In what season does osmanthus usually bloom and scent the air?
Osmanthus is a kind of osmanthus tree, an evergreen tree or shrub plant of the genus Osmanthus in the family Oleaceae, distributed in the north subtropical deciduous and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forest region of the Yangtze River basin and areas to its south, commonly used as a garden landscape tree species, its flowers are a precious spice and used as a food flavoring. Now let us take a look together at what season osmanthus blooms and scents the air!
What season does osmanthus bloom and scent the air?
Osmanthus blooms and scents the air in autumn, around September to November on the solar calendar. Osmanthus blooming and scenting the air refers to the osmanthus tree flowering, with its fragrance drifting ten li away; now it describes something that is famous and known to everyone. At the same time, osmanthus blooms in September, which is autumn, so “the season when osmanthus blooms and scents the air” refers to autumn, and “osmanthus blooming and scenting the air” symbolizes autumn.
How many years of cultivation before osmanthus blooms?
The osmanthus variety is very special; at present it cannot be obtained by sowing, only by grafting or cuttings, which determines the flowering time of osmanthus. Grafted osmanthus can generally bloom within one year, but most grafted osmanthus is used for potted plants and cannot be used as landscape trees. Cutting-propagated osmanthus can generally bloom at four years of age, and can be used both for potted plants and for landscape greening.
How to grow potted osmanthus
1. Watering: For potted osmanthus, follow the principle of not watering until the soil is dry, and watering thoroughly when you do water, but spray the leaf surface with clean water once a day, evenly moistening all branches and leaves, until water droplets begin to drip down, so as to keep the leaves moist and wash off the dust clinging to the leaves. After Qingming Festival, move the osmanthus outdoors and water it thoroughly once. In summer, water in the morning and evening; in winter, water around noon, so that the water temperature is close to the soil temperature and there is no sudden cold or heat; be careful not to let water accumulate. In winter, just keep the potting soil moist.
2. Fertilizing: When osmanthus sends out new shoots, apply nitrogen fertilizer 1 to 2 times to promote branch and leaf growth; before flower bud differentiation and flowering, mainly apply phosphorus fertilizer. In spring, after moving the osmanthus outdoors, begin watering with fully decomposed dilute soybean cake, sesame paste, fishy water, etc., once every half month; from the end of May to before flowering, water once a week, gradually increasing the fertilizer concentration; in July and August, topdress once every half month with a 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution. After flowering, topdress once with a light fertilizer solution to avoid triggering autumn branches. In winter, apply more organic fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Before fertilizing, the potting soil should be slightly dry, and it is best to first loosen the soil so that the fertilizer is absorbed; water once the next day.
3. Repotting: Potted osmanthus should be repotted and have its soil changed once every 2 to 3 years, cutting off some old roots and dead roots, and using a bamboo stick to remove some old soil. The soil ratio for potted osmanthus is not very strict; usually garden soil, composted manure and river sand can each make up 1/3 of the mix. After planting in spring, water thoroughly, then move to a shaded place for about 10 days so it can “adapt to the pot”; during this period do not fertilize, and only water and fertilize after it resumes growth and grows new leaves. For the flower pot, purple clay pottery or glazed pottery is best, and purple or ochre colors are better, as they can form a sharp contrast with the colors of the flowers and leaves and increase the ornamental effect.
4. Pruning: For osmanthus shaping, it is best to make curved-trunk, slanting-trunk or flowing styles; shaping generally adopts a combination of bending and pruning, and the main trunk can be bent into a curved-trunk or slanting-trunk form. It is best done after autumn. For plants that grow very tall with very sparse lower branches and a poor tree shape, the entire top branches can be cut off at 2/3 or 3/4 of the height. For plants that are “top-heavy”, cut off the overly dense upper branches and leave only the smaller lower branches. For plants with overly dense branches, thin them out. After flowering, do another pruning, cutting off leggy branches, dead branches, diseased and insect-damaged branches, and dense, weak, thin branches.
5. Overwintering: Room temperature should be kept at 0 to 5°C, and relative humidity at 50 to 80%. In winter, a cold room should have good light; especially before the buds begin to sprout in early spring, plenty of sunlight is required. The following spring, in North China after Grain Rain (around Awakening of Insects in the Yellow River-Huai River basin), arrange for the potted osmanthus to be brought out of the room. After bringing it out, first place it together in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot outdoors, and later spread it out in rows so it gradually adapts to the outdoor environment.
6. Diseases: Common diseases of osmanthus include leaf spot, sooty mold, algal spot, root rot, iron deficiency, etc., and prevention and control should be carried out according to the disease situation. Leaf spot, sooty mold and algal spot can be controlled by spraying 0.5 Bordeaux mixture or 5% carbendazim 500 to 1000 times solution. For root rot, attention should be paid to keeping the soil loose and breathable and avoiding water accumulation. If root rot is caused by fungi, irrigate the roots with 200 to 300 times solution of amobam.
7. Pests: Common pests of osmanthus include sawflies, whiteflies, mites, white peach scale, and yellow slugs. Sawflies, whiteflies and mites can be killed by spraying 40% dimethoate 1500 to 3000 times solution. For white peach scale, besides manual brushing off, during the first and second instar nymph stages, spray 40% omethoate 1000 times solution or 40% fenitrothion 500 times solution to kill them.