Flower Watering Methods by Season and Six Techniques for Dwarf Cultivation

With the development of the flower industry, miniature and compact potted flowers and bonsai are increasingly favored by people, so dwarfing techniques for flowers are showing ever greater vitality.

The main techniques of dwarf cultivation are:

I. Asexual propagation

Dwarfing effects can be achieved by asexual propagation methods such as grafting, cuttings and layering, which shorten the flowering stage, reduce plant height and make the plant compact. Grafting can achieve dwarfing by selecting dwarf varieties. For cuttings, plant height can be determined by considering the cutting time; for example, chrysanthemums cut in late July can be dwarfed and lodging can be controlled. In addition, the bud-bearing cutting method can make the tall dahlia grown in a pot of just over ten cm in diameter, with a plant height of only about one chi and large, brightly colored flowers. Chrysanthemums are dwarfed through axillary bud propagation.

II. Shaping and pruning

Through shaping, the main branches are removed when the plant is young to promote the sprouting of side branches, and then excessive poorly growing side branches are pruned to achieve a full plant shape, lower height and improved ornamental value. This pruning method is mostly used for dwarfing roses, salvia, rhododendrons, foliage flowers and so on. Narcissus is dwarfed by needling and carving to destroy the growing point.

III. Controlled fertilization

Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to potted flowers at the right time and apply less nitrogen fertilizer to control vegetative growth and achieve dwarfing.

IV. Artificial trunk bending

Artificially twisting the branches and trunk obstructs the nutrient transport channels of the plant, slows the growth rate and achieves a low, compact plant shape. This is generally used more in the production of small bonsai.

V. Use of plant growth regulators

1. Spraying salvia plants with 40×10-6 to 80×10-6 paclobutrazol (PP333) can shorten the internodes, reduce leaf area and deepen leaf color, thereby changing the phenomena of tall height and thin stems, sparse flowers and leaves, and severe bare lower stems in salvia, and improving ornamental value. In addition, it is also often used for dwarfing flowers such as snapdragons and chrysanthemums.

2. Treating plants such as salvia with 100×10-6 mepiquat chloride (DPC) can reduce plant height by 26%, and also shorten the stem nodes, increase the number of branches and improve ornamental value.

3. Treatment with 1500×10-6 to 6000×10-6 B9 can inhibit the vegetative growth of morning glory, dwarfing it by 61.5% to 67% during the vegetative growth period and by 40.5% at full bloom, thereby making the plant short, with compact branches and leaves and concentrated flowering.

4. Using 2500×10-6 chlormequat chloride (CCC) to inhibit the vegetative growth of petunias and so on can dwarf the plant shape and improve ornamental value.

VI. Radiation treatment

Some flowers can also be changed in their growth status through radiation treatment, thereby achieving dwarfing. For example: treating narcissus bulbs with gamma rays can control narcissus growth and dwarf the narcissus plant. Treating canna with 60℃ can reduce the height of canna by 30 to 50 cm and improve ornamental value.