How to treat scale insects without chemicals? Gardening pest control tips

  Why are scale insects so named? Because their adults secrete a substance that wraps around the outside of their bodies to form a thick waxy shell that protects them all over. Generally, contact insecticides have a hard time working on them; only pesticides with strong toxicity and penetration are effective. But using chemicals has a drawback: treating them indoors carries certain risks and is also bad for people's health.

  There are many ways to deal with scale insects. Using pesticides is of course the simplest and most convenient, but you also need to be careful when spraying, especially indoors.

  If you don't use chemicals, are there any ways to prevent and control scale insects? The answer is of course yes. Come and take a look with Xiaolin from Huinongwang!

  1. Wipe the stems and leaves with alcohol. Carefully part the leaves with your hands and wipe them thoroughly. To make the insect-killing effect better, the alcohol must come into direct contact with the scale insects. Do this once every few days, and after repeating it many times, the effect becomes quite noticeable.

  2. Neem oil is a natural insecticide. Mixed with ordinary soap solution, vegetable oil, etc. to make an insecticidal spray, it has a remarkable effect on eliminating scale insects.

  3. Wash plant leaves with a soapy water solution. Soapy water that is too concentrated will scorch and damage plant leaves, so when using it, be sure to mix the right ratio, and it is best to test it on a few leaves before washing the whole plant.

  Perhaps everyone wants to find a way to completely eradicate scale insects so as to ensure their plants are absolutely free from harm, often wearing themselves out yet achieving very little. In fact, scale insects are inherently difficult to eradicate. Methods like those above can only provide some prevention and control, relatively reducing them so that the visible pest infestation is no longer so rampant. The only thing that can truly ensure plants grow vigorously is everyday attentiveness and careful care.

  Actually, treating flowers and plants is like treating children. Giving them more attention and companionship can help them avoid some disasters, and they will also grow more beautifully.

Gardening tips: introductions to all kinds of gardening tips and gardening experience

This article introduces gardening experience and gardening insights.

Gardening requires professional knowledge. Especially if you want to grow flowers well, you need even deeper professional knowledge and careful attention. How can you grow flowers in the best way? Only through continuous learning and summarizing experience on how to grow flowers in the best way, and then putting it into practice, can you develop a master skill in gardening. Below I will introduce some gardening tips, hoping they will be helpful to those who love flowers!

1. The drunken method to promote flowering in clivia

Clivia has glossy leaves and upright stems, with large red flowers that are dazzling; overall it appears elegant and dignified, especially suitable for placement on indoor desks, and most people like to keep a few pots at home. But there is often a situation like this: when bought, it is 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 situation? Yes, this is the drunken method to promote flowering:

Use baijiu, whether high-proof or low-proof. Yanghe Daqu is fine, Erguotou works too, and if you have the financial means, Maotai is also welcome. After Qingming and before late autumn, pour a cup of baijiu into the clivia pot every few days. When pouring, be careful not to splash it on the plant. In this way, after seven or eight days, you will see the effect: the flower scape emerges, new leaves grow out, and the stunted plant revives. Handle it this way, and the clivia will grow better and better, with flowers like a torch

Note: This method is very safe, so there is no need to worry about burning the clivia to death. But it has not been tested on other flowers and trees, so please use it with caution. If you have no experience, you can apply a small amount and leave a longer interval between applications to ensure there is no mishap. At the same time, once it takes effect, you can temporarily stop using it.

2. Promoting flowering and extending the ornamental period of narcissus

Some narcissus that people grow, although lush and green, simply do not bloom; or they wither not long after blooming. Is there any method to promote flowering and extend the flowering period? Yes!

1. Soapy water to promote flowering

Narcissus contains a plant alkaloid that can promote good plant growth and development. Soapy water is an alkaline solution. After narcissus absorbs it, the plant alkaloid content in its body increases, thereby quickly converting vegetative growth into reproductive growth. In this way, an appropriate amount of soapy water plays a role in promoting flowering.

2. Aspirin to extend the ornamental period

Crush one to two aspirin tablets into small granules and sprinkle them into the narcissus pot. The salicylic acid component in aspirin can promote flower bud differentiation and flowering in plants, thus enabling narcissus flowers to bloom larger and more vividly and extending the ornamental period.

Adding some salt to the narcissus pot can also promote flowering and prolong the life of the flowers. In addition, after narcissus blooms, placing it in a relatively cool environment also works well.

3. Inverted cuttings of Epiphyllum

The common method for home propagation of Epiphyllum is cuttings, but many flower enthusiasts report that the survival rate of cuttings is not high, and roots rot easily with a moment's carelessness, so years of cuttings end up being wasted effort. Why do Epiphyllum cuttings rot easily? Because its fleshy stems are relatively thick, and the cut surface is extremely sensitive to soil moisture - if too wet, the cuttings rot easily; if too dry, the branches become shriveled, thin, and feeble, barely hanging on. Even the cut surface of cuttings that have been alive for a long time may still rot with a moment's carelessness, wasting all previous effort. To solve this problem, there is a clever method, and that is inverted planting.

The method is very 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, with the depth in soil about 6-8 cm. Because it is inserted upside down, the cut surface is exposed outside. Under suitable temperatures, it can take root and survive in about 20 days, and new branches can sprout and grow in about a month and a half. At this point, you can safely switch to normal care.

Points to note:

1. Be careful when watering or spraying, and do not spray the upward-facing cut surface.

2. There is no need to control water; from the start, you can water according to the see-dry-see-wet principle.

3. The cutting medium does not need to be sand or plain soil; you can insert the cutting directly into fertile, loose soil.

4. Insert as soon as you cut; the cuttings do not need to be dried in the shade.

5. The old section of the cutting from the new roots to the old part will naturally shrink and dry up later, and new branches will take its place.

4. Force-feeding for fattening when growing roses

The force-feeding method for fattening roses is aimed at the situation where large rose plants, because of limited potting soil, cannot obtain enough nutrients to satisfy their growth. It can make your roses bloom large and vivid and look especially energetic. Friends who are interested may as well give it a try -

1. In early spring, before the roses are about to sprout, pot them or repot them, and apply sufficient fermented base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.

2. The second step is to promote budding. When buds appear, apply solid nitrogen fertilizer such as urea or ammonium sulfate 1-2 times. Be sure to dilute with water strictly according to the ratio in the instructions; do not make it too concentrated, otherwise it will burn the roots. About a week after application, dozens of tender buds can grow densely. At this time, you should thin the buds appropriately according to the size of the plant and the desired shape.

3. The third step, and also the most important step, is force-feeding fertilization:

A. After sprouting, first fully strengthen the supply of nitrogen fertilizer to make the new buds robust. Water with diluted fully fermented soybean cake liquid, etc., and spray the leaves and tender branches with a 1/1000 urea solution, alternating the two once a week;

B. When the new buds have grown to about 2 cun, begin switching to fertilizer based mainly on phosphorus and potassium. Apply diluted fish intestine fertilizer or other phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to the potting soil, and spray the leaves and branch tips with 1/1000 monopotassium phosphate, also alternating once a week. In this way, before long a flower bud will appear at the tip of each branch. To distribute the flower buds evenly, you can thin the buds appropriately;

C. After that, still alternately use phosphorus- and potassium-based fertilizer once every other week to favor the next batch of flowers. In between, apply nitrogen fertilizer about once a month.

Note: Apply organic fertilizer to the potting soil and inorganic fertilizer to the leaf surfaces, and do not arbitrarily increase the concentration; when heavy rain occurs, avoid or shelter from the rain to prevent loss of potting soil and nutrients; it is best to add a certain proportion of coal cinder ash to the potting soil, as it is both breathable and has the function of adsorbing nutrients, releasing them relatively evenly.

5. Carrying cuttings over a thousand li

But in a distant place, how do you keep cuttings from losing water, and how do you bring them home smoothly? Here is a simple and easy method: carrying cuttings from a thousand li away makes moisture retention a problem. Storing them in plastic bags can retain moisture, but it is not breathable, and sometimes the cuttings still rot. To retain moisture and keep the cuttings fresh, you only need to buy a few fresh cucumbers, and the problem is solved. Cut off the leaves from the branches, leave the leaf stalks, and insert them from the flowering end of the cucumber. This can both maintain the moisture of the cuttings and prevent them from rotting (because cucumbers contain a component that kills bacteria). In this way, as long as the cucumber does not rot, the cuttings will be fine, and no matter how far away, you can bring them home and have them survive as you wish.

6. Cleverly washing old flower pots

After some time, people who grow flowers will have some old flower pots left over: either because some flowers and trees died, or because small pots remain after repotting. It is a pity to throw these old flower pots away, but if you continue to use them, cleaning them is very troublesome (you must clean them: first, to wash away the layer of white crust on the surface that hinders the respiration of flowers and trees; second, to remove insect eggs and miscellaneous bacteria; third, for appearance). Don't worry, here is a simple clever cleaning method:

Add a certain proportion of ferrous sulfate to a container full of water, then stack the old flower pots in order of size, large ones at the bottom and small ones on top, and soak them together in the ferrous sulfate aqueous solution. After about three days, take them out and gently brush them, and the dirt on the surface of the flower pots can be washed completely clean. The reason is simple: the ferrous sulfate solution is slightly acidic, while the white crust on the pot edges is alkaline. When the two neutralize each other, cleaning becomes very convenient.

After using this method, the flower pots can remain clean and attractive for a long time. In addition, the pots become slightly acidic, which is also beneficial to the growth of flowers and trees.

New flower pots treated this way can achieve the same preventive effect.

7. Lazy person's gardening: bury quail eggs alive

If you want to grow flowers well but find fertilizing troublesome, and want even more to stay away from the dirt and smell of fertilizer, is there any good trick? Yes! Here is one method:

Buy a few quail eggs, first 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 facing up gently at a depth of 2 cm above the cultivation soil at the bottom of the pot, then normally fill the pot with soil on top.

Because the cultivation soil contains a large amount of organic matter and the potting soil remains moist for a long time, as the temperature rises and fungi act, the egg liquid continuously decomposes and overflows from the fine cracks, turning into fertilizer for the flower and tree roots to absorb, thus satisfying the needs of flower growth very well. Entering midsummer, most flowers and trees enter a period of vigorous growth and need more fertilizer. This is also a time of active bacterial growth, and the decomposition of egg fertilizer accelerates accordingly, ensuring the supply. One small quail egg can basically maintain fertility for 1-2 years. Generally speaking, using this method, you can go all year without applying organic fertilizer, but shortly after the egg fertilizer is applied and before it has taken effect, you can apply some chemical fertilizer as appropriate. In this method, the process of raw egg fertilizer becoming mature is completed inside the eggshell, so there will be no situation where raw fertilizer burns the roots. In addition, after the eggshell decomposes, it is also a very good calcium fertilizer.

(Note: The number of eggs depends on the size of the flower pot. If placing one, it can be put in the middle of the pot; if using two or more, they can be placed symmetrically, 2-4 cm from the pot edge.)

8. Mixing seeds with oil makes them easy to germinate

When sowing in spring, everyone may again encounter the following problems: some flower seeds sprout a few days after sowing; some flowers, such as clivia, cyclamen, and asparagus fern, germinate more slowly and only show themselves after much waiting; and some are watched for ages without appearing at all, simply not germinating. Is there any way to improve this?

Specific method: First soak the seeds to be sown in warm water at about 35°C for 24 hours, then take out the flower seeds and wrap them in a dry cloth, wringing out the external water; then mix the flower seeds with some clean cooking oil (such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, and sesame oil, etc.), and next you can sow them in the usual way.

Do not underestimate this small method. It can make seeds that are difficult to germinate emerge about 20 days earlier, and the seedlings are robust and grow quickly; in addition, it also has a very good effect on increasing the germination rate.

9. A new method for breathability in porcelain pots and plastic pots

Clay pots are breathable and comfortable, but less attractive; porcelain pots are sturdy and beautiful, and plastic pots are light and inexpensive, but they are not very breathable. In short, all have some shortcomings. Actually, with just a little thought, you can turn their shortcomings into advantages~

Before repotting in early spring, first prepare some foam plastic (there is a lot in electrical appliance packaging boxes) and cut it into small pieces the size of tangyuan. When repotting, use a piece of thicker paper to form a ring according to the inner diameter of the flower pot, then place it in the flower pot (leave a certain gap between the paper ring and the flower pot). Next, fill the gap between the two with the plastic pieces. Inside the paper ring, fill soil and plant as usual. In this way, the entire repotting task is fully completed.

With plastic pieces along the inner edge of porcelain pots and plastic pots, their breathability is greatly increased, which has a very good effect on the growth and development of flowers. (Plastic granules can also be used at the bottom of the pot.)

10. Growing flowers with broken bricks and tiles

When growing flowers in the city, soil is very precious. Some people continue to use old soil after repotting, but it is actually far inferior to broken bricks and tiles. Broken bricks and tiles are easy to obtain and can be found everywhere.

Specific method: Break waste bricks and tiles into fragments about 0.2-0.5 cm in diameter. When planting flowers, place the smaller and powdery pieces near the plant roots, and place the larger fragments at the bottom of the pot or in other parts. Other practices are the same as planting with soil.

Growing flowers with broken bricks and tiles has advantages such as breathability, water retention, and fertilizer retention. Because broken bricks and tiles have many tiny gaps and especially strong adsorption capacity, they can quickly absorb applied water and fertilizer, playing a role in retaining water and fertilizer; secondly, because bricks and tiles have been fired, their texture is hard but not solid, and they do not dissolve in water. The many tiny gaps inside can be retained for a long time, which is conducive to the circulation of air in the soil.

Tests have shown that pomegranates, Aglaia, and Pyracantha grown with broken bricks and tiles have well-developed root systems, large flowers, many fruits, and long flowering periods. (Because broken bricks and tiles themselves contain fewer nutrients, fertilization should be applied more times than with soil cultivation.)

11. Sesame oil to prevent ants and control aphids

If your flower or tree is placed alone in a single pot and does not touch other flowers or trees, you can apply sesame oil where the flower pot contacts the ground;

If your flowers and trees are placed in multiple pots on a flower stand, you can apply sesame oil where the legs of the stand contact the ground. Ants generally enter the pot through the hole at the bottom, and you can also apply sesame oil at the bottom hole. In this way, everything is OK, the problem is completely solved, and you can rest easy. If you find an ant nest nearby, drip sesame oil at the entrance too, and the ants will not dare come out.

12. An alternative way to increase humidity

To grow azaleas well on a balcony, the humidity problem is a real headache. Generally speaking, the climate on a balcony is always drier than outdoors, but azaleas need relatively high humidity, which forms a difficult contradiction: either the buds are hard to open, or the red fades and the fragrance disappears. In fact, conditions can be created, and balconies can also be used to grow them well

Specific method: Find a shallow tray or other container slightly larger than the potted azalea, place two wooden strips 3-4 cm high at intervals in the tray, then set the azalea pot on the wooden strips, and add water to the shallow tray. The water height only needs to be level with the bottom of the azalea pot or slightly touch 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.

The reason this method can effectively increase humidity is that the shallow tray has standing water year-round or intermittently, equivalent to installing a simple humidifier that continuously transpires upward. The higher the temperature, the faster the transpiration, which exactly matches the humidity requirements of azaleas at different stages. Secondly, water slowly moistens the entire pot wall from the bottom up, keeping it often in a good state of being neither too dry nor too wet, protecting the potting soil and roots from the effects of dry air.

This method can be used with confidence; azaleas will not have root rot. Because 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 moistening by water is completed by slowly rising, and the amount of water is limited. Moreover, intermittent water supply gives the azalea a chance to adjust the soil air and humidity.

Points to note:

1. When repotting azaleas, it is best to place some foam plastic pieces and other materials at the bottom of the pot, which is safer.

2. The amount of watering should be appropriately reduced; the water given at one time is about 2/3 that for ordinary potted flowers.

3. During high-temperature periods, the effect will be better if combined with measures such as frequently spraying water on the azaleas.

13. Cutting roots in stages to renew old trees

The so-called lifeblood means that life lies in the roots, and this is especially true for plants. When the roots are strong, the plant is strong; when the roots age, its life is nearing its end. Therefore, if we want to prolong the life of plants, we must use our brains on the roots - during the spring growth period, scrape away the potting soil, cut off 1/3 of the entire root system, then cover it with potting soil again. Fine new roots will soon grow from the cut old root areas. Treat it the same way next year and the third year. After three years, it is equivalent to the entire root system having been renewed. Compared with old roots, new roots have significantly stronger ability to absorb water and fertilizer, so it is only natural for the old tree to regain its youth.

In addition, after cutting off the old roots, you can replace 1/3 of the soil with new soil. After three years, the potting soil is equivalent to being completely renewed, and the trouble of repotting is also avoided, achieving two benefits at once.

If the old stump still has some vitality, you can also combine this with shaping by cutting it short to make it send out new branches.

14. Clever use of sawdust: turning waste into treasure

During ordinary home renovation, sawdust is often simply thrown away as garbage afterward. 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 plants such as roses, gardenias, and pomegranates has an obvious effect, far superior to soil cuttings or water cuttings, and roots grow quickly, in greater numbers, and the plants are robust. It has an even greater advantage: after the plant takes root and survives, it can be moved into potting soil together with the clumped sawdust, so the roots are not damaged, the plant establishes easily, and it flowers and fruits early. Even for varieties that are relatively difficult to root, such as azaleas, I have tried successfully, and even inch-long tender tips of crabapple can root quickly. The reason is that sawdust has better water retention and breathability than soil, and oxygen is abundant.

Specific method: After putting sawdust into a flower pot, pour boiling water over it repeatedly several times to thoroughly disinfect it. After the temperature drops, squeeze out the excess water (so that the wet sawdust does not drip water when squeezed by hand), and then you can start cutting. The method is the same as soil cuttings. After cutting, keep the sawdust moist and it will quickly take root and survive. This method can be carried out in all four seasons, except in winter it needs to be placed on a sunny windowsill with heating indoors.

2. Used as wrapping medium for air layering: Because sawdust is loose in texture and its dryness and moisture can be controlled, it is also superior to other media, roots faster, is relatively safer, and has a high survival rate.

Specific method: After girdling the plant, fill the plastic bag wrapped around it with a medium made of half wet sawdust and half loess, then tie both ends tightly.

3. Used as fertilizer: Making fertilizer with wet sawdust is nutritionally comprehensive, economical and convenient, and clean and sanitary.

Specific method: Mix wet sawdust with an appropriate amount of inorganic fertilizer such as superphosphate or potassium phosphate or urea, and it is even better if organic fertilizer is mixed in, then put it into a plastic bag and tie the bag opening tightly. Turn it over once every two weeks to accelerate even decomposition. In spring and autumn, it can be used in about six weeks.

Points to note: When using it, mix in 50% soil, and the sawdust must be fermented before use.

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

Flower enthusiasts often say that in winter it is difficult to judge how much to water. Roots rot, leaves fall, and the poor flowers' lives are hard to save. Is there any simple method that can help everyone quickly grasp the watering scale? Yes. Please be merciful and leave some wild grass in the pot; pulling out weeds by the roots is not advisable.

Generally speaking, most varieties of plants are in dormancy or semi-dormancy in winter, so they do not need much water, and the soil only needs to be slightly moist. But many flower enthusiasts, as soon as they see the soil surface turn pale, anxiously water, thinking the flowers may dry out. Actually it is not so. The soil surface may be pale while the middle is still very moist. If you water this way, it would be strange if the flowers and trees did not develop problems!

Leaving some grass in the pot does not mean leaving any grass. You should leave those green grasses that stand cold-resistant through winter. And it is not that the more the better; just three to five stalks are enough.

When should you water? When should you not? Look at the grass! If the grass is still standing green and lush, do not water; if the wild grass has wilted and lost its spirit, water immediately. The scale is just that simple!

Leaving some grass in the pot has more benefits than these: it can prevent cold in winter, protect from sun in summer, and also decorate the pot surface - just think, what is attractive about bare soil? In addition, when loosening the soil, burying the grass in the soil with a shovel makes green manure, enough to compensate for the loss caused by wild grass competing with potted flowers for fertilizer.

I have used this method for watering for more than a year, and it has proved effective every time.

Note

1. Plants still flowering and fruiting in winter are not covered by this example.

2. This method is also applicable in other seasons.

16. Burying nodes to propagate bamboo into a grove

In early spring during 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 both ends of the bamboo tube with moist fine sand, filling and compacting it, and seal both ends of the bamboo tube with clay. This is the first step.

Next, choose loose, water-permeable sandy loam. According to the thickness of the bamboo tube, dig a trench about 10 cm deep, place the prepared bamboo tube flat in the trench and cover it with soil, press it down slightly, then water thoroughly. In this way, the task is complete. Remember when burying the nodes to keep the buds facing upward, and absolutely do not put it in upside down.

The bamboo nodes can grow tender shoots in about 25-30 days. If making a bonsai, just pot it during the rainy season.

1. To cultivate a bamboo grove, choose thick bamboo; to cultivate potted plants, choose thin varieties.

2. Be careful when sawing the bamboo tube; do not let it split, so as to avoid injuring the buds.

3. Water according to the see-dry-see-wet principle.

4. After burying, it is best to cover with some bamboo branches or dry grass to block part of the sunlight.

17. Homemade rooting agents: fast and abundant rooting

The weather is gradually warming, the ground is heating up, and it is again a good season for cuttings. There are many cutting methods, and generally people like soil cuttings or water cuttings. But everyone's operating techniques differ; added to differences in plant varieties, rooting may be easy or difficult, which makes survival rates vary. To properly solve this problem, before cutting, everyone likes to use rooting agents such as naphthalene acetic acid. This is indeed effective, and the rooting survival rate also improves. But what if the place is remote, supplies are out of stock, and you cannot buy any for a while? Don't worry. Let me introduce several homemade rooting agents for you. No need to spend money, and the effect is no worse than bought ones -

(1) Phosphate fertilizer liquid~~ As mentioned above, rooting agents such as naphthalene acetic acid are actually a kind of rooting hormone. In fact, phosphate fertilizer liquid has the same effect. Because "phosphorus," this substance, can effectively promote the growth and development of plant cells and tissues and promote wound healing and rooting in plants.

Specific method: Before cutting, first dilute the phosphate fertilizer liquid with water at a ratio of 7 water to 3 fertilizer, then soak the pre-treated cuttings (root ends) in the fertilizer liquid, with the submerged part accounting for 1/3 of the cutting. After 2-3 hours, take them out and rinse with clean water, then cut in the usual way.

For common varieties such as camellia and rose, using this method for cuttings can produce roots 10-22 days earlier, with well-developed roots and vigorous growth.

(2) White sugar liquid~~ This 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 water to 1 sugar. After the sugar water cools, soak the prepared cuttings in it. Take them out after about 40-60 minutes, rinse the cut ends with clean water, and use a sharp knife to cut off part of the cut ends, then cut in the usual way.

After the above treatment, the survival rate of plants is much higher than with ordinary cuttings. Even for azaleas, camellias, and others that are relatively difficult 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 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, the cuttings can be soaked for about 1 day (a longer time does no harm, as willow liquid contains components that inhibit bacterial reproduction), and then inserted in the usual way. They root quickly and abundantly, and the plants grow vigorously.

Eighteen. The "amphibious" cutting method

Cuttings are a simple and easy propagation method that everyone likes to use; right now it is also the good season for cuttings, so these several posts of mine are all related to cuttings. I am recommending them to everyone, hoping they will be of some help to you all.

The two most commonly used cutting methods are soil cuttings and water cuttings, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. But both have one difficult hurdle~~after rooting, they must be moved into pots. Because the new roots are rather delicate, and some people are not very skilled in handling them, all previous efforts are often wasted and success slips away at the last moment, which is very disheartening.

The cutting method introduced below does not require moving into a pot after rooting, thus greatly increasing 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. (Other materials can also be used, but it must be something that can be poked open when needed.)

2. Put about 3/5 cutting soil at the bottom of the container, then spread about 1/5 river sand on top to fix the cuttings. Then gently pour in clean water until it is about 1 cm above the sand surface.

3. Insert the cuttings. The cuttings can be about 8-15 cm long; cut the lower end flat with a sharp knife (a horseshoe shape or a flat surface are both fine), as this makes rot less likely. Insert the cuttings about 1/3 of the way into the yellow sand, and remove any 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 (cuttings taken in midsummer are better placed in diffused light), but the sand surface must not be short of water. Change the clean 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 point, poke open the sealed bottom hole of the pot from below and drain all the water. After a few days, once the pot soil is dry, water again and enter the normal management stage.

Points to note:

a. Choose moisture-tolerant varieties, such as gardenia, Buddhist pine, and Serissa japonica.

b. The pot soil should be plain soil (without fertilizer).

c. If you cannot confirm whether the cuttings have rooted, you can pull one up to observe. If white new roots appear on the callus tissue, you can drain the water and switch to dry cultivation.

Nineteen. Soilless cuttings - wrapped in soft paper

Let me teach you a simple and easy cutting method that uses no soil and no water, just a few sheets of paper. The specific operation method is as follows:

1. Take a sheet of highly absorbent soft paper (such as toilet paper), and first wrap the bottom of the cutting, which has been cut at a slant. The thickness should be such that after the soft paper absorbs water thoroughly, the cut surface can still be seen, so do not make it too thick. This allows direct observation of changes such as healing and rooting at the cut, and it also has good air permeability, which is crucial.

2. Use soft paper cut to a suitable size to wrap as much of the stem 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 cutting in a container without a bottom hole, tie the mouth of the pot tightly with plastic film to retain moisture, and place it in a ventilated environment without direct light. With that, your work is done, and after rooting you only need to pot it up.

Note: After the cutting is wrapped, the thickness of the stem should be 2 times the stem or slightly thicker, which can keep the soft paper from drying out completely for a long time. After that, no special care is needed, and the cutting can root quickly.

If this method is used for cuttings of poinsettia, variegated Schefflera, Aucuba, and so on, the fastest root in 7 days; variegated Schefflera in 9 days; and rubber tree in 10 days all have root tips emerging, and they are thick and well developed. Aucuba and others root somewhat more slowly, but within half a month root tips have formed.

This method is simple and easy to carry out, and the materials are widely available 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.

Twenty. Orange jasmine, blooming and fragrant every day

Orange jasmine has glossy leaves and is evergreen all year round. When it blooms, it is richly fragrant, and the tiny golden-yellow flowers like grains of rice are very eye-catching against the green leaves. If cared for properly, there is no problem with orange jasmine blooming 5 times a year, so can it be made to bloom and be fragrant every day?

Generally speaking, after orange jasmine blooms once, it needs to "rest" for a period before it can bloom 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 properly thinning buds to reduce the nutrients consumed by each bloom. Specifically, when orange jasmine first (or second) forms buds in early spring, 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 repeat this continuously. With cumulative flower and bud thinning reaching more than 6-7 times, and the branches that have been thinned reaching more than 60-70% of all branches, in this way all the branches of the orange jasmine 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 whose buds were thinned the first time bloom next, and then the flowers open in the order in which the buds were thinned. In total, one pot of orange jasmine can let you smell its fragrance every day for 7-8 months during the entire growing period. (Because its fragrance is strong, thinning some flowers does 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.

Twenty-one. Spraying flowers with beer kills two birds with one stone

Among pests, aphids and red spider mites are still fairly easy to deal with; spray the targeted pesticide twice and it is basically ok. But scale insects are more troublesome. They have a protective layer - a waxy shell - and spraying pesticide has little effect on them, so they really seem a bit invulnerable. Then, besides manual removal (brushing them off), is there any 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, making sure to spray all parts as much as possible. 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 there are still living ones, spray again. 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' bodies, 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 frequently, the plant can grow full of vitality and look especially spirited. The ratio should be weaker than when treating pests: 8 parts water to 1 part beer is enough. If you are interested, you might as well give it a try.

Twenty-two. Four watering methods

Watering is the first hurdle that flower growers must pass, and also one they must pass. Although watering looks simple, there is actually a lot of knowledge in it, and many beginners' flowers are ruined at this hurdle. Regarding watering, the so-called "water when dry, stop when wet"; more watering during the growing period and less during dormancy; more watering for small pots and less for large pots, and so on, are all fairly well understood by everyone, so I will not say more. Below I will only introduce several special watering methods——

1. Sand column method - prevents pot soil from compacting

When potting or repotting flowers, first stand several hollow tubes in the pot (bamboo tubes, plastic pipes, iron pipes, and so on are all fine), then fill soil around them and press it firm. Next, pour coarse sand into the tubes until the top is level with the soil surface. Finally, gently pull out the hollow tubes, and sand columns will form in the pot. Later, when watering, the water only spreads outward through the sand columns, thus preventing the soil from compacting, with no adverse side effects.

Note: The tubes must not 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, but the bottom is still dry. If this is done often, how could flowers and trees fail to die? There are several reasons: inexperience; pot soil that is too compacted; not repotting for a long time so the roots become 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 each is thoroughly watered. After all are watered, water them again from beginning to end, and for a few individual ones you can even water a third time. In this way, the situation of half-watering can basically be eliminated. This is because after the first round of watering, even if it has not penetrated thoroughly, the pot 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: This is unnecessary for loose pot soil. If you do not have many flowers, you can do some other things after watering and water once more after a while.

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 dancing golden sparrows, and 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 is very prone to root rot and 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 thoroughly watered, and you can take it out.

Note: You must also follow the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet.

4. Noon water - makes jasmine more fragrant

Watering jasmine at noon can make its flowers more richly fragrant when they bloom. The ancients already summarized it: "If you want jasmine to be fragrant, give it 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 once 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 this cautiously.

Twenty-three. Wonderful uses of old loofah in flower growing

In the past, villagers used it to wash bowls and scrub pots; now no one uses it, and it seems to have become waste. Has it really become waste? No! After picking old loofah, wash it clean and dry it. When repotting and changing soil or potting flowers, cut it 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 pot soil, add more soil, and afterward you can proceed normally.

Note: Before cutting, first spread it flat on the ground and smash the loofah seeds with a hammer. (This method can effectively improve the pot soil, making it loose and preventing compaction. Moreover, the loofah fibers and seeds slowly decompose in the pot soil and are a very good long-acting nitrogen fertilizer, so potted flowers all have green leaves and beautiful blooms.)

An introduction to various flower-growing techniques and experience

This article introduces flower-growing experience and insights.

Growing flowers requires professional knowledge. Especially to grow flowers well, deep professional knowledge and careful care are even more necessary. How can you grow flowers in the best way? Only through continuous learning and summarizing experience on how to grow flowers best, and then practicing it, can you have a special skill in flower growing. Below I will introduce some flower-growing techniques for everyone, hoping they will be helpful to those who love flowers!

One. Method of making clivia bloom by getting it drunk

Clivia has shining leaves and a graceful stem, with large red flowers that are dazzling; overall it also appears elegant and dignified, especially suitable for placing on indoor desks, and most people like to keep a few pots at home. But there is often a situation like this: when bought it is in full bloom, but after flowering it neither blooms nor grows leaves, as if it has become a stunted seedling. Is there any way to change this situation? Yes, this is the method of making it bloom by getting it drunk:

The liquor should be baijiu, whether high-proof or low-proof does not matter. Yanghe Daqu is fine, Erguotou is also fine, and if you have the financial strength, Moutai is welcome too. After Qingming and before late autumn, pour a cup of baijiu into the clivia pot every few days. When pouring, be careful not to splash it on the plant. In this way, after seven or eight days, you will be able to see the effect: the flower scape emerges, new leaves grow, and the stunted seedling revives. If handled in this way, the clivia will grow better and better, and the flowers it opens will be like a torch.

Note: This method is very safe, so there is no need to worry about burning the clivia to death. But it has not been tested on other flowers and trees, so please use it cautiously. If you have no experience, you can apply a small amount and leave a longer interval, to ensure nothing goes wrong. At the same time, after it takes effect, you can temporarily stop using it.

Two. Promoting flowering and prolonging the ornamental period of narcissus

Some narcissus grown by people, although lush and green, simply do not bloom; or, they wither not long after blooming. Is there any method to promote flowering and prolong the flowering period? Yes!

1. Soapy water promotes flowering

Narcissus contains a plant alkaloid that can promote good plant growth and development. Soapy water is an alkaline solution. After narcissus absorbs it, the plant alkaloid in its body increases, thus enabling vegetative growth to quickly transform into reproductive growth. In this way, an appropriate amount of soapy water plays a role in promoting flowering.

2. Aspirin prolongs the ornamental period

Crush one to two aspirin tablets into small particles and sprinkle them into the narcissus pot. The salicylic acid component in aspirin can promote flower bud differentiation and flowering in plants; therefore, it can make narcissus flowers larger and more vivid, and prolong the ornamental period.

Putting some salt in the narcissus pot can likewise promote flowering and make the flowers last longer. In addition, after narcissus blooms, placing it in a relatively cool environment also works well.

Three. Inserting epiphyllum upside down

The common trick for propagating epiphyllum at home is cuttings, but many flower lovers report that the survival rate of cuttings is not high, and they rot at the slightest misstep, so many years of cuttings yield no success. Why do epiphyllum cuttings rot easily? Because its fleshy stem is relatively thick, and the cut surface is extremely sensitive to soil moisture - if too wet, the cutting rots easily; if too dry, the branch shrivels and becomes weak and listless. Even the cut surface of a branch that has been rooted for a long time can still rot if you are not careful, wasting all previous efforts. To solve this problem, there is a clever method, namely inserting upside down.

The method is very 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, with the insertion depth about 6-8 cm. Because it is inserted upside down, the cut surface is exposed. At a suitable temperature, it can root and survive in about 20 days, and in a month and a half new branches can sprout and grow. At this point, it can safely be transferred to normal management.

Points to note:

1. Be careful when watering or spraying, and do not spray the upward-facing cut surface.

2. There is no need to control water; from the start you can water when dry and stop when wet.

3. The cutting medium does not need to be sand or plain soil; it can be inserted directly into fertile, loose soil.

4. Insert as soon as you cut; the cutting does not need to be dried in the shade.

5. The section of the cutting from the new roots to the old part will naturally shrink and dry up later, and new branches will take its place.

Four. Force-feeding and fattening to grow roses

The method of force-feeding and fattening to grow roses is carried out in response to the situation where large rose plants, because the pot soil is limited, cannot provide enough nutrients to satisfy rose growth. It can make the roses you grow large, vivid, and especially spirited. Interested friends might as well give it a try——

1. In early spring, before the roses are about to sprout, pot them or repot them, and apply sufficient fermented base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.

2. The second step is to promote buds. At budding time, apply 1-2 times of solid nitrogen fertilizer such as urea or ammonium sulfate. Be sure to mix with water and apply strictly according to the ratio on the instructions; it must not be too concentrated, otherwise it will burn the roots. About one week after application, dozens of tender buds can grow densely. At this time, buds should be properly thinned according to plant size and shaping requirements.

3. The third step, and also the most important step, is force-feeding fertilization:

A. After sprouting, first fully strengthen the supply of nitrogen fertilizer to make the new buds strong. Water with diluted fully fermented soybean cake liquid, and spray the leaf surface and tender branches with a 1/1000 urea solution. Alternate the two once a week;

B. When the new buds have grown to about 2 cun, begin switching to fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium. Apply diluted fish intestine fertilizer or other phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to the pot soil, and spray the leaf surface and branch tips with 1/1000 monopotassium phosphate, likewise alternating once a week. In this way, before long a flower bud will appear at the tip of each branch. To distribute the flower buds evenly, properly thin the buds;

C. Afterward, still alternate once every week with fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium, to benefit the next batch of flowers. In between, apply nitrogen fertilizer about once a month.

Explanation: Apply organic fertilizer in the pot soil and inorganic fertilizer on the leaf surface, and do not arbitrarily increase the concentration; when heavy rain occurs, avoid or shelter from the rain to prevent loss of pot soil and nutrients; it is best to add a certain proportion of coal cinder ash to the pot soil, as it is both breathable and has the function of adsorbing nutrients, and releases them relatively evenly.

Five. Carrying cuttings a thousand miles

But in a distant place, how do you keep the cuttings from losing water, and how do you bring them home smoothly? Below is a simple and easy method: carrying cuttings from a thousand miles away makes moisture retention a difficult problem. Keeping them in a plastic bag can retain moisture, but it is not breathable, and sometimes the cuttings still rot. To retain moisture and keep the cuttings fresh, you only need to buy a few fresh cucumbers, and the problem is solved. Cut the leaves off the branches, leave the leaf stalks, and insert them into the flowering end of the cucumber. This can both maintain the moisture of the cuttings and prevent them from rotting (because cucumber contains a component that kills bacteria). In this way, as long as the cucumber does not rot, the cuttings will be fine, and no matter how far away, you can bring them home and have them survive as you wish.

Six. Cleverly washing old flowerpots

After a period of time, households that grow flowers will have some old flowerpots left over: either some flowers and trees died; or small flowerpots are left after repotting. It is a pity to throw these old flowerpots away, but if you continue to use them, cleaning them is very troublesome (cleaning is necessary first to wash off the white scale formed on the surface that hinders the respiration of flowers and trees; second to remove insect eggs and miscellaneous bacteria; third for appearance). Do not worry, below I will teach you a simple clever cleaning method:

Add a certain proportion of ferrous sulfate to a container filled with water, then nest the old flowerpots according to size, large ones below and small ones above, and soak them together in the ferrous sulfate aqueous solution. After about three days, take them out and brush lightly with a bristle brush, and the dirt on the surface of the flowerpots can be washed completely clean. The reason is very simple: the ferrous sulfate solution is slightly acidic, and the white scale on the pot edge is alkaline. When the two neutralize, cleaning becomes very convenient.

After this method is used, the flowerpots can remain clean and attractive for a long time. In addition, the pots being slightly acidic is also beneficial to the growth of flowers and trees.

New flowerpots treated by this method can have the same preventive effect.

Seven. Lazy person's flower growing by burying quail eggs

You want to grow flowers well, but find fertilizing troublesome, and want even more to stay away from the dirt and smell of fertilizer. Is there any good trick? Yes! Here is one method:

Buy a few quail eggs, first 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 culture soil at the bottom of the pot, then fill the pot normally with soil on top.

Because the culture soil contains a large amount of organic matter, and the pot soil is in a moist state for a long time, as the temperature rises and fungi act, the egg liquid continuously decomposes through decay and overflows from the fine cracks, turning into fertilizer for the flower roots to absorb, thus satisfying the needs of flower growth very well. Entering midsummer, most flowers and trees enter a period of vigorous growth and need more fertilizer. This is also precisely the period of active bacterial growth, so the decomposition of egg fertilizer accelerates accordingly, ensuring the supply. One small quail egg can basically maintain fertility for 1-2 years. Generally speaking, using this method, no organic fertilizer is needed all year, but shortly after the egg fertilizer is applied and before it takes effect, an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer and so on can be applied. In this method, the process of raw egg fertilizer becoming mature is completed inside the eggshell, so there will be no situation where raw fertilizer burns the roots. In addition, after the eggshell decomposes, it is also a very good calcium fertilizer.

(Note: The number of eggs depends on the size of the flowerpot. If placing one, it can be placed in the middle of the pot; if using two or more, they can be placed symmetrically, 2-4 cm from the pot edge.)

Eight. Mixing seeds with oil makes germination easy

For spring sowing, everyone may again encounter the following problems: some flower seeds sprout a few days after sowing; some flowers such as clivia, cyclamen, and asparagus fern germinate more slowly, appearing only after countless calls; and some are watched for ages without appearing at all, simply not germinating. Is there any way to improve this?

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

Do not underestimate this small method. It can make seeds that are difficult to germinate emerge about 20 days earlier, and the seedlings are strong and grow quickly; in addition, it also has a very good effect on increasing the germination rate.

Nine. New methods for air permeability in porcelain pots and plastic pots

Clay pots are breathable and comfortable, but less attractive; porcelain pots are sturdy and beautiful, and plastic pots are light and inexpensive, but they are not very breathable. In short, all have some shortcomings. In fact, with just a little thought, you can turn the shortcomings into advantages~

Before repotting in early spring, first prepare some plastic foam (there is a lot in electrical appliance packaging boxes), and cut it into small pieces the size of tangyuan. When repotting, use a piece of thicker paper to form a ring according to the inner diameter of the flowerpot, then place it in the flowerpot (leave a certain gap between the paper ring and the flowerpot). Next, fill the gap between the two with the plastic pieces. Inside the paper ring, fill soil and plant as usual. In this way, the entire repotting task is completed.

With plastic pieces along the inner edge of porcelain pots and plastic pots, their air permeability is greatly increased, which has a very good effect on the growth and development of flowers. (Plastic particles can also be used at the bottom of the pot.)

Ten. Growing flowers with broken bricks and tiles

Growing flowers in the city makes soil very precious. Some people continue to use old soil after repotting, but it is actually far inferior to broken bricks and tiles. Broken bricks and tiles are easy to obtain and can be found everywhere.

Specific method: break waste bricks and tiles into fragments about 0.2-0.5 cm in diameter. When planting flowers, place the smaller and powdery pieces near the plant roots, and place the larger fragments at the bottom of the pot or other parts. Other practices are the same as planting with soil.

Growing flowers with broken bricks and tiles has the advantages of air permeability, water retention, and fertilizer retention. This is because broken bricks and tiles have many tiny voids and especially strong adsorption capacity, and can quickly absorb applied water and fertilizer, playing a role in retaining water and fertilizer; second, because bricks and tiles have been fired, their texture is hard but not solid, and they have the characteristic of not dissolving in water. The many tiny voids inside can be retained for a long time, which is conducive to the circulation of air in the soil.

Tests have shown that pomegranate, orange jasmine, and pyracantha grown with broken bricks and tiles have well-developed root systems, large flowers, many fruits, and long flowering periods. (Because broken bricks and tiles themselves contain relatively few nutrients, fertilization should be applied several more times than in soil cultivation.)

Eleven. Sesame oil prevents ants and controls aphids

If your flower or tree is placed alone in one pot and does not come into contact with other flowers and trees, you can apply sesame oil where the flowerpot touches the ground;

If your flowers and trees are placed in multiple pots on a flower stand, you can apply sesame oil where the legs of the stand touch the ground. Ants generally enter the pot through the bottom hole, so you can also apply sesame oil at the bottom hole. In this way, everything is OK, the problem is completely solved, and you can rest easy. If you find an ant nest nearby, drip sesame oil at the entrance of the nest too, and the ants will not dare come out.

Twelve. An alternative way to increase humidity

To grow azaleas well on a balcony, the humidity problem is a real headache. Generally speaking, the climate on a balcony is always drier than outdoors, but azaleas need relatively high humidity, which forms a difficult contradiction: either the buds are hard to open, or the red fades and the fragrance disappears. In fact, conditions can be created, and balconies can also be used to grow them well.

Specific method: find a shallow dish or other vessel slightly larger than the potted azalea, place two wooden strips 3-4 cm high at intervals in the dish, then set the azalea pot on the wooden strips, and add water to the shallow dish. The water height should be level with the bottom of the azalea pot or just slightly 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.

The reason this method can effectively increase humidity is that the shallow dish has standing water year-round or intermittently, which is equivalent to installing a simple humidifier that continuously transpires upward. The higher the temperature, the faster the transpiration, which exactly matches the azalea's humidity requirements at different periods. Second, the water slowly moistens the entire pot wall from the bottom up, keeping it often in a good state of being neither too dry nor too wet, protecting the pot soil and root system from the influence of dry air.

This method can be used with confidence, and the azalea will not rot. Because the water seeps in from the bottom of the pot, its depth cannot exceed the depth of the shallow dish below; at the same time, the moistening by water is completed by slowly rising, and the amount of water is limited. Moreover, intermittent water supply gives the azalea a chance to adjust the soil air and humidity.

Points to note:

1. When repotting azaleas, it is best to put some plastic foam pieces and other materials at the bottom of the pot, which is safer.

2. The amount of watering should be appropriately reduced; the water given at one time is about 2/3 that for ordinary potted flowers.

3. During high-temperature periods, the effect will be better if combined with measures such as frequently spraying water on the azaleas.

Thirteen. Cutting roots in sections gives old trees new life

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 if we want to extend a plant's life, we must work on the roots. During the spring growing season, scrape away the potting soil, cut off 1/3 of the entire root system, then cover it back with potting soil. New fine roots will quickly grow from where the old roots were cut. Do the same the next year and the third year. After three years, it is equivalent to having completely renewed the root system. Compared with old roots, new roots are noticeably stronger at absorbing water and nutrients, so it is only natural that the old tree regains its youth.

In addition, after cutting off the old roots, you can replace 1/3 of the soil with new soil. After three years, the potting soil is completely renewed, and you also avoid the trouble of repotting. It kills two birds with one stone.

If an old stump still has decent vigor, you can also shorten it in combination with shaping, so that it sends out new branches.

Fourteen. The wonderful use of sawdust: turning waste into treasure

When ordinary households renovate, afterward the sawdust is often just thrown away as garbage. In fact, sawdust is very useful to those of us who grow flowers. We can absolutely turn waste into treasure~~

1. Cuttings: Sawdust used as a cutting medium for plants such as Chinese rose, gardenia, and pomegranate has an obvious effect, far superior to soil cuttings or water cuttings, and roots form quickly, in greater number, and the plants are robust. It has an even greater advantage: after the plant has rooted and survived, it can be moved into potting soil together with the block of sawdust, so the roots are not damaged, the plant establishes easily, and it flowers and fruits early. Even azaleas, a variety that is relatively difficult to root from cuttings, I have tried successfully, and even inch-long tender tips of crabapple can root quickly. The reason is that sawdust has better water retention and aeration than soil, and oxygen is abundant.

Specific method: Put sawdust into a flowerpot, then pour boiling water through it several times to thoroughly disinfect it. After the temperature drops, squeeze out the excess water (until the moist sawdust does not release water when squeezed by hand), and then you can begin taking cuttings, in the same way as soil cuttings. After inserting, keep the sawdust moist and they will quickly root and survive. This method can be carried out in all four seasons, except that in winter it must be placed on a sunny windowsill indoors with heating.

2. Used as a wrapping medium for air layering: Because sawdust is loose in texture and its moisture can be controlled, it is likewise superior to other media, roots form relatively quickly, it is relatively safe, and the survival rate is high.

Specific method: After girdling the plant, fill the plastic bag wrapped around it with a medium made of equal parts moist sawdust and loess, then tie both ends tightly.

3. Used as fertilizer: Making fertilizer with moist sawdust is nutritionally complete, economical and convenient, and clean and hygienic.

Specific method: Mix moist sawdust with an appropriate amount of inorganic fertilizer such as superphosphate or potassium phosphate or urea. It is even better if organic fertilizer is mixed in. Put it into a plastic bag and tie the bag tightly. Turn it over once every two weeks to speed up even decomposition. In spring and autumn, it can be used after about six weeks.

Note: When using it, mix in 50% soil, and the sawdust must be fermented before use.

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

Flower lovers often ask that in winter the watering level is hard to judge. Roots rot, leaves drop, and the poor flowers' little lives are hard to save. Is there any simple method that can help everyone quickly grasp the watering level? Yes. Please show mercy and leave a little wild grass in the pot. Pulling grass out by the roots is not acceptable.

Generally speaking, most varieties of plants are in a dormant or semi-dormant state in winter. They do not need much water, and the soil only needs to be slightly moist. Many flower lovers, however, tend to panic and water as soon as they see the soil surface turn pale, thinking the flowers might dry out. Actually it is not so. The soil surface may be pale while the middle is still very moist. If that is the case, it would be strange if the flowers and trees did not develop problems!

Leave some grass in the pot, but not just any grass. Leave those green grasses that stand cold-resistant and upright in winter. And not the more the better either. Three to five plants are enough.

When should you water? When should you not water yet? Look at the grass! If the grass is still standing green and lush, do not water. If the wild grass is wilted and listless, water immediately. The standard is just that simple!

Leaving some grass in the pot has more benefits than these: it can protect against cold in winter, protect against sun in summer, and also decorate the pot surface. After all, what is attractive about bare soil? In addition, when loosening the soil, bury the grass in the soil with a shovel and it becomes green manure, enough to compensate for the loss caused by the wild grass competing with the potted flowers for nutrients.

I have used this method for watering for more than one year, and it has proved effective every time.

Notes

1. Plants that are still flowering and fruiting in winter are not covered by this rule.

2. This method also applies in other seasons.

Sixteen. Burying nodes to propagate emerald bamboo into a grove

In early spring during rainy weather, choose a mother bamboo with plump buds, and saw it off between two nodes (that is, keep one node scar in the middle). Then fill the two ends of the bamboo tube with moist fine sand, filling and pressing it tight, and seal both ends of the bamboo tube with clay. This is the first step.

Next, choose loose, permeable sandy loam. According to the thickness of the bamboo tube, dig a trench about 10 cm deep, place the prepared bamboo tube flat in the trench and bury it with soil, press it slightly firm, then water thoroughly. In this way it is done. Remember when burying the node to face the buds upward, and absolutely do not put it in upside down.

The bamboo nodes can sprout tender shoots in about 25-30 days. If making a bonsai, just pot it up during the rainy season.

1. To cultivate a bamboo grove, choose thick bamboo; to cultivate a potted plant, choose a thin variety.

2. When sawing the bamboo tube, be careful not to split it, so as not to injure the buds.

3. Water according to the principle of dry-wet alternation.

4. After burying, it is best to cover with some bamboo branches or dry grass to block part of the sunlight.

Seventeen. Homemade rooting agents: roots form quickly and in great number

As the weather gradually warms and the ground warms up, the good season for cuttings has arrived again. There are many kinds of cutting methods, and generally people like soil cuttings or water cuttings. But everyone's technique differs, and in addition, due to differences among plant varieties, rooting may be easy or difficult, which makes survival rates differ. To properly solve this problem, before taking cuttings everyone likes to use rooting agents such as naphthaleneacetic acid. This is indeed effective, and the rooting survival rate also improves. But what if the place is remote, supplies are out of stock, and you cannot buy any for the moment? Do not worry. Let me introduce several homemade rooting agents for you. They cost no money, and the effect is not at all inferior to bought ones.

(1) Phosphate fertilizer solution~~ As mentioned above, rooting agents such as naphthaleneacetic acid are actually a kind of rooting hormone, and phosphate fertilizer solution actually has the same effect. This is because the substance "phosphorus" can effectively promote the growth and development of plant cells and tissues, and promote wound healing and rooting in plants.

Specific method: Before taking cuttings, first dilute the phosphate fertilizer solution with water at a ratio of water 7 to fertilizer 3, then immerse the pre-treated cuttings (the root end) in the fertilizer liquid, with the submerged part accounting for 1/3 of the cutting. After 2-3 hours, take them out and rinse clean with clear water, then take cuttings as usual.

For common varieties such as camellia and Chinese rose, using this method can make rooting 10-22 days earlier, with well-developed roots and vigorous growth.

(2) White sugar solution~~ This 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 water 9 to sugar 1. After the sugar water cools, immerse the prepared cuttings in it. After about 40-60 minutes, take them out, 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 ordinary cuttings. Even for azaleas and camellias, which are relatively difficult 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 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, immerse the cuttings in it and soak for about 1 day (a longer time does no harm; willow liquid has components that inhibit bacterial reproduction), then take cuttings as usual. Roots form quickly and in great number, and the plants grow robustly.

Eighteen. The "amphibious" cutting method

Cuttings are a simple and easy propagation method that everyone likes to use. At present it is also the good season for cuttings, so several of my posts are 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 difficulty~~ after rooting, they must be moved into pots. Because new roots are relatively delicate, and in addition some people are not very skilled in handling them, efforts are often wasted and success is lost at the last moment. This is very discouraging.

The cutting method introduced below does not require moving into a pot after rooting, thus greatly increasing 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 at the bottom of the container, and on top spread about 1/5 river sand 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. Cut 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 either; generally 1-3 plants are more suitable.

4. After inserting, it can be placed in full sun (for cuttings taken in midsummer, it is better to place them in diffused light), 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, you can 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, 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.

Nineteen. Soil-free cuttings - wrapped in soft paper

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 soft paper with strong water absorption (such as toilet paper), and first wrap the bottom of the cutting that has been cut at a slant. The thickness should be such that after the soft paper absorbs water thoroughly, the slanted cut surface can still be seen, and it should not be too thick, so that changes such as wound healing and rooting can be observed directly, 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 the leaves and buds should be exposed. The wrapping thickness should be such that the soft paper does not dry out completely before the cutting roots.

3. After wrapping, place the water-soaked cutting in a container without a bottom hole, tie the mouth of the pot tightly with plastic film to retain 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 it up.

Note: After the cutting is wrapped, the thickness of the stem should be 2 times the stem or slightly thicker, so that the soft paper can remain not completely dry for a long time. After that, no special care is needed, and the cutting can root quickly.

If this method is used for cuttings of poinsettia, variegated ivy tree, and Japanese aucuba, the fastest roots appear in 7 days; variegated ivy tree in 9 days; and rubber tree in 10 days, all with root tips emerging, and thick and well developed. Japanese aucuba and others root a little more slowly, but within half a month root tips have formed.

This method is simple and easy, widely available in materials, 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. Interested friends can give it a try.

Twenty. Aglaia, blooming and fragrant every day

Aglaia has glossy leaves and is evergreen all year round. When it blooms, it is richly fragrant, and its small golden-yellow flowers like grains of rice stand out beautifully 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?

Generally speaking, after aglaia blooms once, it needs to "rest" for a period before it can bloom 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 satisfy its nutrient needs, that is, by appropriately thinning buds to reduce the nutrients consumed by each bloom. Specifically, when aglaia first (or second) fills with buds in early spring, you can first thin the buds on 1-2 branches, then after another 4-5 days thin the buds on another 1-2 branches. Repeat this cycle continuously, accumulating more than 6-7 rounds of flower and bud thinning, with the branches that have been thinned reaching 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, the branches that have not been thinned bloom first; after about 5-10 days, the branches thinned the first time bloom next; then they bloom in the order in which they were thinned. In total, one pot of aglaia can let you smell its fragrance every day for 7-8 months of the entire growing season. (Because its fragrance is strong, thinning some is harmless.)

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.

Twenty-one. Spraying flowers with beer kills two birds with one stone

Among pests, aphids and red spider mites are relatively easy to deal with. Spray the targeted pesticide twice and it is basically ok. But scale insects are more troublesome. They have a protective layer - a waxy shell - and spraying pesticide has little effect on them. They really seem somewhat invulnerable. So besides manual pest removal (brushing them off), is there any simpler and more effective method? Yes. After discovering scale insects, do not panic. Prepare a bottle of beer, pour some out and mix it with water at a ratio of water 6 to beer 1, and spray the plant once, making sure to spray every part as much as possible. The next day, check carefully. If the insects turn reddish-brown and fall off at a touch, then they have definitely died. If any are still alive, spray again. Generally after three consecutive sprays (three days), the problem can basically be solved.

Principle: After beer is sprayed, it forms a sealing film on the insects' bodies, causing them to suffocate to death. But it is also possible they die from drunkenness. Of course, this point still needs entomologists to prove.

In addition, beer is also a very good leaf fertilizer. Spray it often, and the plant can grow full of vitality and look especially spirited. The ratio should be lighter than when treating pests; water 8 to beer 1 is fine. If you are interested, you might as well give it a try.

Twenty-two. Four watering methods

Watering is the first hurdle that flower growers must pass, and it is also a hurdle they must pass. Although watering looks simple, there is actually a lot of knowledge in it. Many beginners' flowers are ruined at the hurdle of watering. Regarding watering, the so-called dry-wet alternation; water more during the growing season and less during dormancy; water more in small pots and less in large pots, and so on, everyone understands 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 pipes, and iron pipes are all fine), then fill soil around them and press firm. Then pour coarse sand into the tubes, with the upper end level with the soil surface. Finally gently pull out the hollow tubes, and sand columns are formed in the pot. Later, when watering, water only spreads outward through the sand columns, thus preventing the soil from compacting, with no adverse side effects.

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

2. Round-trip method - avoids watering only halfway

Watering only halfway 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 flowers and trees not die? There are several reasons: inexperience; potting soil that is too compacted; not repotting for a long time, with roots 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 the water has penetrated. After watering them all, water them again from beginning to end, and a few can even be watered a third time. In this way, watering only halfway can basically be eliminated. This is because after the first round of watering, even if it has not penetrated, the potting soil has already become moist and softened to a certain extent, so after some time, the second round of water is relatively easy to absorb.

Note: This is unnecessary if the potting soil is loose. If there are not many flowers, you can do some other things after watering, then water once more after a while.

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 dancing golden sparrows, and it can also be made into a bonsai, so many people love to grow it. But in recent years fewer and fewer people grow it, because it easily rots at the roots and 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 becomes wet, it has been thoroughly watered, and then you can take it out.

Note: You must also follow the principle of dry-wet alternation.

4. Noon water - makes jasmine more fragrant

Watering jasmine at noon can make jasmine even more fragrant when it blooms. The ancients already summarized it: "If you want jasmine fragrance, one ladle of water at noon." But watering under the strong midday sun is a taboo in flower growing, for the same reason that a person who is very hot cannot immediately take a cold shower. To water flowers at noon without mishap, the premise is to first place the water under the sun to warm it, and water when the water temperature is close to the soil temperature. Then it is ok and safe.

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

Twenty-three. The wonderful use of old loofah in flower growing

In the past, villagers used it to wash bowls and scrub pots. Now no one uses it, and it seems to have become waste. Has it really become waste? No! After picking old loofah, wash it clean and dry it. When repotting and changing soil or potting flowers, cut it 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 it 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 emerald leaves and beautiful flowers.