The correct ways to use beer in flower care
Beer is also very common in the home, and for households that keep flowers, beer is very useful, as it can not only kill pests but also fertilize. The editor will now introduce the use of beer in flower cultivation.
Poinsettia
After discovering scale insects, prepare a bottle of beer, pour out some and mix it with water at a ratio of water to beer of 6:1, then spray the entire plant, making sure to spray as thoroughly as possible. Check carefully the next day; if the insects have turned reddish-brown and fall off at a touch, it means they are dead. If any are still alive, spray once more. Generally, after spraying for three consecutive days, basically all scale insects can be killed. After spraying beer on scale insects, it can form a sealing film on their bodies, causing them to suffocate and die.
In addition, beer is also an excellent leaf fertilizer; regular spraying can make plants grow vigorously and look especially spirited. This ratio should be weaker than when treating pests, with water to beer at 8:1, so you may want to give it a try.
Complete guide to flower care techniques
To grow potted flowers well, the main thing is care and management, which must match the growth habits of the flowers. Beginners often either apply too much fertilizer and "burn" the seedlings to death, or water too much and "drown" the plants. This is especially true with watering: rather than adjusting flexibly according to the season, climate, dryness or wetness of the potting soil, and growth stage, they water every day and water heavily, so the plants die from overwatering. Beginners should first choose moisture-loving flowers to cultivate, such as water bamboo, Rhapis excelsa, Monstera deliciosa, and ferns, as these will not be killed by watering. Next, they can grow annual herbaceous flowers, such as zinnia, impatiens, salvia, purslane, China aster, and ornamental pepper, which are also not easily killed by watering. Of course, small seedlings of these species may also be killed by watering, but since they are only small herbaceous flower seedlings, it is not a great loss if they die, and lessons can be learned from it. For beginners, because they are not used to it or do not remember, sometimes in summer they also forget to water, often causing plants to have their growth affected or to wither and die from drought. For this reason, besides planting moisture-loving flowers, they can also plant flower species that are both moisture-tolerant and drought-tolerant, such as oleander, Podocarpus macrophyllus, Euonymus bungeanus, and Canna indica. After gaining a little experience, they can grow flowers that are easy to plant and easy to manage, such as Tradescantia pallida, winter cherry, night-blooming jasmine, spider plant, pomegranate, winter jasmine, geranium, and perpetual begonia. Only after gaining a certain amount of experience can they cultivate advanced flowers.
13 ways to extend the life of cut flowers in a vase
1. The best time to pick flowers is in the early morning when the dew has not yet dried. After cutting the flower stems, they should be immediately immersed in warm water to stimulate the vessels to open and absorb water fully, so as to prevent drying out.
2. Flower stems should be cut underwater, which can prevent air from entering the tiny water-absorbing pores of the stems and affecting water uptake.
3. When cutting flower stems, the more slanted the cut, the better. For thick woody plants such as black pine and rhododendron, the bark around the cut can also be slit about 3 cm and lightly cracked with a hammer to enhance their water-absorbing function.
For flowers with strong water absorption such as chrysanthemum, poinsettia, and orchid, the stems can be longer; flowers with weak water absorption should have shorter stems, and the closer to the water, the better.
4. Peel off about 6 mm of the epidermis at the stem end of fresh flowers placed in a vase and apply petroleum jelly, which can extend the flowering period.
5. The cut end of woody flower stems can be burned with fire for several minutes, or some salt can be applied to the cut to prevent the cut from rotting too early.
6. If the stem ends of flower branches are soaked in vinegar for a while before being placed in the vase, the flowering period can be extended. Adding a few drops of vinegar to the vase can help fresh flowers absorb water more easily and remain vital for a longer time; vinegar also has a sterilizing effect.
7. Putting 1 aspirin tablet in the vase can extend the life of the cut flowers.
8. For fresh flowers with large blooms and thin stems, waste short branches should be used to tie them into bundles before placing them in the vase.
9. After fresh flowers are placed in a vase, exposing them to weak light for 1 hour in the morning helps keep the flower colors bright.
11. Change the water frequently, preferably once a day. Water changes should be done in the evening. If the vase is moved outdoors to a cool place every evening to absorb dew, the next morning you can see the cut flowers regain their original fresh color.
12. In midsummer, if a little ice is placed in the vase, the leaves on the flower branches can keep their emerald green color.
13. When changing the water, remove the sticky matter on the cut ends of the flower branches.
6 methods for watering flowers
When watering potted flowers, one should grasp the principle of "do not water if not dry; water as soon as it looks dry. If you do not water, then leave it; if you water, water thoroughly." The specific tips for watering are:
1. Ordinary watering method
Water directly from the top of the pot downward (onto the soil). This method is simple and easy to carry out. But the drawback is that it easily keeps the lower layer of potting soil dry for a long time and causes soil compaction, which is unfavorable for root development, so when using this method, you must confirm that water overflows from the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot.
2. Bottom-absorption watering method
Place the flower pot in another larger container filled with clean water, so that water is absorbed from the bottom of the pot up to the surface. The advantages of this method are that the water-absorbing surface is large, it can prevent soil compaction, and it promotes root development, especially for deep-rooted flowers. The drawback is that salts in the potting soil rise with the water and accumulate on the soil surface and pot rim, causing unsightly salt marks. The above two basic watering methods should be used alternately to make up for each other's shortcomings, producing better results.
3. Pipe drip irrigation method
Spread plastic pipes at intervals around the potted plants that need watering, preferably close to the plant stems, then prick one or two small holes in the plastic pipes with a needle, seal both ends of the pipes, and after connecting the water source, water slowly drips out from the small holes to supply moisture to the plants.
4. String wick watering method
When potting or repotting, bury a fiberglass string at the bottom of the flower pot, with one section laid flat on the bottom of the pot and the other end extending out through the drainage hole; place a water tray under the pot, with the end of the string immersed in the water. When the potting soil is dry, simply pour water into the tray, and the water will be automatically carried into the pot by the string.
5. Sand column watering method
When potting or repotting, first stand several hollow tubes in the empty pot, which can be bamboo tubes, glass tubes, or metal tubes, then fill with soil and press it firm, immediately fill the tubes with coarse sand, and after finishing, pull out the hollow tubes, so that sand columns are formed in the potting soil. The diameter of the sand columns depends on the size of the pot. Afterward, simply water toward the sand columns, so that water diffuses evenly through the sand columns into the surrounding potting soil, which can avoid soil compaction and is beneficial to plant growth.
6. Method for watering when no one is home
People who love growing flowers, when they are away from home for ten days or half a month visiting relatives or handling matters, have no one to water the flowers. At such times, fill a plastic bag with water, prick a hole in the bottom of the bag with a needle, and place it in the flower pot with the small hole against the soil, and the water will slowly seep out and moisten the soil. The size of the hole must be controlled well to prevent the water from leaking out too quickly. Alternatively, place a container full of cool water beside the flower pot, find a wide cloth strip with good water absorption, put one end into the water in the container and bury the other end in the potting soil. In this way, the soil can remain moist for at least about half a month, and the flowers will not wither and die.
5 clever ways to use water for watering flowers
1. Watering flowers with leftover tea
Using leftover tea water to water flowers can both maintain soil moisture and add nutrients such as nitrogen to the plants. But it should be done according to the moisture condition of the pot, regularly and in measured amounts, and not just whenever leftover tea is available.
2. Watering flowers with spoiled milk
After milk spoils, adding water and using it to water flowers is beneficial to the growth of flowers and trees. But there should be more water to make it fairly dilute. Unfermented milk is not suitable for watering flowers, because during fermentation it produces a large amount of heat, which will "burn" the roots (cause root rot).
3. Watering flowers with cooled boiled water
Using cooled boiled water to water flowers can make flowers and trees lush with leaves and bright blossoms, and can promote earlier flowering. If used to water asparagus fern, it can make its branches and leaves spread horizontally and grow short and dense.
4. Watering flowers with warm water
In winter, when the weather is cold and the water is chilly, it is advisable to use warm water for watering flowers. It is best to place the water indoors and wait until it is close to room temperature before watering. If the water temperature can reach 35°C before watering, so much the better.
5. Watering flowers with rice-washing water
Regularly using rice-washing water to water flowers such as Aglaia odorata can make their branches and leaves luxuriant and their flower colors bright.
Growing flowers with beer
1. Fresh cut flowers:When flower arrangement enthusiasts arrange flowers, simply pouring a little beer into the vase can extend the color and fragrance of the arrangement by 15 to 20 days longer than usual.
2. Potted flowers:
(1) Wiping leaves with beer: For foliage flowers, use absorbent cotton or a clean soft cloth dipped in beer to gently wipe the leaves. It can not only remove dust and sterilize, but also has the effect of foliar fertilization, making the leaves more emerald green and glossy, and the leaf texture thicker.
(2) Spraying leaves with beer: After mixing water and beer at a ratio of 1:1, use a fine-nozzle spray bottle to spray flowers with small leaves such as asparagus fern, spider plant, umbrella plant, begonia, and geranium, and the same good effect as wiping leaves with beer can also be achieved.
(3) Watering flowers with beer: Beer is an excellent aromatic fertilizer; using it to water flowers not only provides good nutrition, but the nutrients are also absorbed quickly.
Using sponges to regulate moisture for potted flowers and plants
Cut a sponge to the same size as the flower pot and place it at the bottom of the soil when planting flowers; it is very beneficial to the flowers and plants you grow, because it will absorb excess water poured into the pot; when the soil is dry, the soil itself will absorb the water back from the sponge.
What to know about repotting flowers
Old flower pots, after long-term watering and fertilizing, have the tiny air pores in the pot walls sealed off, so the flowers cannot get fresh air and will die from poor growth. Therefore, most potted flowers and trees need to be repotted once a year, while bamboo, China fir, and others that need more nutrients need to be repotted twice a year. Generally speaking, deciduous tree species are mostly repotted in early spring; evergreen tree species, such as Serissa japonica, Damnacanthus indicus, and gardenia, are best repotted in summer; Podocarpus macrophyllus and cypress can be repotted in any season except severe winter. Bamboo, which is repotted twice a year, is generally repotted in May and September, while China fir is best repotted in March and October. When repotting, first lift the plant gently from the pot, remove half of the old soil, cut off rotten roots and overly long fibrous roots, then put the plant back into the pot, add the previously prepared new potting soil, and water appropriately. Note that before putting the plant into the pot, a piece of tile should be used to cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, and gravel should be used to form a suitable base layer.
2 methods for soil disinfection in spring
Many flower diseases, such as anthracnose, black spot, brown spot, gray mold, and damping-off, overwinter in the soil as mycelium or sclerotia. Methods of soil disinfection:
1. Chemical disinfection
To kill pathogenic bacteria, formaldehyde, quintozene, and the like can be used. Formaldehyde, also called formalin, has strong sterilizing power. At the same time, every 50 grams should be mixed with 2 to 2.5 kg of water, which can spray 1 sq m of soil 15 to 20 cm thick. Spraying should be even. After spraying, cover tightly with plastic sheeting and fumigate for four or five days, then remove the plastic sheeting, turn the soil, and let the medicinal smell dissipate; after 15 days, flowers can be planted. To kill nematodes, use dibromochloropropane and the like. When using it, apply 10 grams of 80% dibromochloropropane oil per sq m, mix with 3 kg of water, spray evenly on the soil, and immediately cover tightly with plastic sheeting; after six or seven days, remove the plastic sheeting and turn the soil. After about 15 days, it can be used to plant flowers.
2. High-temperature disinfection
The simplest methods are the soil-burning method and the soil-frying method. The soil-burning method is to spread the soil flat on the ground, about 30 cm thick, and pile firewood and grass on top and burn for more than 20 minutes. The soil-frying method is to fry the soil in a broken iron wok, keeping the temperature above 90°C, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes.
Suitable flower species for growing in different balcony orientations
South- and southwest-facing balconies have long sunlight hours and higher temperatures, so they are suitable for placing sun-loving, heat-tolerant flowers and trees, such as jasmine, Michelia figo, pine, cypress, and cactus; clivia, camellia, rhododendron, Chinese rose, and orchid prefer shade or fear heat, so they should be moved to north- or east-facing balconies to avoid too-strong direct sunlight.
Summer care of orchid, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Chinese rose, Aglaia odorata, and cacti
1. Orchid
Summer is the peak growth season for orchids, so the water and nutrients needed for growth must be ensured.
2. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ⟧71⟧It is prone to anthracnose; besides improving ventilation and light transmission, when disease occurs, thiophanate-methyl can be sprayed once every 10 days for treatment.
It is prone to anthracnose. In addition to improving ventilation and light penetration, when the disease occurs, you can spray with thiophanate once every 10 days.
3. Chinese rose
It likes fertilizer and water, so sufficient supply of water and fertilizer must be ensured. Apply decomposed soybean cake water or fish fertilizer water once every half month. Stop fertilizing in mid-July. Powdery mildew easily occurs in summer; use Bordeaux mixture or carbendazim, spraying once every half month, for 2 to 3 consecutive sprays.
4. Aglaia odorata
It likes light and heat. It grows vigorously in summer. Before and after flowering, apply dilute alum fertilizer water once every 10 days. Stop fertilizing when the temperature exceeds 30°C. Ensure water supply and frequently spray water on the leaves, which can prevent flower and bud drop.
5. Cacti
Although they have extremely strong drought tolerance, when the temperature exceeds 38°C, there is still a risk of sunburn. Do not fertilize during high-temperature seasons, and spray water to lower the temperature.
Key points for fertilizing potted flowers in autumn
In autumn, most potted flowers are in a vigorous period, so the nutrients needed by the potted flowers must be ensured to meet their growth needs; when topdressing, treat them differently according to their growth conditions. Usually, apply decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer once every 10 days. For potted flowers that bloom in autumn, such as osmanthus, chrysanthemum, and dahlia, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote abundant flowers and lush leaves.
Key points for pruning potted flowers in autumn
In autumn, potted flowers produce many young shoots, which cannot all be allowed to develop; except for those partly retained, the rest should all be removed to avoid wasting nutrients. When pruning, for the retained branches, leaf retention and bud removal should be carried out. Plants with strong growth should be pruned heavily, while weak-growing ones should be pruned lightly. For potted flowers that form flower buds in summer and autumn, such as plum blossom, wintersweet, and rhododendron, in order to protect the already formed flowering branches, heavy pruning is not advisable; pruning can be done by pinching out the growing tips.
Clever ways for foliage plants to overwinter indoors
Foliage plants mostly come from tropical and subtropical regions, and their growth temperature must be maintained at 25 to 30°C. In regions with distinct four seasons, cold periods often cause plants to freeze to death or wither due to low temperatures. Therefore, to help foliage plants overwinter successfully in these regions, note the following:
1. Cultivate adaptability
If, before bringing foliage plants indoors, they are first allowed outdoors to fully come into contact with the low-temperature climate of early autumn to enhance their cold resistance, they can gradually adapt to a low-temperature environment. Therefore, from early autumn to late autumn, the plants should be fully exposed to gradually decreasing temperatures.
2. Amount of watering
As the temperature drops, plant growth slows down, and in severe cold periods it almost stops growing. At this time, the frequency of watering the potting soil should be reduced. The standard for winter watering is to water only after the surface of the potting soil has been dry for 2 to 3 days. However, in rooms with heating and able to maintain a certain temperature, attention should still be paid to watering at any time.
3. Indoor humidity and temperature
When winter arrives, foliage plants moved indoors, especially into rooms with heating, should be sprayed frequently with mist water on the leaves to increase air humidity. The day-night temperature difference in the room should be as small as possible; the indoor minimum temperature at dawn should not be lower than 5 to 8°C, and during the day it should reach 1 to 20°C. If the above requirements can be met, they can generally overwinter successfully. In addition, within the same room, temperature differences will also occur between the upper and lower spaces, so plants with weak cold resistance can be placed in high places such as bookshelves. Foliage plants placed on windowsills are most susceptible to cold wind, so it is advisable to use thick curtains.
4. Light
In winter, sunlight shines at a slant, and light intensity is half that of summer, so some sun-loving foliage plants should be placed near a south-facing window in the sun. Ornamental plants that have been placed indoors and in shaded places for too long must not suddenly be placed outdoors in direct light, to avoid causing leaf scorch.
Precautions for growing flowers and plants indoors Common precautions for growing flowers
Flowers are a type of plant that people greatly love in daily life and have always attracted much attention. Next, let us look at what precautions there are for growing flowers, so that through learning flower knowledge we can better apply it in real life.
Precautions for the care of flower bonsai
1. Avoid drought. Watering when you think of it and not watering when you do not think of it, sometimes ignoring them for several days in a row, and only quickly replenishing water once the leaves are found to be wilting, after which the leaf surface returns to normal; this is a response of the trunk to adapting to the environment, but if this continues for a long time, excessive transpiration will eventually make the trunk difficult to recover from serious "illness" and cause it to die of dehydration.
2. Avoid fertilizing. In hot midsummer, the leaf surface loses water relatively quickly; fertilizing at this time can make the solute concentration in the trunk cells lower than that of the external environment, causing water in the plant cells to flow back into the soil, and the trunk dies from dehydration due to fertilizer damage.
3. Avoid midday bathing. At noon in hot summer, do not spray water on the trunk in sunlight or water the pot, because this kind of "pampering" will cause the bonsai temperature to suddenly drop below the ambient temperature and harm the trunk.
4. Avoid sudden shading. Usually, to avoid high-temperature damage, when the ambient temperature exceeds the maximum temperature the trunk can endure, the bonsai should be moved to a relatively low-temperature area with weaker light (about 2 degrees lower) to benefit the trunk's growth, but if it is suddenly moved indoors or to a low-temperature area without light, within a few days the leaves will naturally fall off and the trunk will quickly shrink and die.
5. Avoid waterlogging. When the ambient temperature exceeds 28 degrees, the bonsai should be shaded for protection; otherwise, the amount of water the trunk obtains from the soil is far less than the amount lost through transpiration, resulting in mild cases of leaf-edge scorch and blight, or severe cases in which the trunk is severely damaged by sunscald and dies.
Precautions for growing flowers and plants indoors
Temperature: adjust appropriately according to different flowers
In northern regions, the winter climate is cold and temperatures are relatively low, so southern flowers generally need to be moved indoors to overwinter, and suitable temperatures should be adjusted according to the requirements of different flowers. For heat-loving flowers, such as Aglaia odorata, poinsettia, African impatiens, begonias, and succulent flowers like cactus balls, the pots should as far as possible be placed on indoor windowsills with abundant sunlight and relatively high temperatures (between 20°C and 25°C), and the minimum temperature must not be lower than 10°C. For flowers that like moderate temperatures, the suitable winter temperature is 18°C to 22°C, and the minimum temperature must not be lower than 6°C. For flowers that like low temperatures, the winter temperature should be kept between 12°C and 15°C, and the minimum temperature must not be lower than 2°C. For aquatic flowers, such as lotus, water lily, water hyacinth, and Nuphar pumilum, the water should be drained in time before frost, and the pots moved to a cellar or corridor or hallway, with the temperature kept at 5°C, and appropriate spraying of water when the potting soil is dry.
In addition, flowers that bloom in winter and spring and flowers that like light and warmth should be placed on windowsills or in sunny places near windowsills. Evergreen flowers and trees that like sunlight but can tolerate low temperatures, or flowers in a dormant state, can be placed in cool places with scattered light. Flowers with no strict light requirements can be placed in dark, cold places without light. Fertilizing: reduce or stop as much as possible. In winter, most flowers enter a dormant period, so fertilizing should be reduced as much as possible or stopped. Indoor flowers that do not go dormant in winter, such as evergreen flowers like sansevieria, fishtail palm, Rhapis excelsa, and pothos, have basically no fertilizer requirements when the room temperature is around 5°C, so no topdressing is needed; if fertilizing when the temperature is relatively low, root rot can easily occur. The main reason is that in winter the plant root growth is in a slow state, and the fertilizer applied cannot be absorbed by the roots; instead, it hinders normal root absorption and, in severe cases, causes root rot.
If the room temperature is relatively high (above 20°C) and they are flowers that bloom in winter, then apply dilute organic liquid fertilizer once every half month, and a small amount of compound chemical fertilizer may also be applied. For growing potted flowers at home, it is best to use odorless "flower-growing fertilizer tablets" or fermented rice-washing water, to prevent fertilizer odor from polluting the indoor environment.
Watering: never use tap water directly to water flowers
In winter, because the temperature is low, the water used for watering flowers should be stored in containers or left to stand, and tap water must never be used directly to water flowers, to prevent too great a temperature difference from damaging the roots. Because as winter arrives the temperature keeps dropping, flower metabolism slows down, or they enter a dormant state, so generally potted flowers should have fertilizer and water strictly controlled. If the potting soil is not too dry, do not water; especially for shade-tolerant flowers, avoid root rot and leaf drop caused by excessive watering. Generally, the appropriate watering time is around noon. For some shade- and moisture-loving evergreen flowers, frequently spray and wash the leaf surface with water close to room temperature, to clean off dust and facilitate photosynthesis.
Pest and disease control: pay attention to ventilation indoors
In winter, due to poor indoor ventilation, some flowers often suffer from powdery mildew, sooty mold, and pests such as aphids and red spiders. For diseases, spray 0.1% carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl solution; for pests, spray 0.2% dimethoate or insecticide. When spraying pesticides, it is best to move the flower pots outdoors, or insecticide tablets can be buried in the soil. In addition, attention should be paid to indoor ventilation; throughout winter, windows should be opened at noon on clear days for ventilation and air exchange, to reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases and also benefit the healthy growth of flowers.
Common precautions for growing flowers
1. Rhododendron likes cool, ventilated conditions and avoids low temperatures and extreme heat; likes semi-shade and avoids blazing sun; likes moisture and avoids dryness; likes acidic soil and avoids alkaline soil; likes well-drained pine-needle soil and avoids waterlogging; if drainage is good, watering can be a bit more, and the leaf surface should be sprayed with water frequently.
2. Clivia likes warmth and fears freezing; likes a semi-shade environment and avoids blazing direct sunlight; likes well-drained leaf mold and avoids waterlogging; when the flower stem is stuck, the day-night temperature difference should be adjusted to 7-10 degrees, and a little beer may be poured. When the potting soil is dry, the leaves should not be sprayed with water, as spraying water easily causes leaf rot; if there is dust on the leaves, they can be wiped with a wet wipe. Clivia can bloom only when its leaf veins reach 20 or more.
3. Camellia is a shade-loving flower and tree. It requires about 50% shade and grows well under sparse shade; it fears exposure to the sun, and if exposed to direct blazing sunlight, the young leaves are easily scorched, causing healthy growth to be affected and flowering to be impacted. In winter it likes cool, humid conditions, and in summer it likes a warm environment. The general suitable growth temperature is 15-25 degrees, and the leaves should be sprayed with water frequently. It fears drought and avoids waterlogging. It grows well only in fertile, loose, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy soil, and in alkaline or waterlogged soil it will gradually die.
4. Poinsettia likes a warm, humid environment and is not cold-tolerant; likes sufficient light and is not shade-tolerant; it is not strict about soil quality, but likes fertile, loose, well-drained slightly acidic soil.
The above is the related introduction in this article. I believe that after reading it you also have a simple understanding of this. If needed, you can continue to follow No. 1 Home Network to learn more information.