How to hydroponically grow zinnias? Detailed planting methods and care measures
Zinnia is an annual herbaceous plant that blooms in summer and autumn. The flowers are about 10cm in diameter, with many brightly colored petals and diverse flower forms, basically all double-flowered types. It has very high ornamental value and is a common flowerbed and flower border material. Tall zinnia varieties can be used for cut flower production and open-field cultivation
Zinnia is an annual herbaceous plant that blooms in summer and autumn. The flowers are about 10cm in diameter, with many brightly colored petals and diverse flower forms, basically all double-flowered types. It has very high ornamental value and is a common flowerbed and flower border material. Tall zinnia varieties can be used for cut flower production and open-field cultivation. Next, the editor will briefly explain the hydroponic planting methods and care measures for zinnias, hoping to be helpful to everyone.
I. Hydroponic methods
1. Cut zinnia branches from the mother plant. When cutting branches, choose branches that have sprouted new roots from the top and middle sections of the main trunk and main branches. These branches have strong growth ability and a high survival rate.
2. The cutting position should be 0.2-0.5cm below the node. This part is rich in nutrients and easy to root.
3. When cutting, the cut should be smooth, which helps the wound heal quickly and promotes rooting.
4. Place the cut branches in a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes to disinfect, then use tap water to induce new roots.
5. Insert the cut branches into water. The water level should submerge about one-third of the branches. Remove leaves that are submerged in water, expose them to air, and retain aerial roots.
6. Place the branches in a shaded area, avoiding direct sunlight.
7. Change the water once a day, or once every 2-3 days.
8. After the branches grow new roots, add nutrient solutions of different formulas and observe the growth of the zinnias.
II. Care guide
1. Temperature and light
Zinnias prefer warmth and are not tolerant of extreme summer heat or severe cold. The suitable daytime growth temperature is 18-20 degrees, and the suitable nighttime temperature is 15-16 degrees;
Zinnias grow quickly in summer and are suitable for full-sun cultivation, and can receive direct sunlight.
2. Watering
During the growth period of zinnias, ensure sufficient water, and it is best to water in the morning;
Dry zinnia leaves can prevent disease occurrence and inhibit excessive plant growth.
Flower pillar soilless cultivation model and its application prospects
Nowadays, with the enhancement of people's greening awareness and the renewal of greening concepts, traditional flower planting methods no longer meet people's aesthetic requirements due to many drawbacks. For example, fresh cut flowers lack a practical process from planting to flowering and fruiting, and their preservation time is short; ordinary potted flowers are commonly grown in soil, and care must rely on experience, making them difficult to manage and prone to pests and diseases, and inharmonious with modern indoor environments. Flower pillar soilless cultivation (hereinafter referred to as flower pillar) is a cultivation method in which industrialized plastic pots are stacked to a certain height, flowers are planted on them, and nutrient solution is automatically circulated for irrigation to meet the flowers' needs for water, air, and fertilizer. It integrates three-dimensional cultivation, soilless cultivation, and facility cultivation, and has advantages such as new technology, industrialization, water conservation and environmental protection, large greening capacity, beautiful appearance, and easy management, and can satisfy people's interest in growing and caring for flowers to the greatest extent. In recent years, the application of flower pillars in the beautification and greening of urban parks, streets, courtyards, homes, rooftops, and balconies, as well as in urban agriculture, has gradually increased. Flower pillars are a new flower production model and art form besides flower arranging and bonsai, and are expected to become a fashionable industry in the future.1 Structure of the flower pillar system
According to the application site and circulation system, flower pillars can be divided into two types: conventional type and household type.
1.1 Conventional flower pillar system
Hydroponics is usually adopted, and larger-area group cultivation is mainly applied to urban agriculture, urban park streets, courtyard and rooftop greening, etc.
1.1.1 Basic structure of the pillar device: 600 pillars are installed per 667 sq m. Each pillar consists of a base, a central axis, and a column body. The outer shell of the column body is a pot cast from white engineering plastic (ABS). One pillar stacks 10-12 pots, with a height of 160-200cm and a diameter of 15cm. Each pot is provided with 5 cultivation holes, and flowers and seedlings grow on these cultivation holes. The pillars are arranged in rows. The column body is sleeved on the central axis and stands on the base plate at the lower end, making it easy to rotate and also able to move freely with the central axis. Rotation allows the flowers and seedlings to receive uniform light.
1.1.2 The nutrient solution circulation system consists of a liquid storage tank, delivery pipes, drip shower heads, and a return ditch. The nutrients needed for the growth of flowers and seedlings in the pots are sent by a submersible pump from the liquid storage tank to the delivery pipes, and then injected into the pots through the drip shower heads at the top of the pillars. When the nutrient solution in the previous pot exceeds a certain water level, it automatically flows into the next pot until the nutrient solution overflows from the outlet of the cultivation trough, and finally flows back to the liquid storage tank through the return ditch. The nutrient solution can be automatically irrigated at regular times and recycled.
1.2 The household flower pillar system has 3 cultivation methods: hydroponics, substrate cultivation, and mixed cultivation. Indoor single-plant flower cultivation is mainly applied to home, office, and balcony greening, etc.
1.2.1 Basic structure of the pillar device: each set consists of a bottom basin, a central column, pots, a micro pump, and a timer. Household pillars generally stack 3-6 pots, with a height of 50-100cm. The bottom basin uses a cylindrical body with a volume of about 6L, used for storing and recovering nutrient solution.
1.2.2 Automatic nutrient solution circulation system: the nutrient solution in the bottom basin of the household pillar is pumped in by a micro pump, then passes through a hose, shower head, and pots, and is then recovered to the bottom basin for reuse, with automatic circulating irrigation achieved through a 24h programmable timer.
2 Key points of cultivation techniques
2.1 Variety selection
For conventional flower pillars, ornamental value is mainly considered, and herbaceous flowers are mainly selected. Suitable varieties include French marigold, Vinca, Impatiens, marigold, zinnia, globe amaranth, hybrid dianthus, cockscomb, pansy, wax begonia, amaranthus tricolor, coleus, ornamental tomato, pot marigold, China aster, petunia, scarlet sage, dwarf sunflower, Tradescantia zebrina, etc.; for household flower pillars, considering the particularity of indoor environmental conditions, shade-tolerant foliage plants are mainly selected. Suitable varieties include Rohdea japonica, Syngonium, pothos, ivy, Monstera deliciosa, asparagus fern, Aglaonema 'Silver Queen', green treasure, small zebra plant, Dracaena sanderiana, miniature coconut palm, lucky bamboo, Cordyline fruticosa, Schefflera, Nephrolepis, peace lily, snake plant, spider plant, clivia, Aspidistra, Calathea striped, Calathea peacock, etc.
2.2 Soilless seedling technology
2.2.1 Soilless seedling raising of herbaceous flowers generally uses seed sowing and propagation, and some are propagated by cuttings, such as marigold, French marigold, wax begonia, Vinca, etc. Seed propagation with plug tray soilless seedling raising has the best effect, with neat and robust seedlings. Compared with conventional open-field soilless seedling raising, it suffers less damage from underground pests, causes less root damage during transplanting, and has a shorter recovery period. The seedling substrate is a composite substrate of perlite, peat, and mushroom waste (volume ratio 1:1:1). The seedling container uses the Shengbao heavy-duty 128 seedling plug tray produced by Ningxia Shengbao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. (8 x 16 holes, hole size 3cm x 3cm). Before sowing herbaceous flower seeds, soak them in 100 times diluted 40% formalin for 15min for disinfection. For herbaceous flower varieties that are difficult to germinate, soak the seeds in warm water and promote germination. After sowing and germination, when the herbaceous flower seedlings grow to the 2-leaf (pair) stage, spray dilute nutrient solution once a day. When the seedlings reach certain morphological indicators of seedling age, they should be transplanted in time. The general transplanting period is the 4-5 leaf (pair) stage.
2.2.2 Soilless seedling raising of shade-tolerant foliage plants usually uses division or cutting propagation, and many foliage plants can be propagated by both methods. Division propagation is relatively simple. When the daughter plants differentiated from the mother plant have grown roots, they can be separated from the mother plant and cultivated separately. The method is to dig up the mother plant, remove the substrate, clear old roots and rotten roots, then find the natural separation point of the root system, tear it apart by hand or cut it with a knife, and require the separated daughter plants to have fine roots, branches (leaves), and buds. The cutting propagation substrate is perlite. Cut the cuttings used for cuttings into 8-12cm lengths, remove the leaves at the base of the cuttings, and make the lower cut smooth with a 45 degree slant. Soak the cut in 50 x 10-6 indoleacetic acid for 12h to promote rooting. After cutting, do a good job of moisture retention to prevent the cuttings from losing water and wilting. When the roots grow 2-3cm, they can be transplanted, and root damage should be minimized during transplanting.
2.3 Nutrient solution management
2.3.1 Determination and adjustment of nutrient solution pH value: the nutrient formula fertilizer used by the author was produced and provided by Hangzhou Longshan Chemical Plant. The suitable pH range of nutrient solution for flowers is 5.5-6.5, and generally stable at around 6.0 is best. During the preparation and use of the nutrient solution, a handheld Hanna pH tester can be used to regularly measure the pH value. After testing, if the pH of the nutrient solution is found to be too high, adjust it with sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or nitric acid; if the pH is too low, adjust it with NaOH.
2.3.2 Determination and adjustment of nutrient solution EC value: the suitable ion concentration of nutrient solution for flowers (expressed as EC value) varies depending on different growth stages and cultivation seasons of flowers. Generally, it is slightly lower at the seedling stage and slightly higher at the peak growth stage; slightly higher in winter and slightly lower in summer. The suitable EC value at the seedling stage is 0.6-1.2ms/cm, and the suitable EC value at the flowering stage or mature seedling stage (shade-tolerant plants) is 1.2-1.8ms/cm. Generally, a DDS-11A conductivity meter can be used to regularly measure the EC value of the nutrient solution. If the EC value is found to be too high, dilute it with water; if too low, adjust it by adding formula fertilizer.
2.3.3 Supplementing the oxygen content of the nutrient solution: supplement the oxygen content in the nutrient solution through multiple nutrient solution circulation irrigations every day, thereby meeting the oxygen demand for flower root growth.
2.3.4 Liquid supply time and frequency: adopt the method of intermittent timed liquid supply, controlled by a timer. Generally, supply liquid 2-4 times a day, 15-20min each time. Liquid supply is carried out during the day, not at night; supply liquid more times on sunny days and fewer on cloudy and rainy days; supply liquid more times when the temperature is high and light is strong, and less when the temperature is low and light is weak.
2.3.5 Replacement of nutrient solution: the bottom basin of household flower pillars has a small volume, and the service life of each basin of nutrient solution is 1-2 months, that is, replace once a month in summer and once every 2 months in winter. Because the liquid storage tank of conventional flower pillars has a large volume, the service life of the nutrient solution can be extended to 4-6 months. If contamination occurs, replace it in time.
2.4 Pest and disease control
According to the author's observation, household flower pillars generally rarely suffer from pests and diseases during indoor placement. During greenhouse production of flower pillars, various pests and diseases will occur. The main pests and diseases include: gray mold, downy mildew, anthracnose, powdery mildew, leaf spot, spider mites, aphids, green worms, noctuid moths, etc. The strategy of "prevention first, integrated control" should be adopted for comprehensive control: (1) timely remove dead branches and fallen leaves, and clean up diseased and pest-infested plants; (2) physical control, using yellow sticky insect traps to trap and kill pests; (3) fumigation with Yixunling, Lide smoke agents, etc.; (4) for chemical control, highly toxic pesticides are prohibited, and low- and medium-residue pesticides should be selected, and the right medicine should be used; insecticides and acaricides include 7051 insecticide, Wanling, Yibianjing, Yitaibao, imidacloprid, etc., and fungicides include Dacotin, carbendazim, Dacotech, Ridomil, Sandofan, etc.
3 Discussion of application prospects
Through the combination of different varieties, different flower colors, and flower columns of different heights, flower pillar combination modes rich in different artistic interests can be designed to express different cultural connotations.
3.1 Application in landscape greening
Flower pillar combination landscapes can add luster to urban parks and can also be used as movable flowerbeds, with application effects similar to potted flowers in greening blind spots.
3.2 Application in urban agriculture
Flower pillar combinations can enhance the taste of urban agriculture and add a modern horticultural technology flavor.
3.3 Application in street greening
Flower pillars standing in rows on both sides of the street can noticeably increase the street's festive cultural atmosphere and give people a refreshing feeling.
3.4 Rooftop gardens
Flower pillars save water and are environmentally friendly, do not accumulate water, and avoid the shortcomings of rooftop soil cultivation such as easy water accumulation and leakage.
3.5 Application in indoor greening
Household flower pillars have large greening capacity, are beautiful, and are easy to manage, making them an ideal choice for beautifying and greening family homes and offices.
Indoor foliage flower: Money Tree
For the plant list below, friends can reply with the name to automatically obtain itAutumn-blooming flowers: geranium, forget-me-not, false dragonhead, snapdragon, tuberose, marigold, carnation, French marigold, border phlox, creeping phlox, corn poppy, cyclamen, red spider lily, nasturtium, morning glory, China aster, gazania, blue-eyed daisy, cornflower, African daisy, black-eyed Susan, black-eyed Susan, chrysanthemum, Rieger begonia, bamboo-leaf begonia, tuberous begonia, iron cross begonia, painted-leaf begonia,
Summer-blooming flowers: daylily, powdery alligator-flag, iris, pickerelweed, cockscomb, impatiens, wax begonia, cottage pink, cosmos, Chinese violet, dahlia, blue salvia, globe amaranth, zinnia, hydrangea, sensitive plant, florist's rose, verbena, pansy, sunflower, water lily, balloon flower, moss rose, jasmine, stock, Oncidium, gardenia, baby's breath.
Winter and spring flowers: hyacinth,
Indoor foliage plants: pothos, peace lily, asparagus fern, Schefflera arboricola, Peperomia, Schefflera, money tree, anthurium, Syngonium, Cordyline fruticosa, Hawaiian palm, fishtail palm, areca palm, lucky bamboo, money tree, palm grass, Radermachera sinica, Alocasia, Philodendron, calla lily, Calathea, Aglaonema.
Hanging and climbing plants:
Herb plants: basil, French marigold, mosquito plant, angelonia, marjoram, Cuban oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, mint.
Flower and plant care knowledge: cuttings, hydroponics
Money Tree
1 Alternative names
Malabar chestnut
2 Family, genus, origin, and morphology
Origin: native to the Malay Peninsula and the South Seas Islands area.
Family, genus, and morphology: Bombacaceae, evergreen tree.
Stem: tree height 8-15m
Leaves: palmately compound leaves, 5-7 leaflets, branches mostly whorled.
Flowers: large flowers, up to 22.5 centimeters long, petals split.
Flower color: flower colors include red, white, or pale yellow, bright and gorgeous.
Flowering period: blooms in April-May, fruit ripens in September-October, containing 10-20 seeds, large seeds, irregular shape, light brown.
3 Brief description of varieties
None for now
4 Flower language and allusions (flower giving guide)
Flower language: wealth rolling in, prosperity and development, bright future
Origin of the name Money Tree: each leaf stalk mostly bears six or seven leaflets, but sometimes eight. Because "eight" is homophonous with "fa" (prosperity), some flower shop owners beautifully named it "Money Tree."
5 Uses
Foliage potted plant.
The Money Tree is evergreen all year round, can absorb toxic gases and release oxygen through photosynthesis, can relatively effectively absorb carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide pollution, and has a certain effect in resisting exhaust gas produced by tobacco combustion.
6 Planting and flowering time
Seeds mature in autumn and are best sown immediately after collection. Or cuttings can be taken when the temperature is 20-25 degrees. Blooms in April-May.
7 Growth habits
Cultivation difficulty: easy
Light: prefers environments with sunlight. The Money Tree is not strict about light requirements and can grow under strong sunlight or in low-light indoor conditions. However, full sun can make the stem nodes shorter, leaves wider, the plant shape more compact, the leaf color darker green, the crown fuller, and the stem base thicker. Under long-term low light, branches become thin, leaf stalks droop, leaves are pale green, and growth becomes thin and tall, causing the plant to reach braiding height prematurely and affecting the shape. No matter what environment it is cultivated in, the placement location should not be changed suddenly; changing position requires a gradual adaptation process. If the plant is suddenly moved from shade to strong light, the leaves will be sunburned and scorched at the edges, affecting appearance.
Temperature: prefers high temperatures and has poor cold resistance. The suitable growth temperature is 20°C-30°C. The high-temperature and high-humidity environment in summer is very favorable for the growth of the Money Tree and is also the period of fastest growth. At this stage, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened to promote robust plant growth. In winter, the temperature must not be lower than 15°C; below 10°C it is easy for it to die. It is best to maintain it between 18°C-20°C. Under lower temperature conditions, prevent moisture, otherwise the leaves are very likely to develop water-soaked frost spots. In late autumn and winter, attention should be paid to cold and freeze protection management.
Water: prefers moisture. The watering principle is to keep it wet rather than dry. Pay attention to watering in each season and at different growth stages, that is, water more in the high-temperature summer season, and frequently spray the branches and leaves to increase necessary humidity. Water less in winter. Water more for vigorous large and medium-sized plants, and water less for newly potted small plants. When the watering amount is too large, it is easy to cause root rot, leading to drooping leaves, loss of luster, or even shedding. At this time, it should immediately be moved to a cool place, the watering amount reduced to the minimum, as long as the potting soil is not dry, spray the leaf surface multiple times a day with a spray bottle, stop fertilizer water, and after about 15-20 days the plant can gradually recover to health.
Fertilizer: prefers fertilizer. Its demand for fertilizer is greater than that of common other flowers and trees. When repotting each year, the proportion of fertilized soil can account for 1/3, or even more. Fertilized soil has a wide range of sources. You can collect leaf mold from broadleaf tree fallen leaves, add a small amount of garden soil and mixed bone meal and soybean cake residue to prepare it. This fertilized soil has high effectiveness and is convenient and easy to obtain, but attention should be paid to fully decomposing it to avoid "burning" the leaves yellow. In addition, during the growth period of the Money Tree (May to September), apply a decomposed liquid fertilizer or mixed flower fertilizer once every 15 days to promote deep roots and lush leaves.
Soil: prefers fertile, loose, breathable, and water-retentive sandy loam, prefers acidic soil, and avoids alkaline soil or heavy clay soil. Generally, use loose vegetable garden soil or peat soil, leaf mold, coarse sand, plus a small amount of compound fertilizer or chicken manure as base fertilizer and culture soil. Prune and repot once every 1 to 2 years, and change to a slightly larger pot year by year. At the same time, add base fertilizer and replace with new nutrient soil to make it grow vigorously.
8 Propagation and seedling management
Sowing: because seed propagation has the characteristics of neat emergence, straight roots and smooth seedlings, easy braiding, and easy growth of round and cute "radish heads," sowing propagation is a commonly adopted propagation method. When the outer skin of the fruit turns yellow or dries, it can be harvested. After harvesting the fruit, crack open the shell, sow the seeds in river sand or garden soil mud, with a sowing depth of 2-3 centimeters, and control the temperature within the range of 20°C-30°C. After sowing, buds emerge in 3-5 days, and after 20-30 days they can be planted in the field or potted.
Cuttings: compared with sown seedlings, cutting seedlings have the defects of a head stem that does not enlarge or only slightly enlarges, and an unattractive stem, so this method is rarely used. Cutting propagation in the south is generally carried out from March to October with a higher survival rate. Select the top shoots of robust plants free of pests and diseases as cuttings. The cuttings are 10-12 centimeters long. Remove the lower leaves and cut large leaves in half. At the same time, cut the cuttings diagonally to expand the rooting area of the cuttings. Then mix "Root Sun" rooting agent 300 times diluted solution with yellow mud into a slurry. Dip the cut end of the cuttings into the slurry, wait for the slurry to dry, and insert them into the seedling bed. Within the temperature range of 20°C-25°C, after about 12-15 days they can be transplanted into pots.
After cutting, water thoroughly in time so that the cuttings closely combine with the soil; otherwise the cuttings are prone to lose water and dry out, affecting survival. Normal management should keep the soil moist or spray for 3-5 minutes a day. After cutting is completed, cover in time. In summer, use a shading net with a shading rate of 90%; in spring and autumn, use a shading net with 60%-70% shading. The optimal temperature for cutting rooting is 20°C-25°C. Temperatures below 15°C are not suitable for cutting propagation.
Cutting seedlings can be transplanted into pots when the root system grows to 3-5 centimeters, while sown seedlings can be potted when the plant height reaches 20-25 centimeters. After potting, water thoroughly immediately and avoid direct sunlight. If in strong sunlight, cover with a shading net with a shading rate of 70%.
9 Pruning
Pinching: after small seedlings are potted or planted in the ground, the top has obvious dominance. If not pinched, they will grow straight up as a single stem; when the terminal bud is cut off, side branches will quickly grow, and the stem base will also noticeably swell. When ground-planted plants grow to 1.5 meters high, they can be braided or shaped into a "dragon" form. After braiding, continue planting them in the ground or maintain them in pots to improve ornamental value.
Repotting and rejuvenation: potted Money Trees should be repotted once every 1-2 years, carried out when they are moved outdoors in spring, and necessary pruning should be done on yellow leaves and weak branches, etc., to promote the sprouting of new shoots.
10 Symptoms of common pests and diseases and control methods
Root (stem) rot: a common disease that seriously harms the Money Tree, also called rot disease. Control methods: (1) keep the cultivation environment dry and fresh, and pay attention to disinfection of the cultivation medium and site; (2) before planting, use a sharp knife to cut off the bruised and rotten tissue at the top of the main root, then spray the wound with Genfuning or chlorothalonil, and pot after drying; (3) one week after planting, when the pot gradually dries, healing tissue forms, and new roots begin to grow, spray the Money Tree trunk with Previcur, Anchor, or zinc manganese metalaxyl, so that the medicinal liquid flows down along the trunk into the potting soil. After that, use fungicides such as Anchor and Ridomil alternately once a week.
Leaf blight: control methods: (1) promptly remove and burn diseased leaves when found; (2) in the early stage of disease, spray 50% carbendazim 800 times solution, 70% chlorothalonil 800 times solution, or 75% thiophanate-methyl 800 times solution every 10-15 days. Continuous 2-3 applications can control the disease.
11 Other notes
None for now
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