Household Flower Cultivation: "Three Shoulds," "Three Taboos," and "Six Cautions"
This article provides you with some tips on household flower cultivation, including the "Three Shoulds," "Three Taboos," and "Six Cautions." Detailed introductions are as follows.
Flowers have the functions of beautifying, aromatizing, and purifying the environment. Having several pots of plants in the living room not only adds decoration and the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of flowers but can also effectively purify the indoor air, keeping it fresh and natural, which is beneficial for physical and mental health. However, neglecting the various taboos of indoor flower cultivation can be detrimental to health.
I. Three Shoulds for Indoor Flower Cultivation
1. It is recommended to cultivate flowers with strong (X-D) capabilities. Certain flowers can absorb toxic gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, and hydrochloric acid. Research shows that wintersweet can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor from the air; flowers like snapdragons, canna lilies, morning glories, gladioli, and Chinese pink can convert highly toxic sulfur dioxide into non-toxic or less toxic sulfate compounds through oxidation; narcissus, four-o'clocks, chrysanthemums, and Japanese macrophyllum can convert nitrogen oxides into proteins in plant cells; spider plants, aloe vera, and snake plants can absorb a large amount of indoor pollutants like formaldehyde, eliminating and preventing indoor air pollution.
2. It is recommended to cultivate flowers that can secrete bactericides. Flowers like jasmine, clove, honeysuckle, and morning glories secrete bactericides that can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibiting the occurrence of pathogens like diphtheria, tuberculosis, dysentery, and typhoid fever, keeping the indoor air clean and hygienic.
3. It is recommended to cultivate flowers with "complementary" functions. Most flowers mainly perform photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. At night, they perform respiration, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti, on the other hand, release carbon dioxide during the day and absorb carbon dioxide at night, releasing oxygen. Cultivating flowers with "complementary" functions in the same room can benefit both and balance the indoor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, keeping the air fresh.
II. Three Taboos for Indoor Flower Cultivation
1. Avoid over-cultivating flowers that emit strong fragrances and irritating odors. Flowers like orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, and night-blooming cereus emit strong scents. While a single pot can fill a room with fragrance, too many fragrant flowers can cause excitement in the nerves, especially when smelled for a long time in the bedroom, leading to insomnia. The gases emitted by poinsettias and万年青 are harmful to people; the particles emitted by tulips and Chinese lanterns can cause skin allergies and itching if contacted for too long.
2. Avoid placing too many plants in the room. Most flowers release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen at night, competing with humans for air. Since most indoor rooms are closed at night with poor air circulation, too many indoor plants can reduce the oxygen concentration at night, affecting the quality of sleep, causing symptoms like chest tightness and frequent nightmares.
3. Avoid placing toxic flowers indoors. For example, oleander is toxic during spring, summer, and autumn, with its stems, leaves, and even flowers containing toxins. Its milky sap contains oleandrin, which can cause poisoning if ingested; narcissus bulbs contain lycorine, which can cause vomiting if ingested by children, and the sap from leaves and flowers can cause skin swelling. If the sap gets into the eyes, it can cause harm; too much contact with mimosa can cause sparse eyebrows, yellowing hair, and in severe cases, hair loss.
Therefore, when cultivating and enjoying flowers, we should understand the relevant scientific knowledge to bring health and happiness to ourselves and our families.
III. Six Cautions in Household Flower Cultivation
Household flower cultivation is now becoming more and more common, but many enthusiasts fail to nurture their plants properly, leaving them wilted and lifeless. What's the problem?
First Caution: Do not neglect the plants. Like humans, flowers are living organisms that require careful attention. Many flower cultivators lack the necessary diligence and care for these beautiful lives. Some are mentally lazy, not bothering to study flower cultivation knowledge and remaining ignorant. Others are lazy in action, not willing to spend much time and effort on their plants. Once flowers are brought into the home, they are often neglected, suffering from hunger and thirst and being plagued by pests and diseases. Even the best flowers will eventually wither under such circumstances. Lazy people cannot cultivate good flowers.
Second Caution: Avoid excessive love and attention. Contrary to the above situation, some flower cultivators love their flowers too much and feel the need to fiddle with them constantly. Some water and fertilize without a schedule, causing the plants to die from overwatering or over-fertilizing; others move the flower pots around randomly, disrupting the plants' normal growth patterns. If you disturb the plants when they need to rest, they will naturally feel tired and not grow well.
Third Caution: Avoid chasing fame and fortune. Some enthusiasts believe that only famous flowers are worth cultivating because they have high ornamental value and can be profitable in the market. Driven by this mindset, they spend a lot of money to purchase famous flowers and trees. Often, due to a lack of good growing conditions and management techniques, the flowers die shortly after being bought, wasting both the plants and money. This is a conceptual fallacy. The correct approach is to start with common, lower-grade species, gradually learning the rules and techniques of flower cultivation. Only after reaching a certain level of proficiency should one consider buying more expensive species.
Fourth Caution: Avoid being indiscriminate. Some enthusiasts want to have a complete collection and will bring home any variety they see, which not only makes management difficult but can also introduce flowers that are not suitable for cultivation, polluting the environment and harming health. For example, flowers with toxic sap can cause poisoning when touched; some flowers' odors can affect the nervous system, causing respiratory problems or allergic reactions; plants with sharp spines can pose a threat to safety, and so on. In short, household flower cultivation should not be about having a large and indiscriminate collection but rather about choosing small, beautiful, and safe species.
Fifth Caution: Avoid being fickle. Some enthusiasts are impetuous and cultivate flowers without a clear focus, constantly changing the flowers in their home like a revolving lantern show. This is a big no-no in flower cultivation. Frequent species changes mean short cultivation times, which are not conducive to growing beautiful and ornamental plants. Moreover, shallow engagement with each plant does not help improve cultivation skills and results in being flower blind in the end. Only by focusing on one or two types of flowers and studying their cultivation can one achieve real progress.
Sixth Caution: Avoid having outdated ideas. The flower cultivation industry is constantly evolving with new knowledge and technologies, but most enthusiasts are still stuck in traditional methods. They are not good at using new technologies and equipment in areas like potting, water and fertilizer management, and seedling cultivation, such as soilless cultivation, odorless flower fertilizers, and various types of pots. This results in unhygienic, unattractive, and outdated home flower cultivation with many side effects.
The above is a detailed explanation of the "Three Shoulds," "Three Taboos," and "Six Cautions" in household flower cultivation. I hope this article can provide you with help in green plant management!