How to Grow Plum Blossoms: Planting Methods and Precautions
SummaryPlanting: In the south, plant in the ground; in the north, grow in pots and overwinter indoors. For ground planting, choose a spot sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. Light and temperature: Plum blossoms like warmth and ample sunlight. Watering and fertilizing: During the growing season, keep the soil moist; water less when temperatures are low, and water more in summer. Apply a good base fertilizer before planting, and fertilize appropriately before flowering and after leaf drop. Shaping and pruning: Cut off crossing branches, upright branches, dead branches, and overly dense branches. Propagation: Sow the pits directly.
People often say plum blossoms are “proud of snow and cold”, so plum blossoms have fairly strong climate tolerance. From this angle, you might guess that growing plum blossoms is not very difficult. However, how to grow plum blossoms so they thrive is a very complex matter that requires combining theory with practical experience.
How to Grow Plum Blossoms
The plum blossom is a small tree in the Rosaceae family and the genus Prunus (apricot), rarely a shrub, with bark that is light gray or tinged with green. It likes a warm climate, is not very cold-hardy, is relatively drought-tolerant, does not tolerate waterlogging, and has a long lifespan that can reach a thousand years. It is sensitive to climate changes during the flowering period, dislikes heavy rain, and likes air with high humidity. Except for the apricot-plum (armeniacum) varieties, which can withstand low temperatures of -25°C, most can generally withstand -10°C. It tolerates high temperatures and can still grow at 40°C.
During the growing season, place it in a spot with ample sunlight and good ventilation. If it is in a shaded environment with insufficient light, it will grow weak and spindly and bloom sparsely. In winter, do not move it indoors too early; moving it indoors in late November is suitable. Place it in a sunny spot indoors and keep the temperature at 5°C.
Plum Blossom Planting Methods and Precautions
1. Planting Plum Blossoms
In the south, they can be planted in the ground. In the Yellow River basin, cold-hardy varieties can also be planted in the ground, but in the cold regions of the north they should be grown in pots and overwintered indoors. Planting can be done from after leaf drop until before buds break in spring. To improve the survival rate, avoid damaging the root system and transplant with a soil ball. For ground planting, choose a spot sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. For pot cultivation, use a growing medium made by evenly mixing 3 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 2 parts river sand, and 2 parts decomposed barnyard manure. After planting, water thoroughly once. Keep it in a shaded place for care, and after it resumes growth, move it into the sun for normal management.
2. Plum Blossom Requirements for Light and Temperature
It likes warmth and ample sunlight. Except for the apricot-plum (armeniacum) varieties, which can withstand low temperatures of -25°C, most can generally withstand -10°C. It tolerates high temperatures and can still grow at 40°C. It grows and develops best in areas with an annual average temperature of 16-23°C. It is very sensitive to temperature and blooms when the average temperature in early spring reaches -5-7°C.
3. Watering and Fertilizing Plum Blossoms
During the growing season, pay attention to watering and keep the potting soil often moist but on the dry side. It should neither become waterlogged nor be too wet or too dry. Follow the principle of watering when dry and stopping when moist. Generally, water less on cloudy days and when temperatures are low; otherwise, water more. In summer, water 2 times a day; in spring and autumn, water once a day; in winter, water thoroughly only after the soil has dried out. Fertilizing should also be reasonable. Apply a good base fertilizer before planting, and mix in a small amount of potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Apply potassium dihydrogen phosphate once more before flowering, and apply decomposed cake fertilizer once at flowering to supplement nutrients. In June, you can also apply a compound fertilizer once to promote flower bud differentiation. After leaf drop in autumn, apply an organic fertilizer once, such as decomposed manure.
4. Shaping and Pruning Plum Blossoms
For ground-planted plum blossoms, shaping and pruning can be done within 20 days after flowering.
Focus on a natural tree shape. Cut off crossing branches, upright branches, dead branches, and overly dense branches, and shorten side branches to encourage abundant flowers and lush foliage.
After potting, plum blossoms should be heavily pruned to lay the foundation for making bonsai. Usually, plum stumps are used as the scene, with various forms of plum blossoms grafted on.
Maintain a certain temperature, and you can see plum blossoms in full bloom at Spring Festival. If you want them to bloom at “May Day”, you need to maintain a temperature of 0-5°C and a moist environment, move them outdoors in early April, and keep them in a sunny, well-ventilated place for care, and they will bloom around “May Day”.
5. Flowering Period Management of Plum Blossoms
Flowering control Potted plum blossoms are generally for home viewing. After leaf drop in winter, place them indoors and keep the temperature at 0-5°C. After New Year's Day, gradually raise the temperature to 5-10°C, let them receive full sunlight daily, and frequently spray water on the branches; the water temperature should be close to room temperature.
Sowing and Propagation of Plum Blossoms
Sow the pits directly. Be sure to collect fully mature fruit from superior mother plants with large fruit and small pits. Generally, sowing in autumn is best, specifically in late September. Water thoroughly and cover with fine soil or sand. In the following spring, when the seedlings grow to 10 cm to 15 cm, they can be transplanted from the seedbed. If propagating by sowing in spring, then after the seeds are washed and dried, stratify and store them in moist sand, take them out in early spring, and sow in rows. Plum trees propagated from seed are drought-tolerant. They grow vigorously and are suitable for planting on hillsides. However, plum trees grown this way have unstable heredity and vary greatly.
Taboos for Growing Plum Blossoms in Winter
1. Temperatures Too Low Without Cold Protection
Some friends may think this flower is especially cold-hardy and completely ignore the temperature issue. Since this flower's flowering period is February and March, they become even more confident in its cold tolerance. In fact, they cannot endure temperatures below zero. When they begin natural dormancy, you can place them in a bright spot indoors. Not only that, you should also sprinkle water on the branches so they can absorb water better. At the same time, ensure the soil has moisture, and it is best if the room can reach 8-12°C. When the flower buds show color, you can raise the temperature to 15-20°C. From moving them to a bright spot to flowering takes only a little over a month.
2. Too Much Watering Causes Yellow Leaves
If you choose pot cultivation, plum blossoms will be a bit more sensitive to water at this time, but you should not keep watering constantly just because you want them to grow well. Potted plum blossoms are very strict about watering. If the soil is too wet, it is easy for the roots to have poor respiration, leading to poor root development. In severe cases, the leaves can turn yellow, or even the entire root system can rot and the whole plant may die.
When growing them outdoors, be sure to do drainage work when rainy days come, or simply move them indoors. After leaf drop in autumn, you can directly reduce watering; after winter passes, you can increase the amount of watering, so the flowers can bloom more the next year.
What this article can provide are only some methods and techniques on paper. To truly succeed in growing plum blossoms, practical experience should account for a more important part, while techniques and methods can only give us some reference and guidance when we encounter difficulties. So people who love plum blossoms should not just stand by and watch; start doing it first!