What are the cultivation methods for wallflower (yellow gillyflower)?
Wallflower (yellow gillyflower)
Scientific name: cheiranthus cheiri
Aliases: yellow gillyflower, fragrant gillyflower, wallflower.
Morphological characteristics: biennial herb, 30~60 cm tall. Stem erect, much branched. Leaves simple, alternate, lanceolate, entire, apex acute, several leaves clustered at the shoot tip. Raceme terminal, cruciform corolla, resembling rapeseed flowers, petals 4, yellow, rarely purple, fragrant. Silique flat, four-angled.
Ecological habits: Prefers full sun and a cool climate, slightly cold-tolerant, afraid of waterlogging and averse to intense heat. It can overwinter outdoors in areas south of the Yangtze River basin, and in East China it can overwinter in a sheltered, sunny seedbed with slight insulation measures. It prefers loose, fertile, well-drained soil and tolerates mildly saline-alkaline soil; it is afraid of waterlogging and averse to heat, and grows poorly with excessive rain.
Plants of the same genus: There are about 10 species in the same genus, and among the commonly cultivated ones is Siberian wallflower c. alionii, a biennial or perennial herbaceous flower, 30~40 cm tall. Leaves alternate, lanceolate. Terminal raceme, flowers bright yellow. Flowering period May.
Flowering period: April~May.
Flower language: maintaining chastity in adversity, sincerity.
Landscape uses: The wallflower's golden yellow flower color is relatively rare among herbaceous flowers. It can be used in flower beds and flower borders, and can also be grown as a potted flower.
① Sowing cultivation. Autumn sowing is best, generally carried out in September, using the open-field broadcast sowing method. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer to the ground, rake evenly, level, and make beds. The bed width is 1 m, and the length depends on the quantity sown, but it must not be too long, otherwise it is difficult to level the bed. Irrigate the prepared ground thoroughly, and after the water has completely infiltrated the soil, evenly scatter the seeds on the bed, cover with a thin layer of soil, then cover with grass on top to reduce evaporation of soil moisture. If the soil is found to be drying out, water promptly. To avoid washing out the seeds, the water can be poured onto the grass. Keep the temperature at around 20°C; seedlings will emerge in about a week, and after passing through the low temperatures of winter, they will bloom profusely in the following spring. In the north, it is all grown as a biennial. The sowing period is in early September, first sown into an open-field seedbed; because the seedlings do not tolerate transplanting, they should be lifted before winter and placed in a cold frame with cold-protection equipment to overwinter. Spring planting should be done as early as possible to prevent the seedlings from sending out new roots in the cold frame after temperatures rise, since transplanting at that time easily damages the roots and affects survival.
② Cutting cultivation. Cuttings are mostly used for propagating double-flowered varieties. The cutting time is in early summer or autumn. Take healthy, current-year, firm young shoots; the cutting length is 5~6 cm, inserted into a sand bed at a depth of 2~3 cm, with proper shading and moisture retention, and keep the temperature at around 25°C. Rooting is easy and the survival rate is high.
Cultivation and management of wallflower
Wallflower is also known as yellow gillyflower, fragrant gillyflower, and wallflower. Its flowers are large, orange-yellow and yellow-brown in color, strongly fragrant, and it has double-flowered varieties. It likes sunlight and tolerates cold, but fears intense heat. It is a fairly commonly cultivated herbaceous flower in spring courtyards and can also be used as a cut flower.
Cultivation methods: Cultivation uses sowing and cutting methods, usually mainly sowing.
① Sowing cultivation. Autumn sowing is best, generally carried out in September, using the open-field broadcast sowing method. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer to the ground, rake evenly, level, and make beds. The bed width is 1 m, and the length depends on the quantity sown, but it must not be too long, otherwise it is difficult to level the bed. Irrigate the prepared ground thoroughly, and after the water has completely infiltrated the soil, evenly scatter the seeds on the bed, cover with a thin layer of soil, then cover with grass on top to reduce evaporation of soil moisture. If the soil is found to be drying out, water promptly. To avoid washing out the seeds, the water can be poured onto the grass. Keep the temperature at around 20°C; seedlings will emerge in about a week, and after passing through the low temperatures of winter, they will bloom profusely in the following spring. In the north, it is all grown as a biennial. The sowing period is in early September, first sown into an open-field seedbed; because the seedlings do not tolerate transplanting, they should be lifted before winter and heeled in a cold frame with cold-protection equipment to overwinter. Spring planting should be done as early as possible to prevent the seedlings from sending out new roots in the cold frame after temperatures rise, since transplanting at that time easily damages the roots and affects survival.
② Cutting cultivation. Cuttings are mostly used for propagating double-flowered varieties. The cutting time is in early summer or autumn. Take healthy, current-year, firm young shoots; the cutting length is 5~6 cm, inserted into a sand bed at a depth of 2~3 cm, with proper shading and moisture retention, and keep the temperature at around 25°C. Rooting is easy and the survival rate is high.
Cultivation and management: Wallflower prefers full sun and a cool climate, is slightly cold-tolerant, afraid of waterlogging and averse to intense heat. It can overwinter outdoors in areas south of the Yangtze River basin, and in East China it can overwinter in a sheltered, sunny seedbed with slight insulation measures. It prefers loose, fertile, well-drained soil and tolerates mildly saline-alkaline soil.
To keep wallflower growing robustly, with long inflorescences and vivid color, pay attention during cultivation to:
① Choice of cultivation site. It is best to choose a plot with full sun, where other cruciferous plants have not been grown, with loose soil and good drainage. Shade is needed in midsummer. Because wallflower has very few fibrous roots, it needs to be moved with its original soil when transplanting. Planting should not be too dense, to avoid affecting ventilation and light penetration.
② Fertilizing and watering. After the weather turns warm, wallflower grows relatively quickly, so apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every 15~20 days, and pay attention to watering. During the flowering period, control moisture and do not fertilize. In the rainy season, prevent waterlogging and drain promptly after rain.
③ Pinching and pruning. To increase the number of flowers, pay attention to pinching when the seedlings are strong, to increase the sprouting of side branches. After flowering, to make wallflower bloom again, promptly cut off the spent flower branches, and apply a quick-acting fertilizer and pay attention to watering and cooling in summer; in this way it can bloom again in September~October.
④ Seed collection and insulation in cold regions. In cold regions, it cannot overwinter outdoors in winter; it is necessary to set up a shed covered with plastic film, or lift the seedlings before winter and heel them in a cold room to overwinter, then move them to the open field after spring warmth but before new roots are sent out, but in all cases they must be moved with their original soil, otherwise the roots are easily damaged and the survival rate is affected. When the siliques turn yellow, the seeds can be harvested in batches, dried, threshed, and stored. The seeds can be stored for 5~6 years.
High temperature, high humidity, and poor ventilation make pests and diseases likely, such as black spot, aphids, red spider mites, etc., which should be controlled promptly. Reference pesticides: 40% omethoate, 50% carbendazim, etc.