A Summary of the Basics of Household Flower Cultivation
As people's quality of life improves, household flower cultivation has become an indispensable lifestyle for those who stay at home. But do you really understand household flowers? The editors at Huinong Network have compiled a treasure book of household flower cultivation, and the questions you care about are answered below.
I. What are the categories of household flowers according to light intensity requirements?
According to the light intensity requirements of flowers, they can be divided into 3 categories: sun-loving flowers, shade-loving flowers, and neutral flowers.
1. Sun-loving flowers
Sun-loving flowers refer to flowers that can only grow in places with ample sunlight. Such flowers are suited to full-light, strong-light environments; if the light is insufficient, their growth will be affected, and they may even fail to bloom. Many flowers are sun-loving flowers, such as spring peach blossoms and peonies, summer and autumn osmanthus and rose of Sharon, winter wintersweet and silver willow, fruit trees such as ginkgo, vines such as cypress vine, foliage plants such as black pine, and succulents such as aloe, all belong to sun-loving flowers.
2. Shade-loving flowers
Shade-loving flowers do not have a strong demand for sunlight and cannot tolerate direct sunlight. They are suited to living in environments with insufficient light, such as rhododendrons and spider plants.
3. Neutral flowers
The growth of neutral flowers is unrelated to light, though according to the length of daylight they can be divided into long-day flowers, short-day flowers, and medium-day flowers.
(1) Long-day flowers
Refers to flowers that will not bloom unless the daily sunshine duration is more than 12h, such as hydrangea and cineraria.
(2) Short-day flowers
Refers to flowers that can bloom normally when the daily sunshine duration is within 12h, such as chrysanthemums and scarlet sage, but exceeding 12h will also affect the growth of such flowers.
(3) Medium-day flowers
Refers to flowers that are not affected by sunshine duration and will bloom normally regardless of whether the sunshine duration is long or short, such as geraniums and Chinese roses.
II. What are the categories of household flowers according to ornamental parts?
Different flowers have different characteristics. Here we classify flowers so that flower-growing enthusiasts can conveniently find the flowers they want.
According to the different ornamental parts of flowers, they can be divided into the following categories.
(1) Flower-viewing type
Among flower-viewing flowers, the focus of appreciation is flower color and flower shape. For example, Chinese roses, peonies, spider flowers, etc.; the vast majority of flowers belong to this category.
(2) Foliage-viewing type
Among foliage-viewing flowers, the focus of appreciation is leaf color and leaf shape. For example, caladium, rubber tree, Norfolk Island pine, etc.
(3) Fruit-viewing type
Among fruit-viewing flowers, people mainly appreciate the fruit. For example, pomegranate, nandina, Chinese persimmon, etc.
(4) Stem-viewing type
Among stem-viewing flowers, the focus of appreciation is the branches and stems of the flowers. For example, ribbon bush, silver willow, etc.
(5) Bud-viewing type
Among bud-viewing flowers, the focus of appreciation is the buds of the flowers. For example, silver willow, etc.
(6) Root-viewing type
Among root-viewing flowers, people mainly appreciate the form of their roots. For example, golden lotus, pandanus, etc.
(7) Plant-shape-viewing type
Among plant-shape-viewing flowers, the focus of appreciation is the form of the plant. For example, dragon-claw pagoda tree, dragon juniper, etc.
III. Why should the leaves of flower-viewing bonsai be cleaned?
Healthy and beautiful flowers require careful maintenance, and cleaning the leaves should not be overlooked. If the leaves of flowers are covered with dust, it not only reduces their ornamental value, but also, because dust blocks the leaf stomata, it can obstruct the normal physiological activities of the flowers. Therefore, the leaves of flowers should be cleaned frequently or regularly.
There are many methods for cleaning leaves, such as wiping the leaves clean with a soft, clean damp cloth, brushing the leaf surface with a soft brush, or directly spraying and washing with a small manual sprayer, which is also very good. Of course, you can also use a sponge dipped in water and clean them one by one along the leaf veins.
Foliage plants that have lost their luster can be wiped with milk. Dip a cloth in some milk and gently wipe the surface of the leaves, and the leaves will become fresh and glossy. You can also wipe the leaves with beer. Dip absorbent cotton or a clean soft cloth in beer and gently wipe the leaves, because the leaves can directly absorb the nutrients in beer. The leaves of the flowers will become more emerald green and glossy, and at the same time the texture of the leaves will also appear thicker.
How to grow cactus? A Compilation of Basic Knowledge on Cactus Cultivation
Everyone is familiar with the cactus. Its whole body is covered with spines, its shape is peculiar, and it is very drought-tolerant, with vigorous vitality. It can be kept alive without spending too much effort. But if you want to grow cacti well, there are still many aspects that require our attention. So in the process of planting cacti, what aspects require our attention? Today the editor will summarize these knowledge points, and let's study them together!
1. Fertilizer
For maintaining green plants, fertilizer is very important. It is best to choose ecologically safe organic fertilizer, rich and balanced in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, with various organic matter, minerals, and amino acids added, to promote rapid plant growth.
2. Purchasing inspection
If you want to grow cacti well, the first key point is to check for problems. This aspect is actually not hard to understand. Because the cacti we plant are usually purchased directly from merchants. Although these purchased finished products look good on the outside, we cannot know whether they have hidden diseases.
If the plant is not healthy, then no matter how much effort we spend, we cannot grow it well. A relatively reliable way is to quickly check after purchase whether the cactus has roots and whether the roots are rotting. If so, be sure to deal with it in time. The cactus can be restored to health through treatment. Sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of wood; such time consumption is worthwhile.
3. Soil
Once you have a healthy cactus, many of the remaining problems will be readily solved. First, in terms of soil preparation, cacti do not have high requirements for soil. Slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil can ensure the normal growth of the cactus. All we need to do is improve the existing soil by adding some large particles of coarse sand, etc., to increase its air permeability, and choose a clay pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. Once water accumulation occurs, the roots may rot, and growers should pay special attention to this.
4. Water
For a newly planted cactus, we should try to keep the soil moist, and about one week after successful planting, begin normal care. The cactus itself does not have high water requirements. Especially in summer, the high-temperature environment will cause it to enter a dormant state, and the absorption capacity of the roots will decline. At this time, large-scale watering is not appropriate. When the potting soil becomes dry or the cactus body appears wilted, just water it thoroughly once. The wilting phenomenon will also disappear quickly.
Another point to note is that during the rainy season, be sure to prevent and promptly deal with water accumulation in the pot. If water accumulation has already occurred, the cactus should be dug out immediately, and the potting soil should be disinfected and dried in the sun. When watering, also try to avoid pouring it on the cactus body, so as to prevent the cactus from being scorched by excessively high summer temperatures.
5. Pests and diseases
The cactus itself has strong survival ability, but during growth it will also encounter pests, diseases, and other phenomena. Among them, the more common one is black rot. The best preventive measure for this is to ensure that it grows in a well-ventilated environment. You can try placing it at a window with good ventilation or simply on a balcony.
The above is the compilation of basic knowledge on cactus cultivation arranged by the editors of Huinong Network. Have you all learned it?