How to Care for Four Seasons Osmanthus in Summer
If you want to understand how to care for Four Seasons Osmanthus in summer and the related experience of flowering plant cultivation such as osmanthus care and management, please correct me if there are any mistakes!
Many people enjoy raising osmanthus because of its strong fragrance. Classified by fragrance, from strong to weak, they are golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, and Four Seasons Osmanthus. The golden osmanthus has the strongest fragrance, and the saying "十里桂花香" (ten miles of cassia fragrance) refers to the golden osmanthus. Among these four varieties, only the Four Seasons Osmanthus can bloom multiple times a year. The other varieties mostly bloom between August and November, which is autumn. However, many gardening enthusiasts fail to raise osmanthus well, especially in summer. If some precautions are not taken, and if one doesn't know what should and shouldn't be done, it may result in the failure of the osmanthus to bloom.
1. Do Not Prune in Summer
As most osmanthus start to bloom in autumn, around August, pruning in summer can lead to the growth of new buds. If these new buds have not matured and thickened by autumn, they will remain very tender and may not bloom. Even if they do bloom, the flowers may be sparse, and the fragrance may be weak. Therefore, do not prune in summer. If you want to prune, do it after the flowers have bloomed in autumn or in spring. This way, there won't be any issues, allowing the branches to age rapidly throughout the summer. When the aged branches produce multiple flower buds, the flowers will bloom more and the fragrance will be better.
2. Choose the Right Fertilizer
In spring, the osmanthus usually enters a stage of growing branches. The lateral buds that grow at this time are very tall. By summer, these lateral buds will grow slowly or even stop growing. Fertilizer is essential at this point. In summer, it helps to harden and age the new branches quickly, sealing the top, so that it can bloom in autumn. Therefore, we can help it by using phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, such as monopotassium phosphate, which can help to harden the branches quickly, age them, and differentiate flower buds. By autumn, it will definitely bloom in abundance. Fertilize every ten to fifteen days to ensure a low concentration that won't cause issues.
3. Ensure Sufficient Light
As we know, flowering plants need ample light to bloom. With sufficient light, the leaves can perform photosynthesis well, and the branches can age rapidly, allowing for the differentiation of flower buds. If you place the osmanthus in a dark environment in summer, you will find that the leaves are light in color and the branches are weak and do not age. In autumn, these branches will produce few flowers, and even if they bloom, the branches may droop. Therefore, throughout the summer, it is important to place the osmanthus in a well-lit area. As long as the potting soil does not lack water, the leaves will not be sunburned, and it will not wilt. This is the key to proper flowering care.
If you are raising osmanthus, you need to know what must be done and what cannot be done in summer to ensure that the flowers fill the branches and you can enjoy the fragrance of the osmanthus. If you follow these points and water it properly, usually when the soil surface is dry for one or two centimeters, water it thoroughly, ensure good ventilation, and it won't have any issues. In other growing seasons, use multi-element fertilizers two to three times a month, also place it in a well-lit area, and keep the potting soil moist. As long as the temperature does not drop below five degrees Celsius, it won't have any issues.
The above is the full content on how to care for Four Seasons Osmanthus in summer and its maintenance and management. I hope it is helpful to green plant enthusiasts!