How to care for Osmanthus fragrans bonsai in winter

Winter temperature control

Basically, Osmanthus fragrans should be brought indoors in October. After bringing it indoors, the Osmanthus fragrans needs to be placed in a low temperature and dry place to allow it to hibernate. Note that the maintenance temperature should not be too high for a long time, otherwise the plant will not be able to fully dormant. Once the dormancy period of Osmanthus fragrans is shortened, it will begin to germinate early. This will cause the flowering of Osmanthus fragrans to be uneven.

Generally in winter, the indoor maintenance temperature should be kept between 0℃ and 10℃.

Anti-smoke and dust

Osmanthus fragrans is a plant that is very afraid of smoke and dust. If it is grown indoors in winter, the ventilation conditions will be very poor. At this time, soot, dust, etc. will contaminate the leaves of Osmanthus fragrans, causing it to grow poorly and affecting photosynthesis. When the pollution is more serious, it will also cause leaves to fall off and flowers to be small.

In winter, if you find that the leaves of Osmanthus fragrans are covered with dust, you should spray them with a sprayer or wipe them.

Control watering

In winter, do not water too much because the plant needs to go dormant. Low temperatures cause water to evaporate slowly, and the plant's ability to absorb water is also poor, which will cause it to grow poorly and even cause root rot.

In winter, if you want to water the Osmanthus fragrans, you must water it in moderation and not water it unless the soil is dry. You must loosen the soil in time after watering.

Reasonable topdressing

In winter, although the plants do not need too much nutrients during dormancy, you can still apply fertilizer in December when repotting. Compound fertilizer or other fertilizers are all acceptable, but be careful not to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer.

To trim

After a long period of growth, the Osmanthus fragrans plant may have become deformed and can be properly pruned during its dormant period in winter. You can cut off the crossed, overlapping, or even diseased and dead branches that appear during the growth period, and deal with the wounds after pruning in a timely manner.

Leave the room at the right time

After winter, spring comes. The temperature starts to rise, and it's time to go out. Osmanthus fragrans is usually moved out of the house around the Qingming Festival. It should be placed in a place that is sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, and be careful to keep the soil slightly moist.