Techniques for growing bell flowers (Botanical characteristics)

Bellflower has the scientific name Sinningia speciosa or Gloxinia speciosa, originated from Brazil, imported into our country and is being grown a lot as ornamental plants for parks and home gardens because of its beautiful flowers with many shapes and colors. rich.

In addition to the main name bell flower (flower shaped like a bell), the flower also has many other names such as love flower (valentine), holy flower, tu la lan, tu Dinh orchid, sea dog muzzle, great sip dong, pink siamese...

Botanical characteristics

The plant is low (12-15cm), tuberous, oblong or oval leaves, rather large bell-shaped flowers, often blooming at the same time. The time from planting to flowering is about 2 months for seedlings derived from tissue culture, about 5 months for plants grown from seeds. Flowers bloom in pairs, the time from the beginning to the end of bloom is about 1 month.

Bell flowers have 2 types of single flowers and double flowers, which are very diverse in color from pink, purple, red, yellow, blue, white to red with yellow border, red with white border, purple with white border... Bell flowers are easy to grow, Easy to care for, can be propagated by seeds, leaf cuttings, tubers or tissue culture.

Planting and caring

- Seedling stage: Plant tissue cultured seedlings that have been tamed for 15 days in small cups with a diameter of 5cm with a medium consisting of a mixture of peat + coir + rice husk ash + humus in the ratio 2:1:1: 1, in cool conditions (about 50% light), 10-15 days later switch to potted.

Mixed fertilizer calcium nitrate (11-0-0-20 CaO) 65g, MPK (0-52-34) 10g, potassium chloride (0-0-60) 20g, Multi-K (13-0-46) 20g, magnesium nitrate (11- 0- 0 - 15 MgO) 25g per 100 liters of water. Irrigate periodically every 4 days, soak fish manure and oil cake fertilizer for additional irrigation. Note, after watering, the fertilizer must be watered again with cold water to avoid burning leaves.

- Potting stage: Use a pot with a diameter of 14cm, a height of 10cm with a medium consisting of coir and clean sand in the ratio 3:1. Fertilizer for each pot includes 2kg greenfield + 300g agricultural lime + 250g sulfate mixed with 8 liters of water, suitable pH from 5.5-5.8.

- Maintain watering, lighting and temperature regimes: Cover 50% of light for plants to grow and develop well in cool conditions, the temperature is from 22-25 0 C. Water regularly in the early morning . , do not water at noon and afternoon.

Watering can be done in many ways such as: misting, drip, etc., but must ensure enough moisture and cool for the plants. When the plant begins to bloom, only water the root, do not water the leaves and flowers, do not water too wet to easily cause root rot.

- Fertilizers (such as seedling stage): Plants under 1 month old need to be sprayed with micronutrients such as Polyfeed (19-19-19); Growmore (30-10-10)... Plants over 1 month old, in addition to micronutrients, need to be sprayed with growth stimulants such as Atonik 1.8DD, Agrostim TM USA... When the plants form buds, it is necessary to add Multi-K (13-0-46) and calcium nitrate (11-0-0-20 CaO) for durable and beautiful flowers.

- Cut leaves, prune buds: In order for flowers to bloom in focus, it is necessary to trim off the first 2 buds (when the buds have changed color). Prune away dead leaves and flowers to avoid infecting the plant. Withered flowers, separate the flowers from the calyx. After all flowers have died, it is advisable to cut close to the base to allow new shoots to continue to grow from the tuber below the ground. Continue to fertilize, take care of the process, the tree will have a new flower.

- Pest control: Bellflowers are often affected by some harmful insects such as red spiders, leaf-eating pests... Need to be sprayed with drugs Supracide 40EC, Comite 73EC, Kelthane 18.5EC, Vertimec 1 ,8EC, Bitadin...

Common diseases are root rot and premature death due to high humidity and poor ventilation. Should control moderate humidity and only water in the morning, avoid watering in the afternoon or afternoon will cause the leaves to wilt. Can spray fungicides Mexyl-MZ 72WP, Topsin M 50WP, Aliette 80WP...