Key Points for Spring Flower Sowing and Methods for Preventing and Controlling Edible Fungus Diseases

Propagating flowers from seed in spring is simple and easy, and the new plants grow vigorously and live long. To sow successfully, you must get the "five keys" right.

Seed lifespan Seed lifespan varies. Generally, flower seeds can remain viable for two or three years or longer. But some seeds should be sown immediately after harvest, such as camellia, whose seeds easily lose their germination capacity in a dry state; the seeds of primula species can also maintain their germination capacity for only a few months. Therefore, understanding the viability of various seeds is the prerequisite for ensuring successful sowing.

Seed treatment Seeds of drupe-bearing plants and those with harder seed coats should be stratified in sand over winter. Seeds stored dry over winter need to be soaked in warm or cold water before sowing; for example, magnolia seeds should be rubbed to remove the seed coat and then buried in moist sand for about 100 days before sowing.

Germination conditions Whether seeds can germinate depends on four conditions: moisture, temperature, aeration and light. After sowing, the soil should be kept neither dry nor wet (except for aquatic flowers). If too wet, aeration is poor and the seeds easily rot; if too dry, especially during the germination stage, germination will stop or the seeds will die. Germination temperature varies with different flowers, and 20°C-25°C is best for most; the soil should be loose when sowing.

Sowing methods There are two types of sowing: sowing in pots and sowing in the ground. Landscape seedlings are mostly sown in the ground, and the ground must be carefully prepared. The sowing method varies with seed size: large seeds are sown in holes or drills, while small seeds are best broadcast. The thickness of the covering soil also depends on seed size; for large seeds, the covering soil should be 2-3 times the diameter of an ordinary seed.

Post-sowing management After sowing, the soil should be kept moist and attention should be paid to covering the pots to increase the emergence rate. After seedlings emerge, attention should be paid to ventilation and light.