The Method of Hydroponic Cultivation of Four Seasons Narcissus
Today, I am sharing some small life experiences on the hydroponic cultivation method of Four Seasons Narcissus and the green plant flowers related to the cultivation points of Narcissus. Let’s learn about them together.
Narcissus is one of the top ten traditional famous flowers in China. In the cold winter months, placing the Narcissus on the table, it can still unfold its green leaves and bloom white, elegant, and fragrant flowers, playing a decorative role and bringing vitality and a sense of spring to people.
Narcissus is also known as the凌波仙女, a unique perennial herbaceous plant in China. "Light ink lightly mixed with jade dew fragrance, the water fairy in the water with plain clothing" is a true portrayal of the Narcissus. Narcissus has always been popular among flower lovers for its fresh elegance and proud posture. Whenever the Spring Festival approaches, placing a pot of budding Narcissus in the room, admiring the jade-like tender leaves and the snow-white and crystal flowers, can make people feel relaxed and happy.
I. Common Planting Methods of Narcissus
1. Soil Planting Method
For soil planting of Narcissus, it is necessary to use loose humus soil. Before formal cultivation, it is necessary to peel off the dried bulb scales on the surface of the Narcissus bulbs and scrape off the old roots, then add humus soil to 2-3 centimeters from the edge of the pot. Next, press the humus soil firmly, place the Narcissus bulbs in the pot, continue to add 1 centimeter of soil, then water thoroughly, and place the pot in a cool and shady place indoors. It takes about 5 days for the bulb bases to grow roots, then move the pot to a sunny place for maintenance. When using the soil planting method, it is important to water the plants only when the soil is dry, and to water thoroughly until water leaks from the bottom of the pot. The watering time for Narcissus is best in the early morning or evening, otherwise, it may damage the root growth of the plant.
2. Sand Planting Method
Before sand planting, first fill the sand into the pot, filling it to 2.5-3 centimeters from the edge of the pot, then place the Narcissus bulbs, which have had the old stems and roots removed, into the pot with fine sand, and cover with 1 centimeter of fine sand, so that the bottom of the Narcissus bulbs are buried in the sand. After watering thoroughly, place it in a cool place. After about a week, move it to a sunny place until the Narcissus flowers. This method of cultivating Narcissus requires watering every day, otherwise, it is easy for the plants to lack water, affecting the growth of the flower roots. Of course, watering should also be done in the morning or evening.
3. Water Planting Method
Before formal water planting, it is necessary to remove the old stem scales and roots cleanly, then place them in a shallow Narcissus pot and fix them with cobblestones around. Next, add water to 1-1.5 centimeters below the Narcissus bulb, then place it in a cool place, wait for the bulb bases to grow roots, then move it to a sunny place until flowering. It is best to change the water for the water-planted Narcissus every day, which can prevent water from becoming spoiled and causing root rot, and if the water is changed every day, the roots that grow out are cleaner and more beautiful.
II. Maintenance Skills for Hydroponic Narcissus
The hydroponic method of growing Narcissus is a cultivation method that encourages early flowering of Narcissus. The hydroponically grown Narcissus has a straight arrow shape, green and upright leaves, elegant flower stems, fragrant flowers, single-petal flowers presenting a golden cup and silver plate shape, while the double-petal Narcissus flowers have yellow and white petals that are wrinkled and overlapped, often known as Jade玲珑, and are deeply loved by flower growers. It is also one of the main flowers for family maintenance in winter.
1. Selection of Bulb Corms
The bulb corms of Narcissus are the key factor determining the quality of hydroponic Narcissus. When selecting Narcissus bulbs, in addition to size and firmness of the bulb, the variety and predicted number of flower spikes should also be determined by appearance and feel. Those with brown bulb scales, fine and dense ridges belong to the "golden cup and silver plate" single-petal variety, while those with coarse and widely spaced ridge patterns generally belong to the "Jade玲珑" double-petal variety. The flat and round bulbs with broad and thick elongated stem bases contain more flower spikes; the oval bulbs with round and small stem bases contain fewer flower spikes. Narcissus bulbs that are flat and round, solid, bright in color, and dark brown in color are of high quality, and the more the bottom of the bulb is sunken, the more mature and better quality it is.
2. Cutting of Bulbs
First, we should peel off the brown skin on the outside of the bulb, remove the hard epidermis from the wound and around the buds, expose the white bulb inside, and then clean the mud and dry roots from the bottom of the bulb stem. When cutting the bulbs, both vertical and horizontal cuts can be used. If using the vertical cut method, cut vertically from the back and front of the bulb where the leaf bundles are spaced, down to about 2-2.5 centimeters from the stem base, making a cut deep enough to penetrate 3-4 leaf scales, make a cut on both the back and front, and then press the back and front to widen the cut gap to allow the leaf bundles to grow smoothly. Special attention should be paid to making only one vertical cut for small bulbs. When using the horizontal cut method, make a horizontal cut about 2 centimeters from the stem base on the ventral side, then make straight cuts from the top of both sides down to intersect with the horizontal cut, leaving the back of the bulb as a support, and peel off the ventral side layer by layer until the yellow buds are exposed, then clean the scales between the buds with a knife. We must ensure that the cuts are smooth and not damage the buds, and for small bulbs, only one horizontal cut is needed.
After cutting the bulbs, we need to wash them, which is relatively simple. Just soak the bulbs in water for one day and one night, the purpose of which is to allow them to absorb enough water and expand. The focus of washing is the sticky fluid constantly secreted from the cut surfaces, which needs to be washed repeatedly to effectively prevent the formation of hard scabs after cutting. Of course, for the sticky fluid secreted from the cut surfaces of Narcissus bulbs, we can cover the wounds with cotton to prevent infection. To show artistic beauty, various patterns can be cut on the outside of the bulb, but we must be careful during the cutting process to avoid injuring the flower buds.
3. Flowering Control
When cultivating Narcissus, the bulbs must be placed in a low-temperature environment of 0-4 degrees Celsius, and the top of the bulbs must be exposed to sunlight to inhibit the growth of nutrient organs and promote flowering. Under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, it takes only 30 days to flower, but it takes about 5-7 days for the flower buds to fully open. If the flower buds do not open, we can fumigate them with steam at about 40 degrees. If the flowering period is too early or too late, when the flower buds crack and the flower buds swell, we can place the Narcissus plant in a growth environment of about 3 degrees Celsius, keep the air humidity above 85%, avoid direct sunlight, and generally, it can flower after 1-2 days. The roots of Narcissus are tender and must be protected properly. Additionally, increasing temperature is also a method to promote Narcissus flowering. Place warm water of 20 degrees in the water tray, ensure sufficient lighting, continue to supply water at night, and hang an incandescent lamp 50 centimeters away from the plant roots for light and temperature increase, so that the plants can grow normally at night, and it usually takes only a few days to flower. During the flowering period of Narcissus, we should not ignore spraying water on the leaves to keep the bulbs moist.
4. Daily Maintenance
After successful cultivation, we must strengthen post-management. First, we must maintain suitable temperature and lighting. Since Narcissus loves sunlight, the pot must be placed in a sunny place, but the temperature should not be too high. Excessive or insufficient sunlight is not conducive to the growth of Narcissus. With sufficient sunlight and suitable temperature, the growth rate of Narcissus leaves can be controlled, thereby promoting the emergence of flower buds and effectively ensuring large leaves and more flowers. In the later management of Narcissus, the daytime temperature should be controlled at 12-18 degrees Celsius, and the nighttime temperature should be maintained at 8-10 degrees Celsius. Second, we must ensure the quality of the water, with clean river water or well water being the best water source. Narcissus has strong vitality and generally does not require nutrient solution, with a water-changing frequency of 2-3 times per day.
In the process of maintaining Narcissus, we should also avoid allergies. Narcissus bulbs contain lactucin, which can easily cause skin allergies in humans. Therefore, we should minimize contact with the bulb when handling water, and it is best to use tweezers and clips. When appreciating Narcissus, do not get too close to smell it to avoid allergic reactions. Agricultural PhDs recommend starting hydroponic cultivation in early November each year, so that flowers can be admired around the Spring Festival. Only by strengthening the daily maintenance of Narcissus can we ensure the normal growth and breeding of the plants.
The Method of Hydroponic Cultivation of Four Seasons Narcissus
III. Issues to Note in the Maintenance of Narcissus
Narcissus requires sufficient sunlight, lower temperatures, and good ventilation conditions. Therefore, in the process of cultivating Narcissus, we must pay attention to the following maintenance issues.
1. Sufficient Sunlight
Since Narcissus loves sunlight but has a relatively low light utilization rate, it is necessary to expose it to the sun more to make the tissue dense and the leaves strong. At the same time, sufficient sunlight is also required to control the excessive growth of Narcissus leaves. After potting Narcissus, when the ambient temperature is above 4 degrees Celsius, it should be placed in the open during the day to expose it to sufficient sunlight. If there is insufficient sunlight during the day, it needs to be placed under lights at night to supplement the light, trying to increase the light time. If the night temperature is below 4 degrees Celsius, we should put it indoors for maintenance according to the actual situation, keeping the room temperature at around 10-15 degrees Celsius.
2. Lower Temperature, Good Ventilation
The flowering period of Narcissus can generally last more than 20 days. After Narcissus flowers, we should pay attention to indoor ventilation, and the room temperature should not be too high. If the temperature is high, the flowering period of Narcissus will be significantly shortened, the leaves will grow excessively, and the leaf stalks will turn white.
3. Clean Water
When hydroponically growing Narcissus, we must ensure that the water is clean, otherwise, it will cause pollution due to water spoilage and eventually lead to root rot. If conditions allow, we can change the water every day, pour the water out at night, and add new clean water the next morning.
Conclusion: As a winter flowering plant, Narcissus has significant ecological functions. Narcissus has unique application value in park landscapes, community greening, sewage treatment, wetland protection, river beautification, and potted plant appreciation. In winter, using the hydroponic method to cultivate a pot of Narcissus can add a lot of vitality to the indoor environment.
The above sharing of the hydroponic cultivation method of Four Seasons Narcissus and the related cultivation points of Narcissus is all the content. Flower enthusiasts can refer to this for reference.