How to Fertilize and Water Camellia During the Bud Formation Stage
Today's tip on caring for green plants during the camellia bud formation stage involves how to fertilize and water them. Please refer to the detailed introduction below.
How to Fertilize and Water Camellia During the Bud Formation Stage
Camellia has a long bud formation period, with fertilization starting from May to June when the flower buds differentiate until just before flowering. During the bud differentiation stage, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers should be balanced, and the concentration should not be too high, with a dilution ratio of 0.2-0.5%. From September to October, fertilization should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and no fertilization should be done during the hot summer days. After flowering, fertilization is also not recommended, and attention should be paid to temperature and humidity during the flowering period.
1. Fertilization During the Bud Differentiation Stage
Camellia flowers take several months to go from bud differentiation to blooming, starting from May to June in early summer and blooming in October or later.
The fertilization in May to June, which is the bud differentiation stage, is crucial and determines whether the camellia can successfully form buds.
May to June is a stage of concurrent vegetative and reproductive growth, where fertilization should ensure a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Both chemical fertilizers and decomposed organic fertilizers can be used.
Chemical fertilizers should be balanced with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and the concentration should not be too high, with a dilution ratio of 0.2-0.5%. Organic fertilizers can be diluted 10-20 times with cake fertilizer water, combined with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution for foliar application.
2. Fertilization During the Bud Stage
After the bud differentiation, the camellia flower bud gradually grows larger. After a summer of growth, by September to October, the flower bud becomes clearly visible. Fertilization at this stage mainly aims to promote the enlargement of the bud.
Fertilization should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and high-phosphorus and potassium chemical fertilizers can be used, with the same concentration as mentioned above (0.2-0.5%).
For organic fertilizers, it is recommended to use phosphorus and potassium-rich pigeon droppings or chicken droppings diluted in water, fertilizing every half month until the bud shows color, then stop fertilizing.
This stage also involves an important task: thinning the buds. Too many camellia flower buds can affect the quality of blooming, so excessive buds should be removed, leaving only one robust bud on each branch tip.
3. Fertilization During the Flowering Stage
The flowering period of camellia is in the winter and spring seasons, during which fertilization is generally not recommended. If the flower bud does not open for a long time, excluding factors like temperature and humidity, potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed 1-2 times.
During flowering, it is important to maintain a certain temperature and humidity level. High temperatures can induce vegetative growth, affecting flowering, while low temperatures can cause frost damage. Generally, an average temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius should be maintained during flowering.
Additionally, air humidity also affects flowering. Dry air can lead to僵化僵蕾 (stiff bud) situations, so a certain level of air humidity should be maintained during the flowering period.
The above is the full content on how to fertilize and water camellia during the bud formation stage, hoping it is helpful for green plant enthusiasts!