The profession of growing longevity plants on Tet holiday

Binh Thuan is not a place to grow and supply flowers during the spring and Tet holiday. However, there are some types of flowers such as chrysanthemums, marigolds, primroses, cockscombs, etc. that are still grown by many farmers to sell during Tet, both to increase income and to preserve a cultural beauty of suburban villages, among which the most elaborate is still growing primroses.

Traditional sedum flowers only have two colors, yellow and red. There are two types of yellow sedum: one type has slender green leaves, light yellow flowers, and small petals but the plant is full. The other type has slightly purple leaves, thick, wide, and dark yellow flowers, larger petals but sparse flowers. Connoisseurs of sedum prefer the dark yellow flower with purple leaves because it looks like apricot blossoms on the family altar. Our grandparents loved the yellow sedum to decorate the altar during Tet not only because of its name but also because the flowers stay fresh for a long time. Vase does not need water, just a little clean sand, add water to it, put the flowers in and the flowers will stay fresh for a month. Red sedum (also known as Japanese sedum) has a short plant, round purple leaves, and is mainly used to display on the table for fun. During the three days of Tet, four days of spring, having a few pots of sedum in the house feels reassuring, warm and cozy.

However, to grow the sedum flower in time for Tet, farmers are very meticulous. Around the 6th lunar month, they start to take cuttings. When the seedlings are fat, strong, and strong enough, they start to plant them in rows. It is thought that sedum flowers are easy to grow, and will sprout anywhere, but that is not the case. They are also very capricious and have a very fickle temperament. They do not tolerate too much sun, too much wind, and heavy rain will rot their roots. Therefore, when taking cuttings and planting them, they must be covered to provide both sunlight and humidity, and watered appropriately. In general, they must have experience, not just drop them there and let them grow on their own.

The most difficult stage is to start planting them in rows with the right distance. Too close and the plants will be weak and stunted, a little further away and the plants will be tall and strong, difficult to plant in water hyacinth. Almost every day, I have to grope to check the leaves and legs. When they are full, I start to stick bamboo close to the base to keep them straight and not crooked. Just keep an eye on the right time to fertilize and weed. Hard work! Then I have to watch and cut off the first batch of flowers so that they can produce new flowers in time for Tet. Once I asked my father: "Why don't we wait for them to bloom right on Tet so that we don't have to spend time pruning and waiting anxiously?" My father said: "I know that but I can't do it, sometimes they bloom first, sometimes after January, February". That's why each sedum plant that produces flowers right on Tet is a difficult journey. In years when the weather is favorable, the flowers grow well, but in years when it suddenly rains out of season, all the effort is in vain. The farmer was left empty-handed after half a year of care and hope.

Over the past decade or so, people have sought out more luxurious flowers to decorate their altars during the Tet holidays. As a result, the sedum is rarely grown and is less popular. However, what belongs to traditional culture can only be temporarily forgotten, not lost. Every household and every person considers the sedum an indispensable flower during the first days of spring. Suburban villages such as Phong Nam, Ham Hiep, and Ham Thang are full of sedums.

Growing flowers for Tet is a lot of work! However, every time the yellow buds appear shyly next to the leaves, joy fills the corners of the eyes.

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