How should osmanthus be managed when kept in an apartment building?
How should osmanthus be managed when kept in an apartment building? Please provide guidance on methods. For urban residents living in apartment buildings, cultivating osmanthus is very difficult, mainly because after osmanthus is transplanted from its native habitat to the city, its growing environment and conditions undergo great changes. Therefore, necessary measures must be taken in the cultivation and management of osmanthus...
How should osmanthus be managed when kept in an apartment building? Please provide guidance on methods
For urban residents living in apartment buildings, cultivating osmanthus is very difficult, mainly because after osmanthus is transplanted from its native habitat to the city, its growing environment and conditions undergo great changes. Therefore, necessary measures must be taken in the cultivation and management of osmanthus to create a suitable microclimate for its normal growth and development. In general: prevent high temperatures in winter, and prevent dryness in summer.
The temperature required for normal dormancy of osmanthus is between 0°C and 5°C. Below 0°C, osmanthus may suffer cold damage; above 5°C, the buds of osmanthus will start to stir and sprout. Nowadays, urban apartment buildings generally have central heating, and room temperatures are mostly above 15°C. Under such temperature conditions, osmanthus will break its normal dormancy period and sprout branches and leaves early. Not only can it not accumulate sufficient nutrients through normal dormancy, but it also consumes a large amount of nutrients in the body prematurely, resulting in false luxuriance and prosperity. After osmanthus is moved outdoors in spring, the tender branches and leaves cannot withstand the beating of cold, dry winds and will quickly wilt and dry up. If this continues for 2 to 3 consecutive years, the entire osmanthus plant will die.
For osmanthus growers living on the first floor with a courtyard, it is best not to place osmanthus on the balcony or in the room in winter. This is because the room temperature is too high, which is not conducive to the dormancy of osmanthus. Although the temperature on the balcony is somewhat lower, it is not easy to control, and the temperature fluctuates from high to low, which is unfavorable for the dormancy of osmanthus. You can dig a soil pit in a sunny corner of the courtyard, depending on the size of the flowerpot, place the flowerpot in it, fill the soil level with the flowerpot, or bury the flowerpot with soil, set up a frame, and cover it with plastic film.
For osmanthus growers living on the second floor and above, osmanthus should be placed on the balcony in winter, and a suitable environment should be created for it. The specific method is: seal the balcony tightly with aluminum alloy glass windows to prevent cold air from entering. At the same time, use glass windows and doors to separate the balcony from the interior to prevent heating from entering. Relying on the natural temperature of the balcony can meet the dormancy requirements of osmanthus. If in the cold Northeast region, when the balcony temperature is below 0°C, the doors and windows can be slightly opened to let in a small amount of heating, so that the balcony temperature remains between 0°C and 5°C, and osmanthus can safely overwinter. In spring, as the temperature gradually rises, the balcony windows should be opened step by step, so that the temperature inside the balcony slowly adapts to the outside temperature. When the average temperature reaches above 0°C, all the balcony windows can be opened. Be careful not to open the windows too hastily, so as not to harm the osmanthus.
In summer, preventing dryness is an important part of osmanthus management. The balcony air is hot and dry, and ventilation is poor, which is very unfavorable to the growth and development of osmanthus. Osmanthus is native to China's humid, moist, and well-ventilated natural environment. Therefore, a suitable environment must be created for it. Try to open the balcony doors and windows as much as possible to maintain air circulation. At the same time, increase air humidity. You can lay a layer of bricks or water-absorbing mats such as cattail mats on the balcony floor, place the osmanthus on top, and frequently splash water on the bedding material so that it fully absorbs water, relying on the natural evaporation of water to create a humid environment for the osmanthus. In addition, in the hot summer, water should be sprayed on the branches and leaves of osmanthus at any time. This can not only lower the temperature of the osmanthus plant and wash away dust on the osmanthus leaves, but also meet the osmanthus's demand for moisture.
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