How to grow potted plum blossoms? Cultivation methods and precautions

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Plum blossom is a deciduous tree of the genus Prunus in the rose family (Rosaceae), and sometimes the term also refers to its fruit (the plum) or its flowers (plum blossoms). It originated in southern China and has a cultivation history of more than three thousand years. Whether grown as an ornamental or as a fruit tree, it has many varieties, and many types can not only be planted in the open ground for viewing but can also be grown as potted flowers and trained into plum bonsai trunks.

The growth habits of plum blossoms

Plum blossoms prefer a warm climate and are not very cold-hardy. Except for apricot-plum varieties that can withstand low temperatures of -25°C, they generally tolerate low temperatures of -10°C. They are fairly drought-tolerant and not tolerant of waterlogging, and they have a long lifespan that can reach a thousand years. The flowering period is especially sensitive to climate changes. They like relatively high air humidity but dislike heavy rain. They tolerate high temperatures and can still grow at 40°C, and they grow and develop best in areas with an annual average temperature of 16-23°C. They are extremely sensitive to temperature and bloom when the average temperature in early spring reaches -5-7°C. If low temperatures occur, the flowering period is delayed; if low temperatures occur during flowering, the flowering period can be extended. During the growing season they should be placed in a sunny, well-ventilated spot. If kept in a shaded environment with insufficient light, they will grow weak and bloom sparsely. In winter, do not move them indoors too early; moving them indoors in late November is appropriate, so that flower bud differentiation can fully go through the vernalization stage. In winter they should be placed in a sunny spot indoors, and a temperature of around 5°C is sufficient.

How to pot plum blossoms

After 2-3 years of planting and pruning in the nursery, plum blossoms can be planted in pots to make potted plum blossoms or bonsai for people to enjoy. The potting soil is generally made by mixing one part leaf mold, three parts vegetable garden soil, and a small amount of sandy soil. This kind of soil is soft in texture and rich in nutrients, with good aeration and drainage performance; it will not harden and crack when dry, and will not compact into clumps when wet. Potting is generally done after the ground thaws at the Beginning of Spring. For cultivation, an earthenware pot is better. Spread a layer of broken pot pieces flat on the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage, prevent nutrient loss, and increase the space area to help ventilation and air permeability. Cut off overly long main roots and a small number of lateral roots, keeping more fibrous roots. First pour in a small amount of soil, then place the plum trunk into the pot. After adding soil, shake the flower pot so that the loose soil settles and binds tightly with the roots. Water thoroughly and place in the sunlight.

Fertilization methods for plum blossoms

Plum blossoms tolerate poor soil and do not need much nutrients, and generally do not require excessive fertilization; too much will cause excessive growth of branches and leaves and make it hard to form flower buds, but nutrients must absolutely not be too little, which would cause poor growth. Potted plum blossoms often grow poorly because of limited potting soil and nutrient leaching. In addition to applying base fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer in the growing medium when potting, decomposed human waste and cake fertilizer water should also be applied during the growing season. When fertilizing, wait until new roots emerging from the plum blossom root system have reached more than 3 cm (that is, 15-20 days after potting) and follow the principle of going from less to more and from dilute to concentrated, progressing step by step, so as to avoid damaging the roots and causing death from applying too early or too concentrated. During the growing season, fertilize once a week. When the new shoots have grown in and water restriction begins, nitrogen fertilizer should be controlled to avoid vigorous branch growth; at the same time, spray phosphorus-potassium fertilizer on the leaves weekly or apply quick-acting phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to promote flower bud formation. After the physiological differentiation of flower buds is complete (around the Beginning of Autumn), apply fertilizer water 2-3 times a month. Around the Spring Festival, when the flower buds swell, apply fertilizer once or twice, mainly quick-acting fertilizer (human waste or urea), to force flowering.

Watering methods for plum blossoms

1. Plum blossoms are most afraid of waterlogging, but they should not be too dry either. The roots of the plum cannot remain for a long time in wet soil with poor drainage, otherwise they are prone to root rot and death. Plum blossom is a broadleaf tree species and needs more water during the summer growing season. If water is lacking, photosynthesis will be weakened and nutrient accumulation reduced, which will affect the normal growth and flower formation of the plum trunk. The number and amount of watering should be determined by the temperature, humidity, and drainage of the potting soil, and the potting soil should be kept moist during the growing season. When the branches grow to 15-20 cm, before flower bud differentiation, follow the principle of "do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when watering." Water again when the new shoots wilt and droop, carrying out "water restriction" to control the growth of new shoots, accumulate nutrients, and promote flower bud differentiation.

2. The buds of plum blossoms are precocious, and during the entire vegetative growth process they can sprout 2-3 times of new shoots. If watering is not properly controlled and the second flush of new shoots sprouts and grows, flower buds will be difficult to form, and the following year there will be no flowers or very few flowers. However, if water loss is excessive, then after watering the leaves still cannot return to normal, the leaf tips turn yellow and dry and fall off, which also affects flower bud differentiation. If the leaves are found to be severely withered, the entire plum blossom plant can be immersed in water and taken out after 40 minutes, and it may be expected to recover to normal. From late July to August, after the physiological differentiation of flower buds is complete, watering should return to normal. In winter, when temperatures are lower, water less and keep the air humid to prevent the flower buds from drying out and dropping.

Pest and disease control for plum blossoms

1. Plum blossoms have many pests and diseases, but none are devastating. The main pests include aphids, trunk-boring longhorn beetles, slug moths, plum caterpillars, boat-shaped caterpillars, and apricot globular scale insects, among others. Longhorn beetles are the main trunk-boring pests and cause great harm. Adults can be caught from June to July, and after hatching the adults can be hooked and killed, or cotton soaked with a 200-300 times dilution of dichlorvos can be inserted into the insect holes to poison them. For aphids, starting in early April, spray a 800-1000 times dilution of dichlorvos every 10 days, or spray with water in which discarded tobacco shreds have been soaked, which is often effective.

2. Anthracnose and powdery mildew are the main diseases of plum blossoms, harming leaves and leaf tips. First small brown spots appear on the leaf surface, then gradually expand and become slightly round, with concentric rings appearing inside, later forming gray patches, until the leaf falls off. Starting in May, spraying a 500-600 times dilution of carbendazim or a 600 times dilution of thiophanate-methyl every 10 days can control it. In early spring, a 5°C lime-sulfur mixture can also be sprayed on the plum tree.

Pruning techniques for plum blossoms

1. Plum trees have strong sprouting ability and easily send out too many branches. If allowed to grow freely, they often cause the tree shape to become messy, which not only affects ventilation and light penetration but is also unfavorable for abundant flowering and easily breeds pests and diseases. Moreover, because plum blossoms mostly form flowers on new shoots of the current year, whether planted in the ground or in pots, or made into stump scenery or bonsai, appropriate pruning should be carried out. This not only keeps the plum blossom growing vigorously with a beautiful tree shape but also achieves the goal of strong branches and abundant flowers year after year.

2. For large plum trees, young trees can be headed back at 60-80 cm above the ground, leaving 3-5 buds, and allowed to grow outward naturally. Through gradual pruning and bud removal, a "natural open-center" crown shape is formed. This shape suits the natural branching habit of plum trees, is both ventilated and light-permeable, and can fully use the space, so the crown forms quickly, grows vigorously, and enlarges the flowering area. Pruning of young plum trees should follow the principle of pruning strong branches less so that they grow in balance, leaving lateral buds or outer buds so that branches grow horizontally and slantingly. For formed trees, follow the principle of "prune strong branches lightly and weak branches heavily" to promote the formation of flowering branches. In addition, dead, diseased, pest-infested, overly dense, and leggy branches on the trunk and branches must be cut off at the base.

3. At the turn of spring and summer, overly dense buds should also be moderately thinned to save nutrients and facilitate ventilation and light penetration. For plum trees that have already bloomed, pruning should be done after flowering. Flower branches with branches under 30 cm and bundle flower branches with branches between 11-25 cm bear flowers densely, so more of these flower branches should be encouraged. Potted plum blossoms are heavily pruned leaving 2-3 buds, or when grafted buds sprout and grow to 10 cm they are pinched to encourage more lateral branches, making the plant shape low and quick to form. For formed plum trunks, in addition to heavy pruning leaving 2-3 buds, specific issues such as the number and length of retained branches and the direction of the cut must also be considered.

Styling methods for plum blossoms

1. Curved-trunk style: For curved-trunk style plum bonsai, "straightness lacks grace, uprightness lacks scenery," so the main trunk should be curved rather than straight. Bend the main trunk into irregular curves, requiring the bends to be natural, with 1-3 bends being appropriate. Young tree trunks are thin and easy to wire; use a thin rope looped at the base, slowly bend the main trunk, and when the desired curve is reached, tie the rope at a suitable position with a dead knot to fix it. The degree of curvature should gradually decrease from bottom to top, or use lead wire of suitable thickness, fixed at the roots and wrapped around the main trunk. Then bend it as needed. For thicker main trunks that are not easy to bend, use a sharp blade to make two or three horizontal cuts on the inner side of the main trunk, reaching 1/3 to 1/2 of the xylem, wrap the wounds with plastic film, and then bend the main trunk. Check frequently to avoid the wire becoming embedded in the tree and affecting growth.

2. Slanting-trunk style: Slanting-trunk style plum bonsai is elegant and bold with a unique charm, very popular among people, and easy to cultivate and make. When potting, tilt the main trunk to one side and it can be developed. Small bonsai in lying-trunk style and cascade style are elegant and clear, graceful in posture, and flowing and bold. When making them, cut off the thin side of the radiating roots, plant the thicker roots on the other side straight into the pot, and lay the main trunk horizontally close to the pot surface to form the lying-trunk style. If the front part of the main trunk is wired below the pot surface, it becomes the cascade style. Exposed roots can express "elegant stone, secluded fragrance, gnarled roots and tangled joints" and present a thousand postures. For plum trunks after potting, choose those with a low plant shape and many thick lateral roots, lift them out with the soil ball in autumn of the same year or spring of the following year, place culture soil in the pot, put them in the pot, and after repeated flushing and watering, plum roots shaped like eagle claws are formed.

3. Attached-wood style: Attached-wood style plum bonsai forms quickly and is easy to shape. Choose an ancient, vigorous dead tree stump or dead plum stump, cut a groove along the branches and trunk on its back, and bind current-year or two-year-old branches into the groove to fix them. After several years of cultivation, because the young tree grows rapidly and expands, tumor-like growths appear around the groove, seeming to be integrated with the ancient stump.

4. Plum-trunk style: Plum-trunk style plum bonsai has different styles in different parts of China. For example, Yangzhou splits half of the plum main trunk away to reveal the vigorous old trunk, called split plum. Shandong and Henan bend the two or three main branches to the left and right and tie them into a screen style. Anhui and Sichuan bend the main trunk left and right, shaped like a swimming dragon, called dragon-swimming plum.

How to grow potted wintersweet, cultivation methods and precautions for potted wintersweet

As a flower with very high ornamental value, wintersweet can not only be planted in gardens and courtyards, but because its flowers are golden and translucent and its fragrance is refreshing, growing it as a potted plant at home is also a very good choice. Many flower lovers who like growing bonsai must have many questions about how to grow potted wintersweet, so let's take a look with the Huayu Web editor at the cultivation methods and precautions for potted wintersweet!

Cultivation methods and precautions for potted wintersweet

How to grow potted wintersweet? For potted wintersweet, the four key measures are pruning, fertilizer, water, and pests. Only by mastering the matters to note in these four stages will potted wintersweet certainly produce beautiful flowers.

1. Timely pruning

After each new branch grows 2 to 3 pairs of leaves, pinch it to encourage the sprouting of short, sturdy flower branches and make the plant shape symmetrical and beautiful. Pruning is mostly done from March to June, and stops after July. If pruning is not done at the right time, many leggy branches will be sent out, consuming nutrients, so that flower bud differentiation is reduced and flowering is affected.

2. Timely fertilization

Regarding how to grow potted wintersweet, I believe everyone now has a preliminary understanding. Wintersweet is a fertilizer-loving flower, and timely fertilization can promote flower bud differentiation and more flowering. For potted wintersweet, because the potting soil is limited, the soil should be chosen as a sandy nutritious soil with high humus content, loose and airy. In spring, apply leaf-expanding fertilizer twice. From late June to before the dog days, apply a compound fertilizer about once every 10 days. The dog days are also the flower bud differentiation period.

It is also a period of vigorous new root growth, so apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizer once or twice more. At this time, fertilization should be light and dilute, otherwise it is easy to burn the roots. After the autumn cools, apply dry fertilizer once, applying 40 grams to 60 grams of decomposed cake powder per pot, to better enrich flower bud growth. Before and after the beginning of winter, apply organic liquid fertilizer once or twice more to supply the nutrients needed during flowering. Wintersweet fertilization is mainly phosphorus and potassium, with less nitrogen. The approximate ratio of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen is 2:1:0.5. Fertilized this way, wintersweet produces large, numerous, and strongly fragrant flowers.

3. Appropriate watering

Regarding how to grow potted wintersweet, one must know some characteristics of wintersweet. Wintersweet is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. If the moisture is too high and the soil is too wet, the plant grows poorly and flower bud differentiation is affected. Therefore, potted wintersweet should keep the soil on the dry side. Normally, do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when watering. But during the "dog days" high-temperature season, water more to allow normal flower bud development. Before flowering or during the flowering period, special attention must be paid to appropriate watering. If watered too much, buds and flowers easily drop, but if there is too little water, flowering will also be uneven.

4. Pest and disease control

How to grow potted wintersweet? To grow potted wintersweet well, pest and disease control is key, and ventilation and light penetration must be maintained. The main diseases of plum blossoms come from anthracnose and leaf spot, generally occurring in late April or early May. Use 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate-methyl dissolved at 800 to 1000 times and spray alternately for control. Aphid damage is greater every year; use a 500 times solution of washing powder to spray and kill them. But wintersweet is sensitive to pesticides such as dimethoate and dichlorvos, so do not use them.

Caring for potted wintersweet during the flowering period

1. First, calculate the flowering-forcing date well. About 20 days before the Spring Festival, move the potted plum blossom into a greenhouse and place it in a sunny spot for care. The indoor temperature should be controlled at 10 to 15 degrees. At the same time, spray clean water on the flower branches and the surroundings every day to keep the branches moist. Watering should be moderate. If watered too much, it is unfavorable for plum blossom growth and easily causes root rot and bud drop; if watered too little, the flower buds will shrivel.

2. Second, grasp the temperature and flowering time well. One week before the Spring Festival, if the flower buds are still small, move the flower pot to a medium-temperature environment of 15 to 25 degrees for management. If it blooms early before the Spring Festival, lower the temperature around the potted flowers by about 10 degrees, and give less sunlight and control water. Also, fertilize moderately. In order to make the plum blossoms bloom more brightly and with a stronger fragrance, fertilize moderately. Generally, apply a thin organic liquid fertilizer once every 7 to 10 days, and at the same time spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate and plant growth promoter on the flower buds once every 7 days.

3. To force plum blossoms to bloom, use the following method: in early June, select potted wintersweet with thick, strong branches and apply chicken manure. After about 10 days, flower buds appear as large as rapeseeds. In late June, apply chicken manure once more, and the flower buds gradually enlarge. By mid-July, the leaves successively fall off, and watering begins 4 times a day. In mid-July, build a shade shed for covering, and uncover it at 5 p.m.

In late August, carry out low-temperature treatment, with the temperature gradually dropping from 12°C to 4°C, then rising from 4°C back to between 12 and 18°C. After 16 days of low-temperature treatment, the flower buds develop into a round shape and appear greenish-yellow. In mid-September, take them out of the cold storage room. Place 1 pot at between 28 and 30°C. On clear days, spray water once every hour during the day and once every 2 hours at night; place another pot under a curtain shed and spray water 4 times during the day. By mid-September, the flower buds of both wintersweet plants are plump, round, and yellow. By late September they are in bud and ready to open, and in early October they bloom one after another. Pay attention to fertilization and irrigation.

More related knowledge about wintersweet for flower lovers' reference:

How to grow wintersweet, cultivation methods and precautions for wintersweet

How to grow wintersweet? Wintersweet is not only a flower and tree with relatively high ornamental value; its flowers contain a variety of aromatic substances and are one of the floral fragrances used to make premium scented tea. Since ancient times, many literati and refined scholars have written many poems praising wintersweet. The flower shape of wintersweet is also very beautiful, and the flowering period lasts as long as 4 months. Now let's take a look with the Huayu Web editor at how to grow wintersweet well!

The growth habits of wintersweet

If you want to know how to grow wintersweet, you must first know its growth habits. Only by understanding its growth preferences can we grow a wintersweet well. Wintersweet likes sunlight and can tolerate shade, cold, and drought, but dislikes waterlogging. Wintersweet blooms proudly in frost and snow, with flowers yellow like wax and a strong fragrance, and is a major ornamental flower and tree in winter. The tree has strong growth vigor, vigorous branching, and easily produces suckers at the root crown. It tolerates pruning and is easy to shape.

How to grow wintersweet? Wintersweet is afraid of strong winds and is relatively cold-hardy, because it blooms in the severe cold of winter. It can overwinter safely when the temperature is not below -15°C, and can be cultivated in the open ground in areas south of Beijing. If it encounters a low temperature of -10°C during the flowering period, the flowers suffer cold damage. Wintersweet does not have very high soil requirements; it likes deep soil layers and sandy soil that is fertile, loose, and well-drained. It flowers before leafing out, with a flowering period from November to March of the following year, and ripens in July-August.

Cultivation methods and precautions for wintersweet

I believe everyone has some understanding of the growth habits of wintersweet. In fact, after knowing the growth preferences of wintersweet, it is not difficult to know how to grow it, but it should also be cared for according to its growing environment. There are two ways to plant wintersweet: one is ground planting, and the other is pot planting. Usually pot planting is kept indoors for viewing. Now let's take a look with the editor at the matters to note during the wintersweet cultivation process!

Ground planting

For ground planting of wintersweet, choose a wind-sheltered, sunny spot. Transplanting is mostly done in winter and spring, and the roots of the seedlings must be kept with a soil ball. Before planting, apply sufficient manure, barnyard manure, or decomposed soybean cake as base fertilizer in the planting hole. After applying the base fertilizer, cover it with a thin layer of soil to separate it, then place the seedling and fill with soil. After planting, water promptly and prune appropriately.

Pot planting

For potted wintersweet, the growing medium should be a loose, fertile sandy loam rich in humus. After potting, water thoroughly promptly and place it under a shade shed to recover for about one month, then place it in a courtyard or on a balcony in a sunny spot for care.

Fertilization

For ground-planted wintersweet, management can be somewhat extensive. Generally, from June to September each year, apply liquid fertilizer once every 20 days (soak bone meal and cake fertilizer in water, fully decompose, and then apply). This can ensure good development of branches, leaves, and flower buds. For potted wintersweet, topdress frequently in normal times to promote the formation of large numbers of flower buds; otherwise flowering will be sparse. Generally, from May to June each year, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once every 7 days, with a fertilizer-to-water ratio of 3:10.

From July to August is the flower bud formation period of wintersweet. Fertilization can be done once every 15-20 days, and the concentration of the fertilizer water should be more dilute, with a fertilizer-to-water ratio of 1:5 being best. This helps flower bud differentiation. The fertilizer applied must be fully decomposed, otherwise it will rot the roots. After autumn, apply dry cake fertilizer once more to supply the nutrients needed during flowering. After the beginning of winter, keep the potting soil on the dry side and stop fertilizing, otherwise the flowering period will be shortened.

Watering

For ground-planted wintersweet, water once before early winter, apply fertilizer once after the flowers fade and water once, and normally do not water; only water moderately when the weather is too dry. For potted wintersweet, watering should follow the principle of watering again only after the soil has dried out; do not water too much, and the potting soil should not be too wet; but it also must not be too dry, because if too dry the flowers will bloom unevenly.

Temperature and light

For potted wintersweet, move it indoors in December. If the room temperature is high, it can bloom before New Year's Day; but if the room temperature is low, the flowering period can be delayed until around the Spring Festival. After flowering, move it to a cool place to prevent it from sending out new shoots and leaves too early, which would affect flower bud differentiation and be unfavorable for flowering the following year.

Pest and disease control

(1) Diseases. During conventional cultivation of wintersweet, high temperature and high humidity in summer easily cause bacterial diseases such as brown spot and leaf spot. For control, spray a 500 times dilution of carbendazim. In addition, strengthen daily management and do preventive work well.

(2) Pests. Pests that attack wintersweet include mites and leaf-eating and trunk-boring insects. Control methods: comprehensive control methods can be used for trunk-boring pests. In early July, the newly hatched larvae have poor resistance to pesticides. A 1000 times dilution of 90% trichlorfon can be injected into the trunk borer holes to poison the larvae. For wintersweet with low pest density, insert toxic sticks into the insect holes. In September, during the peak emergence period of adults, use light traps to kill the adults.

When to prune wintersweet

Wintersweet has strong branching ability, and there is a saying that "wintersweet never lacks branches." Through timely pruning, it is made to sprout more strong flowering branches and bloom more. Generally, pruning should be done at the right time after the flowers fade and before leaves emerge, removing dead branches, overly dense branches, crossing branches, and diseased and pest-infested branches, and leaving 2 to 3 pairs of buds at the base of current-year branches while cutting off the upper branches to promote the sprouting of branches.

1. After each new branch grows 2 to 3 pairs of leaves, pinch it to encourage the sprouting of short, sturdy flower branches and make the plant shape symmetrical and beautiful. Prune after flowering, removing diseased and pest-infested branches, overly long branches, inner-canopy branches, and weak branches, mainly to increase ventilation and light penetration; heavy pruning can also be done.

2. In summer, carry out one pruning mainly by cutting back leggy branches, mainly to control vegetative growth, transition vegetative growth to reproductive growth, and facilitate more and better flowering. Stop pruning after July. If pruning is not done at the right time, many leggy branches will be sent out, consuming nutrients, so that flower bud differentiation is reduced and flowering is affected.

3. In winter, carry out one light pruning, mainly removing diseased and pest-infested branches and crossing branches, with shaping as the main purpose. If making a stump bonsai, substantial pruning can be done in early spring (March-April) to thicken the trunk and make the crown sparse. The specific method is to cut thicker branches close to the trunk. When small branches grow again, keep a few depending on their form and gradually cut the rest close to the base during the growing season. In this way, after several years the plum trunk will appear ancient and vigorous. Light pruning can be done during the growing season.

More related knowledge about plum blossoms for flower lovers' reference: