How to prune osmanthus flowers
As one of the top ten famous traditional flowers in China, sweet-scented osmanthus is favored by gardening enthusiasts for its rich aroma and beautiful plant type. Scientific pruning technology can not only create elegant tree shapes, but also promote flower bud differentiation and prevent pests and diseases. This article will systematically analyze the five core points of osmanthus pruning from four seasons maintenance to modeling skills. Choose the pruning time of osmanthus fragrans during the dormant period of pruning (December to February). The best shaping period is from falling leaves in winter to before germination. At this time, the tree sap flows slowly and the pruning wound is not easy to be infected. Focus on removing crossing branches and dead branches, retaining the main trunk and skeleton branches, and it is recommended to retain 2-3 bud points at the base of the branches. During the growth period, pruning (March to September), light shearing is used in spring and summer, and 8-10 short leaves are retained when the new shoots grow to 15cm. Flowering varieties such as Jingui need to be pruned before the end of June to avoid accidentally injuring flower buds. Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers after each pruning to promote wound healing. Key techniques for osmanthus modeling stem culture and picking After seedling planting, 60-80cm of stem are retained, and the terminal buds are removed when the top new shoots grow to 30cm. After 3-4 cycles of pinching, an umbrella-shaped or spherical crown can be formed, increasing the number of lateral branches by more than 200%. The principle of thinning branches and transmitting light follows the rule of "three cuts and three retention": cut upright branches and leave flat branches, cut overlapping branches and leave misaligned branches, and cut inner branches and leave outer branches. Keep the branch spacing ≥15cm to ensure that the crown light transmittance reaches more than 60%. When dealing with sick and weak branches found to be contaminated by coal, the infected branches need to be immediately cut off to 5 cm below the healthy parts, and the incision should be applied with thiophanate-methyl. Removing thin and weak branches less than 1/3 of the main stem diameter every autumn can increase nutrient utilization by 40%. Special plant type pruning scheme It is recommended to use the "trunk cutting and branch storage method" for potted osmanthus flowers, and shrink the main branch by 1/3 every two years. The ancient osmanthus flowers should retain their natural form and focus on pruning over-dense branches. Renewal and pruning of old trees over 20 years old can gradually complete crown replacement in three years.
Through scientific pruning management, osmanthus plants can maintain their ornamental value for more than 50 years. It is recommended that based on the characteristics of the variety, the danguthus species should be mainly natural round head shape, and the four-season osmanthus should be suitable for cloud shape. Regular pruning combined with water and fertilizer management can keep your sweet-scented osmanthus full of golden millet every year.