How to grow four o'clock flower? A detailed guide to planting methods
The four o'clock flower is a flower that wins people's affection with its “night fragrance.” It likes a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight, and can bloom all year round. Its place of origin is Mexico and South America. When growing four o'clock flower, pay attention to the following points.
1. Selecting cuttings. Choose branches that are robust or free of pests and diseases. From the same plant, choose current-year, sun-facing branches from the middle and upper parts; the branches should have shorter internodes, thick and strong stems and leaves, and plump buds. Do not choose branches that are about to bloom or excessively vigorous shoots.
2. Selecting the substrate. Mix peat soil, leaf mold and sand at 3:3:4 respectively. Bed soil mixed this way has the characteristics of raising bed temperature, retaining water, allowing aeration, being fertile and slightly acidic, and is suitable for branches to take root and sprout.
3. Treating the cuttings. Before cutting, treat the cuttings with agents such as ABT rooting powder to promote rooting. Cut the cuttings into segments 8 cm to 12 cm long, with 2 to 3 buds on each, and the cut at the lower part of the cutting should be 0.5 cm below a node. The cut should be smooth. Remove the lower leaves, leaving only 2 to 3 leaves at the top. A cutting depth of about 3 cm is generally suitable.
4. Creating conditions for rooting. The suitable rooting temperature is 20°C to 24°C. Generally, soil temperature being 3°C to 5°C higher than air temperature is favorable for rooting. The relative air humidity of the cutting bed should be 80% to 90%, which is favorable for rooting, and the light level should be about 30%. Moisture should be appropriate: slightly more water at the early stage of cutting, and slightly drier later. The suitable period for outdoor cutting in this area is from early May to mid-June. At this time the climate is relatively good and can better meet the temperature and humidity conditions needed for cuttings to root.
5. Strengthening post-cutting management. After cutting, water thoroughly, cover with plastic film, and place in a relatively shaded spot, or scatter straw on the film to prevent direct sunlight, and increase light at night to help the cuttings survive. Ventilate 1 to 2 times a day to replenish the needed oxygen and prevent disease. Spray water frequently to keep the cutting bed moderately moist, but do not spray too much, otherwise the cutting bed will be too wet, which often affects callus formation and rooting of the cuttings. When the new roots of the cuttings grow to 2 cm to 3 cm, they can be transplanted into pots at the appropriate time. After flowering, in winter in the Nanjing area, they should be moved indoors for care.
Cutting propagation of four o'clock flower
Selection of cuttings
For cuttings, it is suitable to choose branches that are robust and free of pests and diseases. Choose current-year, sun-facing branches from the middle and upper parts of the same plant, preferably branches with shorter internodes, plump buds, and thick and strong stems and leaves.
Selection of substrate
Generally, peat soil, leaf mold and sand can be mixed at a ratio of 3:3:4 respectively, which helps the branches take root and sprout.
Treating the cuttings
Before cutting, it is best to first treat the cuttings with agents such as ABT rooting powder to promote rooting. Cut the cuttings into segments of about 8-12 cm, keeping 2-3 buds. The cut at the lower part of the cutting is generally 0.5 cm below a node. The cut should be smooth. Remove the lower leaves, leaving only 2-3 leaves at the top. A cutting depth of about 3 cm is generally suitable.
Creating conditions for rooting
The suitable rooting temperature for four o'clock flower is between 20-24°C. Generally, soil temperature being 3--5°C higher than air temperature is more favorable for rooting. The relative air humidity of the cutting bed should be 80%-90%, and the light level should be about 30%. Moisture should be appropriate: slightly more water at the early stage of cutting, and slightly drier later.
Strengthening post-cutting management
After cutting is completed, water thoroughly, cover with plastic film, and place in a shaded spot to avoid direct sunlight. At night, light should be increased to help the cuttings survive. Ventilate 1-2 times a day to replenish oxygen and prevent disease. Spray water often to keep the cutting bed moderately moist, but if too much water is sprayed, it will affect callus formation and rooting of the cuttings. After the new roots grow to 2-3 cm, they can be transplanted into pots.
Cultivation methods for four o'clock flower
Four o'clock flower, also known as evening primrose, night fragrant flower, etc., belongs to the perennial vine-like twining herb group. It is distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Taiwan, China, and is a semi-wild vegetable that uses fresh flowers and flower buds for food. It has the effect of clearing the liver and brightening the eyes, and can treat red and swollen eyes, measles affecting the eyes, corneal opacity, and so on.I. Characteristics and traits. The four o'clock flower has a relatively developed root system and many lateral roots. The stem is trailing and has no tendrils. The leaves are simple, opposite, long ovate to broadly ovate, and green. The inflorescence is a cyme, and the flowers are pale yellow-green. The fruit is a pod, lanceolate-cylindrical, with a gradually pointed tip. The seeds are broadly ovate, with white silky hairs at the top. Four o'clock flower mostly grows in woodland or shrub thickets. It likes a warm, humid, sunny, well-ventilated environment with loose, fertile soil. It is drought-tolerant and barren-tolerant, but not waterlogging-tolerant or cold-tolerant. After leaf drop in winter, growth stops; after warmth returns in spring, it sends out branches and leaves, and each node has an axillary bud or flower bud. As it grows, it continually produces lateral branches and sends out inflorescences. It generally blooms successively from May to October. When blooming, it is fragrant, and the fragrance is even stronger at night. It fruits in winter.
II. Key points of cultivation techniques
1. Propagation methods. Cutting, layering, division, or seed propagation can all be used. Cutting propagation is mostly used. During winter and spring, choose semi-lignified, robust-growing stems and vines, cut them into stem-vine cuttings about 30 cm long with 3-5 nodes, and raise seedlings in a seedbed or plant directly in the field. Division propagation is only suitable for plants with many lateral branches at the base near the ground. Four o'clock flower bears few fruits, so seed propagation is generally not used.
2. Planting, management and harvesting. Plant in spring and summer. Choose a well-drained plot, apply sufficient base fertilizer, then make high beds 30 cm high, with row spacing of 1.0-1.5 m and plant spacing of 50-70 cm. Open holes in the bed, place the seedlings slanting inside the holes, cover with soil, leaving 1/3 of the seedling exposed above the ground. Cover the bed surface with a layer of dry weeds and water. After that, just keep the soil moist. When the seedlings grow to 1 m, set up trellises to guide the vines. The trellising method is similar to that for melons, beans, etc. When guiding the vines, keep 2-3 main vines per plant and remove the excess. When 40%-50% of the small flowers are in bud and about to open and a few flowers have opened, pick the entire inflorescence. Generally pick once a day. Flowers that have already opened should be removed so as not to affect other flower buds and lose commercial value. Night fragrant flower generally yields 1200-1800 kg per 667 sq m.
3. Fertilization. After clearing the garden in early March each year, apply 1 heavy application of shoot-promoting fertilizer, applying 25 kg of compound fertilizer and 200-300 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer (soil manure or farmyard manure) per 667 sq m, then earth up to cover the fertilizer. After that, every 20-30 days, drench each 667 sq m with 15 kg of compound fertilizer water solution or 500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, and earth up to cover the fertilizer. Do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer. 4. Pest and disease control. The insect pests currently found harming four o'clock flower are mainly mites and scale insects, and the disease is Fusarium wilt. For mite control, 800-fold dilution of Kangman 23 emulsifiable concentrate, 2000-fold dilution of 73% propargite, etc. can be used. For scale insect control, 600-800-fold dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsion can be used. For Fusarium wilt control, 600-800-fold dilution of Kuwei Like, 600-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim, etc. can be used. If diseased plants with Fusarium wilt are found, they should be removed promptly, taken outside the garden and burned, and the soil around the diseased plants should be turned over and quicklime scattered on it. Replant after 1 month.