How to water succulents correctly
For netizens to elaborate on how to water succulents correctly and the cultivation skills of succulent plant maintenance, it's some very useful knowledge, recommended for collection!
Watering succulents can be a simple or relatively complex issue. Simply put, it's about checking the soil in the pot, not the surface soil, but the soil at the bottom and middle, water when dry, and do not water when wet. Complexly, it is related to the plant itself, season, weather, temperature, maintenance environment, soil mixture, and pot, among many factors, and it cannot be explained in a sentence or two. Each succulent has a different growing environment and requires different watering, which needs to be adjusted by oneself.
Full-grain baby finger, not watered for half a month, growing fatter.
For how to water succulents in different seasons, I will analyze each factor combined with watering, hoping to give everyone a little help. When should you water? This is the hardest question for beginners to control. There are several different methods that can be used:
1. Pot-lifting method: This is also the method I use most. Lift the pot before watering, and then lift it again after soaking the pot, you can feel a noticeable difference. The more you lift, the more accurately you can judge whether it is completely dry. But this pot-lifting method is limited to plastic and red pottery pots.
2. Toothpick method: Use a long toothpick to probe into the soil to see if it is completely dry. If the toothpick is wet, it means it's not dry yet, but the toothpick has to be inserted deep enough.
3. Leaf-pinching method: Pinch the leaves in the center of growth. If the leaves are hard and not easy to pinch, it means there is still plenty of moisture. Otherwise, it might be lacking water. But this method is not applicable to plants with thin leaves or naturally soft leaves. Also, soft leaves may have other causes, such as black rot, so it is necessary to judge based on the plant's condition and observe more, not generalizing.
Full-grain peach egg, not watered for half a month, the bottom has rotted, but the top is growing fatter.
When to water? In addition to judging whether the plant needs watering, the timing of watering is also very important. Check the temperature and the weather for the next week before watering. Avoid watering before rain, water at night in summer, and at noon in winter.
1. Do not water before rain: Pay attention to the weather forecast. If it's going to rain soon, wait until after the rain for consecutive sunny or cloudy days before watering. Because rain significantly increases the humidity in the air, and in such a humid environment, completely dry succulents will not lack water and it's also conducive to root growth. If watering coincides with rain, the humid environment in the soil can easily cause diseases and pests.
This piece of Wumu was watered before summer rain and then rained continuously, now it has rotted black.
How to water succulents correctly
2. Water at night in summer: In the hot summer, the temperature during the day is very high, and the roots of the plant will be in a stuffy and hot environment after watering, which can easily cause black rot. But the summer nights are relatively cool, especially after a rain, the temperature drops significantly, making it the most suitable time for watering. This is a special principle for summer. My succulents are also not watered continuously in summer, still judged by the pot-lifting method, but many plants enter dormancy in summer and their water demand significantly decreases, about once a month in the hottest July and August.
Pink Vine's condition plummets after watering at noon in summer.
3. Water at noon in winter: The temperature at night in winter is low, and the water temperature is relatively low, making it easy for plants to become uncomfortable. Therefore, watering at noon when the temperature is relatively high is best. The water requirement in winter is also relatively small, so pay attention to the plant's condition.
These succulents were watered at night in winter, and after a night of cold wind, the leaves turned soft and black.
How to water? 1. Soaking method: The method I often use is the soaking method, which involves placing the succulent pot in water and allowing the water to slowly seep in through the outside pressure of the pot. Sometimes, this method can take a very long time to water, especially when the peat is too dry and may require several hours. So for those using standard peat mix, please make sure it is truly watered through when watering.
2. Direct watering: This doesn't need much explanation, just pour water from a pot or directly sprinkle. As always, make sure it's truly watered through. If using particle mix, this method should not be a problem. Particle soil does not retain water and is relatively easy to soak through. Be careful not to let water accumulate in the leaf heart and use a skin blower to blow away water droplets.
You can also make a succulent watering spout using a plastic bottle and a straw.
Several different factors also affect the watering judgment criteria: from the water retention of the pot: red pottery, rough pottery < root control pot < plastic pot, glazed pottery. From the water retention of the planting material: standard 422 soil mixture (peat 4, vermiculite 2, perlite 2) < particle soil, the more peat, the more water retaining. The plant's water demand: seedlings > mature plants, mainly because mature plants can maintain themselves by consuming leaves when they lack water, but seedlings have no leaves to consume and are easily killed by lack of water. But in any case, always remember: dry pot grows roots, wet pot grows seedlings, only when the roots are well cared for, will the plant thrive.
The above is the specific introduction of [www.lvzhimi.com] on how to water succulents correctly and the maintenance skills of succulent plants, hoping to bring some knowledge of flowers to green plant enthusiasts.