What are the summer care methods for household potted flowers?

The main work of summer care for potted flowers includes shading, watering, ventilation, and pest and disease control.

1. Shading and light-avoiding care

Because the ecological conditions of the places of origin of flowers differ, different types of flowers have different light requirements. Generally, light-loving flowers, such as tree peony, osmanthus, jasmine, plum blossom, poinsettia, croton, kumquat, pomegranate, etc., should be placed in a sunny place for care after being moved outdoors in spring. In midsummer, plants such as Milan, jasmine, white orchid, and hibiscus should be moved to a semi-shaded place for care; plants such as giant peace lily, clivia, lucky bamboo, camellia, azalea, gardenia, and wax begonia should be placed in a well-ventilated, cool place with about 50% shade for care. If exposed to strong direct light for a long time, the branches and leaves will turn yellow and may even die; cyclamen, fuchsia, etc., will shed their leaves and go dormant when the temperature exceeds 30°C, so they should be placed in a ventilated, cool place; orchid family flowers, Araceae flowers, and hosta of the Liliaceae family need to be cared for under weak light or scattered light with about 80% shade.

In summer, attention should be paid to cooling the flowers. Measures for cooling include, first, shading, second, paying attention to ventilation, and third, sprinkling water on the ground around the flowers at noon to achieve the purpose of cooling.

2. Moderate watering

Because summer temperatures are high, the vast majority of flowers have a relatively large demand for water and all need to be watered sufficiently. Generally, in summer, water should be given 1 to 2 times a day: water once at seven or eight in the morning on sunny days, and water thoroughly again at six or seven in the afternoon. Flowers in a dormant or semi-dormant state, such as clivia, fuchsia, geranium, cyclamen, wax begonia, and epiphyllum, should be watered less. In addition, during the flowering period, do not water too much, so as to avoid flower and bud drop. For some flowers that like shade and moisture, such as orchids, azaleas, camellias, and calla lilies, water should often be sprayed on the leaves, and water should also be sprinkled on the ground around the flowerpots to create a moist and cool microclimate. The best time for watering is in the morning and evening; never water at noon, so as to avoid harming the plants.

3. Moderate topdressing

Summer fertilization for potted flowers varies according to the type of flower. For flowers that prefer acidic soil, such as camellia, azalea, white orchid, and gardenia, alum fertilizer water can be applied about once every 10 days (using 15% decomposed oil residue liquid plus 0.3% ferrous sulfate water); foliage plants mostly use nitrogen fertilizer; flowering and fruiting plants should be given more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; flowers in a dormant or semi-dormant state should not be fertilized. After September, most flowers should stop being fertilized, so as to avoid excessive growth of branches and leaves. Topdressing should be "light fertilizer applied frequently," and "better dilute than concentrated." Generally, apply decomposed dilute oil residue liquid fertilizer once every 7 to 10 days, with a concentration of 10% to 15%, or compound chemical fertilizer. Fertilization should be carried out in the evening. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash the fertilizer water on the leaves, so as to avoid burning the leaves. Loosen the soil before fertilizing, and water again the next day after fertilizing.

4. Pruning and shaping

Summer pruning mainly consists of pinching, bud removal, flower thinning, fruit thinning, and cutting off residual flowers, etc.

5. Pest and disease control

Summer has high temperatures and high humidity, which is exactly the period when fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases and various pests occur and cause damage in large numbers, so prevention and control work should be done in a timely manner.

Winter care methods for household potted flowers

The central issue in winter care of potted flowers is to strive to create suitable environmental conditions according to the growth and development characteristics of various flowers, so that they can safely pass the winter and lay a good foundation for better growth and development in the coming year. For the few flowers that bloom in winter and early spring, care and management should continue to be strengthened so that they grow normally and bloom at the right time.

1. Strengthen light exposure

When potted flowers reach late autumn or early winter, they have already been moved indoors one after another, and the indoor placement position should take into account the characteristics of different flowers. Generally, flowers that bloom in winter and spring, such as cyclamen, Christmas cactus, narcissus, camellia, and poinsettia, as well as flowers that like strong light and high temperatures, such as Milan, jasmine, gardenia, and white orchid, should be placed on windowsills or near windowsills in sunny places; for flowers that like semi-shade in summer but like light in winter, such as clivia and fuchsia, they also need to be placed in a sunny spot; flowers that like warmth and semi-light, such as asparagus fern and wax begonia, azalea, etc., can be placed farther from the windowsill; evergreen flowers that like sunlight but can tolerate low temperatures, or flowers in a dormant state, such as osmanthus and citrus, can be placed in a cool place with scattered light above 0°C.

When growing flowers indoors, attention should also be paid to air circulation. At noon on warmer days or clear days, open the windows for ventilation and air exchange, which can reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases and is beneficial to the healthy growth of flowers.

2. Control fertilizer and water

In winter, because temperatures are low, most flowers enter a dormant or semi-dormant state, their metabolism is very slow, and they need very little fertilizer and water. Therefore, except for flower types that bloom in autumn, winter, or early spring, such as clivia, poinsettia, cyclamen, cineraria, and camellia, which should continue to be watered and fertilized, general potted flowers should have fertilizer and water strictly controlled. For flowers in a dormant or semi-dormant state, fertilization should be stopped; if the potting soil is not too dry, do not water, especially for potted flowers that are shade-tolerant or placed in a relatively cold and shady indoor place, watering should be reduced even more, so as to avoid root rot and leaf drop caused by excessive watering. For woody potted flowers such as plum blossom, kumquat, and azalea, fertilizer and water should also be strictly controlled in winter, so as to avoid excessive growth and affect later flower bud differentiation. For cacti and succulents, water and fertilizer should be even more strictly controlled in winter, with as little fertilization and watering as possible; generally, watering about once a month is sufficient.

3. Keep warm and prevent cold

Most flowers and trees native to the tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate zones have the characteristic of liking warmth and fearing cold. Their suitable growth temperature is between 20 and 25°C; below 10°C they grow slowly; when the temperature drops below 5°C they stop growing; and when the temperature drops to 0°C they suffer cold damage. In areas north of the Yangtze River, winter temperatures are low and cold waves sometimes invade, so to help potted flowers pass the winter safely, cold protection measures must be taken. According to the overwintering temperature requirements of various flowers, they can be placed in appropriate indoor places for care. Potted flowers are usually divided into three categories, and different cold protection measures are taken for each to keep them warm.

(1) Flowers with relatively strong cold resistance, such as broadleaf lady palm, sago palm, cast-iron plant, and Chinese fan palm, can generally overwinter safely in an environment without heating and with a temperature above 0°C.

(2) Flowers with relatively weak cold resistance, such as rubber tree, schefflera, parlor palm, monstera, alocasia, Philodendron bipinnatifidum, and Excoecaria cochinchinensis, can be placed indoors without heating equipment and overwinter safely at temperatures above 5°C.

(3) Flowers that require a relatively high overwintering temperature, such as variegated Chinese evergreen, Dracaena fragrans, arrowhead plant, pothos, snake plant, maranta family, peace lily, areca palm, and fishtail palm, are best placed indoors with heating equipment and kept at a temperature above 10°C.

For those living in apartment buildings, a simple small warm shed can be built with bamboo arches on a south-facing balcony. The shed should be low in front and high in back, covered on top and around with double-layer plastic film, and tightly compacted at the bottom with bricks. Under normal circumstances, this kind of small plastic warm shed can maintain a temperature above 7 to 8°C. If the temperature inside the shed rises on a windless, clear daytime and exceeds 20°C, one corner of the south-facing plastic film can be opened around noon for appropriate ventilation and cooling. After the beginning of winter, cold-tolerant flowers such as pomegranate, fig, oleander, kumquat, tree peony, and osmanthus can be placed inside the shed to overwinter. For those living in single-story houses, a simple semi-underground small greenhouse can be built in a sunny spot in the courtyard; this kind of small greenhouse can maintain a temperature above 5°C in winter.

Essentials of summer care for household potted plants