How do you care for a clivia so it branches out and fills the pot? Just master these three little tips and you're set

 Many people like to keep a few plants and flowers at home. When it comes to growing flowers, did you know? The clivia (Clivia miniata) has very high ornamental value. It is often used as an indoor potted plant, its flowering period can last 30-50 days, and it blooms around New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, making it a very common holiday flower. Growing some clivia can make our rooms look elegant and stately, and can also enrich and adjust our lives, adding splendor and beauty to them.

 Clivia is a fairly easy houseplant to keep alive, but doing it well takes certain little tricks. Below I'll share a few tips with you so we can care for our clivia better.

 1. Change the soil in spring

 Limited by the pot, the soil's nutrients get absorbed by the plant, and quite a bit of waste from the plant's metabolism also accumulates in the pot. So it is best to change the clivia's soil every spring, giving it fresh nutrient soil, which lets the clivia grow more vigorously!

 2. Wipe the leaves

 Clivia leaves are broad and have a certain dust-catching effect, so the leaves often accumulate some dust, which affects the clivia's photosynthesis. Wiping the leaves now and then keeps the plant's leaves looking more glossy. In particular, we can wipe the leaves with diluted beer, which acts like a foliar feed and makes the leaves thicker and more oil-green.

 3. Base fertilizer

 Clivia needs a lot of nutritional support to bloom, so when potting up clivia, you need to add some base fertilizer appropriately. It's also best to give it some extra flower fertilizer before it blooms, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which is better for the clivia's flowering.

 In addition, clivia prefers slightly acidic soil, so when watering you can add a couple of drops of salt-free vinegar, which helps adjust the soil's pH. You can also water with fermented rice water, which provides the clivia with plenty of nutrients.

26 home flower-growing tips

26 home flower-growing tips

1. Inserting epiphyllum cuttings upside down

Epiphyllum (Epiphyllum oxypetalum, also called the orchid cactus) has large, beautiful flowers in bright, eye-catching colors, and it is easy to grow with little fuss, so many flower lovers want a pot of their own. The usual trick for home propagation is cuttings, but many growers report a low survival rate, with the cuttings rotting at the slightest misstep, so years of trying come to nothing. Why do epiphyllum cuttings rot so easily? Because their fleshy stems are fairly thick, and the cut surface is extremely sensitive to soil moisture - too wet and the cutting rots, too dry and the stem shrivels, weak and half-dead. Sometimes even a cutting that rooted long ago can rot at the cut end by accident, and all the work is wasted. To solve this problem, there's a clever trick: insert the cutting upside down.

The method is simple: cut a 10-15 cm cutting with a sharp knife (the part with the leaf tip at the upper end), then insert it upside down into the soil, about 6-8 cm deep. Because it is inserted upside down, the cut surface is left exposed. At a suitable temperature, it will root and survive in about 20 days, and in a month and a half new shoots will sprout and grow out. At that point you can safely switch to normal care.

Points to note: 1. When watering or spraying, be careful not to spray the upward-facing cut surface.

2. You don't need to control water; from the start, water so it dries and wets alternately.

3. The cutting medium doesn't have to be sand or plain soil; you can insert the cutting directly into fertile, loose soil.

4. Cut and insert right away; the cutting doesn't need to dry in the shade.

5. The section of the cutting from the new roots to the old end will naturally shrivel and dry out later, and the new shoots take its place.

2. Feeding fat to make the epiphyllum bloom

Everyone has their quirks, and plants are no exception. For example, clivia loves alcohol, while the epiphyllum is fond of fat. During the growing season, feeding it some fat now and then not only makes the plant deep green and glossy, but can also make it bloom as many as 5-6 times, with large, abundant flowers.
The actual operation is very simple: soak the fat in boiling water to remove the salt; or boil the waste lard from a pig's stomach in water, then let it cool. Then use a suitable tool to poke several holes in the epiphyllum's pot, 2-3 cm in diameter, then cut the fat or waste lard into tablet-sized pieces, drop them into the holes, and cover with about 3 cm of soil.
Key points: 1. Adding a little monopotassium phosphate and mixing it in gives even better results.
2. Generally, a pot 15 cm across needs only two holes, and a 25 cm pot three holes. And so on; the fertilizer effect can supply the epiphyllum's needs for a year of growth.
3. It must be cooked and chopped, otherwise it decomposes too slowly and easily attracts insects and ants.
4. Pouring in the waste oil from the grease cup of a range hood also has a very noticeable effect.

3. Force-feeding roses for fattening

The force-feeding method for growing roses is meant for large rose plants, where the pot soil is limited and its nutrients cannot meet the rose's growth needs. It can make your roses large, bright, and extra vigorous. Interested friends might give it a try -
1. In early spring, before the rose is about to sprout, pot it up or repot it, and apply plenty of fermented base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.
2. The second step is to force the buds. When budding, apply 1-2 times a solid nitrogen fertilizer such as urea or ammonium sulfate, strictly following the dilution ratio in the instructions, mixing with water. Do not make it too strong, or it will burn the roots. About a week after application, dozens of tender buds will sprout densely; at this point you should thin the buds appropriately according to the plant's size and desired shape.
3. The third step, and the most important one, is the force-feeding:

A. After sprouting, first fully boost the nitrogen supply to make the new buds strong. Water with diluted, thoroughly fermented soybean cake liquid, and spray the leaves and tender shoots with a 1/1000 urea solution, alternating the two once a week;

B. When the new shoots reach about 2 cun (about 6.7 cm), start switching to a fertilizer based mainly on phosphorus and potassium. Apply diluted fish gut fertilizer or other phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to the pot soil, and spray the leaves and shoot tips with 1/1000 monopotassium phosphate, again alternating once a week. This way, before long a flower bud will appear at the tip of each shoot. To distribute the buds evenly, you can thin them appropriately;

C. After that, keep alternating a phosphorus-potassium-based fertilizer once a week to encourage the next round of blooms. In between, apply a nitrogen fertilizer about once a month.
Notes: Apply organic fertilizer to the pot soil and inorganic fertilizer to the leaves; do not increase the concentration at will. In heavy rain, shelter or cover the plant to prevent loss of soil and nutrients. It is best to add a certain proportion of coal briquette ash to the pot soil, which is both breathable and has the ability to adsorb nutrients, releasing them fairly evenly.

4. Cheers with your clivia - the drunken-flowering method

The clivia has glossy leaves and a graceful stem, with large red flowers that dazzle the eye; overall it looks elegant and dignified, especially suitable for placing on a desk indoors, and most people like to keep a few pots. But there is often this situation: when you buy it, the flowers are in full bloom, but after flowering it neither blooms nor grows leaves, as if it has become a stunted plant. Is there any way to change this? Yes - the drunken-flowering method:

Use baijiu (Chinese liquor), whether strong or mild doesn't matter. Yanghe Daqu will do, and Erguotou is fine too; if you have the budget, Moutai is also welcome. After Qingming and before late autumn, pour a cup of baijiu into the clivia's pot every few days. Pour carefully so it doesn't splash on the plant. This way, after seven or eight days you'll see results: the flower spike emerges, new leaves grow, and the stunted plant revives. Treat it this way and the clivia will grow better and better, its blooms like a torch.

Note: This method is very safe; don't worry about burning the clivia to death. But using it on other flowers and trees has not been tested, so please use caution. If you have no experience, apply a small amount and leave a longer interval, to be on the safe side. Also, once it takes effect, you can stop for a while.

5. Two little methods to force flowering and extend the viewing period of narcissus
Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) has won people's affection with its graceful bearing and pure, jade-like charm. So around New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, it is a top choice for decorating the living room and desk. However, some people's narcissus, though lush and green, simply won't bloom; or the flowers wither not long after opening. Is there any way to force flowering and extend the blooming period? Yes!
1. Soapy water to force flowering
Narcissus contains a plant alkaloid that promotes good plant growth and development. Soapy water is an alkaline solution; after the narcissus absorbs it, the plant alkaloid content in its body increases, which can quickly shift vegetative growth into reproductive growth, so an appropriate amount of soapy water acts to force flowering.
2. Aspirin to extend the viewing period
Crush one or two aspirin tablets into small granules and sprinkle them into the narcissus pot. The salicylic acid in aspirin promotes flower bud differentiation and flowering, so it can make the narcissus bloom large and vivid and extend the viewing period.
Putting some salt in the narcissus pot can likewise force flowering and make the flowers long-lasting. In addition, after the narcissus blooms, placing it in a relatively cool environment also works well.

6. Carrying cuttings a thousand miles

Whenever you're on a business trip thousands of miles away, or touring a scenic spot with beautiful views, have you seen any rare flowers or plants that caught your fancy? As a flower enthusiast, you surely want one too. At home, you can layer or take cuttings. But in a faraway place, how do you keep a cutting from losing water, and how do you bring it home safely? Here is a simple, easy method: carrying a cutting a thousand miles away, keeping it moist is the hard part. Storing it in a plastic bag keeps in moisture but isn't breathable, and sometimes the cutting even rots. To keep it moist and fresh, just buy a few fresh cucumbers, and the problem is solved. Cut the leaves off the branch, leaving the leaf stalk, and insert it into the flowering end of the cucumber. This keeps the cutting's moisture and prevents it from rotting (because cucumber contains a substance that kills bacteria). This way, as long as the cucumber doesn't rot, the cutting is fine, and whether it's a thousand miles or ten thousand, you can bring it home and have it survive as you wish.

7. Cleverly washing old flower pots

After a while, any household that grows flowers ends up with some spare old flower pots: either because some plants died, or because repotting left smaller pots over. It's a pity to throw these old pots away, yet cleaning them for continued use is quite a hassle (cleaning is a must: first, to wash off the layer of white scale on the surface that blocks the plant's breathing; second, to remove insect eggs and stray microbes; third, for appearance's sake). Don't worry - here's a simple cleaning trick:

Add a certain proportion of ferrous sulfate to a container full of water, then stack the old flower pots by size, large ones at the bottom and small ones on top, and soak them all together in the ferrous sulfate solution. After about three days, take them out and give them a light brush, and the dirt on the surface will wash off completely. The reason is simple: the ferrous sulfate solution is slightly acidic, and the white scale on the pot rim is alkaline, so the two neutralize each other and cleaning becomes very easy.

After using this method, the flower pots stay clean and neat for a long time. Furthermore, the pot is slightly acidic, which also benefits the growth of flowers and trees.

New flower pots treated this way get the same preventive effect.

8: Bury a quail egg alive, and realize your dream of lazy-person gardening

You want to grow good flowers but find fertilizing a hassle, and want to stay away from the dirt and smell of fertilizer - is there a good trick? Yes! Here is one method:

Buy a few quail eggs, gently crack the small end, pierce the inner membrane with a toothpick, and when repotting and changing soil, place the quail egg with the small end up, gently at 2 cm above the potting soil at the bottom of the pot, then fill the pot with soil normally on top.

Because the potting soil contains a lot of organic matter, and the pot soil stays moist for a long time, as the temperature rises and fungi act, the egg liquid keeps decomposing and seeping out through the fine cracks, turning into fertilizer for the flower's roots to absorb, satisfying the plant's growth needs very well. Entering midsummer, most flowers and trees enter their vigorous growth period and need more nutrients; this is also the time when bacteria are most active, so the egg fertilizer decomposes faster, ensuring the supply. One little quail egg can basically maintain fertility for 1-2 years. Generally, using this method you can go all year without applying organic fertilizer, but shortly after the egg fertilizer is applied, before it takes effect, you can apply some chemical fertilizer as appropriate. With this method, the process of raw fertilizer turning into mature fertilizer happens inside the eggshell, so there's no risk of raw fertilizer burning the roots. In addition, once the eggshell decomposes, it is also a good calcium fertilizer.

(Note: The number of eggs depends on the pot's size. If using one, place it in the middle of the pot; if using two or more, place them symmetrically, 2-4 cm from the pot edge.)

9. For spring sowing, mix the seeds with oil first

In spring sowing you may run into the following problems: some flower seeds sprout within days of sowing; some flowers, such as clivia, cyclamen, and asparagus fern, germinate slowly and only show themselves after much waiting; and some simply never sprout, no matter how long you wait. Is there any way to improve this? Try the seed-and-oil method -

The specific method: first soak the seeds to be sown in water at about 35 degrees for 24 hours, then take out the flower seeds, wrap them in a dry cloth and wring out the surface water; then mix the flower seeds with some clean cooking oil (such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, or sesame oil), and then you can sow as usual.

Don't underestimate this little trick: it can make seeds that are hard to germinate sprout about 20 days earlier, and the seedlings are strong and grow fast; it also has a very good effect on raising the germination rate.

10. A new way to make porcelain and plastic pots breathable

Clay pots are breathable and comfortable but less attractive; porcelain pots are sturdy and beautiful, and plastic pots are light and cheap, but neither is very breathable. In short, each has its flaws. Actually, with a little thought, you can turn the flaws into advantages -
Before repotting in early spring, prepare some foam plastic (there's plenty in electrical packaging boxes) and cut it into pieces the size of tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). When repotting, use a fairly thick sheet of paper to form a ring matching the pot's inner diameter, then place it in the flower pot (leave a certain gap between the paper ring and the pot). Then fill the gap between the two with the plastic pieces, and inside the paper ring, fill with soil and plant as usual. That completes the whole repotting task.
With the plastic pieces along the inner edge of a porcelain or plastic pot, its breathability is greatly increased, with a very good effect on the growth and development of flowers. (Plastic granules at the bottom of the pot work too.)

11. Broken bricks and tiles make flowers brighter

Broken bricks and tiles make flowers brighter. Don't believe it? Give it a try.
Growing flowers in the city, soil is precious. Some people keep using old soil after repotting, but it's actually far inferior to broken bricks and tiles. Broken bricks and tiles are easy to obtain, found everywhere. The specific method: break waste bricks and tiles into pieces about 0.2-0.5 cm in diameter. When planting, place the smaller and powdery pieces near the plant's roots, and the larger pieces at the bottom of the pot or elsewhere. Do everything else just as when planting with soil.
Growing flowers with broken bricks and tiles has the advantages of breathability, water retention, and fertilizer retention. Because the tiny gaps in broken bricks and tiles are numerous and their adsorption capacity is especially strong, they can quickly absorb the water and fertilizer applied, acting to retain water and fertilizer. Second, since bricks and tiles are fired, their texture is hard but not solid, and they don't dissolve in water, so the many tiny gaps inside can be preserved for a long time, which helps air circulate in the soil.
Through testing, pomegranate, Aglaia odorata (Chinese perfume plant), and Pyracantha grown in broken bricks and tiles had well-developed roots, large flowers, abundant fruit, and long flowering periods. (Because broken bricks and tiles themselves contain few nutrients, you need to fertilize more times than with soil planting.)

12. Sesame oil to repel ants and control aphids
The insect world also has its "herders," and those are ants. Ants love the "honeydew" secreted by aphids, so they tirelessly herd them everywhere - moving them onto various plants and serving as their unpaid bodyguards, driving off the aphids' various natural enemies. This way, our flowers and trees suffer. Below is a simple, easy method that can solve your urgent problem.
If your plant stands alone in one pot, not touching other plants, you can smear sesame oil on the spot where the pot meets the ground;
If you have several pots on a plant stand, you can smear sesame oil on the spots where the stand's legs touch the ground. Ants generally enter the pot through the drainage hole at the bottom, so you can also smear sesame oil at the bottom hole. That's all it takes, and the problem is completely solved; you can rest easy. If you find an ant nest nearby, drip sesame oil at the entrance too, and the ants won't dare come out.
The "honeydew" secreted by aphids is fragrant and sweet to ants, yet the equally fragrant sesame oil is the ants' nemesis. If you still have doubts, just give it a try.

13. An alternative way to raise humidity - protecting balcony azaleas

Azaleas are delicate and charming; when in bloom, a sweep of spring color makes people stop and admire. But to grow azaleas well on a balcony, the humidity problem is a real headache. Generally, a balcony's climate is always drier than outdoors, yet azaleas need fairly high humidity, which forms a hard-to-resolve contradiction: either the buds won't open, or the blossoms fade and the fragrance is gone.
Actually, conditions can be created, and azaleas can be grown well on a balcony too -
Find a shallow tray or other container slightly larger than the azalea pot, place two wooden strips 3-4 cm high at intervals inside the tray, then set the azalea pot on the wooden strips, and add water to the shallow tray. The water level should be level with the bottom of the azalea pot, or just barely touching it. When the water gradually decreases and exposes the wooden strips, you can wait two or three days before adding water back to the original level.
This method effectively raises humidity because the shallow tray has standing water year-round or intermittently, equivalent to installing a simple, long-lasting humidifier that evaporates upward. The higher the temperature, the faster the evaporation, which exactly matches the azalea's humidity needs at different times. Second, water seeps slowly from the bottom of the pot upward through the whole pot wall, keeping it in a good state of neither too dry nor too wet, protecting the pot soil and roots from dry air.
This method can be used with confidence; the azalea won't rot. Because the water seeps in from the bottom of the pot, its depth cannot exceed the depth of the shallow tray below; at the same time, the water's moisturizing is done by slowly rising, and the amount of water is limited. What's more, the interval between waterings gives the azalea a chance to adjust the soil air and humidity.
This method lets azaleas grow as robustly and bloom as normally as if they were in the ground.
Points to note: 1. When repotting the azalea, it's best to put some foam plastic pieces and the like at the bottom of the pot, which is safer.
2. Reduce the watering amount appropriately; one watering is about 2/3 that of an ordinary potted flower.
3. During high temperatures, combining this with frequent misting of the azalea will give even better results.

14. Cutting roots in stages for new life in old trees

It's said that all things in heaven and earth have a certain lifespan, and plants are certainly no exception. Though we cannot change this trend, through certain methods we can still extend their lives. Here is one method.

The so-called "life root" means that life lies in the roots, and this is especially true for plants. When the roots are strong, the plant is vigorous; when the roots age, its life is nearing its end. So to extend a plant's life, we must work on the roots - during the spring growing season, scrape away the pot soil, cut off 1/3 of the entire root mass, then cover it with pot soil again, and fine new roots will soon grow from the cut old roots. Do the same the next year and the third year, and after three years the roots will have been completely renewed. Compared with old roots, new roots absorb water and nutrients noticeably better, so the old tree regaining its youth is only natural.

In addition, after cutting off the old roots, you can replace 1/3 of the soil with new soil. After three years, the pot soil will have been completely renewed, and you also save the trouble of repotting - two gains in one.

If the old stump still has some vigor, you can also shorten it in combination with shaping, to make it send out new shoots.

15. The clever use of sawdust, turning waste into treasure

During ordinary home renovation, the sawdust afterward is often just thrown out as garbage. In fact, sawdust is very useful to us flower growers, and we can absolutely turn waste into treasure -
1. Cuttings: Sawdust used as a cutting medium for roses, gardenia, pomegranate, and other plants gives obvious results, far better than soil or water cuttings, with fast rooting, many roots, and strong plants. It has an even bigger advantage: after the plant roots and survives, you can move it into the pot soil together with the clump of sawdust, so the roots aren't damaged, it establishes easily, and you see flowers and fruit sooner. Even harder-to-root varieties like azalea succeeded in my attempts, and inch-long tender tips of crabapple also rooted quickly. The reason is that sawdust holds water and breathes better than soil, with plenty of oxygen.
The specific method: put the sawdust into a flower pot, then pour boiling water over it several times to thoroughly sterilize it. After the temperature drops, squeeze out the excess water (so the moist sawdust doesn't drip when squeezed by hand) and you can start taking cuttings, the same way as soil cuttings. After inserting, keep the sawdust moist and they will root and survive quickly. This method can be done in all four seasons, except in winter it must be placed on a sunny windowsill indoors with heating.
2. As a wrapping medium for air layering: because sawdust is loose in texture and its moisture is controllable, it is likewise better than other media, roots faster, is more reliable, and has a high survival rate.
The specific method: after girdling the plant, fill the plastic bag wrapped around it with a medium of half moist sawdust and half loess, then tie both ends tightly.
3. As fertilizer: making fertilizer from moist sawdust is nutritious, economical, simple, and clean.
The specific method: mix moist sawdust with an appropriate amount of inorganic fertilizer such as superphosphate, potassium phosphate, or urea; adding some organic fertilizer is even better; put it in a plastic bag and tie the bag tightly. Turn it over every two weeks to speed up even decomposition. In spring and autumn, it's ready to use in about six weeks.
Note: When using it, mix in 50% soil.
The above lists just a few points; the rest I won't go into. In fact, sawdust's uses go beyond these; you can put your mind to it and give it a try.
(Oh, I forgot an important point, let me add it now - sawdust must be fermented before use.)

16. If you want good flowers and trees in winter, leave some grass in the pot

The reason I say "leave" rather than "plant" is that our pots often have some wild grass that arrives uninvited and grows lushly, enjoying itself. The usual reaction of flower growers is to itch with hatred and want to root it out, the so-called "pull up the grass by the roots."
My trick here isn't really strange: it's because flower growers often say that in winter the watering amount is hard to judge. Roots rot, leaves drop, and the poor flower's life is at risk. Is there a simple way to let everyone quickly master the watering amount? Yes - please show some mercy and leave a bit of wild grass in the pot; pulling grass up by the roots is out of the question.
Generally speaking, most plant varieties are in dormancy or semi-dormancy in winter, so they don't need much water, and the soil only needs to be slightly moist. Many flower growers, however, rush to water as soon as they see the soil surface turn pale, thinking the flower might dry out. But that's not so: the surface may be pale while the middle is still quite wet. With that, it's no wonder the plant runs into trouble!
Keep some grass in the pot, but not just any grass; keep the green grass that stands up to the cold in winter. And not more is better either; three to five plants will do.
When should you water? When should you not? Look at the grass! If the grass is still green and standing, don't water; if the wild grass has wilted and lost its vigor, water at once. The measure is that simple!
Keeping some grass in the pot has more benefits than these: it protects against cold in winter, against sun in summer, and decorates the pot surface - after all, what's nice about bare soil? In addition, when loosening the soil, bury the grass in the soil with a trowel and it becomes green manure, enough to make up for the loss from the wild grass competing with the potted flower for nutrients.
I've used this method for watering for more than a year, and it works every time. If you believe it, you can try it too.
Note: 1. Plants still flowering and fruiting in winter are an exception.
2. This method also applies in other seasons.

17. Burying nodes to propagate lush bamboo groves

"Better to eat without meat than to live without bamboo" - so said the ancients, and so say people today. In modern homes, for greening around the house or in the surroundings, green bamboo is also one of the indisputable choices. Planting trees often takes "ten years to grow a tree," but planting bamboo often creates a clear, evergreen environment in just one or two years. On a night with brimming moonlight, the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window add infinite quiet charm.
Planting a few slender bamboos in a pot, adorned with one or two ornamental stones, is also a beloved desk treasure in many flower growers' hearts.
Bamboo is generally propagated by the method of keeping the rhizome (culm) attached; a few are grown from seed. My propagation method is rarely seen (my cousin taught me), but the effect is excellent - simple, easy, and with a high survival rate. Bamboo lovers might give it a try...
In early spring, in cloudy and rainy weather, choose a mother bamboo with plump buds and saw it off between two nodes (that is, keeping one node scar in the middle); then fill the bamboo tube from both ends with moist fine sand, filling it full and pressing it firm, then seal both ends of the tube with clay. This is the first step.
Next, choose loose, water-permeable sandy loam soil, and according to the thickness of the bamboo tube, dig a trench about 10 cm deep, lay the prepared bamboo tube flat in the trench and bury it with soil, press it down lightly, then water it thoroughly, and it's done. Remember when burying the node to keep the buds facing up, and never put it in upside down.
Bamboo nodes will sprout tender shoots in about 25-30 days. If you are making a bonsai, simply pot it up during the rainy season.
Key points~~1. For cultivating a bamboo grove, choose thick bamboo; for growing potted bamboo, choose thin varieties.
2. When sawing the bamboo culm, be careful not to split it, so as not to injure the bud scales.
3. Water according to the "dry-wet" principle: water when the soil is dry, and let it dry somewhat between waterings.
4. After burying, it is best to cover with some bamboo branches or dry grass to block part of the sunlight.

18. Homemade rooting agents for fast and abundant rooting

As the weather gradually warms up and the ground warms, the good season for cuttings has arrived again. There are many cutting methods, and people generally prefer soil cuttings or water cuttings. But everyone's technique differs; combined with differences in plant varieties, rooting may be easy or difficult, which makes survival rates vary. To properly solve this problem, before taking cuttings everyone likes to use rooting agents such as naphthaleneacetic acid, which is indeed effective and improves rooting and survival rates. But what if you are in a remote place, supplies are out of stock, and you cannot buy any for the time being? Don't worry, let me introduce several homemade rooting agents. They cost no money, and their effect is no worse than bought ones--
(1) Phosphate fertilizer liquid~~As mentioned above, rooting agents such as naphthaleneacetic acid are actually a kind of rooting hormone, and phosphate fertilizer liquid actually has the same effect. This is because "phosphorus" can effectively promote plant cell and tissue growth and development, and promote wound healing and rooting.
Specific method: Before taking cuttings, first dilute the phosphate fertilizer liquid with water at a ratio of 7 parts water to 3 parts fertilizer, then soak the pre-treated cuttings (the base) in the fertilizer liquid, with the submerged part accounting for 1/3 of the cutting. After 2-3 hours, take them out, rinse clean with clear water, and take cuttings as usual.
For common varieties such as camellia and Chinese rose, using this method for cuttings can make them root 10-22 days earlier, with well-developed roots and vigorous growth.
(2) White sugar liquid~~It is also a very good rooting agent. Many people have tested it, and the effect is obvious.
Specific method: First melt white sugar with hot water at a ratio of 9 parts water to 1 part sugar. After the sugar water cools, soak the trimmed cuttings in it. Take them out after about 40-60 minutes, rinse the cut end clean with clear water, and use a sharp knife to cut off part of the cut end, then take cuttings as usual.
After the above treatment, the survival rate is much higher than that of ordinary cuttings. Even for azaleas, camellias and others that are harder to root, it can reach more than 90%.
(3) Willow soaking liquid~~Willow liquid is a very good plant growth agent. Its liquid is rich in growth hormones, so it can survive whether cuttings are inserted upright or upside down, and its vitality is especially strong.
Specific method: Take some willow branches and leaves, smash the branches with a hammer, then soak them in water. After one day, remove the branches and leaves, and the water is willow soaking liquid.
The next day, soak the cuttings in it for about 1 day (a longer time does no harm; willow liquid contains components that inhibit bacterial reproduction), then take cuttings as usual. Roots develop quickly and abundantly, and the plants grow robustly.

19. The "amphibious" cutting method

Cuttings are a simple and easy propagation method that everyone likes to use; right now is also a good season for cuttings, so these several posts of mine are all related to cuttings. I recommend them to everyone, hoping they will be of some help.
The two most commonly used cutting methods are soil cuttings and water cuttings, each with advantages and disadvantages. But both have one difficult hurdle~~after rooting, they must be moved into pots. Because new roots are rather delicate, and some people are not very skilled in handling them, efforts are often wasted and success slips away at the last moment, which is very discouraging.
The cutting method introduced below does not require moving into a pot after rooting, thus greatly improving the survival rate of cuttings. I call it: the "amphibious cutting method."
The method is as follows~~
1. Find a flowerpot of suitable size, and first seal the bottom hole with melted wax liquid. (Other materials can also be used, but they must be able to be poked open when needed)
2. Put about 3/5 cutting soil in the bottom of the container, then spread about 1/5 river sand on top to fix the cuttings. Then gently pour in clear water until it is about 1 cm above the sand surface.
3. Take cuttings. The cuttings can be about 8-15 cm long. Trim the lower end flat with a sharp knife (a horseshoe shape or a flat surface is fine), so it is less likely to rot. Insert the cuttings about 1/3 into the yellow sand, and remove green leaves below the water surface. The cuttings should not be too crowded; generally 1-3 plants are more suitable.
4. After insertion, they can be placed in full sun (for cuttings taken in midsummer, a place with diffused light is better), but the sand surface must not lack water. Change the clear water once every 10 days to half a month to ensure the water quality stays clean.
5. Roots form in about 25 to 45 days. At that time, poke open the sealed bottom hole of the pot from below and drain the water completely. After a few days, wait until the potting soil is dry before watering again, and enter the normal management stage.
Notes: a. Choose moisture-tolerant varieties, such as gardenia, Buddhist pine, and serissa.
b. The potting soil should be plain soil (without fertilizer).
c. If you are not sure whether the cuttings have rooted, you can pull them up to observe. If white new roots appear on the callus tissue, you can drain the water and switch to dry cultivation.

20. Water cuttings of winter daphne.

Winter daphne is an excellent flower. It is full of vitality all year round, with verdant leaves that seem about to drip green; when it blooms, its fragrance spreads far, filling the room with spring. It is a precious flower in season during the Spring Festival. Among them, the golden-edged winter daphne has leaves like green inlaid with gold, and its flower color changes from white to purple to red, very bright, with an extremely strong fragrance. It can be said to excel in color, scent, posture, and charm, and has been listed as a treasure since ancient times.
To propagate golden-edged winter daphne at home, we generally like to use cuttings. This method is good, but the survival rate cannot be well guaranteed, and it takes a relatively long time. By comparison, water cuttings are much superior to soil cuttings~~
Water cuttings can be done from April to September, and now is the best time. This is because when the temperature is low, rooting takes a long time, or they may even fail to root and rot; when the temperature is too high, bacteria in the water multiply greatly, which is also unfavorable for branch rooting. At present, the temperature for cuttings is just right.
Specific method: Cut off branches of the current year, remove the lower leaves, keep 3-4 leaves at the top, and cut the insertion end into a horseshoe shape with a sharp knife to help more roots form. Then find a suitable bottle, fill it with clear water, and insert the lower part of the cutting. Note that the water bottle should be placed in a place with diffused light, not in sunlight, and not too shady. Change the clear water once every three or four days.
After water cutting, at the current temperature, roots can form in about 25-30 days. If before water cutting you soak the cuttings in naphthaleneacetic acid rooting liquid for 4 hours, rooting can be one week earlier.
Notes: 1. If there are many branches, you can tie them into a bundle and insert them.
2. When roots grow to 3-4 cm, they can be potted. Be careful when potting not to break the roots.
3. After cuttings are potted in the same year, they will not send out new shoots that year, so there is no need to fertilize. By around the next Spring Festival, the young seedlings can bloom, and after flowering they can be fertilized normally.

21. Soilless cuttings -- wrapped in soft paper

Let me teach you a simple and easy cutting method. No soil, no water, just a few sheets of paper. The specific operation is as follows:
1. Take a sheet of highly absorbent soft paper (toilet paper, etc.), first wrap the bottom of the cutting that has been trimmed to a slanted edge. The thickness should be such that after the soft paper absorbs water thoroughly, the slanted cut surface can still be seen. Do not make it too thick, so that you can directly observe changes such as healing and rooting at the cut, and it also has good air permeability. This point is crucial.
2. Use soft paper cut to a suitable size to wrap the stem as much as possible, but leaves and buds should be exposed. The wrapping thickness should be enough to keep the soft paper from drying out completely before the cutting roots.
3. After wrapping, place the water-soaked cuttings in a container without a bottom hole, tie the opening tightly with plastic film to keep moisture, and place it in a ventilated environment without direct light. In this way, your operation is complete, and after rooting you only need to pot them up.
(Note: After the cutting is wrapped, the thickness of the stem should be 2 times the stem or slightly thicker, so the soft paper can remain not completely dry for a long time. After that, no special care is needed, and the cuttings can root quickly.)
If this method is used for cuttings of poinsettia, variegated goosefoot plant, Japanese aucuba, etc., the fastest root in 7 days, variegated goosefoot plant in 9 days, and rubber tree in 10 days all have root tips emerging, and they are thick and well developed. Japanese aucuba and others root a little more slowly, but within half a month root tips form.
This method is simple and easy, widely sourced, and low in cost. Multiple layers can be placed in the container, saving space, and a relatively large number of flowers and trees can be propagated at one time. Friends who are interested can give it a try.

22. The "abuse" method -- make your honeysuckle branches short and flowers abundant

First, let me state that this method is suitable for pot cultivation, not for ground cultivation. Ground cultivation is meant to be vigorous and luxuriant, able to provide three-dimensional greening over a large area. But pot cultivation has different requirements: the area of the pot is limited, so it cannot be allowed to develop freely; the ornamental requirements are higher, requiring a better shape; most importantly, when flowering it cannot be as unrestrained as ground-planted plants. Instead, the flowers should be concentrated and bloom profusely. The following method can help you achieve this:

1. Water restriction~Honeysuckle is a vine. Without intervention, its branches grow quickly and long. In a pot, we can break the routine: when it sprouts in spring, do not water at night, water in the morning; do not give a heavy watering, give a light one; make its physiological water supply unable to meet the needs of vigorous growth, causing new branches to become shorter and more mature. Once branches mature, they bloom more easily, and shortening reduces internode distance, so flowering becomes concentrated and abundant.

2. Fertilizer restriction~Before flower buds form, do not apply nitrogen fertilizer or apply as little as possible, and apply relatively more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. After the flower buds have basically formed and shoot growth has basically ended, then apply some nitrogen fertilizer in an appropriate amount, so as to create a situation with many and large flowers.

3. Lazy repotting~That is, repot only once every 3-4 years. The purpose is not to let it sprout more new roots. With fewer new roots, its absorbing capacity is poorer, and combined with aging potting soil, it is very difficult for it to grow vigorously, thereby achieving the goals of controlling tree vigor, limiting branches, and making the flowers bloom densely.

4. Pruning~Cut off vigorous buds, shorten long branches, cut the long and keep the short. Then place it in a place with sufficient sunlight (half shade and half sun in summer), to prevent vigorous growth due to insufficient light.

Through the above measures, you can make your honeysuckle have abundant flowers and short branches, giving it greater ornamental value. (Young seedlings are not included here, because they should be allowed to grow vigorously so they bloom earlier.) This method is also suitable for serissa.

23. Aglaia, blooming and fragrant every day

Aglaia has glossy leaves and is evergreen all year round. When it blooms, it is richly fragrant. The small golden-yellow flowers like grains of rice are also very eye-catching against the green leaves. If cared for properly, it is no problem for aglaia to bloom 5 times a year. So can it be made to bloom and be fragrant every day? There is a way--

Generally speaking, after aglaia blooms once, it needs to "rest" for a period before blooming again, because it needs to accumulate nutrients to prepare for the next bloom. So its flowering appears intermittent. If we want it to bloom every day, we must artificially meet its nutrient needs, that is, by appropriately thinning buds to reduce the nutrients consumed by each bloom. Specifically, when in early spring the aglaia's first (or second) round of buds is full, you can first thin the buds on 1-2 branches, then after another 4-5 days thin the buds on another 1-2 branches, and so on repeatedly in continuous operation, accumulating more than 6-7 rounds of flower and bud thinning, with the thinned branches accounting for more than 60-70% of all branches. In this way, all the branches of the aglaia can bloom in turn, achieving the goal of flowers and fragrance every day. According to the procedure, branches that have not been thinned bloom first; after about 5-10 days, the branches thinned the first time bloom next; then flowers open in the order in which the branches were thinned. In total, one pot of aglaia can let you smell its fragrance every day for 7-8 months during the entire growing period. (Because its fragrance is rich, thinning some is no harm.)

Key points: 1. Water, fertilizer, and light must keep up.

2. The plant must not be too small; it should have at least about 10 branches.

24. Spraying flowers with beer kills two birds with one stone

It goes without saying that flower growers love dealing with all kinds of flowers. But what you deal with is not only flowers, but also various pests, haha, even though you do not like them at all.

Among pests, aphids and red spiders are still relatively easy to handle. Spray the targeted pesticide twice and it is basically ok. But scale insects are more troublesome. They have a protective layer -- a waxy shell -- so spraying pesticide has little effect on them, and they really seem somewhat invulnerable. So, besides manual pest removal (brushing them off), is there a simpler and more effective method? Yes. After discovering scale insects, do not panic. Prepare a bottle of beer, pour out some and mix it with water at a ratio of 6 parts water to 1 part beer, and spray the plant once, as thoroughly as possible on all parts. The next day, check carefully. If the insects turn reddish-brown and fall off at a touch, then they have certainly breathed their last. If any are still alive, spray once more. Generally, after spraying three times in a row (three days), the problem can basically be solved.
Principle: After beer is sprayed, it forms a sealing film on the insects, causing them to suffocate to death. However, it is also possible that they died from drunkenness. Of course, this point still needs entomologists to prove.
In addition, beer is also a very good leaf fertilizer. Sprayed regularly, plants can grow full of vitality and look especially spirited. The ratio should be thinner than when treating pests; 8 parts water to 1 part beer is fine. If you are interested, you might give it a try.

25. Four watering methods

Watering is the first hurdle flower growers must pass, and also one they must pass. Although watering looks simple, there are actually many finer points to it, and many beginners' flowers are ruined at this hurdle. Regarding watering, the so-called "water when dry, let dry between waterings"; water more during the growing season and less during dormancy; water more for small pots and less for large pots, and so on -- everyone understands these fairly well, so I will not say more. Below I will only introduce several special watering methods--

1. Sand column method --- prevents potting soil from compacting

When potting or repotting flowers, first stand several hollow tubes in the pot (bamboo tubes, plastic tubes, iron tubes, etc. are all fine), then fill soil around them and press firm. Next pour coarse sand into the tubes, with the upper end level with the soil surface. Finally gently pull out the empty tubes, and sand columns form in the pot. Later, when watering, the water only spreads around through the sand columns, thus preventing soil compaction, with no adverse side effects.

Note: The tubes cannot stand in the exact center; leave space for planting the flowers.

2. Round-robin method --- avoids half-watering

Half-watering means the water has not penetrated thoroughly: the top is very wet, while the bottom is still dry. If this is done often, how could the flowers and trees not die? There are several reasons: inexperience; potting soil that is too compacted; not repotting for a long time so roots are tangled, and so on. The solution is as follows: if you have many flowers, you can water them one by one as usual, without worrying about whether it has penetrated. After all are watered, water them again from beginning to end, and for some even a third watering. In this way, half-watering can basically be eliminated. This is because after the first round of watering, even if it has not penetrated thoroughly, the potting soil has already become moist and softened to some extent, so after a period of time, the second round of water is relatively easy to absorb.

Note: There is no need for this if the potting soil is loose. If there are not many flowers, you can do some other things after watering and water again a while later.

3. Sitting-pot method --- prevents broom root rot

Broom is very beautiful. When the flowers first open they resemble butterflies, and after opening they look like golden sparrows dancing in flight. It can also be made into bonsai, so many people love to grow it. But in recent years fewer and fewer people grow it, because it easily suffers root rot and suddenly dies if you are not careful. There is one method that is very effective at preventing root rot, namely: the sitting-pot method. Put some water in a container, place the potted broom in it, and when the soil surface looks moist, it has been watered through, and then you can take it out.

Note: You should also follow the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry between waterings.

4. Noon water --- makes jasmine more fragrant

Watering jasmine at noon can make its flowers more fragrant when they bloom. The ancients already summarized it: "If you want jasmine fragrance, give a ladle of water at noon." But watering under the strong midday sun is a taboo in flower growing, for the same reason that people cannot take a cold shower immediately when they are too hot. To water flowers at noon without mishap, the premise is to first put the water under the sun to warm up, and water when the water temperature is close to the soil temperature. In this way it is ok and safe.

Reminder: Other plants have not been tested, so please use cautiously.

26. Old loofah helps your leaves stay green and flowers beautiful

The loofah vines gradually wither like an old person's arms, the leaves tremble in the wind, and only the old loofahs still hang heavily one after another.

In the past, villagers used them to wash bowls and scrub pots. Now no one uses them, and they seem to have become waste. Have they really become waste? No! After picking the old loofahs, wash them clean and dry them. When repotting and changing soil or potting flowers, cut them into small pieces about 5 cm. Spread a layer of loofah stem at 1/3 of the bottom soil, fill soil on top, then spread another layer at 2/3 of the potting soil, add more soil, and afterward you can proceed normally.

Note: Before cutting, first spread them flat on the ground and smash the loofah seeds with a hammer.

(This method can effectively improve the potting soil, making it loose and not compacted. Moreover, the loofah fibers and seeds slowly decompose in the potting soil and are a very good slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, so potted flowers all have green leaves and beautiful flowers.)

Complete guide to flower care techniques

To grow potted flowers well, the main thing is care and management, which must conform to the growth habits of the flowers. Beginners either apply too much fertilizer and "burn" the seedlings to death, or water too much and "drown" the plants. Especially with watering, they do not flexibly adjust according to specific conditions such as season, climate, potting soil dryness and wetness, and growth stage. Instead, they water every day, and water heavily, so the plants die from watering. Beginners should first choose moisture-loving flowers to cultivate, such as water bamboo, bamboo-node evergreen, monstera, and ferns; these will not be watered to death. Next, they can plant annual herbaceous flowers, such as zinnia, garden balsam, scarlet sage, purslane, China aster, ornamental pepper, and so on. These herbaceous flowers are also not easily watered to death. Of course, small seedlings of these kinds may also be watered to death, but they are only small herbaceous flower seedlings, so it is not a great pity if they die, and lessons can be learned from it. For beginners, because they are unaccustomed or do not remember, sometimes in summer they also forget to water, often causing plants to have their growth affected or to wither and die from drought. For this reason, in addition to planting moisture-loving flowers, they can also plant some flower types that are both moisture-tolerant and drought-tolerant, such as oleander, Buddhist pine, euonymus, and canna. After gaining a little experience, plant flowers that are easy to grow and easy to manage, such as purple spiderwort, winter cherry, night-blooming jasmine, spider plant, pomegranate, winter jasmine, geranium, and four-season begonia. Only after gaining a certain amount of experience can they cultivate advanced flowers.

13 ways to extend the life of cut flowers in vases

1. The best time to pick flowers is in the early morning when the dew has not yet dried. After the flower branches are cut, they should be immediately immersed in warm water to stimulate the capillaries to open and absorb water fully, so as to avoid drying out.

2. Cutting flower branches should be done in water, which can prevent air from entering the water-absorbing pores of the branches and affecting water absorption.

3. When cutting flower branches, the more slanted the cut, the better. For thick woody plants such as black pine and azalea, you can also slit the bark about 3 cm at the cut and lightly crack it with a hammer to enhance their water absorption.

For flowers with strong water absorption such as chrysanthemum, Christmas flower, and orchid, the branches can be longer; flowers with weak water absorption should have shorter branches, and the closer to the water the better.

4. Peel off about 6 mm of the surface at the stem end of fresh flowers placed in a vase, and apply petroleum jelly, which can extend the flowering period.

5. At the cut of woody flower stems, you can burn it with fire for several minutes, or wipe some salt at the cut, to prevent the cut from rotting too early.

6. If you soak the stem end of the flower branch in vinegar for a while before putting it in the vase, it can extend the flowering period. Adding a few drops of vinegar to the vase can make fresh flowers absorb water more easily and stay vital for a longer time. Vinegar also has a sterilizing effect.

7. Put 1 aspirin tablet in the vase to extend the life of the cut flowers.

8. For fresh flowers with large blooms and thin stems, use waste short branches to tie them into bundles before placing them in the vase.

9. After fresh flowers are placed in the vase, if they are exposed to weak light for 1 hour in the morning, it helps keep the flower color bright.

11. Change the water frequently, preferably once a day. It is best to change the water in the evening. If you move the vase outdoors to a cool place every night to absorb dew, the next morning you can see the cut flowers recover their original bright color.

12. In midsummer, if you put some ice cubes in the vase, it can keep the leaves on the flower branches green.

13. When changing the water, remove the sticky matter on the cut of the flower branches.

6 methods of watering flowers

When watering potted flowers, you should grasp the principle: "Do not water if not dry; water when dry. If you do not water, then fine; if you water, water thoroughly." The specific tips for watering are:

1. Ordinary watering method

Water directly from the top of the pot downward (onto the soil). This method is simple and easy. But its disadvantage is that it easily keeps the lower layer of potting soil dry for a long time and causes soil compaction, which is unfavorable for root development. So when using this method, you must confirm that water overflows from the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot.

2. Bottom water absorption method

Place the flowerpot in another larger container filled with clear water, so that water moistens from the bottom of the pot up to the pot surface. The advantage of this method is that the water-absorbing surface is large, it can prevent soil compaction, and it promotes root development, especially for deep-rooted flowers. The disadvantage is that salts in the potting soil rise with the water and accumulate on the pot surface and pot rim, causing unsightly salt marks. The above two basic watering methods should be used alternately to make up for each other's shortcomings, for better results.

3. Tube drip irrigation method

Lay plastic tubes at intervals around the potted plants that need watering, preferably close to the plant stems, then prick one or two small holes in the plastic tubes with a needle. Seal both ends of the tubes, and after connecting the water source, water slowly drips out from the small holes to supply the plants with moisture.

4. Rope wick watering method

When potting or repotting, bury a fiberglass rope at the bottom of the flowerpot, with one end spread flat at the bottom of the pot and the other end extending out through the drainage hole. Place a water tray under the pot, with the rope end immersed in the water. When the potting soil is dry, just pour water into the tray, and the water will automatically be carried into the pot by the rope.

5. Sand column watering method

When potting or repotting flowers, first stand several hollow tubes in the empty pot; these can be bamboo tubes, glass tubes, or metal tubes. Then fill with soil and press firm, then fill the tubes with coarse sand, and when finished pull out the empty tubes, and sand columns form in the potting soil. The diameter of the sand columns depends on the size of the pot. Afterward, you only need to water toward the sand columns, so that water spreads evenly through the sand columns into the surrounding potting soil. This can avoid soil compaction and is beneficial to plant growth.

6. Method for watering when no one is home

People who love growing flowers, because they go out to visit or handle affairs and are away for ten days to half a month, have no one to water the flowers. At this time, you can fill a plastic bag with water, prick a hole in the bottom of the bag with a needle, and place it in the flowerpot with the small hole against the soil. Water will then slowly seep out and moisten the soil. The size of the hole must be controlled well to avoid water leaking too quickly. Or place a vessel full of cool water beside the flowerpot, find a wide cloth strip with good water absorption, put one end into the water in the vessel and bury the other end in the flowerpot soil. In this way, the soil can remain moist for at least about half a month, and the flowers will not wither and die.

5 kinds of water cleverly used for watering flowers

1. Watering flowers with leftover tea

Using leftover tea water to water flowers can both maintain soil moisture and add nutrients such as nitrogen to the plants. But you should water regularly and in proper amounts according to the moisture condition of the flowerpot, and not water whenever there is leftover tea.

2. Watering flowers with spoiled milk

After milk spoils, add water and use it to water flowers; it is beneficial to the growth of flowers and trees. But there should be more water to make it relatively dilute. Unfermented milk is not suitable for watering flowers, because during fermentation it produces a large amount of heat, which will "burn" the roots (cause root rot).

3. Watering flowers with cooled boiled water

Using cooled boiled water to water flowers can make flowers and trees have lush leaves and bright flowers, and can promote earlier flowering. If used to water asparagus fern, it can make its branches and leaves develop horizontally, growing short and dense.

4. Watering flowers with warm water

In winter, when the weather is cold and the water is chilly, it is best to water flowers with lukewarm water. It is best to leave the water indoors and wait until it is close to room temperature before watering. It is even better if the water can reach 35°C before watering.

5. Watering flowers with rice water

Regularly watering flowers such as Aglaia (mock lime, Aglaia odorata) with rice water can make their branches and leaves lush and their flowers brightly colored.

Using beer to grow flowers

1. Fresh cut flowers:When cut-flower enthusiasts arrange flowers, simply pouring a little beer into the vase can extend the color and fragrance of the arrangement by 15~20 days compared with normal conditions.

2. Potted flowers:

(1) Wiping leaves with beer: For any foliage plant, you can dip absorbent cotton or a clean soft cloth in beer and gently wipe the leaves. This not only removes dust and kills bacteria, but also acts as a foliar fertilizer, making the leaves greener and more glossy and giving them a thicker texture.

(2) Spraying leaves with beer: Mix water and beer at a 1:1 ratio, then use a fine-nozzle spray bottle to spray the leaves of flowers with small leaves such as asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius), begonia (Begonia) and geranium (Pelargonium), and it can achieve the same good effect as wiping leaves with beer.

(3) Watering flowers with beer: Beer is an excellent aromatic fertilizer. Using it to water flowers not only provides good nutrition, but the nutrients are also absorbed quickly.

Using sponges to regulate moisture for potted flowers and plants

Cut a sponge to the same size as the flower pot and place it at the bottom of the soil when planting flowers; it is very beneficial to the flowers and plants you grow, because it will absorb the excess water poured into the pot; when the soil dries out, the soil itself will absorb the water back from the sponge.

What you need to know about repotting flowers

In old flower pots, because of long-term watering and fertilizing, the tiny air pores in the pot walls become blocked, so the flowers cannot get fresh air and may die from poor growth. Therefore, most potted flowers and trees need to be repotted once a year, while bamboo, fir and others that need more nutrients need to be repotted twice a year. Generally speaking, most deciduous tree species are repotted in early spring; evergreen tree species such as serissa (Serissa japonica), damacanthus (Damnacanthus indicus) and gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) are best repotted in summer; podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) and cypress can be repotted in any season except severe winter. Bamboo, which is repotted twice a year, is generally repotted in May and September, while fir is best repotted in March and October. When repotting, first lift the plant gently out of the pot, remove half of the old soil, cut off rotten roots and overly long fibrous roots, then put the plant back into the pot, add the new potting soil prepared in advance, and water appropriately. Note that before putting the plant into the pot, you should use a piece of tile to cover the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, and use crushed stone to provide a suitable base layer.

2 methods for disinfecting soil in spring

Many flower diseases, such as anthracnose, black spot, brown spot, gray mold and damping-off, overwinter in the soil as mycelium or sclerotia. Methods for soil disinfection:

1. Chemical disinfection

To kill pathogenic bacteria, formaldehyde, quintozene and others can be used. Formaldehyde, also called formalin, has strong sterilizing power. At the same time, for every 50 g, add 2~2.5 kg of water, and this can be sprayed over 1 sq m of soil 15~20 cm thick. Spray evenly. After spraying, cover tightly with plastic sheeting and fumigate for four to five days, then remove the plastic sheeting and turn the soil so the smell of the chemical disperses; after 15 days, flowers can be planted. To kill nematodes, use dibromochloropropane and others. When using it, for each sq m use 10 g of 80% dibromochloropropane oil, add 3 kg of water, spray evenly on the soil, and immediately cover tightly with plastic sheeting; after six or seven days, remove the plastic sheeting and turn the soil. After about 15 days, it can be used to plant flowers.

2. High-temperature disinfection

The simplest methods are the soil-burning method and the soil-frying method. The soil-burning method is to spread the soil flat on the ground, about 30 cm thick, and pile firewood and grass on top and burn for more than 20 minutes. The soil-frying method is to fry the soil in a broken iron pot, keeping the temperature above 90°C, and fry for 20~30 minutes.

Suitable flower species for growing in different balcony orientations

South- and southwest-facing balconies have long sunlight hours and higher temperatures, so they are suitable for placing sun-loving, heat-tolerant flowers and trees such as jasmine (Jasminum sambac), banana shrub (Michelia figo), pine, cypress and cactus; clivia (Clivia miniata), camellia (Camellia japonica), azalea (Rhododendron), Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis) and orchid prefer shade or fear heat, so they should be moved to north- or east-facing balconies to avoid overly strong direct sunlight.

Summer care of orchids, Hibiscus mutabilis, Chinese rose, Aglaia and cactus-type plants

1. Orchid

Summer is the peak growing season for orchids, so the water and nutrients needed for growth must be ensured.

2. Hibiscus mutabilis

It is prone to anthracnose. In addition to improving ventilation and light transmission, when disease occurs, thiophanate-methyl can be sprayed once every 10 days for treatment.

3. Chinese rose

It likes fertilizer and water, so a sufficient supply of water and fertilizer must be ensured. Apply decomposed soybean cake water or fish fertilizer water once every half month. Stop fertilizing in mid-July. It is prone to powdery mildew in summer; use Bordeaux mixture or carbendazim, spraying once every half month, for 2~3 consecutive sprays.

4. Aglaia

It likes light and heat. It grows vigorously in summer. Before and after flowering, apply a thin fertilizer solution once every 10 days. Stop fertilizing when the temperature exceeds 30°C. Ensure water supply and frequently spray water on the leaves, which can prevent flower and bud drop.

5. Cactus types

Although they are extremely drought-tolerant, when the temperature exceeds 38°C there is still a risk of sunburn. In hot seasons, do not fertilize and spray water to lower the temperature.

Key points for fertilizing potted flowers in autumn

In autumn, most potted flowers are in a vigorous period, so the nutrients needed by the potted flowers must be ensured to meet their growth needs. When topdressing, treat them differently according to their growth conditions. Usually, apply a decomposed thin liquid fertilizer once every 10 days. For potted flowers that bloom in autumn, such as osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans), chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum) and dahlia (Dahlia pinnata), apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote abundant flowers and lush leaves.

Key points for pruning potted flowers in autumn

In autumn, potted flowers produce many new shoots, and they should not all be allowed to develop. Apart from keeping some, the rest should all be removed to avoid wasting nutrients. When pruning, for the retained branches, leaves should be kept and buds should be removed. Plants with strong growth should be pruned heavily, while those with weak growth should be pruned lightly. For potted flowers that form flower buds in summer and autumn, such as plum blossom (Prunus mume), wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) and azalea, in order to protect the already formed flowering branches, heavy pruning is not suitable; pruning can be done by pinching out the growing tips.

How foliage plants can overwinter successfully indoors

Foliage plants mostly come from tropical and subtropical regions, and their growing temperature needs to be maintained at 25~30°C. In regions with distinct four seasons, cold periods often cause plants to freeze to death or wither due to low temperatures. Therefore, to help foliage plants overwinter successfully in these regions, note the following:

1. Build adaptability

If, before bringing foliage plants indoors, you first let them fully experience the low-temperature climate of early autumn outdoors to enhance their cold resistance, they can gradually adapt to a low-temperature environment. Therefore, from early autumn to late autumn, the plants should be fully exposed to gradually decreasing temperatures.

2. Amount of watering

As the temperature drops, plant growth slows, and in severe cold periods it almost stops growing. At this time, the frequency of watering the potting soil should be reduced. The standard for winter watering is to water only after the surface of the potting soil has been dry for 2~3 days. However, in rooms with heating and where a certain temperature can be maintained, attention should still be paid to watering at any time.

3. Indoor humidity and temperature

When winter comes, for foliage plants moved indoors, especially into rooms with heating, mist water should frequently be sprayed on the leaves to increase air humidity. The day-night temperature difference in the room should be as small as possible. The minimum indoor temperature at dawn must not be lower than 5~8°C, and during the day it should reach 1~20°C. If the above requirements can be met, they can generally overwinter successfully. In addition, within the same room, temperature differences will also occur between the upper and lower spaces, so plants with weak cold resistance can be placed in high places such as bookshelves. Foliage plants placed on windowsills are most vulnerable to cold wind, so it is advisable to use thick curtains.

4. Light

In winter, sunlight shines at a slant, and light intensity is half that of summer, so some sun-loving foliage plants should be placed near a south-facing window. Ornamental plants that have been placed indoors and in shaded places for too long must not suddenly be placed outdoors in direct light, so as to avoid scorching the leaves.