Succulent plants get rained on
Let's talk about some topics related to succulent plants. Succulent plants getting rained on, and the editor will introduce it next.
There has always been concern that rain will damage succulent plants. For ordinary heavy rain, I would choose to avoid it, but for thunderstorms, this natural opportunity, I would definitely not bring the plants inside. The reasons are as follows:
1. Undoubtedly, it can supplement water for the plants, and rainwater is soft water, which is the best water for breeding.
2. It can supplement nutrients for the plants. The reason for emphasizing thunderstorms is that lightning in the sky is a high-voltage discharge of tens of thousands of volts, which is the best natural nitrogen fixation method. Nitrogen in the air will be converted into nitric acid by high-voltage discharge and fall into the soil with rainwater. If organic fertilizer or wood ash is applied, or if using decomposed leaf soil or humus soil, the rainwater containing nitric acid will combine with substances in the soil to form nitrate, such as nitrate phosphate and nitrate potassium, which are the most easily absorbed by plants.
3. It can effectively kill harmful bacteria in the soil because the high-voltage discharge of thunderstorms can also ionize oxygen, which then forms ozone. When dissolved in rainwater and falls on the soil, it can sterilize the soil to some extent.
4. It can help the roots breathe. As mentioned before, ozone dissolved in rainwater can act as a disinfectant due to its strong oxidation effect. At the same time, ozone will slowly reduce to oxygen in water. Oxygen-rich rainwater is the best way to supplement the plant roots.
ps: Correcting a misunderstanding: The reason why overwatering can cause root rot is not because of the water itself, but because the water we usually use is tap water, which is hard water. Moreover, it has been exposed to sunlight to remove chlorine, resulting in very low dissolved oxygen. Without oxygen, the roots cannot breathe, and at the same time, anaerobic bacteria in the soil reproduce, leading to root rot.
However, thunderstorms are rich in oxygen, which can not only inhibit the growth and reproduction of anaerobic bacteria in the soil but also meet the oxygen needs of the roots for respiration (actually, this respiration is the process of the roots removing plant waste through oxidation reactions, so oxygen is so important). This is completely different from root rot caused by excessive watering.
Is it easy for succulent plants to rot when rained on?
This has a lot to do with the special metabolic way of succulents, "crassulacean acid metabolism." Ordinary plants complete carbon fixation through photosynthesis Calvin cycle, which involves both carboxylation (fixing CO2) and decarboxylation (releasing CO2) reactions during the day, providing energy for plant growth. Crassulacean acid metabolism, on the other hand, completes carboxylation (fixing CO2) at night and decarboxylation (releasing CO2) during the day. Because of this, problems arise. Succulent plants do not undergo carboxylation during the day, so the stomata will not open, and the absorbed water will not be transpired during the day. However, decarboxylation requires a high concentration of malic acid (formed by carboxylation) in the plant. Because excessive water is absorbed, and if this water is not transpired during the day, the malic acid in the succulent plant will be diluted, the pH will rise, and decarboxylation cannot proceed normally during the day. As a result, the succulent will not get the energy needed for growth, affecting its growth and lowering its disease resistance. Subsequent bacterial invasion can cause the succulent to rot.
Finally, let's talk about how to solve the problem:
1. Avoid waterlogging in the pot. The pot for growing succulents must have drainage holes. No matter how beautiful the pot is, don't hesitate to make holes in it before using it. Getting rained on is to let the succulents absorb water, not to let them soak in water.
2. Increase the evaporation of water from the soil by loosening the soil. This is necessary, especially after getting rained on. Loosening the soil allows more air to come into contact with the soil, and water in the soil can be evaporated through wind and sunlight. The nitrates formed in the soil, even if not yet absorbed by the plants, will not be carried away by the evaporation of water. Nutrients are retained.
3. Increase the day-night temperature difference. Because the carboxylation of succulent plants at night is more when the temperature is lower and CO2 absorption is higher; and the decarboxylation in the morning is faster when the temperature is higher. Ventilation at night can effectively lower the temperature, and exposing to the sun during the day can effectively increase the temperature. (It is naturally more difficult to increase the temperature during the day on cloudy and rainy days, so lowering the temperature at night is the key. There are many ways to lower the temperature, and I won't go into them as I have already mentioned a lot.)
4. Apply more phosphorus fertilizer, but this is not the most critical. The key lies in the timing and method of application. The best time to apply is before the thunderstorm arrives, and the method of application needs to mention another point, "activation of phosphorus," which leads to the fifth point.
5. Activation of phosphorus. As mentioned earlier, phosphorus is easily fixed by the soil, which is why many plants have trouble with phosphorus deficiency. To combat this, some plants have evolved their own systems. When phosphorus is deficient, they secrete citric acid from their roots to activate phosphorus in the soil to absorb more phosphorus. This is the mechanism of "low phosphorus stress." Citric acid is most abundant in lemons. Of course, there are substitutes for citric acid, although they are not as effective as citric acid, they also play a significant role in activating phosphorus, which is acetic acid. Their main role is to react with substances in the soil before phosphorus is fixed, thereby reducing the amount of phosphorus fixation. Therefore, the correct method of applying phosphorus fertilizer is to combine it with acetic acid.值得注意的是，醋酸还有一定防虫的效果，这真是一举两得了。It is worth noting that acetic acid also has a certain insect repellent effect, which is a two-birds-with-one-stone.
One more thing, using the first three methods can basically avoid the rot of many succulent plants after being rained on by thunderstorms. Should be enough. However, after using the fourth method, you will say: "Let the thunderstorm come more fiercely!"
The above is a detailed explanation of succulent plants getting rained on. I hope this article can bring you some help in green plant management!