How much does blue thistle (Echium vulgare) seed cost per jin? Flower meaning, sowing and blooming time, and planting methods

Blue thistle (Echium vulgare) is a herbaceous shrub plant from Europe. It likes sunlight and does not tolerate damp heat. Blue thistle can grow to one to three feet (30 to 90 cm) tall. So what is the flower meaning of blue thistle? About how much does the seed cost per jin? When to sow and when does it bloom? What are the planting methods? Learned from the Jiangxi Landscape Nursery Stock Base, blue thistle seed costs about 95 yuan per jin, and the sowing rate per mu is 5--6 jin.

What is the flower meaning of blue thistle?

In the 13th century AD, a Scottish castle was taken by surprise and surrounded by the Danish army. On the way, this Danish army accidentally stumbled into thistle flowers, and because they were pricked by the blue

thistle's thorns, they were in great pain and let out cries. As a result, they were spotted by the Scottish army, which immediately rose up to attack, and in the end won a great victory. To commemorate this victory in war, the Scots regarded the blue thistle flower as their national flower. The flower meaning of this flower is “God bless”. People born on this day are favored ones specially watched over by heaven, and are smooth sailing whether in studies, career or love.

When does blue thistle sow and bloom?

Sowing:

Blue thistle is native to **northern [Europe?], widely distributed in Europe and western Asia, and is cultivated in cities such as Beijing and Nanjing in our country. Because the suitable germination temperature for blue thistle seeds is 18-22°C, both spring sowing and autumn sowing are possible. Spring sowing is generally carried out around early April, while autumn sowing can be carried out in early September when the temperature is suitable. Of course, planting must be done according to local specific conditions. For example, the autumn temperatures in the north and south differ greatly, so be sure to pay attention to the local temperature.

Blooming:

Blue thistle belongs to biennial herbaceous plants. The flowers are 2.5~6 cm wide, the plant height is 42~75 cm, and the flowering time is 70~115 days, with slight differences from place to place.

What are the planting methods for blue thistle?

1. What kind of environment is suitable for blue thistle

The quality of the soil determines the quality of blue thistle seedling growth. If the soil quality is very good and the growing environment is very good, then maintenance by staff will be much easier. Blue thistle is not strict about soil and can grow in sandy soil, yellow mud, or debris soil, but sandy soil has average germination. Blue thistle is afraid of flooding, so it needs higher terrain that drains easily. As the dog days arrive and rain gradually increases, standing water must be able to drain away immediately, otherwise some seedlings will die. The key for a nursery is good drainage; average soil quality is fine, with sufficient sunlight.

2. Land preparation

1. Plowing: Blue thistle responds very quickly to fertility. When the soil is fertile enough, the flowers it opens are large and brilliant, and the plants are healthy. But the soil at some landscaping sites is just average-fertility nursery soil. Precisely because of this, if you want brilliant flowers, you must apply sufficient fertilizer before sowing, spreading 5~6 tons of cow and chicken manure per mu. After topdressing, plow once and harrow finely once, so that the soil and fertilizer are evenly mixed with moisture, with no large clods, which helps sowing and increases seedling emergence.

2. Making beds: To facilitate necessary maintenance management such as watering, weeding, and fertilizing during the annual growing period of blue thistle seedlings, Changjing Landscape recommends making the land into fixed beds 1.6 m wide and 15~20 m long, with the actual situation depending on the plot.

3. How to plant blue thistle

Blue thistle seeds are ordinary in size and have good soil-emergence ability. Shallow sowing is recommended, with soil cover no more than 4 cm thick. Most people use broadcast sowing. Choose a day with little wind, mix blue thistle seeds into wet sand, and evenly scatter them on the ground. After planting, cover with soil by hand or by mechanical raking. After covering with soil, irrigate once, and roughly 7~10 days later seedling emergence can be increased.

4. How to care for blue thistle

The management workload during the growing period of blue thistle is relatively small. It has no diseases and grows well. The main matters are concentrated during the flowering period. Before flowering, apply 30 kg of chemical fertilizer per mu. Fertilizing before flowering is to make the flowering period longer, the flower quantity greater, and the colors more brilliant. No fertilization is needed during full bloom. When blue thistle is blooming, it needs more water. During this period, refer to the rainfall conditions to decide whether watering is needed.