Amazing tips for growing flowers at home

New method to ventilate porcelain basins and plastic basins

Clay pots are breathable and comfortable, but less ornamental; porcelain pots are sturdy and beautiful, and plastic pots are light and cheap, but not very breathable. In short, they all have some flaws. In fact, as long as you use your brain, you can turn your shortcomings into advantages~

Before repotting in early spring, prepare some foam plastic (there are a lot of them in electrical appliance boxes) and cut it into small pieces the size of glutinous rice balls. When repotting, use a thicker piece of paper to form a circle according to the inner diameter of the flower pot, and then place it in the flower pot (leave a certain gap between the paper circle and the flower pot). Then you can fill the plastic fragments into the gap between the two, inside the paper circle, fill with soil and plant as usual, in this way, the entire repotting task is completed.

The plastic fragments on the inner sides of porcelain pots and plastic pots greatly increase their air permeability, which has a very good effect on the growth and development of flowers. (Plastic particles can also be used for the bottom of the basin)

Broken bricks and tiles make flowers more colorful

Broken bricks and tiles can make flowers more beautiful. If you don’t believe it, try it.

When growing flowers in the city, soil is very precious. Some people continue to use the old soil after repotting, but in fact it is far inferior to broken bricks and tiles. Broken bricks and tiles are easy to obtain and can be found everywhere. Specific method: Break the waste bricks and tiles into pieces with a diameter of about 0.2-0.5 cm. When planting flowers, place the smaller and powdered ones near the roots of the plants, and place the larger pieces at the bottom of the pot or other locations. Other methods are the same as planting with soil.

Using broken bricks and tiles to grow flowers has the advantages of air permeability, water retention and fertilizer retention. Because broken bricks and tiles have many tiny gaps and a particularly strong adsorption capacity, they can quickly absorb the applied water and fertilizer, thus playing a role in retaining water and fertilizer; secondly, because the bricks and tiles have been fired, their texture is hard and not solid, and they are insoluble in water. The numerous tiny gaps inside can be retained for a long time, which is conducive to the circulation of air in the soil.

Experiments have shown that pomegranates, Milan and Pyracantha grown with broken bricks and tiles have well-developed root systems, large flowers, numerous fruits and a long flowering period. (Because broken bricks and tiles contain less nutrients, more fertilizers need to be applied than soil planting.)

Sesame oil repels ants and treats aphids

The insect world also has "herders", and they are ants. Ants like to enjoy the "honeydew" secreted by aphids, so they work tirelessly to graze them everywhere - moving them to various plants, while also acting as their voluntary bodyguards, fighting off the aphids' various natural enemies. In this way, our flowers and trees will suffer. Here is a simple and easy method that can solve your urgent problem.

If your flowers and trees are placed in a single pot and not in contact with other flowers and trees, you can apply sesame oil on the place where the flower pot touches the ground; if you place multiple pots of flowers and trees on a flower rack, you can apply sesame oil on the places where the legs of the rack touch the ground. Ants usually enter the pot through the holes at the bottom of the pot. You can also apply sesame oil to the holes at the bottom of the pot. Now everything is OK, the problem is completely solved and you can rest assured. If you find an ant nest nearby, drop some sesame oil on the hole and the ants will not dare to come out.

The "honeydew" secreted by aphids is fragrant and sweet to ants, but sesame oil, which is equally fragrant, is the nemesis of ants. If you still have doubts, you might as well give it a try.

Alternative humidification - protecting the azalea on the balcony

The azalea is delicate and charming. When the flowers bloom, the spring scenery is so beautiful that people stop to take a look. But if you want to grow azaleas well on the balcony, the humidity problem is a headache. Generally speaking, the climate on the balcony is always drier than outdoors, but rhododendrons require higher humidity, which creates a difficult-to-resolve contradiction: either the buds are difficult to bloom, or the red flowers fade and the fragrance disappears.

In fact, conditions can be created, and azaleas can be grown well on the balcony...

Find a shallow tray or other container that is slightly larger than the azalea pot, place two wooden bars three or four centimeters high in the tray, then place the azalea pot on the wooden bars, and add water to the shallow tray. The water level should be level with the bottom of the azalea pot or just slightly above the water level. When the water gradually decreases and the wooden strips are exposed, you can wait two or three days and then add water to the original level.

The reason why this method can humidify effectively is that there is water accumulated in the shallow dish all year round or intermittently, which is equivalent to installing a simple humidifier that evaporates upwards permanently. The higher the temperature, the faster the transpiration, which coincides with the rhododendron's requirements for humidity at different times. Secondly, the water slowly moistens the entire pot wall from the bottom of the pot to the top, keeping it in a good state of not too dry nor too wet, protecting the potting soil and roots from the effects of dry air.

This method can be used with confidence and the azalea roots will not rot. Because water seeps in from the bottom of the basin, its depth cannot exceed the depth of the shallow plate below; at the same time, the water nourishes by slowly rising, and the amount of water is limited. What's more, intermittent watering gives the azalea a chance to adjust the soil air and humidity.

This method can enable azalea to grow as healthily and bloom normally as if it were on the ground.

Note:

1. When repotting azalea, it is best to put some foam plastic pieces or other materials at the bottom of the pot, which is safer.

2. The amount of watering should be reduced appropriately, and the amount of water given at one time should be about 2/3 of that of ordinary potted flowers.

3. During high temperature periods, the effect will be better if you frequently spray the azalea with water.

Pruning old trees for new life

It is said that everything in the world has a certain lifespan, and plants are no exception. Although we cannot change this trend, we can still prolong its life through certain methods. Here is a method.

The so-called life root means that life lies in the root, especially for plants. If the roots are strong, they will be strong. If the roots are old, their life will soon end. Therefore, if we want to extend the life of the plants, we have to use our brains on the roots - during the spring growing season, dig up the soil in the pot, cut off 1/3 of the entire root system, and then cover it with soil. Thin new roots will soon grow from the places where the old roots are cut off. Do the same thing next year and the third year. After three years, the roots of the tree will be completely renewed. Compared with old roots, new roots have a significantly enhanced ability to absorb water and fertilizer. Therefore, it is natural for old trees to regain their youth.

In addition, you can replace 1/3 of the soil with new soil after cutting off the old roots. After three years, the soil in the pot is completely renewed, and the trouble of repotting is avoided, which is killing two birds with one stone.

If the old stump still has vitality, you can also prune it in combination with shaping to make it grow new branches.

Milan, blooming and fragrant every day

Milan, the leaves are shiny and evergreen all year round. When the flowers bloom, they are rich and fragrant, and the small golden flowers that look like rice grains are also eye-catching against the backdrop of green leaves. If properly maintained, it is no problem for Milan to bloom five times a year. So is it possible to make it bloom and smell fragrant every day? There is a way——

Generally speaking, after Milan blooms once, it needs to "rest" for a period of time before it can bloom again. This is because it needs to accumulate nutrients in preparation for the next flowering. So its flowering is intermittent. If we want it to bloom every day, we have to artificially meet its nutrient needs, that is, by properly thinning the buds to reduce the nutrients it consumes each time it blooms. Specifically, when Milan buds for the first (or second) time in spring, you can first thin out the buds on 1-2 branches, and then after 4-5 days, thin out the buds on another 1-2 branches. Repeat this cycle continuously, and accumulate more than 6-7 times of flower and bud thinning. The branches that have been thinned account for more than 60-70% of all branches. In this way, all the branches of Milan can bloom in turn, achieving the goal of blooming every day and smelling fragrant every day. According to the procedure, the branches that have not been thinned will bloom first. About 5-10 days later, the branches that have been thinned for the first time will bloom next, and then the flowers will bloom in the order of thinning. In total, a pot of Milan will let you smell the fragrance every day for 7-8 months during the entire growing period. (Because it has a strong fragrance, it is okay to remove some)

Key points:

1. Keep up with water, fertilizer and light.

2. The plant cannot be too small, it should have at least 10 branches.

Beer spray kills two birds with one stone

It goes without saying that flower growers love to deal with all kinds of flowers. But you have to deal with not only flowers, but also various pests, haha, even though you don't like them at all.

Among the pests, aphids and red spiders are relatively easy to deal with. Just spray the appropriate medicine twice and it will basically be ok. But scale insects are more troublesome. They have a protective layer - a waxy shell. Spraying pesticides has little effect on them. They are really invulnerable. So, besides manual pest control (brushing with a brush), is there any simpler and more effective method? have. Once you discover scale insects, don't panic. Prepare a bottle of beer, pour out some and add water, the ratio is 6 water to 1 beer, spray the plants once, try to spray all parts. Check it carefully the next day. If the bug turns reddish-brown and falls off when touched, it is definitely dead. If there are still some alive, spray them again. Generally, the problem can be basically solved after spraying three times (three days).

Principle: After the beer is sprayed, a closed film is formed on the insect's body, suffocating it to death. But it is also possible that he died of drunkenness. Of course, this still needs to be confirmed by entomologists.

In addition, beer is also a very good foliar fertilizer. If you spray it frequently, the plants can grow vigorous and energetic. The ratio should be lighter than when treating insects, 80% water to 1% wine. If you are interested, you might as well give it a try.

Four water supply methods

Watering is the first hurdle that flower growers have to overcome, and it is also a hurdle that they must overcome. Don’t underestimate the simplicity of watering. In fact, there are many things to pay attention to. Many novice flower growers fail at the watering stage. As for watering, the so-called water when the soil is dry and wet; water more during the growing period and less during the dormant period; water more in small pots and less in large pots, etc., everyone is familiar with it, so I will not say more. The following will only introduce several specific watering methods:

1. Sand column method---prevent soil compaction

When planting or repotting flowers, first place a few hollow tubes (bamboo tubes, plastic tubes, iron tubes, etc. will do) in the pots, and then fill the soil around them and compact it. Then pour coarse sand into the pipe until the top is level with the soil surface. Finally, gently pull out the empty tube, and a sand column will form in the basin. When watering in the future, water will only diffuse around through the sand column, thus preventing the soil from becoming compacted and without any adverse side effects.

Note: The tube cannot be placed in the center, there must be space left for planting flowers.

2. Tour method - do not water halfway

Water only halfway, which means it is not watered thoroughly. The top is very wet but the bottom is still dry. If this happens frequently, will any flowers and trees survive? There are several reasons: lack of experience; the soil in the pot is too compacted; the plant has not been repotted for a long time, causing the root plate to be tangled, etc. The solution is as follows: If you have many flowers, you can water them one by one as usual without having to worry about whether they are watered thoroughly. After watering all the plants, water them again from beginning to end. Some plants can even be watered for the third time. This way, you can basically avoid watering halfway. Because after the first watering, even if it is not thoroughly watered, the soil in the pot has been moistened and softened to a certain extent, so after a period of time, the second watering will be easier to absorb.

Note: This is not necessary if the soil in the pot is loose. If there are not many flowers, you can do something else after watering and water them again later.

3. The pot-sitting method---prevent the roots of the golden sparrow from rotting

The broom flower is very beautiful. When it first blooms, it looks like a butterfly. When it unfolds, it looks like a finch dancing in the air. It can also be made into bonsai, so many people like to grow it. But in recent years, fewer and fewer people have raised it because its roots are prone to rot and it will die if you are not careful. There is a method that is very effective in preventing root rot, namely: the pot-sitting method. Put some water in a container and place the broom potted plant in it. When the soil surface becomes moist, it means it has been watered thoroughly and you can take it out.

Note: The principle of treating dry food and treating wet food should also be followed.

4. Noon water---make jasmine more fragrant

Watering jasmine at noon can make it more fragrant when it blooms. The ancients have summarized it as: "If you want the fragrance of jasmine, drink a ladle of soup at noon." But watering under the scorching sun at noon is a taboo when growing flowers, just like people should not take a shower immediately when it is too hot. To water the flowers at noon without any accidents, the prerequisite is to put the water in the sun to dry first, and then water it when the water temperature is close to the soil temperature. This way it will be ok and safe.

Reminder: Other plants have not been tested, please use with caution.

Old loofah helps you to have beautiful leaves and flowers

The autumn wind blows, and it is harvest time again. The loofah vines gradually withered like an old man's arms, the leaves trembled in the wind, and only the old loofahs were still hanging heavily.

In the past, villagers used it to wash dishes and pots, but now no one uses it and it seems to have become waste. Has it really become waste? no! Pick the old loofah, wash it and dry it. When repotting flowers, changing soil or putting them in pots, cut them into small pieces of about 5 cm. Place a layer of loofah stems at 1/3 of the soil at the bottom of the pot, fill it with soil, then place another layer at 2/3 of the soil, add more soil, and you can operate it normally.

Note: Before cutting, lay it flat on the ground and smash the loofah seeds with a hammer.

(This method can effectively improve the potting soil, making it loose and not compacted. The fibers and seeds of the loofah slowly decompose in the potting soil, making it a good long-term nitrogen fertilizer, so the potted flowers all have green leaves and beautiful flowers.