How to care for potted flowering plants in autumn? Scientific care according to different habits

Autumn management of flowers is very important, because autumn is close to the time when all things begin to wither, and the care of potted flowers requires even more attention. Watering and fertilizing potted flowers, temperature, light, pruning, and cold and warmth protection must all not be neglected, and scientific care should be carried out according to the different habits of potted flowers. The specific methods are introduced as follows:

Watering and fertilizing

The autumn climate is cool, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and the water in the potting soil evaporates slowly. Daily watering should be based on the climate characteristics and the growth habits of the potted flowers to determine the frequency and amount of watering.

Generally, watering once a day is fine. If watered too much, the plant is prone to rot disease, causing yellowing and falling of leaves; if watered too little, the leaves will wilt and droop, and the plant's growth will weaken. It is advisable to keep the potting soil alternately moist and dry when watering.

In autumn, most potted flowers are in a vigorous period. Under normal circumstances, apply a thin liquid fertilizer of decomposed manure once every 10 days. For potted flowers that bloom in autumn, such as dahlia and chrysanthemum, and those that bloom in winter, such as cyclamen and clivia, more nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer can be applied to promote luxuriant flowers and leaves. For foliage plants such as pines and cypresses, sago palm, palm grass, spider plant, and asparagus fern, 1 to 2 applications of fertilizer should be given, which can both keep the leaves emerald green and increase the ability to resist cold after entering winter. Generally speaking, before Frost's Descent, all flowers that need to overwinter in the open air should stop topdressing to avoid frost damage.

Reasonable pruning

In autumn, potted flowers sprout many tender buds, which should not be allowed to develop freely. Weak branches should be properly cut off to avoid consuming nutrients. For the branches that are retained, leaf retention and bud removal treatment should be carried out. For plants with strong growth, heavy pruning is required, while for weak growth, light pruning is appropriate; for potted flowers that bud in autumn, such as plum blossom, wintersweet, and rhododendron, heavy pruning is not suitable, and pinching can be carried out. Reasonable pruning helps the plant accumulate nutrients and lays the foundation for future growth. It can also promote the aging of branch tips and enhance cold resistance.

In autumn, combined with pruning, cutting propagation of flowering shrubs also has a relatively high survival rate, such as cutting Chinese rose.

Disease prevention and pest elimination

Autumn is a good time to prevent and control diseases and insect pests of flowering plants. Before potted flowers are brought indoors, to prevent overwintering sources of disease and insects, medication can be sprayed for prevention. For those where diseases and insect pests have already been found, targeted and thorough treatment is required.

Bring indoors at the right time

The time to bring potted flowers indoors should differ according to different flowers. Warm-loving flowers such as Milan flower, jasmine, and asparagus fern can be brought indoors early; flowers that are slightly cold-tolerant or relatively cold-tolerant, such as kumquat and plum blossom, can be brought indoors late.

Except for cold-tolerant flowers that overwinter in the open air, such as pine, cypress, and wintergreen, and flowers such as red leaf and smoke tree that are enjoyed for their leaves after frost, the vast majority of flowers are best brought indoors before Frost's Descent.

Cold and warmth protection

After Cold Dew, if there is insufficient light, improper temperature, and imbalanced fertilizer and water, the plant is easily weakened. Potted flowers that are afraid of Cold Dew and cannot tolerate low temperatures, such as Milan flower, Chinese hibiscus, poinsettia, and banana shrub, are extremely prone to frost injury. Therefore, they should be placed under the eaves in a sunny and wind-sheltered place for care, and when the temperature drops to 5°C, they should then be moved indoors to a sunny place.