How to care for and manage potted flowers during the rainy season? All the key points are here
1. Prevent waterlogging: If water accumulates in the pot after rain and is not drained promptly, the soil moisture in the pot reaches saturation, causing insufficient air and severe oxygen deficiency, which is extremely harmful to flower root growth. This is especially true for some varieties that are more afraid of waterlogging, such as cacti, dahlia, Daphne odora, Crinum asiaticum, Monstera deliciosa, Rohdea japonica, Gloxinia, Michelia alba, orchids, as well as Asparagus setaceus, Osmanthus fragrans, chrysanthemums, and others. They are highly prone to plant wilting, yellowing leaves, or root rot, and in severe cases the entire plant dies.
2. Prevent rain exposure: Some flowers, such as begonia, Fuchsia, Cyclamen, Pelargonium, lilies, and others, enter dormancy or semi-dormancy in summer, and the potting soil must not be too wet. If exposed to rain, the roots or bulbs are highly prone to rot, causing leaf drop. After Clivia miniata is exposed to rain, rainwater carries bacteria and dust into the leaf center, and under conditions of high temperature and poor ventilation, lesions easily form, with leaves beginning to rot from the base. Some cactus balls with a recessed top or with fuzz and long hairs are also prone to stem and leaf rot after rain. Therefore, when it rains, the plants should be placed in a rain-sheltered location.
3. Prevent lodging: Some tall varieties or those with hollow and brittle stems, such as dahlia, chrysanthemum, Gladiolus, Nerium oleander, and others, are prone to lodging and breaking in storms, so supports should be set up in advance, and the branch tips or flower branches should be tied and fixed.
4. Prevent stagnant air: In the rainy season, with high temperatures and high air humidity, if ventilation is poor, plants are highly susceptible to pests and diseases, and flowering is also easily delayed, affecting pollination and fruiting. Therefore, when there is continuous overcast rain and the air humidity is too high, ventilation should be strengthened; appropriately increase the spacing between potted plants, and prune certain flowers by removing overly dense branches, parallel branches, crossing branches, drooping branches, and overlapping branches to facilitate ventilation and light penetration for the potted plants.
5. Prevent damp heat: For potted flowers and trees exposed to storms under hot weather, it is best to water once with clean water after the weather clears, to regulate the temperature of the surface soil and air, and reduce the adverse effects of damp heat on the plants.
6. Prevent leggy growth: During the rainy season, when air humidity is too high, flower branches and leaves often grow leggy, becoming weak and flowering poorly. Therefore, the frequency and amount of watering should be controlled to promote sturdy branches and abundant flowering, and avoid leggy growth.
7. Prevent pests and diseases: The rainy season climate is humid and hot. Among insect pests, red spider mites cause serious damage and can be controlled by spraying 800 times dicofol or 200 times propargite, or by burying 15% aldicarb for control (bury 1 gram in a flower pot with a diameter of 20 cm). Among diseases, powdery mildew and black spot are typical, and can be controlled by spraying 700-1000 times diluted carbendazim or triadimefon solution.