How to plant osmanthus seedlings
Are you curious about how to plant osmanthus seedlings and the introduction of green plant flowers regarding the planting methods and maintenance of osmanthus? Let's learn about it together below.
Osmanthus trees are common ornamental plants with a strong fragrance that can attract bees and butterflies and carry a lucky meaning. As the saying goes, planting an osmanthus tree at home will bring the help of a benefactor throughout one's life. So, how to maintain osmanthus trees? This article will introduce the maintenance methods and precautions of osmanthus trees from the following aspects.
1. Choose the right variety and seedlings
Osmanthus trees come in many varieties, each with different characteristics and requirements. Generally, osmanthus trees are divided into two major categories: southern osmanthus and northern osmanthus. Southern osmanthus includes varieties like moonflower osmanthus, silver osmanthus, golden osmanthus, and red osmanthus, which prefer warm and humid climates and are not cold-tolerant or drought-tolerant, making them suitable for planting in areas south of the Yangtze River.
Northern osmanthus includes varieties like camellia osmanthus, osmanthus fragrans, and crape myrtle, which are more cold-tolerant and can overwinter outdoors in North China. If you want to grow osmanthus trees in pots at home, it is recommended to choose dwarf, compact seedlings from cuttings or grafted ones. Seedlings from seeds take many years to bloom, while cuttings and grafted seedlings bloom relatively faster.
2. Provide suitable soil and potting soil
Osmanthus trees prefer fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH value of 5.5-6.5. If the soil is too alkaline, it can cause the leaves to turn yellow and even lead to the death of the entire plant.
You can mix sand, cake fertilizer, garden soil, and decomposed leaf soil in a ratio of 3:2:3:2, or mix garden soil, farm manure, and river sand in a ratio of 1:1:1. Add decomposed organic fertilizer such as bone meal as a base fertilizer when potting. Keep the potting soil loose and breathable, and regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds.
3. Ensure sufficient light and temperature
Osmanthus trees are sun-loving plants that require plenty of scattered light, especially during the early blooming period. You should place the osmanthus tree in a place with plenty of sunlight and good ventilation, and prune it in time. In the summer, when sunlight is too strong, you can appropriately shade it to avoid sunburn. In the winter, pay attention to insulation to avoid frost damage.
Southern osmanthus can overwinter outdoors in areas south of the Yangtze River, while northern osmanthus needs to overwinter indoors in North China, with a room temperature of 2-4°C. If the room temperature is too high, it can cause resting buds to sprout prematurely, wasting nutrients.