A Complete Guide to Home Flower Gardening Techniques and Methods
With their dazzling beauty, flowers decorate nature with extraordinary splendor and bring people enjoyment of beauty. Growing flowers can enrich and vary people's cultural life, add pleasure, cultivate temperament, improve health, and also increase scientific knowledge, raise cultural and artistic literacy, and has many important economic values as well. Below, let us take a look together at the complete guide to home flower gardening techniques!
The "Three Suitables" of Home Flower Growing
1. Suitable to grow flowers with strong ability to absorb toxins: Certain flowers can absorb toxic gases at certain concentrations in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, etc. Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor in the air; snapdragon, canna, morning glory, gladiolus, and dianthus can, through their leaves, convert highly toxic sulfur dioxide via oxidation into non-toxic or low-toxicity sulfate compounds; narcissus, four o'clock flower (Mirabilis jalapa), chrysanthemum, and saxifrage can convert nitrogen oxides into proteins in plant cells; spider plant, aloe, and snake plant can absorb large amounts of indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde.
2. Suitable to grow flowers that secrete bactericidal agents: The bactericidal agents secreted by flowers such as jasmine, lilac, honeysuckle, and morning glory can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibit the occurrence of diphtheria, tuberculosis, dysentery pathogens, and typhoid bacteria, and keep indoor air clean and hygienic.
3. Suitable to grow flowers with "complementary" functions: Most flowers mainly carry out photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and carry out respiration at night, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti are exactly the opposite: they release carbon dioxide during the day and absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night. Growing flowers with "complementary" functions in the same room can not only allow the two to benefit each other, but also balance the indoor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, keeping indoor air fresh.
The "Three Avoids" of Home Flower Growing
1. Avoid growing too many flowers that give off strong fragrances and pungent odors: Orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum), and others can all give off rich aromas. One pot in a room fills it with fragrance, but if too many fragrant flowers are placed indoors and the scent is too strong, it will excite people's nerves; especially if smelled for a long time in the bedroom, it can cause insomnia. The gases given off by poinsettia and lucky bamboo (Aglaonema/Dieffenbachia in the original context) are harmful to people, and the microparticles released by tulips and hydrangea, after long contact, can cause skin allergies and itching.
2. Avoid placing too many: At night most flowers release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen, "competing for air" with people, and at night most rooms are closed, with air not circulating enough with the outside. If too many flowers are placed indoors, it will reduce the indoor oxygen concentration at night and affect the quality of sleep, such as chest tightness and frequent nightmares.
3. Avoid placing toxic flowers indoors: For example, oleander is toxic in its stems, leaves, and even flowers during spring, summer, and autumn, and the milky white sap it secretes contains oleandrin; accidental ingestion will cause poisoning. The bulbs of narcissus contain lycorine toxin; if children accidentally eat them, it will cause symptoms such as vomiting, and the sap of the leaves and flowers can cause skin redness and swelling; if the sap gets into the eyes, it will harm the eyes. Too much contact with mimosa can easily cause sparse eyebrows and yellowing hair, and in severe cases cause hair loss.
The "Six Don'ts" of Home Flower Growing
1. Being careless: Flowers, like people, are alive and need careful care. Many flower growers lack the due care and diligence toward these beautiful lives. First, they are mentally lazy, not loving to study flower-growing knowledge, content to remain laymen for a long time, and managing things improperly. Second, they are physically lazy, unwilling to spend too much time and energy on flowers. After flowers enter the home, they are left aside and ignored, enduring long-term hunger and thirst and suffering from pests and diseases. In this way, even the best flowers will gradually wither, so lazy people cannot grow flowers well.
2. Loving them too much: Opposite to the above situation, some flower growers love flowers too much and feel itchy hands if they do not fuss with them for a moment. Some water and fertilize without any pattern, watering whenever they think of it, causing flowers to die from overwatering and overfertilizing. Some casually move flower pots around, moving them to several places a day, making the flowers constantly adapt to the environment and disrupting normal growth patterns. Over time, it would be strange if the flowers were not worn out to death.
3. Chasing fame and profit: Some flower enthusiasts believe that growing flowers means growing famous flowers, because famous flowers have high ornamental value and great market profit. Under this mentality, they spare no expense and seek famous flowers and trees everywhere, but the result is often that due to lack of good maintenance conditions and management skills, the flowers die soon after purchase, which both mistreats precious flowers and wastes money. This is a conceptual misunderstanding. The correct approach should be to start with ordinary, lower-grade varieties, gradually explore the rules and techniques of flower growing, and after reaching a certain technical level, gradually purchase more precious varieties; only then is success more likely.
4. Not distinguishing good from bad: Some flower growers greedily seek size and completeness, bringing home whatever variety they see. This not only makes management difficult, but also brings some unsuitable flowers into the home, polluting the environment and harming health. For example, flowers with toxic sap can easily cause poisoning when people come into contact with them. The smell of some flowers affects people's nervous systems and can easily cause breathing difficulty or even allergic reactions. In short, home flower growing should not be greedy for size and completeness without distinguishing good from bad; one should choose varieties that are smaller in plant shape, beautiful in appearance, and harmless to the human body.
5. Constantly changing: Some flower growers are restless and have no theme in growing flowers; the flowers at home are changed as quickly as a merry-go-round, which is a great taboo in flower growing. First, changing varieties too quickly and growing them for too short a time is not conducive to cultivating flower plants with beautiful shapes and high ornamental value. Second, tasting each flower only superficially is not conducive to improving flower-growing skills, and in the end one is still a flower novice. Therefore, only by choosing one or two kinds of flowers and focusing on studying and cultivating them can a flower grower gain something in mind.
6. Outdated concepts: Today, new knowledge and new technologies in the flower-growing industry emerge endlessly, but most flower growers still stick to traditional maintenance methods and are not good at using new technologies and new equipment in the use of flower containers, water and fertilizer management, and seedling cultivation, such as soilless cultivation, odorless flower fertilizers, and various flower containers. As a result, home flower growing is unhygienic, unattractive, not novel, and has relatively large side effects.
Spring Care for Home Potted Flowers
1. Propagating good seedlings: Chinese rose, geranium, pomegranate, winter jasmine, etc. can be propagated in spring by cutting healthy branches. Rhododendron and jasmine prefer acidic soil; sturdy new branches 5-10 cm long can be cut, lower leaves removed, and 3-4 top leaves kept for cuttings. For cuttings, black mountain soil, vermiculite, or yellow sand can be used as the medium; the cuttings should be sprayed moderately to maintain a certain humidity, and generally they can take root after about 1 month. Orchids, agave, and spider plant can be propagated in early spring by division or by runners respectively. Spring-sown herbaceous plants grown from seeds, such as asparagus fern, five-color pepper, mimosa, garden balsam, salvia, morning glory, and Tagetes species, can be broadcast-sown or dibble-sown.
2. Repotting and changing soil: Repotting and changing soil is a method of supplementing fertilizer for potted flowers in spring. Generally, small pots are repotted once a year, large pots once every 3-4 years, and tall plants need larger pots. Some roots that grow too densely or have dead or rotten roots need proper pruning. After repotting, generally the first watering should be thorough, then the plant should be placed in a shady place; afterward, water again when the pot soil is seen to be dry. Generally, after new roots grow, carry out normal watering and move the plant to a sunny place.
3. Pruning and trimming: Pruning and trimming should be carried out according to different plants. Rhododendron, winter jasmine, etc. should not be pruned excessively. For pomegranate, Chinese rose, etc., dead branches, damaged branches, or overly dense branches can be cut off entirely in early spring to promote abundant flowers and lush leaves. Jasmine should have old leaves removed when repotting to encourage more new branches. Climbing vine plants such as ivy, banksia rose, wisteria, and rose can be trimmed so that the leaf surface receives as much sunlight as possible and grows vigorously.
Note: Do not move potted flowers outdoors too early in early spring, so as to avoid cold air invasion and freezing damage. Watering can be increased as the temperature rises, and keep dryness and moisture balanced.
Summer Care for Home Potted Flowers
1. Timely watering: In summer, flowers have luxuriant branches and leaves and consume much water, so in summer, flowers should be watered sufficiently every morning and evening.
2. Building frames for shade: For all potted flowers, once summer arrives, a frame must be set up and reed curtains placed on it for shade, so that they safely pass through the severe summer heat.
3. Pay attention to ventilation: For indoor flowers, when the temperature exceeds 30°C, pay attention to ventilation, open the windows, and let fresh air flow into the room to prevent heatstroke and lower the temperature.
4. Moisturizing and cooling: In summer, some grass can be placed over the pot soil so that sunlight does not directly shine on the pot soil, thereby lowering the pot soil temperature and also preventing the pot soil moisture from evaporating too quickly. A sprayer can also be used to moisten the flower leaves and wet the surroundings, lowering the temperature and increasing humidity, which is greatly beneficial to some flowers that like cool conditions.
Autumn Care for Home Potted Flowers
1. Adding water and fertilizer management: After the Beginning of Autumn, the weather gradually turns cooler. For some foliage flowers such as asparagus fern, spider plant, and sago palm, generally apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every half month to keep the leaves green and improve cold resistance. For chrysanthemum, camellia, rhododendron, etc. that bloom once a year, phosphorus-based liquid fertilizer should be applied in time to ensure sufficient nutrients and make the flowers more numerous and larger. For Chinese rose, Milan, jasmine, etc. that bloom multiple times a year, sufficient fertilizer and water should be supplied so that they continue to bloom. For some ornamental fruit flowers, such as kumquat, finger citron, and fruit pomegranate, 1-2 applications of thin liquid fertilizer based mainly on phosphorus fertilizer should be given.
2. Timely autumn sowing: In autumn, mature flower and tree seeds should be harvested in time, and tulips, gloxinia, snapdragon, etc. should be sown in time, especially seeds that easily lose germination capacity, which should be sown in time in autumn. Combined with pruning, flower and tree cuttings can be made. For example, cutting Chinese rose, rose, and rose can have a relatively high survival rate.
Winter Care for Home Potted Flowers
1. Overwintering of deciduous woody flowers: Most deciduous woody flowers originate from temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach, and winter jasmine. They are generally in a dormant state in winter, so the room temperature can be controlled at around 5°C. If there is a balcony or small courtyard, cold-tolerant potted Chinese rose, ornamental peach, pomegranate, honeysuckle, etc. can be placed together in a wind-sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard and wrapped and covered with plastic film, and they can overwinter safely.
2. Overwintering of evergreen woody flowers: Such as oleander, kumquat, osmanthus, etc., which are in a semi-dormant state. The temperature is generally controlled above 0°C, and they can safely pass the severe winter. For Milan, jasmine, hibiscus, and gardenia, they should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight. The indoor temperature should be kept at around 15°C. If the temperature is too low, it will cause the flowers to die.
3. Overwintering of annual and biennial herbaceous flowers: Such as fairy primrose, coleus, and pocketbook plant (Calceolaria), with room temperature kept between 5-15°C, they can grow normally. For perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, garden balsam, geranium, and wax begonia, keeping sufficient sunlight and a room temperature of 10-20°C will allow them to grow well. For herbaceous flowers such as clivia and oncidium that are in a dormant state in winter, maintaining a room temperature of around 5°C and giving an appropriate amount of light is enough; light should not exceed 8-10 hours per day, and at the same time strengthen fertilizer and water management, and they can bloom after two months.
What are the particular considerations for water used to water flowers?
1. Water choice: The best water for watering flowers is neutral or slightly acidic river water, pond water, or rainwater. Rainwater is best for watering flowers because it contains more natural minerals. Next is river water and pond water, especially green pond water, which is rich in nutrients and is a relatively ideal water for watering flowers. In cities, tap water is mostly used for watering flowers, but tap water contains relatively high amounts of bleaching powder and chemical agents, so it should be stored for one or two days before use. In addition, if a few slices of vitamin C are put into tap water, the chlorine in the water can be eliminated; generally add one slice per basin of water, let it sit for half a day, and then it can be used to water flowers.
2. Temperature control: Flower-growing proverbs say: "When southern flowers move north, add alum to the watering water"; "For southern flowers grown at home in the north, fish tank water is better for watering"; "Fish water is fat and rice water is strong; both are most suitable for watering potted flowers." Whether in cold winter or midsummer, do not water flowers with cold water. When the temperature is below 10°C, an appropriate amount of hot water can be added to the water, trying to make the water temperature close to the soil temperature and create a microclimate suitable for flower growth.
How to judge whether potted flowers lack water?
1. Tapping method: Gently tap the upper-middle wall of the flower pot with the knuckle of a finger. If a relatively crisp sound is produced, it indicates that the pot soil is already dry and needs immediate watering. If a dull, muddy sound is produced, it indicates that the pot soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
2. Visual method: Observe with the eyes whether the color of the pot soil surface has changed. If the color becomes lighter or appears light grayish-white, it indicates that the pot soil is dry and needs watering. If the color becomes darker or appears dark brown, it indicates that the pot soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
3. Finger test method: Gently insert a finger about 2 cm deep into the pot soil and feel the soil. If it feels dry, rough, and hard, it indicates that the pot soil is dry and needs immediate watering. If it feels slightly moist, fine, and soft, it indicates that the pot soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
4. Rolling and twisting method: Twist a bit of pot soil with the fingers. If the soil becomes powdery, it indicates that the pot soil is dry and should be watered immediately. If the soil forms flakes or granules, it indicates that the pot soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped. The above methods are all based on experience, and they can only tell people the approximate dry and wet condition of the pot soil. If you need to know the degree of dryness and wetness of the pot soil accurately, you can buy a soil moisture meter, insert it into the soil, and then see words such as "dry" or "moist" on the scale, and you can know exactly when to water.
Homemade Fertilizers for Home Potted Flowers
1. Soaked liquid fertilizer: Use a small vat (or small jar) to put in waste vegetable leaves, melon and fruit peels, chicken and fish offal, fish scales, waste bones, eggshells, and moldy foods (peanuts, melon seeds, beans, bean powder), etc., add water and sprinkle a little trichlorfon, then cover tightly. After high-temperature fermentation and decomposition, it can be used. When using, take the clear liquid on top, dilute it with water, and then test it. The above waste materials can also be mixed with some old potting soil, add some water, put into a large plastic bag, tie it tightly, and leave it for a period of time; after fermentation, use it.
2. Waste composting: Choose a suitable place and dig a soil pit 60-80 cm deep, line it with 10 cm of furnace ash, put rotten vegetable leaves, poultry and livestock innards, fish scales, chicken and duck manure, eggshells, meat waste, and broken bones into the pit, sprinkle some insecticide, cover with a layer of about 10 cm of garden soil, and keep the pit moist to promote fertilizer decomposition. It is best to compost in autumn and winter. After spring warming and decomposition without foul odor, it can be mixed into potting soil as base fertilizer. It can also be used by sieving while moist through a 4 mm sieve and rubbing into granules; the fine part is used as topdressing and the coarse part as base fertilizer. When composting, some orange peel or diluted rice vinegar can be added to reduce the odor.
Clever Fertilizing for Home Flower Growing
1. Timely fertilizing: So-called timely fertilizing means applying fertilizer when flowers need it. When flower leaves are found to become lighter or yellow and the plant grows thin and weak, that is the most suitable period for fertilizing. In addition, when flower seedlings sprout leaves and branches unfold leaves, topdressing should be applied to meet the fertilizer demand for rapid seedling growth. Different growth stages of flowers also have different fertilizer needs. The type and amount of fertilizer applied also differ. For example, applying more nitrogen fertilizer at the seedling stage can promote seedling growth; applying phosphorus fertilizer at the bud stage can promote larger and brighter flowers and a longer flowering period.
2. Appropriate amount of fertilizing: Fertilizing potted flowers should follow "eat small meals often," that is, fertilize frequently but with a small amount each time. Generally apply thin fertilizer water once every 7-10 days, and once every 15-20 days after the "Beginning of Autumn." As the flower plants gradually grow, the fertilizer concentration gradually increases. For example, the application concentration of urea gradually increases from 0.2% in the early stage to 1.0%, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer increases from 1.0% to 3.0-4.0%.
3. Seasonal fertilizing: In spring and summer, flowers grow quickly and vigorously, so an appropriate amount of more fertilizer can be applied. After autumn begins, the temperature gradually decreases, flower growth weakens, and less fertilizer should be applied. From late August to early September, fertilizing should be stopped to prevent a second growth peak; otherwise, it is easy to make the flower tissue cells tender and cause difficulty in overwintering. For overwintering flowers, fertilizing should be stopped in winter when they are dormant.
4. Temperature control: Potted flowers should not be fertilized around noon in high temperatures or on rainy days. Fertilizing at this time easily damages the roots; it is best to fertilize in the evening. After autumn and in winter, when temperatures are low, flowers grow slowly and generally are not fertilized. In summer, temperatures are high and flowers grow vigorously, so more fertilizer should be applied. When temperatures are high, the concentration of topdressing should be low and the amount should be small; thin fertilizer water should be used for topdressing several more times.
5. Mixed application of medicine and fertilizer: When fertilizing, if pests or diseases occur, an appropriate amount of pesticide can be added to the fertilizer liquid, which can achieve the dual effect of fertilizing and preventing pests and diseases.
Why do home-grown flowers die?
1. Too much fertilizer: Some people love flowers eagerly and, considering that potted flowers consume much nutrients during the flowering period, apply large amounts of chemical fertilizer, causing excessive concentration. In mild cases, it affects the root hairs' absorption of water; in severe cases, it causes the plant to die.
2. Too much undecomposed organic fertilizer applied: Because organic fertilizer has a large amount of microbial activity when decomposing in the soil, it causes soil oxygen deficiency, and the roots suffocate and die. On the other hand, organic fertilizer fermentation produces substances such as alcohol and lactic acid that are toxic to the root system, and fermentation releases a large amount of heat, raising the temperature and causing "root burning."
3. No place for growing flowers: People often place potted flowers in closed balconies facing east or west. In this way, due to the radiant heat of the sun, the temperature inside the balcony rises sharply, forming a hot and dry environment. Hot, dry, and unventilated conditions also easily lead to red spider mite damage, accelerating the death of flowers.
4. Overwintered flowers suddenly moved outdoors: Leaves grown by flowers overwintering indoors are semi-shade leaves or shade leaves. If suddenly moved outdoors in early spring, the shade leaves cannot adapt, and tender leaves and tender buds are easily sunburned. In addition, the large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors can easily cause fatal damage to flowers.
5. Lack of sunlight: Some people, for convenience of appreciation, place flowers on indoor tables, far from sunlight, causing their photosynthesis to be inhibited. The organic nutrients in the flowers can only be consumed and cannot be replenished in time, reducing the flowers' resistance and causing the plants to weaken and die. Watering too much and too frequently is also a cause of plant death.