How do you grow potted plum blossoms? Master these care essentials
Many friends are very fond of plum blossoms, because the plum blossom has an elegant, strong and modest character, and a plum blossom that can still bloom in winter gives people an inspiring, motivating effect. Nowadays more and more friends choose to make plum blossoms into bonsai and keep them indoors, so what issues need attention with potted plum blossoms?
Potted plum blossoms
For potted plum blossoms, the important thing is the growing environment. Plum blossoms love sun, so they must be placed in a spot with ample sunlight and air circulation. Plum blossoms are very afraid of waterlogging, so the amount of watering should be flexibly controlled according to weather changes and growth conditions. Usually the principle is to keep the potting soil moist, and not to water until it is dry.
Plum blossoms relatively like fertilizer. After the flowers fade each year, organic fertilizer should be put in the bottom of the pot. During the growing season, a thin fertilizer can be applied once every half month to promote strong growth. Before flower buds form, it is best to apply more phosphorus fertilizer.
If you want potted plum blossoms to have many flower buds, controlling the length of the branches is key. Pruning is mainly to control the tree shape and should be done promptly after flowering. After that, except for water sprouts, short branches need no pruning. After summer begins, it is best not to prune any more, otherwise the accumulated nutrients will also be cut away. Then, combined with fertilizing, controlling water and long-day sunlight, by autumn the branches should be full of flower buds.
Plum blossom pruning can also be done promptly after the flowers fade each year. Cut the old flowering branches short, keeping 2 to 3 buds, and make sure the buds grow outward. Remove crossing branches, parallel branches, overlapping branches, opposite branches, water sprouts, as well as overly dense and weak branches that affect the beauty of the tree shape.
Potted plum blossoms generally need to be repotted once every 1 to 2 years, preferably after flowering. When repotting, remove about one third of the old soil, cut off dead roots, shorten overly long old roots, and replace with leaf mold rich in humus, mixed with rice husk ash and sandy soil, so that the potting soil is both fertile and loose and drains well. The soil should not be too wet, and waterlogging must be avoided.
Three key points for autumn care and management of potted plum blossoms Plum blossom bonsai
Three key points for autumn care and management of potted plum blossoms
For potted plum blossoms, from early September to late November, as leaves assimilate and roots absorb and accumulate returning nutrients, root growth reaches a peak. At this time, good conditions should be created for root growth and nutrient absorption, such as frequently loosening the potting soil, avoiding the potting soil being too dry or too wet, and appropriately applying organic fertilizer. This benefits bud formation and flowering of potted plum blossoms.
After autumn begins, the care and management of potted plum blossoms is also very important. Pay attention to the following points.
1. Strengthen the management of fertilizer and water.
After autumn begins, apply an organic fertilizer liquid to the potting soil once every 7-10 days, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, and at the same time apply another 1-2 times a 0.1%-0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate water solution. Also be careful to cut off the tender shoots sprouting in autumn, because the tender shoots cannot mature by winter and will waste nutrients for nothing. Timely pruning in this way can achieve the purpose of forcing buds.
Plum blossoms like fertile soil. During the branch and leaf growth period, nitrogen fertilizer is preferable. From August to September, complete fertilizer is suitable. After October, apply more phosphorus fertilizer, concentrated at the roots once every half month, to promote flowering.
2. The potting soil must not be too dry or too wet.
After autumn begins, gradually restrict watering for potted plum blossoms. Potted plum blossoms are very sensitive to water. If the potting soil is too wet, it easily causes premature yellowing of leaves, leaf drop, and even root rot and death. If the potting soil is too dry for a long time, it also easily causes leaf drop and affects bud formation and flowering. Therefore, watering should follow "water when dry, stop when wet," not watering until dry, and watering thoroughly when you do. After the weather turns cool, the amount of watering should gradually decrease to help the branches become firm.
In autumn, gradually reduce the amount of watering, and keeping it moist is appropriate. After leaf drop at Frost's Descent, when the flower buds have already grown large, you can water once every other day or every few days. During flowering and leaf expansion, also water less.
3. Prune and shape appropriately.
To make potted plum blossoms bloom abundantly and beautifully, thin out branches and shape the plant. The shoots growing from the tips of the side branches of potted plum blossoms have few flower buds, so they should be appropriately shortened. Coarse water sprouts, 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 long branches to 5-6 buds, so that the branches are somewhat sparse and the branch form is graceful, and the flowers will be more numerous and larger. After pruning and shaping, the following year's flowers will be abundant, large and vivid.
After autumn begins, pests and diseases on potted plum blossoms are relatively reduced. To reduce the irritation of sprayed pesticide on the leaves, the application concentration should be relatively low, and there is no need to spray too frequently. In this way, leaf drop and bud drop can be avoided. Strong wind is also one of the factors causing leaf drop. If strong wind occurs, the pot can be moved to a wind-sheltered, sunny place.
(Article source: The Nature Planet
Wang Anshi's "Plum Blossom": "At the corner of the wall several branches of plum, blooming alone in the cold. From afar I know it is not snow, for a subtle fragrance comes." It praises people who, like the plum blossom, have the strong character of "fearing no severe cold, pure as ice and jade."
Wang Wei's "Miscellaneous Poem": "You come from my hometown, so you should know hometown matters. On the day you left, before the silk window, had the winter plum blossomed yet?" Through the plum blossom, the author expresses his homesickness.
Lu You's "Bu Suan Zi - Ode to the Plum Blossom": "Scattered and fallen, ground into dust, only the fragrance remains as before." The image of the plum blossom is himself. Even when his body is crushed to pieces, he still wants to keep his inherent fragrance, expressing his noble and steadfast character.
Mao Zedong's "Bu Suan Zi - Ode to the Plum Blossom": "Pretty but not competing for spring, only reporting that spring has come. When the mountain flowers are in full bloom, she smiles among them." Through the plum blossom, it praises people who, like the plum blossom, are noble, modest, positive and optimistic.
Wang Mian's "Ink Plum": "By my inkstone-washing pool stands a tree, each blossom opens with faint ink traces. It does not need people to praise its color, only leaving pure air to fill heaven and earth." The plum blossom under the author's brush is pale in ink, plain and elegant, outstanding and apart from the crowd. Through the plum blossom, he expresses his broad-mindedness in being indifferent to fame and gain, and his pure integrity.
Key points for forcing buds and autumn-winter care of plum blossoms, precautions for autumn-winter care of plum blossoms
Floral Bonsai Network introduction: Today Floral Bonsai Network shares with everyone the key points for forcing buds and autumn-winter care of plum blossoms, and precautions for autumn-winter care of plum blossoms. Friends who like plum blossoms, come and take a look.
If plum blossoms are to bloom more in winter, forcing buds before winter begins is very important. Below, the editor will talk about several aspects of forcing buds in plum blossoms.
Plum blossoms need reasonable fertilization
After autumn begins, reasonable fertilization is needed. You can apply an organic fertilizer liquid to the plum blossom once every 7-10 days, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, and you need to cut off the tender shoots sprouting from the plum blossom in autumn. These tender shoots have just grown and cannot mature in winter; instead, they consume a large amount of nutrients. Pruning them off in time can preserve more nutrients for flowering.
The potting soil of plum blossoms must not be too dry or too wet
After autumn begins, plum blossoms need to start restricting watering. Plum blossoms are relatively sensitive to water. The soil must not be too wet; being too moist will cause yellow leaves and leaf drop, while being too dry also easily causes leaf drop. Both affect bud formation and flowering in plum blossoms. So at this time it is best to water according to "water when dry, stop when wet," following the principle of not watering until dry and watering thoroughly when you do. As the temperature drops, watering should gradually decrease.
Plum blossoms need appropriate pruning
To force buds in plum blossoms, appropriate pruning can be done, mainly by thinning out branches and shaping. Prune the side branches of the plum blossom appropriately, and prune water sprouts, weak branches, overlapping branches and so on. In autumn, the branches also need appropriate shortening. This can maintain the graceful tree shape of the plum blossom, and it will also bloom more.
Precautions for autumn-winter care of plum blossoms
In autumn and winter, also pay attention to frequently loosening the soil for the plum blossom so the soil can breathe. Also, in autumn and winter there are already relatively few pests and diseases, so pesticide spraying should also be reduced. Be careful to avoid strong wind, because strong wind will cause leaf drop and bud drop. The potted plant can be placed in a wind-sheltered spot.
In northern China, because winters are severely cold, it is difficult to overwinter when planted in the ground, so it is mostly grown in pots, and is suitable for overwintering and growing in a cold greenhouse. Plum seedlings propagated and surviving can, after one to several years of open-field cultivation, be potted before the New Year. The potting soil should be loose, fertile and well-draining, and sufficient base fertilizer should be applied at the bottom of the pot. Potted plum is relatively sensitive to water and has strict requirements. If the potting soil is too wet, at best the root system develops poorly and the leaves turn yellow and fall, and at worst the roots are damaged and the tree is ruined. If too dry, there are few short branches, new shoots extend slowly, leaves easily fall, and flower bud development is poor. Therefore, watering potted plum should follow "water when dry, stop when wet, water when dry, water thoroughly when you do," and in rainy days avoid water accumulating in the potting soil. During the new shoot growth period, avoid excessive watering that causes overly long shoot growth. Before flower bud differentiation in early summer, appropriately control water to help form flower buds and set flower buds. In summer, water normally; at this time insufficient water easily causes leaf drop and affects flower bud formation. After leaf drop in autumn, reduce watering frequency and keep the soil neither dry nor wet to help the branches become firm. In late winter and early spring, appropriately increase watering, and you can achieve the effect of abundant flowers covering the branches.
Because potted plum has already been given sufficient base fertilizer and does not like heavy fertilizer, when new shoots grow to about 5 cm, you can apply a thin cake fertilizer water once to promote robust branch growth. When leaves expand after flowering, fertilizer and water should be sufficient, applying a thin liquid fertilizer once every 4-5 weeks. When the branches grow to 20 cm, control fertilization. To promote flower bud differentiation, apply a top dressing in late summer and early autumn. After each fertilization, water should also be given.
Potted plum blossoms should be grown in a ventilated, sunny place. If too dense or in a shaded environment, the plant becomes tall and weak. More sun in winter makes flower buds plump and sturdy, the flower color vivid, and the posture beautiful. If you want to control the tree shape and prompt young trees to bloom earlier, timely pruning and shaping are needed. The flower buds of plum blossoms form on new branches of the current year. Generally, when the seedling grows to 25-30 cm, cut off the top. After sprouting, keep 3-5 branches at the top as main branches. When the branches grow to about 20 cm, pinch the tips to help the flower buds become plump. The next year, after flowering, keep 2-3 buds at the base and prune heavily. When pruning, pay attention to the direction of the bud at the cut, choosing outward-facing buds and inward-facing buds. After sprouting, cut off crossing branches, overly dense branches and overlapping branches. Because potted plum has no grace if straight, no scenery if upright, and no form if dense, pruning should follow the principle of "sparse, slanting, curved" without being artificial or contrived.
Potted plum blossoms should be repotted and the soil changed every 1-2 years after pruning is completed in early spring after flowering. If you want potted plum blossoms to bloom at Spring Festival, after leaf drop in winter place them outdoors for natural dormancy, move them to a sunny spot in a greenhouse after New Year's Day, keep the room temperature at 8-12°C, sprinkle water on the branch tips every day, and keep the potting soil moist. After the flower buds show color, raise the temperature to 15-20°C, and they can bloom at Spring Festival. If you want them to bloom on "May 1st," they need to be kept all winter in a cold room slightly above 0°C without direct light, with the potting soil kept relatively dry, until early April when they are gradually moved outdoors.