How to control the flowering period of Michelia

How to control flowering period

Early flowering

If you want Michelia to bloom early, you need to be a little careful in winter. Move the plant indoors in winter and raise the temperature appropriately. After the flower buds swell in winter, maintain the original temperature and continue to care for it. The flowering period can be advanced 10 to 15 days.

Second flowering

In fact, Michelia can bloom twice a year. Remove the tender shoots one month before flowering and apply 500-1000 times diluted gibberellin to the flower buds. Apply once every two days at the beginning and once a day thereafter. This can speed up the development of flower buds, promote the elongation of pedicels, and allow the flowers originally in the leaf axils to stand out from the top of the plant, and they will bloom after 1 month.

Precautions

Shade and water control

Michelia prefers a semi-shaded environment and grows better in a weak-light environment. It avoids high temperatures and exposure in the summer, so it should be placed in a semi-shaded place with soft light in spring and autumn. You can sprinkle water on the leaves and the ground every day to keep the environment moist.

Michelia likes a humid environment. After potting, it must be watered thoroughly. Then as the temperature rises and the growth speeds up, gradually increase the frequency and amount of watering. Watering should be done when the soil is dry and wet. Generally, water once every 1 to 2 days in spring and autumn, and once in the morning and evening in summer. Spray the leaves and the ground in time. Do not water too much in winter, just keep the soil in the pot moist.

Fertilization and pruning

Apply sufficient base fertilizer before potting, and add appropriate fertilizer when repotting and changing the soil. During the growth period, apply a thin layer of cake fertilizer water once every 10 days. July to August is the period of flower bud formation, and fertilization should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, which can promote dark green leaves. At the same time, it is also necessary to add alum fertilizer water appropriately, and stop fertilizing during the winter dormancy period.

To meet growth needs, the pot needs to be changed once every spring before or after flowering and before new leaves grow. Prune the plant after repotting and changing the soil and after the flowering period ends, cut off the overgrown and diseased branches, and increase the plant's light transmittance.