How to plant Lobularia maritima
Today, the editor will explain how to plant Lobularia maritima and share some small experiences about the cultivation methods and precautions of this plant. Let's follow the editor and take a look!
Lobularia maritima belongs to the Cruciferae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant, also known as garden cress, little white flower, or jade butterfly ball. It is commonly cultivated as an annual or biennial. Lobularia maritima has a low, bushy growth habit, resembling a snowball with a pleasant fragrance, hence the name. It is suitable for decorating courtyard flower beds or as a potted plant. Indoor flowering period: blooms from March to April, and outdoor cultivation: blooms from June to July.
The base of Lobularia maritima is lignified, reaching a height of up to 40 centimeters, with silver-gray "T" shaped hairs covering the entire plant. The stems branch out from the base upwards, with linear or lanceolate leaves that narrow at both ends and have entire margins. The inflorescence is corymbose, with thread-like pedicels, oblong-ovate sepals, and the inner ones being narrowly elliptical or narrowly oblong-ovate. The petals are light purple or white, oblong, with rounded apices. The short fruit is elliptical, with flattened and slightly swollen valves, and the pedicel tip curves upwards. Seeds are suspended from the top of the ovary chamber, oblong, and light reddish-brown.
Lobularia maritima is native to the Mediterranean coast, prefers cool temperatures, dislikes heat, requires abundant sunlight, is slightly shade-tolerant, prefers loose soil, dislikes waterlogging, and is drought and thin-soil resistant. It enjoys cool climates, dislikes extreme heat, and is frost-resistant. It prefers a relatively dry air environment and is prone to disease infection if rainy weather persists. It dislikes rain and should keep the leaves dry at night. The optimal relative humidity is 40-60%.
I. Propagation methods of Lobularia maritima: Lobularia maritima can be propagated by seeds or cuttings, but seeds are commonly used. In the northern regions, spring sowing is common, usually carried out in greenhouses in March. Lobularia maritima seeds germinate faster than those of most flowers, with uniform seedlings. The optimal germination temperature is 20°C, and seedlings emerge in about 5 days. Transplanting into pots is done when the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, and flowering occurs from June to July. During the hot summer, growth is poor, and flowering is scarce. At this time, remove the flowered branches and strengthen fertilization and watering management. In autumn, it can bloom again. In North China and the southern regions, sowing is usually done in autumn, with cold frame protection over winter, potting or planting in early March, and flowering in April.
Lobularia maritima can also be propagated by cuttings, which can be done in May to June. Choose healthy, lignified branches for cuttings, and both spring and autumn are suitable for propagation. Generally, 6 cm long stem segments are taken in May to June and inserted into a moist sand bed. After cutting, immediately shade and keep the moisture, and new buds and roots can develop in about half a month. Transplanting is done when the seedlings have 5-6 true leaves.
II. Potting mix preparation: Lobularia maritima thrives in soil rich in organic matter and good drainage, so preparing the cultivation soil is important. There are limitations to growing Lobularia maritima in pots, as a pot is a unique microenvironment. No single type of soil can meet the needs of potted plants for soil in all aspects. Therefore, artificial soil preparation is necessary for pot cultivation of Lobularia maritima to replace the soil and fix the plant in the pot, with certain water retention, drainage, and good aeration, rich in humus. The cultivation soil for Lobularia maritima usually consists of 75% garden soil and 25% yellow sand, or 60% garden soil, 15% medium coarse river sand, and 25% decomposed manure. It is best to use the potting mix after high-temperature sterilization or sunning to kill germs.
III. Cultivation: When planting in the courtyard, dig a planting hole first, sprinkle a layer of decomposed manure as a base fertilizer at the bottom of the hole, about 5 cm thick, then cover it with soil and place the seedlings, separating the fertilizer from the roots to avoid root burn. After placing the seedlings, fill the soil back, cover the roots, and press the soil with your feet, then water thoroughly. Before potting, cut off the broken, cracked, damaged, and overly long roots of the Lobularia maritima plant. Place broken tiles at the bottom of the pot, then add some decomposed cake fertilizer, crushed bones, fish bones, chicken feathers, etc., as base fertilizer, then fill in the cultivation soil, place the Lobularia maritima plant in the center of the pot, spread the roots, fill the soil to half the pot, gently lift and shake the plant to compact the soil, and plant it not too deep, keeping the rootstock level with the pot opening. If it's too shallow, it will affect survival; if too deep, it will affect the growth of Lobularia maritima after transplanting. After planting, water thoroughly. After planting, keep the plant in a shaded environment for about a week, then move it to a sunny place for care when the roots have recovered.
IV. Management: The cultivation management of Lobularia maritima is relatively simple, with a spacing of 25 cm when planted in the courtyard. Whether planted in the ground or in a pot, pay attention to water and fertilizer management to keep the soil moist. It is suitable to apply a dilute fertilizer every half month during the growing period to ensure good development. As the roots of Lobularia maritima are shallow, attention should be paid to watering in the summer to prevent drought. Too much or too little water during the maintenance period is not conducive to growth. Excessive water leads to thin, weak stems and reduced flowering, while insufficient water causes poor plant development and early fruit setting. Generally, two pinching operations are performed before flowering to promote the growth of more flowering branches. Ten days after potting or when the seedlings are 6-10 cm tall with more than six leaves, pinch the top, leaving 3-4 leaves below to promote branching. About 30 days after the first pinching or when the lateral branches are 6-8 cm long, perform the second pinching, which involves removing the top of the lateral branches, leaving 4 leaves below.
The detailed content on how to plant Lobularia maritima and its cultivation methods and precautions has been provided above. I hope it can be helpful to you!