What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

None of the conditions for growing indoor plants requires as much attention as watering. You need to control it all year round... It is in this area that novice indoor plant lovers make the most mistakes. They either flood the plants with water, believing that in this way they will make them happy, or they completely forget that it needs water. As a result, the plant receives either too much water or too little; both can simply ruin him.

What determines the need of plants for water?

It may seem that all plants need to be hydrated a certain number of times each week. However, it is not. Each plant has its own watering requirements - it depends on the size of the plants, the size of the pot, the season, temperature and light, the quality of the soil and the moisture requirement inherent in a particular species. For example, on cloudy days the plant needs less moisture, but on sunny days it needs more water. Plants need ample watering during the warmer summer months, and less water is needed in cooler weather. Even in stable conditions, a constant amount of water is not a guarantee of success, since the plant grows in size and, accordingly, the amount of water it needs increases.

Water more often and more abundantly:

✓ plants in clay pots;

✓ plants with large or thin leaves;

✓ plants with thin stems;

✓ plants during the period of active growth;

✓ plants with a powerful root system;

✓ flowering plants;

✓ plants with hanging stems;

✓ in the warm season and at high temperature in the room;

✓ in bright light;

✓ in dry air;

✓ with open windows.

Less moisture is required:

✓ plants in plastic pots;

✓ plants with thick leaves with a waxy bloom;

✓ plants devoid of leaves;

✓ plants with thick stems;

✓ dormant plants;

✓ newly transplanted plants;

✓ plants with a poorly developed root system;

✓ weak and emaciated plants;

✓ at low air temperature in the room;

✓ on cloudy days or in low light;

✓ at high air humidity;

✓ in the absence of air movement in the room.

For example, orchids from the genus Dendrobium are watered no more than once a week.

How to tell if a plant needs watering?

The experience of many indoor floriculture enthusiasts has developed an exact criterion: it is time to water the plant when the earthen mixture in the pot becomes dry. The only problem is that the mixture, which appears dry from above, remains wet in the middle of the pot. You water thinking the ground is practically dry. In fact, you oversaturate it with water from the middle of the pot to the very bottom, which is no less harmful to plants than drying out the soil. How to understand in what condition an earthen lump is: wet, dry or almost dry? Sometimes it can be determined "by eye" and "by ear".

The color of the earthen mixture depends on whether it is wet or dry. Wet mixture is dark brown, and dry or nearly dry becomes pale brown and dull. One of the common techniques, therefore, is to water the plants when the earthen mixture begins to fade. However, eye estimates are not always reliable. When the mixture is dry on most of the pot, it may be damp on the bottom. However, for small pots, one can assume that if the earthen mixture is dry on the surface, it is dry enough throughout the pot. You can tell if plants should be watered simply by tapping the pot with your finger. If the soil in a flower pot is dry, the sound will be sonorous, if it is wet, it will be dull.

The easiest way to determine if a plant needs watering is to sample the potted soil with your finger or a wooden stick. Submerge your finger in the earthy mixture up to the first or second knuckle. If the soil feels moist, no watering is required. If it is dry, then there is clearly not enough water in the soil. This is a reliable indicator of the soil moisture in the entire pot and can be used for plants in pots 20-25 cm high. Avoid testing the moisture content of the mixture with your fingers several times at a time. So you can damage the roots of a small and delicate plant and thus do it more harm than good. It is better to check soil moisture with your fingers at the outer edge of the pot, rather than at the base of the plant.

You can tell if a plant needs watering by simply lifting the pot. It is clear that the newly watered potting mix weighs more than the dry one. Plants in plastic containers that grow in standard potting mixes, after watering, weigh about twice as much as dry ones. This is, of course, a rough estimate. The difference in weight depends on the type of pot, the potting soil and the material the pot is made of. However, even plants in clay pots with a heavy potting mix are noticeably lighter when the soil dries out. Applying the weighing method takes some practice. Lift the plant several times between waterings to feel the difference in weight between wet and dry pots. Then after a while you can easily tell the difference between a lighter pot when the plant needs watering and a heavier one when it doesn't need watering.

How do soil moisture indicators work?

Watering plants in large containers - over 30 cm tall - has always been a challenge for indoor plant lovers. Plants growing in deep pots or tubs are constantly at risk of waterlogging. Fortunately, reliable and harmless devices have been developed for determining soil moisture in large containers. Various soil moisture indicators can be found commercially. These devices measure the amount of water at a specific depth. Insert the indicator plug into the soil about 2/3 of the length. An arrow on the scale will indicate wet, dry, or somewhere in between. Water only if the indicator indicates dry soil. Keep in mind that an old, worn out meter gives unreliable readings, so it should be replaced with a new one about once a year. However, even a new meter can give an inaccurate estimate if the soil mix contains a lot of mineral salts. They can build up if you water the plants with hard water for several years. In this case, an inaccurate reading on the meter indicates that your plants need to replace the old potting mix with a fresh one.

In addition to the standard meter, there is a sound moisture meter on the market, it indicates when the plant needs watering, ringing, whistling or other sound signal. The sound meter is designed in the same way as the standard one, but instead of the scale, the sound transmitter is located at the other end. It costs about the same as the standard one. It makes sense to buy one such meter and keep it in a pot with a plant that usually dries out faster than others. When the indicator beeps, it's time to check the rest of the plants using traditional methods.

What is Watering Regime?

Each type of plant needs its own watering regime. This information can be gleaned from the description of the content of a particular plant. Distinguish between abundant, moderate and rare watering. Abundant watering is carried out immediately after the earthen coma dries. Abundant watering is required for most tropical plants with thin leaves. With moderate watering, the plants are watered not immediately after the earthen coma dries, but after a day or two. Moderate watering is required, in particular, for plants with pubescent leaves and stems (African violet, peperomia, etc.) and thick roots and rhizomes (dracaena). With sparse watering, plants are left dry for several days, weeks, or even months. This applies to cacti and succulents, as well as dormant plants.

How do I set the watering mode?

A strict watering regime for each plant is not easy to maintain, especially if you have a lot of plants. Ideally, the condition of the plant should be checked regularly and watered as soon as necessary. This method yields the best results because it alternates between moist and nearly dry soil conditions. Check each plant every 3-4 days using one of the methods described above and water only those plants that currently need it. Recommendations in this matter can only be general.

It is better to water the plants more often and little by little than less often and more abundantly. The main watering is best done in the first half of the day. With each watering, the plant must be given so much water that it well moistens the entire earthen clod and glass in the pan.

What are the signs of water scarcity?

Regular irrigation irregularities affect appearance most plants.

Lack of water can be noticed by the following signs:

Leaves droop;

Leaves and shoots become lethargic;

In plants with tough leathery leaves, the leaves dry and fall off;

What are the consequences of over-watering?

With excess water:

Signs of rot appear on the leaves;

The plant grows clearly more slowly;

Mold appears on buds and flowers;

The tips of the leaves turn brown;

How to save a dry plant?

When the potting mix dries out enough to become almost crunchy, a curious phenomenon occurs - the potting mix refuses to accept water. No matter how much water you pour, the ground becomes slightly damp only on the surface. This is because the very dry soil moves away from the walls of the pot and cracks form between the walls and the earthy clod. When you water over-dried soil from above, the water flows down these slots to the bottom and pours out into the sump through the drainage hole. The earthy lump will remain dry. Therefore, when the earth is too dry, it is useless to water it from above. What to do? Water the leaves and stems of the plant from the shower. Fill a basin or other container with water at room temperature and immerse the entire pot with the plant in it, carefully pressing the pot with a load (stone or brick) so that it is completely submerged in the water. Then add a few drops (no more!) Of liquid detergent- this will help to reduce the water-repellent properties of over-dried soil. After about an hour, remove the plant pot and let the excess water drain off. If the plant has come to life (not all plants recover after drying out), it will soon become juicy again. Please note - even when the earthen lump takes on its original size, some distance between it and the walls of the pot will remain. Fill this gap with potting soil.

How to save a flooded plant?

If excess water has accumulated in the pot, this is no less dangerous for the plant than drought. However, even in this case, all is not lost. Tap the edge of the pot on a hard surface and remove the pot from the earthy ball. Usually, an earthen lump is permeated with roots and retains the shape of a pot. Remove damaged roots and wrap an earthen ball with a rag or old kitchen towel- it will absorb excess water from the earthen clod. You may need to change your towel several times.

Then wrap the earthen lump in absorbent paper and leave it in it until dry, but do not dry it out. When the earthy ball is dry, plant the plant in a clean pot of fresh earthy mixture.

How big should the pallet be?

Usually, flower pots sold with a pallet. The sump is absolutely necessary - excess water flows into it. As a pallet, you can also use saucers or bowls of a suitable size from any material. It is only important that the diameter of the pallet is not less than the upper diameter of the pot. After watering, drain the excess water from the sump.

What is drainage?

Drainage is a French word. It means the artificial or natural removal of excess fluid, usually from the soil. In indoor floriculture, drainage is used so that the water does not stagnate in the pot. For drainage, ceramic shards, gravel, pebbles or large expanded clay are suitable.

A large shard is placed on the drain hole with the convex side up, or a handful of smaller shards, then a layer of coarse sand is poured and the plant itself is planted on top of this. Since shards are not always at hand, it is easier to arrange expanded clay drainage.

If there is a hole in the pot for water drainage, then 1 cm of large expanded clay should be placed on the bottom. If there is no hole, then the height of the expanded clay layer should be at least 3-5 cm. In general, it should be about a quarter of the height of the container.

How is watering done from below?

Although traditionally plants are watered from a watering can, there is another way - watering from the bottom. With this method, the so-called capillary effect is triggered - there is a movement of water from wetter layers to drier ones. When the soil is almost dry, place the pot in a pan of water and moisture will begin to flow through the soil and plant roots.

By watering from the bottom, you simply fill the sump with water. If water drains out of the pan quickly, add some more. After about an hour, all of the soil will become wet and the surface will shine with moisture. When the plant has sucked up all the water it needs, pour out the rest of the water from the pan. Watering from below is preferable for plants with pubescent leaves or with a lush rosette of leaves.

Plants that you water from below meet their moisture needs better. However, you will have to change the soil mixture with them more often, since excess mineral salts will accumulate in the soil faster.

What is the best way to water the plants?

Overhead watering seems to be a more “natural” way of watering, since in nature, plants get moisture from the rains. On the other hand, it is not the source of moisture that is important for the plant, but the result is moist soil. Therefore, it is not so important whether you water from above or from below. When watering from above, make sure that no water gets on the leaves. Many plants have very delicate leaves and stems that are stained by water droplets. In addition, water droplets in the light focus the light like lenses, and burns can occur even on dense and leathery leaves. Therefore, when watering from above, be sure to lift the leaves or move them to the side so that the water only falls on the soil.

How to water plants in hanging planters?

Plants in hanging pots often hang quite high, and watering them is difficult. For convenience, you can buy a special watering can, which will greatly facilitate watering such plants. It consists of a plastic bottle with a long tube that bends at the end. Such a watering can is quite inexpensive.

What kind of water is watered with indoor plants?

Plants are preferably watered with soft water, i.e. water with a low salt content. If the water in your area is soft, then tap water is quite suitable for irrigation. Hardy plant species can be watered directly from the tap, but this should not be abused: there are not so many such plants. It is better for the water to settle for about a day. During this time, gas bubbles, especially chlorine and fluorine, will come out of it. Fluoride is very harmful to indoor plants. For watering, you can also use rainwater, melted snow and well water.

What is hard water?

Hard water contains a lot of soluble calcium and magnesium salts. It is very harmful to plants. The surface of the plant roots is covered with a skin that acts as a kind of filter.

It passes and holds inside only what the plants need. When watering with hard water, the filter "clogs up" - remember the scale on the walls of the kettle !. As a result, the roots begin to absorb water poorly and nutrients... The plant becomes hungry. In such a situation, an increase in watering only leads to rotting of the roots and the death of the plant. A sign that indicates hard water is a yellowish-white coating on the surface of the soil, on the walls of the pot, and sometimes on the stems of the plant.

How to soften hard water?

To soften hard water, wood ash is added to it at the rate of 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) per liter of water. You can also add acetic or oxalic acid to the water. This must be done very carefully, checking the pH value until the desired value is set (5.5-6.5).

Filtered hard water, that is, water passed through a demineralization plant or osmotic filtration system, will not harm your plants. To soften hard water, special filter cartridges and tablets are produced - water softeners (so-called pH tablets). If for some reason the described methods of softening hard water are not available to you, you can water the plants, especially delicate ones, with boiled water.

What should be the temperature of the water for irrigation?

Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. It is even better to take water 2-3 ° C warmer. Do not neglect this rule. Remember that watering thermophilic tropical plants with cold water can damage their roots and leaves.

Are there ways to self-regulate soil moisture?

Yes, there are such ways. Firstly, it is the so-called self-watering pot. Secondly, the cultivation of plants in a hydroponic system. In both cases, watering will require your attention once every 1 - 2 months, and in between, the plants will be provided with water automatically. In addition, there are substrates, such as hydrogels and granulates, that can hold water in the soil for a long time and give it to plants as needed.

Watering is a prerequisite for plant life. Growing without watering is impossible for any plant, they all need water. Many people water their plants "as it happens", from time to time, but do not ask the question of how to water the flowers. But in order for the plants to always look beautiful, so that watering brings the maximum benefit to them, you need to know some watering rules for domestic plants... So,

1. What water to water indoor flowers?

Water for irrigating plants can be ordinary tap water, but settled for at least a day. In order for the chlorine to evaporate, the water must be defended in an open container. Soft water for irrigation works best. Most tap water is hard. Water from wells is even harder, it is not at all suitable for watering indoor plants.

How to soften such water for irrigation? It is enough to boil it for 3 - 5 minutes. When boiled, most of the harmful salts precipitate and the water becomes soft.

It is undesirable to water the plants with distilled water, because it does not contain the mineral salts necessary for plants. The exceptions are azaleas, gardenias, ferns, camellias, orchids and some predatory plants, for which watering with distilled water is even desirable, because they should only be watered with soft water.

It is better not to use water from pump rooms and from cylinders for watering domestic plants, because its composition is not known to you, and such water can harm the plant.

Since most tap water is alkaline, it must be neutralized. If this is not done, the soil becomes alkalized over time, as a result of which the root system of the plants suffers. In order to neutralize the alkaline reaction of the aqueous medium, it must be slightly acidified. To do this, it is enough to add food citric acid to the water for irrigation at the rate of 1 teaspoon of citric acid per 5 liters of water. Citric acid is added to warm water just before watering.

2. What temperature should be the water for irrigation?

Watering indoor plants with cold water is unacceptable, because when watering with such water, the vessels of the root system of plants narrow, and as a result, moisture and nutrition poorly enter their upper part, the root gradually dies off and the plant may die. Watering with cold water flowering plants can lead to dropping of flowers and ovaries.

Cold water can and should be watered for plants that are in a dormant period. This prevents premature vegetation and plant depletion. For watering plants that have stopped growing during the period of winter dormancy, water is used colder than the temperature of the air in the room, sometimes even water with snow.

In all other cases optimum temperature water for irrigation of domestic plants is + 30–34 ° С, so the water needs to be slightly warmed up, even in summer. Watering with such water has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants.

3. What is the water consumption for watering plants?

The plant must be watered over the entire volume of the flowerpot in small portions so that the soil is saturated with water from top to bottom. You need to water until water appears in the pan. In this case, you can be sure that both the upper and lower parts of the root system will receive a sufficient amount of moisture. After 30 - 40 minutes, the water is removed from the pan. During this time, the root system of the plant will have time to absorb the moisture that it did not manage to absorb during watering. It is impossible to leave water for a longer time, otherwise you can provoke rotting of the root system. If the flowerpot is large and cannot be lifted, you can remove water from the pallet using a syringe, a sponge, and absorbent wipes.

4. When to water next?

How many times to water house plants is a question that requires an individual approach. The frequency of watering depends on the type of plant, the volume of the flowerpot, the composition of the soil, the activity of the root system and weather conditions. On cloudy and cool days, plants are watered less frequently than on clear and sunny days; with dry and warm air indoors, plants need to be watered more abundantly than with humid and colder air; plants in light and loose soil require more frequent watering than those growing in dense, heavy soil.

How to calculate watering? The best guideline for deciding on watering is the drying out of the earthy coma. The signal about the need for watering is the drying out of the upper soil layer by 1.5 - 2 cm. Succulent plants are watered after the earthen coma dries to a depth of 3 - 10 cm (the larger the container, the greater the depth of the soil should dry out).

But what if there is no way to water the plants in a timely manner (for example, during the vacation period)? How to leave flowers without watering? Can they handle this stress? Read about how to properly organize watering during a vacation or business trip.

Hebe is an exotic plant that is often grown in greenhouses and conservatories. In the southern regions, it is cultivated as a regular outdoor garden flower.

What does a hebe flower look like?

The flower attracts attention with leathery shiny leaves. Inflorescences in shape resemble heather in an increased size. The length of the inflorescences reaches 10 cm, while they brighten as they bloom. Plants bloom profusely from May to July.

The shades of hebe flowers are different

Description of species:

• Boxwood. Container culture. The leaves are similar to those of boxwood. The maximum height is 50 cm. The inflorescences are white, with a slightly pinkish tinge.
• Cypress. Small leaves of green or bronze color resemble needles. Low-growing variety (up to 30 cm).
• Racayenne. Tall species - up to 1 m. Leaves are small, oblong. Unpretentious, tolerates a transplant without any problems. Resistant to frost.
• Thick-leaved. Includes low and medium-sized varieties. Container culture. The leaves are thick and fleshy. The flowers are white.

In warm regions, they are grown as perennials.

Planting and caring for a hebe flower

These shrubs are picky about the composition of the soil, they can grow well even on poor soils. They are negative only for heavy clay soil. But still, for young plants, before planting, it is advisable to prepare a good loose substrate of sand, peat, turf and leafy soil.

The plant prefers bright lighting... But, so that the flower does not suffer due to the abundance of sunlight, at first it must be shaded. Chebe blooms weakly in the shade. These plants love moisture, so watering should be abundant, the earth should not dry out. In hot weather, it is advisable to spray the bushes regularly. During the period of intensive growth, the shrub must be fed with complex fertilizers.

In the spring, you can carry out anti-aging pruning, remove stem cuttings and increase watering

Watering for plants is of the utmost importance, just as drinking water is for humans. Without enough water to dissolve essential nutrients in the soil, plants not only wither, but starve. Water is essential for all physiological processes: photosynthesis, movement of organic compounds formed as a result of photosynthesis, as well as for the absorption of minerals in the form of soil solutions.

Watering is one of the most important activities to ensure the viability of plants. The task of irrigation should be solved in conjunction with the problem of achieving optimal soil permeability. The plant can rot from superficial waterlogging, while experiencing an acute moisture deficit. To increase the permeability of heavy soils (soil for planting plants), sand, compost, peat should be added to them. Usually in modern mixes there are no such problems - everything is balanced.

Water for irrigation must have neutral acid-base balance and minimal amount of toxic impurities(chlorine, fluorine, heavy metals, etc.). The ideal option is natural rainwater, purified, spring or distilled (then with the use of fertilizers) water. Tap water is moderately suitable for irrigation only after settling for a day and stabilization of the acid-base balance. Activated carbon cleaning removes chlorine and fluorine, but retains calcium and heavy metal salts. Filters or commercial water can be used.

The main rule for watering plants: water only when the soil in the pot dries out. Constant excess moisture is harmful - it leads to disruption of normal air exchange in the soil. The root system needs constant oxygen supply. With its lack and with an excess of moisture, the roots gradually die off, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. This means that the plant has been flooded. It is necessary to reduce watering, and in some cases, to save the plant, you need to cut it off and try to root the cuttings from it, having previously held them in water. With strict observance of the main rule, it should be borne in mind that watering plants of different groups and species has its own characteristics.

The need for plants in water is determined by their specific features: the structure of the aboveground organs, the power of the root system, etc. For example, plants with succulent, fleshy leaves (such as agave, aloe, etc.) require less water than plants with large leaves, which sometimes need to be watered twice a day. Excess moisture is harmful to bulbous plants. It is best to water them by directing the stream of water not to the onion, but closer to the walls of the pot, or water from the pallet.

There are plants that are very sensitive to lack of moisture, such as araucaria. When its twigs begin to hang, no amount of watering will help. Araucaria should be monitored constantly and, in addition to watering, spray the plant as often as possible, several times a day.

There are a number of important requirements for irrigation water. Here are the main ones: purity of water, low content of salts and minerals, complete absence of toxic impurities and foreign inclusions, neutral or slightly acidic acid reaction. For irrigation, in most cases, tap water from the general water supply network, well water (outside the city), water from a well, water from a nearby reservoir (that is, river or lake) and rainwater are used. Naturally, each type of water has its own characteristics and characteristics, which indicate the degree of its suitability for irrigation.

Tap water goes through filtration and various stages of purification, everyone knows what makes it drinkable. This water is also suitable for irrigation, although it is worth noting that the content of minerals in it is quite low and, depending on the season, the chlorine content can significantly increase.

Well water or well water, on the contrary, it is distinguished by a high content of salts and minerals, since, passing through the soil, it washes away valuable trace elements, which is a positive property for water. But still, the content of minerals in the water should not be overestimated, since then it will become unsuitable for watering plants.

Pond water perhaps the least suitable type of irrigation water, mainly due to the high risk of containing toxic waste, rotting products, chemical substances, bacteria, foreign inclusions and other dangerous impurities.

Rainwater much softer than tap water, has an almost neutral acid reaction, and in addition, it has a rather high content of dissolved oxygen. Thanks to all these characteristics, rainwater can be considered very valuable for plants, and there is a very definite sense in collecting it. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that in conditions of extremely polluted the environment Inevitably, harmful chemical compounds, heavy metals, lime dust (which makes the water hard), combustion products of liquid and solid fuels in the form of soot and droplets of oily liquid get into rainwater, which significantly reduces the value of rainwater.

To reduce the degree of pollution of rainwater, and therefore the associated risk, a number of rules should be observed when collecting it. Since rainwater collection tanks are in the vast majority of cases installed under downpipes and gutters, before entering the barrel, water flows down the roof, washing away dust, chemical compounds, soot and other "harmful" substances that have settled on it. The water of the first precipitation is especially heavily polluted after a long period of drought. the amount of dirt accumulated on the roofs is especially high. Therefore, it is not recommended to collect rainwater if there has been no rainfall for a long time. When the rain takes on a strong and prolonged character, you can refuse the volume of water that falls in the first half hour, this time is quite enough to wash away the main dust containing harmful impurities from the roof. In order to be able to regulate the flow of water into the barrel, a valve can be installed in the sump, closing which you will direct water from downspout on the ground, when its collection in a container is undesirable for one reason or another.

Signs of a lack of water

Leaves drooping, loss of turgor by leaves and shoots.

In plants with soft, delicate leaves (Vanka wet), they become lethargic and droop. In plants with hard, leathery leaves (ficus, laurel, oleander myrtle, etc.), they dry up and crumble (first of all, old leaves fall off).

Flowers and buds fall off or wither quickly.

Signs of excess water

Leaves drooping, there are soft areas with signs of rot.

Slowdown in growth

Curled, yellowed and withered leaves, the tips of the leaves are brown.

Both old and young leaves fall off.

Mold on flowers.

There is a golden rule of watering plants - it is better to water less, but more often than less often and in large quantities. It should be noted that wilting of leaves is not always associated with a lack of water. This can happen under the influence of sunlight, on the first clear day, a field of long cloudy weather.

Watering is conventionally divided, depending on the characteristics of the plants, into the following types:

Mandatory watering.

Plants are watered immediately after the earthen coma dries. Such watering is required by most tropical plants with thin delicate leaves, as well as some plants with leathery leaves (for example, lemon, ficus, gardenia, ivy, coffee). Both those and others suffer greatly from overdrying: the leaves turn yellow and crumble, or wither and fall, without restoring their previous position. All plants need abundant watering during flowering and growth: even with a slight overdrying, young shoots, buds and flowers may suffer.

Moderate watering.

The plants are not watered immediately after the earthen coma dries, but after a day or two, that is, they are slightly dried. So water plants with fleshy or strongly pubescent stems and leaves, with thick roots and rhizomes (palms, dracaena) and also with aquifer tubers on the roots (asparagus) and bulbous. For some species, light drying is a prerequisite during the dormant period, as it stimulates the formation and maturation of flower buds.

Excessive watering (signs).

Before an overly wetted plant begins to wilt, it will appear to appear weakened. The plant on the left was over-watered, and the plant on the right received a normal amount of water.

Rare watering.

Plants are left dry for several days, weeks, months. This applies to succulents (cacti, aloe), as well as deciduous tuberous and bulbous, which have a dormant period.

Most plants are watered abundantly in summer and moderately in winter. The main watering is best done in the morning. With each watering, the plant needs to be given enough water so that it soaks the entire earthen lump well and comes out onto the saucer. If air bubbles are visible on the soil surface, watering is repeated until they are gone. Watering little by little every day is not recommended, since in this case the water will only wet the top layer of the earth, and the roots at the bottom of the pot will dry out.

Usually, plants are watered from above so that the excess of calcium, magnesium and other elements contained in the water, which negatively affects the root system, is absorbed by the upper soil layer, which has fewer roots. Sometimes, fearing the appearance of spots on the leaves or rotting of the tubers when water gets on them, the plants are watered from below, pouring water into a saucer. This should not be done. Spots on the leaves can be avoided by using warm water, because spots are formed as a result of a large difference in temperature between leaves heated in the sun and cold water. Water from a saucer or pots after watering is drained so that the roots do not rot. This is especially important to do in autumn and winter.

If the water does not seep onto the sump during watering, but stagnates on the surface, you need to check if the drainage hole is clogged. Sometimes, on the contrary, water flows out very quickly onto the saucer. This means that the soil is very dry, water flows down the walls of the pot, without having time to wet it. These plants need to be watered very well by placing them in a bowl of lukewarm water so that it completely covers the pot and sprinkling with warm water. When air bubbles cease to appear on the soil surface, the pots are removed from the water.

Water the plants with water at room temperature (18-24 ° C) or slightly warmer. At low temperatures, the root system is inactive, therefore, too warm water cannot be used in winter, so as not to cause premature plant growth. In summer, plants are watered with warmer water (up to 30-32 ° C). The hotter it is in the room, the warmer the water used for watering and spraying plants should be. Watering with cold water, especially in a warm room, can cause leaves to fall off.

Irrigation water should be soft, slightly acidic, free of calcium and magnesium salts. It is not recommended to use rainwater and melt water in industrial areas, as it may have an alkaline reaction and contain impurities harmful to plants. More often, for irrigation, you have to use tap water containing chlorine, calcium and magnesium salts, which negatively affect plants. The high content of calcium salts in water leads to the fact that the most important nutrients found in the soil (phosphorus, iron, manganese, aluminum, boron, etc.) are converted into compounds inaccessible to plants.

A few words about how to water your plants while on vacation. Before leaving for a few days, place the plants in a bowl of water about 1/3 the height of the pot. If you are going to be absent for a longer time (3-4 weeks), fill the containers with peat or earth to a height of 15-20 cm, dig in the plants, water them well beforehand, and moisten them again. Plants should be placed in a lighted place, but not in the sun. There is another way to water. Above the plants, a vessel with water is placed, from which a woolen or cotton cord, which conducts water well, is lowered into each pot. The plant pot can be placed above the water container. In this case, the other end of the cord is inserted into the drain hole.

Watering bonsai

In summer, in dry, hot, or windy weather, bonsai is usually watered twice a day (early morning or evening). If the weather is not very dry and hot, then once a day. In winter or in cold, wet weather, the tree is less active and evaporation from the soil surface is slower. Therefore, it is watered once a day if the soil is not frozen and the temperature is positive.

Deciduous bonsai species need more water in summer than evergreen, conifers, which have specialized leaves that retain moisture better. In winter, on the contrary, deciduous ones consume less water than conifers, which continue to grow, albeit slowly. Pine trees tolerate a lack of water in the soil relatively painlessly, while large-leaved deciduous ones, especially in hot weather, need abundant and frequent watering.

It is more convenient to water by immersing the container in a container of water so that the water covers the soil surface. At the same time, the clod of soil is not washed out and the soil is impregnated more evenly and completely. Whereas when watering from above, if the top layer dries out, watering is difficult, since the water can roll off without wetting the soil. Do not keep the container in a vessel with water for a long time, as the root system may be damaged. Only some plants, (for example, marsh cypress), do not suffer from prolonged exposure of the roots in water and waterlogging of the soil.

For irrigation, you can use water from reservoirs, rain or tap water. Tap water contains too much calcium and chloride. It must be kept at room temperature for 24 hours to evaporate the chlorides.

Irrigation water should not be too cold or hot.

In addition to moistening the soil in the container, it is recommended to periodically spray the crown of the plant with water. This technique not only cleans the leaves of the plant from dust, but also humidifies the air, which is especially important to do as often as possible to maintain the moss cover in the container. However, you should avoid waterlogging of the soil with frequent spraying. It is not recommended to spray the plant in bright and hot sun.

Watering orchids

One of the most important conditions successful cultivation orchids, is the quality of the water. Water for plants is not only a source of food and drink at the same time, but also the ability to regulate their temperature.

In nature, plants use rainwater, which is a super-weak acid solution. But, unfortunately, it's not a secret for anyone that in cities, from the sky, far from harmless liquid is pouring.

For orchids (and for other indoor plants), it is recommended to use soft to moderately hard water... Measuring water hardness is not an easy procedure, so let's take it as an axiom that in St. Petersburg and the Baltic States the water is soft, in Moscow it is moderately hard, in Kiev it is very hard. The faster the scale builds up in your kettle, the harder the water.

The simplest way to reduce water hardness is to boil it.- in which part of the calcium salts precipitate. Oxalic acid reduces hardness well (you can buy it in chemical stores, sometimes in flower shops, for example, I saw it in the House of Violets on Nagatinskaya Street). This is done as follows: Add about 1/8 teaspoon of acid (it is in powder) to a 5-liter canister of cold tap water. We defend the water during the day in an open container, it is even better to cut off the very upper part of the canister in order to enlarge the neck. Water must be defended necessarily open due to the fact that during the chemical reaction of binding calcium salts, volatile chlorine compounds are formed, which must evaporate. At the end of the day, an insoluble precipitate of calcium salts precipitates at the bottom of the canister. The resulting water must be carefully, trying not to shake up the sediment, pour into a clean dish. Just in case, I never pour out the water to the end - I leave somewhere half a liter so that the sediment does not fall. The canister should be transparent - this way it is more convenient to monitor the sediment. In my practice, if the water with acid has settled for more than 2 days, the precipitate stops stirring up and it is safe to drain clean water.

Another way is to immerse a bag of high-moor peat in a bucket of water overnight - the water is also acidified.

If you water the plants with distilled water, then remember that it is completely desalinated. Therefore, distilled water must either be mixed with ordinary settled water, or special fertilizers must be dissolved in it.

Iron water is even more dangerous for orchids than hard water. When standing, such water becomes cloudy and has a noticeable taste of rust.

An equally important condition for the suitability of water is its acidity. Acidic water - pH less than 5 and very rare. Alkaline water can be easily acidified with regular lemon. If your water shows a pH above 7 (you can measure it either with pH meters or with litmus paper - sold in chemical stores), then by dripping lemon juice you lower the pH value to 6, and measure how many drops you need for what volume water flowing from your tap.

Properly prepared water is useful to saturate with oxygen before watering.- for this you just need to pour it in a thin stream from one container to another. The water temperature should be room temperature or slightly higher. Phalaenopsis, for example, prefer warm water.

The easiest way is to either use filtered water or water the plants (including bonsai and orchids) with purchased water. An option is to buy special oxygen water, which is good for both humans and animals and plants, an example of such water is.

Watering rules

It is best to water the plants only with soft rain, river or pond water. Hard water (including well water) containing various salts should be avoided. Aroids, azaleas, orchids, ferns, camellias are especially poorly tolerating hard water. Those plants that grow on calcareous soils tolerate watering with hard water well.

Be aware that rainwater can be contaminated with industrial emissions if you live in or near an industrial area.

Chlorinated water from the water supply is defended for at least a day so that the chlorine has time to evaporate.

The water temperature should be at least at least room temperature. This rule is especially important when watering tropical plants. It is recommended to water cacti with warmer water. Watering plants with cold water can cause root rot, bud fall, and even plant death. On the contrary, watering plants with warm water in a cold room is also undesirable, because this will lead to premature plant growth.

Successful floriculture is possible only if you learn to water your plants on time and in the required quantity, which is not easy ..

The task of proper watering is to give each plant exactly as much water as it needs in the given conditions.

When buying a new plant, novice florists often ask: "How many times a week do you need to water it?"

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Watering depends on the size of the room and temperature, the size of the pot and the material from which it is made, the composition of the soil, the state of the root system, the period of growth or dormancy.
If the same plant in the summer on the balcony at a temperature of 25 ° C requires daily watering, and in a room at the same temperature it is necessary to water it only once every 3 days. In winter, the same plant is watered once a week at a temperature of 16 ° C.

Let's try to understand this issue in more detail.

Plant water needs

Plant tissues consist of 80% or more water; with a lack of moisture, many life processes get confused. Usually, the roots constantly supply water to the aerial part of the plant, and the leaves evaporate it. If the plant is dry and hot, more water evaporates, so the plant is protected from wilting and from sunburn... If watering is insufficient and the ground is dry, there will be nothing to evaporate, there comes a time when the plants will begin to wither and may die.

If the plant is tropical and is accustomed to constantly moist soil, then it does not have the "habit" of storing water. There are, of course, exceptions, for example, Epiphytes with reservoirs for water - funnels of closed leaves or thick succulent leaves and roots.

If the plant belongs to climatic zones where rainy seasons are replaced by dry ones - they are able to adapt, accumulating water in stems, leaves, rhizomes.

Some plants, resisting drying out, shed their leaves for the duration of the waterless season or simply close the stomata on the leaves, which are additionally protected by dense pubescence, dense skin, waxy bloom, etc. Plants of deserts and semi-deserts are especially not critical to the lack of moisture. They accumulate water in leaves, stems, or even change leaves for thorns, at the same time protecting themselves from thirsty animals.

Definition by appearance

The appearance of the plant tells us how often it needs to be watered and how much the potted soil needs to be moistened.

Plants with heavily dissected leaves orlarge light and thin leaves, as well as with thin delicate roots, do not approve of the complete drying of the substrate. But waterlogging is dangerous for these species as well. the roots do not receive oxygen for breathing. At home, plant roots are found in loose soils made from rotting branches, leaves and other organic materials.

If the leaves, stems or roots of tropical or subtropical plants are succulent and thickened, they are adapted to a lack of moisture and do not need constant moisture. Such plants are watered after the upper part of the substrate dries. Succulent plants from arid habitats are watered in summer only after the earthen coma is completely dry. In winter, watering is minimized or stopped altogether.

The most "convenient" for beginner growers are those pets that, with a lack of moisture, lower their leaves, but after watering they immediately restore the elasticity of the shoots. A hibiscus takes less than an hour to do this. But there are plants that do not forgive the complete drying of the substrate and die. These include ferns, fuchsias, azaleas, gardenias, conifers. The latter can have a decent look for a long time, despite the dried roots, especially in a cool room, and then turn yellow and crumble.

Waterlogging

Over-watering is much more likely to shorten the life of plants than other owner mistakes. This is "helped" by the use of purely peat soils, which have a very high moisture capacity,

Often the soil is still wet. Meanwhile, in room culture, there is only one plant that likes it, though only in warmth. Cyperuses can be placed in pots with water or in the pool, because they grow in their homeland along the river banks like our cattail. Most indoor plants, being in waterlogged soil, stop growing normally, putrefactive root diseases develop, and brown spots appear on the leaves. From the roots, the disease quickly passes through the vessels to the shoots, and the plant quickly dies.

Watering rules

Only practice will help you understand the rules of watering. First you need to focus on the weight of the pot, if you salted the plant yourself and know what is used as drainage and what is the composition of the soil. It is easier to learn to distinguish between soil of different moisture content. Even very experienced flower growers, not trusting their eyes, try the ground by touch, so as not to water it again.

With rare poor watering the soil contains very little moisture and appears completely dry on the surface a couple of days after watering. At the same time, at the bottom of the pot, the earth is usually slightly moistened.

Moderate watering is recommended for most indoor plants. It is adjusted so that the soil is constantly slightly damp throughout the entire depth of the container. The surface looks wet only immediately after watering. But there should be no water in the pan, and if water remains half an hour after watering, it is drained. If after a day or two the surface of the earth has dried up, this does not always mean that it is time for watering.

If you stick a thin dry splinter almost to the bottom, you can see wet soil particles adhering to it. Water. of course, it is still early, but the surface of the substrate can be sprayed. To keep the soil in the pot dry evenly, you can cover its surface with a layer of moss, use clay pots, or use high drainage. A lot also depends on the shape of the pot. The soil dries faster and smoother in wide low containers, and in narrow conical and high pots, the top of the soil can be completely dry, while at the bottom the soil is still waterlogged.

Therefore, plants that are afraid of waterlogging, for example, alocasia, are more suitable for low containers, and for conifers a low bowl is a big risk.

Abundant watering is recommended for few plants, and mostly in summer. A well-dampened pound has absorbed a maximum of water. This happens when a vessel with a plant is placed in a container with water and left until completely saturated. As a rule, this is the only way to burn plants in which, for one reason or another, the soil protrudes as a mound above the surface of the pot, for example, in trees grown using the bonsai technique. If the plant is improperly planted, water can drain off the walls of the container during watering and go out into the pallet, although the earthen lump remains practically dry. The plant wilts, although it is often watered.

It is enough to put it "on a flood", as air will begin to bubble out of the dried earthen coma. For uniform soil moisture, when planting, it is necessary to compact it well near the walls of the pot.

There are a few more rules regarding watering.

The higher the air temperature, the more water the plants need. The larger the pot, the less often the plant planted in it is watered. Clay pots dry out faster than plastic ones.

Water quality

What should be the quality of the oxen for watering?

Of course, it should not be rusty and not too hard, chlorine free, not cold. There is an easy way to determine how much calcium salt is in your tap water. When spraying plants with firm, dark green, glossy leaves, too hard water leaves noticeable whitish spots. Less hard leaves streaks, and soft leaves almost no marks. In most cases, plants need very little calcium salts, their excess settles on the roots, on the walls of the pot, on expanded clay drainage, protrudes on the surface of the substrate and ultimately leads to root diseases.

There are several ways to soften water for irrigation. It is best to use a special filter, but you can dilute hard water with boiled or distilled water. You cannot water the plants only with water poured from the tap because of the presence of chlorine and other substances used for disinfection in it. In addition, it is always colder than necessary. When standing, chlorine evaporates, calcium salts are concentrated at the bottom; and its temperature rises to room temperature.

It remains to carefully pour half of the settled water into the watering can, add a little boiling water so that the temperature is several degrees above room temperature, and you can start watering It is even easier to use cooled to the required temperature for watering hot water, which, as a rule, does not contain an excess of calcium and chlorine salts. Sometimes water for irrigation has to be slightly acidified with lemon juice or citric acid if alkalization of the substrate occurs and chlorosis appears in plants.

"Room and garden plants"No. 48 (148)

Plants require water for normal growth and development, although the amount varies significantly depending on the type of plant.

As a rule, water is absorbed by the roots from the substrate, although epiphytic plants absorb it more by the leaves than by the roots. Evaporation of moisture occurs from the entire aboveground surface of the plant, mainly from the surface of the leaves. As a result, a sucking force is created, due to which water is constantly absorbed from the soil. Therefore, the substrate must always contain enough moisture to meet the needs of the plant.

But the roots also need air in the gaps between the substrate particles. If these voids are filled with water, the roots will rot and the plant will die.

That's why watering indoor plants- a delicate question, since these plants have very little soil around the roots.

More plants die from waterlogged soil than from any other cause.

Dishes for watering indoor plants.

The most needed equipment for watering indoor plants - this is long spout watering can , although many devices have been invented that make it possible to determine the need for a plant for watering or to carry it out when the owner is not at home.

If you put a sieve on the spout, you can wash off the dust from the leaves, for which you need to use soft water; hard water leaves lime streaks on them.

Some indoor plants that require highly moist soil (for example, cyperus) can be placed in pallet with water , so that the water reaches the ground level. If the pan is wide enough, the constant evaporation of water from it will create a more humid atmosphere.

To increase moisture, use hand sprayer .

How often should you water your indoor plants?

Each plant has its own requirements for the water regime. That, how often to water indoor plants depends on many factors. Watering frequency - the value is not constant; it depends on the size of the plant, the size of the pot, on the environmental conditions and especially on the season ... Therefore, you need to be guided by your observations.

Plants of deserts, swamps, plants from climates with variable moisture have found shelter in our rooms. Accordingly, they are watered in different ways.

Often, seeing withered leaves, they begin to water the plant more abundantly. This is not entirely correct, since there are many reasons for wilting. Feel the potted soil: if it's dry, the plant really needs to be watered, but if the soil is wet, wilting may be due to over-watering. In this case, the roots, not receiving enough oxygen, gradually die off, then putrefactive bacteria settle on them, and the plant begins to ache. Watering should be reduced. Let the roots breathe, let the plant rest from the water.

Withering is also caused by pests or pathogens. And in this case, watering must be reduced.

The withering of the leaves of indoor plants can occur under the influence of sunlight, on the first clear day after a long cloudy weather. And before sinning on improper watering, other errors should be excluded that give a similar reaction to a houseplant.

Don't make watering a regular rite, for example, every Sunday. Each plant has its own correct interval between watering - balsam may require daily watering in the summer, and the astrophytum cactus does not need water at all in winter.

Potted soil should generally be moderately moist. It is impossible to allow abrupt transitions from a lack of moisture to its excess. This means that watering must be regular and even. The need for indoor plants for water is determined by their specific features: the structure of the aboveground organs, the power of the root system, etc.

The interval between waterings different plants varies with seasons and changes in containment conditions.

Araucaria

Plants with succulent, fleshy leaves (such as agave, aloe, etc.) require less water than plants with large leaves, which sometimes need to be watered twice a day.

A newly rooted cuttings require much less water than an adult plant.

Excess moisture is harmful to bulbous plants. It is best to water them by directing the stream of water not to the onion, but closer to the walls of the pot, or water from the pallet.

There are plants that are very sensitive to lack of moisture, such as araucaria. When its twigs begin to hang, no watering will help.

In winter, during the dormant period, the growth of indoor plants slows down or stops, at this time indoor plants need less water and water them much less often, sometimes up to 2 - 3 times a month, waterlogging of the soil should be avoided.

On the contrary, in spring and summer, when the indoor plant has a period of growth and flowering, watering is needed more often (perhaps from one to three times a week). With a slight overdrying, young shoots of a houseplant, buds and flowers may suffer.

The need for water increases with temperature and light intensity. Plants in small pots and those that have not been transplanted for a long time require more frequent watering than plants in large containers or freshly transplanted. Plants in ceramic pots should be watered more often than in plastic ones; plants in double pots require less watering.

There is a golden rule of watering indoor plants - it is better to water less, but more often than less often and in large quantities.

Water for watering indoor plants.

Watering indoor plants is advised only with soft water - rain, river or pond. The most common is rainwater. It is to this kind of water that the leaves of most plants are accustomed, so it is best suited for spraying.

Hard water (including well water) containing various salts should be avoided.

The main element, the content of which must be taken into account when watering, is calcium. It enters the water when it passes through limestone, chalk, dolomite, gypsum and other limestone rocks. In this case, the water becomes hard (soap foam is poorly formed in it). The hardness of the water is due to the formation of scale on the walls of teapots, plaque on water taps and pipes.

Exactly the same plaque from poorly soluble calcium salts is formed when watering plants with hard water. Remember that not all plants can tolerate increased calcium concentrations. Of course, this element is required for normal life any plant. However, you apply other fertilizers only from time to time, and calcium - with each watering.

Aroids, azaleas, orchids, ferns, camellias are especially poorly tolerated by hard water.

Watering with hard water is well tolerated by those indoor plants that grow on calcareous soils.

But, given the state of our ecology, the pollution of natural reservoirs, as well as the possible pollution of rainwater from industrial emissions (if you live in an industrial area or not far from it), watering indoor plants with tap water is not such a bad way out.

However, before watering indoor plants, chlorinated water from the water supply system must be allowed to stand for at least a day so that the chlorine has time to evaporate.

Do not use every last drop of settled water. If sediment has formed at the bottom, then it will be better for the plants if it does not fall into the pot.

The water temperature for watering indoor plants should be at least not lower than room temperature. This rule is especially important when watering tropical indoor plants. It is recommended to water cacti with warmer water. Watering indoor plants with cold water can cause root rot, bud fall, and even plant death.

On the contrary, watering indoor plants with warm water in a cold room is also not desirable, because this will lead to premature growth of the indoor plant.

Proper watering of indoor plants.

In most plants, the substrate should be kept slightly moist during the growing period. Water the plant until water begins to seep through the drainage holes in the pot. Leave the plant for 10 to 30 minutes and then drain off any remaining water on the pan. Do not re-irrigate until the surface of the substrate is dry to the touch: the surface of the substrate dries first, and the substrate itself is still moist inside.

Warmer conditions require more frequent watering.

In winter, for most plants, the amount of moisture should be limited. During this period, growth slows down or stops altogether, so the roots require less water and are more prone to rot in cooler conditions.

Certain species require frequent watering and should not be allowed to dry out; and a plant like cyperus has adapted to the constant presence of roots in water.

Some plants, such as cacti, prefer dry conditions and only need a small amount of moisture.

How to properly water indoor plants?

Watering methods for indoor plants.

There are several ways to water your indoor plants. They depend on the dishes in which you planted the plants, the pallets and on the characteristics of the plant itself.

The most traditional and easiest way to water is from above. The substrate surface is moistened with a watering can. The soil should not be washed away with a sharp stream, it is better to water in small portions so that the water does not stagnate, flooding the bases of leaves and stems. It is undesirable to spray water on the leaves when watering. It is best to use a long-nosed watering can for this.

The appearance of water in the pan is a sign that the plant has been watered sufficiently. Wait for all excess moisture to collect in the pan, and then drain it. With this method of watering, the mineral salts necessary for plant growth are quickly washed out of the pot. To compensate for this loss, feed your plants regularly, especially during the growing season.

However, many plants, such as cyclamens, do not like it when splashes of water hit their leaves, which causes them to rot. In this case, bottom watering is used. For bottom watering, water is poured directly into the sump. Due to capillary forces, water rises up the substrate and evaporates from the surface. After 30 minutes, the excess water must be drained from the pallet.

Bottom watering can also be used if the clod of earth is very dry and a gap has formed between the wall of the pot and the soil. With top watering, the water quickly flows into the pan without moistening the substrate, and only by lowering the pot into the water, they achieve good wetting.

The lower watering, compared to the upper watering, has the opposite disadvantage: salts accumulate in an excessive amount in the pot. One of the signs of this is the formation of a lime crust on the soil. This crust can serve as a source of infection for plants, in addition, the roots of many plants are damaged by excess salts. The crust is removed with the top layer of earth 1.5 - 2 cm and a new substrate is poured into the pot.

If the substrate is very dry, place the pot to the brim in a container of water and leave until completely moistened, but do not let the water overflow over the top of the pot. Allow the water to drain properly before placing the plant on the tray.

By "bathing" the pot in water, water the saintpaulias, cyclamens and all other plants that do not tolerate the ingress of water on the leaves.

When bottom watering, remember to feed the plants. However, shortly before feeding, rinse the earthen lump by watering from above or by repeatedly lowering the pot into the water.

Types of watering indoor plants.

Rare watering of indoor plants.

Indoor plants are left dry for several days, weeks, months. Rare watering is suitable for cacti and succulents, as well as deciduous tuberous and bulbous indoor plants that have a dormant period (crinum, gloxinia, hippeastrum, caladium).

1. Allow the substrate to dry half to two-thirds before watering. Check the moisture content of the substrate with a stick.

2. Water the plant from above - the water should be absorbed into the substrate, but not overflowing onto the pan.

3. Recheck the wetting of the substrate with a stick, add more water if necessary.

Moderate watering of indoor plants.

Indoor plants are watered not immediately after the earthen coma dries, but after one or two days, that is, when the earth in the pot dries up.

Moderate watering is applied to indoor plants with fleshy or strongly pubescent stems and leaves (paperomia, columnea), with thick roots and rhizomes (palms, dracaena, aspidistra, aroid), as well as with aquifer tubers on the roots (asparagus, chlorophytum, arrowroot) and bulbous ...

For some types of indoor plant lung drying is a prerequisite during the rest period, as it stimulates the laying and maturation of flower buds (zygocactus, clivia).

1. Allow the top 13 mm of the substrate to dry before watering. Check moisture by touch.

2. Water the plant from above until the entire substrate is completely moist, but not wet.

3. If some water has leaked into the sump, drain it and stop watering. Do not let the plant stand in water.

Without watering the garden and vegetable garden fruit trees and other crops will not yield the harvest you expected, and in dry seasons they will die altogether. There are several ways to water the garden and garden, and before resorting to one of them or using the whole complex, you need to familiarize yourself with the watering rules.

Watering rates for plants in the garden and in the garden

Watering your garden in summer, spring and fall is difficult but necessary. Therefore, irrigation systems must be easy to manufacture, reliable and safe to maintain.

The small industrial sprinkler heads make watering much easier. The nozzle is inserted into a hose, which is vertically secured with a wire or clamp on a pole stuck in the ground. When fed into the hose, water is sprayed, moistening the soil. Having finished watering one area, the hose with the pole is rearranged to another place, and the process is repeated.

You can run a pipeline with vertical pipes, attaching a nozzle to each, and opening the valve to water the entire area at once. Pipe irrigation is often used. In this case, pipes with holes are laid in the garden. The water supplied under pressure through the holes enters the furrows dug to a depth of 20–30 cm near the plants at a distance of 0.5–1 m from their trunks (depending on age).

According to the need for water, fruit crops can be arranged as follows (from more demanding to less demanding): quince, apple, pear, plum, walnut, cherry, cherry, peach, apricot.

Watering of orchards is carried out taking into account the phases of the growing season of fruit plants. Before flowering, there is usually enough moisture accumulated in the soil in winter period.

During the flowering period, gardens are watered if the soil is dry and flowering is abundant.

In June - July, the garden usually needs watering if the amount of rainfall is insufficient. Water during this period is required for the growth of shoots, fruits and the laying of fruit buds.

It is recommended to irrigate fruit-bearing gardens during the summer in case of insufficient rainfall five to six times in the southern regions and 3-4 times in the north, and young plantations - 3-4 times more often. With a high yield and a sufficient amount of fertilizers, the number of irrigations should be increased.

Irrigation rates for gardens depend on the age of plants, soil composition, yield, etc. It is believed that for a garden area of ​​5 acres (0.05 ha), an average of 15–30 m3 of water is required per irrigation. Loosening of the soil is necessary 1-2 days after each watering. In the case of mulching the soil, the number of irrigations can be halved.

The amount of water available to plants depends on many factors. Including on the type and depth of the soil, the depth of the root system, the rate of water loss during evaporation, on the temperature and rate of moisture entering the soil.

The rate at which water is extracted from the soil is a function of root concentration. The deeper the root system, the lower the speed. More than 40% of water is extracted from the upper root layer.

The water entering the soil moves at the speed with which the field moisture capacity is created. The movement of water in the soil from bottom to top is carried out by capillary forces. The loss of water to evaporation affects only the upper layers of the soil. During periods of prolonged drought, it is easy to recognize plants with a shallow root system.

The correct watering time is especially important for the development of vegetable crops and obtaining the maximum yield. In addition, watering norms must be observed. For example, just wetting the soil surface is not enough for water to penetrate the root system. According to the observations of specialists, a 3-centimeter layer of water penetrates into the soil to a depth of 25 cm. To soak a 0.5 hectare site to such a depth, 130,000 liters of water should be spent. During prolonged drought, frequent light watering does not benefit the plants, since the water does not reach the main volume of the root system, and a hard crust appears on the ground. At the same time, the plants develop superficial lateral roots, which also suffer during prolonged dry weather.

Sandy soils dry out much faster than clay soils and require more frequent watering. To find out how things are with the soil moisture on the site, you need to dig a hole 20-30 cm deep with a shovel. If the soil at such a depth is slightly wet or dry, you should immediately water it.

Most of all, moisture is required for vegetable crops during intensive growth, that is, from late spring to mid-summer, when the development of plants is determined precisely by the availability of water. In late summer, excess moisture can harm some crops. For example, melons and watermelons are not watered during ripening. Tomatoes can also crack from excess moisture before they turn red. But still, for most plants, watering rates are determined at the rate of 10-15 l / m2 per week. Irrigation rates for ornamental crops are close to those for vegetable crops.

Most of the water is absorbed by plants in spring and summer. Particular attention should be paid to watering when planting trees and shrubs so that the soil fits tightly to their roots. Plants outdoors in summer are susceptible to natural drying out by exposure to sunlight, although they get enough moisture with winter precipitation. It is interesting that a 1 mm layer of rainwater gives 10 m3 per hectare, that is, 10 tons. Snow cover 40 cm thick - 1000 tons of water per hectare, or 100 liters per 1 m2. It is necessary to ensure that the soil near the walls, fences and under the trees fully receives moisture, since there are certain difficulties when watering in these places. Plants in pots and tubs dry out quickly and need regular watering in summer.

How to properly water fruit trees and garden watering video

Lack of water adversely affects the growth, fruiting and winter hardiness of fruit trees. But an excess of moisture is even more destructive for them. In waterlogged soil, gas exchange decreases, vital microbiological processes slow down, the temperature in the habitat of the root system decreases, which can lead to the death of some of the roots. For fruit trees, frequent watering is also harmful when only the surface layer of the soil is moistened. This only brings harm, since it prevents free air exchange. Watering of fruit trees should be carried out to a depth of 60-80 cm. To determine the availability of water in the soil, it is necessary to dig a hole with a scoop to a depth of 40-50 cm, take a lump of earth in a handful and squeeze it tightly. If it retains its shape, then the humidity is normal, and if the earth crumbles in the palm of your hand, watering is required. True, for sandy soil, this method is less indicative.

Before watering fruit trees properly, you need to determine when to do it. Under one of the trees, when planting at a depth of 1–1.5 m, a plastic vessel is buried, half filled with gravel, and then soil from the surface of the site. The vessel is connected with a hose to another, buried nearby at the same level. Above it, a bottle with a capacity of 20 liters is stuck in the ground with the neck down. 2 tubes are passed through the bottle cork: atmospheric air enters one, and the other is lowered into the second plastic vessel.

As the wood depletes moisture, its amount in the first vessel will begin to decrease, and water from the bottle will flow into the second vessel. To know exactly when to start watering, a critical level mark is made on the wall of the bottle. The soil layer in the garden should be moistened to the depth of the root system, for which 600–1000 m3 of water should be consumed per hectare with a single irrigation. If we talk about watering each tree, then for a 3-5-year-old specimen, a single watering should be 5-8 buckets, for a 7-10-year-old - 12-15 buckets, and older trees are watered even more abundantly. For example, with a crown diameter of 3 m, an apple tree needs 20 buckets of water during the first spring irrigation and 30-35 buckets during the second.

And how to water the garden, taking into account the composition of the soil? With light sandy soils, more frequent watering is necessary, but with a lower rate of water consumption; with heavy clayey - rare, but abundant.

Here you can watch a video of watering your garden with the most common method:

Proper watering of vegetable crops

With a lack of moisture in the soil, the growth of cultivated crops stops, water evaporates through the leaves, from the soil surface around the plants.

On a hot day, moisture evaporation can reach 5 l / m2. But this does not mean that vegetable crops need to be watered daily, excessive moisture, as already mentioned, can also inhibit growth.

A lot of water is required for seed germination and normal development of seedlings, but how much depends not only on weather conditions, but also on the type of crops. Leafy vegetables that eat leaves or shoots (cauliflower and cabbage) respond well to frequent, regular watering from the germination phase. The optimal weekly rate during dry periods during the growing season is 10-15 l / m2.

In crops such as peas and beans, excessive soil moisture at the beginning of the growing season can cause increased leaf growth to the detriment of fruit development. In this case, in the germination phase, there is no need for artificial irrigation (except for the drought period), but during flowering and the beginning of fruit formation, watering is required 1-2 times a week at a water consumption of 5-10 l / m2.

According to the rules for watering plants in a garden, it is best to irrigate vegetable crops in the evening or morning hours. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is moistened to a great depth.

When watering vegetable crops, spraying water over the surface often leads to excessive evaporation, and moisture does not even have time to reach the plant root system.

At the same time, evening watering can lead to the development of some diseases of vegetable crops, since the soil may not dry out until morning.

To avoid the need for constant watering, moisture retention measures should be carried out.

On those soils that poorly retain water, deep digging is recommended, which helps to increase the thickness of the root layer and, as a result, the water reserves available to plants. The most effective way to preserve moisture is to add manure, compost, peat, humus to the soil. All organic matter should be thoroughly mixed with the soil.

In order to save moisture, it is important to destroy weeds in time, at the very beginning of their growth. Row spacing and plant spacing in a row also play a role in determining the watering rate. The optimal areas of nutrition for various vegetable plants are established empirically.

To reduce water loss from the soil surface, mulching crops with compost or rotted leaves is very effective. The mulching material must be laid out after rain or watering.

To avoid compaction of the top layer of the earth, it must be well loosened before mulching. In addition, the mulch also inhibits the growth of weeds. And if they do appear, it is easier to pull them out of the loose substrate.

Seeds require a certain amount of water to germinate, so the soil must be moist when sowing. Usually it is watered in 1-2 days. In this case, a favorable water-air regime is formed in the soil for the emergence of seedlings. You can water the furrows just before sowing, spending 0.6–0.8 liters per running meter.

After planting seedlings in a permanent place, it must be watered. Before rooting, the water consumption per plant should be 0.1 liters per day, provided that the soil is thoroughly mulched.

For proper watering of vegetable crops, it is best to moisten not the entire garden bed, but only the root zone. On large areas, such irrigation is uneconomical; in this case, it is recommended to use sprinklers and moisten the soil daily, although this is fraught with overconsumption of water.

Types of watering plants in the garden

There are 4 main types of plant irrigation: surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, subsoil irrigation and stream irrigation. With surface irrigation, water is distributed over the soil surface.

When sprinkling under pressure, the water is sprayed as rain. With subsoil irrigation, it enters the root system of the plant, passing over the impermeable soil layer. With trickle irrigation, water rises under pressure through thin pipes to individual plants.

The simplest type of watering a garden is with a watering can. This garden tool is on sale in several types of different volumes, but it is more advisable to use a 10-liter watering can on the site. Larger watering cans are difficult to use, while smaller ones require frequent refills.

The watering can should have a comfortable handle and a long spout. Most watering cans are equipped with fine-hole or mesh nozzles that are used when watering seeds and seedlings. They start it on one side, carry a watering can over the seedlings, trying to maintain a constant pressure of water.

Known to all gardeners such a method of moistening the soil in the area, as watering from a hose, which is connected to a water tap or a drain tap from a container. When using the hose, make sure that the water jet does not wash away the soil or expose the roots of the plants.

How to properly water the plants in the garden with a hose? When watering vegetable crops, it is necessary to guide the hose to the aisles to ensure a quick flow of water to the root system of the plants. The hose should not be kinked at the folds, then it will retain its elasticity for several years. Nylon braided hoses are considered the most durable.

Many people use hoses for irrigation with holes made at different angles.

Such perforated hoses are laid across the irrigated area and are constantly transferred from place to place to uniformly moisten the soil.

A sprinkler can be connected to the hose. An oscillating type sprinkler consists of a perforated tube swinging from side to side and distributing water along a rectangular or square bed. The rotary type sprinkler sprays water through one or more nozzles, which make a circular motion under the pressure of water. Both types of sprinklers are installed in parks, lawns and summer cottages and backyards. In this case, the uniformity of irrigation is determined by the amount of water falling into empty cans, placed along the perimeter or circumference of the site.

For the gradual distribution of water supplied to flower gardens, greenhouses and potted plants, use long tubes with small holes for drip irrigation.

The listed methods mainly relate to watering vegetable and ornamental crops.

Watering methods for plants in the garden

There are some peculiarities in the technique of watering a fruit-bearing garden. If the garden is large, the trees are watered along the furrows between the rows.

In this case, the distance between furrows on light soils should be 70-80 cm, on heavy (clay) - up to 1.5 m.The depth of the furrows is 20-25 cm, width - 0.5 m.

But in gardens in summer cottages and household plots, as a rule, watering of trees is traditionally carried out in near-trunk circles, or rather, in ditches dug along their circumference. After watering, the circular ditches are covered with earth. Do not water trees in the grooves of the near-trunk circle, dug in the form of a funnel. In this case, the water does not reach the end roots of the tree, and watering closer to the trunk has no practical benefit.

Subsoil irrigation is very effective for watering your garden. For example, on each square meter a hole with a diameter of 10-12 cm and a depth of 50-60 cm is drilled with a soil drill, which is clogged with crushed stone, broken brick or coarse sand.

Trees are watered precisely through such wells, through which liquid fertilizers are also applied. At the same time, a crust does not form on the surface, and all nutrients and precious moisture penetrate immediately into the deep layers of the soil. Such holes can perform their functions for a long time.

A simpler method of watering plants is to punch holes for irrigation with scrap and then fill them with earth.

Often, gardeners water trees with a hose, throwing it into a circle near the trunk, while doing other things. After a while, the hose is moved to the trunk circle of another tree, completely disregarding the amount of water that entered the roots of the first tree. And determining the norm is not difficult at all. You just need to know how many buckets are needed to water a particular tree and the time to fill one bucket from a hose. Then it will be possible to judge the amount of water that entered the trunk circle.

The timing of watering for the garden also has its own peculiarity. The most optimal for fruit trees in the central regions of Russia are the following:

• in spring, before budding on trees, when rapid growth begins, and there is not enough water in the soil;
• 15-20 days after the end of the flowering of trees, since at this time the ovaries of fruits start growing, which fall off when there is insufficient moisture;
• 15-20 days before harvesting the fruits, but not when they ripen;
• in late autumn, in October, during the period of leaf fall (such pre-winter watering is called moisture charging).

Garden watering systems

When choosing a source of drinking water supply for a country or manor house, one should take into account the local conditions that determine the choice of a particular water intake system. This requires the calculation of water consumption rates, which depend not only on the level of home improvement, but also on the availability of a vegetable garden, a garden, a subsidiary farm. It is necessary to take into account the significant consumption of water for household needs.

Very often, water is supplied to the centralized water supply system according to a certain schedule. Therefore, it is recommended to have a guaranteed supply of it on the site. In most cases, when organizing a garden irrigation system, preference is given to underground sources.

For irrigation water supply, a special water supply system is sometimes arranged with water supply through ground pipes or special watercourses.

It is good to water the garden and vegetable garden with rainwater, which should be collected and stored in open tanks installed in places where it flows from the roofs.

In places with shallow groundwater, shallow-tube wells are arranged for one or several adjacent areas.

Refreshing watering in summer

In order for fruit and berry crops to receive moisture in time and with high quality, the gardener needs to know and apply several types of watering. Each of these species is suitable for a particular time of the year and plays a special role in the development of the plant and its protection from adverse conditions.

Summer watering(summer watering, seasonal watering) is also called regular, or vegetative, regular watering. It is carried out not only in the summer months, but throughout the entire active growing season (from the end of the spring frosts to the beginning of the first autumn frosts). Trees and shrubs begin to need watering immediately after the onset of warm sunny days, when their buds and flowers bloom, shoots come to life. But with a sufficient thickness of snow cover in the first days of the warm period, watering is sometimes not needed: plants feed on moisture from melting snow.

Refreshing watering, or sprinkling, is carried out in hot weather. This type of irrigation is not acceptable for all crops. Sprinkling should not be done during particularly hot hours. This type of irrigation increases the humidity of the air and somewhat reduces its temperature. Sprinkling is finely dispersed watering, so you need to use a sprayer, sprayer or a special nozzle on the hose, you just can't water the plants from above with streams of water.

Fertilizing watering Is a special-purpose watering, a method of applying liquid fertilizers to the soil. But simultaneously with the receipt of nutrients with such watering, the tree or shrub also receives the moisture it needs.

Moisture-charging autumn watering of trees in the garden

Moisture-charging (podzimny) watering is used in the fall. It is necessary to create a moisture reserve in the soil. In autumn, after the end of fruiting, trees and shrubs begin to actively develop their absorbing roots, accumulate nutrients in tissues. Although there may be almost no active suction zone at the roots, all of the above processes require a constant optimum soil moisture. In summer, the soil layer, in which the plant roots are located, dries up to a large extent, therefore, before starting to prepare for the cold season, this layer needs high-quality moisture. The roots of plants, which begin to experience a moisture deficit by the fruiting period, also need water-charging irrigation. At the same time, in the fall, mechanical absorption of moisture begins to prevail (through the pores in the wood of the roots), and not physiological (with the help of active absorbing roots).

After properly carried out autumn watering of trees, the soil becomes more resistant to cold snap, gives off heat more slowly (i.e., after watering, its heat capacity increases). The plants themselves, with their buds, tolerate lower temperatures better.

Water-charging irrigation begins in the second half of September and ends in early October. These irrigations should not depend on rains that occur or are absent during the specified period: even heavy downpours cannot compensate for the lack of moisture in the root layer of the soil, therefore this type of irrigation should be carried out in any weather.

During the autumn watering of the garden, the soil is moistened to a sufficiently large depth (more than with summer watering). Each plant has its own recommendations for carrying out water-charging irrigation, including the depth of soil wetting and the depth of the annular irrigation groove. The fact is that the soil must be moistened to a depth of 90-100 cm, and it is impossible to achieve this with ordinary surface irrigation, therefore ring grooves are necessary (the only exception can be sandy soils, grooves are needed even on light loams). In different plants, the root system is located at different distances from the soil surface, therefore, the depth of the grooves, for example, for apple and cherry, will not be the same. The grooves are dug around the trunk at a distance of 60–80 cm from each other.

How to water the trees in the garden according to the norms? The watering rate is determined in liters for each tree, depending on its breed and age (fruiting or young). The rate can be reduced if during the main growing season, seasonal watering was carried out regularly and abundantly. In this case, first check the condition of the soil, digging into it with a shovel. Unlike summer watering, the soil is soaked not only to the depth of placement of thin roots, but a little deeper (about 10 cm). After watering, the grooves are filled (if necessary) with fertilizer and leveled with a hoe.

Moisture-charging watering of trees is carried out by uniformly moistening the soil in the near-trunk circle, pouring water into specially made wells in the near-trunk circle or into a furrow that is dug around the near-trunk circle. The main thing is that the soil is saturated with water to a great depth, up to the root zone.

In this case, you should be careful: you cannot overmoisten the soil, that is, when sprinkling, water should flow in small quantities and through a very fine mesh of the sprayer. It is also important to know that the most dangerous effect on plants is night frosts (before 5 am).

Anti-freeze watering: how to water plants before frost

Anti-freeze watering (watering before frost) is carried out in early spring and late autumn to protect the vegetative parts of plants from frost. Fruit and berry crops are especially susceptible to frost damage during the period of flowering and the formation of an ovary: the yield may not only decrease, but completely die.

Water has a high heat capacity; when temperatures drop, it releases heat, increasing the thermal conductivity of the soil after the latter is moistened. In spring, light frosts affect plants less if the soil under them is moderately moist. In autumn, the danger is reduced due to the heat storage associated with the heat capacity of the water. Water for watering plants before frosts at low air temperatures (but not negative - in this case, watering is contraindicated) is often warmer than soil and air, that is, it is itself a source of heat. In this case, the leaves can be completely moistened using a sprayer or a spray nozzle on the hose. But this event is effective only in the absence of the threat of severe frosts. Anti-freeze sprinkling irrigation is carried out at a temperature not colder than -2 ... -7 ° C. The temperature is monitored precisely at the level of the location of the flowers and buds of the plant. At negative temperatures, sprinkling allows the formation of an ice crust on the leaves, under which the temperature does not drop below 0 ° C, due to which the vegetative parts of the plant do not freeze.

Watering before frost begins about two days before the onset of cold weather. For sprinkling, spray nozzles are used, usually located on automatic irrigation devices. The fact is that during freezing, sprinkling should not be interrupted for more than 20–40 minutes, otherwise the air temperature may drop sharply, and the opposite (negative) effect of the procedure will occur. Therefore, sprinkling should be continuous, in extreme cases it can be carried out intermittently for several minutes.

Watering methods for the garden and garden: surface method and sprinkling system

There are three methods for watering a garden: surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and subsoil irrigation.

There are several surface watering methods; not all of them are suitable for a garden plot.

1. Surface furrow irrigation. It is carried out as follows. In the row spacings, furrows are made with a width of 20-30 cm with a slight slope, into which water is supplied from a watering hose. At the end of watering, after a while, the furrows are closed.

2. Surface watering in bowls. When using this method, a bowl-shaped hole is dug under the crown of a fruit tree. The size of the bowl, that is, its diameter, depends on the age of the tree, planting density, but it should not be less than the projection of the crown of the tree itself. Along the edges of the finished hole, an earthen roller 20-25 cm high is poured. The bowls under the neighboring trees are connected by a common groove. Water is fed into this groove from a watering hose, and already along the groove, water enters the wells.

When using sprinkler irrigation, moisture enters not only the soil, but also into the air. Water entering the soil through the air is enriched with oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen compounds. The difference between sprinkler irrigation and surface irrigation is that surface irrigation requires careful planning and leveling of the land plot. This is due to the fact that during irrigation water does not move over the soil surface, thereby not washing away its fertile layer.

Before watering the garden with sprinkling, they must loosen the soil, and if necessary, apply fertilizers. For such irrigation, you will need special devices - sprinklers. These devices can be fan-shaped, pulsed, or in the form of a pistol. They spray water at different heights and in different directions, and the height, direction and even the size of the drops can be adjusted. The devices are installed under the crowns of shrubs and fruit trees and are used for watering the surface layer.

Water the garden, lawns and flower beds by sprinkling only in the evening, when there is no bright sun. If you do this during the day, the leaves of the plants will get burned, as the water droplets act as collecting lenses and focus the sun's rays.

Irrigation methods for an orchard

There are several ways to irrigate a garden, the most popular of which are semi-soil and drip.

Subsoil irrigation. When using this method of irrigation, a system of pottery, asbestos-cement or polyethylene pipes is used, through the holes of which water is supplied under pressure to the soil. Sometimes, with such irrigation of the orchard, fertilizers are supplied to the roots of the plant along with water.

The main disadvantage this method is its high cost. Laying pipes throughout the site is a very laborious process and should be carried out at the planning and construction stage of the garden plot. In addition, the quality of irrigation water often leaves much to be desired, so the pipes serve for a relatively short time, quickly become clogged and silted.

Drip irrigation. This is a type of subsoil irrigation. This method is very convenient and easy to implement. Drip irrigation is carried out through a system of small diameter plastic pipes. 2-3 droppers are placed under one fruit tree or berry bush at a depth of 30-35 cm. The advantage of this type of irrigation is that water consumption is reduced several times, and it is also possible to constantly maintain the required soil moisture. In addition, fertilization can be carried out along with the water supply.

Rules for watering plants in the garden and in the garden

Rational watering of plants according to the rules includes several mandatory components.

1. Optimum water temperature for irrigation.

2. Watering method. Watering at the root and together with leaves is possible, as well as sprinkling (watering through a sprayer from above). Sprinkling can be not only superficial (with wetting of leaves and branches), but also basal - in this case, only the soil in the near-trunk circle is wetted, but with the help of sprinkler nozzles, due to which there is no erosion of the soil and the washing out of nutrients from it due to the large water pressure. For different plants in different periods of the year, these types of watering are required in different proportions.

3. Watering time. Watering is usually done in the morning or evening. In the hot period of the day, when sprinkling, burns may appear on the leaves, and it is better to water at the root not in the midst of the day.

4. Amount of water. Watering rates usually indicate either a unit of area or a single plant. For trees and large shrubs, the latter option is more typical.

5. But there are also general rules glaze applicable for all fruit and berry crops.

6. The moisture content of the soil should be optimal. Waterlogged soil is a serious problem, as is drying out of the soil, since it can reduce the plant's resistance to pests and diseases, and impair soil aeration. The lump of optimally moistened soil should be compressed in the hand without releasing water and without crumbling. This figure is suitable even for sandy soils.

7. The rate of moisture absorption by the soil depends on the mechanical composition of the soil. Heavy loams are impregnated with water more slowly, so it is better to moisten the soil not with too much water pressure (for a longer time), but using more of it. Sandy soils need to be watered more often, since moisture is not able to linger for a long time in such soils, and the soil dries out faster. Observing this rule of watering the garden, clay soils are watered less often so as not to cause waterlogging, because moisture can "stand" in them for a long time.

8. Watering woody plants should be sparse and abundant. Frequent watering "little by little" is more harmful than beneficial. Watering is carried out, as a rule, to the depth of occurrence of active (thin, absorbent) plant roots.

9. Average rate of one-time watering for trees aged 3-5 years is 50–80 liters per plant or more. The same indicator for trees aged 7-10 years is equal to 120-150 liters.

10. Fruiting trees and shrubs need more abundant watering than young plants of the same species.

11. Any watering at the root(not only moisture charging) can be carried out into the annular grooves. After watering, fertilizers are poured into the grooves, if necessary, covered with soil or mulching material.

12. Trees and shrubs should not be watered in a near-trunk funnel., and even more so pour water on the root collar of the tree. With such watering, moisture will flow in excess to the main (tap) root and in a deficiency - to the peripheral (active) roots. But it is the peripheral roots that are absorbing, that is, they absorb the main amount of nutrients and moisture for the plant. Therefore, the main place for watering is a circle, which is a projection of the crown onto the surface of the earth, as well as the soil near this circle. In general, watering in the near-stem circle should be uniform, without "dry" places.

13. An unusual but effective way of watering- with the help of pre-drilled holes under the tree with a diameter of 10–12 cm and the depth required for irrigation of a certain culture. Wells are made with a drill and filled with pebbles, crushed stone, bricks or coarse sand. One well is arranged per m2 of the area of ​​the near-trunk circle.

14. For regular watering with a hose it is difficult to determine the amount of water that has entered the soil. Before starting such irrigation, by turning on the water at a certain pressure, you can calculate how long it will take for water with such a pressure to fill a container, for example, with a volume of 10 liters. Then, by simple calculations, it is easy to find out how long it will take to water a particular plant in this way.

15. Seasonal watering is essential., as a rule, during the following vegetation periods of trees and shrubs: before spring budding; 2-3 weeks after the end of flowering; 2-3 weeks before harvest. The rest of the time, watering is carried out as needed and for special purposes (moisture charging, anti-freeze, refreshing, fertilizing).

16. Nutritional area of ​​a tree or shrub usually determined approximately by the diameter of the crown (slightly wider than the projection of the crown onto the surface of the earth). This indicator is useful to know for calculating watering.

17. If during watering a young tree or shrub surface roots are exposed, they should be immediately covered with moist soil.

To understand whether a particular plant needs watering, it is necessary to assess the condition of the soil next to it. Its moisture content should not be determined by the top layer, which is most often dry (this is due to the fact that most of the moisture from the soil surface is lost during evaporation). You should pay attention to the active layer of soil, where the root system of the plant is located. If we talk about fruit trees such as apple and pear, then this layer is located at a depth of 90-120 cm, for cherries, plums and apricots - at a depth of 80 cm, for berry crops - 50 cm.

To assess the moisture content of the soil along the periphery of the crown of the plant, dig a small hole up to 1 m deep, take a lump of soil from the wall of the hole and squeeze it in your hand. If a lump forms and does not break when dropped from a height of 1.5 m, then the soil moisture is about 70%. If a lump of earth is crumbling, it means that the soil needs to be watered.

The optimal level of soil moisture is considered to be a level equal to 75-80%. To keep moisture in the soil for as long as possible, after watering it is loosened and peat or rotted sawdust is introduced into it.

How to properly water trees and other plants in the garden

And a few more tips on how to properly water your garden to ensure profuse flowering and good productivity.

First watering is necessary for plants in spring, when the buds have not blossomed. During this period, the phase of its active growth begins, and it really needs moisture.

Second watering should be carried out approximately 15-20 days after the end of the growing season of trees and shrubs, since it is at this time that the ovaries grow, and if the soil is too dry, then the newly set fruits may fall off.

Third watering spend 15-20 days before removing fruits from trees and shrubs.

If the third watering is carried out immediately before harvesting, then this can lead to falling and cracking of the fruits.

And the last watering is carried out in late autumn, when active leaf fall begins. It is also called moisture charging.

Early varieties of apple and pear trees require less water than later varieties.

If pear trees are over-watered, they can suffer from excess moisture.

Stone fruit trees (apricot, cherry, plum) should be watered less frequently than pome fruit (apple, pear).

Expecting a rich harvest from certain trees or shrubs, special attention should be paid to watering these particular trees or shrubs. They will need more water than trees with lower yields or those that rest from fruiting.

Rainwatering can help save buds from frost, which often occurs in spring. Swollen buds and flower buds are the most vulnerable parts of fruit trees, and they must be protected from exposure to low and freezing temperatures to preserve the harvest.

Young fruit trees need to be watered less than adults. This is especially true in the second half of summer, since excess moisture will provoke additional growth of shoots that will freeze out during the winter.

With frequent use of fertilizers and the accumulation of salts in the soil of the garden, which harms the growth of most plants, flush watering is carried out. A large amount of water washes the salts dissolved in it to a great depth, clearing the soil layer in which the bulk of the roots is located. For flushing irrigation, 2000-8000 liters of water are consumed for every 10 m2 of soil. The need for it may arise if mineral fertilizers, natural organic fertilizers(compost, manure, peat) do not cause such an effect, although they also need to be dosed.

Plants are so varied in appearance, structure, origin that it is impossible to offer mathematically accurate recipes regarding the frequency and volume of watering.

Some plants cannot stand a lack of water, they wither or dry out as soon as the substrate dries up. Once the leaves have dropped, it is often difficult for the plant to return to normal. Such plants must be grown in a substrate that retains water well, based on lowland peat. But there are also species that prefer less watering. These are most cacti and succulents and all plants with dense, stiff leaves or forming a hard, thick trunk.

Observation and a good knowledge of the plants allows watering at the perfect time and giving the plant the optimal amount of water. During the growing period (from mid-March to the end of September), plants need the most frequent and abundant watering. As a rule, at this time they water 2 times more often and 3-4 times more than during the period of vegetative rest (from mid-October to the end of February). During transition periods, the frequency of watering depends on the air temperature.

Watering tree plants... At normal temperatures (18-22 ° C in the house), plants that form a solid trunk, as well as species with dense leaves, are watered on average every 5-7 days during growth and every 10-12 days during vegetative dormancy (winter). Water should fall on the surface of the earthen clod.

Watering herbaceous plants. Stemless plants, plants that form rosettes or a bush of flexible and thin stems, as well as all plants resembling grass, are watered on average 2 times a week during the growing period and once a week in winter. It is best to use the method of immersing the pot in water.

Watering orchids. Forms with pseudobulbs or stems resembling reeds are watered on average once a week throughout the year and only during the flowering period - every 3-4 days. Orchids with thin stems or forming rosettes are watered 2 times a week during the growing period and once a week in winter. Use non-lime water, do not wet the plant core, and drain excess water from the pan.

Watering cacti and succulents. During the growing season, water every 6-10 days, depending on the air temperature, and no more than once every 15-20 days in winter. If the temperature is low, do not water at all. For example, lithops can survive in a pot for about a year without a drop of water if the room temperature is below 16 ° C.

Watering bromeliads. Water pineapple, ehmeyu, gusmania, etc. with unknown water on average once a week throughout the year. Leave the water in the center of the leafy rosette during the growing season.

Insufficient watering ... When a plant no longer finds the water it needs to sustain life in the soil, it begins to use its reserves. Plants with fleshy stems or fleshy leaves like cacti and succulents can tolerate drought for several months. And plants with thin and fragile stems, with large thin and flexible leaves begin to experience the effects of drought faster. When cells lose some of their fluid, they lose their elasticity, and tissues shrink or sag. This is the most important sign that a plant is thirsty. In most cases, it is enough to thoroughly wet the earthen ball to bring the plant back to life. But remember that wilting weakens the plant, interferes with its normal development. You must intervene in time, but not flood the plant, but only give it what it needs.

Slow drying of soil in pots indicates a disease or poor growth of the plant. If the plant turned out to be flooded, then it is necessary to loosen the surface of the earth, or remove the top layer of the earth to the roots and cover it with fresh earth. If the soil in the pot is acidic, then you need to transplant the plant into new soil, after washing its roots and removing rotten areas from them.

If you've flooded the plant so much that it smells of mold from the pot, try changing the substrate. Remove the plant from the pot, squeeze the earthy ball to squeeze out the water, and remove as much of the wet substrate as possible. Transplant the plant into a new medium that is slightly damp. Do not water the plant for at least 15 days.

If the spots have spread not only to the leaves, but also to the petioles and core of the plant, then, unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to save it and you will have to purchase another plant.

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Watering for plants is of the utmost importance, just as drinking water is for humans. Without enough water to dissolve essential nutrients in the soil, plants not only wither, but starve. Water is essential for all physiological processes: photosynthesis, movement of organic compounds formed as a result of photosynthesis, as well as for the absorption of minerals in the form of soil solutions.

Watering is one of the most important activities to ensure the viability of plants. The task of irrigation should be solved in conjunction with the problem of achieving optimal soil permeability. The plant can rot from superficial waterlogging, while experiencing an acute moisture deficit. To increase the permeability of heavy soils (soil for planting plants), sand, compost, peat should be added to them. Usually in modern mixes there are no such problems - everything is balanced.

Water for irrigation must have neutral acid-base balance and minimal amount of toxic impurities(chlorine, fluorine, heavy metals, etc.). The ideal option is natural rainwater, purified, spring or distilled (then with the use of fertilizers) water. Tap water is moderately suitable for irrigation only after settling for a day and stabilization of the acid-base balance. Activated carbon cleaning removes chlorine and fluorine, but retains calcium and heavy metal salts. Filters or commercial water can be used.

The main rule for watering plants: water only when the soil in the pot dries out. Constant excess moisture is harmful - it leads to disruption of normal air exchange in the soil. The root system needs constant oxygen supply. With its lack and with an excess of moisture, the roots gradually die off, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. This means that the plant has been flooded. It is necessary to reduce watering, and in some cases, to save the plant, you need to cut it off and try to root the cuttings from it, having previously held them in water. With strict observance of the main rule, it should be borne in mind that watering plants of different groups and species has its own characteristics.

The need for plants in water is determined by their specific features: the structure of the aboveground organs, the power of the root system, etc. For example, plants with succulent, fleshy leaves (such as agave, aloe, etc.) require less water than plants with large leaves, which sometimes need to be watered twice a day. Excess moisture is harmful to bulbous plants. It is best to water them by directing the stream of water not to the onion, but closer to the walls of the pot, or water from the pallet.

There are plants that are very sensitive to lack of moisture, such as araucaria. When its twigs begin to hang, no amount of watering will help. Araucaria should be monitored constantly and, in addition to watering, spray the plant as often as possible, several times a day.

There are a number of important requirements for irrigation water. Here are the main ones: purity of water, low content of salts and minerals, complete absence of toxic impurities and foreign inclusions, neutral or slightly acidic acid reaction. For irrigation, in most cases, tap water from the general water supply network, well water (outside the city), water from a well, water from a nearby reservoir (that is, river or lake) and rainwater are used. Naturally, each type of water has its own characteristics and characteristics, which indicate the degree of its suitability for irrigation.

Tap water goes through filtration and various stages of purification, everyone knows what makes it drinkable. This water is also suitable for irrigation, although it is worth noting that the content of minerals in it is quite low and, depending on the season, the chlorine content can significantly increase.

Well water or well water, on the contrary, it is distinguished by a high content of salts and minerals, since, passing through the soil, it washes away valuable trace elements, which is a positive property for water. But still, the content of minerals in the water should not be overestimated, since then it will become unsuitable for watering plants.

Pond water Perhaps the least suitable type of irrigation water, mainly due to the high risk of toxic waste, rotting products, chemicals, bacteria, foreign inclusions and other dangerous impurities in it.

Rainwater much softer than tap water, has an almost neutral acid reaction, and in addition, it has a rather high content of dissolved oxygen. Thanks to all these characteristics, rainwater can be considered very valuable for plants, and there is a very definite sense in collecting it. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that in conditions of an extremely polluted environment, harmful chemical compounds, heavy metals, lime dust (giving water hardness), combustion products of liquid and solid fuels in the form of soot and droplets of oily liquid inevitably enter rainwater, which in significantly reduces the value of rainwater.

To reduce the degree of pollution of rainwater, and therefore the associated risk, a number of rules should be observed when collecting it. Since rainwater collection tanks are in the vast majority of cases installed under downpipes and gutters, before entering the barrel, water flows down the roof, washing away dust, chemical compounds, soot and other "harmful" substances that have settled on it. The water of the first precipitation is especially heavily polluted after a long period of drought. the amount of dirt accumulated on the roofs is especially high. Therefore, it is not recommended to collect rainwater if there has been no rainfall for a long time. When the rain takes on a strong and prolonged character, you can refuse the volume of water that falls in the first half hour, this time is quite enough to wash away the main dust containing harmful impurities from the roof. In order to be able to regulate the flow of water into the barrel, a valve can be installed in the water collector, closing which, you will direct water from the drain pipe to the ground, when its collection into the container is undesirable for one reason or another.

Leaves drooping, loss of turgor by leaves and shoots.

In plants with soft, delicate leaves (Vanka wet), they become lethargic and droop. In plants with hard, leathery leaves (ficus, laurel, oleander myrtle, etc.), they dry up and crumble (first of all, old leaves fall off).

Flowers and buds fall off or wither quickly.

Leaves drooping, there are soft areas with signs of rot.

Curled, yellowed and withered leaves, the tips of the leaves are brown.

Both old and young leaves fall off.

There is a golden rule of watering plants - it is better to water less, but more often than less often and in large quantities. It should be noted that wilting of leaves is not always associated with a lack of water. This can happen under the influence of sunlight, on the first clear day, a field of long cloudy weather.

Plants are watered immediately after the earthen coma dries. Such watering is required by most tropical plants with thin delicate leaves, as well as some plants with leathery leaves (for example, lemon, ficus, gardenia, ivy, coffee). Both those and others suffer greatly from overdrying: the leaves turn yellow and crumble, or wither and fall, without restoring their previous position. All plants need abundant watering during flowering and growth: even with a slight overdrying, young shoots, buds and flowers may suffer.

The plants are not watered immediately after the earthen coma dries, but after a day or two, that is, they are slightly dried. So water plants with fleshy or strongly pubescent stems and leaves, with thick roots and rhizomes (palms, dracaena) and also with aquifer tubers on the roots (asparagus) and bulbous. For some species, light drying is a prerequisite during the dormant period, as it stimulates the formation and maturation of flower buds.

Excessive watering (signs).

Before an overly wetted plant begins to wilt, it will appear to appear weakened. The plant on the left was over-watered, and the plant on the right received a normal amount of water.

Plants are left dry for several days, weeks, months. This applies to succulents (cacti, aloe), as well as deciduous tuberous and bulbous, which have a dormant period.

Most plants are watered abundantly in summer and moderately in winter. The main watering is best done in the morning. With each watering, the plant needs to be given enough water so that it soaks the entire earthen lump well and comes out onto the saucer. If air bubbles are visible on the soil surface, watering is repeated until they are gone. Watering little by little every day is not recommended, since in this case the water will only wet the top layer of the earth, and the roots at the bottom of the pot will dry out.

Usually, plants are watered from above so that the excess of calcium, magnesium and other elements contained in the water, which negatively affects the root system, is absorbed by the upper soil layer, which has fewer roots. Sometimes, fearing the appearance of spots on the leaves or rotting of the tubers when water gets on them, the plants are watered from below, pouring water into a saucer. This should not be done. Spots on leaves can be avoided by using warm water, because spots are formed as a result of a large difference in temperature between leaves heated in the sun and cold water. Water from a saucer or pots after watering is drained so that the roots do not rot. This is especially important to do in autumn and winter.

If the water does not seep onto the sump during watering, but stagnates on the surface, you need to check if the drainage hole is clogged. Sometimes, on the contrary, water flows out very quickly onto the saucer. This means that the soil is very dry, water flows down the walls of the pot, without having time to wet it. These plants need to be watered very well by placing them in a bowl of lukewarm water so that it completely covers the pot and sprinkling with warm water. When air bubbles cease to appear on the soil surface, the pots are removed from the water.

Water the plants with water at room temperature (18-24 ° C) or slightly warmer. At low temperatures, the root system is inactive, therefore, too warm water cannot be used in winter, so as not to cause premature plant growth. In summer, plants are watered with warmer water (up to 30-32 ° C). The hotter it is in the room, the warmer the water used for watering and spraying plants should be. Watering with cold water, especially in a warm room, can cause leaves to fall off.

Irrigation water should be soft, slightly acidic, free of calcium and magnesium salts. It is not recommended to use rainwater and melt water in industrial areas, as it may have an alkaline reaction and contain impurities harmful to plants. More often, for irrigation, you have to use tap water containing chlorine, calcium and magnesium salts, which negatively affect plants. The high content of calcium salts in water leads to the fact that the most important nutrients found in the soil (phosphorus, iron, manganese, aluminum, boron, etc.) are converted into compounds inaccessible to plants.

A few words about how to water your plants while on vacation. Before leaving for a few days, place the plants in a bowl of water about 1/3 the height of the pot. If you are going to be absent for a longer time (3-4 weeks), fill the containers with peat or earth to a height of 15-20 cm, dig in the plants, water them well beforehand, and moisten them again. Plants should be placed in a lighted place, but not in the sun. There is another way to water. Above the plants, a vessel with water is placed, from which a woolen or cotton cord, which conducts water well, is lowered into each pot. The plant pot can be placed above the water container. In this case, the other end of the cord is inserted into the drain hole.

In summer, in dry, hot, or windy weather, bonsai is usually watered twice a day (early morning or evening). If the weather is not very dry and hot, then once a day. In winter or in cold, wet weather, the tree is less active and evaporation from the soil surface is slower. Therefore, it is watered once a day if the soil is not frozen and the temperature is positive.

Deciduous bonsai species need more water in summer than evergreen, conifers, which have specialized leaves that retain moisture better. In winter, on the contrary, deciduous ones consume less water than conifers, which continue to grow, albeit slowly. Pine trees tolerate a lack of water in the soil relatively painlessly, while large-leaved deciduous ones, especially in hot weather, need abundant and frequent watering.

It is more convenient to water by immersing the container in a container of water so that the water covers the soil surface. At the same time, the clod of soil is not washed out and the soil is impregnated more evenly and completely. Whereas when watering from above, if the top layer dries out, watering is difficult, since the water can roll off without wetting the soil. Do not keep the container in a vessel with water for a long time, as the root system may be damaged. Only some plants, (for example, marsh cypress), do not suffer from prolonged exposure of the roots in water and waterlogging of the soil.

For irrigation, you can use water from reservoirs, rain or tap water. Tap water contains too much calcium and chloride. It must be kept at room temperature for 24 hours to evaporate the chlorides.

Irrigation water should not be too cold or hot.

In addition to moistening the soil in the container, it is recommended to periodically spray the crown of the plant with water. This technique not only cleans the leaves of the plant from dust, but also humidifies the air, which is especially important to do as often as possible to maintain the moss cover in the container. However, you should avoid waterlogging of the soil with frequent spraying. It is not recommended to spray the plant in bright and hot sun.

One of the most important conditions for successful orchid cultivation is water quality. Water for plants is not only a source of food and drink at the same time, but also the ability to regulate their temperature.

In nature, plants use rainwater, which is a super-weak acid solution. But, unfortunately, it's not a secret for anyone that in cities, from the sky, far from harmless liquid is pouring.

For orchids (and for other indoor plants), it is recommended to use soft to moderately hard water... Measuring water hardness is not an easy procedure, so let's take it as an axiom that in St. Petersburg and the Baltic States the water is soft, in Moscow it is moderately hard, in Kiev it is very hard. The faster the scale builds up in your kettle, the harder the water.

The simplest way to reduce water hardness is to boil it.- in which part of the calcium salts precipitate. Oxalic acid reduces hardness well (you can buy it in chemical stores, sometimes in flower shops, for example, I saw it in the House of Violets on Nagatinskaya Street). This is done as follows: Add about 1/8 teaspoon of acid (it is in powder) to a 5-liter canister of cold tap water. We defend the water during the day in an open container, it is even better to cut off the very upper part of the canister in order to enlarge the neck. Water must be defended necessarily open due to the fact that during the chemical reaction of binding calcium salts, volatile chlorine compounds are formed, which must evaporate. At the end of the day, an insoluble precipitate of calcium salts precipitates at the bottom of the canister. The resulting water must be carefully, trying not to shake up the sediment, pour into a clean dish. Just in case, I never pour out the water to the end - I leave somewhere half a liter so that the sediment does not fall. The canister should be transparent - this way it is more convenient to monitor the sediment. In my practice, if the water with acid has settled for more than 2 days, the precipitate stops stirring up and it is safe to drain clean water.

Another way is to immerse a bag of high-moor peat in a bucket of water overnight - the water is also acidified.

If you water the plants with distilled water, then remember that it is completely desalinated. Consequently, distilled water must either be mixed with ordinary settled water, or special fertilizers must be dissolved in it.

Iron water is even more dangerous for orchids than hard water. When standing, such water becomes cloudy and has a noticeable taste of rust.

An equally important condition for the suitability of water is its acidity. Acidic water - pH less than 5 and very rare. Alkaline water can be easily acidified with regular lemon. If your water shows a pH above 7 (you can measure it either with pH meters or with litmus paper - sold in chemical stores), then by dripping lemon juice you lower the pH value to 6, and measure how many drops you need for what volume water flowing from your tap.

Properly prepared water is useful to saturate with oxygen before watering.- for this you just need to pour it in a thin stream from one container to another. The water temperature should be room temperature or slightly higher. Phalaenopsis, for example, prefer warm water.

The easiest way is to either use filtered water or water the plants (including bonsai and orchids) with purchased water. An option is to buy special oxygen water, which is good for both humans and animals and plants, an example of such water is oxygen royal water, sold here.

It is best to water the plants only with soft rain, river or pond water. Hard water (including well water) containing various salts should be avoided. Aroids, azaleas, orchids, ferns, camellias are especially poorly tolerating hard water. Those plants that grow on calcareous soils tolerate watering with hard water well.

Be aware that rainwater can be contaminated with industrial emissions if you live in or near an industrial area.

Chlorinated water from the water supply is defended for at least a day so that the chlorine has time to evaporate.

The water temperature should be at least at least room temperature. This rule is especially important when watering tropical plants. It is recommended to water cacti with warmer water. Watering plants with cold water can cause root rot, bud fall, and even plant death. On the contrary, watering plants with warm water in a cold room is also undesirable, because this will lead to premature plant growth.

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Houseplants need regular water intake just like all living things on our planet. Lack or vice versa - excess moisture in a flower pot with a substrate can lead to wilting of the flower, yellowing or spots on the leaves, drying out and falling of leaves, damage by pests or diseases. Before you purchase a plant and place it on a floor stand near a windowsill or on a shelf among other species in your collection, be sure to ask what variety it belongs to and find information about the features of home care - including that, how to water properly new ‘green pet’.

Some houseplant lovers even check the lunar calendar to find the best watering dates. In this article, we will show you how to properly organize watering indoor flowers at home. Useful Tips, photo and video materials will be especially useful for novice flower growers who are just beginning to be interested in the rules of caring for indoor plants.

Below you will find practical advice to help you water most popular houseplants properly. We will cover issues such as choosing utensils for watering flowers, what water to water the flowers with, watering frequency, signs of a lack of moisture, watering methods, and how to water orchids and other indoor plants during your vacation.

♦ TABLEWARE FOR IRRIGATION OF ROOM FLOWERS:

watering can with a long spout. A practical tool - a long nose can easily be directed through a dense crown, under the lower leaves or directly under the root rosette, so as not to drip water onto the delicate leaves of the flower. Very convenient equipment for watering plants in a phytowall or in phytomodules (vertical gardening);

flask. A special device with an elongated tip and a spherical container for water. Such inventory can help out great when you need to leave for a long time. It is enough to fill the container with water and stick the nose of the flask into the soil, which will gradually become saturated with moisture as it dries;

spray gun for spraying (sprayer). By spraying with water from a spray bottle, additional moisture can be supplied through the tops of the plant. This method will help you preserve the decorative qualities of the plant in the summer heat or during the heating season, when the humidity level in the room is very low;

pallet with water. A great way to additionally moisten the soil in the pot if the air in the room is too dry. It is advisable to put the flower pot not directly into the water, but on wet expanded clay or on pebbles in a pallet.

- in the photo: equipment for irrigation

♦ WATER FOR IRRIGATION OF ROOM FLOWERS:

rain, river, pond water. Some flower growers prefer to water their indoor plants with melt and rainwater. Flowers respond well to watering with soft water from natural sources. But it is necessary to disinfect the water, add a few pieces of charcoal;

tap water. Most of the inhabitants of megalopolises water their flowers with tap water. But it is important to remember that chlorinated tap water with slightly soluble calcium salts is very hard. It is imperative to defend this water for at least 24 hours (or better, several days) before watering the flowers, and pour out the remains from the very bottom. Water the plants with water at room temperature or lukewarm.

- in the photo: signs of a lack and an excess of water

♦ IRRIGATION FREQUENCY FOR ROOM FLOWERS:

❂ the frequency of watering depends on various factors: the type of plant, the age and size of the plant, the microclimate in the room, the season (dormant or growing season), as well as the material from which the pot is made (ceramic, plastic, glass);

❂ Most houseplants like regular and even watering to keep the substrate in a moderately moist state. If the period of abundant soil moisture is abruptly replaced by a period of insufficient moisture, then the flower begins to wither and may die;

❂ in winter, many indoor plants slow down the growth and development processes (or stop altogether). The need for water with dissolved nutrients is significantly reduced and the plant needs to be watered much less often (or not watered at all). And in the spring-summer period, with an increase in the duration of sunlight and an increase in temperature, the frequency of watering increases to 1-3 times a week;

❂ plants with large and wide leaves are watered more often (Benjamin's and rubbery ficus, Andre's anthurium, spathiphyllum, home begonia, gloxinia sinningia, jasmine gardenia, gerbera, balsam, shefflera, dieffenbachia). Bulbous species should be watered sparingly and less often, since waterlogging can lead to decay of the root system (hippeastrum, clivia, amaryllis, calla zantedeschia, oxalis oxalis, hyacinths, eucharis Amazon lily). Most types of potted orchids (phalaenopsis, dendrobium nobile) are watered no more than once a week in winter and no more than twice a week in summer. There are indoor species that can easily tolerate long breaks between waterings (succulent species - bastard Money Tree, aloe vera or agave, euphorbia triangular, zygocactus Decembrist, as well as species such as Blossfeld's Kalanchoe, chlorophytum, ‘mother-in-law’s tongue’ or sansevieria);

❂ ceramic (clay) pots have a good porous structure, circulation and evaporation of moisture is more active. But plastic pots retain water well in the substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to water a flower placed in a ceramic pot more often than in a plastic one.

- in the photo: rare, moderate and abundant watering

♦ WAYS OF IRRIGATION OF INDOOR PLANTS:

❀ top watering. To water the flower from above, it is advisable to use special dishes with a long spout (watering can, flask). It is advisable to direct the spout closer to the stem so that water does not fall on the leaves. If the plant has a developed leaf rosette, try to direct the stream of water under it so that the water does not stagnate. Water the plant evenly, in small portions, to avoid stagnant water on top of the soil. Pour out all the water that flows into the pan. This is a versatile way to water indoor species. The disadvantage of this method is that the useful substances and sludge of the substrate are quickly washed out. Therefore, do not forget to feed the plants in time.

❀ bottom watering. Some types of ornamental deciduous plants lose their attractiveness if water drops fall on the leaves (yellowish or black spots appear, the leaf blade is deformed). Therefore, the tray is filled with water for irrigation. Within 30-40 minutes, the substrate is moistened to the top layer and all excess water from the pan must be drained. The disadvantage of this method is that mineral salts are not washed out, on the contrary, they stay in the soil for a long time. If a lime crust appears on the surface of the soil, then carefully remove it along with the top layer by adding fresh substrate.

❀ immersing the pot in water. Highly good method moistening, allowing the soil to be completely saturated with water. Place the flower pot in a container of water so that water does not flow into the substrate through the edges of the pot. The water will quickly saturate all layers of the substrate through the drainage holes. Then place the pot on a wire rack so that any excess water can flow down freely. It is not advisable to use this method of moisturizing during the flowering period of the plant, when moving the pot can cause the buds and petals to fall off.

- tables with factors affecting the abundance and frequency of watering

♦ IRRIGATION OF INDOOR PLANTS DURING VACATION:

√ vacation up to two weeks.

- We moisten the soil abundantly by immersing each pot in water;

- it is advisable to thin out the leafy crown and cut the buds of flowering plants;

- pots with plants on racks and on stands should be compactly arranged closer to each other (this will increase the level of moisture around the plants);

- immerse the pots in wide trays with wet expanded clay (so that the water level is a couple of centimeters below the top layer of expanded clay). Wet sphagnum moss can be placed between the pots.

√ vacation up to three weeks.

- complete all the steps described above;

- take plastic bottles of 0.5 l and make holes in the screw caps. After filling the bottles with water, set them in expanded clay between the pots, immersing them with tightly screwed caps with holes down. As the expanded clay dries, water will seep out of the bottle drop by drop;

- immerse a special flask for irrigation (see above) into each pot with a flower, with its nose down.

√ vacation up to one month.

- there are special pallets for automatic irrigation on sale. The system consists of inner and outer trays, capillary mat. The outer sump is filled with water. The inner one is installed on top and covered with a capillary mat. This rug gradually absorbs moisture and gives it to the plants placed on it;

- instead of a flask for irrigation, it is best to install ceramic cones with thin hoses immersed in a container of water in each pot.

- in the photo: ceramic cone with a hose for irrigation

♦ HELPFUL TIPS FOR BEGINNING FLOWER GROWERS:

☛ it is advisable to water rare and whimsical plants with settled mineral water (not carbonated) at room temperature;

☛ if the substrate in the pot, together with the earthen lump, is completely dry, then lower the pot into a container with warm, settled water to the edge of the pot and after ten minutes place it on the wire rack so that all excess water drains;

☛ after watering, be sure to drain all the water flowing into the pan so that the roots of the houseplant do not rot;

☛ sometimes (3-4 times) during the growing season it is useful to water the flower with warm, settled water (not salty!), In which the potatoes were boiled before. Starch helps to strengthen the root system and plant development;

☛ if during the flowering period the buds that have not yet opened began to actively fall off the plant, then there is a high probability that the soil is insufficiently or not regularly moistened (against the background of a low level of humidity in the room);

☛ Try to water the flowers so that drops do not remain on the surface of the stems and leaves. Water droplets dry out and leave unsightly stains and burns. Yellow spots and burns reduce the decorative value of the plant;

☛ Some indoor species require abundant watering during the growing season. These plants include many species with leathery leaves (Robusta ficus and De Dumbbell white, lemon tree, wax ivy hoya), as well as tropical varieties with bright and thin delicate leaves (petunia, calathea, arrowroot, croton);

☛ less often watering plants with small fleshy leaves that are dormant, in a cool room with high humidity grown in plastic or glass containers;

☛ if the tap water contains too much lime, then it is advisable to pass it through a special filter in order to use soft water for irrigation;

☛ never use cold water for watering, as this can lead to the gradual death of peripheral roots, the appearance of viral and fungal diseases;

☛ the most ideal time for watering most indoor species is early morning (with sunrise);

☛ On hot summer days and during heating, it is necessary to spray the plants with a spray bottle. A container of water can be placed next to the plants for additional humidification.

♦ HOW TO WATER ORCHID AT HOME:

❶ You can water orchids only with warm, settled soft water. It is advisable to water the rare collection and whimsical indoor orchid species with diluted distilled water. Stir the separated water of medium hardness with distilled water in a 1: 1 ratio. Stir too hard water with distilled water in a 1: 2 ratio;

❷ If the orchid is without bulbs, then water it after the substrate is completely dry, and the lower leaves begin to lose turgor and shrivel. If the orchid has bulbs, then water the flower after the bulbs begin to wrinkle a little;

❸ During flowering, most popular domestic varieties (phalaenopsis, dendrobium nobile) are watered very sparingly, 2-3 times a week. Make sure that water never stagnates in the pot around the roots and flows freely from the drainage holes;

❹ The best way to water an orchid in the summer is to soak the pot in warm, settled water for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to make sure that the water completely drains out of the holes in the bottom of the pot after soaking;

❺ how often to water the orchid at home. Complete drying of the soil is much safer for the root system than overflow. Most species can be watered at a frequency that is defined as: Once the substrate is completely dry, you can moderately water the flower the next morning. But do not forget that the frequency of watering also depends on the following factors: the type of orchid, the growing season or dormant period, humidity and temperature in the room, the composition of the soil, the pot (volume, what material it consists of).

How to properly moisten the soil in a pot (for example, room begonia):

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• ✓ A plant with flaming leaves
• ✓ Poinsettia - varieties
• ✓ Poinsettia care
• ✓ Poinsettia: right choice plants
• ✓ In bloom in a new place
• ✓ Poinsettia - rest and relaxation
• ✓ Transplant the poinsettia into a new pot
• ✓ Poinsettia from a cutting
• ✓ Solving care problems
• ✓ Growing poinsettia - personal experience, advice and feedback

The scientific name of poinsettia is euphorbia pulcherima, which means "the most beautiful euphorbia." But we know this flower, really the most beautiful of the milkweed, under a different name - poinsettia. Such a sonorous and solemn name entered our language thanks to Joel Robert Poinsett, a politician and diplomat who served in Mexico.

This extraordinary man was a keen botanist, an avid plant hunter. Service in Mexico provided him with a wide field of activity, in search of new plants, he traveled all over the country. In the winter of 1828, near Mexico City, he was struck by the bright flowering of an unfamiliar shrub and transported samples of the plant that fascinated him home to South Carolina, where he had plantations and a collection of plants in a greenhouse. After leaving the state post, he completely surrendered to his passion, engaged in the introduction and propagation of plants, shared them with friends, sent them to botanical gardens.

Poinsett made a successful career, became a congressman, but it was not his professional activity that made his name famous, but, as we would say today, his hobby. His name was given to a beautiful plant, and by decision of the Congress

December 12 has been celebrated as National Poinsettia Day since 1851, when the diplomat passed away.

One more name must be mentioned here - Paul Ecke. Coming from a poor family of German immigrants, in which children helped their parents by selling bouquets of wildflowers, he turned out to be a genius marketer and entrepreneur. This man made poinsettia extremely popular in America, it was he who turned the poinsettia into a symbol of Christmas. On a December day back in 1906, extravagant bouquets highly appreciated by the discerning public were exhibited in the windows of the famous Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and the name Christmas Star has since been assigned to the plant.

Scientists had to work hard to turn the poinsettia bush into a pot plant

At first, poinsettia was grown outdoors, but Ecke's breeders managed to achieve the seemingly impossible: turn a tall, wild-growing shrub into a pot plant that is easy to transport. The secret of the technology was kept secret for a long time, until the 90s of the last century the company remained a monopolist, taking the second place in the world in terms of profit from sales - after the Dutch tulips.

The tradition of decorating houses, churches, shops, offices with poinsettia for Christmas was adopted by many European countries: Spain, Germany, France, Holland, and in Canada and Mexico, as well as in the USA, Poinsettia Day is celebrated. In almost every country where she is popular, she also has her own popular name: in Mexico she is the "flower of the holy night", in Chile and Peru - the "crown of the Andes", in Egypt - "daughter of the consul" (in honor of Ambassador Poinsette ), in Turkey it is the "flower of Ataturk".

Poinsettia is not only decorative, but also useful in the home, due to the fact that it releases biologically active substances with antimicrobial action. So, it reduces the number of streptococci by 50-60%.

At home, in southern Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, this evergreen tropical shrub 1.5-3 m high forms real thickets in semi-shaded and fairly humid places. Its stems are slender, slender, branches are straight, bare, branching is weak. Leaves on long petioles are large, 10-12 cm long, rich green color. They are pubescent and smooth, cut in various ways, but more often oval, with a pointed tip. In some new varieties, the shape of the leaves resembles that of oak.

See also: Poinsettia flower - how to care

In late autumn - early winter, small discreet greenish-yellow flowers appear on poinsettia, collected as if in handfuls. They produce nectar that attracts birds. But poinsettias are not valued for flowering at all, its main advantage (and very bright!) Is the apical leaves, called bracts, which develop together with the inflorescence and frame it with a decorative rosette. In shape and size, they are the same as the rest of the leaves, their bright red color is an adaptation to pollination, it is needed to attract birds. The flowering period lasts about 2 months; when it ends, the bracts turn pale and fall off.

Among the Aztecs, the poinsettia, which they called quetlaochitl, was considered magic plant used in religious rituals. The Indians believed that warriors who laid down their heads in battle gain immortality, and descend to earth to drink nectar from poinsettia flowers. They had a legend about a goddess whose heart burst with unhappy love. Drops of blood, falling to the ground, turned into flowers that look like stars.

Almost half of the indoor poinsettias sold are traditionally red. This color is represented by countless combinations of shades: fiery red Cortez Fire, Peterstar and Red Diamond, bright red with dark veins Jester Red, velvety-like Olympia, bright scarlet Sonora Fire and deep crimson Freedom and Galaxy, rose red with white with Sonora touches, crimson Freedom Coral and Max Red, almost crimson Annette Hett Divo.

The pink range is no less rich: Freedom Pink pale pink, miniature bright pink Pink Ale, Pink Ribbon creamy pink, Cortez Pink salmon pink.

Hybrids of unusual marble color are especially attractive, for example, low, only 30 cm, Cortez Cream, Monet Twilight with spots and stripes of different intensities, Da Vinci with strokes color pink brighter than the main color. Jester Pink has green-edged bracts, Marblestar and Silverstar Marble have white bracts.

Not flowering, but the color of the apical leaves adorns the poinsettia

White poinsettias are very elegant: Eckes White, Freedom White, compact Silverstar White, White Star, which has shades of green. Regina is creamy white with green veins, Cortez White is ivory and Sonora White is also white veined.

Motley poinsettias are original: lilac with white strokes Jingle Bells Sonora and pink-purple with carved white edges Strawberry & Cream.

Another direction of selection is the creation of bracts unusual shape... Now they are very narrow or very wide, wavy, with carved edges. Poinsettias are in vogue, called "winter roses" (Winter Rose), in which the leaves are rounded, and large bracts are wrapped in a bud like the petals of old English roses. They are bred by English breeders. The Harlequin Red variety is very similar to them with corrugated double bracts, but its leaves are pointed. The most popular terry variety is Carousel Pink, pale pink with green veins.

• TEMPERATURE. Smooth, no jumps. Optimally during the growing season 20-24 degrees. The lower temperature limit is 14 degrees (with a decrease to 10 degrees, the roots die off), the upper limit is -27 degrees.
• LIGHTING. During flowering and active growth, bright, but scattered, with draining from direct sun. Only bright windows, northern ones do not fit.
• WATERING. Regular. It does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil, but does not like overdrying, after which it is restored with difficulty. Water at room temperature, settled. It is recommended to pass hard water through a filter or boil.
• HUMIDITY. Optimum 60-70%, dry air is highly undesirable. Humidity is increased by everyone possible ways: spray the air around the plants from a spray bottle, place the pots on trays with wet expanded clay, use humidifiers.
• THE SOIL. Nutritious, loose, water and air permeable. Acidity 5.8-6.6 pH.
• FEEDING. Liquid mineral fertilizers, including macro - and microelements (molybdenum and iron are especially needed), of the same concentration as indicated in the instructions. With constant watering with soft water, fertilizing with calcium nitrate (1.5 g per 1 liter of water) is useful to raise the calcium content.

Often in European countries, poinsettia is treated like a bouquet of flowers: if it has lost its appearance, it is thrown away. They believe that it is easier to buy a new plant than to care for an old one. Meanwhile, if, knowing the development cycles of poinsettia and some of its features, create the necessary conditions for it, it will delight the bracts with bright stars next year.

You need to take your time choosing poinsettia in the store, because the product must be top-notch, brought in by a trusted supplier. The quality of delivery and the content of the plant in the store determines whether it will delight with long flowering or will bring disappointment. Because these factors, which we usually do not think about and which may not seem so important, are decisive for poinsettia, mistakes cannot be corrected in the future with the most careful care. So we can say that you also need to choose a store, sales and discount fairs are not suitable here.

So, we are in the store. We bypass the side of the plants that are too close to the street door or in a draft. "In cramped quarters - but not offended" - this proverb to poinsettia is not

Refers to. Those specimens that do not stand tightly to each other, but separately, in the open, and at the same time do not have packaging, feel much better. If the protective packaging (it is intended exclusively for transportation) was not removed on time, and the flowers were waiting for their buyer for a long time, they could easily be poured when watering. For the same reason, let us pass by plants waiting for their new owners in beautiful paper or cellophane.

In the store, you must carefully pack the purchased poinsettia. With hypothermia, it will be impossible to bring her back to life.

The condition of the substrate will also tell you how much the sellers care for the plants. Check if it is too dry or wet. Do not hesitate to twirl the bush in your hands. It should be short-stemmed, lush, dense and even on all sides, not one-sided. If the lower part of the stem is very bare, it means that the conditions of detention have already been violated and the poinsettia has lost some of the leaves.

To make sure that there are no pests and diseases, we carefully examine the leaves. They should look healthy, have a deep green color, and not have any spots. Sluggish, drooping leaves in wet soil may indicate the onset of root rot. It is helpful to look at the underside of the leaves to make sure there are no whiteflies or aphids lurking there.

It is best to buy poinsettia at the end of autumn, and not just before the winter holidays - at this time, the choice is already sufficient. And if you manage to buy a plant that is just about to bloom, there will be plenty of time to enjoy its magnificent appearance. Therefore, pay attention to the flowers, they should still be in buds. If yellow pollen is open and visible, it is difficult to say how long the bright color of the bracts will last.

The poinsettia brought home needs to be treated with all the attention to understand how it feels in the new environment. While acclimatization lasts, a bright place and a temperature of 20-22 degrees suits her. As soon as our sissy gets used to it, we define her at the sunniest window. In this case, lighting is required bright, but diffused.

The window should be warm, if the window sill is concrete, cold, some kind of support or gasket is needed, all windows with slit frames will have to be insulated. At the same time, she will not approve of the neighborhood with a radiating heat battery or heater, so we move it away from heat sources.

In general, it is often not recommended to drag the poinsettia from one place to another. During flowering, a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees is suitable for her. At 18 degrees, flowering lasts longer, at higher temperatures, flowering is shorter, but the bracts themselves will be larger, although not as bright. The air needs to be sufficiently humid.

Until the bracts acquire the color characteristic of the variety, watering is regular and moderate. To understand whether it's time to water our beauty, you just need to feel the substrate in the pot: if it feels like wet, soil particles remain on the skin of your finger, it means it's too early, if it's dry in the pot, it's time. During flowering, watering is abundant, but it is important not to leave unabsorbed water in the pan, after half an hour - an hour it must be drained so that the roots do not get wet. It is usually not required to feed the purchased plant, it has enough nutrients available in the substrate.

It happens that a healthy plant with unopened flowers is purchased. His bracts are just beginning to stain, but they do it too slowly, remaining small and rather pale. Chances are, poinsettia lacks light and power. To make it quickly turn into a bright bouquet, you can arrange for it to be illuminated and fed with fertilizer for indoor plants with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.

In February, the poinsettia begins to gradually shed its beautiful colored leaves. At this time, watering is slowly reduced and spraying is completed.

By reducing watering, we push the plant to prepare for the dormant period, and we imitate the processes that occur in places of its natural growth.

The resting period in poinsettia is pronounced, losing leaves, it quickly loses its beauty and turns into an unpresentable bush with bare stems. She rests for about 1.5 months, from February-March to March-April.

Poinsettia should not be placed next to vases filled with fruit. Ripe apples, pears, melons, bananas emit ethylene, which is harmful to flowers.

As soon as the main part of the leaves is shed, you need to shorten the branches. How much to cut the bush depends on your desire and its height. Usually they are shortened by 1/3 or 1/2 of the height, and on the remaining "hemp" there should be 3-5 nodes (they remain in the place of fallen leaves and are clearly visible). Weak shoots should be removed altogether. The slices are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

It is better to spend the rest time of poinsettia in a cool room at a temperature of 18-19 degrees and in dim lighting. If this is unattainable, let it be anywhere in a moderately warm room, as long as it is dry.

Watering during rest is scarce, only so that the substrate does not dry out, you can simply sprinkle the soil in the pot.

In March-April, the plant wakes up, new shoots start growing. Usually there are too many of them, all of them are not needed, so the weak ones are removed again and 5-6 of the strongest are left. As soon as they grow 10-15 cm, they are pinched, leaving 3-4 leaves on each. This stimulates the emergence of new branches, the poinsettia begins to actively bush. So the plant is formed until August and the result is a dense compact bush. This month the pruning is finished because it is time to start planting the flower buds.

In spring and summer, poinsettia is looked after in the same way as other indoor flowers. As soon as active growth begins, it is again placed on the sunniest windowsill, protected from direct sun so that it does not overheat, and burns do not appear on the leaves. But if the bright lighting of the poinsettia welcomes, then the heat is not, the temperature should not rise above 27 degrees, even with good air circulation.

Watered very carefully at first, little by little. Gradually, watering is increased, until it is plentiful, so that the earthen lump is well saturated with water. Between watering, in no case is they allowed to dry out. Of course, it will not be possible to bring the air humidity closer to the state of a tropical forest saturated with moisture, but frequent spraying will somehow help to survive the heat. Starting from the time of regrowth of new shoots, 2-3 times a month, the flower is fed with a complex mineral fertilizer (for flowering plants).

In mid-September, the volume of watering and dressing is gradually reduced, while maintaining good daylight and a temperature of at least 18 degrees. The one who lived on the balcony in the summer, most likely, will have to be transferred to the house, having determined it to a well-lit place, and as soon as it is turned on central heating, humidify the air.

In order for the poinsettia to form buds and color the bracts, you need a short daylight hours and a long night, lasting 14-15 hours. To do this, from the beginning of October, they arrange a "dark" one for her, covering it in the evening with some kind of opaque material - a black plastic bag, a tight bag, or take it to the closet, put it away in the closet. If the darkening turns out to be incomplete and light comes on the poinsettia, for example from a street lamp, then spots will appear on the bracts. They are kept under a night cap for about 2 months, but during the day they are exposed on the lightest windowsill. Little by little watered and fed. In early December, the buds become visible, and the bracts begin to stain. Now you can no longer hide the poinsettia at night. From mid-December, feeding is stopped, leaving again becomes the same as when buying.

In summer, poinsettia feels great outdoors. As soon as constant warm weather is established, send it to the balcony or veranda, picking up a place where it will not be damaged by rain and strong wind... But it must be borne in mind that even on a glazed balcony with a strong cold snap, the overseas beauty will be uncomfortable.

Poinsettia is transplanted every few years, as needed, it is better not to disturb it for no reason. In April-May, they are transferred into a slightly larger pot. Its diameter should be 1-1.5 cm larger than the root ball. The fact is that the root system of the poinsettia is small, it will not be able to immediately master a lot of new soil, as a result, after watering, the soil will remain too wet for a long time, which is fraught with rotting of the roots.

So, the root system is carefully examined, the damaged roots are cut off. If all goes well, the poinsettia is transferred to a new pot, trying to preserve an earthen lump, and fresh soil is added.

You can buy a universal ready-made soil for flowering plants and add coarse river sand to it. It is easy to prepare the substrate yourself by mixing in equal proportions humus, peat, leaf and turf soil, sand. If all of the listed components are not present, the composition can be changed to include, for example, only peat, leaf (sod) soil and sand (perlite) (2: 1: 1). Or compost, peat, sand (2: 1: 1).

At the bottom, a drainage layer of up to 3 cm from expanded clay or brick chips is arranged. A little complex fertilizers are added to the soil mixture, better than long-acting granular fertilizers. If fertilizers are not applied, then approximately 3-4 weeks after transplanting, careful feeding begins, at first with a very weak solution. For 7-10 days, while the poinsettia is recovering from stress, they are kept in partial shade, watered well, sprayed in the heat.

In nature, poinsettia propagates by seeds, and at home - only by rooting cuttings. They are cut from shoots growing in spring or early summer. To get more of them, the poinsettia is cut off after flowering, leaving 10-12 cm in height and 3-6 strong buds each, transferred to a place with diffused light. Water, feed every 2-3 weeks, using half of the recommended dose in the instructions.

As soon as the dormant buds begin to grow, the temperature is raised to 25 degrees. Shoots are allowed to grow only when they have 6-7 leaves, cuttings are cut, having 5-6 well-developed buds (nodes).

The cutting must be prepared for planting for rooting. First, an oblique cut is made 2 cm below the last node. Then the stalk is washed for 10 minutes in warm water (35-40 degrees) to wash off the milky juice. When it stops flowing, cut it off again, making a cut now directly under the lower node. They are soaked with a napkin, sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated pharmacy charcoal, or simply dried well in the air. For better rooting, you can powder the slices with root.

Cuttings are planted in small containers with a diameter of 6-7 cm to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. For planting, it is convenient to use transparent disposable plastic cups. They are suitable in size, and it will be visible in them when the roots appear. They are planted in a moist, loose substrate. Usually it is peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. Soil is also suitable for succulents, to which the same amount of sand is added.

At first, the cuttings are loosely covered with plastic wrap, the humidity at this time needs high, up to 90%. The place is selected warm, with a temperature of 24-25 degrees and with diffused light. The cuttings are not watered, but only regularly sprayed on the soil, but, attention (!), If the house is hot and dry, it will dry out very quickly - due to the small volume. After 3-4 weeks, strong roots will appear, after which the temperature is reduced to a level of 18-20 degrees. Usually about half of the cuttings are rooted, and even more when using root formers.

As soon as active growth begins, about 2 weeks after rooting, the plant begins to gradually feed. To make the poinsettia bush better, pinch the shoots over the 5-6th leaf and regularly continue this work, forming a round, dense, compact bush. If desired, you can give the poinsettia the shape of a tree with a long "leg". To prevent the flower from growing one-sided, it is regularly rotated 90 degrees.

The grown bushes are transplanted into slightly larger containers by the transfer method, using a mixture for adult plants. If the poinsettia finds your worries worthy of it, it will bloom next year.

If the poinsettia doesn't like something, it always reacts in the same way: it drops> leaves. This can happen when the soil is overmoistened or overdried, when standing for a long time in a draft or in a too cool place, being in a too hot and dry room, with a lack of light or watering with cold water.

Poinsettia is quite resistant to diseases. In winter, hypothermia of an earthen coma on a cold windowsill with abundant watering leads to root rot. With this fungal disease, the lower leaves lose their elasticity, turn yellow, become stained, and fall off. Until the disease has gone too far, an urgent transplant is needed, followed by 2-3-fold treatment of plants and soil with fund-dazol (2 g per 1 L of water) in 3-5 days.

As a last resort, you can use the shoots left after the spring and summer pruning for reproduction, although they are usually shorter than necessary and have few internodes.

Gray rot disease is possible at low air temperatures and excessive watering. Especially often it affects poinsettia during the staining of the bracts, appearing as a gray bloom on the leaves and lower branches. All affected parts of the plant are removed. If the damage is significant, it is also recommended to treat with foundation or such fungicides as topsin-M, ridomil.

When the air is too dry, a red spider mite sometimes settles on the poinsettia. It is difficult to discern this mobile pest, it is only 0.1-0.4 mm in size, and lives on the underside of the leaves. You can find out about the appearance of settlers by yellowish specks on the leaves and a thin white cobweb. However, it is usually noticed when the pests have already bred. Leaves become dull, dry out and fall off.

Saving the plant begins with washing with hot (up to 50 degrees) soapy water (20 g of "green soap" or 20 g of laundry soap per 1 liter of water), especially carefully passing with a soapy sponge along the underside of the leaves. Then the earth is tightened with a film and the plant is well washed under the shower. Usually 2-3 treatments are sufficient. Of the insecticides, neoron is the most effective (1 ml per 1 l of water), actellik, acarine, fitoverm are also suitable. To avoid further trouble, you need to monitor the humidity of the air, trying to avoid excessive dryness.

The scale insect is another enemy of indoor plants. Outwardly, it looks like a small, 2-4 mm in size, dense plaque, firmly sitting on a leaf or shoot. Its body is covered with an oval wax shield of grayish-white or yellow color. The scale insect and its larvae also feed on plant sap, inhibiting their growth and development.

To rid the plant of such a dangerous inhabitant, you first need to carefully scrape off the plaques by hand, and then wash the entire bush with warm soapy water or wipe it with a cotton swab moistened with vodka or infusions of onions, garlic, hot pepper or tobacco. Of the drugs, actellic (2 ml per 1 l of water) or other insecticides (aktara, rogor, fitoverm) are used.

On the petioles of the stem, and with severe infection on the leaves, you can sometimes see something that looks like tiny scraps of cotton wool. This mealybug is a sedentary insect 2-4 mm long. The worms and their larvae not only suck out the juice, but also inject toxic substances, as a result of which the plant loses its leaves and weakens.

All pests visible to the eye should be removed with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, or the leaves should be wiped off with a soapy damp sponge. In case of severe infection, the same insecticides are used as against the scale insect.

One of the most common pests is white wings, small white flying insects similar to tiny moths. The main damage to the plant is caused by the larvae that spoil the leaves, but adults are not harmless either, being carriers of viral diseases. Against whitefly, Aktara, kinmix, fitoverm are used, if necessary, then stronger insecticides - talstar, confidor. They can be alternated with the biological product verticillin.

Poinsettia, a beautiful winter-flowering houseplant, was given to me by my son in front of the army. It was at the beginning of December. Then I promised myself that I would definitely keep the gift, although I did not particularly hope, believing that after flowering it will wither and we will part with it.

I poured it so that the lump was completely moistened, but water did not accumulate in the pan. She protected poinsettia from drafts and hot air from batteries. From a cold draft, as well as from too cold or hot content, from overdrying and excessive watering, the leaves fall off and the apical bud withers. Even the touch of leaves on a cold window glass is destructive for a plant. Poinsettia is very vulnerable - at the first sign of discomfort, it easily sheds flowers.

As you know, all the beauty of poinsettia is in brightly colored (white, pink, yellow, spotted - for every taste!) Bracts surrounding nondescript flowers. My poinsettia was dyed crimson red.

This compact branchy plant no more than 50 cm in height blooms in December and looks elegant up to six months. Poinsettia loves good lighting in winter, partial shade in summer.

So that the daylight hours were no more than 10 hours, from September she covered it with a dark paper bag and kept it that way for two months. Only under this condition does it bloom for the New Year or Christmas, thereby confirming its second name - the Christmas star. Short daylight hours and complete darkness on a long night are necessary conditions for the staining of the bracts and the flowering of the pu-ansettia on time. Best temperature regime- + 14 ... + 18'С. Once I forgot to follow the light regime and did not cover the plant, but it still bloomed in early April.

After flowering, the poinsettia sheds the bracts. I cut the tops of the shoots to 1/3 of the length, and transplanted the plant itself by transferring it into a more spacious pot, adding more earth.

When new shoots grew, some of them were removed, leaving 4-5 strongest ones. Used cuttings for propagation. First of all, I immersed them in warm water for half an hour so that the milky juice came out (another name for poinsettia is

However, the "star" captivated me so much with its beauty that, having gained experience from flower growers, I preserved the plant and now I enjoy its flowering every year. And how delighted my son was when, after returning from the army three years later, he saw the same flower, only grown up and even more beautiful!

To keep the poinsettia, I had to try pretty hard. First, I immediately put the plant in a well-lit place, protected from the midday sun. Sprayed it regularly and moderately on euphorbia is the most beautiful). Then, with a blade, I made a new cut under the bud, removed the excess leaves and again dipped it into warm water for 10 minutes. I planted the cuttings in cups with sterile soil consisting of peat and sand, first moistening the tip, and then dipping it into a growth stimulator of the Kornevin type. Before planting, the soil was spilled. I planted it to a depth of 1.5-2 cm, pressing the handle with my fingers and covering it with a bag.

As soon as I noticed that the top began to grow, I took off the bag (after about a month and a half). All this time she watered the seedlings with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and aired.

When the plants got stronger, I made a pinch in the hope that the bushes would be more lush.

I haven't tried rooting in water, but I know that this method also exists. In any way, the percentage of rooting is approximately 50 to 50, so for insurance I plant all cuttings every year.

Keep in mind that poinsettia's milky juice is poisonous, so be careful to wear rubber gloves when caring for the plant. And one more thing: find those places for her, inaccessible to children and animals.

✓ The Aztecs were the first to appreciate poinsettia. They used her red bracts as a natural dye for cosmetics and fabrics, and the white juice of the "Christmas star" to treat fevers.

• If the poinsettia has dropped its leaves at an inopportune time, look for the reason in the conditions of detention
• Any soil for flowering indoor plants will suit her
• In summer, poinsettia feels great outdoors. As soon as constant warm weather is established, send it to the balcony or veranda, picking up a place where it will not be affected by rain and strong winds. But it must be borne in mind that even on a glazed balcony with a strong cold snap, the overseas beauty will be uncomfortable.
• It happens that poinsettia does not come to life after a period of rest. The reason for this may be excessive watering or, conversely, overdrying of the earthy coma, as well as too low a temperature.
• When exposed to direct sunlight, the color of the bracts fades and does not recover

They are respectful and reverent to the plant in Europe.

The Spaniards, for example, consider poinsettia to be the flower of the holy night, bringing wealth and good fortune to their homes. At winter flower fairs, it is presented with exquisite and elegant varieties.

There are few plants that bloom in the darkest months of the year. One of these is the most beautiful euphorbia, or poinsettia. Throughout the winter, the beauty serves as a magnificent decor element. When flowering is over, the plant is pruned, stimulating branching.

New specimens can be grown from cut stems.

I propagate poinsettia in April. I root cuttings 10-15 cm long in a mixture of sand, peat and fine expanded clay. In May I plant 1-2 pcs. in pots with a diameter of 5-7 cm in a mixture of leaf, turf, humus earth and sand (2: 2: 4: 1) and put it in the street

Greenhouse. In June, I transplant them into pots with a diameter of 9 cm. In July, I pinch young plants. With the appearance of lateral shoots, the poinsettia is transplanted again into flowerpots with a diameter of 12 cm and tied to a peg (if necessary). All this time I water the plants evenly and feed them with full mineral fertilizer; the optimum temperature during the growth period is + 20-25 degrees. At the end of August, I transfer it from the greenhouse to the windowsill and control the light regime, since the poinsettia is a short day plant.

Poinsettia blooms from December to February. During flowering, the temperature is reduced to + 16-18 degrees. - this is how the bracts are colored most intensively. After the end of flowering (February-March), the "Christmas star" begins a period of short-term rest. I transfer it to a darkened place, if possible in coolness (optimally + 12-15 degrees). I periodically slightly moisten the earthen lump. In April, I cut the plants by 1/3, transfer them to a fresh substrate and put them in a well-lit place.

Poinsettia is called the "Christmas star" for its bright bracts: gathered at the ends of the shoots in "stars", they are colored just in time for Christmas.

Garden and cottage ›Houseplants and flowers› Poinsettia is the most beautiful (photo) - how to care

The basis of the composition is whole pieces of bark. If the bark has crumbled, the mixture is unsuitable for orchids: a lot of moisture is consumed for the plant, the air will pass poorly.

Before planting orchids, the bark is pre-soaked in order to better absorb moisture while watering the transplanted plant.

You cannot transplant an orchid during flowering. Experienced flower growers consider the spring period to be the most favorable.

Orchids behave differently, each is capricious in its own way. New and already known hybrid varieties are bred with maximum ease of care in mind. But there are rules common to all orchids, which must be strictly followed.

• Are sensitive to drafts;
• They cannot stand the hot, dazzling sun.

They prefer a bright place, but not in direct sunlight, otherwise they will get burned, then the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. In winter, blooming orchids are placed closer to the light, additionally illuminated with phytolamps. During this period of the year, life stops in most plants, the period of laying new shoots begins.

a source

Watering is a prerequisite for plant life. Growing without watering is impossible for any plant, they all need water. Many people water their plants "as it happens", from time to time, but do not ask the question of how to water the flowers. But in order for the plants to always look beautiful, so that watering brings the maximum benefit to them, you need to know some watering rules for domestic plants... So,

Water for irrigating plants can be ordinary tap water, but settled for at least a day. In order for the chlorine to evaporate, the water must be defended in an open container. Soft water for irrigation works best. Most tap water is hard. Water from wells is even harder, it is not at all suitable for watering indoor plants.

How to soften such water for irrigation? It is enough to boil it for 3 - 5 minutes. When boiled, most of the harmful salts precipitate and the water becomes soft.

It is undesirable to water the plants with distilled water, because it does not contain the mineral salts necessary for plants. The exceptions are azaleas, gardenias, ferns, camellias, orchids and some predatory plants, for which watering with distilled water is even desirable, because they should only be watered with soft water.

It is better not to use water from pump rooms and from cylinders for watering domestic plants, because its composition is not known to you, and such water can harm the plant.

Since most tap water is alkaline, it must be neutralized. If this is not done, the soil becomes alkalized over time, as a result of which the root system of the plants suffers. In order to neutralize the alkaline reaction of the aqueous medium, it must be slightly acidified. To do this, it is enough to add food citric acid to the water for irrigation at the rate of 1 teaspoon of citric acid per 5 liters of water. Citric acid is added to warm water just before watering.

2. What temperature should be the water for irrigation?

Watering indoor plants with cold water is unacceptable, because when watering with such water, the vessels of the root system of plants narrow, and as a result, moisture and nutrition poorly enter their upper part, the root gradually dies off and the plant may die. Watering flowering plants with cold water can cause flowers and ovaries to fall off.

Cold water can and should be watered for plants that are in a dormant period. This prevents premature vegetation and plant depletion. For watering plants that have stopped growing during the period of winter dormancy, water is used colder than the temperature of the air in the room, sometimes even water with snow.

In all other cases, the optimum water temperature for irrigating houseplants is + 30–34 ° C, so the water needs to be slightly warmed up, even in summer. Watering with such water has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants.

The plant must be watered over the entire volume of the flowerpot in small portions so that the soil is saturated with water from top to bottom. You need to water until water appears in the pan. In this case, you can be sure that both the upper and lower parts of the root system will receive a sufficient amount of moisture. After 30 - 40 minutes, the water is removed from the pan. During this time, the root system of the plant will have time to absorb the moisture that it did not manage to absorb during watering. It is impossible to leave water for a longer time, otherwise you can provoke rotting of the root system. If the flowerpot is large and cannot be lifted, you can remove water from the pallet using a syringe, a sponge, and absorbent wipes.

How many times to water house plants is a question that requires an individual approach. The frequency of watering depends on the type of plant, the volume of the flowerpot, the composition of the soil, the activity of the root system and weather conditions. On cloudy and cool days, plants are watered less frequently than on clear and sunny days; with dry and warm air indoors, plants need to be watered more abundantly than with humid and colder air; plants in light and loose soil require more frequent watering than those growing in dense, heavy soil.

How to calculate watering? The best guideline for deciding on watering is the drying out of the earthy coma. The signal about the need for watering is the drying out of the upper soil layer by 1.5 - 2 cm. Succulent plants are watered after the earthen coma dries to a depth of 3 - 10 cm (the larger the container, the greater the depth of the soil should dry out).

But what if there is no way to water the plants in a timely manner (for example, during the vacation period)? How to leave flowers without watering? Can they handle this stress? For information on how to properly organize watering during a vacation or business trip, read here.

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None of the conditions for growing indoor plants requires as much attention as watering. It must be monitored all year round. It is in this area that novice indoor plant lovers make the most mistakes. They either flood the plants with water, believing that in this way they will make them happy, or they completely forget that it needs water. As a result, the plant receives either too much water or too little; both can simply ruin him.

It may seem that all plants need to be hydrated a certain number of times each week. However, it is not. Each plant has its own watering requirements - it depends on the size of the plants, the size of the pot, the season, temperature and light, the quality of the soil and the moisture requirement inherent in a particular species. For example, on cloudy days the plant needs less moisture, but on sunny days it needs more water. Plants need ample watering during the warmer summer months, and less water is needed in cooler weather. Even in stable conditions, a constant amount of water is not a guarantee of success, since the plant grows in size and, accordingly, the amount of water it needs increases.

Water more often and more abundantly:

✓ plants in clay pots;

✓ plants with large or thin leaves;

✓ plants with thin stems;

✓ plants during the period of active growth;

✓ plants with a powerful root system;

✓ plants with hanging stems;

✓ in the warm season and at high temperatures in the room;

Less moisture is required:

✓ plants in plastic pots;

✓ plants with thick leaves with a waxy bloom;

✓ plants devoid of leaves;

✓ plants with thick stems;

✓ dormant plants;

✓ newly transplanted plants;

✓ plants with a poorly developed root system;

✓ weak and emaciated plants;

✓ at low air temperature in the room;

✓ on cloudy days or in low light;

✓ at high air humidity;

✓ in the absence of air movement in the room.

For example, orchids from the genus Dendrobium are watered no more than once a week.

The experience of many indoor floriculture enthusiasts has developed an exact criterion: it is time to water the plant when the earthen mixture in the pot becomes dry. The only problem is that the mixture, which appears dry from above, remains wet in the middle of the pot. You water thinking the ground is practically dry. In fact, you oversaturate it with water from the middle of the pot to the very bottom, which is no less harmful to plants than drying out the soil. How to understand in what condition an earthen lump is: wet, dry or almost dry? Sometimes it can be determined "by eye" and "by ear".

The color of the earthen mixture depends on whether it is wet or dry. Wet mixture is dark brown, and dry or nearly dry becomes pale brown and dull. One of the common techniques, therefore, is to water the plants when the earthen mixture begins to fade. However, eye estimates are not always reliable. When the mixture is dry on most of the pot, it may be damp on the bottom. However, for small pots, one can assume that if the earthen mixture is dry on the surface, it is dry enough throughout the pot. You can tell if plants should be watered simply by tapping the pot with your finger. If the soil in the flower pot is dry, the sound will be sonorous, but if it is wet, it will be dull.

The easiest way to determine if a plant needs watering is to sample the potted soil with your finger or a wooden stick. Submerge your finger in the earthy mixture up to the first or second knuckle. If the soil feels moist, no watering is required. If it is dry, then there is clearly not enough water in the soil. This is a reliable indicator of the soil moisture in the entire pot and can be used for plants in pots 20-25 cm high. Avoid testing the moisture content of the mixture with your fingers several times at a time. So you can damage the roots of a small and delicate plant and thus do it more harm than good. It is better to check soil moisture with your fingers at the outer edge of the pot, rather than at the base of the plant.

You can tell if a plant needs watering by simply lifting the pot. It is clear that the newly watered potting mix weighs more than the dry one. Plants in plastic containers, growing in standard potting mixes, after watering, weigh about twice as much as dry ones. This is, of course, a rough estimate. The difference in weight depends on the type of pot, the potting soil and the material the pot is made of. However, even plants in clay pots with a heavy potting mix are noticeably lighter when the soil dries out. Applying the weighing method takes some practice. Lift the plant several times between waterings to feel the difference in weight between wet and dry pots. Then after a while you can easily tell the difference between a lighter pot when the plant needs watering and a heavier one when it doesn't need watering.

Watering plants in large containers - over 30 cm tall - has always been a challenge for indoor plant lovers. Plants growing in deep pots or tubs are constantly at risk of waterlogging. Fortunately, reliable and harmless devices have been developed for determining soil moisture in large containers. Various soil moisture indicators can be found commercially. These devices measure the amount of water at a specific depth. Insert the indicator plug into the soil about 2/3 of the length. An arrow on the scale will indicate wet, dry, or somewhere in between. Water only if the indicator indicates dry soil. Keep in mind that an old, worn out meter gives unreliable readings, so it should be replaced with a new one about once a year. However, even a new meter can give an inaccurate estimate if the soil mix contains a lot of mineral salts. They can build up if you water the plants with hard water for several years. In this case, an inaccurate reading on the meter indicates that your plants need to replace the old potting mix with a fresh one.

In addition to the standard meter, there is a sound moisture meter on the market, it indicates when the plant needs watering, ringing, whistling or other sound signal. The sound meter is designed in the same way as the standard one, but instead of the scale, the sound transmitter is located at the other end. It costs about the same as the standard one. It makes sense to buy one such meter and keep it in a pot with a plant that usually dries out faster than others. When the indicator beeps, it's time to check the rest of the plants using traditional methods.

Each type of plant needs its own watering regime. This information can be gleaned from the description of the content of a particular plant. Distinguish between abundant, moderate and rare watering. Abundant watering is carried out immediately after the earthen coma dries. Abundant watering is required for most tropical plants with thin leaves. With moderate watering, the plants are watered not immediately after the earthen coma dries, but after a day or two. Moderate watering is required, in particular, for plants with pubescent leaves and stems (African violet, peperomia, etc.) and thick roots and rhizomes (dracaena). With sparse watering, plants are left dry for several days, weeks, or even months. This applies to cacti and succulents, as well as dormant plants.

A strict watering regime for each plant is not easy to maintain, especially if you have a lot of plants. Ideally, the condition of the plant should be checked regularly and watered as soon as necessary. This method yields the best results because it alternates between moist and nearly dry soil conditions. Check each plant every 3-4 days using one of the methods described above and water only those plants that currently need it. Recommendations in this matter can only be general.

It is better to water the plants more often and little by little than less often and more abundantly. The main watering is best done in the morning. With each watering, the plant must be given so much water that it well moistens the entire earthen clod and glass in the pan.

Regular irrigation irregularities affect the appearance of most plants.

Lack of water can be noticed by the following signs:

Leaves and shoots become lethargic;

In plants with tough leathery leaves, the leaves dry and fall off;

Flowers and buds fall off or wither quickly.

With excess water:

Signs of rot appear on the leaves;

The plant grows clearly more slowly;

Mold appears on buds and flowers;

The tips of the leaves turn brown;

Both old and young leaves fall off.

When the potting mix dries out enough to become almost crunchy, a curious phenomenon occurs - the potting mix refuses to accept water. No matter how much water you pour, the ground becomes slightly damp only on the surface. This is because the very dry soil moves away from the walls of the pot and cracks form between the walls and the earthy clod. When you water over-dried soil from above, the water flows down these slots to the bottom and pours out into the sump through the drainage hole. The earthy lump will remain dry. Therefore, when the earth is too dry, it is useless to water it from above. What to do? Water the leaves and stems of the plant from the shower. Fill a basin or other container with water at room temperature and immerse the entire pot with the plant in it, carefully pressing the pot with a load (stone or brick) so that it is completely submerged in the water. Then add a few drops (no more!) Of liquid detergent to the water to help reduce the water repellency of the overdried soil. After about an hour, remove the plant pot and let the excess water drain off. If the plant has come to life (not all plants recover after drying out), it will soon become juicy again. Please note - even when the earthen lump takes on its original size, some distance between it and the walls of the pot will remain. Fill this gap with potting soil.

If excess water has accumulated in the pot, this is no less dangerous for the plant than drought. However, even in this case, all is not lost. Tap the edge of the pot on a hard surface and remove the pot from the earthy ball. Usually, an earthen lump is permeated with roots and retains the shape of a pot. Remove damaged roots and wrap an earthen clod with a rag or old kitchen towel - it will absorb excess water from the earthen clod. You may need to change your towel several times.

Then wrap the earthen lump in absorbent paper and leave it in it until dry, but do not dry it out. When the earthy ball is dry, plant the plant in a clean pot of fresh earthy mixture.

Typically, flower pots are sold with a pallet. The sump is absolutely necessary - excess water flows into it. As a pallet, you can also use saucers or bowls of a suitable size from any material. It is only important that the diameter of the pallet is not less than the upper diameter of the pot. After watering, drain the excess water from the sump.

Drainage is a French word. It means the artificial or natural removal of excess fluid, usually from the soil. In indoor floriculture, drainage is used so that the water does not stagnate in the pot. For drainage, ceramic shards, gravel, pebbles or large expanded clay are suitable.

A large shard is placed on the drain hole with the convex side up, or a handful of smaller shards, then a layer of coarse sand is poured and the plant itself is planted on top of this. Since shards are not always at hand, it is easier to arrange expanded clay drainage.

If there is a hole in the pot for water drainage, then 1 cm of large expanded clay should be placed on the bottom. If there is no hole, then the height of the expanded clay layer should be at least 3-5 cm. In general, it should be about a quarter of the height of the container.

Although traditionally plants are watered from a watering can, there is another way - watering from the bottom. With this method, the so-called capillary effect is triggered - there is a movement of water from wetter layers to drier ones. When the soil is almost dry, place the pot in a pan of water and moisture will begin to flow through the soil and plant roots.

By watering from the bottom, you simply fill the sump with water. If water drains out of the pan quickly, add some more. After about an hour, all of the soil will become wet and the surface will shine with moisture. When the plant has sucked up all the water it needs, pour out the rest of the water from the pan. Watering from below is preferable for plants with pubescent leaves or with a lush rosette of leaves.

Plants that you water from below meet their moisture needs better. However, you will have to change the soil mixture with them more often, since excess mineral salts will accumulate in the soil faster.

Overhead watering seems to be a more “natural” way of watering, since in nature, plants get moisture from the rains. On the other hand, it is not the source of moisture that is important for the plant, but the result is moist soil. Therefore, it is not so important whether you water from above or from below. When watering from above, make sure that no water gets on the leaves. Many plants have very delicate leaves and stems that are stained by water droplets. In addition, water droplets in the light focus the light like lenses, and burns can occur even on dense and leathery leaves. Therefore, when watering from above, be sure to lift the leaves or move them to the side so that the water only falls on the soil.

Plants in hanging pots often hang quite high, and watering them is difficult. For convenience, you can buy a special watering can, which will greatly facilitate watering such plants. It consists of a plastic bottle with a long tube that bends at the end. Such a watering can is quite inexpensive.

Plants are preferably watered with soft water, i.e. water with a low salt content. If the water in your area is soft, then tap water is quite suitable for irrigation. Hardy plant species can be watered directly from the tap, but this should not be abused: there are not so many such plants. It is better for the water to settle for about a day. During this time, gas bubbles, especially chlorine and fluorine, will come out of it. Fluoride is very harmful to indoor plants. For irrigation, you can also use rainwater, melted snow and well water.

Hard water contains a lot of soluble calcium and magnesium salts. It is very harmful to plants. The surface of the plant roots is covered with a skin that acts as a kind of filter.

It passes and holds inside only what the plants need. When watering with hard water, the filter "clogs up" - remember the scale on the walls of the kettle !. As a result, the roots begin to poorly absorb water and nutrients. The plant becomes hungry. In such a situation, an increase in watering only leads to rotting of the roots and the death of the plant. A sign that indicates hard water is a yellowish-white coating on the surface of the soil, on the walls of the pot, and sometimes on the stems of the plant.

To soften hard water, wood ash is added to it at the rate of 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) per liter of water. You can also add acetic or oxalic acid to the water. This must be done very carefully, checking the pH value until the desired value is set (5.5-6.5).

Filtered hard water, that is, water passed through a demineralization plant or osmotic filtration system, will not harm your plants. To soften hard water, special filter cartridges and tablets are produced - water softeners (so-called pH tablets). If for some reason the described methods of softening hard water are not available to you, you can water the plants, especially delicate ones, with boiled water.

Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. It is even better to take water 2-3 ° C warmer. Do not neglect this rule. Remember that watering thermophilic tropical plants with cold water can damage their roots and leaves.

Yes, there are such ways. Firstly, it is the so-called self-watering pot. Secondly, the cultivation of plants in a hydroponic system. In both cases, watering will require your attention once every 1 - 2 months, and in between, the plants will be provided with water automatically. In addition, there are substrates, such as hydrogels and granulates, that can hold water in the soil for a long time and give it to plants as needed.

Heat and drought hit us unusually early this year. It's only May, and the weather is quite July. And just like in the height of summer, plants need water. Usually in the spring we have rains - not uncommon, and the nights are cold, with dews, so we have to think about watering much later.

Although, to be honest, I didn’t think too much about it: everything is intuitive. And then I decided to figure it out, how to properly water the garden: how much water each vegetable needs; how to determine if a plant is suffering from thirst; how often to water the beds, and so on. It turned out - it was not in vain that I decided: I learned a lot of interesting things for myself. I will share - maybe it will come in handy for you.

Watering for cabbage

Cabbage is perhaps the largest water loaf of all vegetable crops. When she sets the heads of cabbage, the watering rate is at least 30 liters per 1 sq. m... If cabbage suffers from thirst, it is immediately attacked by pests - cruciferous flea and cabbage fly. A pinkish-bluish bloom may appear on the leaves of the plant.

Cabbage, it turns out, needs to be watered differently, depending on the weather: if it is hot and dry, sprinkling is used, and in cool weather it is watered at the root. In this case, the soil should be soaked to a depth of at least 40 cm.

Late varieties of cabbage are recommended to be watered daily, and early varieties - every 2-3 days, not allowing the soil to dry out. If, after a drought, you decide to water the plants abundantly, or suddenly it rains, this will only lead to the heads of cabbage cracking.

Water for tomatoes

The fact that the plant wants to drink is signaled by its leaves: during drought, they become smaller, take an upright position, and curl. The formed ovaries can also fall off, and if the fruits are already poured, they slowly grow and ripen, often apical rot appears on them.

Watering tomatoes is necessary at the root - sprinkling is permissible only in very hot and dry weather. Excessive moisture in the air can cause illness. For this culture recommend morning watering... When the first flowers appear, they are watered once a week, and then every 10-12 days, spending 30 liters of water per square meter.

How to water cucumbers

The cucumber loves water, so you need to water it often. Although he turned out to be a rather controversial nature 🙂 Judge for yourself:

• before flowering cucumbers can be watered no more than once a week (and not even watered at all if it rains) - so that the plants develop a strong root system;
• when the flowers appeared, it is necessary to water every 3-4 days, or even daily (if it is hot);
• preferable for cucumbers sprinkling- their foliage actively evaporates moisture; but if you find spots on the leaves that indicate a plant disease, sprinkling should be excluded and watered only in grooves laid along a row of plants;
• in warm weather, water should be after noon, but before 17.00, and if the nights are cold, it is recommended morning watering.

After watering, the soil under the cucumbers should be moist to a depth of at least 40 cm; under adult plants, for this you will have to pour out about 20-30 liters of water per 1 sq.m.

Water the eggplant and pepper

Thirsty eggplants and peppers stop growing and do not bloom. To avoid such a misfortune, every 7-10 days they need to be watered, spending 15-30 liters of water per 1 sq. M(depending on weather conditions).

Plants are watered at the root or in the furrows laid along the row. In the heat, morning or evening irrigation can be used, and if the temperature drops below +15 degrees, watering should be completely excluded - otherwise there is a risk of damage to plants by gray rot.

How much water do carrots and beets need

Carrot seeds should be in moist soil before the first shoots appear. Often, gardeners use a film: it does not allow moisture to evaporate, and you can water the carrot bed much less often. With the emergence of seedlings, the film must be removed, and then every 10 days, water the plantings abundantly using a watering can with a fine strainer. Watering is stopped 3 weeks before harvesting. Water consumption - 30 l per 1 sq. M.

If there is not enough water, carrots can form a rough, ugly root vegetable, or even discard the peduncle altogether. You can guess that the plant suffers from thirst by the slightly twisted and darkened leaves.

But beets do not require such worries - they can be watered much less often. For the entire season, it is enough to water the beetroot crops 4-5 times (of course, if there is no intense heat, and it rains from time to time). The water consumption is the same as for carrots, and it is recommended to water it in the early morning or evening, in the grooves along the plants.

But it is also not worth overdrying the beets: from drought, like carrots, they can go on to the formation of peduncles instead of forming a root crop. And if it does, it will come out tough and tasteless. The lack of watering of the beets is signaled by the brown-violet color of the foliage, which, moreover, becomes noticeably smaller during drought.

When you need watering onions and garlic

The yellowing tips of the feather remind: it's time to water. But if the weather is rainy, these crops make do with natural moisture; in a dry and hot one, you will have to go out to the garden bed with a watering can or a hose every 5-6 days.

When about a month remains before harvesting, watering should be stopped altogether: from excess moisture, the bulbs ripen worse, and then they are poorly stored in winter. Plants need the most water when the bulbs are poured - the norm at this time is 30-35 l per 1 sq. M... In the spring, while the root system is being formed and foliage is growing, no more than 30 liters per 1 sq. M. Are used.

How to water zucchini and pumpkin

These crops do not need water very often, but in large quantities:

• zucchini- once a month, 20 liters per plant;
• pumpkin- before hilling, once in a volume of 7-8 liters per plant; then they do not water it for about a month, after which every 10 days, 10 liters are poured under each bush, stopping watering completely a month before harvesting.

Watering should be done only at the root; pour water very carefully so as not to expose the root system. Choose for "water procedures" in the morning or evening hours: during the day, the likelihood of burns is too high.

Do potatoes need watering

Frankly, I never watered potatoes until this spring. I read, of course, that watering is also necessary for him, but he grew well with me without it. And then I was afraid that in the dry hot soil the tubers would simply be baked instead of sprouting. In general, it is recommended to water the potatoes once a week, according to 20-30 liters of water per 1 sq. M landings. If, after watering, the soil is slightly dried, loosened and mulched with humus or peat, then you can do it once a month.

Do you often have to water the garden or does the weather take over some of the work? And how do you water - according to the rules or by intuition? 🙂

Source: 7dach.ru