What are the management methods for houseplants in midsummer?
Root pruning and soil replacement: Potted flowers that have not been repotted for a long time have old roots tangled inside the pot, little soil, poor aeration and difficulty absorbing water; under high temperatures with strong evaporation, the plants easily wither and die from lack of water. Therefore, before the hot weather arrives, the plants should be turned out of their pots, part of the old roots at the edges should be cut off, and they should be repotted in fertile pond mud or mountain soil, increasing the space between the roots and the pot wall and promoting good growth of the flowering plants. In addition, if the pot is too small, a larger pot can be used when repotting, which helps the flowering plants get through the summer.
Position changes according to nature: The placement should be adjusted according to the various characteristics of the flowering plants. Balconies facing south and west have long sunlight hours and higher temperatures, so they are suitable for sun-loving, heat-tolerant flowering plants, such as jasmine (Jasminum sambac), banana shrub (Michelia figo), pine, cypress, cactus, scarlet sage (Salvia splendens), pomegranate, plum blossom, plum yew, elm, citrus, chrysanthemum, Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and other flowers. Shade-loving, heat-fearing plants such as clivia (Clivia miniata), camellia, azalea, Chinese rose, orchid, Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), asparagus fern, bamboo palm, cyclamen, fuchsia, orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata) and geranium should be moved to a north- or east-facing balcony to avoid overly strong direct sunlight.
Shade and rain protection: Orchids, clivia, camellias, Chinese roses and others fear direct sunlight, so they should be placed in a ventilated spot or under a shade shed; climbing plants such as grapes, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, red coral and melons can also be grown on the balcony, trained with bamboo or other supports to provide shade, with excellent results. Begonias, banana shrub, magnolia, cyclamen, Christmas cactus, geranium, camellia, clivia and others easily suffer root rot when exposed to too much water in midsummer, so they need to be placed in a position where they can be sheltered from rain.
Three-dimensional watering and appropriate fertilizing: In summer, watering should adopt the three-dimensional watering method, that is, watering the roots once each in the morning and evening, and spraying the leaves and branches with clean water at noon so the plants absorb water and cool down. For vigorously growing flowering plants and those in bloom, a diluted decomposed liquid fertilizer can be applied once every half month, with peanut bran liquid fertilizer being the best; various flower fertilizers such as compound fertilizer can also be applied.
Proper pruning of branches and leaves: Pruning branches and leaves can reduce water evaporation and reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases.