Analysis of watering succulents

Analysis of watering succulent plants (flower friends version)

Once it rains, succulents will immediately drink enough water and then store it in their bodies for future use, thus forming a thick and juicy appearance. During droughts, they have to consume the water stored in their bodies to maintain normal physiological functions.

For example, it's like when you go on an adventure in the wild, but the drinking water you bring is not enough for three days, so you will save one day's water and drink it for three days. No one you travel with will ever say that you don’t like drinking water. Of course, if you stay at home with nothing to do, you can drink as much as you want. If you drink too much, you will just have to go to the toilet. You drink less water because you have to, and no one will stop you if you want to drink more water. The same goes for succulents. They can tolerate when there is no water, and they will still drink up water when there is water. In fact, it can just tolerate water shortage better than other plants. Other plants would have died of thirst long ago. This principle is very simple and you will understand it once it is explained. I mentioned the metaphor of going to the toilet above, and in fact, it is the same with watering. If you water too much, it needs to be excreted. This is like the permeability of a flowerpot - there can be no water accumulation at the bottom of the pot, and drainage must be smooth. The roots cannot absorb excess water because the water in the plant body has reached saturation. Therefore, the excess water must flow out, otherwise the roots will suffocate due to lack of oxygen and the bottom of the pot will become a happy breeding ground for bacteria.

“Don’t water unless the soil is dry, and if you do, water thoroughly” - Why do you need to water thoroughly? If you water the pot thoroughly, water will flow out from the bottom and you will be able to see it visually. Because this is the only way to ensure that the roots at the bottom can also absorb water, and to another extent it can verify the drainage speed of your planting material, the water permeability of the flower pot, whether the holes at the bottom of the pot are blocked, etc. “Better dry than wet” is not wrong. It is a safe solution, and a very safe one. If you can't control the amount of water, it is safer to water less. This option is recommended for beginners.

The "bold watering theory" is a solution that can make succulents grow vigorously, quickly, and fully, and it is easiest to reach the best state. And it is undoubtedly the most effective way for those flower lovers who want their succulents to "grow in large numbers" and "have many children and grandchildren." In fact, Plan A is a "not starving to death" plan, while Plan B is a "eating and drinking enough and being healthy" plan.

I do not recommend using flower containers without holes at the bottom, because you don't know how much water is needed to reach the roots at the bottom without causing water accumulation at the bottom of the pot, which has the disadvantage of being unobservable and unpredictable. A bold person may end up with waterlogging and root rot, while a timid person may not be able to water the roots enough even after pouring a few drops. The most troublesome thing is that the excess water cannot be drained, which will cause a large number of bacteria to break out in the closed and humid space.

Of course, the "bold watering theory" I mentioned above is a watering method applicable during the growing period. Controlling water or stopping water during the dormant period is of course the safest. Remember! It is absolutely correct to adopt the "insurance plan" during the dormant period.

In addition, the amount of watering should be adapted according to the regional conditions, weather conditions, temperature, and air humidity. The climate in the north is dry, with sunny days and little rain, and water evaporates quickly, so watering can be more frequent. The south is cloudy and rainy, the air humidity is high, and water evaporates very slowly, so the frequency of watering must be lower.

For flower vases, plastic, resin, porcelain and other vessels have relatively poor water and air permeability, so the frequency of watering needs to be greatly reduced. Ceramic pots and clay pots can increase the frequency of watering.

Summer is about to begin, so the amount of watering should be gradually reduced, and water control should be strictly enforced after summer begins. In short, you can understand these experiences through your own practice, and they are not so entangled and complicated.

Finally, there is a misunderstanding that needs to be explained. I don’t know where this rumor came from, but many flower lovers believe that excessive watering will cause the plants to grow too tall. Watering is not the direct cause of leggy growth. If the plant is lacking light and the amount of water is still large, it will aggravate the formation of leggy growth. Lack of light is the direct factor that causes leggy growth.

Think about it, the phenomenon of leggy growth is already happening, and the water supply is so sufficient at this time, wouldn't it lead to faster cell division? So, in fact, as long as there is enough sunlight, watering will not cause leggy growth at all, but will make it grow fuller and rounder.