Cultivation Methods for the Violet Root Orchid and a Detailed Explanation of How Many Times It Blooms Per Year
The flowers produced by the violet root orchid are vivid and enchanting, a breathtaking sight, and as a houseplant it is highly ornamental and well worth growing for flower enthusiasts. So what are the cultivation methods for this violet root orchid? How many times does the violet root orchid bloom per year?
1. Cultivation methods for the violet root orchid
Best propagation time: The violet root orchid is propagated by division, carried out when repotting in February to March; when planting, the top of the bulb should be slightly exposed above the soil surface. Seed propagation uses indoor pot sowing in June to July; germination occurs 20 days after sowing, and it takes 3 to 4 years from sowing to flowering.
Best growing soil: The violet root orchid prefers sandy loam rich in humus and with good drainage.
Growing humidity requirements: The violet root orchid prefers a warm, humid climate and is afraid of waterlogging. Its growing environment requires cool summers and warm winters.
Best growing temperature: The violet root orchid likes a warm, humid climate, with an optimum growing temperature of 18-25°C. During the winter dormancy period, it requires a cool climate, preferably 10-12°C, and must not go below 5°C.
Best growing light: The violet root orchid likes sunlight, but the light should not be too intense. It dislikes extreme heat, and the sunlight should not be too strong; it should be kept under a shade frame.
Best propagation time: The violet root orchid is propagated by division, carried out when repotting in February to March; when planting, the top of the bulb should be slightly exposed above the soil surface. Seed propagation uses indoor pot sowing in June to July; germination occurs 20 days after sowing, and it takes 3 to 4 years from sowing to flowering.
Best growing soil: The violet root orchid prefers sandy loam rich in humus and with good drainage.
Growing humidity requirements: The violet root orchid prefers a warm, humid climate and is afraid of waterlogging. Its growing environment requires cool summers and warm winters.
Best growing temperature: The violet root orchid likes a warm, humid climate, with an optimum growing temperature of 18-25°C. During the winter dormancy period, it requires a cool climate, preferably 10-12°C, and must not go below 5°C.
Best growing light: The violet root orchid likes sunlight, but the light should not be too intense. It dislikes extreme heat, and the sunlight should not be too strong; it should be kept under a shade frame.
Fertilizer application: Apply a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to the violet root orchid once a month; the principle of fertilizing is to apply lightly and frequently, to promote flower bud differentiation and flowering.
Key watering points: For orchid-family flowering plants like the violet root orchid, simply paying attention to giving a little less sunlight, a little less water and a little less fertilizer in normal care is enough to keep them fragrant. Generally, watering once every ten days or half a month is sufficient.
Pruning essentials: When repotting and changing the soil of the violet root orchid, cut away withered leaves, dead roots and roots and leaves affected by pests and diseases, keeping the vigorous leaves. After the flowers fade, cut the scape short.
Pot and soil replacement: Do not divide the pot of the violet root orchid when it is budding, flowering or in vigorous growth; do not move it around at will, and simply manage it as usual. If you want to divide the pot, it is recommended to do so in winter, during its least vigorous dormant period, so that its future growth will not be affected.
Propagation essentials: The violet root orchid is commonly propagated by division and sowing. Division is generally done after flowering; dividing before flowering damages the root system and affects the flowering of the mother plant. If you want to divide before flowering, it is best to do so before the flower buds have formed, giving the mother plant a period of rest.
Pest and disease control: Anthracnose. Directly cut off the affected leaves, otherwise the yellowing will spread more and more.
2. How many times does the violet root orchid bloom per year
The violet root orchid is easier to grow than the amaryllis (Hippeastrum); with sufficient water, fertilizer and light, and suitable temperature, it can bloom 3-4 times a year.
How many times does the violet root orchid bloom per year, why the violet root orchid does not bloom / blooms twice a year
The violet root orchid is a common indoor flower; its flower shape resembles a lily, and its red blossoms look especially beautiful against the surrounding green leaves. However, during cultivation, many flower enthusiasts find that their violet root orchid does not bloom, so why does the violet root orchid not bloom? It is said that with proper care, the violet root orchid can bloom for a long period each year, so how many times does the violet root orchid bloom per year? Today the editor will solve this problem for everyone.
1. How many times does the violet root orchid bloom per year? Twice
Generally speaking, the violet root orchid can only bloom once a year, but that is only for ordinary flower enthusiasts. It is understood that if you are an experienced grower and strictly follow the cultivation methods for the violet root orchid, it can bloom twice a year: the first blooming occurs in February to April, and the second blooming occurs in summer, in August to September.
2. Why the violet root orchid does not bloom: five reasons
The violet root orchid has excellent benefits; not only are its flowers beautiful, it can also beautify the home and purify the air. But this requires the violet root orchid to bloom; once it does not bloom, all of this is for nothing. So why does the violet root orchid not bloom? Regarding this, the editor has summarized 5 reasons and attached solutions, as follows:
1. Unsuitable temperature
The violet root orchid likes a warm environment; it dislikes high temperatures and is not cold-tolerant, so once the temperature is too high or too low, it will cause the violet root orchid not to bloom.
Solution: If the violet root orchid not blooming is caused by temperature, it is very simple: keep the room temperature at 10-25°C, then care for it carefully for a period of time, and the flowers will slowly open.
2. Light too strong
Why does the violet root orchid not bloom? Besides temperature, the first thing everyone thinks of should be light. The violet root orchid needs sufficient light to bloom, but it dislikes strong light; in summer, if you let the violet root orchid get the midday sun, it will cause damage to the leaf surface. In severe cases, it will affect the growth of the violet root orchid, and flowering is out of the question.
Solution: Move the plant to a ventilated, shaded place, water it appropriately, and care for it carefully for a period of time; as long as it is still within the violet root orchid's flowering period, it will still bloom.
3. Overwatering
The violet root orchid likes a humid environment, so it has requirements for water. But because many flower enthusiasts growing the violet root orchid are beginners, they inevitably water too much. Once water accumulates in the pot, it will cause root rot in the violet root orchid; once the roots have rotted, the flowers naturally cannot open.
Solution: Take the violet root orchid out of the pot, cut off the rotten roots, replace with fresh potting soil, and then replant it. After that, simply keep the pot soil of the violet root orchid slightly on the dry side; after a period of time, the violet root orchid will bloom.
4. Unsuitable soil
If the violet root orchid not blooming is not a care problem, then you should look for the cause at the root, for example, check whether the soil is the problem. It is understood that when growing the violet root orchid, if flower enthusiasts directly use garden soil, the plant will fail to bloom because it cannot absorb enough nutrients.
Solution: When growing the violet root orchid, it is best to choose loose, fertile, well-drained soil rich in humus. So if the violet root orchid not blooming is caused by unsuitable soil, simply replace it with the soil it likes.
5. Poor ventilation
Why does the violet root orchid not bloom? Besides the above points, you should also consider environmental issues. In daily care, the violet root orchid likes a ventilated environment; if it is placed in a place without ventilation, over time it will attract many insects, causing the violet root orchid to suffer pest damage, and as a result it naturally will not bloom.
Solution: Very simple: move the violet root orchid to a ventilated place, then spray the relevant insecticide, and after that care for it carefully for a period of time; if the flowering period has not yet passed, the violet root orchid will bloom.
How to cultivate comfrey: growth habits of comfrey
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.), also known as aiguocao, feiyangcao, youyicao, youyicao, zigen cao, kangfuli, wailai juhecao, ximen feicao, zicao gen. A clump-forming perennial herb, 30-90 cm tall, with the whole plant covered in downward slightly curved bristles and short appressed hairs. It grows in mountain forest areas and is a typical mesophyte. It originated in the European part of the Soviet Union and the Caucasus; China introduced and cultivated it in 1973 when Korea gave it to China as a precious gift. Comfrey has wide adaptability, high yield, a long utilization period and good palatability; it is a high-quality, high-yield forage crop for livestock and poultry, and it also has relatively high nutritional value, can be used medicinally, and has a certain ornamental value.
Morphological characteristics of comfrey
Root and stem
Comfrey is a clump-forming perennial herb, 30-90 cm tall, with the whole plant covered in downward slightly curved bristles and short appressed hairs. The roots are well developed and the main root is thick and sturdy, light purplish-brown. There are several stems, erect or ascending, with branches.
Leaves
The basal leaves of comfrey are usually 50-80, up to 200 at most, with long petioles; the leaf blades are band-shaped lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 30-60 cm long and 10-20 cm wide, slightly fleshy, with acuminate tips; the middle and upper stem leaves are smaller, sessile, with decurrent bases.
Flowers
The inflorescence of comfrey contains many flowers; the calyx is cleft nearly to the base, with lanceolate lobes and acuminate tips; the corolla is 14-15 mm long, light purple, purplish-red to yellowish-white, with triangular lobes whose tips are outwardly rolled, and a lanceolate throat appendage about 4 mm long that does not extend beyond the corolla limb; the anther is about 3.5 mm long, with a slightly protruding connective at the tip, and the filament is about 3 mm long, nearly as wide as the anther in its lower part; the ovary is usually sterile, occasionally a single nutlet matures within an individual flower.
Fruit
The nutlet of comfrey is obliquely ovate, 3-4 mm long, black, smooth and glossy.
The flowering period of comfrey is May to October.
Ecological habits of comfrey
Comfrey grows in mountain forest areas and is a typical mesophyte. It is suitable for a wide range of regions; comfrey is both cold-tolerant and resistant to high temperatures, and is not limited by region; it also has no strict requirements for soil, and can generally be planted on ordinary land except saline-alkali land, barren land and poorly drained low-lying land. Large-scale farms can cultivate it on a large scale in farmland or on barren hills, while farming households can plant it in front of and behind houses, by rivers and roadsides, on barren slopes and other abandoned land.
Cultivation techniques for comfrey
Preparation before planting
Site selection and cultivation
It is most suitable to choose a plot with flat terrain, deep soil layers, abundant organic matter, good drainage and irrigation conditions. Comfrey is a perennial plant with well-developed roots and strong regenerative ability, and it is generally not suitable for rotation with field crops.
Land preparation and fertilization
Before planting, deep plowing should be carried out, with a plowing depth of more than 25 cm, and the land should be harrowed level promptly after plowing. Sufficient base fertilizer should be applied in conjunction with plowing, preferably semi-decomposed pig, cattle or sheep manure, at 2500-4000 kg per mu.
Cultivation methods
Comfrey does not set seed when it flowers, or sets very little, so in production, roots of comfrey grown for more than 1 year (mother roots) are often used as planting material. Planting is generally done in spring and autumn. Seedlings raised in seedbeds can be transplanted from April to October, but transplanting in March to April and September to October is better. When planting, it is best when the seedlings are 15-20 cm tall and have 5-6 leaves, preferably on cloudy or rainy days. Digging roots, cutting roots and planting are best done as continuous operations to increase the survival rate. The row spacing for planting is 50-60 cm and the plant spacing is 40-50 cm. Commonly used planting methods include the root-cutting method and the division method.
Root-cutting method
The fleshy roots of comfrey have a very strong ability to produce adventitious buds and adventitious roots; any root with a diameter of more than 0-3 cm can be cut and planted. For root segments for large-scale planting, the root length is 3-5 cm and the root thickness is not less than 0.5 cm. Roots thicker than 1 cm can be cut straight into two halves, and thicker ones can be split longitudinally into 3-4 parts. Generally, the thicker the root and the longer the root segment, the faster the sprouting and growth. When raising seedlings, place the root segments horizontally in the soil and cover with 2-3 cm of soil. When the temperature is above 18°C, seedlings emerge in 30-40 days.
Division method
After digging up a vigorous plant together with its roots, leave a stubble of 5-6 cm, cut off the upper stems and leaves, and cut vertically from the root crown (the skin must be retained); each division should carry 1-2 buds, and after cutting it can be directly planted in the field, with new leaves growing in 5-6 days. This method results in fast survival after planting and rapid growth, with high yield in the year of planting, but the propagation coefficient is low. Each plant can be divided into 10-20 plants. This method can be used when there are sufficient seed roots.
Growing environment
Strong stress resistance
Heat tolerance: It can still grow normally at temperatures above 40°C and under strong light.
Cold resistance: At minus 40°C, its sturdy underground parts can overwinter safely in the open field.
Weed tolerance: After the second year of cultivation, it turns green early and closes its canopy quickly; its broad leaves cover the ground surface, making it difficult for weeds to grow and spread.
Long utilization period
Comfrey is a perennial root-propagated plant with extremely strong vitality; once planted, it can be used for about 10 years. Compared with forage plants that can only be used for one year after one planting, it achieves twice the result with half the effort.
Temperature
It grows fastest at 22°C-28°C; in autumn and winter, when the temperature is below 7°C, growth is slow, and when it is below 0°C, growth stops; in early spring, it begins to sprout at 0°C-7°C.
Light
Comfrey likes sunlight and is also shade-tolerant; during the vegetative growth period it needs sufficient light, but it is also very shade-tolerant and can grow well when interplanted in orchards or under forests.
Water
The plant is relatively sensitive to water; when seedlings are dug out of the ground they wilt suddenly, and watering revives them; when soil water-holding capacity drops to 30%, growth slows and wilting occurs. However, after one night, especially after a long drought followed by rain, it can resume growth; when the temperature is above 20°C and the soil water-holding capacity is 70%-80%, it grows fastest, with an average daily increase of 2-3 cm.
Management and care of comfrey
Intertillage and weeding
After the plants survive planting, carry out the first intertillage and weeding; before the canopy closes or the rows close, carry out the second and third intertillage, weeding and hilling. After each harvest, carry out one intertillage and weeding together with fertilization, to loosen the soil, maintain soil moisture and improve soil aeration, so as to facilitate regrowth.
Topdressing and irrigation
Comfrey has large plants and dense leaves, grows rapidly, is harvested many times and has high yield, so it needs more fertilizer than ordinary plants. Apply topdressing once after planting and once before turning green each year. After each harvest, apply a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once together with intertillage and weeding, applying 10-15 kg of ammonium sulfate or 750-1000 kg of decomposed manure and urine per 667 sq m. Topdressing should be applied beside the plants, not splashed on the leaves or roots. In dry seasons, irrigate once after each harvest and topdressing. Flood irrigation should not be used; furrow irrigation followed by splashing can be used to prevent root rot and plant death. In rainy seasons, open ditches should be made for drainage.
Harvesting
The forage parts of comfrey are the leaves and stem branches; it can be cut 4-5 times a year, and 1-2 times in the year of planting. The cutting time also differs according to the purpose of use; when used as green fodder, comfrey has high yield and rich nutrition from the budding stage to the flowering stage, which is the suitable harvest time. When used for silage or making hay, it should be cut at the full flowering stage when the dry matter content is relatively high. If harvested too late, the stems and leaves turn yellow and the stems become old, and both yield and quality decline. It also affects the growth of comfrey and the yield of the next cutting, and reduces the number of cuttings. If harvested too early, the yield is low, the nutrient content is low, the total dry matter yield is low, and the nutrients accumulated in the roots are also low, affecting its regenerative ability. Cutting green fodder should also be based on the feeding target; cattle, sheep and pigs should be given older forage, while chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits and ostriches should be given tender forage. The stubble height left when harvesting comfrey has a relatively large effect on growth and yield.
Although cutting close to the ground gives high yield, it turns green slowly and yields less in the following cuttings. If the stubble is left too high, losses and waste are serious; generally the stubble is left 5-6 cm high. The last harvest should be completed 30 days before growth stops, so as to allow sufficient regrowth time, accumulate sufficient nutrients, and help the overwintering buds form well and overwinter safely.
Disease control of comfrey
Disease control
Brown spot and damping-off
Under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions, comfrey is prone to brown spot and damping-off; diseased plants should be dug out early and burned or deeply buried, and at the same time, 500 times diluted 80% carbendazim solution or 800 times diluted 80% mancozeb solution should be used to drench the soil and spray neighboring plants.
Pest control
Cutworms and white grubs
During the seedling stage, comfrey is attacked by underground pests such as cutworms and white grubs; 1000-1500 times diluted 90% trichlorfon solution can be used to drench the roots. During the growing period, the main pest is the striped flea beetle. When it occurs, use a 1:400 dilution of DDT juvenile hormone emulsion mixed with a 1:1500 dilution of dichlorvos for spraying. If whiteflies suck the leaf sap, spray with 600-700 times diluted 3% beta-cypermethrin·imidacloprid solution to kill the insects.
Distribution area of comfrey
Comfrey originated in the European part of the Soviet Union and the Caucasus.
Comfrey is also distributed in Jiangsu Province, Fujian Province, Hubei Province, Sichuan Province and other places in China.
After reading the above introduction on how to cultivate comfrey, do you have a better understanding of comfrey cultivation? If you want to know more about comfrey, please keep following.