Detailed Explanation of Spring Flower Management and Care Methods

Pay attention to the time for moving plants outdoors: When spring first arrives, although it is spring by the calendar, it is actually still the tail end of winter, and the weather is still very cold. If growers do not understand this situation and move flowers that have just awakened and are sprouting leaves or are in bud outdoors, once the weather suddenly changes and they are hit by frost or a cold wave, the flowers can easily suffer cold damage. Therefore, potted flowers should be moved outdoors later rather than earlier in spring. So when is the appropriate time to move flowers outdoors? This depends on the region where the flowers are grown. In normal years, in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River south of the Yellow River, potted flowers should generally be moved outdoors in early to mid-April (when the weather is warm and stable). North of the Yellow River, flower pots should be moved outdoors from late April to early May. For some flowers native to the south, it is safer to wait until around the Start of Summer (about early May) to move them outdoors. If temperature is used as the standard, cold-hardy flowers such as plum blossom and winter jasmine can be moved outdoors when the average day-night temperature is 15 degrees, while less cold-hardy flowers such as jasmine, white orchid, hibiscus, bougainvillea, kumquat, osmanthus, Aglaia odorata, cactus, Epiphyllum, and Christmas cactus should be moved outdoors only when the outdoor temperature reaches above 18 degrees.

Do a good job of transition: Because flowers have been kept indoors for a long time, they have become accustomed to a relatively stable temperature environment. Before moving them outdoors, they need a process of adapting to the outside environment. Therefore, 1 week before moving the flowers outdoors, windows should be opened frequently to ventilate the room more, or the flowers should be moved outdoors for 3~4 hours in the morning and then moved back indoors in the afternoon. They should not be moved out on windy days, so that they have a process of gradually adapting to the environment. When moving flowers outdoors, choose a relatively wind-sheltered and sunny place to place them. Around noon each day, spray the branches and leaves once with a small amount of clean water, and keep the potting soil moist, but do not water too much. In the early stage after moving outdoors, still pay attention to weather changes. If the weather changes, a cold wave arrives, or strong winds arise, they should still be moved back indoors.

Strengthen management: After potted flowers are moved outdoors, most beginners in flower growing cannot wait to water and fertilize them. Some wish they could make them bloom very quickly, so they apply fertilizer very thickly. Unexpectedly, the result is the opposite, and the flowers suffer fertilizer damage, with young buds and tender branch tips burned to death. For potted flowers that have just been moved outdoors, only fully decomposed, thin soybean cake fertilizer water should be applied, and the principle of applying thin fertilizer sparingly and gradually increasing it should be grasped. The number of fertilizer applications should also gradually increase from few to many, generally once every 10-plus days.

For spring fertilization time, on sunny days it is best to do it in the evening. When fertilizing, it is best to do the following:

1. Stop watering 1~2 days before fertilizing. Fertilizing when the potting soil is slightly dry is most effective.

2. Loosen the soil before fertilizing to help the fertilizer liquid seep down.

3. When pouring the fertilizer liquid, pour it along the edge of the pot to avoid contaminating the branches and leaves, otherwise fertilizer damage is likely to occur.

4. Water promptly the next day after fertilizing, and loosen the soil when the potting soil is slightly dry to increase the air permeability of the potting soil and benefit root development.

In addition to not fertilizing indiscriminately, watering in early spring should also be done in appropriate amounts, and one should not casually water too much. In early spring, many flowers have just revived and begun to sprout leaves, and they do not need much water. At this time the temperature is not high and water evaporation is low, so water less. By late spring, the temperature has risen somewhat, sunlight is stronger, and water evaporation increases, so the frequency and amount of watering should also increase accordingly. In short, for spring watering, grasp the principle of not watering when not dry and watering thoroughly when watering, and strictly avoid water accumulation in the pot. Watering should preferably be done before noon.

Repot at the right time: To do a good job of repotting, you should first master the timing. Most flowers should be repotted during dormancy and before new buds sprout, that is, from March to April in spring, but flowers that bloom in early spring should be repotted after they bloom. As for the number of repottings, it depends on the habits of the flowers. For flowers that need repotting, do not water them 1~2 days before repotting, so that the potting soil separates easily from the pot wall. After repotting, water with a spray pot. After watering thoroughly, place them in partial shade. Do not water again for about 10 days afterward. On sunny days when sunlight is strong, pay attention to appropriate shading.

Proper pruning: The focus of spring pruning is to carry out branch pruning, root trimming, pinching, bud thinning, topping, and leaf removal according to the growth characteristics of different types of flowers. For flowers that bloom on biennial branches, such as camellia, rhododendron, and gardenia, pruning must be done cautiously and only lightly. Generally, only overly dense branches and diseased or weak branches are cut off, so as not to affect future blooming. For flowers that bloom on annual branches, such as poinsettia, Chinese rose, and hibiscus, heavy pruning is needed. Dead branches, pest-damaged branches, and overly dense branches that affect ventilation and light should be thinned out. For retained branches, keep only 2~3 buds at the base of the branch and cut off more than half of the upper part.