September Courtyard Potted Flower Management Key Points

1. Watering:

In September, the light is relatively strong, the temperature is relatively high, and the air is quite dry, so the watering management of potted flowers must not be neglected. As for watering frequency, for generally moisture-loving foliage plants, in the first half of the month they can be watered or sprayed once in the morning and once in the afternoon; in the second half of the month, reduce it to one watering, with appropriate misting of the leaves. For most potted flowers and bonsai, water once a day, supplemented by misting the leaves. Water before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. For ornamental plant species that prefer an acidic environment, a small amount of 0.1% light green ferrous sulfate powder can be added to the irrigation water. For flower species that resume growth after autumn from summer dormancy or semi-dormancy, gradually increase the amount and frequency of watering (or misting). While watering potted plants, loosen the soil of the plants once every half month.

2. Fertilizing:

September is exactly the period when most flowers are growing vigorously. Some flower species that were dormant or semi-dormant in summer also begin to resume growth as the temperature gradually turns cooler, so fertilization management should be highly valued this month.

For foliage plants such as Monstera deliciosa, rubber tree, Pachira aquatica, Dracaena fragrans, Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, Rhapis excelsa, Fagraea fragrans, Cinnamomum species, Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Dragon Bone Tree), Araucaria heterophylla, Caryota mitis, Epipremnum aureum, red (green) gem, Aglaonema 'Green Emperor', Aglaonema 'Silver Queen', Calathea species, Syngonium podophyllum, and Ficus lyrata, still mainly use low-concentration dilute fertilizer liquid, such as 0.3% urea solution.

For flowering trees and shrubs with a very long flowering period or whose peak flowering period is in autumn, such as Rosa chinensis, Lantana camara 'Tricolor', Lantana camara, Punica granatum, Lagerstroemia indica, Aglaia odorata, Michelia alba, Jasminum sambac, Osmanthus fragrans 'Semperflorens', Osmanthus fragrans 'Rixianggui', Osmanthus fragrans, etc.; for fruit ornamental plants such as Citrus aurantium var. amara, Nandina domestica, Ardisia crenata, Pyracantha fortuneana, Chaenomeles sinensis, Fortunella crassifolia, Callicarpa species, fruiting pomegranate, etc.; and for colorful-leaf plants such as Codiaeum variegatum, Aucuba japonica 'Variegata', Bromeliaceae species, Ficus benjamina 'Variegata', Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana', Cordyline fruticosa, and Coleus scutellarioides, apply fertilizer types with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For Fuchsia hybrida, Pelargonium hortorum, Zantedeschia aethiopica, Cyclamen persicum, Begonia semperflorens, Daphne odora, Schlumbergera truncata, Sedum species, Portulacaria afra (Jade Leaf), Oxalis triangularis, Clivia miniata, and Epiphyllum hybridum, which are resuming growth, low-concentration liquid fertilizer can be resumed by watering; for flowers that have completed flower bud differentiation and entered the flower bud swelling stage, such as Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Chimonanthus praecox, Prunus mume, Michelia figo, and Rhododendron species, low-concentration nutrient-balanced fertilizer types can be applied; for potted herbaceous flowers such as Salvia splendens, Tagetes erecta, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Callistephus chinensis, Dahlia pinnata, and dwarf sunflower, apply a thin fertilizer once every 10 days to meet their needs for budding and flowering next month.

3. Shading:

In September, the temperature is relatively high and the sunlight is still strong, so shading management for courtyard potted flowers still cannot be relaxed.

For those shade-loving foliage plant species, such as Monstera deliciosa, rubber tree, Nephrolepis cordifolia, Boston fern, Asplenium nidus, Syngonium podophyllum, Calathea species, Epipremnum aureum, Rhapis excelsa, Aglaonema 'Green Emperor', Aglaonema 'Silver Queen', orchid grass, pink taro leaf, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Aspidistra elatior, Begonia species, Epipremnum pinnatum, Anthurium 'Little Angel', red (green) gem, Anthurium crystallinum, Alocasia amazonica, Fittonia verschaffeltii, Pachystachys lutea, Asparagus setaceus, Schefflera arboricola, Pteris multifida 'Variegata', Peperomia argyreia, Dieffenbachia 'Variegata', Philodendron 'Green Giant', Anthurium andraeanum, Platycerium bifurcatum, Pilea peperomioides, Adina pilulifera, Aglaonema 'Emperor', and Dracaena sanderiana, provide 5 to 6 hours of light per day through shading; for light-loving species such as Acer buergerianum, Ulmus parvifolia, Carmona retusa, Ginkgo biloba, Adina rubella, Pinus thunbergii, Platycladus orientalis (bonsai), Juniperus chinensis, Lagerstroemia indica, Araucaria heterophylla, Wisteria sinensis, Aglaia odorata, Jasminum sambac, Pyracantha fortuneana, Rosa chinensis, Xylosma racemosum, and Fraxinus chinensis 'Bonsai', full sunlight can be given;

For semi-shade-loving species such as Podocarpus macrophyllus, Pinus parviflora, Damnacanthus indicus, Syzygium buxifolium, Loropetalum chinense, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Nandina domestica, Crassula ovata, Rhododendron species, Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, Citrus aurantium var. amara, and Fortunella margarita, appropriate shading can be given around noon. For newly transplanted autumn herbaceous flowers that have just been potted, appropriate shading should also be given to prevent the plants from wilting and affecting their recovery and growth.

4. Pruning:

For potted chrysanthemums, continue to do the work of bud removal and disbudding; for Rosa chinensis, flowering pomegranate, Aglaia odorata, Jasminum sambac, Chloranthus spicatus, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Lantana camara, Pachystachys lutea, and Justicia carnea, prune after each flowering; for those tree-stump bonsai species that are tolerant of pruning, easy to sprout, and grow vigorously, such as Ulmus parvifolia, Sageretia thea, Acer buergerianum, Carmona retusa, Ficus microcarpa, Syzygium buxifolium, Ligustrum quihoui, Adina rubella, Buxus sinica, Platycladus orientalis (bonsai), Sabina chinensis, Fraxinus chinensis 'Bonsai', and Tamarix chinensis, continue to prune or pinch buds. In addition, Pachira aquatica seedlings can be braided and potted.

5. Pest and disease control:

For peach red-necked longhorn beetles appearing on potted Prunus mume, Malus spectabilis, longevity peach, and Prunus persica plants, poison sticks can be inserted to block and kill them, or furandan granules can be buried and applied for control. For Japanese wax scale, cottony cushion scale, armored scale, and felt scale appearing on potted flowering trees, use 40% Supracide 1500x solution for control.

Potted plants suitable for balcony display In September, the balcony still has strong light and dry air. Only some potted flowers that have been placed on the balcony for a long time or potted flowering trees with relatively strong resistance can adapt to the special environment of the balcony. They are: Pinus thunbergii, Pinus parviflora 'Jin Song', Pinus densiflora, Pinus parviflora, Ulmus parvifolia, Sageretia thea, Adina rubella, Acer buergerianum, Ilex cornuta, Ilex chinensis, Chimonanthus praecox, fruit ornamental pomegranate, Buxus sinica, Platycladus orientalis (bonsai), Juniperus chinensis, Carmona retusa, Fraxinus chinensis 'Bonsai', Ficus microcarpa, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Rosa chinensis, Agave americana, Ginkgo biloba, Aglaia odorata, Jasminum sambac, Celtis sinensis, Podocarpus macrophyllus, Hemiptelea davidii, Serissa japonica, Pyracantha fortuneana, and Lantana camara.

For some flower species that prefer a cool environment, they can continue to be placed indoors with air conditioning, such as Cymbidium hybridum, Oncidium species, Dendrobium species, Cattleya species, Vanda species, spider orchid, Alocasia amazonica, Anthurium crystallinum, Anthurium andraeanum, Clivia miniata, Fuchsia hybrida, and Fittonia verschaffeltii;

For some common foliage plants, they can be moved indoors for 4 to 5 hours around noon, such as Rhapis excelsa, Monstera deliciosa, Dracaena fragrans, Pachira aquatica, Epipremnum aureum, Aspidistra elatior, Dypsis lutescens, Caryota mitis, Roystonea regia, Radermachera sinica, Aucuba japonica 'Variegata', and Schefflera arboricola. Propagation of balcony flowers In September, on the balcony, large-diameter flower pots can continue to be used as containers, filled with a mixed substrate of rice chaff ash and wet sand at 1/2 each, covered with plastic film to retain moisture, and some ornamental plants can be propagated by cuttings, such as Gardenia jasminoides, Cordyline fruticosa, Aucuba japonica 'Variegata', Schefflera arboricola, Osmanthus fragrans 'Rixianggui', Osmanthus fragrans 'Semperflorens', Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Chloranthus spicatus, Jasminum sambac, Excoecaria cochinchinensis, Justicia carnea, Pachystachys lutea, Michelia figo, and Aglaonema 'Silver Queen'. Schefflera arboricola, Rosa chinensis, Gardenia jasminoides, Ficus carica, and Aglaonema modestum can also be propagated by water cuttings indoors.