The editor introduces you to how to water a desert rose and the maintenance methods related to green plants. Here is the detailed introduction.
The desert rose is a plant that blooms all year round. Many people keep it, but during the process of raising desert roses, many people do not master watering well, which can lead to dry leaves and rotten roots. In fact, if we master the watering method, we can control it well. Some flower friends ask how often to water it. In fact, you can make a reasonable judgment through these three methods based on your preferred method. You can calculate "by the day" or use your hand to "touch". As long as it suits the desert rose you are growing, it can grow well with developed roots, without rotting or drying roots.
1. Watering when the soil is completely dry with good ventilation
If you water the desert rose frequently in your home with poor ventilation, it is prone to rotting roots. If the ventilation is good, you can wait until the potting soil is completely dry and then water thoroughly. How to judge if it's completely dry? It means watering immediately when all the moisture in the potting soil is gone. Some flower friends say they don't want to wait for the potting soil to dry out and they don't know how to judge. Can they water when the soil is half-dry? Of course, it's also possible, but you need to ensure good ventilation. For example, if you are growing it outdoors, placing it in a rain-proof and well-lit area, watering when the potting soil is half-dry won't cause any problems.
Because good ventilation prevents soil accumulation, the water after watering can evaporate quickly. Generally, the surface of the potting soil will be completely dry in about a day, with some moisture inside. After another day, it will dry up by half, and then watering won't cause any problems. If you use very accumulated garden soil and it doesn't dry for ten days or a half month after watering, watering when it's half-dry can easily lead to root rot. We can judge based on ventilation and the drying speed of the potting soil, and adopt the principle of watering when completely dry.
2. Watering when the stem feels soft with poor ventilation
If we are keeping it on a closed balcony with sufficient sunlight but poor ventilation, we must not water too frequently. How should we operate? We can touch it with our hands. When it's time to water, touch its main stem with your hand and squeeze it to see if it feels soft. If it feels soft, you can water it. Normally, the main stem of a desert rose is very hard after watering, and you can't feel it's soft when squeezed. When it feels soft, it indicates that the potting soil has been dry for a while, and its roots have been short of water.
Watering a desert rose
At this time, if you water it on a sunny day, as long as the soil is well-drained, the water will be absorbed quickly, and the main stem will slowly become plump. The moisture in the soil is absorbed by the plant and some of it evaporates under sunlight, keeping the soil slightly moist, which won't cause root rot. Don't worry; a desert rose can survive for a month without water. You just need to water it when it feels soft; it won't hurt the roots.
3. How often to water
Many flower friends say they don't want to touch it with their hands, and they don't know how to judge when it's completely dry. What should they do if they want to water it based on the number of days? You need to control it reasonably. As for the number of days, it depends on your own environment. For example, some flower friends say you should water a desert rose once every half month, but have you thought about it? If you use soil with a lot of particles, the soil will dry in three to five days after watering. If you wait for half a month, its roots will dry out. If you have poor indoor ventilation and use soil that accumulates easily, the soil won't dry after watering for one or two months, so watering based on the number of days won't be suitable.
So, the frequency of watering can be determined by this method, but it depends on your own environment. For example, if you use well-drained nutrient-rich soil or particle soil at home, the potting soil will dry out in a week after watering, so you can water it once a week. If you use soil that accumulates easily and it takes half a month to dry out after watering, then you should water it once every half month. Choose the number of days to water based on your own environment and the drying speed of your soil, and as long as you master the drying speed, generally, you won't have any problems following your chosen frequency.