How to propagate Cineraria

Seed propagation

Seed propagation is the main method of propagation of Cineraria. It takes about half a year for Cineraria to bloom from sowing. The seeds are sown in late July and will bloom by the Spring Festival. You can also determine the sowing time based on the flowering time. If you want to use the flowers for New Year's Day, you can sow them in mid-to-late June. The earlier you sow, the more luxuriant the plants will be and the more beautiful the flowers will be. The sowing time should not exceed September at the latest. Mix 1 part garden soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts rice husk ash, a small amount of superphosphate and decomposed base fertilizer to make the potting soil for sowing. When sowing, you can use a wooden box or a shallow pot. Mix the seeds with a small amount of fine sand and spread evenly in the wooden box. Cover with a layer of fine soil so that the seeds are not visible. You can use spraying or immersion to moisten the soil while avoiding exposing the seeds. To keep it moist, it is recommended to cover the pot with a layer of glass, but at the same time, pay attention to ventilation and leave a small gap on one side.

Place the cineraria seed pot in the shade of a cold room or under a shade shed away from sunlight. Pay attention to ventilation and maintain the temperature at 21 degrees Celsius for the best results. It will take about a week for the cineraria to germinate and seedlings to emerge. At this time, gradually remove the covering materials above to allow the seedlings to receive sunlight. However, you still need to pay attention to shading when the sunlight is strong at noon, and full sunlight can be applied two weeks after germination.

Propagation by cuttings or divisions

In order to prevent the quality deterioration or natural hybridization of double-petal varieties (flowers with multiple layers of petals), propagation by cuttings or division can be used. Most double-petal varieties can be used for cuttings. From January to June, cut the root sprouts of Cineraria or the side shoots that grow after flowering and insert them into sand for cutting propagation or division propagation. It will take about 20 to 30 days to take root and 5 to 6 months to bloom.