Nghe An farmers use electricity to take care of Tet flowers in the cold

People go to the fields in the evening to pick grass and hoe the flower beds. Photo: Viet Hung

In the last months of the year, flower growers in Quynh Luu district are always busy with planting and caring for flower gardens to supply the market during Tet. However, during cold weather days, flower growers are always present in the flower gardens at night to care for and check the flower gardens.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, a flower grower in Hong Phu village, Quynh Hong commune, said that during this time, the flowers are very sensitive, and if not carefully cared for, they may bloom before Tet. Therefore, based on long-standing experience, after 5 days of planting the flowers, people start to light up at night to control the growth of the flowers, helping them bloom in time for Tet. Moreover, on cold days, keeping the lights on all night also helps warm the flowers and fight pests caused by the weather.

Hong Phu flower village, Quynh Hong commune (Quynh Luu) turns on electricity to warm the flowers during the cold season. Photo: Viet Hung

According to flower growers, this year the planting of flowers is one month later than last year because this is a leap year. As in previous years, from around the 15th to the 25th of the 9th lunar month, households simultaneously planted flowers for Tet, but this year they planted flowers from the 15th of the 10th lunar month.

Mr. Ho Van Tung - a long-time flower grower said that this year his family planted 14,000 chrysanthemums, with a total cost of more than 10 million, of which the cost of buying electric wires and light bulbs was about 3 million. Currently, the entire flower area is growing well. During the day, they regularly water and fertilize, and at night, the family turns on the electricity, focuses on weeding, catching insects, and preventing diseases for the flowers. When the flowering period comes, it is necessary to pinch off the secondary buds, leaving only the main buds to focus on nutrients to nourish the flowers.

On each field, people invest 3 - 4 million VND to buy light bulbs to light up the flowers.

Hong Phu flower village currently has 200 households growing flowers concentrated in hamlets 3 and 4. This year's flower crop, people mainly grow flowers such as chrysanthemums, lilies, gladiolus, gerberas, and pansies... To develop the flower growing craft village, recently, the People's Committee of Quynh Hong commune has encouraged households to convert ineffective rice fields to commercial flower growing.

The flower plants are illuminated by electric light all night so they grow quickly. Photo: Viet Hung

The flower growing profession has been expanded and developed in many localities in Quynh Luu district such as: Quynh Chau, An Hoa, Quynh Bang... with an area of ​​about 15 hectares. From the Tet flower growing profession, families have an income of 10 - 30 million VND, some households grow large quantities of high-value flowers, earning an income of 50 - 80 million VND.