Melon leaf chrysanthemum is a genus of one or two annual herbaceous plants in the Asteraceae family, and the melon leaf chrysanthemum has a variety of colors, except for yellow, other flower colors are available. The maintenance is simple and perfect for novices.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > growth habit</h1>
Melon leaf chrysanthemum prefers a warm, moist, well-ventilated growth environment. Adaptive growth temperature is 10-15 degrees, not resistant to high temperature and not hardy, temperature higher than 21 degrees is easy to grow, winter overwintering temperature should be maintained above 5 degrees otherwise it will be frostbitten. The growth of melon leaf chrysanthemum needs plenty of sunlight, and the leaves will be yellowed due to insufficient light, but pay attention to shade in summer.
The maintenance work of melon leaf chrysanthemum includes soil preparation, temperature and light, watering and fertilization, pruning, flowering management, pest control and other aspects, which are explained in turn below.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >1, culture soil preparation</h1>
Melon leaf chrysanthemum prefers loose, breathable, well-drained soil. There are many ways to prepare soil, you can use saprophyll soil, garden soil, river sand mixing, can also be used saprophyll soil, garden soil, compost soil to mix, soil preparation as long as it is loose and breathable.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >2, transplanting</h1>
Melon leaf chrysanthemum is generally propagated by seeds, and after sowing, it is transplanted into pots after 2-3 months. When potting, you can bring more soil, so that it is easy to survive, and do not hurt the leaves of the melon leaf chrysanthemum, after the pot, the pot will be in the shade of the place for slow seedlings, the slow seedling time is about a week, and then it can be transferred to normal maintenance.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >3</h1>
The growth of melon leaf chrysanthemum requires sufficient nutrients, and fertilization is divided into two parts, namely the application of base fertilizer in the upper pot and the topdressing during the growth period. If the base fertilizer is used, the decomposed organic fertilizer can be used, and the amount of use should not be too much, one-tenth of the general potting soil. During the growth period, it is advisable to apply thin fertilizer diligently, generally 7-10 days to apply a thin cake fertilizer water or soybean water. In addition, after the buds of the chrysanthemum, 1-2 potassium dihydrogen phosphate solutions can be added as foliar fertilizer, which can promote the formation of flower buds and promote flowering.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >4</h1>
The leaves of the melon leaf chrysanthemum are large, the water evaporates relatively quickly, and it is necessary to ensure that the water is sufficient and there is no shortage of water. However, the potting soil should not be too wet, and it is advisable to keep the leaves from wilting. Daily watering can be determined according to the changes in the potting soil, and then water after the potting soil is dry, and the watering is watered at one time. In the hot summer months, water can be sprayed to the leaves 2-3 times a day to reduce the temperature and increase the air humidity.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >5</h1>
After the melon leaf chrysanthemum is potted, the side buds emitted from the base 3-4 nodes should be erased in time to reduce the excessive consumption of nutrients, while avoiding overcrowding of the plant, promoting the supply of nutrients to the upper part, and promoting flowering. In April and May when the melon leaf chrysanthemum blooms, it is necessary to cut off the dead leaves, curly leaves and yellowed leaves in time, and remove the new buds in time to ensure that the nutrients can be concentrated for its flowering.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >6, temperature and light</h1>
It prefers a sunny and cool and ventilated environment, but is afraid of direct light. In winter and spring, you can put the melon leaf chrysanthemum in a sunny place, and the melon leaf chrysanthemum that receives the sun grows strongly and flowers a lot, otherwise it will grow poorly. In the summer, the melon leaf chrysanthemum should avoid direct sunlight, and it can be placed in a ventilated shade for maintenance, and it can also be pulled to provide proper shade. Melon leaf chrysanthemum likes to be warm, not hardy, in winter when the temperature is lower than 10 degrees, it should be warm in time to enter the room, and the temperature after entering the room should be kept at 15-20 degrees, and it should not exceed 21 degrees, otherwise it will affect the flowering in vain.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >7, flowering regulation</h1>
The flowering period of melon leaf chrysanthemum is from January to May in winter and spring, and the sowing time is different, and the flowering time is also different. If sown in June, it flowers on New Year's Day; sows in August, flowers bloom during the Spring Festival; seeds are sown in October and flower during May Day of the following year. In addition to the sowing time before controlling the flowering period, we can also control the flowering period by temperature. The temperature of the differentiation of chrysanthemum buds is about 10 degrees, and the temperature is increased to 12-15 degrees after the differentiation of flower buds is completed, which can flower early; if you want to delay the flowering period, you can keep the temperature between 3-8 degrees.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >8, breeding method</h1>
Chrysanthemums are mainly propagated by seeds, but can also be propagated by cuttings.
Seed propagation: Prepare the culture soil before sowing, and the culture soil can be mixed with fine sand or saprophyll soil and sand soil in a 3:2 ratio. Spray the watering with watering can stem culture soil, then sow it, and then cover it with culture soil after sowing. Keep the soil moist after sowing, and the seedlings can emerge in 7-10 days at a temperature of about 20 degrees, and can be transplanted when there are 3-4 true leaves.
Propagation of cuttings: Propagation of cuttings is carried out from January to June, and the base buds or axillary buds are cut as cuttings, inserted in the soil, and can take root in about 30-30 days.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >9, pest control</h1>
The main pests and diseases of melon leaf chrysanthemum are powdery mildew, verticillium wilt and aphids.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > a. powdery mildew</h1>
Powdery mildew is prone to disease in high temperature weather, and the leaves appear inconspicuous inclusion at the beginning of infection, and then gradually spread to the entire leaf, and a powdery mold layer appears.
Prevention and control methods:
(1) After the onset of powdery mildew, the leaves are removed in time, and foliar spraying is carried out with carbendazim or methyl tolbucin.
(2) The maintenance environment is sufficiently illuminated and well ventilated to reduce the occurrence of powdery mildew.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > b. Verticillium wilt</h1>
When verticillium wilt occurs, the melon leaves and chrysanthemums are not developed normally, and the peanuts turn green, and there will also be a situation of long growth.
(1) If a plant is found to be infected with a virus, the diseased strain should be immediately uprooted and burned to prevent spread.
(2) Regular spraying with potassium permanganate solution or other fungicides can play a preventive role, and more potassium fertilizer can improve plant resistance and reduce the occurrence of diseases.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >c. aphids</h1>
Aphids mainly harm the young stems and young leaves of the chrysanthemum, and the aphids will suck the sap of the leaves, making the leaves yellow and curled and affect photosynthesis. The aphid-prone season is generally after the weather warms up in March in the spring.
(1) Aphids can spray leaves with oxidized fruit or pyrethroids.
(2) The eggs of aphids will overwinter on the chrysanthemum, which should be checked in time in winter and sprayed with stone sulfur compound.