How to grow Dianthus? A complete analysis of cultivation and care key points
Dianthus is one of China's famous ornamental flowers. Dianthus is widely distributed across China's Northeast, North China, Northwest China and the provinces of the Yangtze River basin, and is now widely cultivated both at home and abroad.
Dianthus originated in China. It is cold-resistant and drought-tolerant. It likes a sunny, dry, well-ventilated and cool environment. It likes well-drained, fertile soil containing lime. It dislikes humidity and waterlogging. It crossbreeds between species very easily.
Cultivation key points
(1) Watering
After sowing Dianthus, when the seedlings grow to 3-4 cm, divide and transplant the seedlings to open-air care. After the seedlings revive and survive, water less or not at all to promote root growth, then strengthen water and fertilizer management. The room temperature for Dianthus growth at the seedling stage is 10-20°C.
(2) Fertilizing
After Dianthus is planted out, apply a top dressing once every 3 weeks (bone meal, sesame oil residue, decomposed cake fertilizer, etc. are suitable), and pinch back twice to promote more branching. After flowering, cut off the flowering stems and fertilize once a week; after September it can bloom again.
(3) Light
Throughout the growing period, light should be strengthened, with about 8 hours of sunshine per day.
Propagation
After flowering, when the seed coat turns from green to yellow, it indicates the seeds are ripe. They can be taken out, dried and stored, or sown at any time.
Dianthus is mainly propagated by sowing, cuttings and other methods.
① Sowing: This can be done except in the coldest and hottest seasons of the year. Sow the seeds in pots with sterile soil as the substrate, place them in a warm indoor spot, and generally the seedlings emerge uniformly in 7 days. After they emerge uniformly, ventilate, expose them to sunlight, control watering, and prevent weak, spindly growth.
② Cuttings: This is mostly done from October to the following spring in March. Cut mature old branches into cuttings about 6 cm long, insert them in a sand bed or an open-air seedling bed, water and shade immediately after insertion, and plant out after rooting.
Pest and disease control
The main pests and diseases of Dianthus include damping-off, viral disease, leaf spot, rust, and red spider mites, seed flies, aphids, cutworms, mole crickets and so on, which can be controlled by spraying chemicals and by poison bait trapping.
Key points for planting and care of Dianthus acicularis (sharp-leaved Dianthus)
I. Planting of Dianthus acicularis
Dianthus acicularis has many advantages such as drought resistance and water saving, alkali resistance, tolerance of poor soil, cold resistance and a long green period. When planting, pay attention to the following issues:
1. Soil selection The soil of the planting site is best sandy or semi-sandy soil. If a clayey area is encountered, sand can be mixed in to improve it, which is good for drainage and root growth.
2. Land preparation Generally only the 15 to 20 cm deep soil layer needs to be plowed, stones and rubble picked out; the soil does not need to be sieved, and planting can be done after the plot is leveled. If there are low-lying areas, drainage facilities should be provided to ensure normal plant growth. Whether the plot is level is the key to whether the turf will be level after it forms.
3. Planting methods
(1) Division planting method Divide a whole clump of Dianthus acicularis into small clumps about 5 to 6 cm in diameter. Dig holes about 10 to 12 cm deep in the planting site, bury the small clump seedlings in the holes, with the burial depth such that the branches and leaves are three to four cm above the ground. After backfilling, compact the soil and seedlings, ensuring there are no gaps around the plants. The division planting method can greatly reduce planting costs.
(2) Whole-clump planting method Dig holes of the same depth as the root system of Dianthus acicularis, place the roots of the seedlings vertically into the holes (the root system should be spread out), and after backfilling, compact the surrounding soil and seedlings. Whole-clump planting can achieve a turf effect immediately.
(3) Nutrient pot planting method The nutrient pot planting method is relatively simple: transplant the seedlings grown in nutrient pots into the ground, water once after planting, and no seedling revival is needed.
4. Planting precautions
(1) When planting by division, keep the spacing between plants even, with straight rows and columns, which is good for balanced seedling growth and appearance. The planting spacing is the key to how long it takes to form turf; for example, to achieve a turf effect in 3 months, about 25 plants can be planted per sq m.
(2) Two weeks after planting, promptly observe whether the seedlings have survived. If the seedlings are not found to be withered and yellow and new green shoots grow from the roots, it means the seedlings have survived. If the seedlings are found to gradually wither and yellow and no new shoots appear from the roots, it means the seedlings have not survived; at this time, replant promptly to help the whole area form turf.
5. Water and fertilizer management Water and fertilizer management after planting is the key to seedling survival.
(1) On relatively flat ground, water thoroughly in one go, then after several days observe the seedling growth and water once more. After they survive, there is no need to water; by no means water them together when watering other plants.
(2) When planting on soil mounds or in areas unsuitable for water retention, Dianthus acicularis needs frequent watering before it survives, keeping the soil with sufficient moisture, and watering can stop after it survives. In midsummer, because temperatures are relatively high and water evaporates quickly during the day, watering in the morning is best.
(3) If the soil is poor or the user hopes for faster turf formation, some organic fertilizer or chemical fertilizer can be applied.
II. Daily care and management
1. Watering Dianthus acicularis is a drought-tolerant plant. It only needs one watering each in early spring and before the ground freezes in early winter; natural rainfall can meet its needs. If faster turf formation is desired, the amount of watering can be appropriately increased according to the degree of drought.
2. Pruning Dianthus acicularis grows low, with a plant height of 8 to 10 cm, and generally does not need pruning. If pruning is needed, it is the same as lawn pruning, but the height should be controlled at about 8 cm.
3. Pest and disease control At present, no insect pests have been found on Dianthus acicularis; only in the summer rainy season is it prone to Fusarium wilt (yellowing appears at the center top of the Dianthus and spreads to the surroundings). Agricultural streptomycin can be applied, and effects appear after one week.
4. Replanting During daily care, if individual dead seedlings are found, nearby division can be used for replanting.
III. Misconceptions in planting and care
1. Not planting according to the required plant spacing, with spacing too large or too small. Normal planting spacing should be about 20 cm, but some reach 40 to 50 cm. This causes the closely spaced plants to have already grown large and closed together, while the widely spaced ones still cannot completely form turf, leaving the ground bare.
2. After Dianthus acicularis survives, leaving it unattended, letting weeds grow wildly, not spraying when yellowing appears, and not replanting even when plants wither or even die.
3. Some people think that because Dianthus acicularis is drought-resistant and cold-resistant, they do not water it before freezing or at green-up, nor fertilize it, letting it grow naturally.
The above problems are the main reasons for poor growth and slow turf formation after planting Dianthus acicularis, and attention should be paid to them.
Key points for cultivation and care of carnation
Carnation, also known as carnation and musk pink, is a perennial herbaceous plant, but in cut flower production it is often cultivated as an annual or biennial. The stem grows upright or creeping, much branched, with a plant height of 60-100 cm, and the whole plant is covered with a white bloom. The leaves are opposite, linear-lanceolate, with clasping bases; the flowers are solitary or several clustered at the branch tips, with 2-3 layers of bracts closely pressed against the calyx tube. The flower colors are various, including red, pink, yellow, white, purple, bicolor and so on, and they are fragrant. The natural flowering period is May-July, with year-round cut flower production, and the peak flowering period in winter is January-February. Carnation has brilliant flower colors and a fragrant scent, and a single flower has a long vase life. It is one of the world's four major cut flowers. Carnation is internationally recognized as the flower of mothers. In addition, it can also be cultivated in the open field or in pots.Carnation likes a warm, humid, sunny and well-ventilated environment. It fears heat and cannot tolerate severe cold. The optimum growth temperature is 15-21°C. It likes humus-rich, loose, fertile, slightly acidic to neutral soil, and dislikes waterlogging and continuous cropping.
To cultivate carnations, choose healthy seedlings free of pests and diseases. Before planting seedlings, the land needs to be prepared and sufficient base fertilizer applied (decomposed compost, bone meal, etc.) to improve the soil's physical properties and increase soil fertility; at the same time, sufficient bottom water also needs to be irrigated. Four to five days before planting out, control the moisture in the seedling bed so that it is slightly dry. Water once the day before planting out to make it easier to lift the seedlings with soil balls the next day. Plant as soon as the seedlings are lifted.
Carnation is not tolerant of waterlogging. Watering should alternate between dry and wet, avoiding drought and waterlogging. In the rainy season, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging. During the growing period, fertilizer needs to be continuously replenished for robust growth and good flowering. For field planting, apply a top dressing generally once a month; for pot planting, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every 10-15 days. In the hot summer season, shade and cool the plants, and pay attention to ventilation and pest and disease control.
To make carnations bloom more and bloom well, timely pruning and pinching is a key measure. Start pinching multiple times from the seedling stage. The first pinching is done when the seedlings are 15-20 cm tall and have more than 5 pairs of leaves. After pinching, retain no fewer than 5 pairs of leaves; after side branches emerge, retain 3-4 pairs of leaves for the second pinching. Whether to pinch again afterwards depends on need, but the last pinching should not be later than late August. Through such pinching, no fewer than 12-15 branches can be maintained per plant. When buds form, leave only 1 flower bud at the top of each branch, and promptly remove the other side buds and axillary buds. After planting out, promptly set up nylon netting on the seedling bed to prevent the plants from lodging and the flower stems from bending. Through the above management, carnations can be made to have a graceful plant shape and abundant, brightly colored flowers.
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