Detailed Guide to Growing Plum Blossom as a Home Potted Plant

Apart from large trees grown in the ground, plum blossoms are usually grown in pots, cultivated as bonsai, and can even be trained into gnarled old plum specimens. The care methods for potted plum blossoms differ from those of other potted plants, and cultivation and management should follow their particular characteristics.

How to Grow Potted Plum Blossoms

Potted plum blossoms are mainly propagated by grafting, commonly using cut grafting and bud grafting. The rootstock is wild peach, mountain peach or apricot. The old trunks of apricot trees have red bark; when grafting red plum onto them, the flower and bark colors harmonize.

Cut grafting

Cut grafting mostly uses one- or two-year-old rootstock. At the end of March (in a cold frame) or the beginning of April (in the open field), cut off the upper part of the rootstock 3-5 cm above the ground. Use vigorous one-year-old branches as scions, cut them to 5-6 cm long, keeping at least 3 buds. On the outer sides of the lowest bud, make downward slanting cuts on both sides into a duck-bill shape. Open a 3 cm long cut surface on one side of the rootstock. Insert the scion into the rootstock cut so that the two form a close union, then bind with plastic film tape. Or use polyester tape to stick it tightly. Finally, cover the scion with a small plastic bag, tying the bag opening below the cut surface, so you can check through the film at any time. After it survives, remove the binding material.

Bud grafting

Bud grafting is carried out in August-September, generally using the "T"-shaped method. First make a horizontal cut 1-1.5 cm above the bud of the scion, then from 1 cm below the bud make a flat cut forward and downward, gently peel off the wood inside the bark layer of the removed bud (in recent years, bud grafting with a little wood attached is sometimes used), and hold it in the mouth. Make a horizontal cut on the rootstock 5 cm above the soil surface, then make a vertical cut downward from the center of the cut, forming a "T" shape, then gently peel open the bark and insert the prepared scion into the bark at the "T" opening. The grafted bud should fit firmly, with its upper end closely joined to the upper end of the "T" opening on the rootstock, and finally bind it well with plastic film strips or polyester adhesive tape. Check survival after one week; if the petiole falls off at a touch and the bud point is green and plump, it has survived. In the following spring, cut off the top of the rootstock 5-6 cm above the graft union; the scion will sprout quickly. Afterward, take care to remove rootstock sprouts. When repotting or planting in a pot, plant it somewhat deeper so that the graft union is as low as possible. Bind according to growth to guide it into an elegant shape.

Preparation of potting soil

Mix 1/3 chaff ash with 2/3 river mud, add human and animal manure and urine, stir well, expose to sunlight, then sieve and set aside for use. Place tile pieces and stones at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage, then fill with coarser soil, then plant the plum specimen and firm the soil around the roots.

Watering schedule

Do not water when first potting; water once after 3-4 days; water once a day after 7-10 days; after it survives, water 1-2 times a day from May to August. The soil should not be too wet, and waterlogging must be strictly avoided.

Fertilizing

Plum blossoms do not like heavy fertilizer. When new shoots grow to about 5 cm, apply once a dilute fertilizer water of crushed bone and sesame paste to promote robust branch growth. When leaves emerge, fertilizer water should be sufficient; generally apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once a month to promote lush branches and leaves. When branches reach 20-25 cm, fertilizer and water should be restricted. In late summer and early autumn, apply topdressing twice to promote flower bud differentiation. After each fertilizing, water and loosen the soil promptly to keep the potting soil loose and benefit root development.

Temperature and light

Plum blossoms like a sunny and well-ventilated environment and cannot tolerate long periods of shade. Only by giving sufficient light, so that they have the conditions for photosynthesis, can they obtain adequate nutrition, and thus grow robustly and produce abundant, large, brightly colored flowers.