Large-scale Cultivation Techniques for the Bulbous Flower Ornithogalum arabicum (South African Star of Bethlehem)
How do you grow Ornithogalum arabicum? It has the advantages of simple cultivation, low labor input, quick results and remarkable economic returns. In recent years, Yuanjiang County, Yunnan, has been carrying out bulb propagation and cut flower cultivation of this plant. Below, an expert introduces the cultivation situation of Ornithogalum arabicum in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan, as follows.
1 Selection of the Planting Site
1.1 Planting Site and Soil
In its place of origin, Ornithogalum arabicum is naturally distributed on high-mountain slopes covered with exposed gravel, and it prefers well-drained soil; poor drainage will cause the corms to rot. Therefore, the planting site should be chosen on well-drained sandy ground. Even if the soil fertility is poor, as long as drainage is good, high-quality products can still be produced if organic fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer is applied in one go before planting. Ornithogalum arabicum grown in Yuanjiang requires soil with excellent drainage, and is best planted in sandy loam and sand, because too much watering easily rots the bulbs. Bulb rot can appear from the 3-leaf stage after emergence until flowering. Generally, when leaf tips wither or the leaves wilt, the underground bulb has begun to rot; at this point watering should be stopped or the plant removed promptly, but by the time this happens it is often already too late, so choosing the site before planting is very important.
1.2 Light
Ornithogalum arabicum likes sheltered, sunny spots and can receive full sun in winter. In spring and summer, the intense sunlight and high temperatures from April to August generally scorch the flower spikes and reduce the market quality of the cut flowers, so a layer of 50% shade netting should be added during the flowering period.
1.3 Temperature
Ornithogalum arabicum likes a warm environment and prefers a climate with rainy summers and dry, cold winters. When it goes dormant in winter in its place of origin, it must be in a dry environment and can tolerate low temperatures below freezing, so the planting site should be chosen in a frost-free area to avoid an overly long growth cycle due to low temperatures or dormancy caused by cold. In the hot basin area of Yuanjiang, the bulbs show no dormancy from March to November. After planting, cut flowers can be harvested in as little as 50 days, but mostly in about 80 days. After the cut flowers are harvested, the bulb continues to divide into 2 to 3 small bulblets until the bulblets grow into flowering bulbs. When the temperature is above 25°C, the bulbs continue to grow and flower. This is completely different from the situation in high-altitude areas such as Kunming, where planting is done once a year; in Yuanjiang, year-round flowering and rapid propagation of bulbs in summer can be achieved.
2 Land Preparation and Planting
2.1 Land Preparation and Bed Making
Deep-plow the planting site more than 30 cm, leave it to dry in the sun, then rake it level. Make beds 0.8 to 1 m wide, with 30 cm wide furrows and a bed height of about 25 cm. In areas with heavy rain, make the beds slightly higher and form a well-drained bed surface.
2.2 Planting Density and Depth
The bulb of Ornithogalum arabicum is a perennial underground bud; the scales are the leaf bases, and it fears waterlogging above all. Shallow planting of the bulb at about 5 cm gives the best growth and flowering performance. Therefore, the planting depth should be about 3 to 5 cm, with a small part of the bulb tip exposed when planting. Keep the plant and row spacing between 15 and 20 cm, planting 8,000 to 10,000 bulbs per mu. If planted too deep, not only will flowering be late and the flower stems short, but the risk of bulb rot will also increase greatly.
2.3 Water and Fertilizer Management and Weed Control Measures
Ornithogalum arabicum needs fertilizer of medium fertility. Apply slow-release fertilizer once as a base fertilizer at planting, and thereafter, when the flower spikes emerge, spray a high-phosphorus, high-potassium foliar fertilizer once every 3 to 5 days.
After planting, water until the soil is moist, then immediately spray the pre-emergence herbicide acetochlor to seal the soil. During the growing season, keep the soil evenly moist and avoid overwatering. Otherwise, the bulbs will very easily rot. When the leaves begin to turn yellow, the bulb stops growing, so reduce watering or stop watering altogether. During the growing period, if there are too many weeds, spray the selective herbicides fluazifop-p-butyl or quizalofop-p-ethyl for control.
3 Harvesting and Packaging
Ornithogalum arabicum can flower and be harvested 75 to 100 days after planting. The length of time depends mainly on bulb size, the length of the dormancy period, the climate and the growing environment. In fast cases it can be harvested just over 50 days after the bulbs are planted, while in slow cases it takes 5 months. The plant generally begins to send up flower spikes after growing 8 leaves. It is best to harvest when the flower spike has just 1 to 2 buds open, as at this time the most cut flower buds will open and the cut flowers can last more than 15 days in water. Harvest in the morning if possible, and handle gently to avoid breaking the flower heads. After harvesting, grade and bag them, binding cut flowers of the same specification into bunches of 10 stems with rubber bands.
4 Production Period Regulation
Ornithogalum arabicum goes dormant in winter in its place of origin and can tolerate low temperatures below 0°C. In dry areas the bulbs can be stored underground, but they cannot be stored in damp, cold temperate regions. Generally, 2 months after flowering, once the leaves have stored sufficient nutrients, the bulbs can be dug up. If there is too much rain and the bulbs rot, the bulbs can be dug out after flower harvest, keeping the leaves and drying them in the shade so that the nutrients flow back into the bulbs. After the bulbs are dug out, they need to be stored in a frost-free place and do not require cold storage. Generally, after removing the withered leaves and placing them in a cool, ventilated place, the bulbs will naturally break dormancy in about 2 to 3 months and be replanted the following spring. In warm tropical and subtropical regions, the production period can be adjusted according to market demand simply by placing the bulbs in a cool, ventilated place. If the bulbs need to be stored for a long time, they can be placed in a cold storage room with the temperature adjusted to around 15°C, and then taken out in batches for planting and marketing.
The above is the complete content on large-scale cultivation of the bulbous flower Ornithogalum arabicum. Farmers and friends are welcome to refer to it and learn from it!
The environmental requirements of bulbous flowers, and the methods and precautions for growing bulbous flowers
There are many kinds of bulbous flowers. Do you like growing bulbous flowers? Do you understand how to grow bulbous flowers? How exactly should they be planted so that bulbous flowers produce brilliant blooms? What specific environmental requirements do bulbous flowers have? Let us find out together.
Temperature
Most bulbous flowers like to grow and develop under low and moderate temperatures, and go dormant when temperatures are high in summer, such as tulips, narcissus and hyacinths. Most bulbous flowers need a period of low temperature, whether as bulbs or as plants, before they can sprout and differentiate flower buds.
Water
Most bulbous flowers originate on mountain slopes, so they like to grow in well-drained soil. Some bulbous flowers grow very well in water or moist soil, such as iris, four-season water arum, narcissus and hyacinth.
Light
Most bulbous flowers need plenty of sunlight, such as gladiolus, canna, freesia, tulip, iris, tuberose, lily and calla lily.
Soil
The vast majority of bulbous flowers prefer relatively loose soil; they all grow poorly in overly heavy clay soil, which is especially unfavorable for bulb enlargement. As for soil pH requirements, most are in the range of 6.0 to 7.0.
Fertilizer
Bulbous flowers need nitrogen fertilizer to promote leaf growth and photosynthesis; they need phosphorus fertilizer to promote robust root growth; and they need potassium fertilizer to promote firm stems, enhance stress resistance and disease resistance, and promote bulb enlargement. However, in general their fertilizer requirements are lower than those of other flowers. Nevertheless, some cut flower species that have been cultivated and domesticated by humans over the long term, such as gladiolus and dahlia, need especially large amounts of fertilizer.
The above is the information on how to grow bulbous flowers. How much have you learned from this article? Please continue to follow Duorou Huapu for related information.
What is the flower language of the Star of Bethlehem?
Legend says the Star of Bethlehem is the star at the top of the Christmas tree, and it is also the name of a flower. What is special about the Star of Bethlehem is that it has no leaves, and its flowers are small; the six petals look somewhat like the structure of a six-pointed star magic circle, and it is often made into bouquets.
This rather unusual flower should have a very special flower language too! Let us take a look together.
Star of Bethlehem flower language: sensitivity. It is the birthday flower for March 19.
This flower grows mostly wild in Palestine, and so it was named the Star of Bethlehem. Note: Bethlehem is a world-famous holy site of Judaism and Christianity, located 8 km southwest of the holy city of Jerusalem, at the top of the Judean hills in central Palestine, at an altitude of 680 m. It is the flower chosen to honor Jesus' adoptive father —— Saint Joseph.
It is a cold-hardy bulbous plant, commonly growing from France to the Caucasus Mountains, from Central Europe to Southern Europe. It belongs to the Liliaceae family and has white flowers. Because it is sensitive to light, its petals naturally curl up at midday, making it a rather unusual flower. That is why its flower language is sensitivity.
People born under the blessing of this flower are both nervous and meticulous, and there are many members of the opposite sex who are attracted by this personality. However, this personality is really somewhat tiring. So one must make more friends with whom one can relax and with whom there is no need for formalities.
Characteristics of the flower: leafless white star-shaped flowers; all parts are poisonous.