How to fertilize oleander? Homemade farm fertilizer twice a month, stop fertilizing during summer heat

Oleander is a highly ornamental plant with rich flower colors - white, pink, red and more - found throughout parks, along riversides and elsewhere. As everyone knows, oleander is toxic, so growing it well is difficult, especially when it comes to fertilizing: not fertilizing is certainly not an option, but fertilizing too much is also a worry. So how do you fertilize oleander? Below, the editor brings you the fertilization methods for oleander, among which homemade farm fertilizer is very important.

1. How to fertilize oleander: timing and fertilizer selection

In our article on the benefits and uses of oleander, we learned that although oleander is toxic, its medicinal properties can also cure diseases, so many people want to grow it well. However, to grow oleander well, fertilizing is key. So how should oleander be fertilized? First, we must choose the right fertilizer, then comes the timing of fertilization. For the specifics, read on.

(1) Fertilizer selection: homemade farm fertilizer

How to fertilize oleander: first, we must choose the correct fertilizer. Anyone who has grown flowers knows there are many kinds of fertilizer for ornamental plants, most of them specially produced chemical fertilizers, with only a small portion being homemade farmyard manure. When fertilizing oleander, it is best to choose homemade farm fertilizer, because the animal manure and urine in farm fertilizer are rich in nitrogen, which benefits oleander's growth.

Principles for applying farm fertilizer: dilute, light, little, frequent. Doing these 4 things well prevents over-fertilization and the resulting root burn. Once over-fertilized, oleander leaves turn yellow, and fixing it is very troublesome.

Choosing base fertilizer for potted plants: when growing oleander in pots at home, adding base fertilizer to the potting soil is very important. For the phosphorus oleander needs, you can crush fish bones and other bones or grind them into powder; for the potassium oleander needs, you can use plant-based fertilizers such as peanut cake water or soybean cake water.

(2) Fertilization methods for oleander

How to fertilize oleander: after choosing the fertilizer, it is time to start fertilizing, but for beginners, mastering the method is also very important. It is said that oleander plants are large and have a very long flowering period, so fertilizing is very necessary. The specifics are as follows:

In the early stage, fertilize sparingly; do not apply too much or only a single kind. Before flowering, fertilize at least 2 times a month. During flowering, apply more phosphorus- and potassium-rich fertilizer, with a supplementary feeding every 10 days. In winter, it is best to fertilize another 1-2 times. In spring, when potting up, apply plenty of base fertilizer, then ideally give a supplementary feeding once a week, rich in potassium and phosphorus.

2. Precautions for fertilizing oleander

How to fertilize oleander: after reading the above, you should have some understanding! But during fertilization, there are a few things that need extra attention. Simply put, they are as follows:

① Avoid alkaline fertilizers: in our guide to growing oleander, we mentioned that oleander likes neutral or acidic soil, so when fertilizing, it is best not to use alkaline fertilizers such as plant ash.

② Stop fertilizing at high temperatures: oleander does not tolerate high temperatures. When summer temperatures exceed 30°C, the plant goes dormant, and at this time we should pause fertilizing, lest fertilizer accumulate and harm the oleander.

③ Oleander is toxic: in addition, there is one more point that deserves everyone's attention - oleander's stems and leaves contain multiple toxins, so when fertilizing, be careful not to injure the stems and leaves, to avoid poisoning.

Overall, oleander has strong adaptability; even with careless care, it can still bloom. But if you want oleander to grow well and its flowers to be beautiful, we must thoroughly understand things like how to water oleander and how to fertilize oleander. Only by mastering the correct growing methods can your oleander produce big, beautiful flowers.

Home flower-growing techniques and a complete guide to key points for growing flowers at home

With their brilliant splendor, flowers adorn nature and make it extraordinarily beautiful, giving people aesthetic enjoyment. Growing flowers can enrich and adjust people's cultural life, add pleasure, cultivate temperament, and improve health; it can also increase scientific knowledge, raise cultural and artistic literacy, and has many important economic values. Below, let us take a look at the complete guide to home flower-growing techniques!

Home flower growing: the "three suitable"

1. It is suitable to grow flowers with a strong ability to absorb toxins: certain flowers can absorb certain concentrations of toxic gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride and so on. Wintersweet can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor in the air; snapdragon, canna, morning glory, gladiolus, and China pink can, through their leaves, convert highly toxic sulfur dioxide into non-toxic or low-toxicity sulfate compounds through oxidation; narcissus, four o'clock flower, chrysanthemum, and saxifrage can convert nitrogen oxides into proteins in plant cells; spider plant, aloe, and snake plant can absorb large amounts of indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde.

2. It is suitable to grow flowers that secrete bactericides: the bactericides secreted by flowers such as jasmine, lilac, honeysuckle, and morning glory can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibit the occurrence of diphtheria, tuberculosis, and dysentery pathogens as well as typhoid bacteria, and keep indoor air clean and hygienic.

3. It is suitable to grow flowers with "complementary" functions: most flowers mainly carry out photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and carry out respiration at night, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti are exactly the opposite: they release carbon dioxide during the day and absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night. Growing flowers with "complementary" functions in the same room not only allows the two to benefit each other, but also balances indoor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, keeping indoor air fresh.

Home flower growing: the "three avoid"

1. Avoid growing too many flowers that give off strong fragrance and pungent odors: orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, night-blooming cestrum and others all give off rich aromas. One pot in a room fills it with fragrance, but if too many fragrant flowers are placed indoors and the scent is too strong, it will excite people's nerves; especially when smelled for a long time in a bedroom, it can cause insomnia. The gases given off by poinsettia and evergreen are unfavorable to people; the particles released by tulips and hydrangea can cause skin allergies and itching after prolonged contact.

2. Avoid placing too many: at night most flowers release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen, "competing for air" with people, and at night most rooms are closed, with air not circulating enough with the outside. If too many flowers are placed indoors, the indoor oxygen concentration at night will be reduced, affecting the quality of sleep, such as chest tightness and frequent nightmares.

3. Avoid placing toxic flowers indoors: for example, oleander is toxic in its stems, leaves, and even flowers during spring, summer, and autumn; the milky white sap it secretes contains a kind of oleandrin, and accidental ingestion causes poisoning. The bulbs of narcissus contain lycorine toxin; if a child accidentally eats them, it causes symptoms such as vomiting, the sap of the leaves and flowers makes skin red and swollen, and if the sap gets into the eyes, it harms them. Excessive contact with mimosa can easily cause sparse eyebrows and yellowing hair, and in severe cases hair loss, and so on.

Home flower growing: the "six don'ts"

1. Carelessness: flowers, like people, are living things and need careful care. Many flower growers lack the proper careful and diligent attitude toward these beautiful lives. First, they are mentally lazy, unwilling to study flower-growing knowledge, long content to remain laymen, and their management is not methodical. Second, they are physically lazy, unwilling to spend too much time and energy on flowers. After the flowers enter the home, they are left neglected, enduring hunger and thirst for a long time and suffering from pests and diseases. In this way, even the best flowers will gradually wither, so lazy people cannot grow flowers well.

2. Loving them too much: contrary to the above situation, some flower growers love their flowers too much and get itchy hands if they do not fiddle with them for a moment. Some water and fertilize without any pattern, watering whenever they think of it, causing flowers to die from overwatering and overfertilizing. Some casually move the flower pots around, shifting them to several places in a day, making the flowers constantly adapt to the environment and disrupting their normal growth patterns. Over time, it would be strange if the flowers were not tormented to death.

3. Chasing fame and profit: some flower lovers believe that if you grow flowers, you should grow famous flowers, because famous flowers have high ornamental value and bring big market profits. Under this mentality, they spare no expense to seek out famous flowers and trees everywhere. The result is often that, due to the lack of good growing conditions and management skills, the flowers die soon after purchase, both wasting the precious flowers and squandering money. This is a conceptual misunderstanding. The correct approach is to start with ordinary, lower-grade varieties, gradually explore the rules and techniques of growing flowers, and only after reaching a certain skill level gradually buy more precious varieties; that way, success is much more assured.

4. Not distinguishing good from bad: some flower growers are fond of being greedy for size and completeness, bringing home whatever variety they see. This not only makes management harder, but also brings some unsuitable flowers into the home, polluting the environment and harming health. For example, flowers with toxic sap can easily cause poisoning when people touch them. The smell of some flowers affects the human nervous system and can easily cause breathing difficulty or even allergic reactions. In short, home flower growing should not be greedy for size and completeness or fail to distinguish good from bad; you should choose varieties with a smaller plant shape, a beautiful appearance, and no harm to the human body.

5. Fickleness: some flower growers are restless and have no theme in growing flowers, changing the flowers at home like a merry-go-round. This is a great taboo in flower growing. First, changing varieties too quickly and growing each for too short a time is not conducive to cultivating flowers and trees with graceful shapes and high ornamental value. Second, merely dabbling in each kind of flower is not conducive to improving one's flower-growing level, and in the end you are still a flower novice. Therefore, only by choosing one or two kinds of flowers and focusing on studying and cultivating them can a grower truly gain something.

6. Outdated ideas: today, new knowledge and new techniques in the flower-growing industry emerge endlessly, yet most growers still cling to traditional care methods and are not good at using new techniques and new equipment in aspects such as the use of flower containers, water and fertilizer management, and seedling cultivation, such as soilless culture, odorless flower fertilizers, and various flower containers. As a result, home flower growing is unhygienic, unattractive, and not novel, with relatively large side effects.

Spring care for home potted flowers

1. Propagating good seedlings: Chinese rose, geranium, pomegranate, winter jasmine and others can be propagated in spring by taking healthy branches for cuttings. Azaleas and jasmine prefer acidic soil; you can cut sturdy new branches 5-10 cm long, remove the lower leaves, and keep 3-4 top leaves for cuttings. For cuttings, black mountain soil, vermiculite, or yellow sand can be used as the medium. Mist the cuttings appropriately to maintain a certain humidity; generally they root after about 1 month. Orchids, agave, and spider plant can be propagated in early spring by division or by runners respectively. Spring-sown herbaceous plants grown from seed, such as asparagus fern, five-color pepper, mimosa, garden balsam, scarlet sage, morning glory, and marigold types, can be broadcast or sown in spots.

2. Repotting and changing soil: repotting and changing soil is a way to supplement fertilizer for potted flowers in spring. Generally, small pots are repotted once a year, and large pots once every 3-4 years; tall plants need larger pots. If some roots are too densely grown or there are dead or rotten roots, they need appropriate pruning. After repotting, generally the first watering should soak through, then the plant should be placed in a shady spot; afterward, water again when the potting soil looks dry, and generally after new roots grow, resume normal watering and move it to a sunny spot.

3. Pruning and training: pruning and training should be done according to different plants. Azaleas and winter jasmine should not be pruned excessively. For pomegranate and Chinese rose, in early spring you can cut off all dead branches, injured branches, or overly dense branches to encourage abundant flowers and lush leaves. When repotting jasmine, remove old leaves to encourage more new branches. For climbing vines such as Boston ivy, banks rose, wisteria, and multiflora rose, training can be done so that the leaf surface is exposed to sunlight as much as possible and grows vigorously.

Note: In early spring, do not move potted flowers outdoors too early, lest they suffer cold damage from cold air. Watering can increase as temperatures rise, keeping moisture evenly balanced.

Summer care for home potted flowers

1. Water at the right time: in summer, flowers have lush branches and leaves and consume a lot of water, so in summer you should water the flowers fully every morning and evening.

2. Build a frame for shade: for all potted flowers, once summer comes you must build a frame and put up reed curtains for shade, so they safely pass through the severe summer heat.

3. Pay attention to ventilation: for indoor flowers, when the temperature exceeds 30°C, pay attention to ventilation, open the windows, and let fresh air flow indoors to prevent heatstroke and cool down.

4. Preserve moisture and lower temperature: in summer, you can cover the potting soil with some grass so that sunlight does not directly hit the potting soil, thereby lowering the soil temperature and also preventing the soil moisture from evaporating too quickly. You can also use a sprayer to wet the flower leaves and at the same time wet the surroundings, lowering the temperature and increasing humidity. This is very beneficial for some flowers that like cool conditions.

Autumn care for home potted flowers

1. Increase water and fertilizer management: after the Start of Autumn, the weather gradually turns cooler. For some foliage flowers such as asparagus fern, spider plant, and sago palm, generally apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every half month to keep the leaves green and improve cold resistance. For chrysanthemums, camellias, azaleas and others that bloom once a year, timely supplementary feeding with a liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus is needed to ensure sufficient nutrients and make the flowers bloom more and larger. For Chinese roses, Milan, jasmine and others that bloom multiple times a year, sufficient fertilizer and water should be supplied so they keep blooming. For some ornamental-fruit flowers, such as kumquat, finger citron, and fruiting pomegranate, apply 1-2 times a dilute liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus.

2. Sow in autumn in time: autumn cuttings. In autumn, promptly harvest mature flower and tree seeds, and promptly sow tulips, gloxinia, snapdragon and others. Especially for seeds that easily lose germination ability, sow them promptly in autumn, and combine with pruning to take cuttings of flowers and trees. For example, taking cuttings of Chinese rose, rose, and multiflora rose has a relatively high survival rate.

Winter care for home potted flowers

1. Overwintering deciduous woody flowers: most deciduous woody flowers originate in temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach, and winter jasmine. They generally go dormant in winter, so the room temperature can be controlled at around 5°C. If there is a balcony or small courtyard, you can place relatively cold-hardy potted Chinese roses, ornamental peaches, pomegranates, honeysuckles and others together in a wind-sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard, wrap and cover them well with plastic film, and they can overwinter safely.

2. Overwintering evergreen woody flowers: such as oleander, kumquat, osmanthus and others, which are in a semi-dormant state. The temperature is generally controlled above 0°C, and they can safely pass the severe winter. For Milan, jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, and gardenia, they should be placed where there is ample sunlight. Indoor temperature should be kept at around 15°C; if the temperature is too low, the flowers will die.

3. Overwintering annual and biennial herbaceous flowers: such as Chinese primrose, coleus, and pocketbook plant, keeping room temperature between 5-15°C allows normal growth. For perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, garden balsam, geranium, and wax begonia, keeping ample sunlight and room temperature of 10-20°C allows them to grow well. For herbaceous flowers that are dormant in winter such as clivia and dancing-lady orchid, maintaining a room temperature of around 5°C and giving an appropriate amount of light is enough, with no more than 8-10 hours of light per day; at the same time, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and they can bloom after two months.

What are the particular requirements for water used to water flowers?

1. Water selection: the best water for watering flowers is neutral or slightly acidic river water, pond water, or rainwater. Rainwater is best for watering flowers because it contains more natural minerals. Next are river water and pond water; especially greenish pond water, which is rich in nutrients and is a relatively ideal water for watering flowers. In cities, tap water is mostly used for watering flowers, but tap water contains relatively high amounts of bleaching powder and chemicals, so when using it to water flowers, store it for one or two days first. In addition, if you put a few slices of vitamin C in tap water, it can eliminate the chlorine in the water; generally add one slice per basin of water, let it sit for half a day, and then it can be used to water flowers.

2. Temperature control: flower-growing sayings go, "When southern flowers move north, add alum to the watering water", "When growing southern flowers at home in the north, fish tank water is better for watering", "Fish water is fat and rice water is strong; both are most suitable for watering potted flowers". Whether in deep winter or midsummer, do not water flowers with cold water. When the temperature is below 10°C, you can add a little hot water to the water as appropriate, trying to make the water temperature close to the soil temperature and create a microclimate suitable for flower growth.

How do you judge whether a potted flower lacks water?

1. Tapping method: gently tap the upper-middle part of the flowerpot wall with the knuckle of your finger. If it gives a relatively crisp sound, it means the potting soil is already dry and needs immediate watering. If it gives a dull, muffled sound, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be postponed.

2. Visual method: observe with your eyes whether the surface color of the potting soil has changed. If the color becomes lighter or turns light grayish-white, it means the potting soil is dry and needs watering. If the color becomes darker or dark brown, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be postponed.

3. Finger test method: gently insert your finger about 2 cm deep into the potting soil and feel the soil. If it feels dry or rough and hard, it means the potting soil is dry and needs immediate watering. If it feels slightly moist, fine, and soft, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be postponed.

4. Rolling method: rub some potting soil with your fingers. If the soil becomes powdery, it means the potting soil is dry and should be watered immediately. If the soil forms flakes or pellets, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be postponed. The above methods are all based on experience, and they can only tell people the approximate condition of whether the potting soil is dry or wet. If you need to know the exact degree of dryness or moisture of the potting soil, you can buy a soil moisture meter, insert it into the soil, and then see words such as "dry" or "moist" appear on the scale, so you can know exactly when to water.

Homemade fertilizers for home potted flowers

1. Soaking liquid fertilizer: use a small jar (or small crock) and put in waste vegetable leaves, melon and fruit peels, chicken and fish offal, fish scales, waste bones, eggshells, and moldy foods (peanuts, melon seeds, beans, bean powder) and so on, add water and sprinkle a little trichlorfon, then cover tightly. After high-temperature fermentation and decomposition, it can be used. When using, take the supernatant liquid and dilute it with water before trial use. You can also mix the above waste materials with some old potting soil, add some water, put them into a large plastic bag, tie it tightly, leave it for a period, and use it after fermentation.

2. Waste composting: choose a suitable spot and dig a soil pit 60-80 cm deep, line it with 10 cm of furnace ash, then put rotten vegetable leaves, poultry and livestock innards, fish scales, chicken and duck manure, eggshells, meat waste, and crushed bones into the pit, sprinkle some insecticide, and cover it with about 10 cm of garden soil. Keep the pit moist to promote fertilizer decomposition. It is best to compost in autumn and winter; after spring warming causes decomposition and there is no foul odor, it can be mixed into potting soil as base fertilizer, or while still wet it can be sieved through a 4 mm sieve and rolled into pellets; the fine part is used as topdressing, and the coarse part as base fertilizer. When retting, you can add some orange peel or diluted rice vinegar to reduce the odor.

Clever fertilizing for home flowers

1. Fertilize at the right time: so-called timely fertilization means applying fertilizer when the flowers need it. When flower leaves are found to become lighter or yellow and the plant grows thin and weak, that is the most suitable time to fertilize. In addition, when flower seedlings sprout leaves and branches unfold leaves, topdressing should be applied to meet the seedlings' rapid growth demand for fertilizer. Different growth stages of flowers have different fertilizer needs. The type and amount of fertilizer also differ. For example, applying more nitrogen fertilizer at the seedling stage can promote seedling growth, and applying phosphorus fertilizer at the bud stage can promote larger, more vivid flowers and a longer flowering period.

2. Fertilize in appropriate amounts: for potted flowers, fertilization should follow "eat small meals often", that is, fertilize many times but with a small amount each time. Generally apply a dilute fertilizer solution once every 7-10 days, and once every 15-20 days after the "Start of Autumn". As the flowers and trees gradually grow, the fertilizer concentration gradually increases; for example, the urea application concentration increases from 0.2% in the early stage to 1.0%, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer increases from 1.0% to 3.0-4.0%.

3. Seasonal fertilization: in spring and summer, flowers grow quickly and vigorously, so a moderate amount of extra fertilizer can be applied. After autumn begins, temperatures gradually decrease and flower growth weakens, so fertilizer should be reduced. From late August to early September, fertilization should stop to prevent a second growth peak, otherwise it is easy for flower tissue cells to become tender and make overwintering difficult. For overwintering flowers, fertilization should stop during winter dormancy.

4. Temperature control: potted flowers should not be fertilized around midday in high temperatures or on rainy days; fertilizing at these times easily injures the roots, so it is best to fertilize in the evening. After autumn and in winter, temperatures are low and flowers grow slowly, so generally no fertilizer is applied. In summer, temperatures are high and flowers grow vigorously, so more fertilizer should be applied; when temperatures are high, the topdressing concentration should be low and the amount small, and dilute fertilizer solution should be used with more frequent feedings.

5. Mixing medicine and fertilizer: if pests or diseases occur during fertilization, an appropriate amount of pesticide can be added to the fertilizer liquid, which can serve the dual purpose of fertilizing and preventing pests and diseases.

Why do home-grown flowers die?

1. Too much fertilizer: some people love flowers so much that, considering the potted flowers consume many nutrients during the flowering period, they apply large amounts of chemical fertilizer, causing the concentration to be too high. In mild cases, this affects the root hairs' absorption of water; in severe cases, it causes the plant to die.

2. Applying too much undecomposed organic fertilizer: because organic fertilizer has large amounts of microbial activity when decomposing in the soil, it causes soil oxygen deficiency, and the roots suffocate and die. On the other hand, organic fertilizer fermentation produces alcohol, lactic acid and other substances that are toxic to the root system, and fermentation releases a large amount of heat, raising the temperature and causing "root burn".

3. No place to grow flowers: people often put potted flowers on enclosed balconies facing east or west. In this way, the radiant heat of the sun makes the temperature inside the balcony rise sharply, forming a hot, dry environment. High temperature, dryness, and lack of ventilation also make red spider mite infestations likely, accelerating the death of the flowers.

4. Overwintered flowers suddenly moved outdoors: leaves grown by flowers overwintered indoors are semi-shade leaves or shade leaves. If suddenly moved outdoors in early spring, shade leaves cannot adapt, and tender leaves and buds are easily sunburned; combined with the large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, this easily causes fatal damage to the flowers.

5. Lack of sunlight: some people, for convenience of viewing, place flowers on indoor desks and tables, far from sunlight, causing their photosynthesis to be inhibited. The organic nutrients in the flowers can only be consumed and cannot be replenished in time, reducing the flowers' resistance and causing the plants to weaken and die. Watering too much and too frequently is also a cause of plant death.

The complete guide to home flower growing (very detailed, a must for flower growers)