Abstract: In potted flowers, we must consider the characteristics of the flower plants themselves and meet the needs of application. This article analyzes the key points of potted flower cultivation and management in combination with many years of work practice.
　　Keywords: potted plants; flowers; cultivation points; management
　　Potted flowers are the most widely used and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Herbs, woody plants, and bulbs can all be potted. When potting, we must first choose appropriate flower pots according to the size of the plant, growth habits, root diameter, and cultivation purpose; then plant the seedlings, and carry out a series of management work such as irrigation, fertilization, inter-cultivation and weeding, shaping and pruning, pest and disease control, and cold protection and wintering to make them thrive. The key points of management are discussed as follows:
　　1 Potting
　　Potting refers to the work of planting the seedlings in the pot for the first time. Choose a flower pot of the right size, cover the drainage hole of the flower pot with tiles, and make the concave surface of the tiles face down, so as to achieve the requirements of not leaking soil and leaking water slowly. For small pots, just one tile can be used. For large pots, more padding is needed. Flowers that are not resistant to moisture need more padding. After the tiles are padded, put the coarse particles of the culture medium into the bottom of the pot, put the fine culture soil on the coarse particles, and then plant the seedlings. The planting depth should be the original planting depth before potting or repotting, or slightly deeper than the original planting depth. It must not be too deep, otherwise it will affect the growth. The soil surface should be lower than the overflow to leave a position for watering.
　　2 Watering
　　After potting, water enough water. After the first watering, wait for the soil to absorb dryness, and then water the second time to make the water overflow, and then the planting is completed. Watering flowers after potting requires rich practical experience. Excessive watering will cause the soil to be saturated for a long time, which will inevitably cause root rot and death. Generally, the amount of water is determined based on various aspects such as plant type, growth stage, pot size, weather, season, etc. For example, ferns and orchids that like humidity need more water; as plants grow and bloom, the amount of water they need also gradually increases; during the fruiting period, less water is needed; during the dormant period, less water is needed, and so on. Generally, except for low temperatures and rainy days in winter, watering is required every day, at least once every other day, and at most twice a day. But in autumn, in order to make flowers and plants full and mature, the amount of watering is often reduced.
　　The watering time should be when the plants are growing and active, but it should be avoided when they are exposed to the scorching sun. Therefore, in general, watering should be done after 9-10 am in winter, before 8 am in the morning, and after 5 pm in summer. For plants under direct sunlight, the amount of watering should be large in the morning, otherwise they will wilt in the afternoon. In addition to watering directly at the roots of the plants, spraying water is also very important. Tropical orchids like a humid environment, and water should be sprayed several times a day in summer; in winter, the weather is dry, and water should be sprayed on the branches and leaves 1-2 times a day.
　　3 Fertilization
　　In order to keep indoor and outdoor clean and sanitary, in addition to the commonly used organic matrix and plant ash, flower fertilizers often use urea, ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and other inorganic fertilizers.
　　The most ideal fertilizer for modern flower cultivation is compound fertilizer, which is a granular fertilizer made from various chemical fertilizers in appropriate proportions. It is mainly composed of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, plus various other trace elements, and can provide various nutritional needs for plant growth. Generally, 60 grains are applied to each 7L pot each time; 40 grains are applied to a 5L pot, and each application can maintain the fertilizer effect for more than 20 days. In addition, the following three points should be noted when fertilizing:
　　3.1 The pH value of fertilizer Flowers that like acidic soil will change the soil acidity over time even if they are cultivated in acidic soil. Especially when using alkaline or neutral water to water the flowers, the changes are faster. For these flowers, acidic fertilizers should be used, or 0.25% ferrous sulfate should be mixed into the fertilizer for application.
　　3.2 Weather and season for fertilization Fertilization should be done on sunny days. Loosen the soil before fertilization, wait until the soil in the pot is slightly dry before fertilizing, and water immediately after fertilization. In the warm growing season, fertilization can be done more often, 2-3 times a month; in cold weather, less fertilization can be done, 1-2 times a month; in the peak growing season in summer, it can be increased to 1 time of thin fertilizer every 5-7 days. The general principle of fertilization is: more fertilization for yellow and thin plants, more fertilization before buds, more fertilization for buds, and more fertilization after flowers; less fertilization for fat and strong plants, less fertilization for germination, less fertilization for flowering, and less fertilization in the rainy season; no fertilization for leggy growth, no fertilization in the hot summer, no fertilization for dormancy, and no fertilization for new planting.
　　3.3 Foliar topdressing Foliar topdressing should not be done at low temperatures, but should be sprayed before noon or in the afternoon. If fertilizers with trace elements or other insecticides and fungicides are mixed in topdressing, dual effects can be achieved. As for the frequency of fertilization, thin fertilization and multiple fertilization are appropriate. For once a week, the dosage of urea below 0.5% is safer. Superphosphate is also suitable for foliar topdressing. When using it, soak it in 10 times clean water for a day and night, then take the clarified liquid and dilute it to a concentration of 1% to 2%, and spray it on the leaves. In addition, boron fertilizer and magnesium fertilizer are also often used as foliar topdressing.
　　4 Pruning and repotting
　　Pruning can adjust the growth of plants, promote growth and flowering, form a good plant shape, and increase beauty.
　　4.1 Pruning There are two types of pruning: thinning pruning and shortening pruning. The former is to completely cut off the diseased branches, dead branches, overlapping branches and other unnecessary branches from the base; the latter is to cut off part of the tip of the branch, but pay attention to the position of the buds. The direction of the buds should be determined according to the direction of the branches. If you want to grow upward, keep the inner buds; if you want to grow obliquely outward, keep the outer buds. In addition, attention should be paid to the subordinate relationship and equilibrium between the main branches. For example, competing branches with similar growth potential between the main branches can be cut short to inhibit their growth potential. If the competing branches are stronger than the main branches and meet the requirements of being the main branches, they may be used to replace the original main branches.
　　4.2 Pruning and pinching Pruning and pinching are to remove the tops of the growing branches of the plant. The branches are hardened and need to be scissors (branch shears) are called pruning; the tender branches can be removed with fingers. It is called pinching. The functions are to enrich the branch tissue, regulate growth, increase the occurrence of lateral buds, increase the number of flowering branches and flowers, or make the plants dwarfed, plump in shape, and neat in flowering. In addition, pinching can also inhibit growth and delay flowering.
　　4.3 Leaf removal Leaf removal is the work of removing some leaves when the leaves of the plant grow too densely during the growing season. It can improve ventilation and light transmission conditions, which is conducive to growth and flowering. If the old leaves are not removed, the new buds will sprout slowly and affect the flowering time. In addition, the yellow leaves at the base of the plant should be removed in time to keep the plant clean and beautiful.
　　4.4 Bud stripping and bud stripping Bud stripping is to strip the buds at the base of the lateral buds, and bud stripping is to strip the flower buds where the lateral buds grow. For example, when there are too many lateral buds of carnation, it often affects the growth of the main buds, and also affects ventilation and lighting, which is not conducive to flowering. Therefore, bud stripping should be carried out frequently. After the buds of chrysanthemums are formed, the side buds often affect the growth of the main buds, and the side buds should be stripped in time. The excessive buds of bergamot will affect the fruiting, and the extra buds should be stripped in time. But sometimes, in order to adjust the flowers of the whole plant to bloom at the same time, there are also strong main buds stripped and side buds left.
　　4.5 Fruit picking If the fruit is not produced after flowering, it is advisable to pick the fruit as soon as possible to maintain the growth potential. After removing the unnecessary fruit, the nutrients will be more concentrated to supply the remaining fruit, which will make the remaining fruit larger.
　　4.6 Root pruning Root pruning is mostly done when transplanting and repotting. When the main root of the sowing seedling is too long, it can be shortened when transplanting. When repotting, if there are rotten and long roots, some can be removed.
　　4.7 Pruning Pruning includes tying, binding, and induction. Pruning can make the branches symmetrical, fix the stems, improve ventilation and light conditions, and facilitate growth. It also increases the ornamental value through pruning and shaping. The materials for pruning can be bamboo strips, lead wire, plastic rope, palm thread, palm silk, etc. The formal requirements of pruning are determined by human will and the growth conditions of plants. For example, the climbing plant vine geranium can be tied into a mirror shape, and passionflower can be tied into a spherical shape. In order to dwarf the poinsettia plant, the branches are often bent near the stem. Although the flowers still bloom at the top of the branches, the plant shape is short and complete, and the flowers are all on the same plane, which can increase the ornamental value.
　　4.8 Repotting As the seedlings grow bigger, or when the culture soil needs to be replaced, repotting is necessary. The methods of repotting and potting are basically the same. The basis for deciding to repot is: when the seedlings grow bigger and the roots develop, the volume of the original pot is no longer sufficient for the continued growth and development of the seedlings and the volume must be expanded; when the original potting soil lacks nutrients or its physical properties deteriorate; when the roots are diseased or infested with insects; when division propagation is required.