What are the methods for winter care of 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 each type of flower, so that they can safely overwinter 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. Increase light exposure
When potted flowers reach late autumn or early winter, they have been moved indoors one after another, and the indoor placement should take into account the characteristics of different flowers. Generally, flowers that bloom in winter and spring, such as cyclamen, Christmas cactus, narcissus, camellia, poinsettia, etc., as well as flowers that like strong light and high temperatures, such as Milan, jasmine, gardenia, white orchid, etc., should be placed on windowsills or near windowsills in places with ample sunlight; for flowers that like semi-shade in summer but prefer light in winter, such as clivia, fuchsia, etc., they also need to be placed in a sunny spot; flowers that like warmth and semi-light, such as asparagus fern, 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, citrus, etc., 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 or clear days, open the windows for ventilation, 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, due to low temperatures, most flowers enter dormancy or semi-dormancy, their metabolism is very slow, and they need very little fertilizer and water. Therefore, except for flower species that bloom in autumn, winter, or early spring, such as clivia, poinsettia, cyclamen, cineraria, camellia, etc., which should continue to be watered and fertilized, general potted flowers should have fertilizer and water strictly controlled. Fertilization should be stopped for flowers in dormancy or semi-dormancy; if the potting soil is not too dry, do not water it, especially for shade-tolerant potted flowers or those placed in cooler indoor spots, watering should be reduced even more to avoid root rot and leaf drop caused by overwatering. For woody potted flowers such as plum blossom, kumquat, azalea, etc., fertilizer and water should also be strictly controlled in winter to avoid excessive vegetative growth and affect subsequent 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 enough.
3. Keep warm and prevent cold
Flowering plants native to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate zones mostly like warmth and fear cold. Their suitable growth temperature is between 20-25°C, growth slows below 10°C, growth stops when the temperature drops below 5°C, and they suffer cold damage when the temperature drops to 0°C. In areas north of the Yangtze River, winter temperatures are low and cold waves occasionally occur, so to help potted flowers overwinter safely, cold protection measures must be taken. According to the overwintering temperature requirements of each type of flower, they can be placed in appropriate indoor locations 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, Chinese fan palm, etc., 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, umbrella tree, pygmy date palm, Swiss cheese plant, calla lily, bird's nest fern, redback eupatorium, etc., can be placed indoors without heating equipment and overwinter safely at temperatures above 5°C.
(3) Flowers that require a higher overwintering temperature, such as variegated Chinese evergreen, dragon tree, arrowleaf elephant's ear, pothos, snake plant, prayer plant, peace lily, areca palm, fishtail palm, etc., are best placed in a room with heating equipment and kept at a temperature above 10°C.
For those living in buildings, a simple small warm shed can be built with bamboo arches on a south-facing balcony. The shed should be low at the front and high at the back, covered on top and around with double-layer plastic film, and the bottom tightly compacted with bricks. Under normal circumstances, this small plastic warm shed can maintain a temperature above 7-8°C. If the temperature inside the shed rises on a windless, clear day and exceeds 20°C, one corner of the south-facing plastic film can be opened around noon for proper ventilation and cooling. After the beginning of winter, cold-tolerant flowers such as pomegranate, fig, oleander, kumquat, peony, osmanthus, etc., can be placed in the shed to overwinter. For those living in single-story houses, a semi-underground simple 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.
Winter care of household potted flowers
Fragrance fills the room: 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 are native to temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach, winter jasmine, etc. 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-tolerant potted Chinese roses, pomegranates, etc., can be placed together in a sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard, wrapped and covered well with plastic film, and they can overwinter safely.
2. Overwintering of evergreen woody flowers: such as kumquat, which is in a semi-dormant state, the temperature is generally controlled above 0°C, and it can safely pass the severe winter. For Milan, jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, etc., they should be placed in a place 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: for perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, impatiens, geranium, wax begonia, etc., keeping ample sunlight and a room temperature of 10°C-20°C will allow them to grow well.
Winter care of household potted flowers
China Landscape Web news on December 8: Fragrance fills the room: 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 are native to temperate regions. Common ones include pomegranate, honeysuckle, Chinese rose, ornamental peach, winter jasmine, etc. 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-tolerant potted Chinese roses, pomegranates, etc., can be placed together in a sheltered spot on the balcony or in a corner of the courtyard, wrapped and covered well with plastic film, and they can overwinter safely.
2. Overwintering of evergreen woody flowers: such as kumquat, which is in a semi-dormant state, the temperature is generally controlled above 0°C, and it can safely pass the severe winter. For Milan, jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, etc., they should be placed in a place 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: for perennial herbaceous flowers such as asparagus fern, impatiens, geranium, wax begonia, etc., keeping ample sunlight and a room temperature of 10°C-20°C will allow them to grow well.