How to Fertilize Golden-edged Daphne to Make It Bloom When It Won't Flower
As a well-known traditional flowering plant in our country, the golden-edged daphne (Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata') has always been deeply loved by people, and it is often kept in homes as an ornamental plant. This superb ornamental value comes mainly from its flowers, which are elegant in color and have a flowering period of up to one month, accompanied by a fresh fragrance wafting toward you. What should you do if the golden-edged daphne does not bloom?
What to Do If the Golden-edged Daphne Does Not Bloom
1. Water appropriately
The main reason is overwatering, especially in autumn. Autumn is the period of flower bud differentiation, and overwatering leads to incomplete flower bud differentiation, making it difficult to form complete flower buds.
2. Provide timely light
The golden-edged daphne blooms in late spring and early winter, so care in autumn and winter is very important. Insufficient sunlight leads to insufficient nutrients stored in the plant itself, making it difficult to grow quickly when spring arrives, and even more unable to produce the nutrients needed for flowering. 3. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer
Too much nitrogen fertilizer promotes rapid growth of branches and leaves, especially the sprouting of branches in spring. Vigorous sprouting breaks through the leaf buds formed in late autumn and early winter, causing crazy leaf growth and depriving the flower buds of nutrients, making it difficult to bloom.
How to Fertilize the Golden-edged Daphne
1. Fertilizing frequency
Generally, we can fertilize the golden-edged daphne once a month, and the fertilizer used can be a liquid fertilizer that has already been fully decomposed.
2. Fertilizing time
Applying some liquid fertilizer to the golden-edged daphne before and after it blooms can make the flowers bloom more, smell more fragrant, and be more vivid, and to a certain extent can extend the flowering period.
3. Precautions
1. When applying liquid fertilizer to the golden-edged daphne, be careful not to get the liquid fertilizer on the leaves of the golden-edged daphne.
2. When fertilizing the golden-edged daphne, it must be done when the soil in which the golden-edged daphne is planted is relatively dry, because the liquid fertilizer we apply already contains a certain amount of water. If we apply liquid fertilizer when the soil is moist, it will cause excessive water and easily lead to root rot.
3. A professional liquid fertilizer should be applied, and human excrement or chemical fertilizers should not be applied.
How to Extend the Flowering Period of the Golden-edged Daphne
1. Stop fertilizing
If you want to extend the flowering period of the golden-edged daphne, do not fertilize during the flowering period. During the flowering period of the golden-edged daphne, the plant can be placed indoors in a relatively warm and shaded place, and light should be appropriately reduced, taking care not to expose it to direct strong light. In addition, timely ventilation is needed so that the golden-edged daphne has a well-ventilated environment.
2. Control watering
During the flowering period of the golden-edged daphne, watering also needs to be reduced. Be careful not to spray water on the leaves and flowers of the golden-edged daphne, and keeping the potted golden-edged daphne slightly dry is enough. This reduces flower drop and extends the flowering period of the golden-edged daphne.
How to Grow the Golden-edged Daphne in Water
1. Material selection
Choose a container for holding the branches; the space should preferably be a bit larger, with sufficient oxygen, which is beneficial for rooting. If you want long-term water culture, you can prepare another beautiful glass container, and after rooting it can be placed for viewing.
2. Branch selection
Choose a robust, semi-lignified branch of the current year (the branch is slightly green), cut a length of 6-8 cm, and keep 1-2 leaves. The day before cutting the branch, you can use a sharp knife to make a ring cut at the incision, which can accelerate wound healing.
3. Determine the time
Water culture of the golden-edged daphne can be carried out in all four seasons of the year, but the season with the highest survival rate is still summer. In the Shandong region, late July is the best time, and in the southern region, early July is most suitable. This is because at this time the branches are becoming mature and root faster.
4. Operation method
First, split the lower end of the branch open from the middle, and use a small stone to separate the two halves of the branch. Then soak the branch in disinfectant solution for about 10 minutes, and take it out after disinfection. According to the thickness of the branch, poke several small holes in a plastic board, insert the branch into one of them, and leave about 3-4 cm of the lower end of the branch exposed. Then place the plastic foam in a container filled with water, make sure the bottom of the branch touches the water surface, and place it indoors in a sunny spot.
5. Care
Change the water once every 2-3 days; spring water or river water is best, or tap water that has been stored for a few days. When changing the water, moss may appear around the container, so it should be cleaned off thoroughly, and at the same time disinfect with potassium permanganate solution. If the weather is relatively hot and dry, promptly add water to the container and sprinkle water on the ground. Generally, at a temperature of 22-28°C, rooting can occur in about 50 days.
Although water culture is currently a very popular way of potting plants, it is not only simple to do but also beautiful and clean. The golden-edged daphne can also be grown and cared for in water, rooting quickly and with a high survival rate. However, one drawback of water culture is that it is very difficult to bloom.