How to care for情人草 (Lover's Grass)
A comprehensive analysis of how to care for Lover's Grass and a detailed explanation of the cultivation techniques for Lover's Grass, please see the following introduction.
Lover's Grass, also known as Hybrid补血草, is bred from wild补血草 through artificial hybridization, belonging to the Plumbaginaceae family,补血草 genus, and is a perennial herbaceous plant. The leaves are oblong-elliptical, entire, up to 25 cm in length, with a blunt apex and a narrowed base into a long petiole; the flowering stems are tall, highly branched, with 1-2 flowers per branch, small flowers; by flower color, there are mainly four varieties: Blue Ocean, Blue Mist, White Mist, and Pink Mist.
Lover's Grass is native to Russia, Bulgaria, the Caucasus, and China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, prefers a dry and cool climate, requires strong sunlight, and is suitable for calcareous slightly alkaline soil. It dislikes hot and humid environments and is often cultivated as an annual or biennial in production, but can also be planted as a perennial in cool climates, changing crops every 4-5 years.
The entire flowering branch of Lover's Grass looks like mist from a distance, with a朦胧 beauty, making it another ideal cut flower variety after Baby's Breath, especially loved by young people. Lover's Grass is also a famous dried flower, with a decorative effect that can last over one year.
Lover's Grass can be cultivated using tissue culture.
The method is: take seeds or seedlings or young flowering branches, disinfect the surface, and then transfer them into the culture medium. Seeds will germinate after 3-4 days, quickly growing into tufted seedlings. Seedlings will grow into tufted seedlings in about 3-4 weeks. Young flowering branches will grow new buds in 4-7 weeks, and the adventitious buds obtained from the explants are transferred to the culture medium for proliferation, about every 4-5 weeks, with a proliferation rate of 3-4 times. After proliferation to the required number of seedlings, they are transferred to the culture medium to grow, and roots will form in about 20 days. After the plants have grown roots, they are removed from the test tubes, the remaining culture medium on the roots is washed off, and they are transferred to a substrate of peat and perlite (1:1), where they are managed with moisture and shade. In an environment of 20-30°C, they can be planted in the ground after 45-60 days. Seeds can also be used for cultivation, as they are small, with a thousand-seed weight of about 22-28 grams. They can be sown in autumn when the average daily temperature is 18-21°C. Disinfected leaf mold or peat and perlite (1:1) can be used as a seedbed. After sowing the seeds, water them and cover the surface with a thin layer of moist fine soil or sand, usually germinating in 5 days, and the seedlings can be ready in about 10 days. When the first true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted, and when they have 5-6 leaves, they can be planted in a nutrient pot or directly planted.
Seedlings are usually planted from October to November and can bloom from January to the first week of April the following year. When planting, choose dry, loose, and fertile soil, apply sufficient organic fertilizer as a base, about 60-75 tons per hectare. If conditions allow, it is best to disinfect the soil. In areas with acidic soil, apply 750 kg of quicklime per hectare, which can adjust the soil pH and disinfect the soil. During planting, the soil should be finely cultivated, making deep narrow ridges 60 cm wide and 40-50 cm high, as Lover's Grass has a high demand for boron, and 3 kg of boric acid should be added to the base fertilizer per hectare. The planting spacing is 40 cm × 40 cm, with double rows planted in a crisscross pattern to facilitate ventilation and light.
After planting, water thoroughly. If planted in early autumn and temperatures are still high, provide appropriate shade to ensure survival. Generally, the seedlings can grow after 10-15 days and can be appropriately fertilized with a dilute soybean cake solution to promote growth. Afterward, water should be controlled to ensure the healthy growth of the roots. In winter, it is important to keep the plants warm, with the optimal growth temperature being 16-18°C during the day and 10-13°C at night, with the minimum temperature not falling below 0°C, otherwise, the plants may freeze and die. In winter, old and withered leaves should be removed to reduce diseases and pests and promote sprouting in the spring. When the weather warms up in spring and new buds sprout, remove weak flowering branches to avoid nutrient consumption. When temperatures rise to 7-10°C, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and apply quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as topdressings. After flowering, use a shade net to cover the edges of the beds to reduce air and soil temperatures, which can extend the flowering period of the cut flowers.
The above is a brief experience on how to care for Lover's Grass and a detailed explanation of the cultivation techniques for Lover's Grass, hoping it can be of help to you in your life!