Tuberose

Tuberose belongs to the Amaryllis family, Tuberose genus, native to Mexico and South America. It was introduced very early and is now cultivated all over the country.

Tuberose is a perennial herb with oblong tubers and scaly upper parts. There are 6-9 basal leaves, which are long lanceolate, green and entire. The stem leaves are short and bract-shaped as they move upwards. The flowers grow from the leaf margins, one per plant, in a raceme, at the end. White trumpet flowers grow in pairs on them and bloom from bottom to top. The flowers are funnel-shaped, with slender corolla tubes and thick, fleshy corolla. It has a strong fragrance, especially at night, so it is called "night-blooming jasmine". The flowering period is from July to October (Figure 2-77).

Tuberose likes a warm and humid environment. It likes sunshine and is slightly afraid of cold. It cannot overwinter in the open field in North China and needs to be dug up and stored indoors. It likes fertile and deep sandy loam, and likes moisture. It is easy to cultivate and manage.

Reproduction method: Use bulb division. That is, dig up the bulbs of the mother plant in autumn every year and store them, and then plant them in the spring of the following year. The large round bulbs will bloom in the same year, and the small bulbs will bloom after 1-2 years of cultivation.

Cultivation and management methods: In early April, plant the tubers stored in winter in the open field. The planting depth is slightly shallower than other bulbs, and it is best to have the top of the bulb slightly exposed above the soil surface. Water thoroughly after planting. After the leaves emerge, watering is not necessary. When the flower stems are about to emerge, give sufficient water and fertilizer to meet the needs of flowering and plant growth. It is better to combine watering and fertilizing with manure. From the emergence of flower stems to the harvest of bulbs, it is better to water once every 20 days or so. This will promote vigorous growth and luxuriant flowering. Before the frost falls, dig out the tubers, dry them thoroughly, and store them in a dry and sunny cellar. Or braid the stems and leaves like braiding garlic and hang them in a warm and dry place for storage.

Tuberose is one of the important cut flower materials. It is often paired with gladiolus to make bouquets, flower baskets, or inserted in a vase and placed on the desk of children. It is very popular for its good color and fragrance. It can also be used as a flowerbed in the courtyard, or planted beside the roadside stones and where tourists rest, so that its fragrance will float in the evening breeze. The flowers can be used to extract aromatic oils.

When storing in winter, care should be taken to avoid moisture, otherwise the tubers will easily rot, or the tubers may not rot, but the main flower buds inside the tubers may rot, resulting in stems and leaves growing but no flowers after planting.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen is also known as rabbit flower, radish begonia, crown of the first rank, and monk's mantle flower. It belongs to the Primulaceae family and the genus Cyclamen. It is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It has a cultivation history of more than 40 years and has now become an indispensable main flower in greenhouses. It is deeply loved by the general public.

Cyclamen is a perennial herbaceous bulb flower. The stem is fleshy and is round, oblate or lumpy. The bulb gradually tends to be oblate with age, and the color gradually changes from light red to full purple-black. Single leaves grow in clusters at the top of the bulb, the petiole is purple-red and fleshy, the leaves are ovate or heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, the leaf surface is dark green and shiny, and the back of the leaf is light purple or purple-red, depending on the variety. The leaf margins are wavy and serrated or notched. The flower shape is peculiar, solitary at the top of the pedicel, drooping, the petals curled upward, and the base is united into a tube, often with dark red and purple-red markings. The flower colors are rich, including white, light purple, dark purple, pink, orange-red, orange-yellow, etc. There are five stamens and one pistil. The capsule seeds are large and numerous. (Figure 2~78)

Cyclamen likes warm, humid and cool climates and fertile soil with good drainage and rich humus. The flowering period is very long, from September to April and May of the following year. The dormant period is from June to September. After entering the dormant period, cyclamen should be moved to a well-ventilated and cool place, watered appropriately, and the soil should be kept slightly moist. During the growing period, the optimum temperature is 15-22℃. It has poor cold resistance and is suitable for greenhouses and indoor potted plants. From sowing to

It usually takes about a year for the cyclamen to bloom, and it can bloom in 7-8 months after forced cultivation. Under good cultivation conditions, the cyclamen can live up to 20-25 years, blooming every year, and the older the bulb, the more flowers it blooms.

Cyclamen is not cold-resistant and is afraid of high temperatures. When the temperature rises to 28℃, it enters a dormant period. Strengthening dormant management is the key to the success of cultivation. When entering the dormant period, first remove the dead leaves, move the plant to a well-ventilated, shaded, and cool place, gradually reduce the amount of watering and stop fertilizing. Water it when it is dry. Long droughts will cause the bulbs to lose water, affect the flowering period, and even die. Too wet soil will cause the bulbs to rot and lead to death. During the dormant period, if proper maintenance is done to keep some leaves from withering and falling, it can bloom early.

In September, the weather turns cooler and cyclamen begins to grow taller. This is the best season to change the pot. To change the pot, put a tile on the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, then lay a layer of drainage material (coarse sand or bricks), fill half a pot of culture soil, then put the bulb in the center of the pot, and add culture soil; so that the bulb is exposed to the soil surface. The first watering should be large, until the water seeps out of the drainage hole. After changing the pot, move the pot to a shaded place for 5-6 days, and then move it to a sunny window. When the plant is growing vigorously, perennial old bulbs have large roots, and fertilizer water (alum fertilizer water) is applied once every 4-5 days; annual bulbs are applied with alum fertilizer water once every 7-10 days. At this time, water once a day, spray water on the leaves twice, keep the soil moderately dry and wet, the relative humidity of the air is about 60-75%, and the room temperature is 18℃. It enters the flowering period in mid-to-late October, and the flower stalks can be removed at any time after the flowers bloom and fade. During the flowering period, select strong plants with beautiful flowers and bright colors as seed mother plants. When the seeds are ripe, the capsule turns yellow and the top cracks, then you can harvest, peel the seeds, dry them and store them.

After winter, the indoor temperature should be maintained at around 10-12℃ until March-April of the following year. As summer approaches and the temperature rises, if the room temperature is controlled within the range of 18-22℃, the flowering period can continue until June. Generally, no fertilizer is applied during the flowering period.

Cyclamen is one of the favorite flowers for home flower lovers. Placing a pot of large and colorful cyclamen on a bright window table indoors can add a harmonious, comfortable and happy atmosphere to the family. However, due to the lack of understanding of the biological characteristics of cyclamen, it often blooms less, withers easily or even dies. The main reasons are: first, the room temperature is not suitable, too high or too low; second, too much water causes root rot.

Cyclamen is generally propagated by sowing, followed by bulb division. The advantage of bulb division is that it can bloom early, but the new plants are poorly developed, affecting the appearance, flowering less, and are easily infected after cutting, causing bulb rot, so this method is not often used.

Seed propagation is usually sown in September and October, with a spacing of 2x2 cm in shallow pots or boxes. Cover with soil (fine sand) with a thickness of about 0.5 cm. It is best to soak the seeds in warm water for more than three hours before sowing (water temperature 30℃).

Under the condition of room temperature of 16-18℃, it will germinate after 15-30 days. After germination, it will be given sufficient light. When 3 true leaves grow, it will be divided for the first time and transplanted into shallow large flower pots with a row spacing of 4 cm. It will be placed in a shaded place. After a week of slow growth, it will be given sufficient sunlight and a temperature of 15-18℃. After another transplant in the spring of the second year, the bulbs will gradually grow up. Strengthen the management of fertilizer and water to promote nutrition and flowering, and make it pass the first dormancy period smoothly. It can be planted in pots No. 12 or No. 8 at the end of August and the beginning of September. It will enter the flowering period in October. It is best to maintain a temperature of 10-12℃ and sufficient light indoors in winter to ensure normal flowering.

Cyclamen has a long flowering period and beautiful flowers that can beautify rooms and decorate public places such as food trucks and shops. Its long flower stalks can be used for cut flowers and flower arrangements.