How to grow Milan flowers in winter

Improve cold resistance

Milan's own cold resistance is poor. Can changing the environment improve its cold resistance? The answer is: Yes. After autumn, you should stop fertilizing, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Of course, you can apply some phosphorus and potassium fertilizers appropriately. At the same time, you should control watering, keep the soil in the pot dry, and promote the growth of branches and leaves to be more luxuriant. This can effectively increase the resistance of the plant so that it will not fall down so easily when a cold wave comes.

Appropriate warming

When the temperature drops below 0℃, the growth of Milan will be disrupted and the leaves will be frostbitten. Generally, the plants will be moved indoors as soon as possible, the weather conditions will be closely observed, and countermeasures will be prepared. Place the flower pot in a sunny place indoors, away from vents to prevent cold wind from blowing on the plant. The indoor temperature should not fluctuate too much throughout the winter, so as not to affect the dormancy of the plant. Generally, it is controlled at 10~12℃. If the room temperature exceeds 15℃, the plant will sprout new buds and consume nutrients.

The end of winter does not mean that Milan’s winter is over. Do not move it outdoors too early in early spring to avoid being attacked by cold winds and dry tips, which will affect flowering. After moving outdoors, if the temperature is still low, you can cover the entire plant with plastic film or cover it with cold-proof material, but the time should not be too long to avoid affecting the plant's photosynthesis and nutrient accumulation.

Proper watering

Milan is in a dormant or semi-dormant state in winter. The soil in the pot should not be too dry or too wet. You should not wait until the soil is completely dry before watering it, nor should you water it too much. You must ensure that the moisture in the soil is balanced. In addition, to prevent the leaves from being covered with dust, which will hinder photosynthesis and cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off, you should spray them with water close to room temperature about once every 10 days to clean the leaves. Be careful not to spray too much water.

Don't leave the room too early

As mentioned in the previous part of the article, the winter in Milan is very long, and the cold wave in early spring is also winter for Milan. So when the spring climate is not yet stable, don't rush to move the flower pots outdoors. Before moving the plants indoors, you can open the windows around noon for ventilation, allowing the plants to adapt to the outdoor environment in advance, and then move them outdoors after a few days. If you suddenly encounter strong winds or cold waves, you need to move indoors in time.