Exploring Narcissus Cultivation Knowledge and Care Methods

Narcissus, also known as the "Fairy of the Waves," belongs to the genus Narcissus in the Amaryllidaceae family. Unlike many flowers, it has the characteristics of growing in autumn, blooming in winter, and going dormant in summer. How do you care for narcissus after it blooms? Then you need to know how narcissus reproduces. Below we will discuss the cultivation methods for narcissus.

I. Narcissus Cultivation Methods

1. Shallow pot soil culture method: Peel off the brown scales on the outside of the bulb, use a knife to cut a cross incision at the top to facilitate the sprouting of buds inside the bulb. Then soak in water for 1-2 days, wash off the wounded mucus, and place in a shallow pot. Surround the bulb with clean sandy soil, bury and firm it, and place it in a greenhouse at 8-12 degrees with sufficient light, and leaves will gradually emerge from the bulb. When 5 leaves have grown, the flower scape will appear. As long as temperature, moisture, and light conditions are suitable, narcissus leaves will be short and sturdy, the flower scape will rise above the top leaves, and the flowers will be large with a long blooming period.

2. Water culture method: Between Frost's Descent and Start of Winter each year, take the bulbs out from indoors, wash the bulbs clean, then place them in a shallow pot for growing narcissus, pour in water 3-4 cm deep, place in a sunny spot in the greenhouse, change the water daily, and rinse the bulbs. After 10 days, roots and sprouts begin to form. After another 20 days, the flower scape can emerge, and half a month later, around New Year's Day, they will bloom one after another, fragrant and lovely, making them an excellent decorative flower.

II. How Narcissus Reproduces

1. Narcissus most commonly uses offset bulb propagation. Offset bulbs grow on both sides outside the mother bulb, connected to the mother bulb only at the base, and easily detach from the mother plant on their own. In autumn, separate them from the mother bulb and plant them separately, and new bulbs will form the following year.

2. Offset bud propagation. Offset buds are buds enclosed inside the bulb. Only when bulb scoring is performed do they detach from the mother plant along with the dug-out broken scales. Pick out the white buds and sow them in a seedbed in autumn, and new bulbs will form the following year.

3. You can also use a basal plate with two scales as propagation material, called twin-scale propagation. Propagation method: First store the bulbs at 4-10°C for 4-8 weeks, then at room temperature cut the basal plate into small pieces, so that each piece has 2 scales, and cut off the upper part of the scales leaving 2 cm as propagation material. Then use a plastic bag filled with sand and gravel containing 50% water, put the propagation material into the bag, seal the bag opening, and place it in a dark place at 20-28°C. After 2-3 months, small bulbs can grow. This method can be carried out in all four seasons, but April to September is best. The bulb formation rate is 80-90%, and the survival rate of the small bulbs after transplanting can reach 80-100%.

III. The Benefits of Narcissus

The catechin in narcissus tea leaves has the effect of neutralizing the radioactive element strontium and reducing atomic radiation damage. It can counteract radiation pollution in today's cities, so it is known as the "beverage of the atomic age."

Tea leaves are rich in catechin, especially green tea, which contains more. Catechin also has high vitamin P activity, can enhance the human body's ability to accumulate vitamins, reduce fat accumulation in the blood and liver, and maintain the normal resistance of capillaries. Therefore, regular tea drinking is beneficial for preventing and treating high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.

Vitamin C in tea leaves is beneficial for lowering blood cholesterol and enhancing blood vessel toughness and elasticity, and medical circles in France and Japan have confirmed through research that drinking tea indeed has cholesterol-lowering and weight-loss effects.

The above is the relevant knowledge about narcissus cultivation methods and precautions provided to everyone today. Those of you preparing to grow narcissus can refer to it. We hope it is helpful to everyone.