How to safely overwinter impatiens? Pay attention to these 6 points for easy overwintering
Impatiens is a fairly common flower in people's lives. It naturally loves sunlight but is extremely afraid of cold, so how to safely overwinter impatiens is also a question many growers care about. In fact, this problem is relatively easy to solve. For the specific solutions, please see the text below
Impatiens is a fairly common flower in people's lives. It naturally loves sunlight but is extremely afraid of cold, so how to safely overwinter impatiens is also a question many growers care about. In fact, this problem is relatively easy to solve. For the specific solutions, please see the text below.
How to safely overwinter impatiens / Pay attention to 6 points for an easy solution
1. Understand the plant's habits
If you want to know how to safely overwinter impatiens, you first need to understand what environmental temperature is most suitable for its growth. This point was also mentioned in the article on impatiens planting methods. The most suitable environment for impatiens growth is 18-28°. In winter, it is best not to place it in a place with a temperature below 10°, otherwise it may freeze to death due to excessively low temperature.
2. Pay attention to plant cleanliness
Before entering winter, pay attention to cleaning the plant, because if the plant itself has too much dust, it is not conducive to photosynthesis, so paying attention to plant cleanliness is also a very important part. Before winter begins, impatiens can be cleaned by spraying water.
3. Control the amount of watering
Winter is the season when impatiens stops growing, so the amount of watering must be controlled to keep the soil dry. If the potting soil is too moist, it can easily cause root rot in impatiens, so everyone must pay attention to this point.
4. Sunlight management
Although the weather in winter is very cold, there is still sufficient sunlight at noon. At noon every day, impatiens can be moved to a place with direct sunlight so it can absorb several hours of sunlight. This is still very helpful for impatiens to overwinter safely.
5. Frost protection management
Winter is the season most plants dislike the most, because the weather is too cold, so frost protection measures must be taken. Generally, it is best to wrap it with protective film, and at noon each day when the weather is warmer, just let the impatiens out to get some air.
6. Treatment after freezing
In winter, if the plant freezes because frost protection measures were not taken well, do not directly take the plant to a high-temperature place to thaw it. Let it gradually thaw on its own. If only part of a leaf is frozen, simply cut off that leaf, and it will still grow back when the weather becomes warmer.
In fact, helping impatiens overwinter is very simple. As long as you pay attention to the above 6 points, it will definitely help your impatiens overwinter smoothly. After reading the text above, everyone should have a certain understanding of how to safely overwinter impatiens. I hope this article can be helpful to everyone.
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I. Benefits of growing flowers
With their brilliant elegance, flowers decorate nature exceptionally beautifully and give people aesthetic enjoyment. Growing flowers can enrich and regulate people's cultural life, add fun, cultivate temperament, and improve health; it can also increase scientific knowledge and improve cultural and artistic literacy. Growing flowers can green and beautify the land of the motherland, protect and improve the environment, purify the air, and enable people to work and study in a beautiful environment, making life better. Growing flowers is not only for ornamental appreciation, but also has many important economic values. Flowers are an important part of Chinese herbal medicine. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, wintersweet, hibiscus, rhododendron, Chinese rose, lotus, and others are all common Chinese medicinal materials. Fragrant flowers are widely used in food, light industry, and other aspects. For example, osmanthus can be used as a food spice and for brewing wine; jasmine, white orchid, bitter orange, and chloranthus can be used to scent tea leaves; chrysanthemum can be used to make high-grade foods and dishes; white orchid, jasmine, rose, wintersweet, narcissus, and others can be used to extract essences.
II. "Three suitable" flowers for indoor cultivation
1. It is suitable to grow flowers with strong ability to absorb toxic substances. Some flowers can absorb certain concentrations of toxic gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, and others. According to research, wintersweet can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor in the air; snapdragon, canna, morning glory, gladiolus, dianthus, and others 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, saxifrage, and others 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, eliminating and preventing indoor air pollution.
2. It is suitable to grow flowers that can secrete bactericidal substances. The bactericidal substances secreted by flowers such as jasmine, clove, honeysuckle, and morning glory can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibit the occurrence of pathogens of diphtheria, tuberculosis, and dysentery as well as typhoid bacteria, and keep indoor air clean and hygienic.
3. It is suitable to grow flowers with a "complementary" function. Most flowers mainly carry out photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. At night they carry out respiration, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti are exactly the opposite: during the day they release carbon dioxide, and at night they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Growing flowers with a "complementary" function in the same room can not only allow the two to benefit each other, but also balance the indoor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and keep indoor air fresh.
III. "Three avoidances" for indoor flower cultivation
1. Avoid growing too many flowers that give off strong fragrance and irritating odors. For example, orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, night-blooming cestrum, and others can all give off rich fragrance. One pot in a room fills it with fragrance, but if too many fragrant flowers are placed indoors and the fragrance is too strong, it will cause people's nerves to become excited. Especially if people smell it for a long time in the bedroom, it can cause insomnia. The gases released by poinsettia and evergreen are unfavorable to people; if the microparticles released by tulips and hydrangea are contacted for too long, the skin will become allergic and itchy.
2. Avoid placing too many. At night, most flowers release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen, "competing for air" with people. At night, most rooms are closed, and the air does not circulate enough with the outside. If too many flowers are placed indoors, it will reduce the indoor oxygen concentration at night and affect sleep quality, 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 can cause poisoning; the bulb of narcissus contains lycorine toxin. If a child accidentally eats it, it can cause symptoms such as vomiting. The sap of the leaves and flowers can cause skin redness and swelling. If the sap mistakenly enters the eyes, it can harm the eyes; too much contact with mimosa can easily cause sparse eyebrows and yellowing hair, and in severe cases cause hair loss.
Therefore, when growing and enjoying flowers, we should understand related scientific knowledge to bring health and happiness to ourselves and our families.
IV. "Six precepts" for home flower cultivation
Home flower cultivation is now increasingly common, but many flower lovers, because they do not grasp the key points, grow flowers that are droopy and lifeless. Where is the problem?
First precept: carelessness. Flowers, like people, are living beings and need careful care. Many flower growers lack the proper careful and diligent attitude toward these beautiful lives. First, they are mentally lazy and do not like to study flower-growing knowledge, willingly remaining laymen for a long time, with improper management. Second, they are lazy with their hands and are unwilling to spend too much time and energy on flowers. After flowers enter the home, they are left aside and ignored, enduring hunger and thirst for a long time and suffering from pests and diseases. In this way, even the best flowers will gradually wither. Therefore, lazy people cannot grow flowers well.
Second precept: loving them too much. Contrary to the above situation, some flower growers love flowers too much and their hands itch if they do not fiddle with them for a moment. Some water and fertilize without any rules, watering whenever they think of it, causing flowers to die from excessive water and fertilizer; some casually move flower pots around, moving them to several places a day, making the flowers constantly adapt to the environment and disrupting normal growth patterns. Over time, it would be strange if the flowers were not tormented to death. Having a few suitable flowers at home and liking them is understandable, but flowers, like people, have their own growth patterns. If they are frequently disturbed when they need rest, they will naturally feel tired and not grow well.
Third precept: 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 large market profits. Under the control of this mentality, they spare no expense and seek out famous flowers and trees everywhere. As a result, often due to the lack of good maintenance conditions and management skills, the flowers die not long after purchase, which both mistreats precious flowers and wastes money. This is a misconception. The correct approach should be to start with ordinary, lower-grade varieties and gradually explore the rules and techniques of flower cultivation. After reaching a certain technical level, then gradually purchase more precious varieties. Only then is there a greater chance of success.
Fourth precept: failing to distinguish good from bad. Some flower growers like to be greedy for size and completeness, and no matter what variety it is, they take it home when they see it. This not only makes management more difficult, 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 people's nervous system and can easily cause breathing difficulty or even allergic reactions. Plants with sharp thorns on their appearance also pose a certain threat to human safety, and so on. In short, home flower cultivation should not be greedy for size and completeness or fail to distinguish good from bad. You should choose some types with smaller plant shape, beautiful appearance, and no harm to the human body.
Fifth precept: being fickle. Some flower growers are restless and have no theme in growing flowers. The flowers at home are changed back and forth like a revolving lantern. This is a great taboo in flower cultivation. First, changing varieties too quickly and growing them for too short a time is not conducive to cultivating flowers and trees with beautiful plant shape and high ornamental value. Second, tasting each flower only superficially is not conducive to improving flower-growing skills, 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 flower grower gain something in heart.
Sixth precept: outdated concepts. Today, new knowledge and new technologies in the flower industry emerge endlessly, but most flower growers still stick to traditional maintenance methods. In the use of flower vessels, water and fertilizer management, seedling cultivation, and other aspects, they are not good at using new technologies and new equipment, such as soilless cultivation, odorless flower fertilizer, and various flower vessels. As a result, home flower cultivation is unhygienic, unattractive, not novel, and has relatively large side effects.
V. The knowledge of buying flowers
Do not buy the following kinds of flowers:
1. Flowers just potted. When buying flowers, if you see that the soil in the pot is new soil and the stem moves when pulled upward, then this pot of flowers must have been potted not long ago and has not yet grown new roots. Such flowers are very easy to die after being bought. The reason is that some sellers, in pursuit of economic benefits, directly mix undecomposed organic fertilizer into the soil. Once these fertilizers ferment, the flower roots will be burned. Sometimes, in order to save labor or race against time, they plant the flower roots without any sorting, and even hastily pot and market flower plants whose roots are too severely damaged and basically cannot survive. If you accidentally buy such flowers, most will be difficult to keep alive.
2. Flowers planted with two or more plants together. Some sellers seize on buyers' preference for lush flowers and leaves, and plant two or more unsatisfactory flower seedlings together in a pot, passing off inferior goods as superior and selling them to inexperienced buyers for profit. After such flowers are bought, the branches and leaves that grow will become thinner, weaker, and yellower day by day, and the flowers will bloom smaller and smaller. The reason is insufficient nutrition, and too many roots in the pot, which makes the soil easy to compact, and may also cause root rot and death due to poor drainage and poor aeration. Of course, specially designed combination planters are not included in this category. Flowers without a soil ball in summer or winter: in hot summer, when the temperature is very high, flower leaves evaporate quickly, and the root system of newly potted flowers is more or less damaged, making it difficult for them to absorb water from the potting soil in a short time. Only by bringing the original soil ball can they safely pass this transition period; otherwise, they will first wilt and then slowly wither and die. In winter, the weather is cold, and flowers and trees grow slowly. Some flowers and trees even enter dormancy. At this time, if you buy flowers and trees without soil balls from the market and bring them home, once they are potted and watered, they may suffer frost damage (especially the root system), ranging from hindered growth to death in severe cases. Even if they are not frozen, because the soil temperature is relatively low, it is very difficult for the flowers and trees to grow new roots, while the old roots cannot sprout for a long time and are extremely prone to rot and necrosis. Areas along the Yangtze River and other places without heating in winter should pay special attention.
3. Flowers with roots but no stems or leaves. Some individual vendors dig up wild vines and miscellaneous tree roots on the mountains in autumn and winter and pass them off as flowers and trees for sale. Because there are no stems or leaves, they are very difficult to identify. To keep them moist, they wrap them with moss and give them strange flower names, specifically deceiving inexperienced buyers. Some people are greedy for bargains, but after buying them, nine out of ten only grow leaves and do not bloom.
4. Flowers pictured as being able to bloom in multiple colors. A small number of illegal vendors, in order to make profits, insert false flowers of various colors into some plants that cannot bloom, then photograph them to make pictures, give them some foreign flower names, and deceive friends who are beginners at growing flowers. These vendors selling flowers from roadside stalls move from place to place, and buyers who are cheated have a hard time finding them.
5. Flowers whose branches and leaves are tied with fine wire into various shapes. In order to sell for a good price, flower and tree sellers deliberately tie all the branches and leaves of evergreen trees such as pines and cypresses with fine wire into various animal shapes, then take them to the market and sell them at high prices as bonsai. Such potted flowers look good at the time, but after a long time, as the plant grows, the shape will change. Moreover, tying all the branches and leaves of the plant at the same time not only affects photosynthesis, but also easily causes pests and diseases, which is very unfavorable to plant growth.
6. Cactus flowers with small frost spots on the stem or ball. In early spring, individual vendors are often seen selling cactus-type flowers at low prices. Some buyers do not examine them carefully and buy eight or ten at a time, and as a result, no small number have problems. The reason is that cacti that have overwintered are very susceptible to slight frost injury. Light green frost spots smaller than rice grains appear on the stems and balls. On the surface there seems to be no problem, but in essence the internal tissues of the plant have already suffered major damage. If such flowers are bought and no measures are taken, the spots will become larger and larger, the plant will gradually become semi-transparent, and finally the whole plant will die.
VI. Spring care for home potted flowers
The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring. The management and care of household potted flowers in spring is very important. The following three aspects of work should be done well.
1. Propagate good seedlings. Chinese rose, geranium, pomegranate, winter jasmine, and others can be propagated in spring by taking healthy branches for cuttings. Rhododendron and jasmine like acidic soil. Thick new branches 5-10 cm long can be cut, the lower leaves removed, and 3-4 top leaves kept for cuttings. For cuttings, black mountain soil, vermiculite, or yellow sand can be used as the medium. The cuttings should be sprayed appropriately to maintain a certain humidity. Generally, they can take root after about 1 month. Orchids, agave, and spider plant can be propagated in early spring by division or by stolons.
Spring-sown herbaceous plants grown from seeds, such as asparagus fern, ornamental pepper, mimosa, impatiens, scarlet sage, morning glory, and Tagetes species, can be broadcast sown or sown in holes. Sowing method: first put soil in a pot, press it slightly firm, then sow the seeds, and cover with fine soil. For watering after sowing, generally place the flower pot into a water basin and let water slowly seep in from the bottom of the pot. Most germinate 1-3 weeks after sowing. After germination, move the pot to a sunny place. After the seedlings grow 2-3 leaves, they can be pricked out and transplanted. When transplanting, be careful not to damage the roots or break the stems.
2. Repotting and changing soil. This is a method of supplementing 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 to be moved into larger pots. Some plants whose root systems are too dense or have dead roots or rotten roots need appropriate pruning. After repotting, generally the first watering should be thorough, then place it in a shady place. Later, water again when the potting soil is seen to be dry. Generally, after new roots grow, carry out normal watering and move it to a sunny place.
3. Pruning and trimming. This should be done according to different plants. Rhododendron, winter jasmine, and others should not be pruned excessively. Pomegranate, Chinese rose, and others can have dead branches, damaged branches, or overly dense branches completely cut off in early spring to promote lush flowers and leaves. Jasmine should have old leaves removed when repotting to encourage more new branches to sprout. Climbing vines such as ivy, banksia rose, wisteria, and multiflora rose can be trained so that the leaf surface receives as much sunlight as possible and grows vigorously.
Note that potted flowers in early spring should not be moved outdoors too early, so as to avoid cold air invasion and frost damage. Watering can increase as the temperature rises, and keep dryness and moisture evenly balanced.
VII. Summer care for home potted flowers
1. Watering. In summer, flowers have luxuriant branches and leaves and consume a lot of water, so in summer, flowers should be watered sufficiently every morning and evening.
2. Build frames for shade. For all potted flowers, once summer arrives, a frame must be built and reed curtains placed on it for shade, so they can safely pass the intense 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 into the room to prevent heat and lower the temperature.
4. Maintain moisture and lower temperature. In summer, some straw can be placed over the potting soil so that sunlight does not directly shine on the potting soil, thereby lowering the potting soil temperature and also preventing the water in the potting soil from evaporating too quickly; a sprayer can also be used to moisten the leaves of the flowers, and at the same time wet the surroundings to lower the temperature and increase humidity. This is very beneficial for some flowers that like coolness.
VIII. Autumn care for home potted flowers
1. Strengthen 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 thin liquid fertilizer once every half month to keep the leaves green and improve cold resistance; for chrysanthemum, camellia, rhododendron, and others that bloom once a year, it is necessary to timely apply additional liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus fertilizer to ensure sufficient nutrients and make them bloom more and larger; for Chinese rose, Milan, jasmine, and others that bloom multiple times a year, sufficient fertilizer and water should be supplied so they continue to bloom; for some fruit-viewing flowers, such as kumquat, fingered citron, and fruiting pomegranate, 1-2 applications of thin liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus fertilizer should be given. As the temperature gradually decreases, except for autumn-sown herbaceous flowers that bloom in autumn, winter, or early spring and continue to be watered normally, other flowers should have watering frequency reduced. Do not water unless the potting soil is dry, so as to avoid excessive water and fertilizer causing excessive growth of branches and leaves, affecting flower bud differentiation, and causing frost damage.
2. Timely autumn sowing and autumn cuttings. In autumn, timely harvest mature flower and tree seeds, and timely sow tulips, gloxinia, snapdragon, and others. Especially for seeds that easily lose germination capacity, sow them timely 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.
IX. Winter care for home potted flowers
Different types of flowers each have different growth habits, and different management measures should be taken to ensure they overwinter safely.
1. Overwintering of deciduous woody flowers: Most deciduous woody flowers originate from temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach, and winter jasmine. They are generally dormant in winter, so the room temperature can be controlled at around 5°C. If there is a balcony or small courtyard, cold-tolerant potted Chinese rose, ornamental peach, pomegranate, honeysuckle, and others can be placed together in a wind-sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard and wrapped and covered well with plastic film, and they can overwinter safely.
2. Overwintering of evergreen woody flowers: such as oleander, kumquat, and osmanthus, 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, hibiscus, and gardenia, they should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight. The indoor temperature should be kept at around 15°C. If the temperature is too low, it will cause the flowers to die.
3. Overwintering of annual and biennial herbaceous flowers: such as fairy primrose, coleus, and calceolaria. Keeping the room temperature between 5°C and 15°C allows normal growth. For perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, impatiens, geranium, and wax begonia, keeping sufficient sunlight and a room temperature of 10°C-20°C allows them to grow well. For herbaceous flowers that are dormant in winter, such as clivia and oncidium, maintaining a room temperature of around 5°C and giving an appropriate amount of light is enough. Light should not exceed 8-10 hours per day. At the same time, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and they can bloom after two months.
X. Several small flower-growing tips
1. How to judge whether potted flowers lack water
(1) Tapping method: gently tap the upper-middle part of the flower pot wall with a finger joint. If a relatively crisp sound is produced, it indicates that the potting soil is already dry and needs immediate watering; if a dull, muddy sound is produced, it indicates that the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(2) Visual method: observe with the eyes whether the color of the potting soil surface has changed. If the color becomes lighter or appears light grayish-white, it indicates that the potting soil is already dry and needs watering; if the color becomes darker or appears dark brown, it indicates that the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(3) Finger test method: gently insert a finger about 2 cm deep into the potting soil and feel the soil. If it feels dry or rough and hard, it indicates that the potting soil is already dry and needs immediate watering; if it feels slightly moist, fine, and soft, it indicates that the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(4) Pinching and twisting method: pinch the potting soil with your fingers. If the soil becomes powdery, it indicates that the potting soil is already dry and should be watered immediately; if the soil forms flakes or granules, it indicates that the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped. 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 accurately the degree of dryness or wetness of the potting soil, you can buy a soil moisture meter and insert it into the soil, and then you can see words such as "dry" or "moist" on the scale, so you can know exactly when to water.
2. What should be noted about water for watering flowers
The water for watering flowers is best river water, pond water, or rainwater that is neutral or slightly acidic. Rainwater is best for watering flowers because rainwater contains more natural minerals. Next is river water and pond water. As the flower proverb says: "River water is fat and pond water is strong; flowers are lush, leaves are abundant, and blooms are fragrant." In particular, greenish pond water has more nutrients and is a relatively ideal water for watering flowers. In cities, tap water is mostly used for watering flowers. However, tap water contains relatively high amounts of bleaching powder and chemicals, so it should be stored for one or two days before use. In addition, if a few slices of vitamin C are put into tap water, the chlorine in the water can be eliminated. Generally, add one slice per basin of water, let it sit for half a day, and then it can be used to water flowers.
As flower proverbs say: "When southern flowers move north, add alum when watering flowers"; "To grow southern flowers at home in the north, fish tank water is relatively good for watering"; "Fish water is fat and rice water is strong; they are most suitable for watering potted flowers." Whether in severe cold or midsummer, do not water flowers with cold water. When the temperature is below 10°C, an appropriate amount of hot water can be added to the water, trying to make the water temperature close to the soil temperature and create a microclimate suitable for flower growth.
3. Homemade fertilizer
In daily life, many waste materials can be used to make fertilizer.
(1) Soaking liquid fertilizer: use a small vat (or small jar) to 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 clear liquid on top, dilute it with water, and then test it. The above waste materials can also be mixed with some old potting soil, add some water, put into a large plastic bag, tie it tightly, and leave it for a period of time. Use after fermentation.
(2) Waste composting: choose a suitable place and dig a soil pit 60-80 cm deep, line it with 10 cm of stove ash, and put rotten vegetable leaves, poultry and livestock internal organs, fish scales, chicken and duck manure, eggshells, meat waste, and crushed bones into the pit. Sprinkle some insecticide, cover the top with a layer of garden soil about 10 cm thick, and keep the pit moist to promote fertilizer decomposition. It is best to compost in autumn and winter. After spring warming and decomposition without foul odor, it can be mixed into potting soil as base fertilizer; it can also be sieved while damp with a 4 mm sieve and rolled into granules. The fine part is used as topdressing, and the coarse part as base fertilizer. When composting, some orange peel or diluted rice vinegar can be added to reduce the odor.
4. Skillful fertilization for home flower cultivation
(1) Fertilize at the right time. So-called timely fertilization means applying fertilizer when flowers need it. When flower leaves are found to become lighter or yellow and the plant grows thin and weak, this is the most suitable period for fertilization. In addition, when flower seedlings sprout leaves and branches unfold leaves, topdressing should be applied to meet the fertilizer demand for rapid seedling growth. Different growth stages of flowers also have different fertilizer needs. The type and amount of fertilizer applied also differ. For example, applying more nitrogen fertilizer at the seedling stage can promote seedling growth, and applying phosphorus fertilizer at the flower bud stage can promote larger, more vivid flowers and a longer flowering period.
(2) Fertilize in appropriate amounts. Fertilizing potted flowers should follow "eat less but more often," that is, fertilize frequently but with a small amount each time. Generally, apply thin fertilizer water once every 7-10 days, and once every 15-20 days after the Start of Autumn. As flowers and trees gradually grow, the fertilization concentration gradually increases. For example, the concentration of urea applied gradually increases from 0.2% in the early period to 1.0%; phosphorus and potassium fertilizer increases from 1.0% to 3.0-4.0%.
(3) Master fertilization according to the season. In spring and summer, flowers grow quickly and vigorously, so a moderate amount of more fertilizer can be applied. After the Start of Autumn, the temperature gradually decreases, flower growth weakens, and less fertilizer should be applied. From late August to early September, fertilization should be stopped to prevent a second growth peak; otherwise, it is easy to make flower tissue cells tender and make overwintering difficult. For overwintering flowers, fertilization should be stopped in winter when they are dormant.
(4) Fertilization should take temperature into account. Potted flowers should not be fertilized around noon during high temperatures or on rainy days. Fertilizing at these times easily damages the roots. It is best to fertilize in the evening. After autumn and in winter, when the temperature is low, flowers grow slowly and generally are not fertilized; in summer, when the temperature is high, flowers grow vigorously and should be fertilized more. When the temperature is high, the topdressing concentration should be low and the amount should be small; when using thin fertilizer water for topdressing, apply it more times.
(5) Mixed application of pesticide and fertilizer. If pests or diseases occur during fertilization, an appropriate amount of pesticide can be added to the fertilizer liquid, which can achieve the dual effect of fertilizing and preventing pests and diseases.
XI. Precautions
1. Why do home-grown flowers die
(1) Too much fertilizer. Some people love flowers so much that, considering that potted flowers consume a lot of nutrients during the flowering period, they apply large amounts of chemical fertilizer, causing the concentration to be too high. In mild cases, it affects the root hairs' absorption of water, and in severe cases it causes the plant to die.
(2) Too much undecomposed organic fertilizer. Because organic fertilizer has a large amount 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. At the same time, fermentation releases a large amount of heat, raising the temperature and causing "root burning."
(3) No place for growing flowers. People often put potted flowers in enclosed balconies facing east or west. In this way, due to the radiant heat of the sun, the temperature inside the balcony rises sharply, forming a hot, dry environment. High temperature, dryness, and lack of ventilation also make red spider mite damage likely, accelerating the death of flowers.
(4) Overwintering flowers suddenly taken outdoors. Flowers overwintered indoors grow leaves that belong to semi-shade leaves or shade leaves. If suddenly taken outdoors in early spring, shade leaves cannot adapt, and tender leaves and tender buds are easily burned by sunlight. In addition, the large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors can easily cause fatal damage to flowers.
(5) Lack of sunlight. Some people, for convenience of appreciation, place flowers on indoor 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 plant to weaken and die. Watering too much and too frequently is also a cause of plant death.
2. Harmful flowers and trees
(1) Flowers not suitable for long-term indoor placement: pine and cypress plants, if placed indoors in relatively large numbers, release a relatively strong pine resin scent, affecting people's appetite and making pregnant women feel nauseated; geranium can cause allergic reactions in some people; tulip flowers contain toxic alkaloids, and after long exposure they can make people dizzy and can cause hair loss; night-blooming cestrum stops photosynthesis at night and discharges a large amount of waste gas, which can make patients with high blood pressure and heart disease feel depressed; daphne kept indoors for a long time releases an unusual odor that can cause asthma and restlessness in some people; the odor released by elderberry can also make people nauseated and dizzy. Therefore, the above flowers should not be placed indoors for too long.
(2) Toxic flowers: yellow azalea, whose plant and flowers both contain toxins, and accidental ingestion will cause poisoning. Poinsettia, whose whole plant is toxic; the white sap can irritate the skin and cause redness and swelling, and accidental ingestion of stems and leaves can risk poisoning and death. Oleander: branches, leaves, and bark all contain toxins, and accidental ingestion of even a few grams of dry matter can cause poisoning. Pencil cactus is a succulent plant; the white sap flowing out after its stem is broken can cause skin redness and swelling, and if it enters the eyes it can cause blindness. Lantana: flowers and leaves are toxic, and accidental ingestion can cause diarrhea and fever. Narcissus: the bulb contains lycorine, and accidental ingestion can cause enteritis and vomiting; the branches and leaves of flowers and leaves can cause skin redness and swelling. Lycoris radiata: the bulb contains toxic substances such as lycorine; after human skin contacts lycorine, it can cause redness, swelling, and itching; inhaling lycorine into the respiratory tract can cause nosebleeds; accidental ingestion causes vomiting, diarrhea, cold hands and feet, and shock, and in severe cases death can occur due to central nervous system paralysis. Mimosa: contains mimosine in the body, and excessive contact can cause hair loss and sparse eyebrows. Crown of thorns and Euphorbia neriifolia: the white latex in the stem is toxic, and neither can enter the eyes. Dieffenbachia: flowers and leaves contain oxalic acid and asparagine; accidental ingestion can cause swelling and pain in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and gastrointestinal tract, and can even damage the vocal cords and make a person mute. Cactus plants: the spines contain toxic juice, and after the human body is pricked, it easily causes allergic symptoms such as skin redness, swelling, pain, and itching. Coral bean: the whole plant is toxic, and children should be taught not to eat its red fruits.
3. How to deal with rot in cactus plants
When the stems and leaves of potted cactus plants turn from green to gray, the edges turn yellow, the base becomes soft, and even the rhizome rots, the general cause is excessive watering or placing cactus plants in a dark, damp, poorly ventilated place after the plum rain season. This causes the potting soil to become saturated with water and severely oxygen-deficient, obstructing the normal activity of aerobic microorganisms in the soil such as ammonifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, and sulfur bacteria that decompose organic matter, so they cannot effectively decompose organic matter in the soil. As a result, cactus plants show symptoms such as yellowing and wilting due to lack of various mineral nutrients from the soil. People without cultivation experience often mistakenly think it is caused by lack of water and therefore keep watering, thus causing root rot, stem rot, and even death. When the soil is too wet and too acidic, after the above situation occurs, effective measures must be taken to rescue them. In particular, when the weather suddenly clears after long rain, cactus plants should not immediately be placed under the scorching sun. They should be placed in a cool, ventilated place for 1-2 days before receiving sunlight again, allowing them to recover slowly. If exposed to the sun rashly, because the plant root system has poor water absorption capacity, even though the potting soil is relatively wet, the stems and leaves will still wilt.
If root rot or stem rot occurs, the pot should be changed and the soil replaced, the rotten roots cut off, and disinfection treatment carried out with powdered slaked lime (such as old wall lime). After drying, repot. If the roots are good and only a small amount of the stem is rotten, a surgical method can be used: cut off all the rotten parts with a sterilized sharp knife, then apply slaked lime to make the cut dry quickly so the stem no longer rots.
While carrying out technical treatment, part of the potting soil can be dug out and placed on a ventilated windowsill or balcony, allowing it to ventilate as much as possible.
? [Leisure and elegant mood] A complete collection of home flower-growing materials!
I. Benefits of growing flowers
With their brilliant elegance, flowers decorate nature exceptionally beautifully and give people aesthetic enjoyment. Growing flowers can enrich and regulate people's cultural life, add fun, cultivate temperament, and improve health; it can also increase scientific knowledge and improve cultural and artistic literacy. Growing flowers can green and beautify the land of the motherland, protect and improve the environment, purify the air, and enable people to work and study in a beautiful environment, making life better. Growing flowers is not only for ornamental appreciation, but also has many important economic values. Flowers are an important part of Chinese herbal medicine. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, wintersweet, hibiscus, rhododendron, Chinese rose, lotus, and others are all common Chinese medicinal materials. Fragrant flowers are widely used in food, light industry, and other aspects. For example, osmanthus can be used as a food spice and for brewing wine; jasmine, white orchid, bitter orange, and chloranthus can be used to scent tea leaves; chrysanthemum can be used to make high-grade foods and dishes; white orchid, jasmine, rose, wintersweet, narcissus, and others can be used to extract essences.
II. "Three suitable" flowers for indoor cultivation
1. It is suitable to grow flowers with strong ability to absorb toxic substances. Some flowers can absorb certain concentrations of toxic gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, and others. According to research, wintersweet can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor in the air; snapdragon, canna, morning glory, gladiolus, dianthus, and others 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, saxifrage, and others 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, eliminating and preventing indoor air pollution.
2. It is suitable to grow flowers that can secrete bactericidal substances. The bactericidal substances secreted by flowers such as jasmine, clove, honeysuckle, and morning glory can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibit the occurrence of pathogens of diphtheria, tuberculosis, and dysentery as well as typhoid bacteria, and keep indoor air clean and hygienic.
3. It is suitable to grow flowers with a "complementary" function. Most flowers mainly carry out photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. At night they carry out respiration, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti are exactly the opposite: during the day they release carbon dioxide, and at night they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Growing flowers with a "complementary" function in the same room can not only allow the two to benefit each other, but also balance the indoor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and keep indoor air fresh.
III. "Three avoidances" for indoor flower cultivation
1. Avoid growing too many flowers that give off strong fragrance and irritating odors. For example, orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, night-blooming cestrum, and others can all give off rich fragrance. One pot in a room fills it with fragrance, but if too many fragrant flowers are placed indoors and the fragrance is too strong, it will cause people's nerves to become excited. Especially if people smell it for a long time in the bedroom, it can cause insomnia. The gases released by poinsettia and evergreen are unfavorable to people; if the microparticles released by tulips and hydrangea are contacted for too long, the skin will become allergic and itchy.
2. Avoid placing too many. At night, most flowers release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen, "competing for air" with people. At night, most rooms are closed, and the air does not circulate enough with the outside. If too many flowers are placed indoors, it will reduce the indoor oxygen concentration at night and affect sleep quality, 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 can cause poisoning; the bulb of narcissus contains lycorine toxin. If a child accidentally eats it, it can cause symptoms such as vomiting. The sap of the leaves and flowers can cause skin redness and swelling. If the sap mistakenly enters the eyes, it can harm the eyes; too much contact with mimosa can easily cause sparse eyebrows and yellowing hair, and in severe cases cause hair loss.
Therefore, when growing and enjoying flowers, we should understand related scientific knowledge to bring health and happiness to ourselves and our families.
IV. "Six precepts" for home flower cultivation
Home flower cultivation is now increasingly common, but many flower lovers, because they do not grasp the key points, grow flowers that are droopy and lifeless. Where is the problem?
First precept: carelessness. Flowers, like people, are living beings and need careful care. Many flower growers lack the proper careful and diligent attitude toward these beautiful lives. First, they are mentally lazy and do not like to study flower-growing knowledge, willingly remaining laymen for a long time, with improper management. Second, they are lazy with their hands and are unwilling to spend too much time and energy on flowers. After flowers enter the home, they are left aside and ignored, enduring hunger and thirst for a long time and suffering from pests and diseases. In this way, even the best flowers will gradually wither. Therefore, lazy people cannot grow flowers well.
Second precept: loving them too much. Contrary to the above situation, some flower growers love flowers too much and their hands itch if they do not fiddle with them for a moment. Some water and fertilize without any rules, watering whenever they think of it, causing flowers to die from excessive water and fertilizer; some casually move flower pots around, moving them to several places a day, making the flowers constantly adapt to the environment and disrupting normal growth patterns. Over time, it would be strange if the flowers were not tormented to death. Having a few suitable flowers at home and liking them is understandable, but flowers, like people, have their own growth patterns. If they are frequently disturbed when they need rest, they will naturally feel tired and not grow well.
Third precept: 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 large market profits. Under the control of this mentality, they spare no expense and seek out famous flowers and trees everywhere. As a result, often due to the lack of good maintenance conditions and management skills, the flowers die not long after purchase, which both mistreats precious flowers and wastes money. This is a misconception. The correct approach should be to start with ordinary, lower-grade varieties and gradually explore the rules and techniques of flower cultivation. After reaching a certain technical level, then gradually purchase more precious varieties. Only then is there a greater chance of success.
Fourth precept: failing to distinguish good from bad. Some flower growers like to be greedy for size and completeness, and no matter what variety it is, they take it home when they see it. This not only makes management more difficult, 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 people's nervous system and can easily cause breathing difficulty or even allergic reactions. Plants with sharp thorns on their appearance also pose a certain threat to human safety, and so on. In short, home flower cultivation should not be greedy for size and completeness or fail to distinguish good from bad. You should choose some types with smaller plant shape, beautiful appearance, and no harm to the human body.
Fifth precept: being fickle. Some flower growers are restless and have no theme in growing flowers. The flowers at home are changed back and forth like a revolving lantern. This is a great taboo in flower cultivation. First, changing varieties too quickly and growing them for too short a time is not conducive to cultivating flowers and trees with beautiful plant shape and high ornamental value. Second, tasting each flower only superficially is not conducive to improving flower-growing skills, 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 flower grower gain something in heart.
Sixth precept: outdated concepts. Today, new knowledge and new technologies in the flower industry emerge endlessly, but most flower growers still stick to traditional maintenance methods. In the use of flower vessels, water and fertilizer management, seedling cultivation, and other aspects, they are not good at using new technologies and new equipment, such as soilless cultivation, odorless flower fertilizer, and various flower vessels. As a result, home flower cultivation is unhygienic, unattractive, not novel, and has relatively large side effects.
V. The knowledge of buying flowers
Don't buy the following types of flowers:
1. Newly potted flowers. When buying flowers, if you see fresh soil in the pot and the stem moves when you pull it upward, then this potted flower has only recently been potted and has not yet grown new roots. Such flowers are very likely to die after you buy them. The reason is that some vendors, in pursuit of profit, mix undecomposed organic fertilizer directly into the soil; once this fertilizer ferments, the flower's roots will be burned. Sometimes, to save labor or gain time, they plant the flowers without doing any trimming of the roots, or even hastily pot up and put on the market damaged flower plants whose roots are so severely injured that they cannot survive at all. If you carelessly buy such flowers, most will be difficult to keep alive.
2. Flowers planted two or more together in one pot. Some vendors, exploiting the buyer's preference for lush flowers and abundant leaves, plant two or more inferior seedlings together in one pot to pass off poor quality as good, selling them to inexperienced buyers and profiting from it. After buying this kind of flower, the branches and leaves it grows will become thinner, weaker and yellower day by day, and the flowers will bloom smaller and smaller. The reason is insufficient nutrition, and too many roots in the pot, which easily causes the soil to harden; poor drainage and poor aeration may also cause root rot and death. Of course, purpose-made combination planters are not included in this category. Flowers sold in summer or winter without a soil ball: in the hot summer, when temperatures are very high, the leaves of flowers and plants evaporate water quickly, and the roots of newly potted plants are more or less damaged, making it hard for them to absorb water from the potting soil in the short term. Only with their original soil ball can they safely get through this transition period; otherwise they will first wilt and then slowly wither and die. In winter, when the weather is cold, flowers and plants grow slowly, and some even enter dormancy. If at this time you buy flowers and plants without a soil ball from the market and take them home, once they are potted and watered they may suffer cold damage (especially the roots), which in mild cases hinders plant growth and in severe cases causes death. Even if they do not suffer freezing, the low soil temperature makes it very hard for them to grow new roots, while the old roots cannot sprout for a long time and are very prone to rotting and necrosis. Areas along the Yangtze River basin and other regions without heating in winter should pay special attention.
3. Flowers with roots but no stems or leaves. Some individual traders dig up wild vines and miscellaneous tree roots on the mountains in autumn and winter and pass them off as flowers and plants for sale; because there are no stems or leaves, they are very hard to identify. To keep them moist, they wrap them in moss, and give them strange flower names, specifically to deceive inexperienced buyers. Some people are tempted by the low price, but after buying, nine times out of ten they only grow leaves and never bloom.
4. Flowers shown in pictures as being able to bloom in multiple colors. A small number of unscrupulous traders, in order to make a profit, insert fake flowers of various colors into plants that cannot bloom, then photograph them to make pictures, and give them exotic flower names to deceive beginners at growing flowers. These flower sellers at street stalls move from place to place, and cheated buyers find it very hard to track them down.
5. Flowers whose branches and leaves have been tied with thin wire into various shapes. In order to fetch a good price, flower and plant vendors deliberately tie all the branches and leaves of evergreen trees such as pines and cypresses with thin wire into various animal shapes, then take them to market and sell them at a high price as bonsai. This kind of potted flower looks nice at the time, but as time goes on and the plant grows, its shape will change. Moreover, tying all the branches and leaves of the plant at the same time not only affects photosynthesis but also makes it prone to pests and diseases, which is very unfavorable to the plant's growth.
6. Cactus flowers with small frost spots on the stem or ball. In early spring, you often see individual traders offering cactus-type flowers at low prices. Some buyers do not examine them carefully and buy eight or ten at a time, and as a result no small number of them run into problems. The reason is that cacti that have overwintered are very susceptible to slight frost injury, with light green frost spots smaller than a grain of rice appearing on the stem and ball. On the surface there seems to be no problem, but in essence the plant's internal tissues have already suffered major damage. If no measures are taken after buying such flowers, the spots will grow larger and larger, the plant will gradually become semi-transparent, and finally the whole plant will necrose.
Six. Spring care of household potted flowers
The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring. The management and care of household potted flowers in spring is very important, and the following three aspects of work should be done well.
1. Propagate good seedlings. Chinese roses, geraniums, pomegranates, winter jasmine and so on can be propagated in spring by taking healthy branches as 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 moderately to maintain a certain humidity, and generally after about 1 month they will take root. Orchids, agaves and spider plants can be propagated in early spring by division or by runners respectively.
For spring-sown herbaceous plants grown from seed, such as asparagus fern, five-color pepper, mimosa, garden balsam, scarlet sage, morning glory and Tagetes species, you can sow by broadcasting or by dibbling. Sowing method: first fill the pot with soil, press it down lightly, then sow the seeds, and cover with fine soil. For watering after sowing, generally place the flower pot in a basin of water and let the water slowly seep in from the bottom of the pot. Most will germinate 1-3 weeks after sowing; after germination, move the pot to a sunny place. After the seedlings grow 2-3 leaves, they can be pricked out and transplanted; when transplanting, be careful not to damage the roots or break the stems.
2. Repotting and changing the soil. This is a method of supplementing 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 to be moved into larger pots. Some plants whose roots have grown too densely, or that have dead or rotten roots, need appropriate pruning. After repotting, generally the first watering should be thorough, then the pot should be placed in a cool place; afterward, water again when the potting soil is seen to be dry. Generally, wait until new roots have grown, then carry out normal watering and move the plant to a sunny place.
3. Pruning and trimming. This should be done according to the different plants. Azaleas, winter jasmine and so on should not be pruned excessively; for pomegranates, Chinese roses and so on, dead branches, damaged branches or branches growing too densely can all be cut away in early spring to promote abundant flowers and lush leaves. Jasmine should have its old leaves removed when repotted, to encourage it to sprout more new branches. Climbing vine plants such as Boston ivy, banksia rose, wisteria and multiflora rose can be trained, so that the leaf surface receives as much sunlight as possible and grows vigorously.
Note that in early spring potted flowers should not be moved outdoors too early, lest they encounter an invasion of cold air and suffer cold damage. Watering can be increased as the temperature rises, and keep dryness and moisture evenly balanced.
Seven. Summer care of household potted flowers
1. Watering. In summer, flowers have luxuriant branches and leaves and consume a lot of water, so in summer you should water the flowers sufficiently every morning and evening.
2. Set up a frame for shade. For any potted flowers, once summer comes you must set up a frame and put reed curtains on it for shade, so that they can safely get through the intense 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 into the room, to prevent heatstroke and lower the temperature.
4. Keep moist and lower the temperature. In summer you can cover the potting soil with some straw, so that sunlight does not shine directly on 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 moisten the leaves of the flowers, and at the same time wet the surroundings, lowering the temperature and increasing humidity. This is very beneficial to some flowers that like cool conditions.
Eight. Autumn care of household potted flowers
1. Strengthen water and fertilizer management. After the Start of Autumn, the weather gradually turns cool. For some foliage plants, 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 so on that bloom once a year, promptly apply additional liquid fertilizer mainly of phosphorus, to ensure sufficient nutrients so that they bloom abundantly and with large flowers; for Chinese roses, Aglaia, jasmine and so on that bloom several times a year, supply sufficient fertilizer and water so that they keep blooming; for some ornamental-fruit plants, such as kumquat, finger citron and fruiting pomegranate, apply 1-2 times a dilute liquid fertilizer mainly of phosphorus. As the temperature gradually drops, apart from continuing normal watering for autumn-sown herbaceous flowers that bloom in autumn, winter or early spring, watering frequency should be reduced for other flowers, so that the potting soil is not watered unless dry, to avoid excessive water and fertilizer causing leggy branches and leaves and affecting flower bud differentiation and exposure to cold damage.
2. Carry out autumn sowing and autumn cuttings in good time. In autumn, promptly harvest the seeds of mature flowers and plants, and promptly sow tulips, gloxinias, snapdragons and so on; especially for seeds that easily lose their germination capacity, they should be sown promptly in autumn, and combined with pruning, take cuttings of flowers and plants. For example, taking cuttings of Chinese roses, roses, multiflora roses and so on gives a relatively high survival rate.
Nine. Winter care of household potted flowers
Different kinds of flowers each have different growth habits, and different management measures should be adopted to ensure they safely overwinter.
1. Overwintering of deciduous woody flowers: most deciduous woody flowers originate in temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach and winter jasmine; they are generally in a dormant state in winter, so the room temperature can be controlled at around 5°C. If there is a balcony or small courtyard, cold-hardy potted Chinese roses, ornamental peaches, pomegranates, honeysuckles and so on can be placed together in a wind-sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard, wrapped and covered well with plastic film, and they can safely overwinter.
2. Overwintering of evergreen woody flowers: such as oleander, kumquat and osmanthus, which are in a semi-dormant state; the temperature is generally controlled above 0°C, and they can safely get through the severe winter. As for Aglaia, jasmine, hibiscus and gardenia, they should be placed in places with ample sunlight. The indoor temperature should be kept at around 15°C; if the temperature is too low, it will cause the flowers to die.
3. Overwintering of annual and biennial herbaceous flowers: such as Chinese primrose, coleus and calceolaria; keeping room temperature between 5°C and 15°C allows them to grow normally. For perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, garden balsam, geranium and wax begonia, keeping ample sunlight and a room temperature of 10°C-20°C allows them to grow well. For herbaceous flowers that are dormant in winter, such as clivia and oncidium, maintaining a room temperature of around 5°C and giving an appropriate amount of light is enough; light each day should not exceed 8-10 hours, and at the same time strengthen fertilizer and water management, and after two months they will bloom.
Ten. A few tips for growing flowers
1. How to tell whether a potted flower lacks water
(1) Tapping method: gently tap the upper-middle part of the pot wall with the knuckle of your finger. If it gives a relatively crisp sound, it means the potting soil is already dry and needs watering immediately; if it gives a dull, muffled sound, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(2) Visual method: observe with your eyes whether the color of the surface of the potting soil has changed. If the color has become lighter or appears light grayish-white, it means the potting soil is already dry and needs watering; if the color has become darker or appears dark brown, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(3) Finger test method: gently insert a 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 already dry and needs watering immediately; if it feels slightly moist, fine and soft, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped.
(4) Rolling method: roll a bit of the potting soil between your fingers. If the soil turns to powder, it means the potting soil is already dry and should be watered immediately; if the soil forms flakes or crumbs, it means the potting soil is moist and watering can be temporarily skipped. The above methods are all rules of thumb; they can only tell people the approximate condition of the potting soil's dryness or moisture. If you need to know the degree of dryness or moisture of the potting soil accurately, you can buy a soil moisture meter, insert the moisture meter into the soil, and you will see words such as "dry" or "moist" on the scale, and then you can know exactly when to water.
2. What are the special considerations for water used to water flowers
The water used to water flowers is best river water, pond water or rainwater that is neutral or slightly acidic. Rainwater is best for watering flowers, because rainwater contains more natural minerals. Next is river water and pond water. As the flower proverb says, "River water is rich and pond water is strong; flowers are lush and leaves abundant, and the blooms are fragrant." Greenish pond water in particular 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 a relatively high amount of bleaching powder and chemicals, so when using it to water flowers it should be stored 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 stand for half a day, and then it can be used to water flowers.
As the flower proverb says, "When southern flowers move north, add alum to the watering water"; "When growing southern flowers at home in the north, fish tank water is quite good for watering"; "Fish water is rich and rice water is strong; they are most suitable for watering potted flowers." Whether in deep winter or high summer, never water flowers with cold water. When the temperature is below 10°C, you can add an appropriate amount of hot water to the water, trying as much as possible to bring the water temperature close to the soil temperature and create a microclimate suitable for flower growth.
3. Homemade fertilizer
In daily life, many kinds of waste can be used to make fertilizer at home.
(1) Soaking liquid fertilizer: use a small vat (or small jar) 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, etc.), add water and sprinkle a little trichlorfon, then cover tightly. After high-temperature fermentation and decomposition, it can be used. When using, take the clear liquid on top, dilute it with water, and then it can be used. You can also mix the above waste with some old potting soil, add some water, put it into a large plastic bag, tie it tightly and leave it for a period of time, and use it after fermentation.
(2) Waste compost: choose a suitable spot and dig a soil pit 60-80 cm deep, line it with 10 cm of furnace ash, put rotten vegetable leaves, poultry and livestock viscera, fish scales, chicken and duck manure, eggshells, meat waste and crushed bones into the pit, sprinkle some insecticide, cover with a layer of about 10 cm of garden soil, and keep the pit moist to promote fertilizer decomposition. It is best to pile it in autumn and winter; after spring warming causes it to decompose and there is no foul odor, it can be mixed into potting soil as a base fertilizer; you can also use a 4 mm sieve to sieve it while wet and rub it into granules; the fine part is used as a top dressing and the coarse part as a base fertilizer. When composting, you can add some orange peel or diluted rice vinegar to reduce the odor.
4. Clever fertilizing for household flowers
(1) Fertilize at the right time. So-called timely fertilizing means applying fertilizer when the flowers need it. When you find that flower leaves have become lighter or yellow and the plant is growing thin and weak, that is the most suitable time to fertilize. In addition, when flower seedlings sprout leaves and branches unfold leaves, top dressing should be applied to meet the seedlings' demand for fertilizer during rapid growth. Different growth stages of flowers also have different fertilizer needs. The type and amount of fertilizer applied also differ. For example, applying more nitrogen fertilizer at the seedling stage can promote seedling growth, and applying phosphorus fertilizer at the flower bud stage can promote large, brightly colored flowers and a long flowering period.
(2) Fertilize in the right amount. Fertilizing potted flowers should follow the principle of "eat small meals more often", that is, fertilize frequently 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 plants gradually grow, the fertilizer concentration gradually increases; for example, the concentration of urea applied gradually 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) Master fertilizing according to the season. In spring and summer, flowers grow quickly and vigorously, so an appropriate amount of more fertilizer can be applied. After the Start of Autumn, the temperature gradually drops and flower growth weakens, so less fertilizer should be applied. From late August to early September, fertilizing should stop, to prevent a second growth peak; otherwise it easily makes the flower's tissue cells tender and makes overwintering difficult. For flowers overwintering, fertilizing should stop because they are in a dormant state in winter.
(4) Fertilizing should take temperature into account. Potted flowers should not be fertilized around noon at high temperatures or on rainy days; fertilizing at these times easily damages the roots, so it is best to fertilize in the evening. After autumn and in winter, when the temperature is low, flowers grow slowly and generally are not fertilized; in summer, when the temperature is high and flowers grow vigorously, more fertilizer should be applied; when the temperature is high, the concentration of top dressing should be low and the amount small, and thin fertilizer solution should be applied several more times.
(5) Mixed application of pesticide and fertilizer. If pests or diseases occur when fertilizing, an appropriate amount of pesticide can be added to the fertilizer solution, which can achieve the dual effect of fertilizing and preventing pests and diseases.
Eleven. Points to note
1. Why do household flowers die
(1) Too much fertilizer. Some people love their flowers so much that, considering that potted flowers consume a lot of 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, and in severe cases it causes the plant to die.
(2) Too much undecomposed organic fertilizer applied. Because organic fertilizer undergoes intense microbial activity when decomposing in the soil, it causes soil oxygen deficiency, and the roots are suffocated 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 producing the phenomenon of "root burning."
(3) No place to grow flowers. People often put potted flowers on enclosed balconies facing east or west, so that the radiant heat of the sun makes the temperature inside the balcony rise sharply, forming a hot, dry environment. Hot, dry conditions and poor ventilation also make red spider mite infestations likely, accelerating the death of the flowers.
(4) Overwintered flowers suddenly moved outdoors. Flowers that overwinter indoors grow leaves that are semi-shade leaves or shade leaves. If suddenly moved outdoors in early spring, the shade leaves cannot adapt, and tender leaves and tender buds are easily scorched by sunlight; together 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 appreciation, place flowers on indoor tables and desks, far from sunlight, causing their photosynthesis to be inhibited. The organic nutrients in the flower can only be consumed and cannot be replenished in time, reducing the flower's resistance and causing the plant to weaken and die. Watering too much and too frequently is also a cause of plant death.
2. Harmful flowers and plants
(1) Flowers not suitable for being kept indoors for long periods: pine and cypress plants, if too many are placed indoors, release a relatively strong pine resin scent that affects people's appetite and makes pregnant women feel nauseated; geraniums can cause allergic reactions in some people; tulip flowers contain toxic alkaloids, and being around them too long can make people feel dizzy and muddled and can cause hair loss; night-blooming jasmine, when it stops photosynthesis at night, discharges a large amount of waste gas, which can make patients with high blood pressure and heart disease feel depressed; daphne, kept indoors for a long time, gives off an unusual odor that can cause asthma and irritation in some people; elderberry also gives off an odor that makes people nauseated and dizzy. Therefore, the above flowers should not be kept indoors for too long.
(2) Toxic flowers and plants: yellow azalea, whose plant and flowers both contain toxins, and if eaten by mistake will cause poisoning. Poinsettia, whose whole plant is toxic; its white sap can irritate the skin and cause redness and swelling, and eating its stem or leaves by mistake carries the risk of poisoning and death. Oleander: its branches, leaves and bark all contain toxins, and eating even a few grams of dry matter by mistake can cause poisoning. The pencil cactus is a succulent plant; the white sap that flows out after its stem is broken can cause skin redness and swelling, and if it gets into the eyes it can cause blindness. Lantana: its flowers and leaves are toxic, and eating them by mistake can cause diarrhea and fever. Narcissus: the bulb contains lycorine, and eating it by mistake can cause enteritis and vomiting; the branches and leaves of the flowers and leaves can cause skin redness and swelling. Lycoris radiata: the bulb contains toxic substances such as lycorine; after human skin comes into contact with lycorine it causes redness, swelling and itching, inhaling lycorine into the respiratory tract causes nosebleeds, and eating it by mistake causes vomiting, diarrhea, cold hands and feet, and shock, and in severe cases death due to central nervous system paralysis. Mimosa: its body contains mimosine, and excessive contact can cause hair loss and sparse eyebrows in people. Crown of thorns and Euphorbia neriifolia: the white milky sap in the stem is toxic and must not get into the eyes. Dieffenbachia: its flowers and leaves contain oxalic acid and asparagine, and eating them by mistake causes swelling and pain in the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines, and can even damage the vocal cords and make a person mute. Cactus-type plants: their spines contain toxic juice, and after a person is pricked, it easily causes allergic symptoms such as skin redness, swelling, pain and itching. Coral bean: the whole plant is toxic, and children should be taught not to eat its red berries.
3. How to handle rot in cactus-type plants
When the stems and leaves of potted cactus-type plants turn from green to gray, the edges turn yellow, the base becomes soft, and even the roots and stems rot, the usual cause is too much watering, or placing cactus-type plants in a dark, damp, poorly ventilated place after the moldy rainy season. This causes the potting soil to become saturated with water and severely oxygen-deficient, preventing the normal activity of aerobic microorganisms in the soil such as ammonifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria and sulfur bacteria that decompose organic matter, so that they cannot effectively decompose the organic matter in the soil. As a result, cactus-type plants show symptoms such as yellowing and wilting because they cannot obtain various mineral nutrients from the soil. People without experience in growing them often mistakenly think it is caused by lack of water in the plant, and so keep watering, thus causing root rot and stem rot, and even death. When the soil is too wet and too acidic and the above situation occurs, effective measures must be taken to save them. Especially after a long period of rain when the weather suddenly clears, cactus-type plants should not immediately be put under the blazing sun to be exposed; they should be placed in a cool, ventilated place for 1-2 days before being exposed to sunlight again, letting them slowly recover. If exposed to the blazing sun rashly, because the plant's root system has a poor ability to absorb water, even though the potting soil is relatively moist, the stem and leaves will still show wilting.
If root rot or stem rot occurs, you should repot and change the soil, cut off the rotten roots, disinfect them with slaked lime powder (such as lime from old demolished walls), let them dry, and then pot them again. If the roots are good and only a small part of the stem has rotted, you can take the surgical approach: use a sterilized sharp knife to cut away all the rotten part, then smear on slaked lime so that the cut dries quickly and the stem no longer rots.
While carrying out technical treatment, you can dig out part of the potting soil and place the pot on a ventilated windowsill or balcony, letting it ventilate as much as possible. Because the potting soil is ventilated and dry, the normal growth of cactus-type plants can be restored as quickly as possible.
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