Key technical points for the propagation, cultivation and management of garden flowers and nursery stock

Propagation, cultivation and management techniques for garden flowers and nursery stock

The propagation, cultivation and management of flowers and nursery stock are the foundation of landscaping construction and an important part of landscaping. The demand for flowers and nursery stock in garden construction is growing, and the requirements for the techniques of propagating, cultivating and managing flowers and nursery stock are becoming ever higher. Therefore, more attention must be paid to the cultivation of flowers and nursery stock in landscaping construction, the professional quality and technical level of garden designers and managers must be continuously improved, the quality of landscaping construction must be enhanced, and people's needs for a living ecological environment must be met.

1 Ecological characteristics

1.1 Herbaceous flowers

Herbaceous flowers can be divided into annual flowers, biennial flowers, indoor foliage plants, bulbous flowers, perennial flowers and succulent flowers, among others. Different flower species have different ecological habits and growth conditions, and their requirements for the growing environment also differ. Taking annual flowers as an example, their growth cycle is somewhat short and their cold tolerance is poor, so they are suitable for sowing in spring, with the flowering period in summer and autumn. Common annual flowers include cockscomb, marigold and peacock flower; compared with annual flowers, biennial flowers have stronger cold tolerance and are suitable for sowing in autumn and winter, with the flowering period in spring. Common biennial flowers include pansy, stock and China pink; perennial flowers are also herbaceous plants that live for many years, with a relatively long growth cycle and a long survival time. Common perennial flowers include peony, asparagus fern and African daisy.

1.2 Woody flowers

Woody flowers are mainly divided into shrubs, vines and trees. Shrub flowers usually grow in clumps, without a very obvious main trunk and side branches, such as Chinese rose, winter jasmine and tree peony; most vine flowers are deciduous vines and can only grow when their stems and tendrils climb onto other objects; tree flowers are mainly divided into 2 types, evergreen trees and deciduous trees, with tall, straight plants, a distinct main trunk and luxuriant side branches, such as cherry blossom, crape myrtle and plum blossom.

2 Propagation and cultivation techniques

2.1 Sowing techniques

In landscaping construction work, sowing is the most commonly used propagation technique. It is relatively simple to carry out and has a wide range of applications, making it a common method in the propagation and cultivation of garden flowers and nursery stock, but the drawbacks of this method are also obvious, namely that the survival rate of flower seeds is not high. Therefore, generally before sowing, the flower seeds can first be treated, and by shortening the germination time of the flower seeds, the germination rate of the seeds can be increased, thereby raising the seed survival rate. At the same time, certain control measures should also be taken over the growth rhythm of the flowers. Flowers with the same growth rhythm are easier to manage, and the garden flowers become more aesthetically pleasing, improving the quality of landscaping construction to a certain extent.

2.2 Cutting techniques

Different from sowing techniques, cutting techniques use the vegetative organs of flowers as material for propagation. The process is to bury vegetative organs of flowers that have grown to a certain stage in the soil so that they grow into new plants. Plants cultivated by this technique can adapt well to the environment and climate, so the survival rate is also quite high. However, different varieties of flowers have different vegetative organs that can be used for propagation, which requires relevant landscaping staff to have sufficient understanding and knowledge of the vegetative organs of different kinds of flowers, so as to better apply cutting techniques and carry out the propagation and cultivation of garden flowers and nursery stock. For example, the vegetative organs that can be used for propagation in crape myrtle and pomegranate are mature branches; for Chinese rose, osmanthus and rhododendron, well-developed branches and leaves should be used as cuttings when taking cuttings; and for American trumpet creeper and lilac, root segments are used for cuttings.

2.3 Grafting techniques

Through grafting techniques, the vegetative organs of one flower are grafted onto another plant, so that 2 different flowers can be combined into one new plant. This technique places high demands on the technical level of garden staff, and there are also certain requirements for the timing of flower grafting and the selection of rootstock. Therefore, garden staff must fully understand the growth habits of flowers and be proficient in grafting techniques. In order to ensure the survival rate of grafted plants, attention should be paid to controlling light intensity, temperature and humidity during grafting and in post-grafting management. Generally speaking, there are many commonly used grafting methods, such as approach grafting, cut grafting, cleft grafting, lip-shaped bud grafting, square bud grafting and softwood grafting.

3 Key points of cultivation management

3.1 Planting

When cultivating garden flowers and nursery stock, choosing suitable soil is the focus of the work. Usually, landscaping staff mix materials such as leaf mold, garden soil, leaf fiber and perlite to prepare the cultivation soil. During cultivation, damage to the seedling root system should be avoided or reduced, and the seedlings should not be planted too deep in the pot, so that the seedlings can absorb water and fertilizer. After the plants mature, the pots should also be changed regularly to meet the nutritional needs of flower growth and ensure healthy flower growth.

3.2 Water and fertilizer management

Reasonable water and fertilizer management is the key to promoting flower growth and plays a very important role in the healthy growth of flowers. Garden staff should reasonably arrange the watering time and cycle for flowers, and the water used for irrigation should be mild soft water; as for fertilizing, staff need to decide according to the fertilizer requirements and actual growth conditions of the flowers, and flexibly adjust the number of fertilizations as the seasons and climate change, so that the flowers can fully absorb nutrients.

3.3 Pest prevention

The pest periods of flowers should be fully understood, and during periods of high pest incidence, the growth status of flowers should be monitored regularly and corresponding control strategies should be formulated. For different kinds of flowers, suitable control agents must be selected to avoid flowers being affected by pests during growth.