What to do when Michelia figo (banana shrub) flower buds drop? Overwatering causes the soil to stay wet and oxygen-deprived for a long time

Recently, some gardening friends have reported that the buds on their Michelia figo dried up and dropped before opening, and they don't know why, so they asked what to do. So today, I'll take this opportunity to explain to you why Michelia figo drops its buds.

What to do when Michelia figo flower buds drop

To understand why Michelia figo drops its buds, it helps to first understand its growth habits:

Michelia figo likes a sunny environment. If it is kept in too shady a spot for a long time during the growing period, the branches will grow leggy, which affects flower bud differentiation, resulting in few or no flowers. Let's analyze this in detail below.

Common causes of bud drop in Michelia figo:

1. Dehydration (dry hot winds, root water shortage, lack of leaf misting, etc.);

2. Direct sunlight, causing scorch damage.

3. Caused by pests and diseases;

4. Caused by improper use of chemicals;

5. Over-fertilizing;

6. Too much water (waterlogging);

In summer, if Michelia figo is given repeated heavy waterings, the soil will stay wet and oxygen-deprived for a long time, affecting the respiration of its roots. Even when Michelia figo is in the middle of forming its first buds, if the roots have trouble breathing or rot, the buds will easily drop.

Therefore, in summer, watering of Michelia figo must be controlled: do not water until the soil is dry. In dry seasons, the soil surface evaporates quickly and easily looks dry, but the moisture inside evaporates slowly. Michelia figo in particular has a layer of glossy wax on its leaves, so water in the leaves does not evaporate easily. So once the surface soil looks dry, do not water immediately.

If Michelia figo begins to drop buds or the buds begin to dry up, stop watering and fertilizing immediately, and do a good job of drainage to help moisture disperse. After the soil has dried out completely, first mist the leaves to raise humidity. Once the plant stops dropping buds, gradually return to normal care.

In addition, too low a temperature, or applying too much nitrogen fertilizer with insufficient phosphorus fertilizer, is also a main cause of Michelia figo not blooming, blooming sparsely, or having a faint fragrance. Sometimes Michelia figo does not have few buds, but they shrivel, wither and drop before opening. This is caused by dry air, poor ventilation, insufficient attention and other reasons. So Michelia figo must be given plenty of sunlight to avoid such situations.