How to Care for Ping Pong Chrysanthemum
With its round and adorable flower shape and ultra-long blooming period, ping pong chrysanthemum has become a popular green plant for urban windowsills. However, many flower enthusiasts find that their ping pong chrysanthemums always bloom sparsely and have loose plant structures. How can one achieve a full and vibrant bloom? This article dissects the key points of caring for ping pong chrysanthemum throughout its entire life cycle, from soil mixing to propagation techniques.
Four Elements of caring for Ping Pong Chrysanthemum
1. Soil Configuration: Balancing Nutrition and Breathability
Use a golden ratio of peat soil: perlite: decomposed pine needles = 5:3:2, and add bone meal every half year to supplement phosphorus. Pay special attention to laying a 3cm layer of ceramic stones at the bottom of the pot to prevent root rot during the rainy season.
2. Temperature Control Strategy: Managing Day-Night Temperature Difference
Keep the temperature at 20-25℃ during the day to promote bud differentiation, and lower it to 12-15℃ at night to delay stem elongation. When the temperature exceeds 32℃ in summer, use double-layer shading nets and sprinkle water on the ground to cool down.
3. Smart Watering: Dry-Wet Cycle System
Use the "lifting pot method" to judge: water thoroughly when the pot's weight is reduced by 1/3. Water twice in the morning during spring and autumn, and combine with EM bacteria solution to enhance root vitality.
4. Light and Shadow Control: 360° Uniform Light Exposure
Ensure 5 hours of direct sunlight every day and manually rotate the pot by 15 degrees every 2 hours. Using a reflective board to supplement light can effectively prevent one-sided elongation, and LED plant lights should be 40cm away from the leaf surface for best results.
Advanced Tutorial on Propagating Ping Pong Chrysanthemum
Select semi-woody branches for cutting: retain the top two leaves to reduce transpiration, and make a 45-degree cut to increase the water absorption area. Use a mixed matrix of vermiculite and water moss, maintain 85% air humidity, and combine with B1 nutrient solution spray. New roots can be seen within 14 days.
To create a ping pong chrysanthemum flower ball landscape, it is necessary to pinch the plant three times during the growing period: the first time when the seedling is 15cm tall, then prune once every three pairs of leaves, and combine with frequent application of thin phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. After 60 days, you can achieve the full bloom effect. Remember to regularly check for diseases like red spider mites, and use neem oil for biological control to keep the ping pong chrysanthemum blooming for more than three months.