Seed sowing and seedling cultivation techniques and routine care management for the littleleaf lilac

The littleleaf lilac is a very beautiful flower belonging to the Oleaceae family. How do you sow and grow littleleaf lilac seedlings? Below, the editor of Huinong Net has compiled an article for everyone on cutting and seed propagation methods for littleleaf lilac.

1 Morphological characteristics

The littleleaf lilac is a deciduous shrub of the genus Syringa in the Oleaceae family, growing to about 2.50 m tall, with young branches covered in fine hairs and grayish-brown. The leaves are ovate or elliptical, with ciliate margins. The inflorescence is paniculate and loosely lateral, pale purplish-red, with a flowering period from late April to early August. According to statistics, there are about 28 species in the genus Syringa worldwide, and China has 23 of them; the littleleaf lilac is one of them, mainly distributed in Shanxi in North China as well as Henan, Shaanxi and other provinces.

2 Growth habits

The littleleaf lilac likes full sunlight, tolerates partial shade, and has strong adaptability; it is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and tolerant of poor soil, with few pests and diseases. It grows better in neutral soil that is well-drained and loose, grows poorly in acidic soil, and dislikes waterlogging and humid heat.

3 Seed sowing and seedling cultivation

3.1 Seed collection

The littleleaf lilac produces few seeds and the seeds are very small; once ripe they easily fall off and are lost, so seeds must be collected in time. Generally, collection begins on July 5 after the flowers fall, and a second collection is made on September 28. The fruit clusters picked from the twigs are spread out in a ventilated, dry indoor place to air-dry in the shade, so as to prevent the seeds from losing water and viability. The piled seeds should be about 4.0 cm to 5.0 cm thick and turned frequently. When two-thirds of the capsules have split open, they can be threshed with a wooden stick to remove the empty seeds, and pure seeds can be obtained by screening. Put the clean seeds into cloth bags or gunny bags and store them in a dry, ventilated place for later use.

3.2 Seed treatment

Disinfect the seeds 20 d to 30 d before sowing in spring. Soak the seeds in a 0.50% NaHCO3 aqueous solution (30°C) for 30 min; when the water temperature drops to room temperature, rub the seeds gently, rinse them clean, then soak them in clean water for 3.0 d to 4.0 d, changing the water twice a day, and then place them in a 0.30% K2MNO4 solution to disinfect for about 1.0 h.

3.3 Nursery site selection

The nursery site should be chosen on level loam or sandy loam with good drainage and irrigation and fertile soil. In autumn, carry out land preparation and plowing; in spring, 15 d before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer and rake level, making the soil loose and fine, then build the beds. The beds are 50 cm wide and 1.0 m long, with paths 40 cm wide and 15 cm high. Soil disinfection of the seedbed: for each square meter, mix 7.0 g of 3.0% Bawei granules + 40% quintozene powder into a 5.0 cm thick soil layer; water thoroughly once before sowing, and once the water has seeped in, broadcast sow or drill sow. After sowing, cover with a 1.0 cm thick layer of fine soil and then press it down; while watering, also cover the bed surface with grass fragments or sawdust and other fine debris to keep the bed surface moist. Set up shade netting in good time to prevent sunscald and help the seeds germinate.

3.4 Management

The seedlings that have just emerged are very weak and need especially careful attention; be sure to keep the bed surface moist, and do not damage the seedling roots when pulling weeds. When 50% of the seedlings have emerged, use 100 g of 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder + 60 kg of water per hectare, spraying once every 7.0 d for a total of 4 sprays; 30 min after spraying, immediately wash the seedlings with clean water to prevent phytotoxicity. From July to August, combine watering with topdressing, using 4.0 kg of urea + 1000 kg of water per hectare, for a total of 2 topdressings. When the seedlings reach 1.0 cm in height, thin them for the first time, removing weak and diseased seedlings and leaving 500 healthy seedlings per square meter; when the seedlings reach 3.0 cm in height, carry out final thinning, and at the same time water and apply 1 nitrogen fertilizer topdressing to ensure the nutritional needs of seedling growth and avoid drought causing the seedlings to die. Weed in good time, doing so early, while the weeds are small, and thoroughly, to provide the seedlings with a good growing environment so they grow quickly. Loosening the soil can improve the soil's physical and chemical properties and promote root development.

In mid-June, carry out the first loosening of the soil and weeding, being especially careful not to injure the seedlings, then water promptly to keep the seedlings stable; afterward, weed once a month until growth stops. In winter, earth up the seedlings to prevent air-drying and damage from rats (rabbits). After the soil thaws the following spring, remove the covering soil. When watering in mid-June, urea can be applied at 5.0 kg per hectare. By October the seedlings can reach 20 cm to 30 cm in height, with a seedling yield of about 50,000 plants per hectare.

3.5 Management

The suitable time for transplanting the littleleaf lilac is after leaf fall in autumn or before the buds swell in early spring. First apply sufficient base fertilizer in the transplanting hole, cover the base fertilizer with a layer of soil, then place the seedling, fill in soil, press it firm, and finally water. To increase the seedling survival rate, you can spray New High-Lipid Film, and you may also appropriately spray Cuihuawang to accelerate flower bud differentiation and promote reproductive growth so as to produce more flowers, and it can also prevent excessive elongation of the main shoot. The littleleaf lilac has strong adaptability and is easy to manage; as long as you water frequently, weed, and prevent waterlogging, it will grow smoothly. Before sprouting, carry out shaping and pruning, removing dense, thin, weak, pest-damaged and excessively vigorous branches, so that light and air can penetrate the branches, reducing nutrient consumption, keeping the crown attractive, and promoting the sprouting of new branches and the formation of flower buds. To benefit seedling growth the following year, you can remove the spent flowers and the two buds below the flower cluster. To help the pruned wounds heal as quickly as possible, apply a wound-healing antiseptic film to the wounds. The littleleaf lilac has very few pests and diseases; to prevent and control pests and diseases, you can carry out one shaping and pruning after leaf fall. By all means do not apply too much fertilizer to the littleleaf lilac, lest the branches grow excessively and affect flowering. Apply 1 application of decomposed compost each year or every other year before the onset of winter.

4 Cutting propagation

4.1 Preparation of cuttings

Cuttings are taken in spring, but the cuttings are collected in the autumn of the previous year and overwintered by the sand-stratification method. Selecting the cuttings is the most important step in the entire propagation work. Whether the cuttings are good or not directly affects the seedling survival rate. In mid-to-late October of the previous year, cut 1.0 a to 2.0 a old branches with a high degree of lignification that are excellent and beautiful in both flower and leaf as mother cuttings, with a cutting length of 7.0 cm to 9.0 cm, for later use.

4.1.1 Sand storage of cuttings

Place the cuttings in a shaded trench on higher, level ground (lay them flat and neat), with wet sand both above and below, then cover with straw, wheat straw or plastic film, and make good ventilation arrangements.

4.1.2 Seedbed preparation

The seedbed should be built on a plot of level terrain, deep soil, and convenient drainage and irrigation, with cutting carried out in mid-May. Before cutting, disinfect the seedbed with 5.0% K2MnO4 to eliminate harmful bacteria in the soil.

4.2 Cutting

4.2.1 Cutting treatment

Before hardwood cutting, cut the lower part of the cutting into a slanted cut 2.0 cm below the lower bud node; dip the lower cut end in 111 mg per liter of NAA solution, or soak the lower cut end of the cutting in 100 mg per liter of IBA solution. Experiments have shown that low concentrations give better rooting results than high concentrations; note also that hardwood cuttings of the littleleaf lilac must be treated with exogenous hormones, otherwise rooting is difficult. Insert the lower cut end of the cutting vertically into the seedbed (wet river sand, or with added vermiculite and garden soil), to a depth of 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm.

4.2.2 Post-cutting management

Pay attention to regulating and managing the moisture of the cutting medium. To raise the temperature, shade light and retain moisture, build a small plastic arch shed over the seedbed to promote rooting of the seedling branches and increase the cutting survival rate; commonly, ABT rooting powder is used to treat the cuttings, with good results.

The littleleaf lilac has strong root-suckering ability, and more and better sucker seedlings can be obtained by strengthening fertilizer and water management of the mother tree. The method is: dig a circular trench 30 cm to 40 cm deep along a 50 cm to 100 cm radius around the mother tree, evenly apply 25 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer into the trench, then cover with soil. Spring cutting can lengthen the seedling growth period and develop the root system, while autumn cutting can give new shoots a good degree of lignification. Softwood cutting requires a high level of skill and management; in autumn, prevent excessive growth and pay attention to preventing pests and diseases. Littleleaf lilac propagation seedlings are usually mainly propagated by suckering.

The hardwood cutting technique for the littleleaf lilac is simple to carry out, has a short propagation cycle, gives good rooting results, and the seedling traits are easy to control. Combined with treating the cuttings with the two exogenous hormone solutions NAA or IBA, it can increase the rooting survival rate of hardwood cuttings and reduce the difficulty of cutting, and thus it is widely used.

4.4 Pest and disease control

The littleleaf lilac has very few pests and diseases. The main diseases are: ① root rot. You can spray with 50% chlorothalonil at 1000 times, or spray with carbendazim at 800 to 1000 times. ② powdery mildew: use 60% to 75% zineb at 500 to 1000 times, or 50% thiophanate at 300 to 400 times, and you can also spray with 50% tuijunte at 800 to 1000 times.

That is all for today on the cutting and seedling cultivation techniques for the littleleaf lilac; friends who want to grow the littleleaf lilac should not miss it.

Cultivation techniques for Madagascar periwinkle and sowing methods for Madagascar periwinkle

The Madagascar periwinkle has a graceful form and a long flowering period, making it very suitable as an indoor potted ornamental plant. So how do you grow potted Madagascar periwinkle? How do you propagate Madagascar periwinkle from seed? Next, Xiao Qi will share the cultivation techniques for potted Madagascar periwinkle and the sowing methods for Madagascar periwinkle.

I. Cultivation techniques for Madagascar periwinkle

1. Propagation: Madagascar periwinkle is mostly grown from seed, but it can also be propagated by cutting, though the growth is not as good as from seed. Madagascar periwinkle seeds should be collected as they ripen; the suitable germination temperature is 20-25°C, and sowing should be done from March to May, mostly as an annual. Cutting is mostly done from April to July, but this method is usually not used.

2. Soil: Madagascar periwinkle grows best in fertile, loose, well-drained sandy soil or soil rich in humus; it tolerates poor soil but most dislikes saline-alkaline land. Compacted clay soil with poor aeration easily causes poor plant growth, yellowing leaves, and failure to bloom.

3. Sunlight: Madagascar periwinkle is a light-loving plant; during the growing period it must have sufficient sunlight so that its leaves are verdant and glossy and its flowers brightly colored. If Madagascar periwinkle is always kept in a shaded place, it is prone to pests and diseases, with yellowing leaves and leaf drop.

4. Temperature: During the growing period, Madagascar periwinkle likes a warm environment. The most suitable temperature for growth from March to July is 18-24°C, and the suitable temperature from September to March of the following year is 13-18°C. In winter the temperature must not be lower than 10°C, lest the plant be frostbitten and die.

5. Watering: Madagascar periwinkle dislikes moisture and fears waterlogging; it should not be watered too much, as water accumulation easily causes root rot and then affects growth. When overwintering indoors, watering should be controlled even more strictly, and it is best kept dry, otherwise it is prone to cold damage. If grown in the open field, take care with drainage during heavy summer showers to avoid death from water accumulation.

6. Fertilizing: Madagascar periwinkle is not very demanding about fertilizer; during the growing period, fertilizing about once every ten days is enough, and compound fertilizer and liquid fertilizer can be applied alternately. Potted Madagascar periwinkle needs a layer of base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot to ensure the plant has enough nutrients for growth.

7. Pruning: Madagascar periwinkle is a perennial herbaceous plant and is quite suitable for potting, but when potted, attention must be paid to pruning; the plant must not be allowed to grow too tall, which would affect its decorative and ornamental effect. Usually, after the plant is established in the pot, pinch it back several times so that it branches more and blooms more, and after flowering the spent flowers must also be cut off.

8. Pests: Madagascar periwinkle itself is toxic, so it is relatively resistant to pests and diseases. The main problems are damping-off at the seedling stage, gray mold, and pests such as red spider mites, aphids and tea moths. When growing it, ensure ventilation, drainage, loosening of the soil, and no exposure to rain. If pests or diseases have already occurred, take measures promptly to reduce or eliminate the damage.

II. Sowing methods for Madagascar periwinkle

Because Madagascar periwinkle has many colors and a long flowering period, it is very popular among flower lovers. Madagascar periwinkle is mostly grown from seed, though it can also be grown from cuttings, but the young plants from cutting propagation are not as robust as seedlings grown from seed. The following are the sowing methods:

1. Sowing time for Madagascar periwinkle: Madagascar periwinkle is generally sown around March to May in spring. Generally speaking, to make Madagascar periwinkle bloom earlier, it can be sown and grown in a greenhouse in early spring, giving it a 20°C environment, and moved outdoors for cultivation when spring is warm.

2. Sowing medium: The medium is best prepared from peat + perlite at 3:1, or leaf mold can be used. Water thoroughly with carbendazim solution at 500 to 600 times (for sterilization), and place the seedling container in a sunny spot facing south.

3. After sowing, cover with fine, thin sandy soil; do not let the seeds be exposed directly to light. Water thoroughly with a fine watering can, cover with plastic film or a straw curtain to keep the soil moist, and seedlings will emerge in 7 to 10 days.

4. Management after emergence: After Madagascar periwinkle seedlings emerge, gradually increase the light. Because Madagascar periwinkle seedlings grow slowly, they grow faster after the temperature rises. Thin them in good time (that is, remove the weak and small seedlings; proper thinning helps make the flower seedlings grow strong).

The above isMadagascar periwinkle cultivation techniquesandMadagascar periwinkle sowing methodsshared with everyone; we hope it is helpful.

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