Table of contents

★Pest and disease control

★ Small experience in pest control

★Prevent and control two small pests

★Pest and disease control of foliage plants

★Symptoms of flower virus diseases

★Knowledge on the prevention and treatment of typical diseases of family flowers

★What should I do if my potted flowers are infested with bugs?

★How to check the leaves of potted flowers and treat diseases

★Removal of earthworms from potting soil

★There are many reasons why the leaves of potted plants turn yellow

 ★Prevention and treatment of succulent flower rot

How to deal with ants in flower pots

★Injecting medicine into tree trunks can prevent diseases and insect pests

★Tips to prevent flower diseases

★Preparation and use of flower and tree wound protectant

★Four methods to make your own insecticide

 

　　【Pest and disease control】

    　When growing plants at home, the last thing you want to see is diseases and pests. However, plants are also living things and can get sick and infected, so the owner must have the concept of "prevention is better than cure" to make the plants grow fast and strong. Therefore, it is very important to understand how to avoid and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests! 

    　Choose healthy and disease-free plants: When buying plant bulbs and seedlings at the flower market, you should carefully check whether there are any signs of rot or insect pests. You can turn over the back of the leaves and carefully check whether there are any moving organisms. Of course, if the plant itself is strong enough, it will have strong resistance and will not be easily susceptible to diseases. 

    　Separate from the original plants first: Do not move the newly brought plants indoors immediately. You can spray some insecticides and fungicides on the outside of the window to ensure that the plants are healthy and prevent pests and diseases from being brought into the original population or home environment. 

    　Water control should be appropriate: if it is too wet, the plant will easily rot and mold, and if it is too dry, it will be invaded by insects that prefer dry environments, such as red spiders. The amount of water should be adjusted according to the characteristics of the plant and the temperature and humidity of the environment. It is best to wait until the soil surface of the plant is dry 2-3 cm below, and then fully wet the medium until the water flows out. 

    　Don't plant too many similar plants at once or too close together: for example, mites that harm Africa will also harm plants such as Cyclamens and Gloxinia. If they are placed together or in large groups, the pests have abundant hosts to survive and shelter, and of course, they will multiply quickly. In addition, the distance between plants should be sufficient, as crowded and closed plants are more likely to get sick. 

    　Deal with diseased plants immediately when discovered: If they are on the leaves, remove and clean them immediately, otherwise once the pest and disease population spreads, it will harm the entire plant and even similar hosts nearby; some pests can jump to other plants, so the diseased plants must be completely destroyed and discarded to prevent the disease from spreading. 

 

 

 　　【Tips on pest and disease control】

　　▲Foliar spraying of fertilizers and pesticides kills two birds with one stone. Experiments have shown that spraying 0.5% urea and 0.3% omethoate on Sophora japonica, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Fraxinus chinensis can achieve the dual effects of topdressing and insect control. Urea is easily absorbed and has strong penetration, which enhances the efficacy of the drug. After foliar spraying, the leaves of the trees turn green, the tree vigor is enhanced, and aphids are effectively controlled. 

　　▲The effect of applying systemic insecticide ring to kill aphids is good. The original solution of omethoate was applied at 1.2 meters on the trunk, and the height of the ring was 20cm. The effect was checked three days later. The control 6 branches painted with water had more than 50 aphids within 1 cm. However, there were only 2 aphids in the 16 branches painted with ring. The leaves of the white poplars painted with omethoate were bright and bright, and the effect lasted for one month. 

　　▲Experience of using liquid medicine to plug holes to prevent and control trunk borers The main trunk borers in Dezhou City are the shoulder star longhorn beetle, Mongolian wood moth, and oriental wood borer. Others include the thorny horn beetle, poplar clearwing moth, cloud-banded longhorn beetle, and Chinese star longhorn beetle. Use cotton balls with monocrotophos stock solution and omethoate stock solution to plug holes in willow trees on both sides of the road in a "simultaneous" test. The mortality rate of monocrotophos larvae is 95%, and the mortality rate of omethoate larvae is 92%.

　　▲ Soil irrigation of systemic insecticides to control aphids According to observations of rhizosphere irrigation of Sophora japonica, 10-20 ml of monocrotophos per plant has a good aphid-killing effect, while the effect of applying to the stem is not good. It is appropriate to use 10 ml of omethoate root irrigation per plant, which has a better aphid-killing effect. The above two systemic agents have a residual effect of more than one month, and the insect population reduction rate is more than 80%. 

 

 　　【Prevention and control of two small pests】

       Potted flowers are often harmed by aphids and spider mites. Both pests are famous for their small size, large number and rapid reproduction. The main flowers affected are Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Crassulaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Theaceae, Cactaceae and many other flowers. The way to eliminate them is to spray pesticides. But the use of pesticides requires special care. For example, using dichlorvos cannot eradicate them, and often makes cherry blossoms, peach blossoms and other flowers turn yellow; using methyl parathion often makes miniature coconut palms turn black; using dimethoate makes plum blossoms, fragrant round flowers and coral flowers fall leaves one after another. After years of practice, the author deeply feels that the most effective drugs to eradicate the above two small pests are chlorpyrifos and one-time net. The method of use is compound and continuous spraying. The specific operation process is: after a 15 kg tank is filled with clean water, add half a pack of Yibianjing, three bottle caps of cypermethrin, two bottles of Insect Killer, an appropriate amount of melted carbendazim (thiophanate and mancozeb are also OK, can be used alternately), and two bottles of Penshibao or one bottle of Lushiwei (both are foliar fertilizers). The killing rate of aphids and mites by the above drug irrigation is 100%, and there is absolutely no drug damage. April-December. Spraying once every 45 days can not only ensure the extinction of aphids and red spiders between potted flowers, but also kill borers and treat sooty mold, black spot disease, powdery mildew and other diseases.

 

 

　　 【Foliage plant disease and insect pest control】

       During the growth process, foliage plants may be harmed by diseases and insects. The damaged plants not only affect their growth, but also reduce or even lose their ornamental value. Therefore, it is very necessary to prevent and control indoor foliage plant diseases and insect pests. This is a basic skill that all flower lovers need to master, otherwise the true meaning of foliage plants in beautifying and purifying the environment will be lost. 

　　There are many kinds of indoor foliage plants, but for each unit or family, the number of applications is small, and the management is relatively meticulous. If pests and diseases occur, although they are not easy to spread to other plants, they often develop faster on the affected plants. Therefore, the prevention and control methods of pests and diseases of this type of plants are mainly prevention-oriented, comprehensive prevention and control, and strengthening of nurturing management; creating a good plant ecological environment, promoting healthy plant growth, and improving its own resistance to adversity and other effective cultivation measures. 

　　All indoor foliage plants should be strictly inspected before being placed indoors, and disease-resistant varieties or healthy plants with strong adaptability should be selected for reasonable arrangement. If slightly diseased leaves or a small amount of aphids, mites, or scale insects are found, they should be dealt with promptly by physical methods, such as manual pruning, removal of diseased leaves, or washing with soapy water, and then washing with clean water or wiping with a soft damp cloth; scale insects can also be gently scraped off with a bamboo stick; if the damage is serious, move out of the room for treatment.

　　Indoor foliage plants should not be treated with pesticides indoors, because pesticides are generally toxic substances. If such toxic substances are allowed to remain or be brought into the indoor air circulation system, it will lead to many adverse consequences. As a decoration, indoor foliage plants often attract people to appreciate their various characteristics, such as some people will smell them, and some people will touch their branches and leaves. In order to maintain a good public interest relationship, it should be stipulated that indoor decorative plants should not use pesticides to prevent and control pests and diseases. If some plants are harmed by pests and diseases and cannot be effectively controlled by physical methods, they must be moved outdoors and isolated from healthy indoor plants, and then other treatments can be performed, such as chemical control, or destruction. Indoor plants must be regularly inspected, handled and controlled in a timely manner, so as to reduce the degree of plant damage and prevent problems before they occur. Keeping the indoor environment clean and hygienic, ventilated and light-permeable can keep foliage plants green and fresh, and have a high ornamental value.

 

 　　【Symptoms of flower virus diseases】 

         Flower virus disease is a special type of disease caused by viruses that harms flower plants. The disease is quite different from general diseases in terms of symptoms, occurrence patterns and prevention and control measures. With the development of domestic and foreign flower trade, the circulation of seedlings and self-propagation of seedlings, the problem of virus disease has become very prominent. In recent years, it has risen to a position second only to fungal diseases and has a tendency to gradually worsen. It affects the yield and quality of flowers, and also affects the export of flowers. 

 

　　1. Symptoms of flower virus diseases 

　　Viruses are extremely tiny parasites that can harm many precious flowers, such as daffodils, orchids, carnations, lilies, dahlias, tulips, peonies, peonies, chrysanthemums, gladioluses, gerberas, etc. 

　　The morphological characteristics that gradually appear on the outside of a plant after it is infected by a virus are called external symptoms. External symptoms can be divided into local symptoms and systemic symptoms based on how they appear on leaves and other tissues. Local symptoms refer to the spots that appear around the infection points after the virus is inoculated on the leaves of a plant, which can be divided into chlorotic spots, necrotic spots, and ring spots. Systemic symptoms refer to the fact that after the virus infects the plant, it can be transported throughout the plant and cause damage, and symptoms appear in tissue systems such as leaves, stems, and fruits. 

　　1. Color change 

　　There are three types: mosaic, mottle, and broken color. Mosaic refers to uneven chlorosis of leaves after virus infection; mottle refers to chlorotic spots on diseased leaves, which are large, with unclear edges and uneven distribution; broken color is when the discoloration appears on petals or fruits. After the camellia virus is infected, some yellow mottle or chlorotic spots appear on the leaves, forming a yellow-green mosaic. After the rose leaves are damaged by the virus, the leaves become smaller, and ring-shaped and wavy light yellow patterns appear on the midrib. Mosaic is the main cause of loss of flower yield and quality. 

　　2. Chlorosis and yellowing 

　　The whole plant or some organs appear light green or yellow, and the yellowing is not as common as mosaic. For example, chrysanthemum mosaic disease manifests itself as blurred chlorotic spots on the leaves. 

　　3. Spots and stripes 

　　It often occurs on leaves, stems, fruits, etc., and manifests as necrotic spots, necrotic streaks, chlorotic spots or chlorotic streaks. Peony virus No. 1 has ring-shaped and linear spots on leaves, and harms peonies with various necrotic spots. Narcissus pattern virus causes pale or yellow streaks and stripes on leaves and stems. 

　　4. Ring spots, oak leaves and etchings 

　　The three most commonly appear on leaves. The concentric spots are called "ring spots". The leaves with oak leaf-like discoloration along the veins are called "oak leaves". Irregular linear patterns on the leaves are called etched spots. For example, tobacco ringspot virus produces ring spots, and tobacco etch virus produces etched spots. 

　　5. Bright veins, yellow veins, and pulse bands 

　　Bright veins and yellow veins are the early stages of mosaic symptoms. First, the veins are transparent, which is called "bright veins", and then the leaves turn yellow, which is called "yellow veins". "Vein bands" refer to the dark green along the veins. For example, the chrysanthemum vein mottle disease manifests itself in chlorosis along the veins and the appearance of bright veins. 

　　6. Wrinkled leaves and curled leaves 

　　Deformation of local tissues or organs. Leaf vein growth is inhibited, while the mesophyll still grows, and the leaves become wrinkled, with the leaf edges curling upward or downward. For example, yellow stripes appear along the leaf veins after the onset of canna mosaic disease, which gradually turn brown and tear. In severe cases, the heart leaves become deformed and curl inward like a trumpet tube, and the plants become dwarfed, not blooming or rarely blooming. Another example is the lily cluster disease, where the leaves at the base of the clustered part of the diseased plant turn yellow, no flower stems are formed, the leaves become smaller, twisted and drooping, and the flowers are deformed or not blooming. 

　　7.Clumping and dwarfing 

　　The top buds of diseased plants are suppressed, and lateral buds sprout in large numbers. Branches that grow in clusters are called "clustering" or "bushes". Internodes shorten, and plants become evenly shorter, which is called "dwarfing". Virus infection often causes plants to become smaller, such as dwarfing, dwarfing, clumping and twisting. Sometimes the virus infection does not show obvious symptoms, which is called latent infection. Plant dwarfing often reduces leaf size, leaf spacing and leaf number, and may also cause fruit seeds to become smaller. The reason is due to reduced cell division and slow growth. 

　　8. Deformity 

　　The abnormal development of the host caused by virus infection is called deformity. For example, when the wound tumor virus (WTV) infects white clover, tumors are produced on the stems; when the pea ear mosaic virus (PEWV) infects cowpea, ear spots are produced. 

　　9. Necrosis 

　　Necrosis refers to the necrosis of tissues, organs and the entire plant, such as tobacco necrosis virus. PVX and PVY can also cause necrosis. When the virus infects the host, necrosis quickly spreads to the growing point cells and kills them, and then the entire leaf wilts and dies. When TMV and CMV co-infect tomatoes, the top of the plant necrose and the leaves become smaller. 

　　Dahlia virus disease causes light green ring-shaped spots on the leaves, deformed mosaics and leaves, shortened internodes, and growth of lateral branches, causing clumping, dwarfing, very few flower buds or no blooms. 

 

 　　2. Differences between symptoms of viral diseases and other diseases 

　　Virus diseases are easily confused with non-infectious diseases in terms of symptom characteristics, especially those caused by nutrient deficiency and air pollution. Virus-infected plants are mostly scattered in the field, with healthy plants near the diseased plants. Plants often cannot recover after becoming ill. Most non-infectious diseases occur in large areas, and this disease can be restored to health by increasing nutrition and improving environmental conditions. Flower viruses only have obvious symptoms but no symptoms. The symptoms of viral diseases are mostly mosaic and yellowing, and often manifest as systemic infection, with fewer symptoms of rot and wilting. Of course, viral symptoms are sometimes prone to change. Different viruses will have differences in different host species and varieties. Some viral diseases will have hidden symptoms due to changes in temperature, etc. 

　　It should be noted that there are many phenomena that look like mosaic symptoms (viral diseases) on garden flowers and plants, but in fact they are not viral diseases, but a special type of species with high ornamental value, such as Sajinlan, Golden Edged Boxwood, Variegated Alpinia, Variegated Clivia, and Yeyilan. Therefore, do not confuse them. 

 

 　　【Knowledge on the prevention and control of typical diseases of family flowers】

 

　　The basic principle for treating household flower diseases is prevention first and treating the symptoms accordingly. Flowers should be cared for from the following aspects. 

1. Strengthen plant quarantine: Harmful flower seedlings and propagation materials are strictly prohibited from entering the home to prevent their spread. 

2. Directly eliminate the disease: When the disease occurs, use pesticides to treat it in time and try to kill the disease in the shortest time possible. 

3. Improve environmental conditions and inhibit the growth and reproduction of harmful bacteria: High temperature and formalin can be used to disinfect the soil, and at the same time, a good environment should be created, such as reasonable fertilization and watering, timely loosening of the soil and weeding, pruning and leaf cutting, removal of diseased branches and leaves, improving light, and maintaining ventilation, so that the flowers can grow and develop healthily and improve their disease resistance. 

Generally, flower lovers should understand that there are many sources of disease for flowers, and the harm varies. It is impossible to generalize. In the process of flower cultivation, we often encounter various diseases. There are many reasons for the disease of flowers, mainly due to the infection of harmful organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, nematodes, algae, parasitic seed plants and the influence of adverse environment, mainly including the following. 

　　1. Physiological diseases : caused by non-biological factors such as temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizer and other environmental factors, which cause physiological disorders of flowers and produce lesions, often manifested as leaf discoloration, yellowing, scorching of leaf tips and edges, leaf fall, flower and fruit drop, etc. As long as the environmental factors are changed, the symptoms will be alleviated, and the flowers will gradually grow strong. In this case, no drugs are needed. 

　　2. Invasive diseases : 

　　1. Prevention and control of fungal diseases: Fungi are multicellular lower plants without chlorophyll. They can parasitize on flowers and plants and can also saprophytize on dead bodies. Their spores are spread by wind, rain, and insects. Fungi can cause powdery mildew, rust, black spot, damping-off, sooty mold, white rot, and sclerotinia. Prevention and control of fungal diseases (1) Powdery mildew, anthracnose, black spot, brown spot, leaf spot, gray mold and other diseases: First, apply fertilizer and water properly, and pay attention to ventilation and light transmission. Excessive watering, water accumulation after rain, poor drainage from the holes at the bottom of the pot, poor soil quality, and failure to repot and change the soil for a long time can also cause fungal flower diseases, and the roots often turn black. Because the conductive tissues of the leaves and roots are connected, if there is a problem with the roots, it will inevitably be reflected in the branches and leaves. Therefore, attention should also be paid to the soil quality, moisture content, and drainage performance. In addition, the application of uncomposted organic fertilizers can easily cause diseases. When making fertilizers with domestic organic waste, you can add Jinbaobei biological fermentation agent (Jinbaobei organic material composting agent). It can accelerate the decomposition and eliminate the bacteria in it. Second, remove dead branches and leaves in early spring or late autumn and promptly cut off diseased branches and leaves and burn them; third, spray 65% ​​mancozeb 600 times diluted for protection; fourth, spray 50% carbendazim or 50% thiophanate 500-600 times diluted, or 75% chlorothalonil 600-800 times diluted in the early stage of the disease. (2) Sooty mold: First, wash the diseased branches and leaves with clean water and spray 50% carbendazim 500-800 times diluted after the disease occurs; second, avoid stagnant water. (3) Rust: In addition to the above methods, spray 97% sodium dimethoate 250-300 times diluted (with 0.1% laundry detergent) or 25% triadimefon 1500-2500 times diluted after the disease occurs. (4) White rot and Sclerotinia rot: First, use 1% formalin solution or 70% pentachloronitrobenzene to treat the soil, about 5g-8g of pentachloronitrobenzene/m2, mix with 30 times fine soil and apply to the soil; second, choose disease-free seedlings or soak them in 70% thiophanate 500 times solution for 10 minutes before planting; third, watering should be reasonable to avoid waterlogging. (5) Damping-off and root rot: First, disinfect the soil, treat the soil with 1% formalin or steam the culture soil in a pot for 1 hour; second, avoid waterlogging; third, in the early stage of the disease, irrigate the root zone with 500-400 times solution of 50% mancozeb, and use 2-4 kg/m2 of the solution. 

　　2. Bacterial disease control: Bacteria are single-cell microorganisms that often spread through running water, rain, insects, bacteria, soil and remnants of diseased plants. They invade the body of flowers through the pores or wounds of plants, causing them to become infected with diseases such as soft rot, bacterial wilt, root cancer, and bacterial perforation. (1) Methods for preventing and controlling soft rot: First, it is best to change the culture soil for potted plants once a year; second, immediately water the root soil of the diseased plants with 600-800 times dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane after the disease occurs. (2) Bacterial perforation: First, spray 65% ​​mancozeb 600 times solution before the disease occurs; second, promptly remove the affected parts and burn them; third, spray 50% thiocarb 800-1000 times solution at the early stage of the disease. (3) Root cancer: First, choose germ-free seedlings or treat the soil with pentachloronitrobenzene when planting; second, immediately remove the diseased tumors after the disease occurs and disinfect them with 0.1% mercury water. 

　　3. Virus disease control: Viruses are tiny parasites without cell structures. They are infected by mechanical damage such as insects, grafting, plugging and pruning. When flowers are sick, the main symptoms are mosaic, dead spots, yellowing leaves, deformities, and clustered plants. These viruses overwinter in seeds, diseased stumps, soil and insects. Prevention and control of viral diseases should be based on prevention and comprehensive control. Methods for disease and insect control: First, disinfect the soil. You can use burnt soil or formalin (40%) diluted 50-300 times, spray the soil and cover it with plastic film, open and turn it after 5 days, and use it as flower pot soil after 3 days. Secondly, warm treatment, such as general seeds can be soaked in 50℃~55℃ warm water for 10 minutes to 15 minutes; third, choose disease-resistant and disease-resistant varieties, which is the fundamental way to prevent and control viral diseases. Strictly select non-toxic breeding materials; fourth, spray 1000-1500 times of 40% dimethoate emulsion at an appropriate time to eliminate aphids, whiteflies and other virus-transmitting insects; fifth, remove and burn diseased plants in time, and wash hands and tools that have come into contact with diseased plants with soapy water to prevent human contact transmission; sixth, remove weeds to reduce the source of virus infection. In addition, pay attention to ventilation and light transmission, and fertilize and water reasonably to promote the healthy growth of flowers, which can reduce viral diseases. 

　　4. Prevention and control of nematode diseases: Nematodes are tiny round worms that parasitize the roots of plants. They use their oral lancets to pierce the root cells of plants, causing them to form nodular nodules, which is called nematode disease. The main methods of prevention and control are: First, soil disinfection. The culture soil is steamed in a steamer for about 2 hours. Second, hot water treatment. Soak the diseased parts used for reproduction in hot water (soak for 10 minutes when the water temperature is 50 degrees Celsius; soak for 5 minutes when the water temperature is 55 degrees Celsius). This can kill nematodes without hurting the host. Third, turning and drying the soil several times in the dog days can eliminate a large number of pathogenic nematodes; fourth, remove diseased plants, diseased remains and wild hosts; fifth, reasonable fertilization and watering to make the plants grow strong, which can also effectively reduce nematode diseases. 

 

 

 　　[What should I do if the potted flowers have insects? 】 

     Soapy water to prevent aphids and other insects: Use half a basin of clean water, add a little washing powder or rub some soap, preferably medicated soap, stir up the foam, press the potted flower branches in the soapy water to rinse, or use a soft brush to dip the soapy water to apply to the branches and leaves. After a few days, aphids, scale insects, spiders and other pests can be eliminated. Cigarette butt water to prevent whiteflies: Use cigarette butts to soak brown nicotine water and spray it on the branches and leaves to prevent whiteflies. Whiteflies have eggs and larvae in all seasons, and they will become adults with white wax powder on their wings. They can fly short distances and reproduce quickly. They are very harmful to flowers, especially hibiscus, roses, hydrangeas, etc. They are most likely to occur. Garlic to prevent rats: Mash a head of garlic, preferably add a tablespoon of pepper, put it in a liter of clean water and mix well. Leave it for an hour and then use it to spray the branches and leaves of flowers. Rats and other animals will stay away from the smell of garlic, so as not to bite the branches and leaves.  

    Beer to prevent snails: Place a small shallow dish on the soil of the potted flower, pour beer into the shallow dish, and lure the snails to crawl into the shallow dish and drown. Milk to prevent ticks: Add half a cup of whole milk to four cups of flour, add 20 liters of water and mix well, filter out the liquid with gauze, and spray the branches and leaves, which can kill most ticks and eggs. The above methods of protecting potted flowers are simple and easy to implement, do not affect the growth of flowers, and will not pollute the air environment.　   

 

        If potted flowers are not properly managed, their leaves will turn yellow, burn, and curl. The changes in the leaves can be used as a basis for analyzing the problems in maintenance work and taking corresponding measures accordingly.

　　Young leaves turn yellow, or the lower leaves curl and wither, and keep falling off. This is usually caused by overwatering. When watering potted flowers, water them when the soil is dry and when the soil is wet. If there is water in the pot, the time should not exceed half an hour, otherwise the root health will be affected. Sometimes, young leaves of potted flowers turn yellow because of a lack of certain nutrients. If the leaves turn yellow but the veins are still green, it is caused by iron deficiency. At this time, you can apply some ferrous sulfate. Use 3 parts of silt sand and 1 part of commercially available decomposed nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, and the effect is also good.　

　　The old leaves turn yellow and the new leaves grow very small; this is because the potting soil lacks nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium nutrients. You can apply some decomposed organic fertilizer or commercially available flower fertilizer tablets to supplement nutrients.

　　The tips of young leaves are burnt; you should check whether the soil in the pot is too dry, or whether the light is too strong or the temperature is too high, burning the plant.

　　The top of the new shoot shrinks, the young leaves are pale yellow, and the old leaves are dark yellow. This is mostly caused by waterlogging, lack of oxygen, and root rot in the pot soil. The soil should be loosened immediately, fertilizer should be stopped, and water should be controlled. If the color of the new leaves at the top is normal, and the lower leaves gradually turn yellow and fall off or burn upwards, it is a lack of water.

　　The leaf edges are scorched; this is often caused by too much fertilizer and improper watering. You can rinse the pot soil with clean water several times to allow the fertilizer dissolved in the water to flow out through the drainage holes.

　　The edges of the leaves curl, wrinkle and turn brown. This is mostly caused by excessively dry indoor air. You should spray the leaves frequently with water close to room temperature; or use the method of placing the flower pot in another larger pot, and stuff wet grass ash or wet old cloth strips between the two pots to create a more humid microclimate around the potted flowers.

 

   　 Earthworms are beneficial to outdoor flowers and trees planted in the open air, but they will hinder the growth of the root system of potted flowers and trees, and will make too many holes in the pot soil, making the soil easy to dry out. If you find earthworms in potted flowers, you should remove the plants from the pots and dig out the earthworms in the soil, or water the pot soil with mustard solution, or pick a few taels of fresh leaves from a thornless locust tree, mash them, squeeze out the juice, add clean water and water the pot soil to force the earthworms out of the soil for removal.  

 

 

 　　[There are many reasons for yellowing leaves of potted plants]

   　   Excessive watering: Long-term waterlogging in the pot soil will suffocate and rot the roots, and the soil will not be able to absorb water and fertilizer normally, resulting in yellow leaves or even falling off. Stop watering and fertilizing immediately when yellow leaves appear, loosen the pot soil and place it in a ventilated and dry place to speed up water evaporation. When watering, adhere to the principle of "water when dry, and water thoroughly when watering", and do not water sporadically. In addition, do not spray water on the flowers during the flowering period, and prevent heavy rain attacks.  

    

　　If the leaves of the flowers droop due to lack of water, you should spray water on the leaves immediately to speed up the plant's absorption of water, and then water the pot. At this time, pay attention to watering less to keep the soil moist, and do not water too much.  

    

　　Improper fertilization: When the flowers in the pot grow up, long-term lack of fertilizer or insufficient fertilization will cause yellowing of leaves; applying too much concentrated fertilizer will cause the flowers to burn their roots and not be able to absorb water, which will also cause yellowing and falling of leaves. Apply thin fertilizer once a week in summer, and do not apply too much concentrated fertilizer. If too much fertilizer is applied, water more to dilute and wash away the fertilizer in the soil. Lack of fertilizer can cause the pot soil to become compacted, the leaves and flowers to become yellow, thin, and thin, and the branches to be slender and tender. Fertilization should be applied immediately, and the effect will be seen within a week. Fertilization can be applied on schedule to make the flowers grow normally and bloom more.  

    

　　When the temperature is too high in the hot summer season, cool and shade-tolerant flowers will easily burn the tips of their young leaves or the edges of their leaves when they are exposed to high temperatures and strong light. In this case, they need to be moved to a shaded and ventilated place in time, sprayed with water to cool them down, and increasing the humidity is beneficial to the growth of flowers.  

    

　　Alkali accumulation in the soil of potted flowers due to long-term watering. In severe cases, there is an alkali shell on the soil, which causes the leaves to fall off. The method is to replace the soil or spray ferrous sulfate solution on the leaves to neutralize it. Using alum fertilizer water and fermented rice water can achieve better results, but do not apply too much. If too much ferrous sulfate is applied, the leaves will turn yellow but not fall off. At this time, appropriate alkaline water should be poured to adjust.  

    

　　Dry air For some flowers that prefer a humid air environment, such as camellia and orchids, excessively dry air often causes the tips of the leaves to dry out, the edges of the leaves to burn, or burn spots to appear on the leaves. The edges may curl, wrinkle, and turn brown. In winter, the disease is more serious in areas where indoor heating is provided by coal fires or heating. At this time, the branches and leaves should be sprayed with water close to room temperature to increase the air humidity. In summer, when growing flowers on the balcony, families can sprinkle water on the ground of the balcony to moisten the local environment and also have a cooling effect.  

　　The flower is big and the pot is small. Because the flower has large roots and needs more water and fertilizer, a small pot cannot meet the growth needs of the flower. At this time, the old leaves are often dry, yellow and dull, and the young leaves are yellow and thin. It is necessary to change to a suitable pot and add 30% humus soil to the soil to ensure the normal growth of the flower.  

　　The branches and leaves are too dense and grow lushly, and have not been pruned for a long time, so the branches and leaves in the inner hall do not receive enough light, causing the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Pruning should be increased to ventilate the inner hall, and appropriate fertilizer should be applied.  

　　Insufficient light can cause the cultivation of sun-loving flowers, such as roses and pomegranates, to become gradually weak, with thin and yellow leaves, and few or no flowers if they are placed in a place with too little light for a long time.  

　　Due to the cold, the flowers are exposed to the cold wind when they are taken out of the house too early in spring, or the cold autumn causes the flowers to be frozen and the leaves turn yellow. They need to be brought indoors to keep warm and the potted flowers should be trained to resist the cold in advance.  

　　Pests and diseases: After infection by mosaic virus, yellow-green patches appear on the leaves. Infection by fungi and other pathogens causes leaf spot disease, which can easily cause local necrosis of leaves. Attention should be paid to preventing diseases, spraying in time and providing sufficient light and ventilation. Insect pests are prone to occur in the hot summer season, and pesticides should be sprayed to prevent them. Generally, aphids, red spiders, etc. absorb nutrients and moisture from the back of the leaves, causing the leaves to turn yellow or even the leaves of the whole plant to wither and fall off. Timely pest control can restore the plant.  

　　Other flowers will suffer from physiological drought if they are poisoned by toxic gases in the atmosphere, or if they are suddenly watered with cold water when the temperature is high. Spraying high-concentration pesticides to control pests and diseases will cause the leaf tips or leaves to partially burn, or even the whole plant to die. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to eliminating air pollution sources, or plant pollution-resistant plants, use pesticides reasonably, and water before 10 am and after 4 pm in the hot summer.

 

　　 【Prevention and treatment of succulent flower rot disease】

　　Through the practice of anti-corruption, my superficial experience is:

　　1. The rotten plants are caused by the blockage and water accumulation caused by only window screens at the bottom of the pot without tiles. The substrate I used is rotten sawdust mixed with river sand (ratio 7:3), placed under the tree in the outdoor courtyard. Although the growing environment is good, it is inevitable that it will be exposed to rain, and the bottom holes will be blocked over time. If you can support plastic film to prevent rain, there will be no worries about water accumulation.

　　2. Charcoal powder has a general effect in treating rot. It is OK for small wounds because it has strong hygroscopicity, does not carry bacteria, and has a good effect of blocking external bacteria. However, if the wound is large, bacteria will invade widely, and charcoal powder can only prevent but not kill, so it is ineffective.

I can't do anything about it.

　　3. Sulfur powder is not ideal for treating rot. Although it has strong bactericidal ability, it has weak hygroscopicity, slow wound drying, and lacks penetration ability. It cannot kill pathogens that have already invaded the plant tissues, so it is only suitable for treating mild rot.

　　4. Methyl thiophanate has good anti-corrosion effect. It is also called methyl thiophanate, which is a 70% wettable powder. It not only has a strong bactericidal effect, but also has systemic properties, and has both preventive and control effects, with a very good effect.

　　5. During the treatment, the wound should be exposed and kept dry. The faster the wound dries, the better. Do not cover it with soil immediately to prevent secondary infection. Do not water it for at least half a month after the diseased plant recovers to prevent the disease from recurring. After a month of maintenance, make sure the wound is healed before covering it with dry sand. Soon after that, new roots will sprout.

 

　How to deal with  　ants in flower pots

         Termites and ants are very harmful to potted flowers. They not only eat away at the stems, but also damage the root system of the plants, causing the plants to lose their ability to absorb and transfer nutrients and water, ultimately leading to poor growth, wilting, and even death of the plants. Here are some methods to prevent and control ant damage. 

　　Eliminate the source of ants 

　　Potted flowers should be kept away from ant nests. If ants are found in the pot soil, first follow the ants' crawling route to find the ant nest, and then eliminate it by flooding, burning, spraying, etc. Then sprinkle some lime on the ant nest and the ant's crawling route to prevent the ants from causing harm again. 

　　Physical prevention 

　　1. When applying basal fertilizer or organic fertilizer, you must use fully fermented and decomposed organic fertilizer. Do not use raw or half-ripened fertilizer to avoid attracting ants to eat it. 

　　2. Clean the leaves. The excrement of flies, moths, aphids, mites and other insects on the leaves can easily attract ants to come and look for food, so you should often spray the leaves with clean water to keep them clean. At the same time, you should often clean the ground to keep the potted flower maintenance area clean.

Keep it clean to avoid ants being attracted by odorous substances. 

　　3. Soak in water to kill insects: Slowly place the potted flowers that have been damaged by ants into a bucket of water (the water should be deep enough to cover the pot soil) and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. The ants cannot stand the water and will crawl out of the pot soil. At this time, you can kill the ants floating on the water surface and crawling on the stems and leaves of the potted flowers. 

　　4. Garlic to repel insects: Peel the garlic, mash it, and bury the crumbs in the soil. The ants will flee on their own because they cannot stand the fumigation of garlic. 

　　5. Repotting and removing ants: For plants that have built nests at the roots, the most effective way is to repot them in a pool of water to kill all the ants. Then clean the roots of the plants and use new, sterilized potting soil to plant potted flowers. 

　　Chemical control 

　　1. Disinfection of potting soil Before potting or repotting, disinfect the potting soil with 40% formalin, 65% mancozeb powder, 50% carbendazim powder and other agents to kill termites, ants and their eggs in the potting soil. 

　　2. Bury the medicated soil: Mix 1 part of 50% trichlorfon wettable powder with 50 parts of sieved fine soil to make the medicated soil, and then bury the medicated soil in the potting soil at equal distances to kill ants. 

　　3. For plants that are not suitable for repotting in hot weather, where the effect of burying the medicine in the soil is not obvious and the plants are seriously damaged, or where ants have built nests in the potting soil, use 10 grams of 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate to mix 500 to 1000 grams of water, or use 1000 grams of clean water to mix 5 to 10 grams of 40% dimethoate emulsion to make a liquid medicine. Pour the liquid medicine into the potting soil and places where there are ants, and then seal the entire flower pot with a plastic bag for 12 hours to kill all the ants.

 

 　　[Tree trunk injection can prevent diseases and insect pests]

　　1. Pesticide application equipment. For example, the BG305D perforating and injecting machine is powered by a gasoline engine and has a high speed, capable of perforating 8 to 10 holes per minute.  

　　2. Preparation of injection solution. Determine the appropriate injection concentration. For forest pest control, the effective concentration can be 15% to 20%, and for fruit trees, the effective concentration can be 10% to 15%. It is best to use cold boiled water for preparation.  

　　3. Injection site and injection amount. The hole should be 30 to 50 cm from the ground, with a 45-degree angle between the hole and the ground. The liquid medicine should be injected into the new xylem of 2 to 3-year-old trees, and should not be injected under the bark. Dosage: 1 to 3 ml of 100% stock solution for 10 cm DBH (1 to 3 ml of diluent for each cm DBH). 

　　4. Time of injection: Generally, injection should be done before the occurrence of leaf-eating pests; injection of fruit trees is prohibited 60 days before harvesting. 

5. Injection methods. Tree trunk injection methods include pesticide injection, micro-fertilizer injection, and hormone injection. In the prevention and control of forest pests and diseases, organic phosphorus pesticides with long efficacy can be used first. In the prevention and control of fruit trees, pesticides such as dimethoate, phosphamidon, and carbendazim with short efficacy, low toxicity, or less flower and fruit delivery should be used, and highly toxic pesticides with high residues are prohibited.   

 

 　　[Tips to prevent flower diseases] 

　　In early spring, various flowers will enter a vigorous growth season. At this time, you can spray 1% Bordeaux liquid on the leaves and backs 1-3 times to prevent diseases. The preparation method of 1% Bordeaux liquid is: 1 gram of copper sulfate, crush it and dissolve it in 50 ml of hot water; then use 1 gram of quicklime, use a few drops of water to powder it, then add 50 ml of water and filter out the residue; pour these two solutions into the same container at the same time and stir well, and finally a sky blue transparent Bordeaux liquid is formed. 

 Four ways to make your own insecticide

　　 ① Take 200 grams of green onion, chop it into pieces and soak it in 10 liters of water for a day and night. After filtering, use it to spray the affected plants several times a day for 5 consecutive days.

 　　② 200-300 grams of garlic, mash it to extract the juice, dilute it with 10 liters of water, and immediately use it to spray the plants.

　　 ③ Soak 400 grams of tobacco powder in 10 liters of water for two days and nights, filter out the tobacco powder, add 10 liters of water and 20-30 grams of soap powder, stir well and spray on the affected flowers and trees. ④ Soak 10 liters of water and 3 kilograms of wood ash for three days and nights before spraying

Plant.  

 

　　[Preparation and use of flower and tree wound protectant]

　　When pruning flowers and trees in autumn and winter, some large wounds are often left due to pruning. To promote wound healing, after using a sharp pruning knife to flatten the wound, disinfect it with 5-10 degrees Baume lime sulfur or 1% to 2% copper sulfate solution, and then apply protective agent for protection. The preparation method and use technology of commonly used flower and tree wound protective agent are introduced as follows:  

　　 　 

　　Pine oil mixture uses 6 parts of rosin, 2 parts of alcohol, and 2 parts of animal oil. First, heat the rosin and animal oil in a pot and melt them. Add alcohol immediately after removing from the heat, stir thoroughly while hot, and bottle for later use. When using, dip a brush or cotton ball in the protective agent and apply it evenly to the wound to form a film to seal the wound. This method is suitable for flowers and trees with large sawn areas.  

　　  

　　Pine wax mixture is prepared with 4 parts of rosin, 2 parts of beeswax, and 1 part of animal oil. When preparing, first melt the rosin and beeswax over a low heat, then pour the animal oil in, stir thoroughly after melting, take it out after cooling, and rub it into a ball by hand for later use. When using, heat it to melt, then dip it in the brush and apply it to the wound.  

　　  

　　The oil copper ash agent uses 1 part each of soybean oil, copper sulfate and slaked lime. First grind the copper sulfate and slaked lime into fine powder, then pour the soybean oil into a pot and boil it. Immediately add the copper sulfate and slaked lime to the oil, stir thoroughly, and then apply it after cooling.  

　　  

　　Salt-lime glue: 1 part of cow glue, 6 parts of quicklime, 2 parts of salt, 1 part of 45% sulfur suspension. First, use appropriate amount of water to mix quicklime, salt and sulfur suspension into a paste, then add melted cow glue, stir evenly and it can be used.  

　　  

　　Asphalt adhesive is very effective when applied to wounds after the asphalt is heated and melted. It not only protects the wounds, but also effectively prevents wood from rotting.  

　　  

　　When the wound of a succulent flower pruning oozes juice, you can mix fine soil and glue into a paste and apply it to the wound. Applying sulfur powder or wood ash to the wound is also very effective. 

 

  　　[Four methods of making your own insecticide]

　　① Take 200 grams of green onion, chop it into pieces and soak it in 10 liters of water for a day and night. After filtering, use it to spray the affected plants several times a day for 5 consecutive days.

　　 ② 200-300 grams of garlic, mash it to extract the juice, dilute it with 10 liters of water, and immediately use it to spray the plants.

　　 ③ Soak 400 grams of tobacco powder in 10 liters of water for two days and nights, filter out the tobacco powder, add 10 liters of water and 20-30 grams of soap powder when using, stir well and spray on the affected flowers and trees.

　　④ Add 10 liters of water and 3 kg of wood ash. Soak for 3 days and nights, then spray the plants.  

 

　　1. Methods of flower pest control

　　1. Stinging moths

　　Common ones include yellow thorn moth, flat thorn moth, mulberry brown thorn moth, etc. They mainly feed on the leaves of various woody flowers such as wintersweet and roses, causing holes or eating away the leaf flesh, leaving only the veins.

Prevention and control methods: 1000 times dilution of 90% crystals, or 3000 times dilution of pyrethroid pesticides.

　　2. Night moths

　　Common ones include Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera argentipes. They mainly harm roses, lilies, cyclamen, chrysanthemums, carnations and other flowers. The newly hatched larvae live in groups on the back of leaves and feed on the mesophyll. After the third instar, they feed on young leaves and make holes.

Prevention and control methods: Use black light to kill adult insects, protect natural enemies (trichogrammatids, spiders), spray 2000 times diluted Haizheng, or 800 times diluted 50% carbofuran.

　　(ii) Piercing and sucking pests

　　1. Scale insects

　　Common ones include red wax scale, horned wax scale, bran scale, rose white wheel scale, broad phil scale, etc. They harm a variety of woody flowers such as azalea and rose. The nymphs often gather on the back of young branches and leaves to absorb sweat, causing new shoots to be deformed and leaves to fall off early, and at the same time inducing sooty mold.

Prevention and control methods: Cut off the insect branches and burn them to protect natural enemies. Spray 10-15 times of rosin mixture once in winter. Spray 3-5 degrees of Baume lime sulfur mixture once in early spring. Spray 500 times of 90% crystal or 1000-1500 times of 50 chlorpyrifos emulsion 2-3 times every 7-10 days of growth season.

　　2. Aphids

　　Common aphids include peach aphid, cotton aphid, chrysanthemum aphid and rose aphid, etc. Females and nymphs gather on tender branches and backs of leaves to suck sap, causing the damaged leaves to shrink and induce sooty mold.

Control methods: Protect natural enemies (ladybugs, lacewings, aphid flies, etc.), use large 

Or use yellow glue to kill them.

　　3. Whiteflies

　　Common ones include greenhouse whitefly, orange whitefly, etc. Adults and larvae gather on the back of leaves and suck sap. When the damage is serious, the leaves fade and dry up, and sooty mold disease is induced.

　　Prevention and control methods: Use yellow adhesive boards to lure and kill, spray 2.5% cypermethrin and 2000 times diluted 20% cypermethrin.

　　4. Spider mites

　　Common ones include red spider mites, bulbous flour mites, and two-spotted spider mites. They harm many kinds of flowers. The affected leaves lose their green color, develop spots, curl and shrink, and in severe cases, the leaves wither and fall off.

　　Root pests

　　1. Cutworms

　　It mainly harms the seedlings of various herbaceous flowers such as chrysanthemum and carnation.

　　Prevention and control methods: Use poison bait to kill, mix 90% dichlorvos and wheat or bean cake foam in a ratio of 1:50, and spread around the roots of seedlings in the evening to kill the larvae.

　　2. Snail

　　It mainly harms many greenhouse flowers such as cyclamen and cineraria.

　　Prevention and control methods: Sprinkle a thin layer of carbaryl powder on the bottom of the pot of the affected plants or apply prevention and control.

　　Section 1 The importance of flower disease and insect pest control

　　1. The significance of flower disease and insect pest control

　　Flower diseases and insect pests are a very common natural disaster. In general, diseases and insect pests often lead to poor growth of flowers, and the leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and fruits will have spots, rot, deformity or withering, which will reduce the quality of flowers and affect the ornamental value and garden scenery; in severe cases, they can cause the death of the whole plant or a large number of flowers, affecting the production and export trade of flowers and causing significant economic losses. For example, flowers such as chrysanthemums, carnations, and gladiolus exported to Japan were destroyed by the other party because they carried viruses, and we were required to compensate for the economic losses. Therefore, strengthening the prevention and control of flower diseases and insect pests is an important issue that cannot be ignored in flower cultivation.

　　1. Principles of flower disease and insect pest control

　　The principle of flower disease and insect pest control is "prevention first, comprehensive control". Prevention is more important than treatment. First, in a clean and weed-free environment, select disease-free seeds and seedlings, disinfect the cultivation medium and tools, cut off the source of disease and the infection and transmission of pests, which will reduce the occurrence of diseases and insect pests. Secondly, pay attention to observation, understand the causes of disease and insect pests, grasp the time and location of damage, etc., and use drugs in time to avoid major disasters.

　　(II) Measures for the prevention and control of flower diseases and insect pests

　　1. Plant quarantine measures

It is forbidden for dangerous pests and diseases to be introduced from abroad or exported from China along with plants and their products. Therefore, the state has specially formulated laws and established special agencies at important ports, harbors, international airports, etc. to conduct comprehensive quarantine on imported or exported plant materials and products. If any plant materials and products subject to quarantine are found, they must be destroyed on the spot. However, the quarantine objects for flower pests and diseases have not yet been determined, resulting in the introduction of some diseases. For example, hyacinths imported from the Netherlands carry cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and carnations carry corrosive environment virus (CaERV), which may harm a variety of flowers. Therefore, the state should determine the quarantine objects for flowers as soon as possible to prevent harmful pests and diseases from being introduced along with plants and their products. When harmful pests and diseases have occurred in local areas of the country, measures should be taken to confine them within a certain range to prevent them from spreading to disease-free areas, and to eliminate them in diseased areas. When it is found that harmful pests and diseases have been introduced into new areas, active prevention and control should be carried out to completely eliminate them and limit the expansion of diseased areas.

　　2. Cultivation techniques and measures

　　Pay attention to the cleanliness of the flowerbed, remove diseased remains and weeds in time, and reduce the spread and infection sources of pests and diseases. Reasonable fertilization and irrigation can promote the healthy growth of plants and improve their ability to resist pests and diseases. Reasonable crop rotation and strengthening soil and medium disinfection can relatively reduce the harm of some pests and diseases, especially for highly specialized pathogens and monophagous pests. Selecting excellent varieties resistant to pests and diseases and healthy and virus-free propagation materials to produce flowers is also an important means to reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases.

　　3. Biological control

　　Using beneficial organisms to eliminate harmful organisms is also a method of preventing diseases and insect pests, and is a promising prevention method in the future. It is economical and safe, with long-lasting effects, and it is difficult to protect natural entry. It uses insects to control insects. For example, using Australian ladybugs to control cottony scales, using grass lacewings to control whiteflies, etc.; it can also use bacteria to control insects, such as green worm bacteria and nightshade bacteria to control peach borers, willow poison moths and sting moths.

　　2. Main diseases of flowers and their prevention and control methods

　　1. Powdery mildew

　　Also known as powdery mildew. It has also been found to harm roses, roses, boxwood, kumquats, etc. It often infects the leaves, stems and pedicels of flowers. When it occurs, a layer of white powder appears on the surface of the affected area. In severe cases, the leaves wither. It often occurs in hot, humid and unventilated places.

　　Prevention and control methods: Spray alcohol for three weeks or use drugs such as thiophanate, carbendazim, and thiophanate-methyl (75% wettable powder).

　　2. Sclerotium rot

　　It harms roses, jasmine, Clivia, pomegranate, peach coral, orchids, chrysanthemums, etc. When the disease occurs, the base close to the soil turns brown and rots, and the mycelium is white and silky, white at first, and then turns yellow to brown like rapeseed. This disease often occurs in the midsummer season when the soil is moist, turbid and rainy.

Prevention and control methods: Disinfect the potting soil before use, pay attention to environmental ventilation, avoid overcrowding, and remove diseased branches in time. Spray 500 times of 50% carbendazim wettable powder regularly before the disease occurs.

　　3. Leaf spot

　　It is also called black spot disease, brown spot disease, etc. It is more harmful to roses, camellias, azaleas, roses, chrysanthemums, etc. When it occurs, black spots appear in the middle of the leaves, and then the leaves turn yellow and fall off. This disease is mostly caused by a hot and humid environment.

Prevention and control methods: Pay attention to improving environmental conditions. When the disease first occurs, remove the affected leaves and burn them. Spray 8000 times of Du solution 2-3 times every 7-10 days.

　　4. Rust

　　It occurs between July and August, and often harms the leaves of grapes, woody crabapples, wolfberries, chrysanthemums, etc. The surface of the affected leaves initially shows yellow-green spots, and the back of the leaves is densely covered with orange-yellow powder. After that, small black-brown polygonal spots appear around the diseased spots. The diseased spots mostly appear near the veins and the edges of the leaves. The disease starts from the lower leaves and gradually spreads to the upper leaves.

　　Prevention and control methods: In late autumn, thoroughly clean up and burn the fallen leaves. Spray with rust-free or Bordeaux liquid during the growing season, 4-5 times a year, and the spraying effect is most significant in July and August.

　　5. Camellia leaf spot

　　The lesions are round in shape and can merge into large irregular lesions. There are many small black dots on the silver-gray color, which are conidia. In severe cases, they often cause leaf fall.

　　Prevention and control methods: Remove diseased leaves and burn them in a concentrated manner. Spray 0.5-1% Bordeaux mixture or 1000 times of 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder once every 15 days for 3-4 times.

　　6. Rose powdery mildew

　　The symptoms of the pathogen invading leaves, stems, pedicels, and dates are that young leaves are twisted, light gray, and grow a layer of white powdery substances, namely conidia. In severe cases, the flowers are few and small, or even fail to bloom, and the leaves wither.

　　Prevention and control methods: Spray lime sulfur mixture or 2000 times diluted 50% benomyl wettable powder.

　　7. Anthrax

　　It generally harms spring orchids, cymbidium orchids, jian orchids, black orchids, and clivias. When the disease first occurs, round or semicircular reddish-brown spots appear on the leaves, which then turn into dark brown, with yellow halos sometimes appearing on the edges; the spots then expand to become wavy or striped dark brown spots, and the lesions turn grayish white in the later stages. The disease mostly occurs in the middle of the leaves, and is most likely to occur during the plum rain season or when there are continuous autumn rains.

Prevention and control methods: Do not water directly on the head, do not place potted flowers too close together, and place them in a place that is light-permeable and ventilated. Cut off the diseased leaves in time after the disease is found. For drug prevention and control, 50% carbendazim wettable powder 500 times diluted can be used, spray once a week, and spray continuously 3-4 times.

　　8. Damping-off disease

　　Also known as damping-off disease. It occurs in a hot and humid environment. The roots and stems of flowers first appear scalded, water-soaked and rotten, and turn yellow-brown. Later, the affected parts become soft and fall over and die. The source of the disease comes from fungi in the soil and spreads quickly.

　　Prevention and control methods: Sprinkle wood ash on the surface of the potting soil for prevention, or use 1500 times diluted mancozeb to burn and irrigate once every 7-10 days to control the spread.

　　9. Sooty Disease

　　This disease is most likely to occur in a hot, unventilated environment or in an environment exposed to soot. At first, dark brown soot appears on the leaves of the diseased plants, which then spreads. It mostly harms perennial evergreen woody flowers, such as Magnolia grandiflora, Camellia, Camellia sasanqua, and Ivy, and can also infect chrysanthemums and roses, with a black soot-like mold layer.

Prevention and control methods: In the initial stage, a small amount of soot can be scrubbed off with water or alcohol, or the diseased leaves can be cut off. In severe cases, spray polybacterium or Bordeaux solution.

　　10. Downy Mildew

Main symptoms: Irregular chlorotic spots appear on the leaves in the early stage, and the spots expand in the later stage, becoming polygonal, yellow-brown, and a white mold layer grows on the back of the spots.

Prevention and control methods: 300 times of carbendazim wettable powder or 800 times of 75% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder.

　　11. Brown spot disease

Main symptoms: Light yellow purple-brown spots appear on the leaves in the early stage, which expand into black in the later stage. In severe cases, the whole leaf turns black and dies.

Prevention and control method: Spray 500 times diluted 75% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder.

　　12. Root nodule

Main symptoms: Tumors form at the site where the seed ball is formed and the affected plants grow poorly.

Prevention and control methods: Remove diseased plants, disinfect the diseased areas with quicklime, and soak the seeds in 0.3% copper sulfate for 1 hour before planting bulbs.

　　13. Mosaic disease

Main symptoms: Small shiny, chlorotic linear spots appear on the leaves in the early stage. In the later stage, the spots expand, causing the leaves to dry up, the plants to grow poorly, and there will be no flowers or the flowers will be small and turn green.

Prevention and control methods: Due to virus infection, the diseased plants should be removed and destroyed as soon as possible, and anti-aphid spraying should be applied regularly to reduce the spread of the disease.

　　14. Chlorosis

Main symptoms: At the top of the plant, the leaf flesh generally turns yellow, while the veins remain green. In severe cases, the plant may become weak and dwarfed.

Prevention and control methods: Improve the soil to prevent salinity and alkali, keep the soil slightly acidic, and spray 0.5% ferrous sulfate or iron chelate on plants that have turned yellow for prevention and control.

　　15. Sclerotinia

Main symptoms: In the early stage, it first invades the leaf sheaths and produces light brown spots. In the later stage, it invades the stems and bulbs, causing rot and the appearance of black particles.

Prevention and control methods: Spray 1500 times diluted 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder.

Rose diseases and pests and their control

　　Black spot disease mainly harms leaves, twigs and pedicels. The lesions usually appear on the front of the leaves. They are initially small purple-black spots with unclear edges, and then gradually develop into black or purple-black round spots with a diameter of 1.3 to 1.5 mm. The edges are radial and often surrounded by yellow halos. In the later stage, the lesions can be connected to each other. The diseased branches are very easy to fall off. When the twigs or flower branches are damaged, black stripes of lesions appear, which are slightly sunken. This pathogen is a pathogen that harms roses, roses and other Rosaceae plants. The pathogen spreads through wind and rain with mycelium and conidia. When there is water on the leaves, the spores can germinate and invade the leaves in about 6 hours. The infection is repeated many times and the disease can occur throughout the growing season. It is serious when the temperature is suitable, high temperature, and rainy. The peak of the disease occurs every year during the plum rain period and November. 

　　Prevention and control methods: ① Cut off diseased branches and leaves in time, burn them in a centralized manner, and eliminate the source of the disease; ② During the growth period, you can use 800 times diluted 20% thiophanate or 50% carbendazim, spray once a week; ③ Or use 1:1:200 times Bordeaux mixture, which has a better preventive and control effect on the disease. 

　　Powdery mildew is a common disease of roses. Powdery mildew spreads fastest in an environment with a lot of rain, high humidity, little light, and poor ventilation. Once infected, a layer of white powdery substance first grows on the young leaves, twigs, flower buds, and branches of the plant. This is the spores of the pathogen. After that, the disease gradually develops, causing the young branches to twist. In severe cases, the flower buds wither, the flowers are few and small, and even the plant dies. 

The disease is more serious during the plum rain season and the period of continuous autumn rain. When there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, the leaves have weak disease resistance, or in an overly shady environment, powdery mildew is prone to occur. 

　　Prevention and control methods: ① Cut off the diseased parts in time and burn them in a concentrated manner to prevent the spread; ② In April to May or late August to early September, use 500 times diluted 0.3% to 0.5% lime sulfur mixture or 500 times diluted 50% thiophanate powder, spray once every 10 days or so to prevent the occurrence of powdery mildew; ③ Use cotton balls dipped in alcohol to wash the leaves of the affected plants 2 to 3 times to make the powdery mildew disappear. 

　　Branch dieback disease occurs on branches. Initially, it appears as small red-purple spots, which gradually expand into large spots. The center of the spots is dark brown, and the edges are reddish brown or purple-brown, slightly protruding upward. In the later stages, the spots are dark brown with longitudinal cracks on the surface. These cracks are an important feature of rose branch dieback disease. In severe cases, the entire plant will die. 

Prevention and control methods: ① Cut off rotten branches, dead branches and rotten leaves in time and burn them in a concentrated manner; ② Spray 600-700 times diluted 75% thiophanate-methyl powder; ③ When the disease is serious, spray 800 times diluted 50% thiophanate-methyl or 800-1000 times diluted carbendazim. 

　　Root cancer is a bacterial disease that mainly occurs at the root neck of the plant, and sometimes also occurs on the lateral roots and branches. Tumors of varying sizes occur in the infected parts. Initially, they are grayish white or slightly flesh-colored, smooth in surface, and soft in texture. Finally, they become brown, rough and cracked in surface, and hard in texture. The leaves of the above-ground parts of the diseased plants lose their green color, turn yellow, become small and fall off early, and the growth is slow, which affects flowering. In severe cases, the plants die. 

Prevention and control methods: ① Burn those found with root cancer to prevent its spread; ② Soak suspicious plants in 1% copper sulfate solution for 5 minutes before planting; ③ When transplanting or potting, if diseased plants are found, cut off the tumor with a knife, and then apply ice iodine solution (mixed with 50 parts of methanol, 25 parts of glacial acetic acid, and 12 parts of iodine tablets) for disinfection for 30 minutes. If the above-mentioned drugs are not available, lime milk (2 kg of quicklime and 500 ml of water) or Bordeaux mixture can also be applied. The soil around the diseased plants can be disinfected by sprinkling sulfur powder at a dosage of 50-100 grams per square meter. 

　　Pests 

　　Aphids usually occur in spring when the weather turns warmer and in autumn. They often gather on young branches and leaves and flower buds, piercing the skin of the stems and leaves with their needle-like mouthparts to suck juice. When the affected parts of the plants are damaged, they grow slowly, leaves curl, flower buds wither, and flowering decreases and becomes deformed, losing their ornamental value. 

Prevention and control methods: ① A small number can be brushed off with a brush. Be careful when brushing to avoid damaging the tender leaves; ② When the situation is serious, spray with 1500-2000 times diluted dichlorvos emulsion. 

　　Red spider mites usually occur in dry and hot climates with poor air circulation, and are most harmful in summer and autumn. They gather on leaves and suck sap endlessly, causing the leaves to turn from green to yellow and fall off, causing the flower buds to shrink early, and in severe cases, causing the entire rose plant to die. 

Prevention and control methods: ① Spray it with 1500-2000 times diluted DDT or Dimethoate Emulsion; ② Light a plate of mosquito coils, place it in the rotten plant pot, and then tie the pot tightly with plastic film. After about an hour of fumigation, the eggs or adults can be killed, but it will not harm the potted plants. 

　　There are many species of scale insects, which have strong reproductive capacity. They gather in groups on the branches, twigs, leaf backs, and flower stalks of plants, and suck the juice of leaves endlessly. The affected plants not only grow poorly, but also cause the leaves to turn yellow, fall off early, and in severe cases, the whole plant dies. 

Prevention and control methods: ① Spray with 1300 times of 40% dimethoate emulsion or 2000 times of 30% dichlorvos emulsion; ② Use 5-10 grams of washing powder, dilute with 5 kg of water and spray once or twice (once a week) to kill all scale insects; ③ Use 50 ml of vinegar, soak the cotton ball in vinegar, and then use the cotton ball dipped in vinegar to gently wipe the leaves and other places, and the scale insects can be wiped off and killed. This method is simple and safe, which can not only eliminate pests, but also make the damaged plants return to green and shiny. 

　　The caterpillar is commonly known as the foreign pepper, and there are yellow caterpillar, green caterpillar, brown caterpillar, brown-edged green caterpillar, etc. The larvae have thorns and poisonous hairs on their bodies, which will cause itching and pain when touching human skin. The larvae chew the rhizomes, causing the plants to wither and die. The adults chew the tender shoots, leaves, and flowers with chewing mouthparts, and in severe cases, they will eat all the leaves and flowers. 

　　Prevention and control methods: ① Manual capture and removal of cocoons in winter; ② During the infestation period, spray with 1000-1500 times of 90% trichlorfon or 1000-1500 times of dichlorvos emulsion. 

　　Sawflies are also known as yellow-bellied insects. They mainly harm roses, roses, and roses. The larvae gather on roses and devour the leaves. In severe cases, the leaves are eaten up, leaving only the main veins and branches of the leaves, which lose their ornamental value. 

The body of the adult sawfly is green, with wings longer than the abdomen, red under the wings, and an orange-yellow abdomen, hence the name yellow-bellied wasp. There are 2 to 5 generations a year in the south and 2 to 3 generations in the north. The larvae overwinter in the soil in cocoons, pupate in April of the following year, and hatch in May and June, when the damage is most severe. Eggs are laid from February to August, with the second generation's damage peaking in late August, until they hibernate in the soil in November. 

Prevention and control methods: ① Combine winter soil turning to eliminate larvae, cut off damaged branches and burn them; ② When preparing the land before planting, apply 3-5 kg ​​of furadan per mu for prevention and control; ③ When the occurrence is serious, spray with 1500 times diluted 25% carbendazim or 1000 times diluted 80% dimethoate emulsion. If 1000 times diluted 25% Bonlibi is sprayed, the effect will be better.

 

 

 　　A Complete Guide to Growing Flowers at Home

 

　　Types of flowers: 

　　The fragrance emitted by plants such as roses, carnations, lily of the valley, violets, roses, and osmanthus has a significant inhibitory effect on the growth and reproduction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pneumococcus, and Staphylococcus. 

　　Succulent plants such as cacti, which are native to tropical arid areas, have stomata on their fleshy stems that are closed during the day and open at night. While absorbing carbon dioxide, they produce oxygen, increasing the concentration of negative ions in the indoor air. 

　　Plants such as snake plants, tiger tail plants, agaves, brown-hair palms, Kalanchoe, Sedum, Bridal Root, and cultivated pineapples can also purify the air at night. 

　　Plant climbing plants such as ivy, grapes, morning glory, wisteria, roses, etc. around your home and let them climb along the walls or frames to form a green pergola, which can effectively reduce sunlight radiation and greatly lower the indoor temperature. 

　　Plants such as lilac, jasmine, rose, violet, and mint can make people relax, feel happy, help sleep, and improve work efficiency. 

Flowers should mainly beautify the environment. Good flowers are those that can both provide visual enjoyment and purify the air. Different flowers should be placed in different places. Some flowers are not suitable for indoor use, otherwise they will cause air pollution. 

　　The aroma of common flowers

　　Rose scent: relaxes nerves, relieves physical and mental fatigue, and helps treat nervous system diseases. 

　　Tulip: can relieve eyestrain and eliminate irritability. 

　　Orchid fragrance: It can relieve lung heat and phlegm cough, and is good for people with neurasthenia, but it should not be too strong, otherwise it will cause dizziness. 

　　White orchid fragrance: can kill bacteria and purify the air. 

　　The fragrance of chrysanthemum: can clear away heat and wind, clear the liver and improve eyesight, and can be used as an auxiliary treatment for headaches. 

　　Lilac: It has an obvious ability to purify the air and has a strong bactericidal ability. Placing cloves indoors can prevent infectious diseases to a certain extent, but its fragrance is strong and you should not smell it too much, otherwise you will feel dizzy. 

　　Narcissus scent: can make people feel peaceful and warm.

Arranging flowers in the living room can prevent diseases. Three types of plants are suitable for indoor placement 

　　Experts point out that when growing flowers indoors, you should choose some flowers that can absorb toxic gases, purify the air or kill bacteria. Some flowers have disease prevention and treatment effects. For example, chrysanthemums and wintersweets have the ability to absorb sulfur and hydrogen fluoride. The volatile oils secreted by thyme and cloves can kill bacteria. Jasmine, Milan, osmanthus, crape myrtle, Chinese rose, rose, etc. can emit volatile oils with bactericidal effects. Beauty charcoal and honeysuckle have a strong absorption effect on fluorine, etc. 

　　It is not suitable to grow flowers in wards and bedrooms at night 

　　Many flowers have the function of purifying the air and promoting health, but if some flowers are kept at home, they will become the source of disease, or be "killers" that cause recurrence or aggravation of old diseases. Therefore, experts recommend that you must understand the nature of flowers before raising them to prevent your body from getting sick after raising the flowers. 

Patients should not keep potted flowers indoors - because the soil in the flower pots will produce fungal spores, when they spread into the air, they can easily invade human skin, respiratory tract, external auditory canal, meninges and brain and cause infection, which is very harmful to patients who already have the disease. 

It is not suitable to put flowers in the bedroom at night - most flowers absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis during the day, but at night, the opposite is true. Therefore, it is best not to put flowers in the bedroom. Flowers placed during the day should be moved outdoors at night, or at least not placed in the bedroom to avoid affecting people's health. 

　　Too strong flower fragrance can harm your body. Don't ignore the flowers that should not be placed in your home 

　　Medical experts have conducted experiments and tests, and the results show that people who often smell the fragrance of flowers can have a certain impact on their mood and health. Chemical experts believe that the fragrance emitted by flowers is composed of dozens of volatile compounds, including aromatic esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and other substances. These substances can stimulate people's respiratory center, thereby promoting the body's respiratory function. If you breathe in fragrance that is beneficial to the human body, it can make the brain get enough oxygen, regulate the human nervous system, promote blood circulation, and make energy, thinking and body vitality reach a very high level. "Flower therapy" and "aromatherapy" are derived from this. 

　　Experts point out that the fragrance of flowers can cure diseases and maintain health, but it can also cause diseases and harm the body. If the flower smell in the air is too strong, the relatively reduced oxygen content will stimulate people to over-ventilate, reduce the oxygen content in the blood, and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms. Some people with allergic constitutions will develop allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis when stimulated by some pollens. For example, orchids can help relieve hot coughs and may also have a stimulating effect. Excessive smell of orchids can make people too excited and dizzy; lily fragrance can make people excited, but if it lasts too long, they will feel dizzy and may also cause insomnia.

 　　Common knowledge about growing flowers at home 

　　1. Three things to keep flowers in your home 

　　1. It is advisable to raise flowers with strong ability to absorb toxins. Some flowers can absorb certain concentrations of toxic gases in the air, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, etc. According to research, wintersweet can absorb mercury vapor; pomegranate plants can absorb lead vapor in the air; snapdragons, cannas, morning glory, gladiolus, dianthus, etc. can convert highly toxic sulfur dioxide into non-toxic or low-toxic sulfate compounds through oxidation through their leaves; daffodils, mirabilis jalapa, chrysanthemums, saxifrage, etc. can convert nitrogen oxides into proteins in plant cells; spider plants, aloe vera, and tiger tail plants can absorb a large amount of indoor formaldehyde and other pollutants, eliminating and preventing indoor air pollution. 

　　2. It is advisable to grow flowers that can secrete bactericides. The bactericides secreted by jasmine, lilac, honeysuckle, morning glory and other flowers can kill certain bacteria in the air, inhibit the occurrence of diphtheria, tuberculosis, dysentery pathogens and typhoid bacteria, and keep the indoor air clean and hygienic. 

　　3. It is advisable to grow flowers with "complementary" functions. Most flowers mainly carry out photosynthesis during the day, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. At night, they carry out respiration, absorbing oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Cacti are just the opposite, releasing carbon dioxide during the day and absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen at night. Growing flowers with "complementary" functions in the same room can not only benefit both, but also balance the content of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the room, keeping the indoor air fresh. 

　　2. Three taboos for indoor flower cultivation 

　　1. Avoid growing too many flowers that emit strong and irritating fragrances. For example, orchids, roses, Chinese roses, lilies, tuberoses, etc. can all emit strong fragrances. A pot of fragrant flowers in the room will be full of fragrance, but if there are too many fragrant flowers in the room, the fragrance will be too strong, which will cause people's nerves to become excited, especially if people stay in the bedroom for a long time and smell it, it will cause insomnia. The gas emitted by Christmas flowers and evergreens is not good for people; the particles emitted by tulips and hydrangeas will cause skin allergies and itching if they are exposed to them for too long. 

　　2. Avoid placing too many flowers. Most flowers at night will release carbon dioxide and absorb oxygen to compete with people. At night, most rooms are closed and the air is not well circulated with the outside world. If too many flowers are placed indoors, the concentration of indoor oxygen will be reduced at night, affecting the quality of sleep at night, such as chest tightness, frequent nightmares, etc. 

　　3. Avoid placing poisonous flowers indoors. For example, oleander, in spring, summer and autumn, its stems, leaves and even flowers are poisonous. The milky white juice it secretes contains oleandrin, which can cause poisoning if ingested by mistake. The bulbs of daffodils contain latin toxins, which can cause vomiting and other symptoms if ingested by children. The juice of leaves and flowers can cause redness and swelling of the skin, and can cause eye damage if the juice gets into the eyes by mistake. Excessive contact with mimosa can easily cause sparse eyebrows, yellowing of hair, and in severe cases, hair loss. 

Therefore, when we grow and appreciate flowers, we must understand the relevant scientific knowledge to bring health and happiness to ourselves and our families.

　　3. Six Rules for Growing Flowers at Home 

　　Growing flowers at home is becoming more and more common, but many flower lovers do not know how to do it, and end up with flowers that look dull and lifeless. What is the problem? 

　　First, avoid being careless. Flowers, like people, are living things and need careful care. 

　　Many flower growers lack the proper care and diligence in treating these beautiful lives. First, they are lazy and do not like to delve into flower-growing knowledge. They are willing to be laymen for a long time and do not manage flowers properly. Second, they are lazy and do not want to spend too much time and energy on flowers. After the flowers are brought into the house, they are left aside, suffer from hunger and thirst for a long time, and suffer from diseases and insect pests. In this way, even the best flowers will gradually wither. Therefore, lazy people cannot grow flowers well. 

　　Second, beware of excessive love. Contrary to the above situation, some flower growers love flowers too much and feel itchy when they are not playing with them for a while. Some water and fertilize them without any rules, watering them whenever they remember, causing the flowers to die from overwatering and overfertilization; some move flower pots around casually, moving them to several places a day, forcing the flowers to frequently adapt to the environment, disrupting their normal growth patterns. If this continues, it would be strange if the flowers don't die. There are a few pots of flowers that you like at home, and it is understandable that you like them, but flowers, like people, have their own growth patterns. If you frequently disturb them when they need to rest, they will naturally feel tired and grow poorly. 

　　Third, avoid chasing fame and fortune. Some flower lovers believe that they should raise famous flowers because they have high ornamental value and can make big profits in the market. Under this psychological control, they spare no expense to buy famous flowers and trees everywhere. As a result, the flowers often die soon after they are bought due to lack of good maintenance conditions and management techniques, which not only spoils the precious flowers but also wastes money. This is a conceptual misunderstanding. The correct approach should be to start with ordinary, lower-grade species and gradually explore the rules and techniques of flower cultivation. After reaching a certain technical level, gradually purchase more precious species, so that the chance of success is greater. 

　　Fourth, avoid not distinguishing between weeds and damsels. Some flower growers are greedy and want to have everything. They will bring any variety home when they see it. This not only makes management difficult, but also brings some flowers that are not suitable for growing into the home, polluting the environment and damaging health. For example, flowers with poisonous juices can easily cause poisoning if people come into contact with them. The smell of some flowers has an impact on the human nervous system, which can easily cause breathing problems or even allergic reactions. Plants with sharp thorns on the surface also pose a certain threat to human safety, and so on. In short, it is not advisable to be greedy and want to have everything when growing flowers at home, and not distinguish between weeds and damsels. You should choose some species with smaller plants, beautiful appearance, and harmless to the human body. 

　　The Five Precepts of Changing from One Direction to Another Some flower growers are impatient and have no theme for flower growing. They change the flowers in their home like a revolving lantern. This is a big taboo in flower growing. First, the species are changed too quickly and the growing time is short, which is not conducive to cultivating flowers and trees with beautiful plant shapes and high ornamental value. Second, they try every flower briefly, which is not conducive to improving the level of flower growing, and they will still be flower blind in the end. Therefore, flower growers can only gain something if they choose one or two kinds of flowers and focus on studying and cultivating them. 

 　　1. The benefits of growing flowers 

　　Flowers, with their gorgeous style, decorate the nature with extraordinary beauty and give people the enjoyment of beauty. Flower cultivation can enrich and adjust people's cultural life, add fun, cultivate temperament, and improve health; it can also increase scientific knowledge and improve cultural and artistic literacy. Flower cultivation can green and beautify the earth, protect and improve the environment, purify the air, and enable people to work and study in a beautiful environment, making life better. Flower cultivation is not only for viewing, but also has many important economic values. Flowers are an important part of Chinese herbal medicine. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, winter plum, hibiscus, azalea, rose, lotus, etc. are all common Chinese medicinal materials. Fragrant flowers are widely used in food, light industry, etc. For example, osmanthus can be used as food spices and wine, jasmine, white orchid, daidai, Zhulan, etc. can be smoked tea, chrysanthemum can be made into high-end food and dishes, white orchid, jasmine, rose, winter plum, daffodil, etc. can be used to extract essence. 

　　2. The Art of Buying Flowers 

　　Don’t buy the following flowers: 

　　1. Flowers that have just been potted If you see new soil in the pot when you buy flowers, and the stems move when you pull them up, then the flowers must have been potted not long ago and have not grown new roots yet. Such flowers are easy to die after you buy them. The reason is that some business operators, in pursuit of economic benefits, directly mix organic fertilizers that have not yet been decomposed into the soil. Once these fertilizers ferment, the roots of the flowers will be burned. Sometimes, in order to save labor or rush time, they plant the flower roots without any preparation, and even hastily pot and sell flowers and trees that are too damaged to survive. If you accidentally buy such flowers, most of them will be difficult to survive. 

　　2. Two or more flowers planted together. Some business operators take advantage of the fact that buyers like lush flowers and leaves, and plant two or more undesirable seedlings together in a pot, passing them off as good quality, and sell them to inexperienced buyers to make a profit. After buying this kind of flower, the branches and leaves that grow will become thinner, weaker, and yellower day by day, and the flowers will become smaller and smaller. The reason is that there is insufficient nutrition, and there are too many roots in the pot, which is easy to harden. It may also die from root rot due to poor drainage and poor ventilation. Of course, special combination potted plants are not included. Flowers without soil balls in summer or winter, in hot summer, the temperature is very high, the leaves of flowers and trees evaporate quickly, and the roots of newly potted flowers and trees are more or less damaged, making it difficult to absorb water from the potting soil in a short period of time. Only with the original soil ball can it be kept safe. 

　　The whole land must go through this transition period, otherwise it will wilt first and then slowly die. In winter, the weather is cold, and flowers and trees grow slowly. Some flowers and trees even go dormant. At this time, if you buy flowers and trees without soil balls from the market and bring them home, they may suffer frost damage (especially the root system) as soon as you water them after potting them. In the best case, the growth of the plants will be hindered, and in the worst case, the plants will die. Even if they are not frozen, it is difficult for flowers and trees to grow new roots due to the low soil temperature, and the old roots cannot germinate for a long time and are very likely to rot and die. Particular attention should be paid to areas without heating in winter, such as the Yangtze River Basin. 

　　3. Flowers with roots but no stems or leaves 

　　Some individual vendors go up the mountain in autumn and winter to dig up wild vines and roots of miscellaneous trees and sell them as flowers and trees. Because they have no stems or leaves, they are difficult to identify. In order to keep them moist, they wrap them with moss and give them some strange flower names to deceive inexperienced buyers. Some people are greedy for cheap prices, but after buying them, nine out of ten times they will only grow leaves but no flowers. 

　　4. The flowers in the picture can bloom in various colors 

　　In order to make a profit, a few unscrupulous vendors put fake flowers of various colors on some plants that cannot bloom, and then take pictures to make pictures, give them some foreign flower names, and deceive friends who are just starting to learn to grow flowers. These flower vendors who set up stalls move from one place to another, and it is difficult for the deceived buyers to find them. 

　　5. In order to sell at a good price, flower and tree operators intentionally tie all the branches and leaves of evergreen trees such as pine and cypress into various animal shapes with fine wire, and then sell them as bonsai at a high price in the market. This kind of potted flowers looks good at the time, but over time, as the plants grow, the shape will change. Moreover, tying all the branches and leaves of the plants at the same time not only affects photosynthesis, but also easily causes diseases and pests, which is very detrimental to the growth of the plants. 

　　6. Cactus flowers with small frost spots on the stems or bulbs In early spring, you can often see individual vendors selling cactus flowers at low prices. Some buyers do not examine carefully and buy ten or eight plants at a time, and many of them have problems. The reason is that the cactus that has been through the winter is very easy to be slightly frostbitten. Light green frost spots smaller than rice grains appear on the stems and bulbs. There is nothing wrong on the surface, but in fact the internal tissues of the plant have been severely damaged. If you do not take measures after buying such flowers, the spots will become larger and larger, the plant will gradually become translucent, and finally the whole plant will die.

　　

 　　3. Spring maintenance of potted flowers at home 

　　A year's plan begins in spring. The management and maintenance of home potted flowers in spring is very important, and the following three aspects of work should be done well. 

　　1. Breed good seedlings. Rose, geranium, pomegranate, winter jasmine, etc. can be cut into strong branches for cuttings in spring. Azalea and jasmine prefer acidic soil. You can cut 5-10 cm thick new branches, remove the lower leaves, and keep 3-4 top leaves for cuttings. Cuttings can be made of black mountain mud, vermiculite or yellow sand as the medium. The cutting branches should be sprayed moderately to maintain a certain humidity. Generally, they can take root after about 1 month. Orchids, agaves, and spider plants can be propagated by division or creeping branches in early spring. 

　　Spring-sown herbs sown by seeds, such as asparagus fern, colorful pepper, mimosa, impatiens, saffron, morning glory, and cosmos, can be broadcast or spot-sown. Sowing method: first fill the pot with soil, slightly compact it, then sow the seeds, and then cover with fine soil. For watering after sowing, generally put the flower pot in a basin of water and let the water slowly seep in from the bottom of the pot. Most of them will germinate 1-3 weeks after sowing. After germination, move the pot to a sunny place. After the seedlings grow 2-3 leaves, they can be transplanted. Be careful not to damage the roots and break the stems when transplanting. 

　　2. Repot and change the soil. This is a method of fertilizing potted flowers in spring. Generally, small pots are repotted once a year, large pots are repotted once every 3-4 years, and tall plants need to be repotted in larger pots. Some roots grow too densely or have dead roots or rotten roots, so they need to be properly pruned. After repotting, water thoroughly for the first time, and then place in a cool place. Water again when the soil in the pot is dry. Generally, wait until new roots grow before watering normally and move to a sunny place. 

　　3. Pruning. This should be done according to different plants. Rhododendrons and winter jasmines should not be over-pruned. Pomegranates and roses can have their dead, injured or overgrown branches cut off in early spring to promote luxuriant flowers and leaves. When repotting jasmine, old leaves should be removed to encourage more new branches to sprout. Climbing plants such as creepers, osmanthus, wisteria, and roses can be pruned so that the leaves are exposed to sunlight as much as possible and grow vigorously. Be careful not to move potted flowers outdoors too early in early spring to avoid being hit by cold air and suffering from frostbite. Watering can be increased as the temperature rises, and the dry and wet levels should be balanced. 

　　4. Summer maintenance of family potted flowers 

　　1. Watering: Flowers grow lushly in summer and consume a lot of water, so you should water them sufficiently every morning and evening in summer. 

　　2. Build a frame to provide shade. For all potted flowers, you need to build a frame and put up reed curtains to provide shade in summer to help them safely through the hot summer. 

　　3. Pay attention to ventilation of indoor flowers. When the temperature exceeds 30°C, pay attention to ventilation, open the windows, let fresh air flow into the room, and prevent heatstroke and cool down. 

　　4. Moisturizing and cooling 

　　In summer, you can cover the potting soil with some grass to prevent direct sunlight from shining on the potting soil, thereby lowering the temperature of the potting soil and preventing the moisture in the potting soil from evaporating too quickly; you can also use a sprayer to wet the leaves of the flowers and sprinkle moisture around them to lower the temperature and increase the humidity. This is very beneficial for some flowers that like cool weather.

　　5. Autumn maintenance of household potted flowers 

　　1. Strengthen water and fertilizer management After the beginning of autumn, the weather gradually turns cooler. For some foliage flowers, such as asparagus, spider plant, cycad, etc., thin liquid fertilizer is generally applied every half a month to keep the leaves green and improve the ability to resist cold; for chrysanthemums, camellias, azaleas, etc. that bloom once a year, liquid fertilizer mainly composed of phosphorus fertilizer should be applied in time to ensure sufficient nutrients so that they bloom more and larger; for roses, Milan, jasmine, etc. that bloom multiple times a year, sufficient fertilizer and water should be supplied to keep them blooming; for some fruit-viewing flowers, such as kumquats, bergamots, pomegranates, etc., thin liquid fertilizer mainly composed of phosphorus fertilizer should be applied 1-2 times. As the temperature gradually decreases, except for the autumn-sown grass flowers that bloom in autumn and winter or early spring, the number of watering should be reduced for other flowers, and the pot soil should not be dried before watering, so as to avoid excessive water and fertilizer, resulting in excessive growth of branches and leaves, affecting the differentiation of flower buds and freezing damage. 

　　2. Timely autumn sowing and planting 

In autumn, mature flower and tree seeds should be harvested in time, and tulips, gloxinia, snapdragons, etc. should be sown in time. In particular, seeds that are easy to lose germination should be sown in time in autumn, combined with pruning and cuttings of flowers and trees. For example, cuttings of roses, roses, and roses have a higher survival rate. 

　　6. Winter maintenance of potted flowers at home 

　　Different types of flowers have different growth habits, and different management measures should be taken to ensure their safe wintering. 

　　1. Overwintering of deciduous woody flowers: Most deciduous woody flowers are native to temperate regions, and the most common ones are pomegranates, honeysuckle, roses, peach blossoms, and winter jasmine. They are generally dormant in winter, so the room temperature can be controlled at around 5°C. If there is a balcony or a small courtyard, you can place the cold-resistant potted roses, peach blossoms, pomegranates, honeysuckle, etc. at the back of the balcony or in the corner of the courtyard, wrap them with plastic film and cover them well, and they can safely overwinter. 

　　2. Wintering of evergreen woody flowers: such as oleander, kumquat, osmanthus, etc., are in a semi-dormant state. The temperature is generally controlled above 0℃, and they can safely survive the severe winter. Milan, jasmine, hibiscus, gardenia, etc. should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight. The indoor temperature should be kept at around 15℃. If the temperature is too low, the flowers will die. 

　　3. Wintering of annual and biennial herbaceous flowers: such as Primula, Coleus, and Calceolaria, they can grow normally if the room temperature is kept between 5℃ and 15℃. For perennial herbaceous flowers such as Asparagus fern, Impatiens, Geranium, and Begonia, they can grow well if they are kept in sufficient sunlight and the room temperature is between 10℃ and 20℃. For herbaceous flowers that are dormant in winter, such as Clivia and Oncidium, they can be kept at a room temperature of about 5℃ and given appropriate light, with no more than 8-10 hours of light per day. At the same time, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened, and they will bloom in two months.

 　　7. Several tips for growing flowers 

　　1. How to judge whether potted flowers are lack of water 

　　(1) Knocking method: Use your finger joints to gently knock on the middle part of the pot wall. If a crisp sound is heard, it means the soil is dry and you need to water it immediately. If a dull sound is heard, it means the soil is wet and you do not need to water it for the time being. 

　　(2) Visual inspection: Use your eyes to observe whether the color of the potting soil surface changes. If the color becomes lighter or light grayish white, it means that the potting soil is dry and needs to be watered. If the color becomes darker or dark brown, it means that the potting soil is moist and you do not need to water it for the time being. 

　　(3) Finger test method: Gently insert your finger into the soil about 2 cm deep and touch the soil. If it feels dry or rough and hard, it means the soil is dry and needs to be watered immediately. If it feels slightly damp, fine and soft, it means the soil is moist and no watering is needed. 

　　(4) Pinching and twisting method: Twist the soil with your fingers. If the soil becomes powdery, it means that the soil is dry and water should be applied immediately. If the soil becomes flaky or granular, it means that the soil is wet and water can be temporarily withheld. The above methods are all based on experience and can only tell people the general situation of the soil dryness or wetness. If you need to know the exact degree of dryness or wetness of the soil, you can install a soil moisture meter and insert the moisture meter into the soil. You can see the words "dry" or "wet" on the scale, and you can know exactly when to water.