What flowers are good to plant on the balcony? Flowers suitable for planting in the third month of spring

March coincides with Awakening of Insects and the Spring Equinox. This month the highest temperature is 27.6°C, the lowest is -4 to -5°C, and the average is 6.4°C. It is right in the period of alternating cold and warmth.

(1) Types of flowers suitable for planting on the balcony

Among the ornamental plants suitable for planting on the balcony, one category is the relatively drought-tolerant plant types. Their surfaces or cuticles are thickened, or they are covered with wax, or their plant bodies are fleshy and thick and contain more sap, or their leaves are smaller and transformed into needle-like shapes with very little transpiration water loss, or they originate from arid desert regions and can withstand wind and heat, and are therefore very drought-tolerant, such as sago palm, cacti (Opuntia microdasys, Cereus peruvianus monstrose, Crassula lycopodioides, Echinocactus grusonii, Trichocereus macrogonus, Astrophytum ornatum, Aporocactus flagelliformis, Euphorbia tirucalli), Portulacaria afra, jade plant, Graptopetalum paraguayense, Echeveria, Lithops, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Epiphyllum hybrid, Pereskia, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, etc. There are also wintersweet, winter jasmine, Lycoris radiata, Spathiphyllum, Dieffenbachia, spider plant, etc. These flowers generally will not die if not watered for 2 to 3 weeks in spring, and are relatively suitable for balcony planting.

There is also another category of flowers that is relatively tolerant of direct sunlight exposure and dry hot winds, can accept full light, and can resist short periods of unusually high temperatures, and is also suitable for balcony potting (especially on high-floor balconies), such as pomegranate, Chinese rose, banyan, Clivia, Ligustrum quihoui, Agave, Hippeastrum, Sageretia thea, Xylosma, Ulmus parvifolia, Acer buergerianum, Geum japonicum, black pine, Juniperus rigida, Sabina chinensis, Sabina chinensis 'Kaizuca', Ilex cornuta, holly, Vitex negundo, Euonymus pendulus, longevity peach, Portulaca grandiflora, etc. In addition, jasmine, Chloranthus, five-needle pine, Aglaia odorata, Aspidistra, Buddha's hand, bitter orange, lemon, rubber tree, Monstera deliciosa, Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, camellia, Schefflera octophylla, Araucaria cunninghamii, etc., can also be used as slightly lower-layer balcony potted plants, but water and shade management should be strengthened.

(2) Propagation of balcony potted flowers

Herbaceous flowers suitable for balcony potting, such as Salvia splendens, ornamental pepper, coralberry, marigold, Impatiens, petunia, etc., can be sown and raised as seedlings in shallow pots at this time.

If a small amount of asparagus fern or Clivia seeds have been collected, after washing them clean they can first be sown indoors, and when the outdoor temperature reaches about 15°C, they can be moved to the outdoor balcony for cultivation.

Succulent plants such as Epiphyllum hybrid, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, jade plant, Graptopetalum paraguayense, Echeveria, Portulacaria afra, Euphorbia tirucalli, Crassula lycopodioides, etc., can be propagated by cuttings indoors at this time using plain sand or clean sandy loam, and moved to the balcony after spring returns and the weather warms.

Use a large flowerpot filled with loose sandy loam, or vermiculite, perlite, etc., as the cutting medium, and propagate by cuttings indoors near a window with better light, including gardenia, fuchsia, hibiscus, bougainvillea, Podocarpus macrophyllus, dwarf pomegranate, Chaenomeles speciosa, Nandina domestica, Daphne odora, Ardisia crenata, etc., but the pot mouth must be covered well with plastic film to retain moisture. On the balcony, when grafting five-needle pine, Pinus thunbergii, plum blossom, longevity peach, red maple, wintersweet, etc., bagging for moisture retention must be carried out, otherwise survival is not easy.

(3) Management of balcony potted flowers

1. Cold protection

Most ornamental plant types suitable for balcony potting are still kept indoors in March. While taking measures such as heat preservation, cold protection, ventilation, and exposure to light, plants that need repotting should be repotted in a timely manner. For relatively hardy flowers and trees placed on the balcony, the pot soil should be kept from freezing. If the pot soil freezes, it can easily cause frost heaving of potted flowers and trees, which will not only affect the normal growth of the plants that year, but in severe cases can cause the plants to die. Measures such as building a shed on site for protection or moving them indoors or into a shed for cold protection can be taken.

2. Pruning

For tree stumps such as wintersweet, Ilex cornuta, holly, black pine, five-needle pine, Podocarpus macrophyllus, Acer buergerianum, Ulmus parvifolia, Sageretia thea, Geum japonicum, Ligustrum quihoui, etc., pruning and shaping can be carried out. Trunks and branches that need shaping can be wired for styling in March. For plants that have not been repotted for 2 to 3 years, the soil can be changed. For bonsai placed on the balcony, keep the pot soil moist, water once every 3 to 5 days, and give appropriate spraying. For plum blossom, winter jasmine, Forsythia, wintersweet, longevity peach, camellia, etc., necessary shaping and pruning can be carried out after flowering to promote the maintenance of a good plant shape. Carry out a comprehensive cleanup of the plants, cut off branches and leaves infected by pests and diseases, and destroy them. For dried and cracked cut surfaces on tree stumps, lime sulfur mixture, etc., can be applied as an antiseptic treatment.

3. Preparatory facilities

If conditions permit, a small water pool can also be built on the balcony, with a hard board (prefabricated reinforced concrete) supported on top. By using the humidity produced by evaporation from the water pool, in summer some flowers that relatively prefer humid air can be placed on it, such as orchids, Monstera deliciosa, Philodendron 'Green Giant', Syngonium, Ardisia crenata, Nandina domestica, etc. The stored water is relatively ideal for watering flowers.

In March, before potted flowers are moved out of the room, a tiered rack for placing potted flowers can also be set up on the balcony first, and the support points for hanging a shade net in summer can be selected well. Once potted flowers are moved out and encounter overly strong sunlight, shade measures can quickly be put in place.

In March, potting soil for repotting should also be prepared, and various fertilizers and pesticides should be stocked up sufficiently to meet the needs of balcony flower growing throughout the year.