HOW TO WATER PLANTS OFTEN ?
This question is especially relevant during the cold season., when plants are most vulnerable and prone to rotting when overmoistened. However, there is no definite answer.. I regulate the abundance and frequency of watering depending on many factors.
How often to water indoor plants?
1.SEASON
Autumn and winter - a period of rest and rest for plants, so watering, compared to summer, significantly reduce (I look at the conditions of detention, to prevent overdrying). Tuberous and bulbous species, I moisturize cacti more poorly or stop altogether. After wintering, I gradually begin to water the collection more often and more abundantly., as the active phase of growth and flowering begins.
2.TEMPERATURE AND LIGHTING
The warmer and brighter the room, where the plant is kept, the faster the soil dries out in the pot. Respectively, I water more often and more abundantly. And vice versa: the lower the temperature and the worse the lighting, the more rare and scarce watering.
3. POT MATERIAL
In clay pots (without glaze) the soil dries out much faster, than in plastic.
4.PLANT NEED
If the flower has organs that store moisture: tubers, bulbs, fleshy stems and leaves, rhizomes, then I water it less often. I have it: cacti and other succulents, gloxinia, hippeastrum, caladium, clivia, chlorophytum. However, there is also their complete opposite., eg, marsh plant - cyperus, for the good development of which water must constantly stand in the container.
5. MOISTURE CAPACITY OF SUBSTRATE
If there are components in the soil, which retain moisture (sphagnum moss, perlite, vermiculite, peat, coconut fiber, pine bark, hydrogel), then it dries longer - I water the plants less often. Substrate, containing expanded clay, sand, zeolite, gravel, dries faster, and then I take the watering can more often (on condition, that flowers do not have water-accumulating organs).
© Author: Inna KRAVCHENKO, collector, r. Zaporizhzhia. @crazy _potted Jungle
WATERING INDOOR FLOWERS AND HOUSE PLANTS – TIPS AND FEEDBACK
5 ERRORS WHEN WATERING INDOOR FLOWERS
-
Abundant hydration
In winter, most indoor plants are in a semi-resting state., slow down their life processes. Abundant watering can only harm them: absorb less moisture, the soil dries out more slowly, Roots without sufficient air can rot. It is better to reduce the volume of water by about a third compared to the summer regime.
-
cold water
At home, usually, growing heat-loving tropical species. And for them, cold water is a real stress., which causes yellowing and dropping of leaves (the plant looks depressed, weakens). Ideally, the temperature should be 2-3 city, above room. therefore, if you defend water in a cool place, be sure to dilute with hot water before use.
-
Frequent watering
If the plants were watered in the summer, eg, every three days or every other
day, then in winter we increase the interval - up to approximately one week (for standard room conditions). Many cultures will tolerate even a complete short drying of the soil better., than too frequent watering. And we take it as a rule: always check soil moisture by touch.
-
With fertilizer
In winter, top dressing or stop (except for flowering species), or spend in the "supporting"
mode - take the minimum concentration (eg, in 3 times less than the recommended) and more rarely (about once a month). Such nutrition will benefit ornamental plants and specimens., who have not been transplanted for a long time, with depleted soil.
-
Water in the tray
It is advisable to drain the excess after 10 minutes. Otherwise, there is a risk of waterlogging and hypothermia of the roots., which causes them to rot. From a cool windowsill, it is better to transfer plants on a wick (eg, senpolii) to a warmer place. If previously moistened specimens through a pallet, then for the winter, switch to watering from above, along the edge of the pot.
© Author: Natalia GUBANOVA, collector, r. Minsk
CORRECT WATERING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL WINTERING
How to water house flowers in winter
Mistakes in watering often cause disease and even death of indoor flowers.. Therefore, you need to focus on your conditions (temperature, illumination, air humidity), select the optimal soil composition, know the moisture requirements of each plant. And then your pets will easily survive the season's trials.
ORIENTATION TO NATURE
To provide green pets with the necessary conditions and care, their natural origin must be taken into account.
DEGREE OF DRYING
In autumn and winter, it is especially important not to rush to take up the watering can. Check, the top layer of soil has dried out, easy: dry fingers need to touch the ground, and if the grains of the substrate do not stick, it's time to water the plant. Spilling the soil, need, so that the whole earthen lump gets wet. Excess from the pallet is removed through 10-20 minutes. If you don't, the pores in the earthen coma will be filled with moisture, displacing the air, and the plant will begin to starve of oxygen. “Feet in the water” is only suitable for semi-aquatic species, eg, ciperusa.
MOISTURE FROM THE AIR
The drier the air, the more moisture the plant evaporates and the more often it needs watering. This is especially true when the heating is on. (relative air humidity becomes 20-40 %, at optimal conditions for people and plants 60-75 %). There are different ways to correct the situation.
| Tropical species (begonias, ferns, monstery, syngoniums, rhipsalis, etc.) | They do not tolerate dry soil at all and react poorly to low air humidity.. Love spraying |
| Subtropical species (citrus, coffee, Garnet, eternal, gardenias, etc.) | Less demanding on conditions, than tropical. Requires moderate humidity of the substrate and air, cool, light winter. Water them as the top layer of soil in pots and tubs dries |
| Bromeliads
(pineapple, эхмея, gusmania etc. family representatives) |
Need a special method of watering. Despite the rigidity of the leaves with prickly edges and the large rosette, These plants have an epiphytic nature. In tropical rainforests, they attach with weak roots to cracks in the bark of trees and absorb moisture and nutrition through the leaves. When watering with settled water, pour a little into the rosette of leaves.. In winter they are poorly moisturized |
| Cacti and other succulents (fat women, milk, sansevieria and others.) | Tolerates dry and warm air well (cacti need a cool winter), do not need spraying. Water them, when the substrate in the pot dries out, and cacti, wintering in the cool, do not moisturize before growth begins. It is important to prepare a suitable turf substrate for these species. (garden, from meadow molehills) land, gravel or coarse sand, perlite, fine expanded clay and a minimum amount of peat. Need air- and permeable mixture, so that there is no stagnation of water in the pots |
SIMPLE RULES FOR WATERING HOUSEPLANTS IN WINTER
I often see recommendations for caring for indoor flowers.: watering once a week, 3 once a week, etc.. This is a fundamentally wrong approach.. It is necessary to look at each specific case. I use a few rules myself..
I water as the soil dries. Moreover, different types of plants have different degrees of drying.: eg, for ficus and dracaena - preferably on 1/2 pot, and in muraya and cyclamen - only the upper 5-7 cm.
The farther the plant is from the window, the less often you water it., since with decreasing illumination the need for water decreases.
If a It's hot at home, a lot of sun, the soil dries out much faster, than in cloudy weather and when the air temperature drops.
The denser the soil, the longer and worse it dries, the greater the risk of root rot. That's why I always add it to the substrate (to the store too) raising agents: coarse perlite, zeolite, pieces of coal, coarse sand, coco substrate, the bark.
I AM MONITORING THE SITUATION
No plant appreciates a swamp in a pot., and it won’t always be possible to save him. Therefore, you need to clearly know, should I start watering?. Someone keeps a diary in a smartphone app or in a notepad, but with a large collection I can hardly imagine it. As then? I will share my methods of checking the degree of drying of the soil.
The best tool is your finger. Quickly and accurately determines the need for watering.
By pot weight, if it's small. I pick up a watered plant, so that you can understand later, how much easier did it become.
Sushi sticks inserted into the substrate help out. If they remain wet, it’s too early to water..
| Spraying | Quick procedure, but not suitable for all plants, eg, species with pubescent leaves (like Saintpaulia), cactus. Yes, and it is recommended to carry it out only in warm conditions, since if kept cool, rot may spread. Another significant drawback of the method is that humidity indicators are unstable. |
| Container with “filler” | Sprinkled on a tray or at the bottom of a flowerpot, where are the flowers in pots?, expanded clay (you can use moss, aquarium soil, pebble) fill with water to half the thickness of its layer. The spongy structure of the material is capable of retaining moisture for a long time and gradually evaporating it. In this case, you can do without spraying the plants. |
| Special humidifiers | Quite easy to use household appliances. Allows you to maintain stable air humidity |
| Decorative indoor fountains, evaporator vessels | They will not only decorate the interior (stylish, made of ceramic), but also improve air performance |
| Vessels with water near batteries | This method has double benefits: After a day, you can water the plants with such settled, warmed water. |
© Author: Наталия КОСИНА, collector, Altai region
Reducing the watering of plants in the fall, as recommended, think, that they lack moisture: leaves appear dehydrated, droop. And I'm afraid to water more often, so that the roots do not rot. How to build a regime?
Recommendations are always given in general and in certain conditions there will be a watering regime.. After all, it depends on many factors., eg:
– air humidity - with reduced evaporation, more intense, with increased moisture loss by leaves slows down;
– temperature - the higher it is, the more often you have to water, and with its decrease, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering;
– illumination - with its lack, the plant needs less moisture, but if it's backlit, then the earth ball dries out faster and the need for water increases.
In order not to be mistaken, when to water, focus on the degree of soil moisture.
ATTENTION TO CONDITION
If the plant is resting, especially in the cold, water less often and less abundantly, preventing the earthen coma from drying out.
For species without a pronounced dormant period, wintering in warmth (and sometimes in hot conditions from heating), irrigation regime remains virtually unchanged.
Very often, our indoor plants suffer from improper watering.. In order not to oversaturate the soil with moisture, i use ice: two medium cubes once a week is enough for one plant. The gradual thawing will give the roots time to absorb and protect the flowers from collecting excess water..
This method of watering is especially suitable for flowers in hanging pots and orchids..
With the help of ice, you can also feed the plants: dissolve fertilizer in water and freeze.