What methods are there to make osmanthus trees bloom more?
What methods can make osmanthus trees bloom more? Please give guidance on the methods. In addition to applying more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer appropriately throughout the entire growth period, moving the plant indoors to overwinter above 0°C in late autumn, and keeping the potting soil slightly moist, to encourage more blooming and fragrant flowers, the following four points should also be handled well. Choose slightly acidic soil for cultivation...
What methods can make osmanthus trees bloom more? Please give guidance on the methods.
In addition to applying more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer appropriately throughout the entire growth period, moving the plant indoors to overwinter above 0°C in late autumn, and keeping the potting soil slightly moist, to encourage more blooming and fragrant flowers, the following four points should also be handled well.
Choose slightly acidic soil for cultivation
For pot cultivation, use a mix of 5 parts mountain soil, 3 parts humus soil, and 2 parts sandy soil, or use half leaf mold and half sandy loam as the growing medium. If the soil is too acidic, growth will be slow and leaves will turn yellow and wither; if alkaline soil is used, the leaves can wither and even the plant can die after 2 to 3 months.
Water at the right time
Watering osmanthus should follow the principle of "two less, one more," that is, water less before new shoots emerge, water less on cloudy and rainy days, and water more during dry weather in summer and autumn. Normally, watering should keep the potting soil at about 50% moisture content. On cloudy and rainy days, drain promptly to prevent water accumulation in the pot from rotting the roots, otherwise the plant is easily "drowned."
Fertilize skillfully
Osmanthus likes pig manure, and there is a local gardening saying, "If you want osmanthus to be fragrant, prepare more pig manure vats." According to the practical experience of local flower growers, if from early spring after the osmanthus buds emerge you begin applying decomposed diluted pig manure liquid, applying it once every 10 to 15 days from April to May, once every 7 to 10 days from June to July, and applying the last time in early August, then the osmanthus can be guaranteed to grow vigorously, bloom abundantly, and have a rich fragrance. In cities where there is no pig manure, decomposed cake fertilizer liquid (or high-efficiency active fertilizers such as Huimanfeng, Chunquan 883, or Aopu'er) can be used. If fertilization is insufficient, there will be few branches, few flowers, and no fragrance.
Prune properly
Osmanthus has a well-developed root system and strong sprouting ability. An adult osmanthus tree sends out new shoots twice a year. Therefore, to make the osmanthus have more branches and abundant flowers and leaves, proper pruning is needed to maintain the physiological balance between reproductive growth and vegetative growth. Generally, remove water sprouts, thin and weak branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches to improve ventilation and light penetration and concentrate nutrients, encouraging the osmanthus to develop more and fuller flower buds.
Click to get more osmanthus planting techniques
Click to get more flower planting techniques