Guide to buying and growing flowers during the Spring Festival: Step one, don’t buy this kind!

During the Spring Festival, many people will put flowers in their homes to add some color and vitality to the cold winter. However, what kind of flowers should be bought to be beautiful and not tacky? How to keep flowers longer?

I believe that today's article can provide you with some practical suggestions.

"Dry branch azalea"?

Don't buy it!

At the beginning of this article, I would like to talk about a flower that you should never buy - Rhododendron dauricum. In the flower market, it is often called " dead wood coming back to life " or " dry branch azalea ".

Rhododendron xinganensis｜KENPEI / Wikimedia Commons

The Xing'an azalea suddenly became popular in the flower market a few years ago, especially during the Spring Festival - when you buy it home, it is still a bundle of dead branches, but after 7 to 10 days of soaking in water, it will bloom and grow leaves, which is very beautiful.

However, there is currently no commercial cultivation of the Rhododendron dasyphylla, and the Rhododendron dasyphylla that can be bought now is basically cut from the wild .

In China, it only grows at the edge of high-altitude forests in the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains in Northeast China. For merchants, selling wild-collected Rhododendron dahurica is a very profitable business - there is no planting cost, low loss, and low purchase price. From the initial rare commodity, it was sold for 50 yuan per branch, and now it is 15 yuan per branch, which is still profitable. Rhododendron dahurica grows very slowly. Once it is cut indiscriminately, the death of the main trunk will cause irreversible damage to the plant. Some predatory collection has destroyed a considerable part of the local ecosystem.

Sold in the form of dried branches｜Oriental IC

Since September 2021, Rhododendron dasyphylla has been listed as a national second-level key protected plant , and illegal collection and sale are suspected of being illegal. In the past two years, in order to evade platform review, merchants have also used names such as "dried branch flower" and "dried branch plum blossom" as substitutes. We consumers should also keep our eyes open and not be deceived by illegal merchants. After all, our pursuit of beauty should not be at the cost of destroying nature.

How to keep fresh?

Proper treatment, longer life

Since people brought outdoor flowers indoors, they have begun to study methods for maintaining and preserving flowers. In fact, as early as the Song Dynasty, a systematic method that has been used to this day was basically formed. We might as well learn from the wisdom of the ancients.

Bias shearing

This is the basic method for handling flowers, and is applicable to most flowers, such as roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, etc. After trimming off the excess leaves, wash the flowers, cut off the rhizomes at a 45° angle by 2 to 5 cm in clean water, and immediately put them in clean water for maintenance.

Most fresh cut flowers are suitable for oblique cutting | Tuchong Creative

Boiling method

Boil the cut in boiling water until it changes color, then immediately immerse it in cold water, cut off the discolored part in the water and then maintain it. This method is suitable for Cineraria, Areca Palm, and Mountain Su Flower.

Cracking method

Break the part a few centimeters away from the cut, wash it, and immediately immerse it in water. This method is suitable for red callistemon, viburnum, dahlia, spirea, and hydrangea (the core can also be removed).

It is really difficult to grow hydrangea in a vase｜pixnio

Fire roasting

After processing the leaves and flowers, cut them diagonally and roast the cuts over an open flame until they are carbonized and blackened before putting them into water. This method is suitable for woody plants such as cherry blossoms and peach blossoms.

Water injection method

Use a syringe to inject clean water from the end of the rhizome, and then immerse all the flowers except the flower heads in the water. This is suitable for flowers such as water lilies and lotus leaves.

Water lily in a vase | Tuchong Creative

After caring for the flowers, you can prune and change the water every day, and you can also add professional flower nutrients to the water for nourishment. In addition, there are many affordable methods to effectively inhibit bacterial growth and extend the life of flowers , such as adding an appropriate amount of alum or 84 disinfectant to the water.

What flowers to buy?

Check these out!

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis cultivars can be said to be the most common New Year flower, and they can always be seen in homes during the Spring Festival.

Not only as fresh cut flowers, Phalaenopsis potted plants are also common in the New Year flower market｜Fanghong / Wikimedia Commons

Phalaenopsis orchids are native to subtropical rain forests and are epiphytic orchids that prefer dark and humid environments. Wild Phalaenopsis orchids are widely distributed in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan, China.

As a fresh cut flower, Phalaenopsis has many advantages, such as excellent water retention, and can be maintained with ordinary methods . Even with only a few milliliters of water, Phalaenopsis can keep in good condition for several days, which makes it almost unlimited to create more works with the ingenuity of designers.

Colorful orchids | Tuchong Creative

King Protea

Protea cynaroides is the national flower of South Africa. It likes a warm, dry and sunny environment. It can be seen in any place below 1,500 meters above sea level in South Africa. As a new star in the fresh cut flower world, Protea cynaroides can be seen almost everywhere in the world. Protea cynaroides and its family members can also be found in the domestic market almost all year round.

The majestic Protea｜Pierre André / Wikimedia Commons

The flower shape of the King Protea is unique, the corolla is huge, and the bracts are fully opened when in full bloom. The colors are red, pink and white. Such a King Protea, no matter what the occasion, does not need any matching flowers and leaves, it can still be domineering and show its elegance and nobleness.

Moreover, the flower language of the King Protea is " victory, perfection and auspiciousness ". Such a beautiful meaning not only makes the King Protea often used to make bouquets for receiving VIPs, but also often appears as a bouquet in the wedding of newlyweds.

Since there is a "king" flower, are there "queen" and "princess"? Yes, they are actually two varieties of the king flower. Although the flower shape is similar to that of the king flower, the corolla of the "king" is slightly smaller, and the "princess" is even smaller, and their bracts are usually half-open. In comparison, the "king" is dignified and generous, while the "princess" is cute and subtle, and is often red and pink.

"Princess" Protea | Lynn Greyling

The King Protea from South Africa blooms for a long time. If you want it to bloom, cut the roots in a "cross" shape (one cut horizontally and one cut vertically) or directly prune it by breaking it up , then put it in deep water (the water level can be two-thirds or more of the bottle body) for maintenance.

By the way, the king protea is resistant to drying, and even if it is dehydrated, it can maintain its flower shape and color for about 10 days. The naturally dried king protea not only has a different charm, but is also a dried flower material that can be preserved for a long time.

Serruria florida, which belongs to the same family as the Proteaceae,｜SAplants / Wikimedia Commons

Peony

Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) has been a flower used by lovers to express their feelings of reluctance to part or to pledge brotherhood since ancient times. The ancients also often compared the delicate peony to the face of a beautiful woman.

Pink Peony Flower Arrangement｜Lonely Dumpling

With the development of cultivation technology, the peony that has "traveled" to the present day has long been more than just a graceful and classical beauty. Different colors of peony flowers have different application scenarios:

Yellow peony is suitable for hall decoration. It can be easily controlled regardless of the classical European style or modern simple decoration style, adding beauty to life.

Yellow Peony｜liz west / flickr

Take out the pink peony when you express your love. It can also be your exclusive love flower in future proposals, weddings, and anniversaries.

Peony variety Bowl of Beauty｜David J. Stang / Wikimedia Commons

White peonies are offered in simple places such as Buddhist temples, villas and study rooms, adding a touch of elegance.

White Wings peony variety | Ulf Eliasson / Wikimedia Commons

The best way to maintain peony is to boil it in water , and it needs to be pruned and replaced with fresh water every day. It can bloom for up to half a month.

Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) looks a bit like peony and also has large flowers. As a fresh cut flower, it can bloom for a long time and has rich colors. However, its disadvantage (or perhaps advantage) is that it has no fragrance.

Buttercup flower arrangement｜Lonely Dumpling

Eustoma

Some people may not be able to react when I say Eustoma russellianum. Florists usually call it gentian , and it is indeed a plant of the Gentianaceae family.

Eustoma | Tuchong Creative

Lisianthus is native to North America. The wild type has single lavender flowers. After breeding, it has white, dark purple, pink, yellow and other colors, as well as double-colored and double-petal varieties. The double-petal lisianthus flower shape is particularly like a rose , and it is the mainstream variety in the flower market.

Although there are fewer colors than roses, lisianthus has some advantages that roses cannot match, such as purple and blue-purple, no thorns, and soft leaves that will not scratch people. In addition, like buttercup, lisianthus has no fragrance, which is suitable for people who are sensitive to the fragrance of flowers.

The flower shape is similar to a rose｜Alex Proimos / Wikimedia Commons

The number of flowers on a single lisianthus stem is also larger than that of a rose, and each stem can have at least three flowers, and the superior ones can have more. The lisianthus sold on the market has been preserved, and the flowering period can be about ten days. Adding sucrose to the water when placing it in a vase at home can make the flowering period longer , but do not add too much, a concentration of 2% to 4% is enough, too much will make the flowers wilt.

Wax flower

If you are tired of seeing big flowers, let's try something smaller. Although Chamelaucium uncinatum has five round petals like plum blossoms, it has nothing to do with plum blossoms. It is a plant of the Myrtaceae family and is one of Australia's most important exported flowers.

White wax flowers, also known as "Australian wintersweets", are often dyed in various colors｜Raita Futo / Flickr

The petals of the wax flower have low water content and a waxy luster on the surface. They have a long viewing period , and the flowers and branches have the unique eucalyptus oil smell of the Myrtaceae family. If you like the taste of wax apple, guava, and golden throat lozenges, you should also like it.

Lilac wax flowers | Fables and Flora - WordPress.com

Thryptomene calycina from the same family looks very similar to Thryptomene calycina, but the flowers are denser and the leaves are rounded and blunt. It is also very common in the cut flower market and is often dyed in various colors.

White wax palm flowers｜Freya / Flickr

Silver Willow

Of course, in the New Year flower market, the most common flower arrangement may be the silver willow - what's more, the silver willow can be used as a dried flower, so there is no need to worry about it dying, it will still be standing upright after the New Year .

The New Year atmosphere is here, but it’s actually dyed｜TuChong Creative

The hairy balls of silver bud willow are their inflorescences . At present, it is difficult to trace the parents of the commercially available silver bud willow, and its natural parents include at least the slender column willow (Salix gracilistyla) and the yellow flower willow (S. caprea).

Inflorescence of silver willow｜Jim Mayes / Flickr

Willow of the slender column blooms, but it is not so lovely｜E-190 / Wikimedia Commons

The silver bud willow is named "silver bud" because its inflorescence itself is silvery white . But in the New Year flower market, they are often dyed in various colors, and even Chinese knots are hung on the branches, which is very festive.

Silver is the true color. Silver willow has been cultivated into different varieties, the left one is Rabbit's Foot', the right one is Lubber's Zwart｜willowsvermont.com; brokenarrownursery.com

But when it comes to what flowers to put at home during the Spring Festival, appearance and atmosphere are important, and a good omen may also be a factor worth considering. Otherwise, why do some Guangdong friends put lettuce, celery and green onions at home?

Let’s go buy some flowers｜Pixabay

Author: Wu Yue, Desert Porcupine

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

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