Is osmanthus suitable for growing on a family balcony?
Osmanthus is the collective name for many trees of the genus Osmanthus in China, also known as rock osmanthus, sweet olive, golden millet, and so on. It is an excellent garden tree species that combines greening, beautification and fragrance, with both ornamental and practical value. Its clear fragrance can dispel dust, and its rich scent carries far, making it truly outstanding. Moreover, there are many horticultural varieties, the most representative being golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, and monthly osmanthus. Let's take a look below at whether osmanthus is suitable for growing on a balcony!
Can osmanthus be grown on a balcony?
Osmanthus is suitable for growing on a balcony. Osmanthus is quite suitable for growing at home. Although many citizens now live in apartment buildings, as long as a suitable microclimate can be created for the normal growth and development of osmanthus, it can likewise bloom in residents' homes. Osmanthus likes sunlight, and although it tolerates partial shade, it grows well and produces many fragrant flowers under conditions of ample light. Potted osmanthus at home should be placed in a sunny spot on the balcony for care. However, osmanthus is sensitive to smoke and ash; if the air pollution around the family balcony is severe, osmanthus cannot be cultivated.
Why doesn't an osmanthus tree bloom?
1. Improper seedling selection: Some varieties of osmanthus tree (such as purple osmanthus) must grow into a tree before they can bloom. If purple osmanthus is mistakenly propagated as cuttings or seedlings, it will be very difficult for it to bloom. Osmanthus seedlings should be grafted seedlings using mature branches of good varieties as scions, or seedlings obtained by air layering from flowering branches or even at the base. Not only are they of good quality, but they also bloom easily after surviving.
2. Improper cultivation: Osmanthus trees like sandy soil best, and in soil with relatively high alkalinity they often bloom very little. If the roots are damaged or frosted during transplanting, the growth vigor will inevitably be weakened, and they will not bloom for 3 to 5 years. Osmanthus trees like light and dislike warmth; long-term insufficient light may prevent blooming. Soil that is too wet and causes root rot, or long-term high temperature and dryness, can also affect flower bud differentiation.
3. Nutrient imbalance: The osmanthus tree is a fertilizer-loving plant, but fertilizer is not a case of the more the better. Every plant has a balanced ratio of fertilizer components such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that it needs internally. Too much nitrogen fertilizer leads to luxuriant branches and leaves and excessive vegetative growth, but no blooming. Too little causes yellow leaves and thin branches, affecting the absorption of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and also results in no blooming.
4. Caused by disease: Osmanthus trees are afraid of chlorine gas and are not tolerant of cooking fumes. When cooking fumes are heavy, growth is poor, leaves become smaller and fall off, and they cannot bloom. Osmanthus trees are also susceptible to pests and diseases such as anthracnose and scale insects; if not treated in time, blooming will likewise be affected. In addition, mistakenly pruning spring shoots will affect blooming that year. Too many blooming osmanthus branches will weaken growth vigor and affect blooming thereafter.
How do you grow a potted osmanthus tree?
1. Timely watering: For potted osmanthus, master the principle of not watering when the soil is dry, and watering thoroughly when you do water, but spray the leaf surface with clean water once a day. After Qingming Festival, move the osmanthus outdoors and water it thoroughly once. In summer, water in the morning and evening; in winter, water around noon, so that the water temperature is close to the soil temperature and does not cause sudden cold or heat. Be careful not to let water accumulate.
2. Reasonable fertilizing: Osmanthus is grown mainly for its flowers, so it should be supplied with sufficient fertilizer. During shoot growth, apply nitrogen fertilizer 1 to 2 times; before flower bud differentiation and blooming, mainly apply phosphorus fertilizer. Before fertilizing, the pot soil should be slightly dry, and it is best to loosen the soil first to facilitate fertilizer absorption. On the second day after fertilizing, water once.
3. Repotting and soil changing: Osmanthus should be repotted and have its soil changed once every 2 to 3 years. Cut off part of the old roots and dead roots, place a layer of river sand or vermiculite at the bottom of the pot to improve aeration and drainage, and add decomposed cake fertilizer as base fertilizer. When filling with soil, it must be pressed firmly. The soil ratio is not very strict; usually garden soil, composted manure and river sand can each make up 1/3 of the mixture.
4. Pruning and shaping: Osmanthus shaping generally adopts a combination of bending and pruning, and is best done after autumn. For plants with a very poor tree shape, the entire top branches can be cut off at 2/3 or 3/4 of the height. For plants with overly dense branches, thinning pruning should be carried out. After blooming, long leggy branches, dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and dense weak branches should also be cut off.
5. Winter management: For overwintering osmanthus, the room temperature should be kept at 0 to 5°C, and the relative humidity should be kept at 50 to 80%. In winter, a cold room should have good light; especially before the buds begin to sprout in early spring, sufficient sunlight is even more required. The following year, after Grain Rain, arrange for the potted osmanthus to be moved out of the room. After moving out, first place them together in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot outdoors so they gradually adapt to the external environment.
6. Disease control: Common diseases of osmanthus include leaf spot, sooty mold, algal leaf spot, root rot, and iron deficiency. For leaf spot, sooty mold and algal leaf spot, spray 0.5 Bordeaux mixture or 5% carbendazim 500 to 1000 times solution for control. For root rot, take care to keep the soil loose and breathable, and do not let water accumulate.
7. Pest control: Common pests of osmanthus include sawflies, whiteflies, mites, long white scale insects, and yellow stinging caterpillars. Sawflies, whiteflies and mites can be killed by spraying 40% dimethoate 1500 to 3000 times solution. For long white scale insects, besides manual brushing off, during the first and second instar nymph stages they can be killed by spraying 40% omethoate 1000 times solution or 40% fenitrothion 500 times solution.