Can you still fertilize a goldfish plant once it has flower buds?
The goldfish plant (Nematanthus gregarius) is very beautiful when it blooms, but it prefers cool temperature conditions for flowering, and its flowering period generally does not have a unified time. Its flowering period is mainly affected by different regional environments, whether in spring, autumn, or winter, all may be its flowering season. Generally, as long as the ambient temperature is kept between 15°c-25°c, with sufficient light and bright, ventilated conditions, it may bloom.
Therefore, goldfish plants grown by gardening friends in different places may bloom in spring from March to May in some cases, around November in late autumn in others, and may also bloom in winter in others. But no matter when it blooms, we must prepare sufficient nutrients for the goldfish plant in advance, because its flowering consumes a large amount of nutrients, and if nutrients are insufficient, it will inevitably affect its normal flowering.
But fertilizing the goldfish plant also requires grasping the timing, and the nutrient requirements differ at different stages. Generally, during the growing season, a multi-element fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is needed, and as the flowering period approaches, it should be switched to a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
Fertilizing the goldfish plant during the flowering period requires phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to promote flowering, but after the buds have opened and while it is flowering, fertilizing is not suitable; often fertilizer must be stopped promptly as soon as the buds just open. Although it is called fertilizing during the flowering period, in reality it is before flowering that sufficient fertilizer needs to be applied. The key is to apply flowering-promoting fertilizer promptly from before bud initiation, when buds are about to form.
From the start of bud initiation to the formation of flower buds, flowering-promoting fertilizer also needs to be supplemented promptly, generally monopotassium phosphate or Huaduoduo No. 2 is suitable, either by root drenching or by leaf spraying, both are fine. But for leaf spraying, do not use the method of spraying fertilizer water; instead, use the method of spraying a fine mist. This way it absorbs better, and it will not leave water marks on the leaf surface that affect the ornamental appearance, and it is even less likely to cause fertilizer damage to the leaves.
It can be seen that the goldfish plant can be fertilized once it has flower buds; as long as it is before the buds open, we can all fertilize. Moreover, the supplementary application of flowering-promoting fertilizer needs to be carried out after the goldfish plant has transitioned from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, that is, from the growing season to just before flowering. Generally, applying phosphorus-potassium fertilizer 2-3 times a month is sufficient, but fertilizer should be stopped promptly when the buds open, and this way it can meet its nutritional needs for flowering.