Plum Blossom Cultivation Methods and Fertilizing Times and Techniques
Plum blossom cultivation methods. Plum blossoms are best purchased in winter when the flowers first begin to open. At this time, supply on the market is plentiful, prices are low, the flowers are in a semi-dormant state, they recover quickly after planting, and you can see the shape of the trunk, the form of the flowers, and smell the strength of their fragrance.
You need to select a good trunk. The rootstock is best if it is apricot plum; the main trunk should be horizontal or slanting, thick and old, the graft point should be low, and the branches should be sparse and spreading. Before potting, prune hard according to the shape of the trunk. Cut away all branches and trunks that hinder the shape. Keep an appropriate number of flowering branches, and prune again after flowering. Check whether the soil around the trunk is the original soil; loosen any compacted areas, remove excess soil, and plant it in a suitable pot. If it is a small mud ball, soak the mud ball in water to remove it, plant as usual, and place the pot in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot.
Use a medium-deep purple clay ceramic pot for the plum trunk. Pot shapes such as a manger shape, square pot, round pot or tall cylindrical pot are suitable. The color of the pot should vary according to the color of the flowers, and there should be a sharp contrast to increase the ornamental effect.
Plum blossoms like dryness and dislike dampness, love sunlight, prefer fertile soil, and are cold-tolerant; they can generally withstand low temperatures of -10°C, making them one of the most widely cultivated flowers. The management of potted plum blossoms must be especially meticulous.
Repotting and Changing Soil in Plum Blossom Cultivation Methods
Newly potted plum blossoms should be potted in September to October, because by then the flower buds have already differentiated and the flower buds have initially formed. At this time, the potted plant can still go through a relatively long period of growth, and at the same time, cutting part of the roots can promote flowering. However, when repotting and changing the soil of plum blossoms, it should preferably be done in March after flowering. Plum blossoms have well-developed root systems and strong regenerative ability, and require repotting every year. When repotting, cut off rotten roots, add base fertilizer (bean cake, poultry manure, horse hoof or sheep hoof shells), and replace with fresh growing medium, so as to ensure flowering every year. At the same time, during the vegetative growth period, it is best to cultivate them in ordinary clay pots, placed outdoors or buried in the ground. When the flowering period begins, dig them up again, put them in porcelain or Yixing flowerpots (double-potting), and place them indoors. This can both increase ornamental value and not affect growth vigor.
By repotting and changing the soil every year, plum blossoms are especially favorable for cultivating old plum trunks. Each time you repot, you can appropriately raise the position of the plant, so that the curved roots at the base are exposed above the soil surface time after time. If you have the refined interest, you can also embed mountain stones, so as to achieve the effect of exposed hanging roots or twisted, interlocking roots. This not only improves shaping skills but also adds to the elegance and beauty of the plum trunk.
Moderate Fertilizing in Plum Blossom Cultivation Methods
Plum blossom is a fertilizer-loving plant and needs large amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium during its growth process. For potted plum blossoms, you can combine fertilizing with watering and apply once every 10 days or so with decomposed bean cake water. In autumn when flower buds differentiate, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer, increase a small amount of phosphorus fertilizer, or apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate, to ensure the nutrients needed for normal flower bud differentiation. In early October, you can also apply one liquid fertilizer, which can promote vivid flowering in early spring and prolong the flowering period.
Reasonable Watering in Plum Blossom Cultivation Methods
Plum blossom is a drought-tolerant plant. Too much water can cause root rot and leaf drop; even if it does not die, it will affect the formation of flower buds. Because potted plum blossoms have limited soil in the pot, attention should also be paid to watering during dry spring and summer winds or in high-temperature seasons. Specifically, in dry weather, water every afternoon; if some pots' soil is too dry, water in the morning as well. Be sure to keep the pot soil moist, and master the method of not watering when not dry, and watering when dry is seen. Experienced growers believe that wilting green leaves mean the pot soil is too dry, while yellowing and falling leaves mean the pot soil is too wet. If during the vegetative growth season the leaves fall too early, it will also affect the plum branches' flower bud differentiation. After autumn, flower buds gradually form; at this time the old leaves fall, which is actually beneficial for flowering, so growers need not worry too much.
Pruning and Shaping in Plum Blossom Cultivation Methods
Plum blossom flower buds form on the new shoots of the current year. If you want the plum branches to carry more flowers, you can adopt the method of short pruning to encourage more new branches. Growing practice has shown that if new branches are too long, there are instead fewer flower buds, while short and sturdy new branches have the most flower buds. Pruning plum blossoms is carried out according to this habit of the plum blossom. In spring after flowering, among the new lateral branches, water sprouts (slender long branches), weak slender branches, and diseased or pest-damaged branches should be cut off from the base. By autumn, flower buds will have emerged in the leaf axils of these new lateral branches. For any branch with flower buds, generally keep 10 cm and cut it short before winter. After flowering, the branches should also be cut short, and with watering and fertilizing, this promotes more new branches and strong branches, so that more flowers can be produced.
Mature plum trees have twisting branches and trunks and slanting bodies, mostly presenting a vigorous and ancient posture. When the ancients discussed plum, they said: "Plum is beautiful in its crookedness; when straight, it has no grace. It is beautiful in its slanting; when upright, it has no scenery. It is beautiful in its sparseness; when dense, it has no form." The predecessors' summary of plum trunk shaping is very reasonable. Therefore, for mature plum trees, especially some varieties that have already flowered and have strong branching ability, intensive pruning is very necessary. Its purpose is to strengthen the tree vigor, so that the new branches it sprouts are thick and strong and the flowering rate is high. However, when pruning the drooping main trunk and curved branches, caution is needed, to create conditions for the shaping of the plum trunk, and the main trunk, branches and tree vigor must be balanced. Generally speaking, prune more when branches are strong and prune less when branches are weak. When pruning lateral branches, decide according to the direction of branch development and the size of the space they occupy. Grasp the principle of leaving backbone branches long and companion lateral branches short. In order to maintain the needs of the entire plant shape, some overly dense branches can be cut off from the base.
Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
Soil for Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
It is suitable to choose sandy loam with excellent drainage and air permeability. This kind of growing medium can be prepared from peat, fine sand and garden soil in a 1:1 ratio. If possible, adding a small amount of leaf mold is even better. The purpose of adding leaf mold is to improve the growing medium's fertilizer-retaining capacity and make it slightly acidic.
Watering for Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
In winter and spring, plum blossoms do not need much water. Apart from keeping the pot soil slightly moist during the flowering period, at other stages keep the pot soil slightly moist and on the dry side. Summer and autumn are the stages when plum blossoms need the most water; you should water when dry is seen, but in June to July, when flower buds begin to differentiate, you should "control water" several times for plum blossoms, that is, reduce watering to make the plum leaves slightly curl before watering again. Only in this way can plum blossoms flower better.
Fertilizing for Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
Plum blossoms like fertilizer, but fertilizer must be supplied at the right time and in the right amount. From late spring to early summer, apply dilute liquid fertilizer once every 10 days or so. From late winter to early spring, when the plum blossom buds begin to grow noticeably and before they show color, apply dilute liquid fertilizer once every 5 days, so that the plum blossoms bloom with vivid color and fragrant scent.
Light for Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
If placed in a spot with abundant sunlight, plum blossoms grow robustly and carry more flowers; otherwise the plant grows slowly and flower bud differentiation is reduced. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that potted plum blossoms receive 4 to 6 hours of sunlight every day. During the flowering period of plum blossoms, especially after the flower buds begin to swell, receiving several hours of direct sunlight every day is beneficial for flowering. After the plum blossoms open, they should be placed in a bright place without direct sunlight; otherwise the flowers will quickly wither.
Pruning for Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
If you want plum blossoms to have a beautiful tree shape and strong growth vigor, annual pruning is indispensable. In the vigorous growth season, plum blossoms should have their branches pinched, allowing them to grow only to a height of 20 to 30 cm. At the same time, you should also cut off sprouts sent out from the rootstock at any time and promptly cut off diseased and weak branches and inner-canopy branches. Only in this way can plum blossoms grow more beautiful and robust.
[Common Pest and Disease Control]During the growth period, plum blossoms are susceptible to damage from aphids and red spiders. They can be controlled by spraying general pesticides, but do not use dimethoate, to avoid phytotoxicity causing leaf drop.
Cultivation Methods for Potted Plum Blossoms
Cultivation methods for potted plum blossoms. Plum blossoms like sunlight and a well-ventilated environment, like fertilizer, fear waterlogging, and are relatively cold-tolerant, but they are extremely weak in tolerance to toxic gases. Potted plum blossom techniques are relatively complex, and cultivation management must be meticulous, with even more attention to watering and fertilizing. Plum blossoms must be watered in a timely and appropriate amount, mastering not watering when not dry, and strictly avoiding over-wetness, with pot soil kept moist as suitable. Too dry or too wet will both cause leaf drop and affect bud formation and flowering. Generally, watering can follow these points:
① From April to June, plum blossoms have just sprouted and do not need much water, so they can be watered once every few days. Later, as the temperature rises and branches and leaves grow, the amount of watering should also gradually increase. To prevent excessive growth of branches and leaves, at this stage the pot soil should preferably be on the dry side. On rainy days, it is best to lay the pot on its side to avoid waterlogging, and extra care is needed during the plum rain season.
② From July to September, because of strong light, high temperature and large evaporation, in addition to watering thoroughly once every afternoon, in the morning replenish water for individual dry pots. At this stage, water when dry is seen, to prevent drying and leaf drop.
③ From October to March of the following year, when the temperature goes from cool into cold, watering goes from once a week to once every other day, then to once every few days. At this stage, keep the pot soil moist as the principle. During the flowering period, slightly increase the amount of water, and absolutely do not cut off water. In full bloom, control moisture to prolong the flowering period.
Reasonable fertilizing can promote plum blossom flowering, make plum blossoms grow vigorously, and prolong their lifespan. In one year, potted plum blossoms can be fertilized several times. In early January, when plum blossoms are in bud and about to open, apply a quick-acting fertilizer once to promote plum blossom opening. This fertilizer must not be too concentrated, to avoid fertilizer damage, and note that the next morning you should water once.
In April, apply a topdressing once, to support spring leafing and branch growth. From mid-to-late June to early July, 10 days after the new branches stop growing, you can apply quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, such as superphosphate, potassium chloride, etc., together with irrigation, to promote flower bud formation. This fertilizer must not be applied too early; too early often causes the new buds to continue growing, which is unfavorable for flower bud formation. In early August, plum blossoms send out roots a second time, and at the same time, to promote flower bud enlargement, apply a topdressing mainly containing phosphorus and potassium. After early September, in order to achieve sturdy flower buds, apply another 1 to 2 times. Fertilizing should stop during the dog days, and fertilizer should not be applied during the flowering period either. The above is an introduction to the cultivation methods for potted plum blossoms.