Propagation methods and key field management techniques for Iris speculatrix

Iris speculatrix is large and beautiful, graceful and slender, with blue-purple flowers bearing blue-purple stripes and spots, and brilliant color. Its form is somewhat similar to that of a lily. Iris speculatrix has strong adaptability and can tolerate severe cold and drought. It turns green in early April, blooms from April to May, fruits from July to August, and turns yellow and withers in mid-November. Iris speculatrix is a common ornamental garden flower. It can be used for courtyard cultivation, flower borders, flower beds and lawn planting, and is an excellent groundcover plant for spring flowers and summer-autumn foliage. Below we discuss some of the growth habits of Iris speculatrix.

Iris speculatrix is a perennial flower suitable for soil with good aeration and drainage. When digging up clustered Iris speculatrix from the wild, to prevent the roots from dehydrating during transport, they can be wrapped in plastic sealing bags.

Propagation methods of Iris speculatrix:Division is usually used for propagation. Dig out the entire clump of the mother plant used for vegetative propagation, and cut and separate each rooted new tiller bud from the connected old rhizome to serve as a propagation bud seedling. Before making the beds, according to soil fertility, combine with land preparation, apply organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer to the nursery site, and disinfect and deworm the soil. Making the beds: the bed surface is 10 to 20 m long and 1 to 1.5 m wide. Plant the treated bud seedlings promptly on the prepared seedling beds, keeping good soil moisture to create favorable conditions for the seedlings. After the bud seedlings are planted, water immediately. After 2 to 3 days when the soil has loosened, promptly straighten and cover with soil any seedlings that have fallen over or exposed roots due to watering.

Planting time for Iris speculatrix:The best time to transplant Iris speculatrix is from late April to early May.

Field management of Iris speculatrix:In the early stage after transplanting, to prevent the plants from dehydrating or suffering sunscald, shade netting should be used. In the evening when the light is not strong, water once every 2 days. But in hot weather, to prevent the plants from dying of water shortage, water promptly. Iris speculatrix is tolerant of poor soil and requires extensive management; field management should focus on regular watering, weeding and pest and disease control to promote plant growth.

Application of Iris speculatrix in landscaping:The leaves of Iris speculatrix are emerald green and verdant, the flower shape is unique, the flower color is brilliant, and its vitality is strong; it has the ability to resist cold and tolerate poor soil, has high ornamental value and broad application prospects. Iris speculatrix can be used in landscaping in many ways: it can be planted alone to show individual beauty, planted in mass to show collective beauty, and can also be used as edging material for forest margins and groundcover. Iris speculatrix is a perennial ornamental herb with beautiful flowers and leaves, and can bloom repeatedly from a single planting; it is a rare cut flower material suitable for use in combination with other floral materials.

That is all the editor has to introduce about Iris speculatrix. It is said that the flower language of iris includes meanings such as "messenger of love" and "happiness of believers." Flower growers and flower arrangers generally call it "Alice," based on a transliteration of its genus name. In Greek mythology, Alice is the rainbow goddess, so iris is quite popular among Greeks.

How is iris propagated when grown in the open field? A brief discussion of iris propagation and pest and disease control cultivation techniques in the south

Iris grown in the open field forms a sea of flowers, and makes every passerby linger. Below, the editor will share with you the propagation and pest and disease control cultivation techniques for iris in the south; those who love flowers and plants can take a look.

1 Propagation

Iris is commonly propagated by division, dividing once every 2 to 4 years, in spring after flowering. When dividing rhizomes, each rhizome piece has 2 to 3 buds, and this is the best propagation time for division. 2 Cultivation and treatment: when planting, the soil should be deeply plowed, and a small amount of inorganic fertilizer should be applied. During the seedling stage, iris should adopt protective measures such as irrigation, fertilizing and intertillage weeding, while management after planting is more complicated.

2.1 Land preparation

First plow the soil, break up the clods, and clear away stones, tiles, residual roots and broken branches and all other weeds. If the soil is too poor or unsuitable, then the soil should be replaced, with a replacement depth of 40 to 50 cm. After plowing, apply decomposed inorganic fertilizer, then rake level.

2.2 Transplanting

Transplanting includes two steps, lifting the seedlings and planting, with the aim of planting the flower seedlings at the planned planting center. Because transplanting expands the nutrient area of the flowers, it can increase the ornamental effect.

2.2.1 Lifting seedlings

According to the editor's understanding, iris is generally planted bare-root, so bare-root seedlings can be lifted; it is best to lift seedlings when the plant height is 10 to 15 cm. If the plant is taller than 15 cm, part can be appropriately cut off, keeping about 15 cm. This can ensure survival and growth after planting. For bare-root seedlings, use a shovel to lift the flower seedlings together with the soil in blocks, then gently shake off the soil attached to the roots, being careful not to break the fine roots or injure the roots, and promptly transport them to the planting site for planting.

2.2.2 Planting

Before planting, dig the planting holes according to the rules, with a planting spacing of 20 to 30 cm between rows and plants. When planting, attention should be paid to making the root system closely contact the soil, and the planting depth should be the opposite of the original seedling height. Care must be taken not to crush the soil ball. Only in this way can the survival of the transplanted seedlings be ensured.

2.3 Management

2.3.1 Watering

Watering after planting is key to their survival. After transplanting, flowers must be watered thoroughly twice in succession: the first time after planting, and the second time interrupted after 3 d, and each time it is necessary to water thoroughly, and cover with soil promptly. At that time, each watering should be sufficient and thorough depending on the situation. However, water accumulation must be avoided, otherwise the roots will easily rot, and in mild cases the branches and leaves will wither, growth will be poor and the ornamental effect will be affected, while in severe cases the plant will die. The timing of watering changes with the weather. Generally in hot summer, watering time should be arranged at night or dusk. If it is cloudy, then watering can be done at any time. Before freezing in late October, water enough winter water.

2.3.2 Fertilizing

To ensure the growth and development of iris and achieve its ornamental value, nutrients must be supplemented through fertilizing. The timing of fertilizing depends on the purpose of application and the type of fertilizer. Moreover, during the entire planting process, regular topdressing is needed; before fertilizing, loosen the soil first to facilitate root absorption, then water thoroughly promptly. Only in this way can it absorb enough nutrients.

2.3.3 Intertillage and weeding

Intertillage and weeding are an important measure in field management.

(1) Intertillage. The purpose is to loosen the soil, increase water transpiration, raise soil temperature, increase air circulation in the soil, promote the decomposition of nutrients in the soil, create excellent conditions for flower root growth and the absorption of water and nutrients, and also remove some weeds. When intertilling, the soil should be neither too dry nor too wet. During the seedling stage of flowers or shortly after transplanting, intertillage should be interrupted promptly. The depth of intertillage depends on the different growth stages. It should be shallow at the seedling stage, and shallow near the plants to avoid damaging the roots; between rows and plants it can be appropriately deepened, generally 3 to 5 cm.

(2) Weeding. Weeding should be interrupted as early as possible at the beginning of weed occurrence; at this time the weed roots are shallow and easy to remove, and weeding should be kept small and complete. For perennial weeds, all their underground parts must be dug out, especially taking care to remove weeds completely before they flower and set seed. When weeding, the soil should not be too dry or too wet, and the flower plants should not be disturbed. Loosening soil and weeding are interrupted repeatedly from April until the end of October.

2.3.4 Pest and disease control

Iris has relatively few pests and diseases; the rare disease is leaf spot, and the necessary pests mainly include white grubs, red spiders and aphids.

(1) Leaf spot. When plants are damaged by leaf spot, nearly round to oval gray-brown lesions appear on the leaves. To control iris leaf spot, generally use 69% dimethomorph wettable powder and 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder, mix them in a 1:1 ratio and then dilute 1,500 times to prepare a medicinal solution, spray once every 10 to 15 d, spraying 3 to 4 times, and a relatively good effect can be obtained.

(2) White grubs. White grubs are a pest commonly occurring in iris flowers in the field; they mainly lurk in the soil and gnaw the iris roots, causing plant death. When they occur, use 90% trichlorfon powder 200 g per 667 m2, mix it into 10 kg of soil to form poisonous soil, and scatter it in the field; prepare the poisonous soil according to the size of the affected area.

(3) Red spiders. Red spiders like to suck sap on the underside of leaves; the damaged leaves turn yellow, show many small white spots, and soon wither and yellow. When harmful, spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1,000 to 1,500 times solution, or 40% trithion emulsifiable concentrate 2,000 times solution.

(4) Aphids. These mainly include green peach aphids and cotton aphids. Between spring and summer, they often cover the new shoots or flower buds of flowers and suck sap, causing young leaves to curl and shrink; in severe cases they not only affect growth and flowering, but also make the plants flourish excessively. Spray with 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 3,000 times solution, or 25% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate 1,000 times solution.

3 Spring management the following year

In spring the following year, when the ambient temperature reaches the temperature at which iris can grow normally, that is, between 5 and 20°C, spring treatment can be interrupted.

3.1 Cutting off old leaves

The first task in spring is to promptly clear away old leaves; doing so can clean up hiding places for insect eggs and bacteria, and also has the effect of promoting new leaf growth in iris and prompting rapid greening. When clearing old leaves, use an iron rake to gather the old leaves and take them out of the garden, and burn them.

3.2 Fertilizing

After clearing old leaves, apply 1 more chemical fertilizer topdressing to ensure the nutrient supply for iris. Generally apply urea evenly at 20 to 30 kg per 667 m2, and water promptly after fertilizing to prevent seedling burn.

3.3 Watering

After clearing old leaves, water promptly so that the soil reaches the suitable humidity for iris growth and promotes rapid growth of the iris plants.

Iris can not only be cultivated in the open field, but can also be grown in pots; the flower shape is unique and has very high ornamental value. The above are the propagation and pest and disease control cultivation techniques for iris in the south. Everyone, don't miss out.

Saffron propagation methods, a summary of its cultivation techniques and tips

Saffron, also called crocus and saffron crocus, is a perennial flower of the genus Crocus in the iris family, and is also a common spice. Perennial herb. Flowers light blue, red-purple or white, fragrant, style orange-red, stigma slightly flattened, apex wedge-shaped, with shallow teeth, ovary narrowly spindle-shaped. What are its propagation methods and planting techniques? Come and learn about them.

Propagation methods

Corm division

1. Open-field method. Plant first, then harvest flowers. The planting period is generally from August to October, and earlier is better than later. With early planting, the corms first develop roots and then sprout, emerge early, and this benefits plant growth and development. With late planting, they first sprout and then develop roots, emerge late, and the seedlings grow poorly.

Corms are planted in three grades, large, medium and small, to facilitate management. Small corms: row spacing 10-15 cm, plant spacing about 5 cm, depth 5 cm; medium corms: row spacing 10-15 cm, plant spacing 5-10 cm, depth 10 cm; large corms: row spacing 15 cm, plant spacing 10-15 cm, depth 10 cm. When planting, open planting furrows horizontally in the bed, place the main bud of the corm upward, gently press it into the furrow, cover with soil and water, and the next day cover with soil again 1-2 cm to prevent drying, cracking and hardening.

2. Indoor method. The flower bud differentiation and bud gestation and flowering of saffron are all completed indoors. Around mid-May, after the aboveground part of saffron withers, dig out the corms, cut off the residual leaves at the top, remove the residual mother corm bodies, then move them indoors, grade by size, and place them on indoor shelf racks. There is no need to bury them in soil; place the corms with the bud tip upward in flat rows in the trays, with slight gaps between corms. The trays are 1 m long, 0.6 m wide and 10-15 cm high, and can be made of bamboo or wood. The shelf racks are 8-10 layers high, with each layer 30-35 cm high. The indoor temperature should be controlled below 31°C before early August, with 24°C-29°C being suitable, which is beneficial to flower bud and leaf bud differentiation. Relative humidity should be maintained above 80%. After mid-August, the temperature drops, and generally no cooling measures are needed. The suitable temperature for saffron flowering is 15°C-18°C. From the end of early October, it is best to keep the room at 15°C-18°C. Flowering is from late October to early November; after the flowers are all picked, remove the side buds promptly. For corms above 20 g, keep 2-4 main buds at the top; for those below 20 g, keep 1-2 main buds, and remove all the rest, then plant the corms in the field. The advantages of this method are a concentrated flowering period, convenient flower harvesting, labor and time saving, a short occupation time of the land, and fewer diseases. The disadvantage is that the corms are planted too late, affecting plant growth and not conducive to corm enlargement.

Sowing

Because saffron does not easily set seed, seeds can only be obtained after artificial pollination. After the seeds mature, sow them as they are harvested in open-field seedbeds or in pots. The sowing density of seeds must not be too high; sparser is better, because the plants need to grow corms and generally cannot be dug up within 2 years; from sowing seeds to plant flowering, it often takes 3~4 years.

Cultivation techniques

Planting

The soil should be plowed, turned and finely prepared, and sufficient base fertilizer applied. The seed corms must be selected as robust corms that are large and plump and free of mold spots and disease spots. The planting spacing between rows and plants is 10 cm x 15 cm, and the planting depth is about 5 cm; plant the corms in autumn, cover with soil 5-8 cm, weed promptly during the growth period, pay attention to drainage after rain, and loosen soil and water during autumn drought, keeping the soil moist to facilitate rooting. They bloom in October; after flowering, topdress 1 time, which is beneficial to corm development. After one planting, they can be dug out and divided for planting when the corms become crowded after several years. Store the corms in a dry room at 17°C-23°C.

Irrigation

The saffron growth period coincides with the dry winter and spring seasons, so special attention should be paid to irrigation. Seedlings emerge about 20 days after planting; irrigate once before emergence to facilitate emergence. Before winter begins, irrigate once with antifreeze water to increase ground temperature. Water once in mid-April to reduce the harm of dry hot winds.

Fertilizing

Before planting, apply thoroughly decomposed organic fertilizer, such as cake fertilizer, barnyard manure, burned soil, plant ash, chicken and duck manure, etc., and also apply some superphosphate; after it roots and sprouts leaves, topdress once every 10 days with a thin liquid fertilizer balanced in nitrogen and phosphorus, such as thoroughly decomposed cake fertilizer liquid with an appropriate amount of potassium dihydrogen phosphate added, until the flower stalk is drawn and the flower bud shows color. Avoid excessive or too concentrated nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise it will cause excessive leaf growth and affect flower bud growth; at full emergence and at the end of flowering, apply 1,500 kg of human and animal urine per mu or an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer to promote early seedling development. In spring, determine the topdressing amount according to seedling growth. After flowering in October, topdress 1 to 2 more times with a quick-acting fertilizer balanced in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, to benefit corm growth and development, so that the corms can store enough nutrients to bloom more and bloom well the following year. In mid-to-late December, scatter a layer of horse manure between the plants on the bed surface, then cover with a small amount of soil, to increase fertility and keep warm and prevent freezing.

Management

To ensure that the plants can bloom abundantly and vigorously, when too many side buds are found on the plants, some small buds can be broken off to ensure that the main buds can bloom more and bloom larger; during the growth and development of saffron, accumulated water must be drained promptly, especially in the season of continuous autumn rain, which cannot be ignored, otherwise it is very easy to form water accumulation in the seedbed, causing corm rot and causing undue economic losses; if autumn drought occurs, the seedbed should also be loosened and watered, and it is appropriate to keep the soil moist. After full emergence, insert a small bamboo knife into the soil to remove the small side buds on the outer ring of the plants, keeping 2-4 relatively large leaf clusters in the center of each plant, to facilitate increasing large corms the following year. From February to April, the corms expand rapidly, so the soil should be loosened and weeds hoed promptly.

Harvest

From late April to early May, when the aboveground branches and leaves of saffron gradually turn yellow, an iron rake can be used to carefully dig them up from one end of the bed. After digging out, remove the branches, leaves and residual roots, dry them in the field for two days, then store them indoors. When storing, divide the plants according to standards of healthy or diseased, intact or damaged, and size, and store them by category. The storage room should have little light, be cool and ventilated; the floor is best as dirt ground, and the room should remain dry. Generally the corms can increase in weight by 3-5 times. If 100 kg of corms are introduced once to plant 1 mu of saffron, the corm harvest per mu is 600-1,000 kg.

The above is all the content I have learned today about saffron. I hope flower lovers will find this article helpful after reading it. If you want to learn more about saffron, please continue to follow Duorou Huapu, and we will provide you with more related knowledge!