How to cultivate osmanthus
Summary: Learn about the cultivation and management of osmanthus and share some small experiences in plant cultivation. Let's take a look!
Osmanthus is one of the top ten famous traditional flowers in China. It has a fragrant smell when blooming and remains green throughout the year, making it an excellent garden species. Many flower enthusiasts also enjoy growing osmanthus in pots at home, but often encounter yellow leaves and withering. Today, Lan Yao will focus on introducing the key management points for potted osmanthus, hoping it will be helpful to you.
Key Points for Managing Potted Osmanthus
Cultivating osmanthus in the ground is very simple and easy to plant. However, to ensure good growth and fragrant flowers when growing in pots, Lan Yao suggests focusing on the following points.
1. Loosely fertile potting soil
Osmanthus grows best in deep, loose, fertile, and well-drained sandy loam. When potting osmanthus, it is recommended to mix three parts of decomposed leaf soil, four parts of garden soil, three parts of river sand soil, and a small amount of fermented organic fertilizer, or two parts of universal nutrient soil plus one part of garden soil and a small amount of fermented organic fertilizer.
When potting, you can add fermented organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. It is recommended to pot with the original soil or remove the outer part of the original soil ball to expose the roots before planting (do not wash the roots). After planting, water thoroughly once, and if it is not watered thoroughly at once, you can water 2-3 times continuously. After watering thoroughly, place it in a bright, diffused light area for 2-3 days to acclimate, then gradually increase the light.
2. Maintain sufficient light
Osmanthus loves a sunny environment. When caring for potted plants, except for the acclimatization period after potting, it is necessary to ensure at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day during the growing season, preferably full sun. In summer, you can shade the pot to cool down, but it's fine if the osmanthus tree is not shaded. When growing osmanthus in a阳台, make sure to open the windows for ventilation.
3. Water only when the soil is dry
Many flower enthusiasts have difficulty growing potted osmanthus well, and the main problem is often related to watering. The watering requirement for osmanthus is to water only when the soil is dry and to water thoroughly when watering. Normally, if the surface of the potting soil turns grayish-white, feels hard when touched, or the soil below the surface 2cm is dry, it indicates that watering is needed. Watering should be done until a large amount of water flows out of the bottom of the pot, and half-watering is not allowed.
In northern regions, due to the high alkalinity of the soil, a small amount of ferrous sulfate or citric acid can be added to the water each time it is watered to prevent soil alkalization. Soil alkalization can cause iron deficiency yellowing in osmanthus, and severe cases can lead to withering.
For outdoor potted osmanthus, it is necessary to pay attention to drainage during continuous rainy days to prevent waterlogging.
As the temperature begins to drop in autumn before flowering, it is advisable to reduce watering. Maintaining a moist environment for the soil and air around the potted osmanthus during flowering is important. If the air is dry, it is recommended to spray more water on the leaves to increase the relative humidity, which is beneficial for osmanthus bud formation and flowering.
4. Fertilize appropriately to avoid fertilizer damage
Potted osmanthus begins to germinate in mid-to-late March and quickly enters the vigorous growth period of new shoots. Therefore, it is recommended to apply an appropriate amount of fermented organic fertilizer and slow-release fertilizer and apply 1-2 times of balanced NPK compound fertilizer or soybean cake fertilizer after germination to ensure robust and full growth of new shoots and lay the foundation for flower bud differentiation.
How to cultivate osmanthus
In mid-to-late May, the leaves harden, the new shoots stop growing, and enter the nutrient accumulation period. At this time, it is recommended to focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote flower bud differentiation. It is suggested to shallowly bury fermented organic fertilizer + bone meal or calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer to continuously provide nutrients for osmanthus. From August, add monopotassium phosphate fertilizer to each watering until flowering.
During the flowering period, osmanthus should stop applying top dressing. After the flowering period, 1-2 applications of balanced NPK compound fertilizer can be applied to promote the recovery of the osmanthus plant. As the temperature drops, 1-2 applications of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer can be applied before winter to strengthen the osmanthus roots and lay the foundation for next year's flowering.
Precautions for Managing Potted Osmanthus
1. Avoid using concentrated fertilizer.
Many flower enthusiasts have difficulty controlling the amount of fertilizer for potted osmanthus, which can easily cause fertilizer damage. Fertilizing potted osmanthus should follow the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently. If water-soluble fertilizer cannot be controlled, more fermented organic fertilizer can be used. Fermented organic fertilizer has a mild effect and is less likely to cause fertilizer damage. Using it in small amounts multiple times is also acceptable without using water-soluble fertilizer.
2. Avoid using raw fertilizer.
The tolerance of potted osmanthus to fertilizer is not strong, and unfermented raw fertilizer cannot be used, not even rice washing water before fermentation. Once fertilizer damage occurs, it is difficult to save.
3. Avoid placing fertilizer directly on the roots.
When potting osmanthus, the roots should not come into direct contact with the base fertilizer. The base fertilizer should be separated by soil, especially for bare-rooted osmanthus seedlings. When applying top dressing, it should not be placed directly on the roots but should be shallowly buried along the edge of the pot.
4. Avoid not changing the pot for a long time.
Potted osmanthus is recommended to be repotted every two years to cut off old roots. The potting time is suitable in late October or March of the following year when the growth of osmanthus is slow, and the impact of repotting is minimal.
The above is a comprehensive introduction to the cultivation of osmanthus and related cultivation and management brought by Green Enthusiast Network, hoping to provide some knowledge about green plants for green enthusiasts.