August Is the Perfect Time to Plant Osmanthus: A Garden Full of Fragrance and Beautiful Scenery
As August arrives and the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, if you ask which flower is the most popular during this period, osmanthus would surely be second to none! Indeed, as one of China's traditional top ten flowers, osmanthus is pure enough to clear the dust and rich enough to spread far, and it combines beauty, fragrance and medicinal value all in one. Growing a pot at home is absolutely eye-catching, and as the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, being able to plant a pot of osmanthus yourself - a symbol of autumn - is simply unmatched in terms of atmosphere. So how exactly can you grow a good pot of osmanthus at home? It is actually not complicated at all; the basic steps are none other than the following points. Let's take a look together!
To grow flowers, you must first prepare the soil. For a plant to achieve pleasing growth, the choice of soil plays a very large role. Osmanthus actually does not have very high requirements for soil; you only need to ensure it is slightly acidic. As for fertility, we can supplement it later by adding a certain amount of organic base fertilizer when potting. As for the specific soil formula, generally leaf mold, garden soil and large-particle sandy soil can be mixed in a ratio of 2:3:3. However, note that if these soils were dug up from a park, it is best to sun-expose them for 1-2 days to remove insect eggs and pathogens.
For an osmanthus plant, the best planting seasons are spring and autumn, so after the Start of Autumn, along with the fragrance of osmanthus, planting a pot is the most suitable choice. When planting osmanthus, you can choose an overcast or rainy day when air humidity is higher. If the balcony allows for ground planting, then simply plant the sapling directly into the ground. If a flower pot is needed, you can first add some soil to the pot, then place the plant in and hold it upright with your hand, then slowly and evenly sprinkle the soil along the edge of the pot, pressing lightly to achieve the goal of firm pot soil and a fixed sapling. This operation is best done by two people together, though of course you can absolutely do it alone if you want.
A newly planted osmanthus, because it is not yet tightly integrated with the soil, allows us to increase the amount of watering. Water the pot a little every day to keep the potting soil moist. Generally, it will set in about a week. After that, when watering, you need to pay attention to the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet." Do not blindly keep increasing the amount of water, to avoid root rot.
A newly planted osmanthus is best placed in a cool, ventilated spot. There is no need to put it directly under the sun to receive sunlight; it is fine to wait about a week before exposing it to the sun. Of course, if yellow leaves, wilting and similar phenomena appear during this period, do not panic. This is normal; just cut off these dead leaves.