Notes on Growing Ornamental Kale at Home
Today, I will explain the related knowledge of ornamental kale, a herbaceous flower, and the precautions for growing ornamental kale at home. Let's follow the editor to take a look!
Ornamental kale, also known as leaf peony, is loved by many flower enthusiasts due to its easy cultivation and best ornamental period during the plant-deficient winter.
Due to the limited conditions for growing flowers at home, it is not possible to grow many of each type. Planting ornamental kale with seeds is the best choice for an ornamental effect, but most flower seed dealers have a minimum packaging of over a hundred seeds, making it impossible to purchase just ten or eight. Many enthusiasts have to buy finished ornamental kale pot plants directly from the flower market. Although this saves a lot of trouble, it prevents many flower growers from enjoying the pleasure of growing a plant from seed to finished product, which is a bit regrettable. Here, I will share some personal experiences and talk about growing ornamental kale at home.
Buy a few high-quality ornamental kale pot plants from the flower market. When ornamental kale bolts and blooms in March or April, don't pull it out and discard it. Instead, continue to water and fertilize it. After the flowers fade, the old stems will sprout a large number of suckers. At this time, cut off the old stems without suckers and manage them with normal watering until autumn. In early August, cut these suckers for propagation. Depending on the number of cuttings needed, fill a clean pot with clean river sand or perlite, then pour boiling water to disinfect and let it cool before planting.
Leave 3 to 4 leaves on each cutting. The density of cuttings should be such that the leaves do not overlap. After planting, spray water once, and place the pot in the shade or a place with morning sun but no midday sun. Adjust the frequency of watering according to the weather, ensuring that the cuttings do not become overly wilted. Ornamental kale cuttings root easily, starting to root in a week and can be transplanted after two weeks. This way, flower enthusiasts can grow several pots according to their needs.
For the old stems reserved for cuttings, it is best to observe and leave 3 to 5 suckers at different positions when harvesting cuttings. Continue to manage them to develop multi-branched ornamental kale pot plants. For those who enjoy bonsai, you can also use these old stems to create ornamental kale bonsais. Although these bonsais are not as elegant and long-lasting as tree-stump bonsais, they have their own charm.
If you cut the suckers in mid-June and propagate them, the resulting ornamental kale cut flowers can grow to a stem length of 50 centimeters. Alternatively, you can propagate without cutting the suckers, allowing the suckers on the old stems to grow. Although the resulting cut flower stems may not be long, usually only 20 to 30 centimeters, not very robust and of varying sizes, having various sizes of ornamental kale cut flowers gives you more options when making flower arrangements. Additionally, ornamental kale is easy to root in a vase and can be placed in a room with bright light for two to three months.
This article shares all the content about the precautions for growing ornamental kale at home, providing you with a comprehensive understanding and reference!