The question of how to properly water flowers growing at home is of interest to most amateur gardeners. Indeed, much depends on how well watering of indoor flowers is carried out: their growth, development, and, in some instances, the duration and splendor of flowering. Watering must be regular, but depending on the type of plant, this regularity varies greatly.
How often to water home plants
Due to the fact that there are plenty of factors affecting the frequency and abundance of hydration, an individual approach is required for each flower. However, there are general recommendations that suggest how to water home flowers:
- material used in the manufacture of the pot. Representatives of the same species, growing in clay and plastic pots, need to be watered in different ways. For the first, more moisture will be needed than for the second, since the water in it also leaves through the porous walls;
- pot size also plays a role. Obviously, a large pot will require more water than a small one;
Watering indoor flowers
- bush location. Watering of indoor plants located on the south side should be carried out more intensively, especially in the warm period;
- air temperature. Plants located in a warm room should be watered more often and more intensively than those that are cool. Following this rule, it is possible to avoid desiccation of the soil or decay of roots;
- weather, which also determines how often you need to water indoor flowers. In hot weather, the amount of water should be increased and vice versa.
Important! In everything you need to know the measure. And in the heat you should not water the flower garden too intensively, you need to do this only as necessary. And most importantly, you need to focus on the type and botanical group of the indoor flower.
Watering indoor plants in spring, summer, autumn and winter
There are several main periods - active growth and vegetation (spring-autumn), flowering period (most often in summer) and dormancy (winter). The care of the flowers in each of them should be different from the previous one, so that they give lush lush greenery and bright flowering.
How often to water indoor flowers in winter is not always easy to understand. Firstly, each flower has its own time frame for this period, for some it does not occur at all. Secondly, the conditions for each individual species require individual. The frequency of soil irrigation depends on these parameters.
In winter, daylight hours are shortened, and many plants need to completely lower the air temperature for a good rest. If it was possible to do this, then watering should be carried out rarely, as the soil dries. In winter, some species (for example, begonia) generally relax from the water. But, if it was not possible to provide a low temperature, then watering should be reduced. Most often, it is produced 2-3 times less often than in summer.
Indoor flowers at rest
By spring, plants gradually awaken from winter sleep, move into a new phase and they should ensure proper watering. It becomes more frequent and intense. Summer, especially hot, is the period of the most abundant and frequent moistening of the soil. By autumn, everything is gradually decreasing again.
Important! If the summer turned out to be cold and rainy, you should not be zealous with the amount of water, this can cause root decay, especially in sensitive flowers. Because of this, they can die.
When to water indoor flowers: time of day for watering domestic plants
The ideal time of day for watering is morning. This has been known for a long time and scientifically proven. Indeed, during the day the moisture has time to evaporate, and watering in the evening leads to the opposite result. Excess fluid can build up at the roots, which will not lead to anything good. Because of the increased dampness, fungal infections can develop, and also the underground part of the plant will cease to receive the necessary oxygen access.
For your information! Sadly, it is a fact: a greater number of plants die from improper watering than from all other factors combined.
Factors Affecting Watering
How to water home flowers, depends on several factors. More moisture will be required:
- in the phase of active growth and development;
- when in a pot of large volume or made of natural material;
- if the plant has large thin leaves;
- with a pronounced, good, powerful root system;
- at high air temperature in the warm season;
- at low humidity;
- with constant ventilation of the room.
Less intensive watering is required:
- in pots, where the soil is not particularly loose;
- plants with thick fleshy leaves or without leaves;
- flowers that have only recently been transplanted from another pot, weak and painful;
- owners of a short root;
- in a phase of slow growth or dormancy;
- in the absence of a drainage layer;
- in low temperature conditions;
- at high humidity.
How to water flowers
There are two main methods of watering plants - upper and lower. Choose this or that method, focusing on the plant variety and general recommendations. In any case, you need to water the flowers only with water at room temperature, cold water is stress for them. Rain or melt water is best, if there is none, you can pour it with standing water from the tap, but not boiled, because the boiling process kills all the necessary trace elements.
Which is better - top or bottom watering
Top watering method is the most common and traditional. With constant watering from above, the soil in the pot is completely and more evenly saturated with moisture, and the plant feels as comfortable as possible. It is worth remembering that you need to water, evenly distributing moisture on the surface, otherwise grooves will form, and the roots may be exposed. Most of all, violets, succulents, an indoor banana tree love such irrigation.
Watering flowers from above
There are times when moisture must not be allowed to fall on the leaves of plants, or if they can release roots outside the pot. For such plants, the best option is watering from below. Water is poured into the pan of the pot, and moisture is absorbed independently in the amount that is needed. So you need to water the Saintpaulia, salioli, azaleas, begonias.
Important! Watering the lower way can cause the rise of all mineral substances up and even the formation of a white layer on the surface of the soil. In this case, it is necessary to restore the balance using the upper supply of moisture.
Bottom watering
Watering Volume
Depending on the generic affiliation of the plant, it needs a certain irrigation regime, according to which the volume of the necessary liquid is determined:
- abundant. It is produced immediately after the soil in the pot has dried. This option is required by almost all tropical bushes, plants with thin, long leaves, large specimens;
- moderate. It is not produced immediately, but after a couple of days. It is needed for flowers with pubescent leaves or stems (for example, violets), thick lignified roots (ficuses);
- rare watering is suitable for cacti and other succulents. With it, an earthen lump can remain dry for several weeks.
Incorrect watering: signs and their elimination
If you systematically violate the irrigation rules necessary for a particular flower, then you can get undesirable consequences, in particular, its death.
Is it possible to reanimate an overdried houseplant
If the soil is completely dry, it begins to refuse to accept moisture. Regardless of the amount of water poured, only the upper part of the soil is wetted. This is due to the fact that the dried soil decreases in size, lags behind the walls of the pot, forming gaps into which moisture flows and leaves through the drainage hole.
To save the situation, you need to water the plant in the shower, then put it in a basin filled with water and wait until the earthen ball is completely wet (all air bubbles should come out of it). Then remove the pot and wait for the excess water to leave. Not all plants can tolerate a long lack of moisture, but if he succeeds, it will soon turn green again.
Note! It is important to remember about the cracks between the soil and the walls of the pot. They need to be filled with fresh soil.
What to do if the flower is flooded
If the grower is faced with the opposite problem, then it is worth remembering that this is as dangerous as drought. But you can save the flower. To do this, carefully remove it from the pot, remove the rotten and weak roots that have appeared and wrap it with an absorbent cloth or waffle towel. If the towel is completely saturated, it should immediately be changed to dry. Then you need to wrap a lump of paper towels and leave until completely dry. After this, the plant should be planted in a new vessel filled with fresh soil mixture.
What determines the plant's need for moisture: soil moisture indicators
Flower shops offer a variety of soil moisture meters for indoor plants. The main advantage of such indicators is that, thanks to special sensors, they show not only the water level in the entire pot, but also its amount specifically at the roots of the plant. Such measurements are especially important for whimsical, demanding care plants, for which the liquid level must always be at a certain level: you can not overdo it or overdry.
Soil moisture indicator
In order to care for indoor flowers, it is necessary to feed them timely, take care of the level of lighting, temperature and humidity. However, without proper regular watering, nothing will work. You should take care of this even at a time when the whole family is leaving somewhere, and there is no one to water the flowers. For such situations, a special device suitable for sale in stores and providing automatic watering is suitable. It is necessary to provide the flowers with the necessary care, and they will please with their chic appearance and bright lush flowering.
