How to Grow Stock (Matthiola) from Seed and Pruning Tips for Leggy Growth

Stock (Matthiola), this is something many people are familiar with, an enormous number of people like it, it is very beautiful, and it can grow very tall. So how do you grow stock from seed? How do you prune it when it grows leggy:

How to grow stock from seed:

1. Sowing time

Stock seeds should be sown promptly once they mature; seedlings grown from seed need 2-3 years to flower.

The planting distance is 45-60cm, and a planting depth of 7-8cm is suitable; forced cultivation can also be carried out.

After sowing, cover with a layer of medium-sized vermiculite. The optimal pH for stock is 5.5-5.6. Maintain a certain humidity and keep the temperature at around 18-21°C.

2. Seedling management

After the stock seeds have fully germinated, move the seedling plug trays to a place with ample light and good ventilation.

In the second and third stages of seedling raising, 27000Lux of light needs to be provided.

A small amount of nitrogen fertilizer needs to be provided, with the daytime temperature dropping to 21°C and the nighttime temperature dropping to 10°C. From germination until the fifth true leaf grows out, this temperature variation rule must be maintained.

3. Soil and air humidity

Keep the EC value of the soil in which stock seeds are growing at around 0.7mmhos, supply circulating air and maintain a relative humidity of around 70%.

4. Transplanting stock into pots

When the seedlings have two true leaves, they can be potted up and transplanted separately. The temperature should initially be 15-18°C, gradually dropping to 10°C after one week, and then dropping to around 5°C after another week. In spring, they can be maintained and managed at natural temperatures, and normal fertilization can also be carried out at this time.

How to prune stock when it grows leggy:

But then again, since it has already grown leggy, you have to take measures to prune it a bit. Maintaining its good looks is the most important thing, isn't it? Stock generally does not need to be pinched back, but if too many true leaves grow, you can remove a few and keep just 6-7. At the same time, you should also pinch off the terminal buds, then keep three or four of the upper parts of the side branches and remove all the rest. Some stock, because the plant is too tall, will have weak, limp stems and leaves after pruning, unable to withstand the slightest wind, so gardening friends should take care to prop it up promptly to prevent the plant from toppling over.

Only by removing all the leggy branches and leaves and keeping the parts that are most beneficial to the plant and most aesthetically pleasing in appearance can you not only help increase the number of blooms but also extend the flowering period. The above are the specific methods for pruning stock; they are very simple and very easy to carry out. I hope that after reading this article, gardening friends will be able to prune their own stock at home and then harvest a beautiful potted plant.

That is all for the introduction to how to grow stock from seed. Now you have broadened your knowledge, right! Now you know the pruning methods for leggy growth, right!

How to Grow Stock: Teaching You How to Grow Stock

Stock is also called cao guihua, si tao ke, cao ziluolan, ziluolan, and ziluolan, and is one of Europe's famous flowers. So, what are the methods for growing stock? Today the editor of wed114 wedding website teaches you how to grow stock.

Stock

Propagation is mainly by sowing, and cutting propagation is also possible.

Sowing: usually sown in pots from September to October. The seeds are relatively small, and after sowing no soil covering or only a shallow soil covering is needed. Sowing should not be too dense, otherwise it is prone to damping-off disease. The suitable germination temperature is 20-22°C. After sowing, cover the pot with glass, and germination occurs in about 2 weeks. Because double-flowered varieties are sterile, seeds can only be collected from plants with single flowers among the double-flowered lines. In superior lines, double-flowered plants can reach 700/0.

Cuttings: mainly used for propagating double-flowered varieties that do not easily set seed.

. Planting and potting up: it likes fertile, loose, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline sandy soil, and avoids strongly acidic soil. It is a taproot plant, does not tolerate transplanting, and is best sown directly. If seedlings are to be transplanted, it should be done early, with as much of the original soil as possible, and with as little damage to the root system as possible. For pot cultivation, dwarf varieties should be chosen. After the cotyledons of the seedlings unfold, plant the seedlings in pots with a diameter of 10cm. When they have 6-7 leaves, repot them into pots with a diameter of 17-20cm. The potting medium can be prepared from materials such as leaf mold, garden soil, and rice chaff ash.

Stock

Temperature: it likes a cool summer and a warm, humid winter environment. The most suitable temperature for growth is 10-25°. It has a certain cold resistance and can endure low temperatures of -5° in winter. In the Yangtze River basin it can overwinter outdoors, but potted plants should be placed in a cold room for overwintering. Seedlings must grow for 18-20 days at a low temperature of 5-15°, otherwise it is difficult for them to flower. The suitable temperature for flower bud differentiation is 15-20°. It avoids extreme heat; at the height of summer, plants often wither and die.

Stock

Light: it likes ample sunlight. Receiving 3-4 hours of direct sunlight every day can make the flowers more brilliant and the flowering period longer. It is a long-day flower; if the lighting time is extended by 4-5 hours per day, the plant can bloom earlier. It does not tolerate shade, and when too shaded the plant grows poorly. However, in midsummer it needs appropriate shading to prevent the leaves from being scorched.

Watering: it likes a moist soil environment. Because the leaf surface is covered with fine hairs, it is slightly drought-tolerant. During the growth period, it should be watered sufficiently to keep the potting soil moist. When it is too dry, the stems and leaves will become smaller and hardened, and growth will be uneven, delaying the flowering period. But excessive watering should be avoided; high temperature and excessive moisture can easily cause root rot and plant death. In winter, because the seedlings are small and the temperature is low, the plants do not grow quickly and do not need much water, so watering should follow the rule of “do not water unless dry.” When watering, prevent the leaves from getting wet, otherwise the leaves will develop spots and rot.

Environmental humidity: when grown indoors, the relative air humidity should not be high, otherwise the stems and leaves will grow weak and the flowering quality will be affected.

Stock

Fertilization: it is very tolerant of fertilizer. During the growth period, apply fertilizer 1-2 times every half month. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied too much, otherwise the plant will grow leggy, affecting flowering, or even only grow leaves without flowering. Applying quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer before flowering can make the flowers more brightly colored. Because the whole plant is covered with fine hairs, when fertilizing you should gently lift the leaves with your hand so that the fertilizer water does not stain the leaves, otherwise the leaves will develop spots and rot, or even the plant will die.

Pruning: when the seedlings grow 9-10 leaves, pinch them back to encourage the plant to branch more and bloom more. When tall-stemmed varieties grow to 50-60cm, they should be staked for support to prevent the flower stems from toppling and breaking.

Pest and disease control: there are pests and diseases such as downy mildew, root rot, viral disease, root-knot nematode disease, and diamondback moth.

Stock

Common problems in cultivation:

1. Leaf surface develops spots and rots.

2. This is usually caused by watering or fertilizer water staining the leaf surface.

3. Stems and leaves grow weak.

4. Light is too weak; environmental humidity is too high.

5. Few flowers or no flowers.

6. Too much shade; it has not gone through the low-temperature vernalization stage; too much nitrogen fertilizer applied.

Stock

Stems and leaves become smaller and hardened.

This is often caused by the potting soil being too dry.

Ornamental and health benefits:

Stock has abundant flowers, brilliant colors, and a rich fragrance. Dwarf varieties can be used in flower beds, flower borders, or as potted plants, while tall-stemmed varieties can be used as cut flower material. It is one of the important potted flower and cut flower varieties on the international flower market.

The scent of stock can kill tubercle bacilli, pneumococci, and staphylococci. Its floral fragrance can make an irritable mood gentle and calm, and make people cheerful and happy.

Care for Potted Peach Blossoms, When Do Peach Blossoms Bloom?

PeachBlossom is a plant in the Rosaceae family, possessing the double-flowered, abundantly clustered characteristics unique to Rosaceae flowers. Where peach blossoms bloom, colorful butterflies dance, exceptionally gorgeously beautiful. And the peach fruit of the peach blossom is also one of the most common edible fruits for Chinese people, and its sweet feeling makes people linger.

Care for potted peach blossoms, when do peach blossoms bloom?
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[Plant profile]
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Chinese name:Peach blossom

Scientific name:Prunus persica

Alternative names:Bitao, huatao, taomei, yangchunhua

Family:Rosaceae Rosaceae

Genus:Prunus Prunus

Origin and distribution:Peach originated in China, traceable as far back as the Zhou dynasty, and gradually spread to surrounding regions of Asia, entering the West from Persia. The Latin name for peach, Persica, means Persia.

Morphological characteristics:Deciduous small tree; leaves are narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, with a long, slender pointed tip, finely toothed margins, dark green and glossy, with nectaries at the leaf base; bark is dark gray, developing cracks with age; flowers are solitary, from light to deep pink or red, sometimes white, with short stalks, 4cm in diameter, blooming in early spring; nearly spherical drupe, with fine hairs on the surface, fleshy and edible, orange-yellow tinged with red, 7.5cm in diameter, with a stone bearing dark pitting and grooves, containing white seeds.

Care for potted peach blossoms
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Peach blossoms like light and should not be shaded; they are cold-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and afraid of waterlogging, and the roots especially must not be waterlogged. Choose loose loam with good drainage; it should not be too fertile, otherwise the branches and leaves will grow leggy and there will be few flowers. For potted peach blossoms, even more attention should be paid to care:

Watering: do not water unless dry, water moderately, and prevent waterlogging.

Fertilization: apply liquid fertilizer once or twice each year at flowering and after flowering; at other times no fertilization is needed.

Pruning: peach blossoms have the habit of differentiating flower buds in July and blooming in the following spring, so attention should be paid to pruning. For young peach trees, the main goal is to develop a peach crown. After flowering, for branches that have flowered, keep only two or three buds at the base and cut off all the rest. In summer, pinch back excessively vigorous branches to promote flower bud formation. For plants with poor growth, excessive pruning should be avoided; instead, suppress the strong and support the weak, and pay attention to even distribution of branches to create a beautiful plant shape.

Repotting: carried out at the spring equinox each year. When repotting, place some phosphorus fertilizer in the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer, cut off overly dense roots, and fill in new potting soil.

Pest and disease control: peach blossoms can develop peach leaf curl, which can be prevented by spraying Bordeaux mixture once every half month at the initial onset and brushing it onto the trunk. Pests such as aphids, nettle caterpillars, and longhorn beetles can be captured by hand or killed by spraying pesticide.

When do peach blossoms bloom?
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The flowering period of peach blossoms is in early spring, and they are good material for indoor vase arrangements during the Spring Festival. To ensure that they bloom during the Spring Festival, forcing treatment can be carried out. Generally, after the peach blossoms shed their leaves, move the pot to a cool place below 7°C, then move it indoors 1-1.5 months before the Spring Festival. First give a temperature of about 10°C, then gradually raise the room temperature; in an environment of 20-25°C, they can bloom after 15-25 days.

" Conclusion:Through the detailed introduction in this article, have you gained more and deeper understanding of peach blossom cultivation and when peach blossoms bloom? The Spring Festival is only a few days away, so are you ready with your own potted peach blossoms at home?

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