How to grow Salvia farinacea? Key points of daily care and management techniques
Salvia farinacea is a perennial herbaceous plant that prefers warm, humid and sunny environments. It is highly cold-tolerant but dislikes heat and dryness, and is best grown in loose, fertile and well-drained sandy loam. In daily care, efforts should be made to keep the foliage dry to prevent diseases. Below is an introduction to the knowledge of daily care and management for Salvia farinacea.
Technical parameters for Salvia farinacea care:
1. To make the plant's root system strong and its branches and leaves lush, continuous fertilization is very important. Use a compound fertilizer containing calcium and magnesium at 100 ppm once every half month.
2. Spray with 700-times diluted carbendazim or chlorothalonil fungicide once every 7-10 days.
3. Cultivation reference: each gram contains about 250-300 seeds, suitable for spring and summer sowing with soil covering.
4. Germination soil temperature: 20--23°C Germination days: 5—8 days
5. Optimum growth temperature: 18--23°C From sowing to flowering: 70—100 days
6. pH value: 5.5--5.8 Plant height: 20—35 cm
Daily management of Salvia farinacea:
Salvia farinacea is generally sown from mid-January to mid-February, or sown in mid-July, and can be sown at any time as needed. The substrate is best made of peat and perlite, or leaf mold can also be used. Sieve the growing soil and place it in a seedling tray, soak it thoroughly with 500—600-times diluted carbendazim solution, and after it dries slightly, broadcast sow at about 1000 seeds per square meter.
After sowing, cover with soil and then spray with the medicinal solution to help the seeds make close contact with the substrate. Cover with plastic film or glass, keep shaded and maintain moisture. After emergence, gradually remove the film and gradually increase light. Use chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl weekly to prevent damping-off disease, water once every 7—10 days
with 150 PPM nutrient solution, and add dilute organic fertilizer solution with each watering. The growing soil is best a well-drained fertile loam or sandy loam. If the soil is mixed with organic fertilizer before planting, growth will be even better.
In the first stage of germination of Salvia farinacea, the radicle appears and roots begin to form. No fertilization is needed at this stage, but it is very important to keep the seedling medium moist, and a certain amount of light is required. After emergence, gradually remove the film. Use 1000-times diluted chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl weekly to prevent damping-off disease, spraying continuously 2 to 3 times.
In the second stage of germination, rooting continues, stems appear, and the cotyledons have unfolded. Maintain appropriate humidity and prevent excessive moisture; a water-soluble fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 20-10-20 may be applied appropriately. In the third stage of germination, the roots can extend into the cells of the plug tray, and several true leaves appear.
Increase the fertilizer concentration, control humidity and temperature, lower the temperature to about 20°C, and provide a certain amount of light to prevent the seedlings from becoming leggy at this stage. In the fourth stage of germination, the root system forms a mass, with 2 to 3 pairs of true leaves. Continue to increase the fertilizer concentration; the temperature and humidity are the same as in the third stage. Appropriately control moisture, strengthen ventilation, and still prevent legginess to prepare for transplanting.