Dong Cuong is the largest flower village in Thanh Hoa City’s Dong Cuong Ward of the north-central province of Thanh Hoa covering an area of more than 100 hectares. The village provides flowers to Thanh Hoa province and the region.
Starting from the tenth month of the lunar calendar, farmers rush to take care of plants to prepare for the biggest flower harvest of the year. Species of flowers that were planted are chrysanthemums (daisy mums), roses, gladiolus, dahlias, and gerberas.
According to farmers, this year’s weather is quite favorable for plants to grow and develop.
Before sowing, the farmers need to carefully prepare the soil, choose seeds, make flowers bloom during Tet holidays, and stimulate flowering and fruit development with different light treatments, protect plants from frost and heavy rain.
Despite working hard day and night, flower growers are happy with bumper crops of flowers. It is the time when flowers in Dong Cuong village are in full bloom.
In addition, gardeners in Tho Xuan District are taking care of the Luan Van pomelo crop.
Luan Van pomelo is a rare unique red-skinned grapefruit. In the past, this pomelo variety was used to offer to the king during Tet holidays.
Luan Van grapefruit season starts from January to November and only blooms from the first month of the lunar calendar to fruiting. Young Luan Van grapefruits are no different than normal grapefruits with green skin. They turn to yellow between the seventh and eighth months and then gradually turn to red in the tenth and eleventh months of the lunar calendar. After harvesting, the grapefruits are wiped with alcohol, creating a unique fragrance and retaining the bright red color until the end of the first month.
People often buy Luan Van grapefruits to offer to ancestors or give to others as a gift because the fruit when ripe is red from the peel to the segment, with a pleasant aroma. A Luan Van red pomelo costs about VND70,000 (US$2.8) – VND150,000 (US$6.2). Large grapefruits can be up to VND200,000 – VND250,000 per fruit.
