If you don't grow these 8 flowers in summer, you're really missing out - one pot is a treasure chest
Mosquito-repellent geranium
Every summer there's a whole bunch of mosquito-repellent plants, and gardeners are probably spoiled for choice. When it comes to the best mosquito-repellent effect, it has to be this one: scented geranium.
Function: Repels mosquitoes
The scent of scented geranium contains something called citronellal, which can repel mosquitoes, so people all call it the mosquito-repellent plant. Put a pot in a ventilated spot at home, and a room of just over ten square meters will be filled with its fragrance - you can even skip the mosquito coils!
Mosquito-repellent geranium cuttings:
If you want to grow mosquito-repellent geranium, just cut a branch. A length of 5-8 cm is best, preferably with leaves. Stick it in moist sandy soil (it's hot, so sandy soil gives a higher survival rate). Be careful not to insert it too deep - 1-2 cm is enough. Put it in a shady spot, mist it morning and evening to keep it humid, and it will root in about 1 week.
If you want to speed up rooting, you can also water it with a potassium permanganate solution (potassium permanganate:water = 1:500). During the cutting process, don't move the branch out of curiosity, or all your effort will be wasted!
Daily care:
Mosquito-repellent geranium grows fast. Usually keep it in a sunny, well-ventilated spot at home, and water it when you see the soil is dry - even with lazy care it will grow like crazy. If your mosquito-repellent geranium is growing all over the place, the recommendation is to prune it. The fragrance will be stronger and the mosquito-repellent effect better!
Sunflower
Most flowers are afraid of the summer sun, but only the sunflower dares to chase the sunlight. With that big golden face, just one look lifts your mood, doesn't it?
Function: Ornamental, produces sunflower seeds
Sunflowers bloom from June to September (varies by region). In summer you can enjoy them, and in autumn they produce seeds - grow them for a few months and you'll have a full harvest!
Sowing sunflowers:
Ordinary sunflower seeds won't grow, you need special sunflower seeds. No need to shell them, just bury them directly in the soil, water the pot thoroughly, and put it in a shady spot - they'll sprout in 3-5 days. After sprouting, let them see light morning and evening, and they'll grow faster.
When the seedlings reach 8-10 cm, prepare to transplant. A pot with an ordinary diameter of 20 cm is suitable for 1-2 plants; too many easily leads to malnutrition. When repotting, it's best to keep some soil around the roots and not damage the seedlings. After transplanting, let them recover in a shady spot for 2-3 days, then move them to a spot with good light for normal care.
Sunflower care:
Everyone knows sunflowers love light, so it's best to grow them outdoors or on a south-facing balcony, and just water when the soil is dry. If you only have a north-facing balcony with a bit of scattered light, you can still grow them, but the flowers won't be big and setting seeds will be difficult.
Aloe
Aloe is recognized as an easy plant to grow - it can survive all year round without much care. You should definitely keep a few pots at home in summer, as it can be used both as food and medicine!
Function: Edible, anti-inflammatory
The edible aloe varieties are mainly Aloe vera, Chinese aloe, and Shangnong large-leaf aloe; whether other varieties are edible is still unknown. It's best to choose leaves from a large aloe that is over 3 years old, cut into sections, peel off the skin - the leaf flesh is thick and the taste is good.
Rinse the leaf flesh with clean water a few times, then cut it into small pieces and set aside. Whether you mix it with honey water, lemon water, or make a cold salad with tomatoes, it's a refreshing, heat-relieving treat - it's simply like natural jelly!
Besides eating it, aloe can also reduce inflammation and relieve pain. After being in the summer sun, pick an aloe leaf when you get home, take out the flesh and mash it, and you can apply it directly to your face to whiten and reduce inflammation. However, the recommendation is to leave it on for only 5-10 minutes; too long can easily irritate the skin. Also, for burned areas, applying aloe can relieve the pain.
Aloe care:
Aloe is very easy to grow. Just keep it in a spot at home with good light and ventilation. It's best to plant it in sandy soil mixed with ordinary garden soil. In hot weather, water once every 3 to 5 days, and it will grow quickly, producing lots of pups like crazy in one summer!
Jasmine
When it comes to which flower is the most fragrant in the hot summer, it has to be jasmine. Many gardeners have already started growing it, and theirs have bloomed several times.
Function: For tea
Pick jasmine flowers and dry them in the sun to make dried flower tea, which is convenient to store; you can also use them directly to make tea, best paired with some green tea or Maojian. The fragrance is fresh and delightful - one sip in summer and you're "drunk" on it...
Water propagation of jasmine:
Besides propagating in sandy soil, when the weather is too hot you can try water propagation. Cut a jasmine branch 5-8 cm long, preferably with a pair of leaves at the top; cut the leaves in half to conserve nutrients. Insert it into a foam board with 1-2 cm sticking out below, place it over a bucket of water, and it will root in 7-10 days in a shady spot.
Jasmine care:
The more sun jasmine gets, the more fragrant the flowers are, so keep it in a spot at home with good light. Some gardeners' jasmine stops after blooming once - quickly prune it, leaving only 2-3 pairs of leaves on each branch. This stimulates the jasmine to bloom again!
Rose
Roses have been extremely popular this year, and almost every household grows them. Which kinds are you growing? Anyway, I've been captivated by the roses in our gardener community!
Function: Ornamental
Artificial breeding techniques are getting better and better. Nowadays roses have longer bloom periods, more varieties, fuller flower shapes, and brighter colors. Which flower lover could resist growing them?
Compared with other flowers, roses are also easier to preserve. Cut them and hang them upside down in a ventilated, dry place, and they'll air-dry in 2-3 days without fading. Put them in a vase and you can enjoy them for up to 1 year!
Rose cuttings:
In hot weather, rose cuttings have a low survival rate. You can first soak the branches in a potassium permanganate or carbendazim solution for 10-20 minutes. Meanwhile, poke holes in a disposable cup for ventilation and fill it with sandy soil as the medium.
Insert the branch 2-3 cm deep into the sandy soil; too deep and it easily rots black. Keep a few leaves on each branch for photosynthesis. Cover it with a larger pot or a big foam box outside for better moisture retention. Be sure to keep it in a shady spot, avoiding light. This way it will root in 5-8 days.
Rose care:
Roses easily attract aphids and red spider mites. Gardeners can make their own garlic water, chili water, or pepper water to spray and kill the pests. In severe cases, prune ruthlessly and let them regrow. When summer temperatures are too high, pay attention to shading, otherwise they will enter a false-death state and it will be hard for them to bloom normally.
Ivy
Ivy stays green all year round, and gardeners in both the north and south can grow it. It's drought-tolerant and sun-tolerant, much easier to grow than pothos.
Function: Purifies air
When it comes to purifying air and absorbing formaldehyde, everyone might first think of pothos, but ivy's purifying ability is even stronger than pothos!
Water propagation of ivy:
Fill half a mineral water bottle with clean water, cut a branch of ivy and put it in, no need to cover it. Change the water every 2-3 days, and it will root in about 1 week. After rooting, you can grow it in water or cut small sections and plant them in soil - it will quickly fill a pot!
Ivy care:
Ivy has low environmental requirements - as long as it's not in blazing sun in summer, it's fine. It's best to keep it on a windowsill with good light. Water when the potting soil is dry. Even a small pot can climb walls like crazy. Gardeners who don't like it climbing everywhere can also shape it!
Dendrobium
A dendrobium that can survive even on an old piece of tree bark - when it blooms you can't even see the leaves, and the whole room is filled with fragrance. Do you recognize it?
Function: Edible
Among dendrobiums, the flowers and stems of Dendrobium officinale can both be eaten. The flowers can be used for tea or stir-fried dishes, and the stems can be used to make soup, with nourishing benefits.
Planting dendrobium:
Dendrobium likes to grow on wood. Find a piece of bark or living wood, soak it in a carbendazim solution for 20 minutes to disinfect, tie the dendrobium branches to the wood with string, hang it up and mist it, and it will root in just a few days.
Dendrobium care:
Dendrobium likes a humid environment and needs daily misting to keep it moist. For gardeners who find it troublesome, you can put the wood in a flower pot filled with water - this will save you a lot of effort!
Perilla
Summer is the season for eating fish and crayfish. When I was little, whenever my family cooked fish or shrimp, the elders would add some perilla. That taste is unforgettable for a lifetime - so fragrant!
Function: Spice
Perilla has a strong fragrance, and adding it to fish and shrimp dishes removes fishiness and enhances freshness. The recommendation is to add perilla half a minute before the dish is done, or add it after the dish is done and then pour the broth over it - this brings out perilla's flavor to the fullest!
People who love perilla absolutely must not miss perilla grilled meat and perilla snails. That flavor... only those who've tried it know.
Identifying perilla:
In earlier years, perilla grew naturally around our houses. The one with purple on both sides of the leaf is called purple perilla; the one with a green front and purple back is called green perilla. Pinch a leaf and a strong anise-like scent immediately hits your nose. Both of these can be eaten; others are a different matter!
Perilla care:
Perilla is very easy to grow; ordinary garden soil works. It's best to put it in a spot with plenty of sunlight, avoiding blazing sun. Water when the soil is dry. When you want to eat it, just pick the leaves - it will grow back!
Gardeners
Have you grown any of these flowers at home?
If you have other flowers suitable for summer
Hurry up and recommend them too~