Detailed Guide to Overwintering Care Precautions for Different Flowers
1. Controlling water and fertilizer, keeping warm, and pruning are key
After Start of Winter, the 19th of the 24 solar terms, the weather will get colder and colder, and all kinds of flowers will shift from their vigorous growth period into a slow or dormant period. How can you get the flowers and plants in your home through the winter safely?
Winter is the season with a relatively high mortality rate for flowers, so at this time management should focus on water and fertilizer, temperature, and diseases.
It is said that flowers, according to their different habits, can be roughly divided into two types: cold-fearing and cold-tolerant. Cold-tolerant plants such as Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis) can get through the winter safely even if placed outdoors, while cold-fearing plants such as the money tree (Pachira aquatica) must be moved indoors.
However, because most flowers have less evaporation in winter, the frequency and amount of watering both need to be reduced. For fertilizing, low-concentration fertilizer should be used. For most foliage plants, nitrogen fertilizer should be stopped, and some low-concentration potassium fertilizer should be applied as a supplement, to increase the cold resistance of the flowers.
2. Treat summer-type and winter-type succulents differently
Most succulents are distributed in the dry environments of the tropics and subtropics, preferring high temperatures and light, and fearing humid, low-temperature weather. However, according to their living habits, succulents are also divided into winter-type, summer-type, and spring-autumn type. The so-called winter-type means dormant in summer and growing in winter. The summer-type is dormant in winter and grows in summer.
When winter comes, winter-type and summer-type succulents should be treated differently. Summer-type succulents should have their water controlled, while for winter-type ones you should not be reluctant to water them. During the period from November to December, succulents should mainly be protected from the cold, kept warm, and given more light. Summer-type varieties growing in greenhouses should be watered in the evening, and the amount of water should be controlled. For living stones (Lithops) and cone plants (Conophytum) whose flowering period has ended, division of the clusters can be carried out at this time.
When the temperature drops below zero, those varieties with poorer cold tolerance should stop being watered, and warmth preservation work should be done well. At the same time, the flower pots should be turned at irregular intervals as much as possible, so that the plants receive sunlight evenly. When light is insufficient, artificial light sources can be used as a supplement. When late January arrives, winter-type varieties will be in their vigorous growth period, so do not be reluctant to water them.
There is a simple and good way to get summer-type succulents through the winter, and it can be done with just one plastic bag. When the temperature is below 5°C, cover them with a plastic bag or a disposable cup, and cut off their water supply to keep the soil dry, until April of the following year when the cover is opened again.
3. For hydroponic plants to get through winter, water and fertilizer need to be controlled
Winter is the season when hydroponic plants are most likely to die. In areas south of the Yangtze River there is no heating indoors, and most plants are in a dormant state. At this time, hydroponic plants should have their water changed as little as possible or not at all. When the water level is too low, an appropriate amount of water can be added, and the water amount is generally controlled at one third of the root system.
There is a saying that "applying nutrient solution to dormant hydroponic plants is like poisoning them." Although that sounds a bit exaggerated, fertilizing in winter really does relate to the survival of hydroponic plants. In winter, the use of nutrient solution needs to be stopped, otherwise root rot and leaf drop are very likely, and even the whole plant may die. However, if the growing environment of hydroponic plants can be kept above 15°C, then normal care methods can be followed, and the plants will not only not go dormant but will also grow vigorously.