How to care for the blooming period of Plumbago auriculata
Today, I will introduce to you how to care for Plumbago auriculata during its blooming period and detailed tips on caring for Plumbago auriculata. It's some very useful knowledge, so I recommend saving it for future reference!
Plumbago auriculata has become a very popular "internet celebrity" flower among gardening enthusiasts in recent years. Many experienced gardeners have shared photos of their Plumbago auriculata in videos or articles, with blooms forming a blue sea, which is truly beautiful. The branches of Plumbago auriculata are very long and soft, with a tendril-like nature. Many gardeners cultivate it as a vine plant, allowing the branches to climb on trellises or flower walls.
It is currently April, and soon it will be summer. Plumbago auriculata will soon enter its peak blooming period. In terms of care, just follow four "generous" principles, and it will bloom continuously throughout the summer, creating a sea of blue flowers!
1. Pruning
Plumbago auriculata has a very strong vitality. As the weather warms up, as long as there are no major problems with care, the branches and leaves will grow rapidly. The entire spring is almost spent growing leaves, and by April, with temperatures consistently above 15 degrees Celsius, Plumbago auriculata will start to form flower buds and bloom many flowers.
Different from other flowering plants, Plumbago auriculata grows and blooms simultaneously. During the care process, it is necessary to continuously prune the branches. If left unattended, Plumbago auriculata will grow into a "shaggy" appearance, with a messy shape and lose its ornamental value.
Before Plumbago auriculata blooms, it is first necessary to prune the branches well. Cut the long branches short, remove weak, diseased, and wilted branches, and thin out some intersecting or overly dense branches. After the flowers fade, it is also necessary to prune the spent flowers, cutting from 2-3 pairs of leaves below the spent flowers, removing the spent flowers along with the section of the branch below. This promotes the growth of lateral buds, which can then produce more flowers. By pruning, blooming, and pruning repeatedly, you can enjoy the beautiful blue sea of flowers for a long time.
How to care for the blooming period of Plumbago auriculata
2. Fertilizing
Due to its rapid growth and large number of blooms, Plumbago auriculata consumes more nutrients than other plants. When choosing a pot, it should be larger and deeper. A small pot has limited soil capacity, and with too little soil and fertilizer, the plant will grow very slowly. Fertilizing Plumbago auriculata mainly involves using solid soil fertilizers and nutrient solutions.
When the temperature consistently stays above 12 degrees Celsius, you can start applying solid fertilizers to the soil of Plumbago auriculata. You can use chemical fertilizers like slow-release fertilizer or compound fertilizer, or you can use organic fertilizers like decomposed cow or sheep manure, soybean cake fertilizer, or chicken manure. Scatter a small amount of fertilizer on the soil surface or bury it in the soil, using it every 1-2 months, with some chemical fertilizer varieties used every 2-3 months.
When the temperature consistently stays above 15 degrees Celsius, in addition to applying solid fertilizers, you should also use nutrient solutions to supplement the plant's nutrition. Initially, when Plumbago auriculata is just growing leaves and not yet forming flower buds, choose a balanced fertilizer like "Flower More No. 1" containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Follow the instructions to mix the fertilizer powder with water, stir well to make a fertilizer solution, and water the roots and spray the branches and leaves of Plumbago auriculata every 7-10 days; when flower buds start to appear on the branches, switch to using "Flower More No. 2," potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or other high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Follow the instructions to make a fertilizer solution, water the plant's roots and spray the branches and leaves every 7 days. Stop fertilizing immediately after the flowers bloom.