in a selected fertile and well-drained sandy loam plot. Loosen the soil, apply winter fertilizer, and pay attention to pest and disease control to facilitate the robust growth of chrysanthemum seedlings. When the seedlings grow to 5-8 cun high, they can be divided and transplanted.
2. Cutting propagation method: In order to expand the propagation speed of chrysanthemum, Gongju can also be propagated by cuttings. The method is: from April to June, cut about 10 cm long shoot tips with 2-4 nodes from new branches sprouting from old plants of the previous year or from plants developed by division. Cut the lower cut diagonally near the bud or cut flat. Remove the leaves on the lower half, cut off half of the large upper leaves, insert about one half into the seedbed soil, with each plant 10 cm apart, water thoroughly, and provide half shade. After the dew dries each morning, spray an appropriate amount of clean water. The amount of water should not be too much. After half a month, they will take root and sprout. After that, apply light manure water once every 3-5 days to promote seedling growth, and they can be transplanted in one month. Chrysanthemum seedlings cultivated by this method have large flowers. In addition, when the climate is humid and cloudy, robust branches can also be directly cut into the garden to grow into seedlings.
Timely Transplanting
When using division propagation, divide and transplant in mid-to-late April. It is best to choose strong flower seedlings free of pests and diseases and 7-8 cun high. When planting seedlings, attention should be paid to weather changes when choosing the time. Transplanting after rain on cloudy days gives a high survival rate. Transplanting when the soil is dry and under a clear sky with strong sun is not suitable. Plant 3000-4000 plants per mu, with a row spacing of 40 cm and a plant spacing of 33 cm, and plant 1-2 plants per hole. Using a reasonable wide-narrow row planting arrangement is beneficial for ventilation and light transmission in the later growth stage of the chrysanthemum garden and convenient for field operations. When transplanting, the seedling tips can be removed to promote seedling recovery and branch growth. If the soil is not wet enough and the weather is dry during transplanting, settling water must be applied. If there are few seedlings, they can be planted sparsely and then propagated by layering to increase density. Layering can be repeated until the number of seedlings is sufficient.
Topping and Pruning
In order to promote branching, increase the number of flowers, make the main stem thick and strong, reduce lodging, and improve yield and quality, chrysanthemum must be topped and pruned 3-4 times. The first time is in mid-May on a sunny day, leaving about 5 cm at the base and cutting off all the upper part. Note that pruning should be done on a sunny day. After pruning, the plant produces 5-6 new branches. The second time is to top when the newly grown branches are about 6 cm long, around mid-June. After the second topping, the plant produces 11-12 new branches.
About Marigold Planting -- Complete Chrysanthemum Information
[Chrysanthemum Question]:
Hello expert: I understand that large-scale field planting of marigold is a new industry now, but just looking at information online still leaves me feeling that I do not know much about the specific planting methods and techniques, so I would like to ask whether the expert can provide more information in this area.
[Expert Reply]:
Comrade Liu Huan:Hello!
The question you consulted about is now answered as follows:
Brief Introduction to Marigold Cultivation and Planting Techniques:
Marigold, also known as stinking marigold, honeycomb chrysanthemum, pot marigold, and so on, is an annual herbaceous plant. It is 60 cm to 100 cm tall, with an upright, thick stem, branches, opposite leaves, head inflorescences, solitary flowers, and flower diameter of 5 cm to 10 cm. Spring marigold has strong growth vigor, likes a warm and sunny environment, is not tolerant of high temperature and extreme heat, has no strict requirements for soil, and tolerates transplanting.
The seedling stand of marigold per mu is generally 3500-4000 plants, and each plant can produce 0.8-1.2 jin of fresh flowers. If there is drought and little rain, or fertilizer deficiency, the flowers will be weak, the flowering period short, and premature aging will occur. But the yield per mu is still generally around 3000 jin. If the yield per mu is calculated at 3000 jin, and the purchase price is 0.28 yuan/jin, the output value per mu is 840 yuan. After deducting costs, the income per mu is 670 yuan, and the net income per mu is about 500 yuan. If everything is normal, the seedling stand per mu reaches 4000 plants, and the yield per plant is 1.2 jin, then that is an increment of 4800 jin. At a purchase price of 0.28 yuan, the income per mu is 1344 yuan, and the economic benefit is considerable.
The main cultivation points are as follows:
1. Seedling raising
Breeding marigold is key. For this step, technical personnel should provide follow-up services, or seedlings should be raised centrally.
1. Seedling raising time, area, and seed quantity. The seedling raising time can be determined according to the transplanting time. Generally, spring marigold is raised about 40 days before transplanting. Seedling raising area and seed quantity: each mu of spring marigold planted requires 20-25 sq m of seedbed and about 30 g or more of seed.
2. Seedling raising method. Spring-sown marigold can be raised in sunny beds or small arched sheds, mostly small arched sheds. The seedbed should be sheltered from wind and face the sun, preferably running east-west. The width and length of the seedbed should be suitable for the film size and convenient management. Generally, the width should not exceed 1.3 m. The height of the arched shed is preferably about 60 cm. For the film, it is best to choose a non-drip film with good warming and heat preservation performance.
3. Bed preparation and fertilization. For every 667 sq m of seedbed planted, 200 kg of farmyard manure and 2 kg of diammonium phosphate or special chrysanthemum fertilizer can be applied. Turn the farmyard manure into the ground, evenly spread the chemical fertilizer on the bed surface, then hoe it into the ground, and then rake it fine and level it.
4. Seed treatment. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water (water temperature 35-40°C) for 3-4 hours, then remove them and rinse once with clean water, drain the water, and sow. To prevent seedling-stage diseases, seeds can also be dressed with any one of thiophanate-methyl, chlorothalonil, formalin, mancozeb, and so on (the concentration used depends on the seed-soaking concentration in the instructions).
5. Sowing. Sowing should be carried out on a windless, sunny day. On the day of sowing, irrigate the seedbed thoroughly, and sow after the water seeps down. To prevent underground pests from damaging the seedlings, poisonous soil should be spread or insecticides sprayed when sowing. Types of pesticides include carbofuran, phoxim, and so on. If mole crickets still cause damage at emergence, phoxim mixed with fried bran can be spread on the seedbed, and the control effect is very good. When sowing, mix the treated seeds with fine sandy soil and scatter them on the seedbed in 2-3 batches. After sowing, cover with sieved soil 0.7-1 cm.
6. Seedbed management
This step is the key step to ensure seedling growth and quality. Temperature should be watched well, moisture should be noted, fertilization should be reasonable, and false planting should be done well.
After the seedlings emerge completely, note that the temperature in the seedbed must not exceed 30°C, so as not to cause seedling scorching and root rot. Spring-sown marigold emerges completely 6-7 days after sowing. When the marigold seedlings grow to about 3 cm and the first pair of true leaves unfolds, attention should be paid to ventilation to prevent excessive growth. The temperature in the seedbed should be maintained at 25-27°C. Ventilation time should be from 8:00 to 9:00 in the morning. Do not ventilate at noon when the temperature is high, so as not to cause seedling flash. If there is strong wind and cooling weather, stop ventilation. When the average outdoor temperature is stably above 12°C, choose a clear and windless day, uncover the film, and remove weeds in the seedbed. If water is lacking, spray once thoroughly and cover the film well, enlarge the ventilation opening. Watering in the seedbed should not be too frequent, and it is advisable to keep the bed soil alternately dry and moist. Too much watering easily causes excessive growth and is also conducive to the occurrence of diseases. When the outdoor temperature stably passes 15°C, the film should be uncovered to harden the seedlings. About 7 days before transplanting, stop watering and carry out seedling conditioning before transplanting in preparation for transplanting.
2. Transplanting
Choose land that is not prone to waterlogging, relatively thin sandy loam land or ridge land, and continuous cropping is not allowed.
1. Time. Transplant when the chrysanthemum seedling stem is 0.3 cm thick, the plant height is 15-20 cm, and 3-4 pairs of true leaves have appeared.
2. Planting method. Use wide-narrow row planting, with a large row of 70 cm, a small row of 50 cm, and a plant spacing of 25 cm. Keep 4500 seedlings per 667 sq m, and plant according to large and small seedlings in separate rows.
3. Plastic film mulching. To increase ground temperature and promote earlier flower maturity.
4. Watering. After transplanting, irrigate heavily to promote early seedling recovery and early rooting.
3. Field management
Cultivation and weeding, two hoeings and three passes, make large ridges in early July before the rainy season. At the bud stage, choose a sunny day and spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves to promote uniform flowering, improve yield and quality, increase pigment content, and raise the grade.
1. Cultivation and soil banking. After transplanting, shallow hoe to preserve moisture. When the plant height is about 20 cm and a small number of branches appear, combine cultivation with soil banking to promote deep rooting and enhance drought resistance and lodging resistance. The soil banking height should preferably not bury the terminal bud of the first pair of branches.
2. Watering and fertilizing. Watering must not make the soil too dry or too wet; it is only necessary to keep the soil moist. Also, because marigold has a relatively long flowering period, additional fertilizer is needed to supply nutrients, but fertilizer must not be applied excessively. Nitrogen fertilizer must be controlled, otherwise the branches and leaves will grow vigorously and fail to bloom. Generally, apply 1 time per month of fully decomposed dilute organic liquid fertilizer or nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound liquid fertilizer.
3. Pinching and pruning. During maintenance and management, after the seedlings planted in the field or potted have survived, pinch in time to promote branching and more flowering. To make the flowers large, long branches, dead branches, weak branches, and post-flowering branches should be thinned or heavily pinched in time. For overly dense branches, thin them to improve light and retain strong branches, but they must not be pinched, so that the top flower buds develop fully. In windy seasons, the plant height should also be controlled by pruning and pinching to avoid lodging. Otherwise, supports should be set up to prevent being blown down by wind.
4. Control of red spiders. Strengthen field management, remove weeds, and control red spiders at the early stage of occurrence. Use 40% omethoate 1000-1500 times solution or 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution and spray evenly on the back and front of leaves. Spray once more after 7 days.
5. Disease control. Spring marigold disease control should follow the principle of "prevention is more important than treatment, combining prevention and treatment." Generally, the first control is carried out in early July, and once more half a month later. The dosage should refer to the instructions. In dry weather with high temperature, red spiders are likely to harm leaves, so it is advisable to spray 1000-1500 times Jingyebao.
(1) Viral disease: Viral diseases can be controlled with drugs such as Bingduwei, Bingduke, or Junduqing.
(2) Fusarium wilt: Fusarium wilt can be controlled with wettable powders such as 75% chlorothalonil, carbendazim, phosethyl-Al, and thiophanate-methyl.
6. Light. Marigold is a light-loving plant and is not shade-tolerant, so it must be planted in flower beds and other plots with abundant light. Potted marigold must also be placed under light conditions for maintenance and management. Otherwise, the plant will become weak or the stems and leaves will be tender and spindly, with few and small flowers.
4. Harvesting
When the flowers are 70 to 80 percent open and completely open, and the flower center can just barely be seen (that is, the inside of the flower and the seed coat have not turned black), they can be harvested. Spring marigold used for extracting yellow pigment is harvested when the flowers mature. The flower stalk is required to be within 1 cm. The flower-picking period can last from July to October. Harvest while storing, then dry and process to extract yellow pigment.