How often should a potted firethorn be watered? Plus repotting methods

Firethorn is a plant that can be enjoyed both for its flowers and its fruit, and it is a fairly popular houseplant on the market today. Many people are not familiar with the techniques for watering and repotting it when growing firethorn, which can lead to some problems, so what exactly is the correct method? Let's take a look together below!

How to water a potted firethorn (how often to water)

Its roots are very well developed, and it likes fertilizer and water, but it still needs to be in moderation; do not give it a lot of water. When it is flowering, do not let rain fall directly on it. Its growth period is relatively long, so it needs a lot of fertilizer for irrigation; in summer, add phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and you can continue using it in autumn too, which can make the fruit larger and more attractive. Generally, water thoroughly once about every half a month.

Firethorn repotting methods

1. For repotting firethorn, you can choose a pot with a relatively suitable size and diameter, and the material can be a clay pot, ceramic pot, or plastic pot. As for the soil, you can mix your own nutrient soil by combining garden soil and sandy soil with a little compound fertilizer to make a substrate; when potting, besides putting in the substrate, you can also add broken tile pieces at the bottom of the pot.

2. Take the firethorn plant out, remove the old roots and old soil, and then pot it. When potting, place a few pieces of broken tile in the pot, spread a layer of coarse sand, and put in the prepared substrate. Spread out the firethorn's root system, place it in the soil, fill with soil, and note that the soil should be even and compacted, and do not fill it too full.

3. After firethorn is repotted, first water it thoroughly, place it in a shady spot for about 10 days of care, and after that you can manage it normally.

Firethorn ball-shaped pruning method

1. Firethorn is often pruned into a ball shape to create a special ornamental scene. When pruning, you can prune in March and April, June and July, and September and October of the year.

2. Pruning in March——April is mainly heavy pruning to keep the tree shape beautiful. When pruning in June——July, you can cut off half of the firethorn's growing branches and buds. When pruning in September——October, you can cut off the leggy branches. Generally, after about 2 years of growth, the long branches on the tree will have many short branches and flower buds, and pruning is needed to retain only about 20cm of the branch base; after several prunings, a ball shape can be formed. Usually, pay attention to cutting off leggy branches, overly dense branches, and so on, so that it grows lush foliage.

What to do if firethorn does not bear fruit

1. Reasonable care during the flowering period. During the flowering period of firethorn, especially the flower bud differentiation stage, do not water too much; just ensure the potting soil is moist, and you can spray more water on the leaves. In addition, you can spray some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote the growth of flower buds, and give sufficient light.

2. Reasonable pruning. The branches on which firethorn blooms are mostly one-year-old short branches; newly grown branches of the current year generally will not bloom. When pruning, be careful not to mistakenly cut the short branches; you can shorten the leggy branches, cut off the overly dense branches, and in August, prune the branches and leaves.

3. Temperature should be reasonable. Because low or high temperatures may occur in winter and summer, in these two seasons, you must manage the temperature well. When temperatures are high in summer, take cooling measures; you can spray water or provide shade. In winter, keep the temperature at around 5°C, and note that the winter temperature should not be too high either, otherwise it will affect the plant's dormancy.

4. Reasonable fertilization. Fertilization is mainly in two aspects: the growing season and the flower bud differentiation period. Applying nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer reasonably during the growing season can promote the growth of firethorn and store nutrients for flowering and fruiting. During the flower bud differentiation period and the subsequent flowering and fruiting, more phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer need to be applied, so that it blooms well and bears fruit more vigorously.

When watering firethorn, also pay attention to the timing; it should not be too long, nor too much, otherwise it may cause the plant to die. Firethorn inevitably needs repotting during its growth process; when repotting, be sure to pay attention to the looseness of the soil, because if it is too tight, it may affect its growth.