Olga Gorbatova
Work in nature “Teaching children how to water indoor plants” (junior group)

Program tasks:

Learn children practical skills watering

Introduce children with the structure of the labor process

Develop an attitude towards plants as living beings, cultivate the desire to regret plant, effectively help him

Vocabulary work:

Plant, watering can, pot with tray, stem, leaves, root, water, wet earth, beautiful, healthy.

Equipment:

Models labor process, apron, oilcloth, watering can with water, flower in a pot with a tray

Aprons, oilcloths, watering cans with water, flowers in pots with a tray

Preliminary work:

Observation of plant(familiarity with the features appearance, building, observation plant in favorable and unfavorable conditions (lack of moisture, observation of labor of a teacher watering plants in a corner of nature(meeting the model labor process)

OD progress

Organization children:

Children stand at tables arranged in the letter P

Introductory part

Children, Mishka came to us and brought a flower with him.

The bear greets the children.

Guys, let's ask Mishka why he is so sad and not cheerful?

Mishka says he is sad because his favorite the plant was so beautiful, as in the picture (shows the model, it has now become like this (shows plant) . Mishka says he doesn’t know what happened to him, he’s sorry plant That's why he's sad.

Do you feel sorry for Mishkino? plant? (yes, it's a shame)

Let's take pity on Mishka, tell him kind words, don't cry Mishka, we will help you, and you will be cheerful and joyful again.

Children, why Mishkino the plant became like this?What did he forget to do?

Let's listen to what he asks plant.

The plant asks to let him watered and then it will get better.

Guys, Mishka says he can’t water now probably him the plant will die.

Children, can we help Mishka? (Can)

How? (we can teach him water the plant)

Setting a goal:

Let's teach Mishka correctly water the plant

Children, we want plant How did you feel? (Fine)

So that it becomes what? (talks out to the children; so that plant felt good so that the leaves looked up, so that the stem looked up, so that the ground was moist). In order not to forget about this, let's put a picture (model - plant in good condition)

Which plant now? (examination is being carried out plants: condition of leaves, stem, ground). So as not to forget what plant now, let's put a picture (model - plant in unfavorable condition). To the plant I need help soon. To do this you need to choose the right tools.

Children, Mishka says that he knows what to do.

Look, he brought a watering can. Look, the watering can has a handle so that we can hold the watering can, the watering can has a spout, water pours out of the spout, there is a hole, into this hole they pour water into the watering can.

Children, what is missing from Mishka’s watering can? (water)

Which watering can should you take? In order not to forget that you need to take a watering can with water, we will put a picture (model - means labor: watering can with water)

Now what are we going to do?

Children, Mishka says that he remembered how water and wants to show us (Mishka holds the watering can with one hand, pours water on the leaves, under the roots, wants to pour all the water out of the watering can at once).

Bear, you're wrong watering the plant. You cannot pour water under the roots and on the leaves, and immediately pour out all the water from the watering can. The plant may die.

Look, children, how I will be water the plant. Before starting work, I will put on an apron so as not to get my clothes wet or dirty. The flower stands in a pot with a tray on oilcloth. I take a watering can with some water, put the spout of the watering can to the edge of the pot, pour the water slowly, gradually until the water appears on the pan.

So as not to forget that the plant needs to be watered let's put a picture(model labor actions) .

Children, what will it be like? plant if we water it correctly? ( plant will be in good condition, the stem will be even, the drooping, flaccid leaves will also rise, they will be even and elastic.)

Let's put a picture so we don't forget (model - plant in good condition)

Consolidation

Before we start, what will we do? (put on an apron)

How are we going to hold the watering can? (spout at the edge of the pot)

How much water will we pour? (until water appears on the pan)

What will it become plant after watering? (plant will be in good condition)

Independent work

Bear, yours we helped the plant, now it will get better.

Some the plants in our group also need help, water them so that they do not become like in the picture (I show the model - plant in unfavorable condition)

Children, do you want to help?

Then you need to find plants who are thirsty. Here's how it is in the picture (the model is demonstrated plants in unfavorable condition)

The bear and the teacher are watching children's labor, I ask clarifying questions. When difficulties I come to help the children.

I remind the children that it is time to finish work and that they need to put the workplace in order.

Didactic game "Where is Mishka hiding?"

Didactic task: clarify the name of friends plants

Game rule: find Bear

Game action: finding the game character and naming plants, behind which he hid

Children, soon ours plants will become as beautiful and healthy as in the picture (I show the model - plant in good condition)

They will feel good. We did two good deeds today: helped plants and taught Mishka to water his plant.

Mishka says thank you to everyone, now it’s his plant will feel good. He's very happy about it. Now Mishka has learned water the plant, and will always take care of it so that it is in good condition and delights with its beauty.

Children, are you glad you helped? plants? (emotionally share the joy children)

No other growing condition for indoor plants requires as much attention as watering. It needs to be controlled all year round. It is in this area that novice indoor plant lovers make the most mistakes. They either flood the plants with water, thinking that this 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 of these can simply destroy him.

What determines the plants' need for water?

It may seem that all plants need only be watered 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 time of year, temperature and light, soil quality and the moisture needs inherent in a particular species. For example, on cloudy days the plant needs less moisture, but on sunny days it needs more water. During the warm summer months, plants need a lot of watering, but in cool weather they need less water. Even in stable conditions, a constant amount of water is not a guarantee of success, since the plant increases 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 temperatures in the room;

✓ in bright light;

✓ in dry air;

✓ with open windows.

Requires less moisture:

✓ plants in plastic pots;

✓ plants with thick leaves with a waxy coating;

✓ plants without leaves;

✓ plants with thick stems;

✓ plants at rest;

✓ newly transplanted plants;

✓ plants with a poorly developed root system;

✓ weak and exhausted plants;

✓ at low room temperature;

✓ on cloudy days or in low light;

✓ at high air humidity;

✓ when there is no air movement in the room.

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

How to determine that a plant needs watering?

The experience of many lovers of indoor floriculture 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 seems dry on top, remains wet in the middle of the pot. You water, thinking that the soil is almost dry. In fact, you are oversaturating it with water from the middle of the pot to the very bottom, which is no less harmful to the plants than drying out the soil. How to understand what condition the earthen ball is in: wet, dry or almost dry? Sometimes this can be determined “by eye” and “by ear”.

The color of the soil mixture depends on whether it is wet or dry. A wet mixture is dark brown, while a dry or nearly dry mixture becomes pale brown and dull. One common technique, therefore, is to water the plants when the soil mixture begins to turn pale. However, eyeballing is not always reliable. When the mixture is dry on most of the surface of the pot, it may be wet at the bottom. However, for small pots it can be assumed that if the soil mixture is dry on the surface, it is dry enough throughout the pot. You can determine whether your plants should be watered by simply tapping the pot with your finger. If the soil in a flower pot is dry, the sound will be loud, but if it is wet, it will be dull.

The easiest way to determine if a plant needs watering is to test the soil in the pot with your finger or a wooden stick. Dip your finger into the soil mixture up to the first or second knuckle. If the soil feels damp, no watering is required. If it is dry, then there is clearly not enough water in the soil. This technique is a reliable indicator of soil moisture in the entire pot, and can be used for plants in pots 20-25 cm high. Avoid checking the moisture of the mixture with your fingers several times at a time. This way you can damage the roots of a small and delicate plant and thereby bring it more harm than good. It is better to check the 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 simply by lifting the pot. It is clear that recently watered soil mixture weighs more than dry soil. Plants in plastic containers growing in standard soil mixtures weigh about twice as much as dry plants after watering. This is, of course, a rough estimate. The difference in weight depends on the type of pot, soil mixture and the material from which the pot is made. However, even plants in clay pots with a heavy potting mix are noticeably lighter when the soil dries out. Using the "weighing" method requires some practice. Lift the plant several times between waterings to feel the difference in weight between pots with wet and dry soil. Then, after some time, 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 - more than 30 cm in height - has always been a problem 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. You can find various soil moisture indicators on the market. These devices measure the amount of water at a certain depth. Insert the indicator fork about 2/3 of the way into the soil. The arrow on the scale will indicate “wet”, “dry” or something in between. Water only when the indicator indicates the soil is dry. Keep in mind that an old, worn-out meter will not give reliable readings, so it should be replaced with a new one about once a year. However, even a new meter may be inaccurate if the soil mixture contains a lot of mineral salts. They can build up if you've been watering your plants with hard water for years. In this case, inaccurate meter readings indicate that your plants need to replace the old potting mix with fresh ones.

In addition to the standard meter, an audible humidity meter is commercially available; it indicates when the plant needs watering by ringing, whistling or other sound signals. The sound meter is designed in the same way as a standard one, but instead of a scale, there is an audio transmitter at the other end. It costs about the same as the standard one. It makes sense to buy one of these meters and keep it in a pot with a plant that tends to dry out faster than others. When the indicator shows sound signal, it’s time to check the rest of the plants using traditional methods.

What is the watering regime?

Each type of plant needs its own watering regime. This information can be gleaned from the description of the contents of a particular plant. There are abundant, moderate and rare watering. Abundant watering is carried out immediately after the earthen clod dries. Most tropical plants with thin leaves require deep watering. With moderate watering, the plants are not watered immediately after the earthen ball dries out, 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). When watered infrequently, plants are left dry for days, weeks or even months. This applies to cacti and succulents, as well as dormant plants.

How to set the watering mode?

Maintaining a strict watering schedule for each plant is not easy, especially if you have a lot of plants. Ideally, you should check the condition of the plant regularly and water it as soon as needed. This method brings the best results, because in this case the soil alternates between wet and almost dry 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, rather than less often and more abundantly. The main watering is best done in the first half of the day. Each time you water the plant, you need to give it enough water to thoroughly moisten the entire earthen ball and the glass in the pan.

What are the signs of water shortage?

Regular violations of the watering regime affect the appearance of most plants.

A lack of water can be noticed by the following signs:

Leaves droop;

Leaves and shoots become sluggish;

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

What are the consequences of overwatering?

If there is excess water:

Signs of rot appear on the leaves;

The plant is clearly growing slower;

Mold appears on buds and flowers;

The tips of the leaves turn brown;

How to save a dried out plant?

When the soil mixture gets so dry that it becomes almost crunchy, a curious phenomenon occurs - the soil mixture refuses to accept water. No matter how much water you pour, the soil becomes slightly damp only on the surface. This happens because very dry soil moves away from the walls of the pot and gaps form between the walls and the earthen lump. When you water dry soil from above, water flows through these cracks to the bottom and pours out into the pan through the drainage hole. The earthen lump will remain dry. Therefore, when the soil is too dry, watering it from above is useless. 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 completely immerse the pot with the plant in it, carefully pressing the pot with a weight (stone or brick) so that it is completely immersed in water. Then add a few drops (no more!) of liquid detergent to the water - this will help reduce the water-repellent properties of overdried soil. After about an hour, remove the plant pot and allow excess water to drain. If the plant has revived (not all plants recover after drying out), it will soon become succulent again. Please note that even when the earthen ball takes its original size, some distance will remain between it and the walls of the pot. Fill this gap with soil mixture.

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 earthen ball. Usually the earthen ball is penetrated by roots and retains the shape of the pot. Remove damaged roots and wrap the earthen ball with a rag or old kitchen towel - it will absorb excess water from the earthen ball. You may need to change the towel several times.

Then wrap the earthen lump in blotting paper and leave it there until dry, but do not overdry. When the earthen ball is dry, plant the plant in a clean pot with fresh earthen mixture.

What size should the pallet be?

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

What is drainage?

Drainage is a French word. It means the artificial or natural removal of excess liquid, usually from the soil. In indoor floriculture, drainage is used to prevent water from stagnating in the pot. Ceramic shards, gravel, pebbles or large expanded clay are suitable for drainage.

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

If the pot has a hole for water drainage, then you need to put 1 cm of large expanded clay at 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 approximately a quarter of the height of the container.

How do you water from below?

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

When watering from below, you simply fill the tray with water. If the water leaves the pan quickly, add a little more. After about an hour, the entire soil will become moist and its surface will shine with moisture. When the plant has absorbed all the water it needs, pour out the remaining water from the pan. Bottom watering is preferable for plants with pubescent leaves or a lush rosette of leaves.

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

What is the best way to water plants?

Watering from above seems to be a more “natural” way of watering since in nature plants get their moisture from rain. On the other hand, what is important for a plant is not the source of moisture, but the result - wet soil. Therefore, it is not so important whether you water from above or from below. When watering from above, be careful not to get water on the leaves. Many plants have very delicate leaves and stems that become stained by water droplets. In addition, water droplets in the light focus the light like lenses, and even on dense and leathery leaves, burns can form. Therefore, when watering from above, be sure to lift the leaves or move them to the side so that the water only hits the soil.

How to water plants in hanging pots?

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

What kind of water do you water indoor plants with?

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

What is “hard water”?

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

It lets through and retains only what the plants need. When watering with hard water, the filter “clogs” - remember the scale on the walls of the kettle! As a result, the roots begin to poorly absorb water and nutrients. The plant begins to starve. In such a situation, increasing watering only leads to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. A sign indicating 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, add wood ash 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 until the desired value is established (5.5-6.5).

Filtered hard water, that is, water passed through a desalting plant or osmotic filtration system, will not harm your plants. To soften hard water, special filter cartridges and water softener tablets (so-called pH tablets) are produced. 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 water for irrigation?

Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. It’s even better to take water 2-3°C warmer. Don't neglect this rule. Remember that watering heat-loving 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, this is a so-called self-watering pot. Secondly, cultivating 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 hydrogel and granules, that can retain water in the soil for a long time and release it to plants as needed.

Watering - necessary condition 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 themselves how to water the flowers. But in order for the plants to always look beautiful and for watering to bring maximum benefit to them, you need to know a few rules for watering house plants. So,

1. What kind of water should I water indoor flowers with?

Water for watering plants can be ordinary tap water, but allowed to stand for at least 24 hours. In order for the chlorine to evaporate, you need to settle the water in an open container. Soft water for irrigation is most suitable in the best possible way. Tap water is mostly hard. Water from wells is even harder and 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 boiling, most of the harmful salts precipitate and the water becomes soft.

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

It is better not to use water from pump rooms and cylinders for watering house plants, because... You don’t know its composition, and such water can harm the plant.

Since tap water is alkaline in most cases, it must be neutralized. If this is not done, the soil becomes alkalized over time, as a result of which the root system of plants suffers. In order to neutralize the alkaline reaction of the aqueous environment, it must be slightly acidified. To do this, just add food grade 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 immediately before watering.

2. What temperature should the water be for irrigation?

Watering house plants with cold water is unacceptable, because... When watering with such water, the vessels of the plant root system narrow, and as a result, moisture and nutrition are poorly supplied to their upper part, the root gradually dies 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 used to water plants that are in a dormant period. This prevents premature vegetation and depletion of the plant. To water plants that have stopped growing during winter dormancy, use water colder than the air temperature in the room, sometimes even water with snow.

In all other cases, the optimal water temperature for watering house plants is +30–34 °C, so the water needs to be slightly heated, 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 needs to be watered throughout the entire pot 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 have time to absorb during watering. Leave the water for longer for a long time it is impossible, otherwise you can provoke rotting of the root system. If the flowerpot is large and cannot be lifted, you can remove water from the tray using a syringe, sponge, or moisture-absorbing wipes.

4. When should I 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 often than on clear and sunny days; When the indoor air is dry and warm, plants need to be watered more abundantly than when the air is humid and colder; Plants in light, 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 when the earthen clod dries out. The signal for the need for watering is the drying of the top layer of soil by 1.5 - 2 cm. Succulent plants are watered after the earthen ball has dried to a depth of 3 - 10 cm (the larger the container, the greater the depth the soil should dry out).

But what if it is not possible to water the plants in a timely manner (for example, during the holidays)? How to leave flowers without watering? Will they be able to withstand such 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 winter gardens. In the southern regions it is cultivated as a common garden flower, grown in open ground.

What does a hebe flower look like?

The flower attracts attention with its leathery shiny leaves. The inflorescences are shaped like heather in an enlarged size. The length of the inflorescences reaches 10 cm, and as they bloom they become lighter. Plants bloom profusely from May to July.

Hebe flowers come in different shades

Description of types:

• Boxwood. Container culture. The leaves are similar to boxwood leaves. Maximum height – 50 cm. Inflorescences are white, with a slightly pinkish tint.
• Cypress-shaped. Small leaves of green or bronze color resemble pine needles. Low-growing variety (up to 30 cm).
• Rakayenskaya. Tall species - up to 1 m. Leaves are small, oblong. Unpretentious, tolerates transplantation without problems. Resistant to frost.
• Thick-leaved. Includes low and medium-growing varieties. Container culture. The leaves are thick and fleshy. The flowers are white.

In warm regions they are grown as perennials.

Planting a hebe flower and caring for it

These shrubs are not picky about the composition of the soil; they can grow well even in poor soils. They only have a negative attitude towards heavy clay soil. But still, for young plants, before planting, it is advisable to prepare a good loose substrate of sand, peat, turf and leaf soil.

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

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

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

Watering is one of the most important measures to ensure the viability of plants. The problem of irrigation must be solved in conjunction with the problem of achieving optimal soil permeability. The plant can rot from surface waterlogging, while simultaneously experiencing an acute moisture deficiency. To increase the permeability of heavy soils (soils for planting), sand, compost, and peat should be added to them. Usually in modern mixtures 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.). Perfect option– natural rain, purified, spring or distilled (then with the use of fertilizers) water. Tap water is moderately suitable for irrigation only after settling for 24 hours and stabilizing the acid-base balance. Cleaning with activated carbon removes chlorine and fluorine, but retains calcium and heavy metal salts. You can use filters or purchased water.

The main rule of 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 access to oxygen. With its deficiency and with excess moisture, the roots gradually die, 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, in order to save the plant, you need to cut it and try to root cuttings from it, after first holding them in water. While strictly observing the main rule, it should also be taken into account that Watering plants of different groups and species has its own characteristics.

The need of plants for water is determined by their specific characteristics: the structure of above-ground 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 that sometimes need to be watered twice a day. Excess moisture is harmful for bulbous plants. It is best to water them by directing the stream of water not at the bulb, but closer to the walls of the pot, or water from a tray.

There are plants that are very sensitive to lack of moisture, such as araucaria. When its branches begin to droop, no amount of watering will help. You need to constantly monitor your araucaria and, in addition to watering, spray the plant as often as possible, possibly 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 rain water are used. Naturally, each type of water has its own characteristics and characteristics, which indicate the degree of its suitability for irrigation.

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

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

Water from a pond, perhaps the least suitable type of irrigation water, mainly due to the high risk of containing toxic waste, rotting products, chemicals, bacteria, foreign inclusions and other dangerous impurities.

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

To reduce the degree of pollution of rainwater, and therefore the risk associated with it, a number of rules should be followed when collecting it. Since rainwater collection tanks are in the vast majority of cases installed under downspouts and gutters, before entering the barrel, the water flows down the roof, washing away dust, chemical compounds, soot and other “unfavorable” substances that have settled on it. The water of the first precipitation after a long period of drought is especially heavily polluted, because... The amount of dirt accumulated on 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 becomes heavy and prolonged, you can refuse the volume of water that falls in the first half hour; this time is quite enough to wash off the main dust containing harmful impurities from the roof. In order to be able to regulate the flow of water into the barrel, you can install a valve in the water collector, by closing which you will direct water from drainpipe to the ground, when its collection in a container is undesirable for one reason or another.

Signs of lack of water

Drooping leaves, loss of turgor in leaves and shoots.

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

Flowers and buds fall off or quickly fade.

Signs of excess water

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

Growth slowdown

Curled, yellowed and withered leaves, brown tips.

Both old and young leaves fall off.

Mold on flowers.

Eat Golden Rule watering plants - it is better to water less, but more often, than less often and a lot. It should be noted that leaf wilting is not always associated with a lack of water. This can happen under the influence of sunlight, on the first clear day after long cloudy weather.

Depending on the characteristics of plants, watering is conventionally divided into the following types:

Mandatory watering.

Plants are watered immediately after the earthen ball dries out. Most tropical plants with thin, delicate leaves require this watering, as well as some plants with leathery leaves (for example, lemon, ficus, gardenia, ivy, coffee). Both of them suffer greatly from drying out: the leaves turn yellow and crumble, or wither and droop without restoring their previous position. All plants need abundant watering during the flowering and growth period: even with slight drying out, young shoots, buds and flowers can suffer.

Moderate watering.

The plants are not watered immediately after the earthen ball has dried out, but after a day or two, that is, they are slightly dried. This is how plants with fleshy or heavily pubescent stems and leaves, with thick roots and rhizomes (palms, dracaenas) are watered, as well as with water-bearing tubers on the roots (asparagus) and bulbous ones. 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 overwatered plant begins to wilt, it will appear weakened. The plant on the left was over-watered, the same one on the right received the 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 plants that have a dormant period.

Most plants are watered deeply in summer and moderately in winter. The main watering is best done in the first half of the day. With each watering, the plant needs to be given enough water so that it thoroughly wets the entire earthen lump and flows onto the saucer. If air bubbles are visible on the surface of the soil, repeat watering until they are gone. It is not recommended to water a little every day, since in this case the water will only wet the upper layer soil, and the roots located at the bottom of the pot will dry out.

Typically, plants are watered from above so that the excess calcium, magnesium and other elements contained in the water, which negatively affects root system, was absorbed by the top layer of soil, which contains 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 the saucer. This should not be done. Spots on leaves can be avoided if you use warm water, because spots are formed as a result of a large difference in temperature between leaves heated in the sun and cold water. After watering, drain the water from the saucer or pot to prevent the roots from rotting. This is especially important to do in autumn and winter.

If water does not seep into the saucer when watering, but stagnates on the surface, you need to check whether the drainage hole is clogged. Sometimes, on the contrary, water flows out onto the saucer very quickly. This means that the soil is very dry, water flows down the walls of the pot without having time to wet it. Such plants need to be watered very well, placing them in a bowl of lukewarm water so that it completely covers the pot, and sprinkle warm water. When air bubbles no longer appear on the soil surface, remove the pots from the water.

You need to water the plants with water at room temperature (18-24° C) or a little warmer. At low temperatures, the root system is inactive, so in winter too warm water should not be used so as not to cause premature plant growth. In summer, plants are watered with warmer water (up to 30-32° C). The hotter 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.

Water for irrigation should be soft, slightly acidic, free from calcium and magnesium salts. It is not recommended to use rain 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 essential elements nutrients found in the soil (phosphorus, iron, manganese, aluminum, boron, etc.) turn into compounds inaccessible to plants.

A few words about how to ensure watering of plants during vacation. Before you leave for a few days, place the plants in a bowl of water filled to 1/3 of the height of the pot. If you are going to be away for a longer period of time (3-4 weeks), fill the containers with peat or soil to a height of 15-20 cm, dig in the plants, water them well first, and moisten everything again. Plants should be placed in a lighted place, but not in the sun. There is another method of watering. A vessel with water is placed above the plants, from which a woolen or cotton cord that conducts water well is lowered into each pot. The plant pot can be placed above the water container. In this case, the second end of the cord is inserted into the drainage hole.

Watering bonsai

In summer, during dry, hot or windy weather, bonsai are 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, water once a day if the soil is not frozen and the temperature is positive.

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

It is more convenient to water by immersing the container in a vessel with water, so that the water covers the surface of the soil. At the same time, the soil lump is not washed away and the soil is saturated more evenly and completely. Whereas when watering from above, if the top layer dries out, watering is difficult, since water can roll off without wetting the soil. You should 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, swamp cypress), do not suffer from prolonged exposure of roots to 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 chlorides. It must be kept for a day at room temperature so that the chlorides evaporate.

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 covering in the container. However, the soil should not be over-moistened by frequent spraying. It is not recommended to spray the plant in bright and hot sun.

Watering orchids

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

In nature, plants use rainwater, which is an ultra-weak acid solution. But, unfortunately, it’s no secret that in cities, a far from harmless liquid is pouring from the sky.

For orchids (and for other indoor plants) it is recommended to use soft or moderately hard water. Measuring water hardness is not a simple 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 Kyiv it is very hard. The faster a layer of scale forms 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 precipitates. Oxalic acid reduces hardness well (can be bought in chemical stores, sometimes in flower shops, for example, I saw it in the Violet House on Nagatinskaya Street). This is done like this: Add about 1/8 teaspoon of acid (it’s in powder) to a 5-liter canister of cold tap water. We settle the water for 24 hours in an open container; it is even better to cut off the very top part of the canister to enlarge the neck. The water must be kept open due to the fact that during the chemical reaction of binding calcium salts, volatile chlorine compounds are formed, which must evaporate. After a day, an insoluble precipitate of calcium salts falls to the bottom of the canister. The resulting water should be carefully poured into a clean container, trying not to stir the sediment. Just in case, I never pour out the water completely - I leave about half a liter so that no sediment gets in. The canister should be transparent - this makes it easier to monitor the sediment. In my practice, if water with acid sits for more than 2 days, the sediment stops agitating and it is safe to drain clean water.

Another method is to immerse a bag of high-moor peat in a bucket of water overnight - this also acidifies the water.

If you water your plants with distilled water, remember that it is completely desalted. Therefore, distilled water must either be mixed with regular settled water, or special fertilizers must be dissolved in it.

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

An equally important condition for the suitability of water is its acidity. Acidic water - a pH value less than 5 - is very rare. Alkaline water can be easily acidified using 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 reduce the pH value to 6, and measure how many drops you need for what volume water flowing from your tap.

It is useful to saturate properly prepared water with oxygen before watering.- to do 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 your 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 plants only with soft rain, river or pond water. Hard water (including well water) containing various salts should be avoided. Aroids, azaleas, orchids, ferns, and camellias are especially poorly tolerant of hard water. Those plants that grow on calcareous soils tolerate watering well with hard water.

Please note that rainwater may be contaminated by industrial emissions if you live in or near an industrial area.

Chlorinated tap water is left to sit for at least a day so that the chlorine has time to evaporate.

The water temperature should be at least not lower than 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 drop, and even plant death. On the contrary, watering plants in a cold room with warm water is also undesirable, because... this will cause the plant to grow prematurely.

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

The task of proper watering is to give each plant exactly the amount of water it needs under given conditions.

Beginning gardeners, when purchasing a new plant, often ask: “how many times a week does it need to be watered?”

It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. 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 condition of the root system, the period of growth or dormancy.
If the same plant in the summer on a balcony at a temperature of 25? C requires daily watering, but 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 are disrupted. Typically, the roots constantly supply water to the above-ground 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 sunburn. If watering is insufficient and the soil is dry, there will be nothing to evaporate; there comes a time when the plants 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 that have reservoirs for water - funnels of closed leaves or thick succulent leaves and roots.

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

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

Determination by appearance

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

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

If tropical or subtropical plants have leaves, stems or roots that are succulent and thick, they are adapted to 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 ball has completely dried. In winter, watering is reduced to a minimum or stopped altogether.

The most “convenient” for novice gardeners are those that, when there is a lack of moisture, drop their leaves, but after watering they immediately restore the elasticity of the shoots. Hibiscus needs less than an hour to do this. But there are some plants that do not forgive the complete drying of the substrate and die. These include ferns, fuchsias, azaleas, gardenias, and conifers. The latter can look decent for a long time, despite the dried roots, especially in a cool room, and then turn yellow and crumble.

Overmoistening

Excessive watering, much more often than other owner mistakes, shortens the life of plants. This is “helped” by the use of purely peat soils, which have a very high moisture capacity,

Often water the still wet soil. Meanwhile, in indoor culture there is only one plant that likes it, though only in the warmth. Cyperus can be placed in a pot with water or in a pool, because they grow in their homeland along the banks of rivers, like our cattails. Most indoor plants, being in waterlogged soil, stop growing normally, develop putrefactive diseases of the roots, and appear on the leaves. brown spots. From the roots, the disease quickly spreads 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 planted the plant yourself and know what was used as drainage and what the composition of the soil is. It’s easier to learn to distinguish between soils of different moisture levels. Even very experienced flower growers, not trusting their eyes, try the soil by touch so as not to water too much.

With infrequent, scanty watering, the soil contains very little moisture and a couple of days after watering it looks completely dry on the surface. At the same time, the soil at the bottom of the pot is usually slightly moistened.

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

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

Therefore, low containers are more suitable for plants that are afraid of waterlogging, such as alocasia, but for conifers, a low container is a big risk.

Abundant watering is recommended for few plants, and mainly in summer. A well-moistened pound has absorbed maximum water. This happens when a vessel with a plant is placed in a container of water and left until completely saturated. As a rule, only this method can be used 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 planted incorrectly, when watering, water may flow down the walls of the container and exit into the pan, although the earthen ball remains almost dry. The plant fades, although it is often watered.

It is enough to place it “under the flood”, and air will begin to bubble out of the dried earthen clod. To evenly moisten the soil, you need to compact it well near the walls of the pot when planting.

There are a few more rules regarding watering.

The higher the air temperature, the more water the plants require. The larger the pot, the less often the plant planted in it is watered. The soil dries out faster in clay pots than in plastic ones.

Water quality

What should be the quality of water for irrigation?

Of course, it should not be rusty and not too hard, without chlorine, and not cold. There is an easy way to determine how much calcium salts are in your tap water. When spraying plants with elastic, dark green, glossy leaves, too hard water leaves noticeable whitish spots. The less hard one leaves streaks, while the soft one leaves virtually no marks. In most cases, plants require 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 plants with just tap water due to the presence of chlorine and other substances used for disinfection. In addition, it is always colder than necessary. When settling, chlorine evaporates, calcium salts concentrate at the bottom; and its temperature rises to room temperature.

All that remains is to carefully pour half of the settled water into the watering can, add a little boiling water so that the temperature is a few degrees higher than room temperature, and you can start watering. It’s even easier to use hot water for watering that has cooled to the desired temperature, which, as a rule, does not contain excess salts calcium and chlorine. 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.

“Indoor and garden plants” No. 48(148)

There are indoor plants in almost every home. This is the best interior decoration. In order for green pets to grow beautiful and healthy, they need to be provided with proper care. In this article we will learn how to care for indoor plants.

General rules of care

There are a lot different types indoor plants. Each variety has its own external characteristics and care features. However, there are general rules for growing all house plants. Let’s look point by point at how to properly care for them.

Moderation

Caring for most types of indoor plants is easy.. Many of the green pets are unpretentious, so novice gardeners can grow them. In any case, when caring for indoor plants, you must observe moderation in everything. The necessary watering and fertilizing must be done without undue zeal. There should be no excess in liquid or fertilizers under any circumstances.. And they need to be added in a timely manner. If you do not observe moderation in caring for indoor plants, you can face a lot of serious problems.

For example, waterlogging of the soil often leads to rotting of the root system of plantings. As a result, the flowers may begin to become very sick, and subsequently risk dying.

Maintaining a rest period

When caring for indoor plants, we must not forget about the rest period they need. In winter, many well-known varieties of house flowers go into a kind of “reduced energy consumption” mode. During such a period, there is no need to fertilize. Watering and other caring manipulations should be reduced.

Maintaining Appearance

It is equally important to maintain a healthy and attractive appearance of indoor plants. It is necessary to promptly remove dried buds, inflorescences, leaf blades and shoots. The listed manipulations will contribute to the preservation of both the attractiveness and health of plants.

Devoid of dead components, flowers will not waste vitality feeding unnecessary parts.

Disease and Pest Control

Every gardener knows what indoor plants need daily inspection. This makes it easier to monitor the condition of green pets. With regular inspections, a person can timely notice the onset of diseases that have affected the plants. Most often you can notice damage from fungi or viruses on indoor flowers. Proper treatment started on time will have greater success.

Set of tools

Any operations carried out to care for plants, be it watering, planting, replanting or fertilizing, are carried out using appropriate equipment. Let's look at what exactly a gardener needs to grow green pets.

• Watering can. When purchasing this device, it is recommended to select options with an elongated spout. Using these types of watering cans, watering is much more convenient and easier. In this case, water will be able to penetrate even through the thick leaves of an indoor flower. With a suitable watering can, watering the plant will be complete and safe.
• Flask. Everyone knows what this device looks like. The elongated tip of the elongated structure and the spherical water container make the flask an indispensable item for automatically watering indoor flowers when the owners are away. It is enough to fill the container with clean water and stick it into the ground with the tip down. The soil will be saturated with the necessary moisture gradually as it dries.
• Sprayer. The spray bottle can be used to care for not all types of indoor plants. Some varieties do not need to moisten the leaf blades. But you need to take into account that with the onset of too hot days, the foliage can still dry out, which will negatively affect the appearance of the plantings, so a spray bottle can be a very useful device.
• Tray with water. Most often, this part is used if the indoor plant grows in a room with very dry air. You should not place a flower pot directly into water. It is advisable to add expanded clay or pebbles. These components will gradually absorb excess moisture, transferring it to the rhizomes. The described method of caring for flowers is especially in demand and useful if they are located in close proximity to heating devices. With the arrival of the winter seasons, they will need regular replenishment with life-giving moisture, which the gardener should not forget about.

All the equipment needed to care for plants can be purchased at special garden stores. Typically, such devices are inexpensive.

Indoor plants need to be provided with optimal conditions. Let's take a closer look at what a florist should take care of.

Location and lighting

Many indoor plants need adequate lighting. Typically, daylight hours should range from 12 to 16 hours per day. At times when the plant is dormant, these time frames can be shortened. Because in our country climatic conditions not favorable everywhere, people often have to resort to auxiliary lighting (suitable special lamps). This is especially true for heat-loving tropical flowers that prefer to grow on the sunny side.

It is not recommended to place indoor plants on the windowsill in direct sunlight. In such conditions, green pets risk getting burns. There should not be too much sun. Diffused light or light partial shade is ideal - it all depends on the preferences of a particular type of plant. It's worth keeping in mind that With insufficient lighting, photosynthesis processes will inevitably slow down. This will negatively affect the health of the flower.

Temperature

Most often grown at home heat-loving plants who cannot survive on the street. Such plantings need warm, room temperature air in the room where they grow. Optimal values ​​are from +16 to +22 degrees Celsius.

Even tropical types of indoor plants “do not like” excessive heat. Don't try to create conditions in your home that are too jungle-like. Rare indoor flowers will “like” temperatures exceeding +24 degrees. And there are also crops that grow better in a slightly cool environment (for example, at a temperature of +15 degrees Celsius).

Humidity

The main percentage of indoor plants belongs to the moisture-loving category. The humidity level should be slightly above average. At the same time, we must not forget about the direct origin of domestic flowers - most of them come from the humid tropics. High humidity levels have a beneficial effect not only on the condition of plants, but also on people.

Try to ensure that the air around indoor flowers is not dry. This will have a bad effect on their appearance and overall health. This will increase the risk of pest attacks.

The soil

It is important to take care to use high-quality soil for flowers. Houseplants have nowhere else to get nutrients except from the soil mixture. The soil must contain not only all the necessary nutritional components. The land must also have a suitable structure. It should not be too loose or too dense. It is important to take care of the drainage layer in the plant pot. A drainage layer is needed for almost all house flowers.

Pot

Modern gardeners can independently choose in which tank to grow indoor plants. There are a lot on sale suitable containers made from different materials: pots, vases, boxes. All flowerware is divided into 2 types:

• for growing– such pots already have drainage holes;
• for decoration– refers to flowerpots that do not have additional holes, so they can be placed anywhere without fear of possible leaks.

Houseplants do better in growing tanks. However, such containers look much simpler; they are unlikely to be used to effectively decorate the interior.

How to water?

Growing your favorite plants at home, It is important to take care of their proper watering. All crops love moisture. In conditions closed ground in a pot, flowers have nowhere to get it from, so a person should not forget about timely additions of liquid that nourishes the plantings. Some crops easily survive temporary drought (for example, succulents), but there are varieties that begin to rapidly wither if you miss even a couple of waterings.

Bulbous plants survive drought the easiest. They already have certain reserves of moisture that collect in their fleshy areas. But flowers with thin stems risk dying from lack of moisture. The frequency of watering directly depends on the time of year, the specific variety of indoor plants, as well as ambient temperature. In winter, autumn and in cool conditions, you should moisturize your home flowers less often. Anyway Before watering, you need to make sure that the top soil layer in the pots with plants is already dry.

Loosening

To prevent white salt crust from accumulating on the top of the substrate, and also to increase permeability, It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil. But you need to pay attention to the structure of the plant root system – if it is superficial, extreme care must be taken.

Trimming and shaping

Many novice gardeners who do not have extensive experience treat the procedure of pruning indoor plants with slight fear, considering it both difficult and traumatic. But there is nothing to be afraid of. If you do everything correctly and form the flower carefully, no problems will arise. Green pets will not suffer from this in any way.

If you need to remove the growth point at the top of the plantings, then you can use the most simple technology – topping. If the flower has thin stems, pinching can be done using 2 fingers. If we are talking about a fleshy plant, then it is best to use scissors - it will be more convenient and easier. For pruning, you should always take pruning shears, a knife or scissors. This procedure cannot be performed manually.

How to transplant?

All types of indoor plants require replanting, especially when it comes to young plantings. They grow quite quickly, so they need a transplant every spring in the first 3 years of life. Adult indoor flowers no longer need frequent transplants. They have to be transplanted to another place only as needed - depending on the growth rate, size of the plant and other circumstances.

At times, houseplants need unscheduled transplant. Most often you have to resort to it if there are certain diseases or serious damage by dangerous pests. If the soil mixture becomes too waterlogged, it is better to replant the plants as soon as possible, without waiting for the rhizomes to rot. If the transplant is planned, a fresh flower pot is selected 2-3 cm larger in diameter.

Mature and slowly growing crops are often transplanted into the same pot; you just need to change the soil in it.

Fertilizers and growth stimulants

Indoor plants should be fertilized with balanced mineral compounds. They must be rich in essential components(from potassium to phosphorus). Using high-quality fertilizers strictly according to the instructions will improve the overall condition of the plantings and improve root formation and rooting. Will fit saturated products such as “Kornevin”.

Liquid formulations should be used according to the following scheme: every 2 weeks during the period of active growth (from April to September). Fertilizing candles are simply inserted into the substrate, where they nourish the soil. The granulated components are laid out on the surface of the soil mixture. Many indoor plants need complex fertilizers in August.

How to propagate?

There are various ways to propagate indoor plants. Let's look at the most popular of them. Generative reproduction is happening by planting new seeds in a suitable substrate. Vegetative methods include cuttings To do this, you need to cut off the upper part of the plant stem. The cuttings need to be planted in the soil mixture and watered in a timely manner. The container is covered with film.

Reproduction by children is popular. They are separated with fingers and planted in prepared containers with soil. When the young flowers grow up, they will need to be planted in separate pots. Reproduction by whiskers is common. The algorithm of actions is simple: the daughter shoots, the mustache, are removed from the ends of the shoots. They need to be planted in moist soil if you managed to take them along with the roots. If the sample is taken without roots, the tendrils are rooted, as with cuttings.

Secrets of experienced flower growers

If you want your indoor plants to grow beautiful and healthy, It’s worth adopting a few secrets of experienced flower growers.

• If you have ornamental plants growing at home and you notice that their leaf blades have faded, it will be possible to return them to their previous appearance with the help of a decoction prepared on banana peels.
• If you decide to plant a capricious plant at home that requires more complex professional care, it can be slightly protected from pests by transplanting it into soil that contains 4 match heads.
• If indoor plants suffer from dangerous scale insects or spider mites. The first aid will be a soap solution (simple laundry soap will do) diluted with a few drops of medical alcohol. After treatment according to this scheme, the planting is not touched for another day.
• Spraying the plant will be an excellent prevention of the appearance of red spider mites. This procedure gives the plants more. Than simple air humidification.
• While pruning indoor plants, it is always necessary to remove too long branches and old stems that no longer have leaf plates.
• If you decide to grow colorful tropical plants at home, they will need to provide conditions that are as close to natural as possible.

Iris is a huge genus that includes a wide variety of plants that have an “iris” type of flower. Moreover, the biology of these plants is so diverse that it is difficult to suspect they are close relatives.

Of course, every plant lover has seen the usual flowers, often grown in gardens and decorating cities.
In this article I would like to introduce flower growers to much less commonly grown groups of irises - Juno, Iridodiktyum, Regelio-cyclus. These species differ in their biology from rhizomatous irises.
These are spring-flowering plants, many of which bloom exceptionally early.
And since they are mountain plants, well-drained soil is the main condition for their successful cultivation.

Juno

Juno (Juno)- a group of spring-flowering irises with a very unique biology. Juno has a remarkable flower shape, in which the upper lobes of the perianth are reduced and retracted downwards.

The vast majority of junos grow in Central Asia, rising from the foothills to the glaciers of the Tien Shan.
Many of the Junos were described by pioneer explorers of the flora of these places hundreds of years ago. However, up to the present time, discoveries in this Juno reserve are possible (and do occur).

The peculiar exotic beauty of juno immediately attracted the attention of plant lovers. Cultivation attempts have never stopped since their discovery. And yet most of the junos did not become widespread garden plants. However, several species are grown regularly by nurseries and can be classified as plants that grow well in temperate climates.

Juno hybridization was started by the famous florist Thomas Hogue, who created three hybrids in the late 19th century. This is where the selection stopped, although there are opportunities for its continuation.

Growing junos is akin to collecting jewelry - experienced flower growers who are partial to these plants are keen on it.
There is now a resurgence of interest in Junos due to impressive finds made during Central Asian expeditions (sponsored by the Gothenburg Botanical Garden).

Juno bulbs have perennial roots - at their base there are buds that give life to replacement bulbs.
During all operations with junos, you must try not to break off their roots.

The following types and forms of juno are found in gardening:

- Iris (Juno) aucheri - originally from S.V. Turkey. Beautiful view, has been successfully grown in Europe for a long time, but is somewhat demanding on heat. Therefore, there are years when it may not bloom in open ground.

In the photo: Iris aucheri BLUE STAR; Iris aucheri PURPLE STAR; Iris bucharica

- Iris (Juno) bucharica hort. - Its origin is unknown. It has been cultivated for a very long time. It differs from natural forms in the two-color color of its flowers. One of the most unassuming representatives of Juno, it reproduces well vegetatively and grows successfully even without annual digging.

- Iris (Juno) cycloglossa- this species was found relatively recently (in 1972) in Afghanistan. The most distinctive of all junos, it grows well in Lithuania. It has a branching leafless peduncle. Almost flat flower with very large limb lobes. Propagates vegetatively, usually producing 2 daughter bulbs.

- Iris (Juno) graeberiana - the origin of the species is unknown. Two forms are cultivated, in which the structure and color of the flowers are slightly different. The most common form is with a white spot on the bends of the lower petals of the flower. A rarer form is with a yellow spot on the limbs. I did not observe seed setting in either variety. Perhaps these are interspecific natural hybrids. They are one of the few tall junos that grow well in our open ground. They bloom profusely and annually.

- Iris (Juno) NEW ARGUMENT – a hybrid bred by me. The variety did not get its name by chance. Its appearance confirmed the assumption that the famous Van Tubergen hybrid Iris WARLSIND was most likely the result of accidental pollination of I. warleyensis with pollen from I. bucharica hort, and not from I. aucheri (as previously thought). The hybrid is sterile, grows and reproduces well.

In the photo: Iris hyb. NEW ARGUMENT; Iris magnifica ALBA

- Iris (Juno) magnifica ALBA - the white-flowered form of the species J. magnifica is endemic to the Zeravshan Mountains. The tallest of all junos, in good conditions reaching almost a meter in height. The flowers are large, 7 - 9 pcs., bloom sequentially. The bulb has numerous thick rhizomes that make digging up a difficult job (however, they may not need to be dug up every year). This variety is one of the few that thrives in the garden and is relatively undemanding. As a rule, a mother bulb produces two daughter bulbs every year. It sets seeds well, but seedlings do not always repeat the color of their parents and may have flowers with a bluish tint.

- Iris (Juno) BLUE MYSTERY- obtained as a seedling of I. willmottena. However, the plants turned out to be unusually large for this species and sterile, which clearly indicated their hybrid origin. Their appearance suggests that the parent pair was: I. willmottiana and I. magnifica. Still, this is nothing more than an assumption, which is why the hybrid is called “BLUE SECRET”. A beautiful juno that grows and reproduces well in our climate.

- Iris (Juno) kuschakewiczii - This is the case when miniature does not detract from its advantages. This small diamond of the section comes from the Northwestern spurs of the Tien Shan. The plant is the rarest in cultivation and difficult. Of course, it will “disappear” in plantings of tall species, but it is irresistible.

- Iris (Juno) nicolai – the species is widespread in the Tien Shan mountains. The earliest of the Junos. It blooms after the snow melts with almost no leaves; they appear later. A huge impression is made by its large, elaborately shaped flower, growing straight from the soil still covered with snow here and there. Plants from different populations of the species differ in flower color. The species is not frost-resistant enough for our climate; plantings of Juno must be insulated with peat.

- Iris (Juno) orchioides - has a wide range in the mountains of Central Asia. Plants from different regions differ in flower height and color. I received a rather tall form with bright yellow flowers from the Alma-Ata Botanical Garden. Grows well in open ground. Heat-loving; It blooms better if the previous summer was warm.

- Iris (Juno) SINDPERS- a famous Van Tubergen hybrid. The plant is not tall, but its flowers are huge, beautifully shaped and very fragrant. Heat-loving, does not like cool, rainy summers, should be planted in a sunny place. If it is possible to grow a plant in a cold greenhouse, then you will fully enjoy its enchanting flowering.

- Iris (Juno) SHOCKING BLUE- selected from seedlings of I. willmotteana. Its flowers are similar to the BLUE MYSTERY variety, but their color is more saturated. Sterile.

- Iris (Juno) vicaria- the species is widespread in the mountains of Central Asia. The flowers are predominantly light, almost white in color. Populations with more or less purple petals are rare. Unpretentious, grows and reproduces well.

- Iris (Juno) warleyensis- one of the most beautiful junos, growing in the western spurs of the Tien Shan (Zerafshan ridge, Kugitang ridge). Plants from different natural populations differ in stem height from 15 to 40 cm. Grows well in open ground. However abundant flowering difficult to achieve, especially if the previous summer was cold. Good results are obtained if you do not dig up the bulbs, but after the growing season is over, cover the area from rain with glass or other transparent material. You can also, after digging, place the bulbs in dry sand and warm them in the greenhouse. The species was used by Van Tubergen to create the hybrid WARLSIND. Despite repeated introduction, it is still rare in culture.

- Iris (Juno) WARLSIND is Van Tubergen's tallest hybrid, as is now recognized by I. warleyensis and I. bucharica hort. It grows well in our climate, blooms annually, develops well and reproduces vegetatively.

Iridodictiums IRIDODICTYUM

Iridodictyum- a group of graceful bulbous irises blooming in early spring. Interesting are the faceted hollow leaves of iridodictiums, growing vertically. The plant has exactly as many leaves as the number of bulbs that subsequently form. In terms of leaf structure, the only exception in the group is a few species (Central Asian), which have grooved leaves.

In the photo: reticulated irises (Iris reticulata)

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Quite rare shots of the water sparrow - dipper were taken by Igor Mavrin, an employee of the Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve, working at the Bukukun cordon. What makes these photographs unique is that this bird is a rare guest in our area.

Dipper , or common dipper (Cinclus cinclus) - bird passerine order. She is also called water thrush or water sparrow. Small bird, plumageIt is dark brown and thick. It lives along the banks of fast, clear rivers and streams.

It feeds on aquatic insects and crustaceans, which the dipper collects in shallow water, between stones and under water. The main feature is the ability to swim and dive well even in cold water. Raising its wings, deftly maneuvering in the flow of water, the bird seems to “run” along the bottom. A dipper can remain under water for up to 50 seconds, running up to 20 meters during this time. She is a very careful and sensitive bird.

"Recently I I met a rare bird for our area - the dipper. Its rarity is evidenced by the fact that in the 28 years that I have been living in Zabaykalye, I saw her for the second time“- commented the author of the unique photographs, Igor Mavrin, “and most importantly, I managed to take several photographs of this feathered guest.”

Ivan Sergeevich Sokolov - Mikitov, a Russian writer and traveler, wrote very interestingly about this amazing bird: “You need to be a skilled observer of nature to see the wonderful bird-dipper. If you have to visit deserted forests or mountainous places, look closely and listen carefully. On a clean and fast stream or river, perhaps you will be lucky enough to see a dipper!”

Drought is a long period of insufficient precipitation, which is most dangerous for plants at high temperatures and low air humidity. It is necessary to help plants survive in this difficult time, otherwise their development will stop due to lack of moisture.

The first sign of dehydration in a plant is loss of turgor, limp leaves and buds. If you do not replenish the plant’s water loss at this stage, its leaves and buds will then begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off; soon the process will spread to the entire above-ground part of the plant. As long as the root receives at least a small amount of moisture from the ground, the plant in most cases can still be revived. Drying out the root system means the death of the plant.

It may seem ironic that living in the UK one could complain about the prolonged lack of rainfall, given that old Britain is famous for its rainy climate. However, the south-east of England, where we live, is probably the driest place in the country - droughts happen quite often here. In the winters of 2004-2006. there was a lack of rain that broke all records since 1933!

According to information BBC Weather, since November 2004 we have only had 72% of our average rainfall. By the beginning of July 2006, there had been a drought for about three weeks: virtually a complete absence of rain with air temperatures above 30 degrees during the day and 15-17 at night. It will be possible to fully assess the damage from the drought only next year if it affects the flowering of azaleas and rhododendrons, which are laying next year’s buds at this time.

The dry start to the 2006 season inspired the design of the 2006 Chelsea Gardens to introduce a drought theme. Interesting element in African garden (GardenAfrica): the beds are arranged in a spiral at a slope. When watering, water flows from top to bottom along the boundary and collects in the center of the spiral, where the most moisture-loving plants are located

A garden that is not afraid of drought

Of course, the negative impact of drought on plants in general is determined by several factors: the duration of the drought, air temperature and wind strength during this period, the possibility of access to water and the availability of necessary human resource. However, if we keep in mind the possibility of drought even during strategic planning garden and plantings, then you can initially take measures that will help the plants survive in drought, and save labor and time for the owners.

> Try to sow and plant new plants in the spring or fall, when there is sufficient rainfall and the plants take root and become established easily. On the other hand, remember that in general, plants in containers are more vulnerable to drought than plants in the open ground. Therefore, if a new plant from the garden center somehow needs to be transplanted into the garden, I would transplant it in the summer in the heat, making sure to provide regular, abundant watering and protection from direct sunlight at first.

> When planting and replanting plants, dig a deeper hole in the soil and be sure to add leaf humus or garden compost to it, which improve the structure and composition of the soil, allow moisture to freely penetrate to the roots and retain it there for a long time.

> Use special moisture-retaining granules or gel, which are abundantly saturated with water during watering, and then gradually release this water to the roots. These products should be mixed with the soil when planting or replanting plants. They are especially important for plants in containers.

> Be sure to use mulch on flower borders, around shrubs and trees, and on the surface of pots and baskets containing plants. Mulch should be laid out in the spring - after warm weather sets in and the earth warms up and is saturated with moisture. As mulching materials, you can use crushed tree bark, sawdust, shavings, pine needles, gravel, the same garden compost or special synthetic garden material. The choice of mulch depends on the type of plant (for example, bark, sawdust and pine needles acidify the soil, so they are good to spread under hydrangeas, rhododendrons, camellias, heathers and other acitophils). Mulching plants allows moisture to penetrate the soil during rains or waterings, but makes it difficult to evaporate, and also suppresses the growth of weeds.

> Promptly remove weeds that will fiercely compete with “cultivated” plants during drought. Weeds are easier to remove when they first emerge from the ground.

> Plant adjacent plants closely, leaving only the space between them necessary for root development. Plant leaves that close together reduce moisture evaporation and soil drying out.

> If you, like me, live in a region with frequent droughts, then take this into account when placing plants in sunny and shady areas of the garden. Give preference to drought-tolerant plants. Often such plants have silvery foliage, needles or thick leaves. Ornamental drought-resistant plants include: chickweed, wormwood, eryngium, lavender, santolina, cistus, poppy, spurge, yarrow, iris, echinacea, acanthus, bergenia, etc.
Do not require watering, for example, meadow flowers, succulents and ornamental grasses, aromatic plants, pumpkin, corn.

Watering plants in drought conditions

The ideal time for regular, scheduled watering is a windless late evening, when the heat has subsided, a cool night lies ahead, and moisture evaporation is minimal. It is permissible to water in the early morning, before the heat sets in. However, if the plant looks dehydrated on a hot day, it should be watered immediately, avoiding getting water on the leaves to avoid sunburn.
If you use an automatic watering system, remember to reset the timer according to changing weather conditions - this will give your plants more of the moisture they need during dry periods.

In hot weather, plants in containers should be watered twice a day: early in the morning and late in the evening. Place the pots on deep trays or in planters that can hold at least some water. If you are unable to provide regular watering container plants, it is better to move them into the shade.
Plants in greenhouses and greenhouses can suffer from overheating during a heat wave, because the temperature indoors behind glass rises much higher than in an open space. Remember to open the greenhouse doors and windows all the way on hot days and use fans (if available).
Use sprinklers to water new grass crops or newly laid turf daily. Place an open glass bowl in the sprayer's coverage area and stop watering when it contains water to a level of 13 mm (less amount will not be beneficial, and more will be wasted).

How to save water and effort

Due to lack of rain and dangerous low level drinking water reserves, during the drought we introduced an official ban on watering private gardens with tap water from hoses. Theoretically, at this stage we have no restrictions on the use of tap water for irrigation (however, they may arise later if the drought continues and water supplies disappear, then more stringent rules will come into force). However, in practice, the need to use a watering can instead of a hose itself imposes these limitations, because the cost of time and effort for watering the garden increases many times over. Then you have to make a very tough choice: which plants need to be watered today, otherwise they may be almost completely dehydrated by tomorrow.

If you have similar or any other restrictions, and watering abundantly and efficiently is not possible, you may need several simple methods that I use to save water, labor and time:

> Before watering your plants, determine your priorities and stick to them clearly. Watering is vital for seedlings, young plants just planted outdoors, plants in containers (especially small ones), plants in greenhouses, fresh grass seedings, newly laid turf rolls and moisture-loving plants (for example, coastal or marsh plants). These plants will die without water.

In second place may be plants that will not bloom if there is a lack of water, or fruit crops that will not be able to bear fruit successfully without watering (or any other plants, depending on your goals).

Watering is more necessary for plants on light, sandy soils, which dry out faster than heavy, clay soils.

> Abundant and rare watering is preferable to sparing and frequent watering. The fact is that a small amount of water penetrates only into the top layer of soil, promoting the development of weak, high-lying roots, which are the first to suffer from drying out soil or frost. Developing a strong, deep root system that can support the plant in harsh weather conditions requires water to penetrate deep into the soil around the plant. The correct depth of soil moisture when watering is about 60 cm.

> If you are planning to purchase and use a watering system in your garden, invest in a modern drip or trickle system (instead of a traditional sprinkler system). The water delivered by such systems appears at the right time (late evening or even when you are not at home) thanks to a timer on the tap, reaches the plant roots exactly as intended and is absorbed to the last drop, without being wasted on watering neighboring weeds.

> Before watering, loosen the soil around the plant and make a small hole so that the plant is in the middle of the depression. All the water after watering will remain in this hole and, as it is absorbed, will flow to the roots of the plant, and will not spread over the dry soil. In the fall, with the arrival of rains, you can hill up the plant by leveling the hole with the ground level to prevent stagnation of water at the roots. The rest of the time, try, if possible, not to disturb the soil during the drought period: any loosening contributes to additional evaporation of moisture from the soil.

> Remove the shower head from the watering can (or hose) and water the plant right down to the root - then all the water will go to its intended destination and will not spread around the plant.

> To water plants in containers, I use a large, wide container filled with water, in which I place pots and hanging baskets in turn for a while. Thus, all the soil in the container gets wet through, and the plants receive a large amount of moisture. This is also an excellent way to urgently resuscitate already damaged plants with a dried out earthen ball, for which ordinary watering is completely useless. This method of moisturizing is not harmful even in the hottest hours, because water does not fall on the leaves of the plants.

From time to time, water from the container can be poured under some bush, because it has accumulated a significant amount of useful substances from the soil of container plants.

> Find an opportunity to use so-called “recycled” water (remaining after washing, cleaning, washing dishes or showering) for irrigation ornamental plants, trees and shrubs. To do this, you may need to change your home's drainage system. Recycled water, along with residues from household detergents, contains a lot of phosphates, which your plants will enjoy as a good fertilizer.

Remember that dishwasher water and washing machine Before watering, plants should be cooled to room temperature. It is advisable to use materials that are not harmful to the environment and decompose under the influence of microorganisms. detergents. Do not use water with residues of bleach, bleaches, disinfectants or other strong chemicals for watering plants.

> Purchase and install special barrels in the garden to collect rainwater. Such barrels are directly connected to a pipe into which water flows from gutters located around the perimeter of the roof of a house or greenhouse. The barrels are installed on a raised platform so that you can place a watering can under the opening tap (or attach a hose to it). You can use the water accumulated in the barrels to water your plants as needed.

Lavender English (England)
COUNTRY LIVING (CountrysideLiving.net)

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Among the other species in your collection, be sure to ask what variety it belongs to and find information about the features of home care - including how to water properly new "green pet".

Below you will find practical recommendations, which will help you properly water most popular types of houseplants. We will consider such issues as choosing dishes for watering flowers, what kind of water to water flowers, frequency of watering, signs of lack of moisture, watering methods, how to water orchids and other indoor plants during your vacation.

♦ DISHES FOR WATERING INDOORS FLOWERS:

watering can with a long spout. Practical equipment - the long spout can be easily directed through the thick crown, under 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 phytowalls or phytomodules (vertical gardening);

flask. A special device with an elongated tip and a spherical water container. Such equipment can be a great help 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;

sprayer for spraying. By spraying with water from a spray bottle, you can provide additional moisture through the upper parts 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;

tray with water. An excellent way to additionally moisten the soil in a pot if the air in the room is too dry. Preferably flower pot Place not directly in water, but on wet expanded clay or on pebbles in a tray.

♦ WATER FOR WATERING INDOOR FLOWERS:

rain, river, pond water. Some gardeners prefer to water indoor plants with melt and rain water. 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 residents of megacities water their flowers with tap water. But it is important to remember that chlorinated tap water with slightly soluble calcium salts is very hard. Be sure to let this water sit for at least 24 hours (or better yet, several days) before watering the flowers, and pour out the residue from the very bottom. Water your plants with water at room temperature or lukewarm.

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

♦ FREQUENCY OF WATERING INDOORS FLOWERS:

❂ most indoor plants like regular and even watering to keep the substrate in a moderately moist state. If a period of abundant soil moisture abruptly gives way to a period insufficient hydration, then the flower begins to wither and may die;

❂ in winter period In many indoor plants, growth and development processes slow down (or stop altogether). The need for water with dissolved nutrients is significantly reduced and the plant needs to be watered much less frequently (or not at all). And in the spring summer period, with increasing duration solar lighting 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 (ficus benjamin and rubber, anthurium Andre, spathiphyllum, house begonia, gloxinia sinningia, gardenia jasmine, gerbera, balsam, schefflera, dieffenbachia). Bulbous species should be watered moderately and less frequently, since waterlogging can lead to rotting 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. Eat indoor views, which easily tolerate long breaks between waterings (succulent species - money tree crassula, aloe vera or agave, triangular euphorbia, zygocactus decembrist, as well as species such as Kalanchoe Blossfeld, chlorophytum, " mother-in-law's tongue" or sansevieria);

❂ ceramic (clay) pots have a good porous structure, circulation and evaporation of moisture occurs more actively. And here 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 WATERING HOUSEPLANTS:

❀ top watering. To water a flower from above, it is advisable to use a special container with a long spout (watering can, flask). It is advisable to point 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, so that the water does not stagnate on the top layer of soil. Pour out any water that flows into the pan. This is a universal way to water indoor species. The disadvantage of this method is that they wash out quickly. useful material silt of the substrate. Therefore, do not forget to feed the plants on time.

❀ bottom watering. Some types of decorative foliage plants lose their attractiveness if drops of water 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 remain in the soil for a long time. If a lime crust appears on the surface of the soil, carefully remove it along with the top layer, adding fresh substrate.

❀ immersion of the pot in water. A very good method of 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. Water will quickly saturate all layers of the substrate through the drainage holes. Then place the pot on a wire rack to allow any excess water to drain freely. It is not advisable to use this method of moistening during the flowering period of the plant, when moving the pot can cause the buds and petals to fall off.

- tables with factors influencing the abundance and frequency of watering

♦ WATERING HOUSEPLANTS DURING VACATION:

√ vacation up to two weeks.

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

☛ Plants with small fleshy leaves, in a dormant period, in a cool room with high humidity, grown in plastic or glass containers are watered less frequently;

☛ if 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 irrigation, as this can lead to the gradual death of peripheral roots and the appearance of viral and fungal diseases;

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

☛ in hot weather summer days and during heating it is necessary to spray the plants with a spray bottle. You can place a container of water next to the plants to further humidify the air.

♦ HOW TO WATER AN ORCHID AT HOME:

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

❷ if the orchid does not have bulbs, then water it after the substrate has completely dried and the lower leaves begin to lose turgor and wrinkle. 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 stagnate in the pot around the roots and flows freely from the drainage holes;

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

❺ how often to water an orchid at home. Complete drying of the soil is much safer for the root system than overwatering. Most species can be watered with frequency, which is determined as follows: as soon as the substrate is completely dry, the next day in the morning you can water the flower moderately. 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, soil composition, pot (volume, what material it is made of).

♦ VIDEO:

How to properly moisten the soil in a pot (using the example of indoor begonia):
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ALSO FIND OUT...

How can we understand that this is a plant suffering from waterlogging? Leaf falling is one of the symptoms. In a number of plants, such as citrus fruits, they literally fall off - they darken and fall off. In others, for example, in aroids (Aglaonema, Dieffenbachia) or arrowroot, they darken, but still stay on the stems for a long time. In plants that form rosettes of leaves or pseudo rosettes (yucca, dracaena), the leaves do not darken immediately, but first become discolored and become pale yellow. But in other cases, a characteristic difference between leaves that die from waterlogging is darkening of the leaf. The leaf doesn’t just turn yellow, it actually darkens, the color changes from a healthy juicy green dirty-swamp shade, gradually turning into brown. If waterlogging is preceded by overdrying, the leaf first turns yellow, then the leaf petiole and the leaf itself darken.

Rotten roots split, the top layer of the root becomes dirty gray, peels off if you run your fingers through it, leaving a thin, hard core. These roots all died from waterlogging.

And these are healthy living roots - green, yellowish or whitish, in some plants a rich brown color.

Sudden or gradual falling of leaves, blackening of shoots, damp, sour soil...

The trunk still seems alive and green, but the roots have rotted and the plant can no longer be saved.

When a plant does not have enough water, the leaves always turn yellow, while the leaf tissues may lose elasticity, droop, or remain dry. After watering, turgor is restored and the leaves become elastic again. If there is insufficient nutrition, then interveinal chlorosis may appear; the leaves do not droop, continue to grow, but become smaller. When overmoistened, the leaves may lose their elasticity and droop, but after watering the elasticity is not restored, and the darkening of the leaves, on the contrary, increases. Sometimes the leaves can fall off even without darkening - still green. But leaf fall can also occur from watering with cold water. Ideally, the water temperature for irrigation should be 2-3°C higher than the room temperature, but not lower than 22°C. Cold water is not absorbed by the roots, causing the suction roots to die from hypothermia, and, as a result, leaves to fall off.

As for water hardness, it cannot be the reason for the sudden falling of leaves and death of the plant. If you water plants with hard water, even the most capricious ones, sensitive to excess salts, the plants will not begin to lose leaves en masse. All the damage manifests itself gradually: first, chlorotic spots appear, the tips or edges of the leaves turn brown, one or two leaves turn yellow, new leaves grow small and the plant looks depressed, but leaves do not fall off.

In case of massive leaf fall, when leaves fall off not one by one, but dozens at once, the reasons may be the following: sudden hypothermia (for example, during transportation home), watering with concentrated fertilizer (burning roots), severe drying out, and only hygrophytes and mesohygrophytes fly around en masse (and there are few of them), and waterlogging. Naturally, the first two reasons can be easily calculated, and it is also possible to distinguish overdrying from overwatering, but for this the plant must be removed from the pot. It is not always possible to feel the soil with your finger at depth (for example, the roots have grown greatly), and only by removing the plant from the pot can you determine whether the soil inside the root ball is wet.

Some gardeners wait until the last minute, not wanting to remove the plant and inspect the roots. They are either selflessly confident that there was no waterlogging, or they are afraid that an unscheduled transplant will damage the plant. But if there is even the slightest suspicion of waterlogging, there is no need to doubt it - take it out and inspect the roots. Sometimes the root system of plants grows in this way: at the top the roots are not dense, the soil dries out easily between them, and in the lower part of the pot the roots form a tight ring, the intertwining of the roots makes drying difficult and in the lower part of the pot the soil dries for a very long time. This is especially aggravated by the fact that the holes at the bottom of the pot are small and clogged with pebbles or grains of earth.

On tangerines, the result is waterlogging and acidification of the soil. Chlorosis is a lack of various microelements.

This deplorable condition is the result of hypothermia of the root system: watering with cold water or the plant is left with damp soil on a cold balcony or outside.

There is also a deplorable symptom that is characteristic of severe, prolonged waterlogging - darkening, blackening and wilting of the tops of the shoots. If a similar picture occurs, then the matter is already very neglected, and often it is simply impossible to save the plant. If the tops of all the shoots have rotted (yellowed or darkened), there is nothing left to save. A similar picture is possible only with severe hypothermia of the roots, and never occurs when the roots are overdried. When overdrying, wilting begins with old leaves, with lower shoots, and the trunk becomes bare from below. When overmoistened, the leaves wither in any part of the crown, but more often from above, from the tops of the shoots.

And of course, any softening of the stems or leaves of plants with fleshy parts of the body, and these are yuccas, dracaenas, dieffenbachias, any succulents (crassulas, adeniums, etc.), cacti - a sure sign of excess moisture.

Another symptom that is not entirely correct and does not always indicate a specific plant, but still makes you think, is the presence of fungus gnats. If a swarm of midges flies up from the pot, it means that you watered the flowers too much, perhaps it was once or twice, or perhaps you have become a habit of over-watering. Unlike mosquitoes, poduras (colembolas) are white or dirty-gray insects, about 1-2 mm, jumping on the surface of the ground in a pot - a sure sign that the flower is flooded more than once.

Measures to save flooded plants

When you have determined that the plant has been flooded, you need to take immediate action. If you establish the fact of waterlogging after removing the plant from the pot, then you will have to replant. If the fact of waterlogging is determined by indirect signs (falling leaves, damp soil to the touch), then the need for replanting depends on the severity of the situation.

• If the plant has lost one or two leaves, or one branch in the mighty crown has withered, and the soil in the pot is quite light, then you do not need to replant the plant, but only loosen the soil. After watering, especially abundantly, the soil spreads out, and after drying, a dense crust forms on its surface. If this crust is not destroyed, the roots suffer from lack of air. If seed plantings are watered, the seedlings may not reach the surface of the earth and die from hypoxia.
• If the pot has small drainage holes, you can widen them or increase their number without removing the plant from the pot, using a knife heated on the stove.
• Personally, I never try to just loosen the soil; this is not very reliable and justified in cases where a flooded plant is in a very large pot, replanting is difficult, or when the plant is transferred from a cold room to a warm one, and the very increase in temperature will speed up the drying of the soil.
• In all other cases better plant transplant.

Signs of flooding in orchids - phalaenopsis leaves turn yellow, they are sluggish, wrinkled. The bark takes a very long time to dry, and the roots rot from constant contact with the damp surface.

Rotten roots must be cut off. In some cases, new pot you will have to choose a smaller size than it was.

So, you take the plant out of the pot, and you need to determine the condition of the soil and roots. Still, is the soil damp and how damp? Count how long it took to dry when you last watered. Sometimes a person is convinced that the soil has been dry for a long time, say, a week has passed since watering, but upon inspection it turns out that the soil inside the pot is still very damp. Then try to remember what the weather was like, how it happened that the soil did not have time to dry out! It is important to at least try to analyze in order to prevent this from happening, or to calculate which plants could still be flooded. For some people, floods occur systematically over and over again. This suggests that it is necessary to radically reconsider the care system: perhaps change the soil in the pots to a more structured, loose one, increase the drainage holes, add more drainage to the bottom of the pot; water with less water; rearrange plants into more warm room or water less often when the soil dries out more. Sometimes you have to literally slap your hands so that you don’t rise with a watering can over the plant ahead of time...

Inspect the roots. Rotten ones can be seen immediately - they separate, if you grab the root with two fingers and pull, the skin slides off it - it is brown or dark gray, under it there remains a bundle of vessels that looks like a wire, a hard rod. If such separation occurs, the root is rotten. Healthy roots do not separate; if you run your fingers over the surface, the top layer will not come off. In some cases, the roots do not exfoliate, the fleshy, succulent roots rot completely, and this is also immediately visible - they are dark, dirty gray or brown, sometimes softened. You can often identify healthy roots and rotten ones by the contrast in appearance: some are light, white, light brown, others are dark, not only on the outside, but also on broken or broken areas.

There are times when rotten roots break off easily and, when the plant is removed from the pot, fall off along with the soil. If you haven’t found any definitely rotten roots, but the soil and root ball are damp, you need to dry them. To do this, we blot the measles lump in any hygroscopic material: in a pile of old newspapers, in a roll of toilet paper. You can even let the plant with its root system exposed (without a pot) dry for several hours.

Having discovered rotten roots, you need to cut them off, no matter how many there are. This is a source of infection, there is nothing to regret here. We cut everything down to healthy tissue. If the roots are fleshy, juicy, watery, then it is advisable to sprinkle the cut areas with charcoal (charcoal, birch) or sulfur powder (sold in pet stores). If there is neither one nor the other, crush the tablet activated carbon. If there are very few roots left, much less than there were, you need to transplant the plant into a smaller pot.

I have already said that a pot that is too spacious and not filled with roots does not contribute to the rapid growth of plants, and in some cases is even harmful. It is easier to fill a plant in a spacious pot. And even if you water carefully, the plant strives to grow the root system, develop a large surface of the earth, and only then enhances the growth of the above-ground part.

Substrate for aroids, bromeliads and other plants. Instead of a pot, a basket, substrate: soil, coconut fiber, coconut substrate, wine stopper, pine bark and moss (just a little of it). A decaying anthurium, transplanted into this mixture, bloomed a month later and released its third bud.

If you tend to flood your plants, then use clay pots to plant your plants. But there is one important point: the inside of the pot should not be glazed. If the inside of a clay pot is covered with glaze, it is no better than a plastic one.

So, you need to choose a pot for the root ball remaining after removing the rot. In this case, the rule will be effective: a smaller pot is better than a larger one. It’s okay if the pot is small, healthy roots will grow, notify you by their appearance from the drainage holes, and you just transfer the plant to a larger pot and that’s it. During the growing season, plants can be replanted at any time and more than once. Most plants, if they get sick after transplantation, stop growing, this is most often due to improper care after transplantation, and not from root injuries.

After transplantation, plants should not be placed in the sun, even the most light-loving ones; they should remain under shade for a week. You cannot water plants on the same day, especially those that are being rehabilitated from overwatering - these plants generally need to be watered for the first time after 2-3 days. You cannot fertilize transplanted plants for 1-1.5 months. And when transplanting sick plants (including flooded ones), you cannot add dry fertilizers (neither manure, nor litter, nor granular fertilizers). Do not seal the transplanted plant in a plastic bag. This very package sometimes becomes pure evil. The fact is that transplanted plants, deprived of watering, must be placed in high humidity conditions in the first days. And many people try to put the plant in a bag and tie it tightly. In this case, the importance, of course, increases. But the availability of oxygen is reduced. As we remember, the plant breathes with both roots and leaves; if the plant has been flooded, it especially needs fresh air, and if pathogenic microorganisms have developed on it - various spots of fungal or bacterial origin, then it simply needs fresh air!

Here you can do this: place the plant in a transparent bag, straighten the edges, but do not tie it. If the weather is very hot, then you can spray it 1-2 times a day; if the plants do not tolerate water getting on the leaves, then simply place the pot on a wide tray with water on an inverted saucer.

If the plant has rotten crowns or ends of the shoots, they must be trimmed back to healthy tissue. If possible, at the same time cut the plant - cut off healthy branches for rooting, in order to be able to save at least something if the flood has already led to irreversible consequences. Sometimes it happens that the roots rot completely, but some of the shoots still remain vigorous until they wither (this is temporary) and cuttings can still be taken from them. In some cases, when the roots rot, toxins enter the vascular system of plants (the aforementioned swamp gases, products of bacteria and fungi) and cut cuttings, even healthy-looking ones do not take root, they are already doomed...

After transplantation, the flooded plant can be sprayed with growth stimulants (epin or amulet), only in the dark (most stimulants decompose in the light). If there are dark spots on the leaves, rotten tops of the shoots, then it is advisable to spray the plant with a fungicide, or add a fungicide to the water for irrigation. Suitable fungicides include: Fundazol, Maxim, Khom, Oksihom (and other copper-containing preparations). 3-4 days after transplanting into fresh, dry soil, the plant can be watered with a zircon solution.

If a plant that has a wide rosette of leaves in the form of a funnel, like bromeliads, is flooded, then it is necessary to dry the bases of the leaves. To do this, you first need to turn the plant upside down with its leaves. When the water drains, pour 2-3 tablets of crushed activated carbon into the outlet. After 3-5 minutes, carefully remove it with a soft fluffy brush. Many bromeliads rot when they are watered through a rosette of leaves in winter. Read more carefully the recommendations for growing a particular plant, and especially care in winter.

Another important point: after flooding, the soil in the pot turns sour: the roots of the plants continue to secrete carbon dioxide, the renewal of humus slows down, and humic acids accumulate, which increases the acidity of the soil, many nutrients pass into a form that is indigestible by plants. For example, iron goes into an oxidized form (F3+), which causes a rusty-brown crust to form on the surface of the earth. Oxidized iron is not absorbed, and as a result, the plant shows all the signs of its deficiency - severe chlorosis. This is especially noticeable on fruit plants: signs of calcium, iron, and nitrogen deficiency appear. At this stage, some gardeners do not pay attention to the condition of the soil and rush to treat the effect rather than the cause. As a result, the plant continues to suffer and turn yellow. At times it gets better (for example, after spraying with ferovit), and after adding fertilizers to the soil it gets even worse.

In such a situation, the only way out is to completely replace the land. And if you were in a hurry to apply fertilizer, it is advisable to rinse the roots under running warm water when replanting. Then dry, remove rotten ones, sprinkle with coal and plant in fresh, dry soil.

If a white or red salt crust forms on the surface of the earth, this is a signal: the earth is taking a long time to dry! Such a salt crust must be removed and the top layer of soil replaced with a fresh one.