The maintenance method of rose cutting seedlings
Article Guide: This article covers the content related to roses and rose cutting seedlings, specifically the maintenance method for rose cutting seedlings. The following is a detailed explanation by the editor.
Sometimes, rose enthusiasts buy rose cutting seedlings to save costs. Although the seedlings are weak, they are cheap. How to cultivate and manage these tiny rose cutting seedlings? From the time of cutting and rooting, rose seedlings usually have a lag period of about 1-2 months. After the roots lignify, they enter a vigorous growth stage (except for the dormant period). Most varieties can become large or even very large seedlings after 6-10 months, and enter the mature stage within 1-2 years. Throughout the year, roses have two main rapid growth periods, May to July and October to November; from December to the end of February is the dormant period, March to May is the main flowering period with bud differentiation, usually all varieties will bloom on short branches without the need for long branches. The main blooming period for autumn flowers is from early October to November. Understanding these characteristics can help manage "toothpick seedlings" accordingly.
There are usually five things to do during the growth period of rose cutting seedlings:
1. Cultivate the main stem
Many people are used to trying to grow the original cutting branches into high-position branches and make them longer and thicker, but this is actually a misconception. Rose propagation mainly uses tender branch cuttings, i.e., thinner branches. If you only let them grow along the original high branches, the result will be徒长, fewer flowers, and lodging. The reasonable method is: based on the overall growth of the seedling, the first topping should be done two months into the growing period to promote branching, abundant leaves, and more photosynthesis to promote good root development, which is beneficial for the differentiation of buds near the soil surface (i.e., low-position buds or shoot buds that germinate from the stem-root junction). It is not recommended to grow the seedlings too tall in the first year. The main pruning during the growing period is to remove high-position branches and keep low-position ones, to remove weak branches and keep strong ones, promoting the growth of main branches as thick as chopsticks. Other branches should be cut off. Repeat this operation until 3-5 healthy main branches are formed in a bowl-like distribution, at which point the seedling can enter the normal large seedling stage. This is a key point in cultivation. The thickness of branches is not determined by making thin branches thicker but by the diameter of the expanded tissue at the stem-root junction and the reserved latent buds.
2. Reasonable fertilization
The principle is to use less chemical fertilizer and more organic fertilizer. You can apply a moderate concentration of nitrogen fertilizer (such as fully fermented urine, which is a fertilizer high in nitrogen) twice in mid-to-late February. During the growing period, you can apply once a season to promote germination after flowering, but it is not recommended to use it frequently. Too much nitrogen fertilizer will only lead to excessive leaves, powdery mildew, and even徒长. Some enthusiasts have burned their seedlings by using too high a concentration of nitrogen fertilizer or urea. After the peak flowering period in May, organic fertilizer should be buried for the first time, preferably cake fertilizer, and liquid fertilizers like cake water or fish intestine water should be applied every 10-15 days. The principle of fertilization is: before germination, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used; do not fertilize during germination; when new buds grow slightly, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used, and some foliar fertilizers can be supplemented intermittently. After entering October, stop using fertilizers high in nitrogen and only apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. To obtain high-quality autumn flowers, a routine pruning should be done at the end of summer, in September. After the autumn flowers, no routine pruning should be done,保留 more branches to promote nutrient return during winter pruning.
3. Safe summering
It is normal for some leaves to turn yellow during high temperatures, but if a large number of leaves fall off, it is due to improper management. The main reason is that the evaporation rate is too fast during high temperatures, and the medium cannot keep up with the evaporation rate, causing dehydration. The plant will sacrifice some leaves to survive. Of course, high concentrations of medicine or fertilizer can also cause this. On very hot days, it is necessary to water 1-2 times a day, first sprinkling the pot with water to make it slightly wet and then watering thoroughly after a short break, or using drip irrigation if possible.
4. Timely potting
During high temperatures, if the nutrients are not sufficient, the plant may enter dormancy, but if the nutrients are sufficient, it may not. Potting should be decided based on the overall width of the plant. If the roots fill the pot, it is recommended to change the pot. How to know if the roots have filled the pot: generally, if the width of the branches is twice the size of the pot, it can be considered that the roots have filled the pot. Of course, not changing the pot and adding bottom fertilizer directly to the bottom of the pot is also a feasible method, which can basically break dormancy. Some varieties may have more flowers than in spring, but the quality is not high at this point, so remove the buds to strengthen the plant. During high temperatures, routine pruning to remove weak branches and keep strong ones can still be carried out, but at this time, severe pruning should not be done as losing too many leaves can lead to a decrease in plant immunity.
5. Moderate sunlight
For toothpick potted seedlings, half-day sunlight is sufficient. Roses are long-day plants but not necessarily exposed to intense sunlight. Any variety that receives more than 4 hours of direct sunlight can bloom normally. To determine if sunlight affects the plant, the following points can be observed: if the plant徒ges during the rainy season, the branches are tender and not lignified enough; with sufficient sunlight, this can be avoided; thin flower branches, long internode spacing, small and glossy leaves, etc., increasing sunlight time can alleviate these issues.
The above is a comprehensive explanation of the maintenance method for rose cutting seedlings, hoping it can help you.