What are the care and management methods for plum blossoms after they enter autumn?

After entering autumn, plum blossoms experience a growth peak due to the assimilation of leaves and the backflow accumulation of nutrients absorbed by the root system. If attention is not paid to providing good conditions for the plum blossom at this time, the plum blossom will show symptoms of insufficient nutrition. So how should plum blossoms be cared for after entering autumn?

Plum blossom

1. Strengthen the management of fertilizer and water. After entering autumn, apply organic fertilizer liquid to the pot soil once every 7 to 10 days, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, and at the same time apply 1 to 2 additional applications of 0.1%-0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, and pay attention to pruning off the tender shoots that sprout in autumn, because the tender shoots cannot mature by winter and will consume nutrients in vain. Pruning in time in this way can achieve the purpose of forcing flower buds.

2. The pot soil must not be too dry or too wet. After entering autumn, gradually restrict watering for potted plum blossoms. Potted plum blossoms are very sensitive to moisture. If the pot soil is too wet, it is easy to cause premature yellowing of leaves, leaf drop, and even root rot and death. If the pot soil is too dry for a long time, it is also easy to cause leaf drop and affect bud formation and flowering. Therefore, watering should follow the principle of watering when dry and not watering when not dry, and watering thoroughly when watering. After the autumn cool arrives, the amount of watering should be gradually reduced to help the branches become firm.

3. Prune and shape appropriately. To make potted plum blossoms bloom abundantly and beautifully, branch thinning and shaping should be carried out. The shoots growing from the tips of the side branches of potted plum blossoms have few flower buds and should be appropriately shortened. The thick vigorous water shoots, thin and weak branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, dense branches and dead branches on the side branches should all be cut off. In autumn, shorten short branches to 10 cm, and shorten long branches leaving 5 to 6 buds, so that the branches are somewhat sparse and the branch posture is graceful, and the flowers will be more numerous and larger. After pruning and shaping, the following year the flowers will be abundant, large and colorful.

Care of plum blossoms after entering autumn

Care and management of plum blossom bonsai

Plum blossom bonsaiCare and management

Placement location: Plum blossoms should be placed in a sunny, well-ventilated location. Although plum blossoms are relatively cold-resistant and can bloom proudly through frost and snow, they still prefer warmth and are suitable for the southern climate. If cultivated in cold northern regions, they should be placed indoors to overwinter in winter. 
Watering: Usually keep the pot soil moist, pay attention not to water when not dry, and prevent water accumulation in the pot. From mid-to-late May to early-to-mid June, that is, during the period from flower bud initiation to formation, "water restriction" treatment must be carried out, that is, let the pot soil dry until the old leaves slightly curl and the new shoots wilt before watering again. Repeat this several times to destroy the growing points of new branches, stop the new shoots from elongating, and increase the occurrence of flower buds, then gradually restore normal watering.  
Fertilizing: Attention should be paid to the fertilizing season. Generally, when repotting, bone meal, soybean cake, etc. can be placed at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. In mid-to-late May, before flower bud formation, apply 1 to 2 times cake fertilizer water as top dressing. In early August, apply another 1 to 2 times. After entering autumn, apply top dressing once more.  
Pruning: To make plum blossom bonsai both quaint and vigorous, and also robust in growth and abundant in flowering, pruning is extremely important. Because plum flower buds are formed on new branches of the current year, after flowering each year the old flowering branches should be immediately shortened, leaving only 2 to 3 buds, and attention should be paid to making the buds grow outward, so that the following year the flowers will be abundant and colorful. Pruning of plum blossoms can be divided into the following types:

  
1. Branch thinning: That is, thinning and cutting away various crossing branches, parallel branches, overlapping branches, opposite branches, water shoots, and overly dense and weak branches that affect the beauty of the tree shape. Follow the thinning principle of "do not move old branches, keep the strong and remove the weak."  
2. Shortening: That is, on the basis of branch thinning, cut off the upper part of the one-year-old branches after flowering. The degree of shortening should be determined according to the styling needs and growth vigor. Those with good growth can be shortened less, and those with poor growth can be shortened more. According to styling needs, a small number of long branches can sometimes be appropriately retained. When shortening, the direction of the bud opening should also be selected according to the direction and angle of the branch, so as to achieve an appropriate density.  
3. Bud removal: That is, around April, when the leaf buds of the current year grow to about 3 cm, remove some unnecessary buds according to the position of the buds, density, and the needs of tree styling. For buds on old trunks, remove them as they appear.  
4. Pinching: That is, in late June, when new shoots grow to a certain length, remove the terminal buds to control branch growth. Generally, the length should be 15 to 30 cm. For plum blossoms with poor sprouting ability, pinching can be carried out earlier to promote re-sprouting. When plum blossoms are too old, the tree vigor often becomes weak. To make declining plum trees "rejuvenate," the following measures can be taken:  
① Cut off the side branches on the main trunk in batches year by year, or shorten the side branches year by year until they are removed from the base, so as to achieve the purpose of renewal.  
② When renewing thick branches, attention must be paid to protecting the wounds to prevent the invasion of pests and diseases.  
③ Place the plum pot in the ground for cultivation, preferably choosing a place with good ventilation and light, and fertile, loose soil, and at the same time thin the branches. Repotting: Plum blossom bonsai should be repotted once every 1 to 2 years, preferably after flowering in March, or in winter from November to December. When repotting, remove 1B3 to 1B2 of the old soil, cut off dead roots, shorten overly long old roots, and replace with humus-rich leaf mold or frozen and loosened pond mud, mixed with rice husk ash and sandy soil.  
Pest and disease control: The main diseases of plum blossoms include anthracnose, powdery mildew, leaf curl disease, sooty mold, etc. The main pests include plum tent caterpillar, aphids, longhorn beetles, lace bugs, slug moths, etc. Diseases can be controlled by spraying 0.5% Bordeaux mixture; pests can be controlled by spraying 80% dichlorvos 1500 times solution. If longhorn beetle larvae are found boring into the trunk of the plum tree, use 1 part dichlorvos plus 0.5 part light diesel oil, dip a cotton ball in it and plug the insect hole, then seal the opening with wet mud. When using chemicals to control pests, avoid using dimethoate, otherwise it will cause leaf drop and even death.  
(2) Ornamental value  
The plum blossom tree has an elegant posture, gnarled trunk and spreading canopy, sparse slanting branches, and is quaint and vigorous, making it most beautiful. The best viewing period is the flowering period, generally from February to March. If flowering is desired at Spring Festival, the plum blossom bonsai can be placed in a greenhouse at about 10°C about 40 days before Spring Festival, with sufficient sunlight, and frequent water spraying is needed. Plum stump bonsai has beauty of color, beauty of form and beauty of charm, and is excellent in color, fragrance and flavor. The Southern Song dynasty poet Yang Wanli wrote a poem about plum blossoms: "At first coming, I also felt the fragrance pierce the nose; when it fades, there is neither fragrance nor flavor. Vainly gazing at dusk, the flowers seem about to sleep; unknowingly I am intoxicated by the flowers." This is a description of the delicate fragrance of plum blossoms.

Plum blossoms do not have strict soil requirements

General neutral soil can support growth, but because potted plum blossoms have limited pot soil, loose and fertile nutrient soil should be selected. The nutrient soil is prepared by mixing 4 parts edible residue, 4 parts accumulated miscellaneous fertilizer soil, and 2 parts coal ash soil evenly as the culture medium. After flowering, change the soil once a year. After repotting, first place it in a cool place for a week, then transfer it to normal care.

Plum blossoms are sensitive to moisture

If the pot soil is too wet for a long time, it is easy to cause root rot. Therefore, watering should be controlled. When new branches grow to 20 cm, attention should be paid to controlling watering, controlling excessive elongation of new shoots, and promoting flower bud differentiation. However, in summer, water once a day. In autumn, water according to the soil to keep the soil moist. In winter, water less to make the soil somewhat dry.

Plum blossoms do not like heavy fertilizer

When plum blossoms sprout branches and leaves, fertilizer and water should be sufficient, applying organic liquid fertilizer 1 to 2 times a month. When new shoots grow to 5 cm, apply a thin fertilizer once to promote branch growth. In late summer and early autumn, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once, and increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote flower bud formation. After flower bud differentiation, spray 1 to 2 times with potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Such layered scientific fertilization is beneficial to the growth of plum blossoms.

Pruning and shaping of plum blossoms

Pruning and shaping plum blossoms is a technical task. Pruning should start from the seedling stage. When the seedling grows to 20 to 25 cm long, cut off the top. After sprouting, keep 3 to 5 branches as main branches. When the main branches grow to 10 to 15 cm, pinch them to promote thicker branches and flower bud formation. For post-flowering pruning, after the flowers fade, shorten from the base leaving 2 to 3 buds. When new branches grow to 5 to 6 leaves, pinch again, leaving only 3 to 4 leaves, to promote the growth of more flowering branches. Thereafter, prune repeatedly every year to make the branches firm and increase flower buds.

Pest and disease control of plum blossoms

Be sure to maintain ventilation and light transmission. The main diseases of plum blossoms come from anthracnose and leaf spot disease, generally occurring from late April to early May. Use 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate dissolved 800 to 1000 times and spray alternately for control. Aphid damage is relatively heavy every year. Use a 500 times solution of washing powder to spray and kill, with obvious effect. However, plum blossoms are sensitive to pesticides such as dimethoate and dichlorvos, so do not use them.

Plum blossoms blooming at Spring Festival

Everyone who grows plum blossoms wants them to bloom during Spring Festival, which requires mastering the technique of forcing flower branches.

First, calculate the flower-forcing date well. About 20 days before Spring Festival, move the potted plum blossom into a greenhouse, and place it in a sunny place for care. The indoor temperature should be controlled at 10 to 15°C. At the same time, spray clear water on the flower branches and surroundings every day. Keeping watering too much is not good for plum blossom growth and can easily cause root rot and bud drop. If watering is insufficient, it will make the flower buds shrivel.

Second, grasp the relationship between temperature and flowering time. One week before Spring Festival, if the flower buds are still small, move the flower pot to a medium-temperature environment of 15 to 25°C for management. If it blooms early before Spring Festival, lower the temperature around the potted flowers by about 10°C, and give less sunlight and control moisture.

Also, fertilize appropriately. In order to make plum blossoms bloom brightly and have a stronger fragrance, appropriate fertilization should be applied. Generally, apply a thin organic liquid fertilizer once every 7 to 10 days, and at the same time spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate and plant growth promoter on the flower buds once every 7 days.

How to control aphids

Aphids, also known as greasy insects and honey insects, are the most common enemies in flower cultivation. More than two thousand species of aphids have been listed as worldwide pests. Their reproductive capacity is very strong. One adult aphid can produce 70 small aphids in one generation, and can reproduce more than a dozen generations, or even dozens of generations, in a year.

Common aphids include cotton aphid, green peach aphid, peach powdery aphid, rose aphid, locust aphid, pine aphid, willow aphid, chrysanthemum aphid, etc.

Flowers that are damaged include rose of Sharon, Chinese hibiscus, pomegranate, redbud, chrysanthemum, hollyhock, orchid, plum blossom, loquat, ornamental peach, night-blooming jasmine, coral bean, Chinese rose, pansy, tulip, zinnia, snapdragon, dahlia, cineraria, carnation, morning glory, begonia, oleander, cherry blossom, elm-leaved spirea, Japanese quince, cyclamen, hyacinth, night-blooming cereus, etc.

The damage is strong. A single wingless adult green peach aphid can suck fresh matter weighing 79 times its body weight within 24 hours; the honeydew it secretes is transparent, thick and sticky, which obstructs the physiological activities of flowers and is also a good culture medium for pathogens, easily inducing sooty mold, etc.; at the same time, aphids are also important virus transmission vectors; they gather and damage tender leaves, tender shoots, flower buds and other parts, sucking sap, causing flowers to develop abnormally, with irregular wrinkling, curling, and shedding on the underside of leaves, deformation of flower buds, reduction or shrinking of flowers, and even withering of the whole plant, leading to death.

In the control of aphids, various means should be used to stop their harmful activities. The main points are as follows:

1. Eliminating aphids should begin from the overwintering period of flowers, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort. If relying solely on the spring and autumn when aphid damage is most severe, the control effect is not significant.

2. Newly introduced flower seeds and seedlings should be strictly inspected to prevent the invasion of new pests from other places. Soil and old flower pots should be disinfected to kill residual insect eggs.

3. Combined with pruning, thoroughly remove residual flowers, diseased and dead branches and leaves where aphids have inhabited or eggs have lurked, and burn them in a centralized manner.

4. Different flower varieties have different insect resistance. Disease- and pest-resistant varieties should be selected, which not only reduces aphid damage but also saves pesticide costs.

5. When a small number of aphids are found, they can be brushed clean with a writing brush dipped in water, or the potted flower can be tilted under running tap water and rotated to rinse. This not only kills the aphids but also washes the leaves, improving ornamental value and promoting leaf respiration; if conditions permit, natural enemies such as ladybugs and green lacewings can also be used for control.

6. When a large number of aphids are found, they should be isolated in time, and drugs or traditional methods should be immediately used to eliminate the pests. The specific measures are as follows:

1. Prepare tobacco leaf water at a ratio of 1:15, soak for 4 hours, then spray.

2. Prepare a solution of washing powder, urea, and water at a ratio of 1:4:400 and spray.

3. Spray with 10% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution, or malathion emulsifiable concentrate 1000 to 1500 times solution, or dichlorvos emulsifiable oil 1000 times solution.

4. For aphids such as peach powdery aphid that are themselves covered with wax powder, when applying any pesticide, add 1‰ neutral soap water or washing powder.