Bustling Tet flower season

The family of Ms. Le Thi Ngọt (Nhi Thanh commune, Thu Thua district, Long An province) is busy with the marigold flower beds that are blooming green. For more than 20 years, her family has been growing marigolds every Tet holiday. "The land next to the house is empty, so I grow flowers to both earn extra income and "make the family happy" during Tet holidays" - Ms. Ngọt said.

Every year, she grows 700-1,000 marigolds, mainly selling them to regular customers, friends and relatives. Although the work is hard, for Ms. Ngọt, this is a joy. The flower pots not only help her increase her income at the end of the year but also make her home warmer.

Marigold beds are meticulously cared for this year's Tet season.

To make marigolds bloom at the right time and with good quality, Ms. Ngọt focuses on selecting the right variety and taking care of them. Marigolds need to be planted in a sunny place, watered regularly and pruned regularly for good growth. When she sees signs of early flowering, she dilutes nitrogen fertilizer to water them, helping to prolong the blooming time, ensuring that the flowers bloom brightly during Tet. “Growing marigolds is not difficult, the investment capital is also low, but the grower must be diligent in monitoring them every day. Only then will the plants avoid pests and diseases and the flowers will bloom evenly and beautifully,” Ms. Ngọt said.

Currently, she provides many types of pots with a variety of plants, from 1, 3 to 4 plants/pot, meeting the diverse needs of customers. Each pot costs from 70,000 to 100,000 VND, affordable for people. After each Tet season, her family earns about 10 million VND from selling flowers.

Besides marigolds, Tet cannot be without yellow apricots. In addition to the famous yellow apricot craft village in Tan Tay commune (Thanh Hoa district), farmers in many other areas of the province also grow apricots to serve the Tet market. Mr. Nguyen Van Mot (Huong Tho Phu commune, Tan An city) has nearly 20 years of experience growing apricots. He grows many types such as yellow apricots, four-season apricots, and ornamental apricots.

Mr. Mot shared: "To have apricot blossoms bloom on time for Tet, we need to take care of them carefully and with the right techniques. The time to pick apricot leaves in bulk usually takes place from December 13 to 18. After picking the leaves, the apricot tree will only have flower buds left, so we need to closely monitor the weather changes, watch the water, pinch the tips of the branches and water the roots so that the tree has enough nutrients to feed the flowers."

This year, Mr. Nguyen Van Mot (Huong Tho Phu commune, Tan An city) planted 400 more pots of four-season apricot trees for grafting, serving the Tet market.

The care step after plucking the apricot leaves is equally important. Mr. Mot said that plucking the apricot leaves helps the flower buds to release their silk shell, stimulating the buds to develop and bloom right on Tet. Normally, about 2 weeks after plucking the leaves, the apricot flowers will bloom, producing beautiful pots of yellow apricots to welcome Tet. He also uses cow dung, straw fertilizer and water hyacinth to cover the base, helping to retain moisture and limit water loss, ensuring the apricot tree grows well throughout the care process.

This year, Mr. Mot planted 400 more apricot trees to graft and supply to the Lunar New Year market. He mainly sells to acquaintances and friends; at the same time, he helps them take care of and shape the apricot trees. The apricot trees that meet the standards, are beautiful and healthy, he will sell them, while the trees that do not meet the requirements will continue to be cared for, have their branches shaped and wait until next year's Tet season.

The yellow color of marigolds and the brilliance of yellow apricots are the results of many days of care, conveying the hope for a full spring. With the diligent hands of farmers, the colors of spring have arrived in time, shining brightly on every corner of the homeland./.

Du Nhien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/tat-bat-mua-hoa-tet-a187859.html