Can you still fertilize a goldfish plant after it grows flower buds?

The goldfish plant is very beautiful when in bloom, but it prefers cool temperature conditions for flowering, and its flowering period generally does not have a unified time. Its flowering period is mainly influenced by different regional environments; it may bloom in spring, in autumn, or in winter, and any of these may be its flowering season. Generally, as long as the ambient temperature stays between 15°C and 25°C, with sufficient light and bright, ventilated conditions, it may bloom.

Therefore, goldfish plants grown by enthusiasts in different places may bloom in some cases in spring from March to May, in some cases around November in late autumn, and in other cases in winter. But no matter when it blooms, we must prepare enough nutrients for the goldfish plant in advance, because its flowering consumes a large amount of nutrients, and if nutrients are insufficient, it will inevitably affect its normal flowering.

But fertilizing the goldfish plant also requires grasping the timing, and the nutrient requirements differ at different stages. Generally, during the growing season it needs a multi-element fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and as the flowering period approaches, it should be switched to a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.

Fertilizing the goldfish plant during the flowering period requires phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to promote flowering, but after the buds open and while it is blooming, fertilizing is not suitable; often fertilizer must be stopped promptly as soon as the buds just open. Although it is called fertilizing during the flowering period, in fact sufficient fertilizer needs to be applied before flowering. The key is to apply flowering-promoting fertilizer promptly from before bud initiation, when it is about to form buds.

From the start of bud initiation to the formation of flower buds, flowering-promoting fertilizer also needs to be supplemented promptly, generally potassium dihydrogen phosphate or Huaduoduo No. 2 is suitable, either by root drenching or leaf spraying, both are fine. But for leaf spraying, do not use the method of sprinkling fertilizer water; instead, use the method of spraying a fine mist. This way it absorbs better, and it will not leave water stains on the leaf surface that affect the ornamental value, and it is even less likely to cause fertilizer damage to the leaves.

It can be seen that the goldfish plant can be fertilized once it has flower buds; as long as it is before the buds open, we can fertilize. Moreover, the supplementary application of flowering-promoting fertilizer needs to be carried out after the goldfish plant shifts from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, that is, from the growing season to just before flowering. Generally, applying phosphorus-potassium fertilizer 2-3 times per month is enough, but fertilizer should be stopped promptly when the buds open, so that its nutritional needs for flowering can be met.