How should plum blossoms be cared for during their summer dormancy period?
Plum blossoms show an obvious “summer dormancy” state during the dog days: the leaves curl upward and growth stops. Curled leaves are a normal sign of flower bud formation. Some people mistakenly think it is leaf curling from lack of water, so they water desperately, which results in leaf drop from excessive moisture. Others think that leaf drop during the dog days is a sign of death, believe the plant is useless, and just set it aside without any care.
When plum blossoms are in summer dormancy, the principle for water management is: do not water when the soil is not dry, and water as soon as it dries. If green leaves drop, the soil was too dry; if leaves turn yellow and drop, the soil was too wet.
If plum blossoms are attacked by aphids, do not use dimethoate, otherwise all the leaves will drop within three days; in mild cases flowering is affected, in severe cases the branch tips die back. To control aphids, only dichlorvos at 1000 to 1200 times dilution, or decis and fenvalerate at 800 to 1000 times dilution can be sprayed. The curled leaves must be protected until the Autumn Equinox, when the flower buds have formed; after that, even leaf drop will not affect flowering. At this point you can water thoroughly. Every 10 to 15 days, apply a top dressing of 30% fertilizer solution diluted with 70% water to promote bright flowers and strong plants.
Key points for promoting flower buds in plum blossoms in autumn and winter, and precautions for autumn and winter care of plum blossoms
Flower Bonsai Network introduction: Today Flower Bonsai Network shares with you the key points for promoting flower buds in plum blossoms in autumn and winter, and precautions for autumn and winter care of plum blossoms. Friends who like plum blossoms, please take a look.
For plum blossoms to produce more flowers in winter, promoting flower buds before the onset of winter is very important. Below, the editor will discuss several aspects of promoting flower buds in plum blossoms.
Plum blossoms need reasonable fertilization
After the beginning of autumn, reasonable fertilization is needed; you can apply an organic fertilizer solution to the plum blossom once every 7-10 days, mainly phosphorus fertilizer, and you need to prune off the tender shoots that sprout in autumn. These tender shoots have just grown and cannot mature in winter; instead they consume a large amount of nutrients. Pruning them off in time preserves more nutrients for flowering.
The potting soil of plum blossoms must not be too dry or too wet
After the beginning of autumn, plum blossoms need to start having their watering restricted. Plum blossoms are quite sensitive to moisture; the soil must not be too wet, as excessive moisture causes yellow leaves and leaf drop, while excessive drought also easily causes leaf drop, and both affect flower bud formation and flowering. So at this time watering should preferably follow "dry then wet", following the principle of not watering when not dry and watering thoroughly when watering. As the temperature drops, watering should be gradually reduced.
Plum blossoms need appropriate pruning
To promote flower buds in plum blossoms, appropriate pruning can be done, mainly by thinning branches and shaping. Prune the side branches of the plum blossom appropriately, prune the water sprouts, weak branches, overlapping branches and so on. In autumn the branches also need appropriate shortening, which can maintain a beautiful tree shape and produce more flowers.
Precautions for autumn and winter care of plum blossoms
In autumn and winter, also pay attention to regularly loosening the soil of the plum blossom to let the soil breathe. And in autumn and winter there are already relatively few pests and diseases, so pesticide spraying should also be reduced. Be careful to avoid strong winds, because strong winds cause leaf and bud drop; potted plants can be placed in a sheltered spot.
In northern China, because winters are severe, plum blossoms are difficult to overwinter when planted in the ground, so they are mostly grown in pots and are suitable for overwintering and growing in a cold greenhouse. Plum seedlings that have been propagated and survived can be potted before the new year after one to several years of open-field cultivation. The potting soil should be loose, fertile and well-drained, and sufficient base fertilizer should be applied at the bottom of the pot. Potted plum blossoms are quite sensitive to moisture and have relatively strict requirements. If the potting soil is too wet, in mild cases the root system develops poorly and leaves turn yellow and drop; in severe cases the roots are damaged and the tree is ruined. If too dry, there are fewer short branches, new shoots elongate slowly, leaves drop easily, and flower buds develop poorly. Therefore, watering potted plum blossoms should follow "water when dry, stop when wet, water when dry, water thoroughly when watering", and in rainy days avoid water accumulating in the potting soil. During the new shoot growth period, avoid excessive watering that causes overly long shoot growth. In early summer before flower bud differentiation, control water appropriately to help form flower buds and set flower buds. In summer, water normally; at this time insufficient water easily causes leaf drop and affects flower bud formation. After leaf drop in autumn, reduce watering frequency and keep the soil neither dry nor wet to help the branches fill out. In late winter and early spring, appropriately increase watering, and you can achieve the effect of abundant flowers covering the branches.
Because potted plum blossoms have already been given sufficient base fertilizer and do not like heavy fertilizer, when new shoots grow to about 5 cm, you can apply a thin cake fertilizer solution once to promote robust branch growth. When leaves unfold after flowering, fertilizer and water should be sufficient, applying a thin liquid fertilizer once every 4-5 weeks. When the branches grow to 20 cm, stop fertilizing. To promote flower bud differentiation, apply a top dressing in late summer and early autumn. After each fertilization, water should be applied.
Potted plum blossoms should be kept in a ventilated, sunny place. If too crowded or in a shady environment, the plant becomes tall and spindly; with more sun in winter, the flower buds are plump and thick, the flower color is brilliant, and the posture is beautiful. If you want to control the tree shape and urge young trees to bloom earlier, timely pruning and shaping are needed. The flower buds of plum blossoms form on one-year-old new branches. Generally, when the seedling grows to 25-30 cm, cut off the top; after sprouting, keep 3-5 branches at the top as main branches. When the branches grow to about 20 cm, pinch the tips to help the flower buds become plump. The next year, after flowering, leave 2-3 buds at the base and prune heavily; when pruning, pay attention to the direction of the bud at the cut, choosing outward-facing or inward-facing buds accurately. After sprouting, cut off crossing branches, overly dense branches and overlapping branches. Because potted plum blossoms have no grace when straight, no scenery when regular, and no form when dense, pruning should follow the principles of "sparse, slanting, curved" without being artificial or contrived.
Potted plum blossoms should be repotted and given fresh soil every 1-2 years after pruning is completed in early spring after flowering. If you want potted plum blossoms to bloom at Spring Festival, after leaf drop in winter place them outdoors for natural dormancy, then after New Year's Day move them to a sunny spot in a greenhouse, keep the room temperature at 8-12°C, sprinkle water on the branch tips every day, and keep the potting soil moist. After the flower buds show color, raise the temperature to 15-20°C, and they will bloom at Spring Festival. If you want them to bloom on "May Day", they must be kept all winter in a cold room slightly above 0°C without direct sunlight, with the potting soil kept relatively dry, until early April when they are gradually moved outdoors.
Methods for caring for flowers in July, the hottest month of summer; a summary of experience in care techniques
July, the hottest month of summer, many flowers wither because they are not carefully grown. How can flowers safely get through the hot summer? Today, the editor will share with you a complete guide to summer flower care.
1. Moderate watering
In summer, temperatures are high and water evaporates quickly, so potted flowers must be watered promptly. But different flower varieties have different characteristics and different water requirements.
Moisture-loving flowers, such as narcissus, Monstera deliciosa and calla lily, need plenty of water;
Humidity-loving flowers, such as Aglaia odorata, jasmine, oleander and hibiscus, and the vast majority of flowers, are generally watered once in the morning and given a thorough watering once in the late afternoon or evening;
But most succulents need controlled water in summer; if watered too much, black rot is very easily caused.
2. Light and shading
Summer weather is hot and sunlight is intense, which is not good for flower growth. Especially when flowers are exposed to the scorching sun for a long time, they are easily damaged or killed by the sun. Of course, some flowers like sun, so their light time can be appropriately extended. Therefore, in summer, different flowers must be treated differently according to their flower nature.
Sun-loving flowers, such as poinsettia, croton, pomegranate, Aglaia odorata, fig, Chinese rose, hibiscus and Michelia alba, can be kept in a sunny place.
But also pay attention to providing appropriate shade when the sunlight is too intense, such as for Aglaia odorata, Michelia alba, hibiscus and chrysanthemum. For Orchidaceae, hosta, Araceae and camellia flowers, they need to be kept in a well-ventilated place with weak or diffused light. At the same time, flowers should also be shaded to cool them and prevent heatstroke.
3. Pay attention to ventilation
When the temperature exceeds 30°C, indoor flowers need attention to ventilation; open the windows and let fresh air flow into the room to cool it and prevent heatstroke.
4. Fertilization
Summer flowers grow very fast, so sufficient fertilizer must be supplied promptly. Fertilization also needs to be treated differently according to the flower variety. Ordinary flowers can be given a decomposed thin liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days; for flowers that like acidic soil, apply alum fertilizer water once about every 10 days. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash the fertilizer water onto the leaves, otherwise the leaf surface is easily damaged. Summer fertilization should be done in the evening. Before fertilizing, loosen the soil; loosening the soil helps the root system absorb fertilizer and water, and also helps the reproduction and growth of microorganisms, promotes the accelerated decomposition of organic matter in the soil, and provides more nutrients for the growth and development of potted flowers. After fertilizing, water on the second day.
5. Pruning
Summer pruning of potted flowers mainly consists of pinching, bud removal, leaf removal, flower thinning and fruit thinning. For some spring-sown herbaceous flowers, after they grow to a certain height, pinch them promptly to encourage more branching and more flowering.
For some woody flowers, such as kumquat, when the current year's branches grow to 15-20 cm, they should also be pinched so that nutrients are concentrated, which helps flowering and fruiting.
In summer, adventitious buds often appear on the stem base or trunk of some flowers, disrupting the plant shape and consuming nutrients; they should be removed promptly.
For flowering flowers such as chrysanthemum, camellia and Chinese rose, remove excess flower buds so the flowers bloom large and vivid.
For fruit-ornamental flowers such as pomegranate, kumquat and finger citron, if some young fruits need to be removed promptly, generally only one fruit needs to be kept on a short fruiting branch; the fruit that grows this way is large and brightly colored because of rich nutrition.
In addition, the water sprouts of the plant should also be cut off promptly to shape it.
6. Propagation
Summer is exactly the best time for cuttings of some evergreen flowers, such as Aglaia odorata, jasmine, azalea and hibiscus; cuttings of these flowers in this period root very easily. For flowers such as plum blossom and ornamental peach, summer is a good time for their bud grafting, and for Michelia alba it is a good time for approach grafting.
Summer is also the best time for sowing some potted flowers. For example, pansy sown in July can bloom around National Day. Cineraria sown in July-August can bloom in the flower-scarce season of deep winter. Gloxinia and carnation sown in August-September can bloom the following summer.
Flowers for winter viewing, such as primrose, amaryllis and geranium, should be sown in June or July.
Begonia, azalea, camellia, Aglaia odorata, gardenia, honeysuckle and some tropical foliage flowers are propagated by cuttings in June or July.
Flowers such as calla lily and azalea can be propagated by division in summer.
Flowers such as Chinese rose, kumquat, camellia and some cacti can be grafted in summer.
Flowers such as plum blossom, azalea, osmanthus and jasmine can be layered in June or July.
7. Pest and disease control
After summer begins, various pests and diseases do relatively great harm to the growth of household potted flowers.
When the weather is excessively hot and humid or excessively wet, pathogens multiply faster. For pest control, such as stinging caterpillars, scale insects and red spider mites, they mostly appear on Chinese rose, azalea, five-needle pine and Buddhist pine, etc. A small number can be caught by hand, or sprayed with drugs such as trichlorfon.
Inchworms mainly harm flowers such as pomegranate and boxwood; they can be sprayed with trichlorfon or caught by hand.
Chinese rose and garden balsam easily contract powdery mildew, showing symptoms such as yellow leaves, withered leaves and curled tender shoots. Pay attention to ventilation and light transmission for the flowers, and also apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. For plants just infected, spray once with 15% triadimefon diluted with water at 700-1000 times.
8. Carefully protect flowers in the dormancy period
For example, some succulents, cyclamen, fuchsia, gloxinia, calla lily, geranium and Epiphyllum, etc., are in a dormant or semi-dormant state in the high-temperature season, when metabolism is slow and growth stagnates. According to the growth characteristics of these flowers, they must be carefully tended so they can smoothly pass through the dormancy period. Put these flowers in a cool, ventilated place, avoiding strong light and rain, otherwise the moist soil easily causes root rot, and may even cause the whole plant to die.
In addition, watering must also be controlled, otherwise if the potting soil is too wet, root rot easily occurs; of course, do not water too little either, otherwise the roots will shrink. Keeping the potting soil slightly moist is enough. For these flowers in the dormancy period, fertilizer is not needed, otherwise it also easily causes root rot and may even cause the whole plant to die.
The above is all the content I have learned today about methods for caring for flowers in summer. I hope flower friends will find this article helpful after reading it. To learn more about summer flower care, please continue to follow Succulent Garden; we will provide you with more related knowledge!