When it comes to what plants bloom as many as stars, flower friends will naturally think of the stars, in fact, there is a plant, it blooms more than the stars, and evergreen all year round, not only the amount of flowers is as many as the stars, and the leaves are fine and also has a high ornamental value, more importantly, it is very easy to raise, and can be cut flowers ornamental, it is Australian rice.
Introduction to Australian Rice
Australian rice is an evergreen shrub plant that grows up to 2 meters tall and has small leaves that resemble pines and cypresses. The natural branching of the Australian rice flower is very good, it grows quickly, the flowers at the top of the branches are clustered, the flower color is common white and pink, the flowers are very similar to millet grains, and it is native to Australia, so it is called Australian rice.
Australian rice is an Asteraceae plant, which prefers a sunny environment, has a certain cold tolerance, and is also relatively heat tolerant, which is very suitable for garden ground and potted plants. At present, it is more common to see it as a cut flower. However, compared with Australian cut flowers, potted plants are more cost-effective. After all, the maintenance of Asteraceae plants is still very simple.
Australian rice maintenance methods and precautions
Australian rice flower likes a warm and humid environment, has strong adaptability, does not pick the soil, can be planted in the ground in the southern region, and is extensively managed. It is recommended to focus on the following points for potted Australian rice, so that the Australian rice can maintain its vigorous growth and bloom in pots.
1. The potting soil is loose and breathable
Although the Australian rice flower is not picky on the soil, but the potted plants want to be easy to manage, it is important for the potting soil to be loose and breathable. Potted Australian rice can be planted with universal nutrient soil, transplanted with the original soil when potting, and add a sufficient amount of fermented organic fertilizer to the bottom of the pot as the base fertilizer, pay attention to the root system does not directly contact the base fertilizer.
2. Keep the light sufficient
Australian rice likes a sunny environment, keep it well, Australian rice will grow more robust and bloom more. If there is a severe lack of light, the Australian rice flower will grow and bloom with less or no flowering. For daily maintenance, it is recommended to place Australian rice in a sunny location.
3. Watering when dry and wet, and fertilize regularly
Australian rice likes a moist soil environment, usually watering should see dry and wet, see the surface of the potting soil dry, you can water it in time. Of course, if you like to be moist, you can't have stagnant water, and long-term stagnant water will soak the roots and cause root rot, so in rainy days and winter, you should pay attention to reducing the frequency of watering.
Australian rice grows very fast, and you should pay attention to frequent fertilization to keep Australian rice growing rapidly. Spring and autumn are the fastest growing seasons for Australian rice, and Blue Monster recommends that you keep applying a general-purpose water-soluble fertilizer once every 7 days.
The natural flowering period of Australian rice is from February to May in spring, so in January, when the Australian rice buds, you can increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote the growth of flowers. Sufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can make the inflorescence of Australian rice flower larger and more ornamental.
4. Properly prune and repot
Australian rice can be used as a potted ornamental plant, or it can be seen in a cut flower vase. Australian rice grows very fast, in order to control the growth of potted Australian rice, you can cut short branches after flowering to control the growth, the germination of Australian rice is relatively strong, and many new branches will sprout after pruning.
As the Australian rice grows up, when the root system is full of flower pots, attention should be paid to replacing larger flower pots in time to provide more growth space for the root system.
5. Overwintering and summer management
Australian rice is native to Australia and has some cold and heat tolerance. In Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, most of the time it is possible to overwinter in the open air, but when encountering strong cold air, it is still recommended to keep warm indoors. Generally, it is okay to have a low temperature of -5 degrees for a short time, but like some time ago this year, it is minus seven or eight degrees for ten consecutive days, and it is still more stressful for Australian rice to overwinter in the open air.
Australian rice is not afraid of heat, not afraid of the sun, in the hot summer, potted Australian rice is recommended to be properly shaded will be better, while paying attention to watering, keep the potting soil moist and do not appear drought. Ground-grown Australian rice can be properly watered.
(Part of the picture is from the Internet, if there is anything wrong, please contact to replace) More practical experience and skills about family flower raising are all on the WeChat public account: Blue Demon Garden (ilanyao)