Today, the editor will explain the green plant flower planting content of the 5 major questions about spring azalea top dressing. Let's learn about it together.
In March, the growth changes of azaleas can be described as growing three inches a day. If you don't see them for three days, they are completely different from before. Look at our flower friends' azaleas. The seedlings received on February 27th had not germinated yet, but after just three days, a green color was already visible. Now in mid-March, the growth rate of azaleas has increased even more. So the question arises, how should we fertilize azaleas during their rapid growth?
The key points of fertilizing azaleas during their growing period in spring are the following five questions that most people are concerned about.
1. What type of fertilizer to use
Many flower friends want to know what type of fertilizer to apply to azaleas in early spring. There are many different fertilizers on the market today, with countless brands. However, for azaleas, the brand of the fertilizer is not important; what matters is the composition of the fertilizer's essential elements.
Early spring is the period of rapid growth of azalea branches, also known as the vegetative growth stage. During this time, azaleas consume a lot of nitrogen fertilizer, so we only need to apply a general-purpose growth fertilizer.
Many flower friends choose to use pure nitrogen fertilizer at this time. It is recommended not to exceed two applications of pure nitrogen fertilizer, as too much nitrogen can cause the azalea branches to grow too long, resulting in the entire plant being pulled up. A balanced growth fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is more suitable for the growth needs of azaleas.
While supplementing with macronutrient fertilizers, it is also appropriate to supplement with trace element fertilizers. If using a农药 compound fertilizer without trace elements, it is recommended to occasionally apply a couple of times of multiple trace element compound foliar fertilizers. Agricultural foliar fertilizers are also very inexpensive. Alternatively, a specialized fertilizer for flowers, such as the No. 1 formula in the Huaduo series, or Meileke growth-type nutrient solution, are fertilizers with added trace elements.
2. The concentration and frequency of top dressing
The concentration of top dressing and the frequency of fertilization both have a significant impact on azalea growth. If the concentration of top dressing is too high, it can easily cause fertilizer damage, which is irreversible damage to the azaleas. Even if the concentration of top dressing is relatively low, but the frequency of fertilization is too high, it can also easily cause fertilizer damage.
The basic principle of top dressing is to apply thin fertilizer frequently, and the concentration should be slightly lower than the recommended concentration for each fertilizer. For example, if the recommended concentration of Huaduo is 1000 times, we can use a concentration of 1200 times. This can prevent different varieties and different seedlings of azaleas from causing fertilizer damage due to different fertilizer tolerance.
The frequency of application should take into account the frequency of watering. Generally, it is twice the fertilizer for one water. If watering every three days, fertilize on the first day, again on the fourth day, and only water clear water on the seventh day. This can prevent the occurrence of fertilizer damage. Do not top dress multiple times consecutively.
3. Method of fertilization
There are various methods of top dressing, generally using the method of root irrigation combined with foliar spray. Many flower friends find root irrigation top dressing cumbersome and wonder if it can be shallowly buried or directly sprinkled on the surface of the potting soil. It's not completely impossible, but it's very difficult to control the amount, and it's very easy to cause fertilizer damage.
Therefore, it is recommended to stick with the method of root irrigation combined with foliar spray for safer top dressing.
4. How to top dress during continuous rain
When it rains continuously, we often don't have the opportunity to apply root irrigation. At this time, we can focus on using the foliar top dressing method. If the rain continues, the fertilizer strength of foliar top dressing alone is still not enough. You can sprinkle granular compound fertilizer on the surface of the flower pot during the rain, but not too much. If using agricultural compound fertilizer, you can sprinkle 1-2 grams per gallon pot. For Huaduo, the amount should be reduced. When sprinkling, do not sprinkle in the middle, and do not sprinkle on the leaves and buds, but evenly sprinkle on the edge of the pot.
5. How to top dress when there are a few flower buds
Some azaleas have already started to grow flower buds. If most of your azalea's new branches have flower buds, you can switch to using Huaduo No. 2 or potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer. But if only a very short branch has flower buds and the other branches are growing rapidly, you should still apply a general-purpose growth fertilizer and cut off the flower buds on the short branch. These flower buds will not bloom well and will consume a lot of nutrients.
The above information about the 5 major questions about spring azalea top dressing is a specific introduction that you want to know, for reference by netizens.