How Often to Water Fittonia? A Detailed Guide to Watering and Fertilizing
Fittonia is a fairly common plant, and it can be seen in many parts of our country today. Fittonia has extremely high ornamental value, and if it is grown well, its leaves may even turn red, making it even more beautiful. Many people do not understand the techniques for watering and fertilizing it when growing fittonia. Let us take a look below!
How to Water Fittonia (How Often to Water)
1. Fittonia consumes a relatively large amount of water in spring and summer, and it needs to be watered relatively more in these two seasons, so under normal circumstances we can water it once every four to five days. Because the water requirement is relatively high, in addition to watering the soil, we can also appropriately spray water on the leaves of fittonia, which can make the soil and the surrounding environment a bit more humid.
2. Watering fittonia in winter. In winter, the growth rate of fittonia slows down, and because the temperature drops, the amount of water evaporation also decreases, so we should reduce the amount of water given to fittonia. We can water it about once every a little more than a week. In winter, we cannot directly spray water on the leaves of fittonia, as this easily causes the leaves of fittonia to rot and fall off, and we should pay attention to the water temperature of the water used. We cannot directly water fittonia with water that is too cold.
3. We can directly touch the soil in which fittonia is planted with our fingers. Because the root system of fittonia does not go deep into the soil, when we find that the surface soil has become dry, we should water it immediately, but we should not water too much, otherwise it easily causes root rot, so it is enough to keep the soil slightly moist.
How to Fertilize Fittonia
1. If the fertilizer contains more organic matter and humic acid, it can continuously produce the nutrients needed for the growth of fittonia. Fertilizing fittonia should ensure uniform nutrients, so that the stems and branches of the plant grow well, the leaves are a bit thicker, and the vein network is more uniform. This kind of fertilizer is very suitable for fittonia.
2. During its growth period, fertilizing once about every half a month with thin liquid fertilizer is enough. Because the branches and leaves are densely packed, it is easy to get fertilizer on the leaves when fertilizing, so we need to be especially careful. If it drips onto the leaf surface, it will cause damage to the leaf surface. Therefore, when fertilizing, we must be meticulous and careful. While fertilizing, do not forget to water, and do not let the potting soil become too dry.
How to Propagate Fittonia by Cuttage
1. The best time for cuttage is spring and autumn. First, choose a robust mother plant; not just any one will do. The selected fittonia is best when its branches spread out and grow densely. Then choose branches with terminal buds, about 5 cm long, with 3 to 5 stem nodes, and cut off the leaves on the stem portions inserted into the soil, or cut off half of the leaves, to reduce nutrient consumption.
2. Insert the prepared branches into a flowerpot. A flowerpot of about 10 cm needs 8 to 10 branches inserted, and then carry out small-pot cultivation. After cuttage, place it in a cool and ventilated place, give appropriate light, and it can take root in 2 to 3 weeks. When the leaves gradually revive and grow small tender leaves, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer, and carry out appropriate pruning and pinching. You should know that sufficient sunlight and nutrients can make the cuttage seedlings grow quickly.
3. The growth of fittonia requires sufficient sunlight; otherwise, the stems and leaves are prone to leggy growth and lose ornamental value. Once fittonia becomes leggy, it is very difficult to restore. In addition, fittonia is afraid of cold, and when the temperature is too low, leaf drop easily occurs. If you managed to propagate it by cuttage in spring or autumn, do not let it fail blindly in winter.
What to Do If Fittonia Leaves Become Dry
1. Lack of water causes leaves to become dry. Lack of water is actually also a cause of fittonia leaves becoming dry. In fact, when everyone sees fittonia leaves becoming dry, they will probably think it may be due to lack of water. If the potting soil of fittonia has good water permeability, water will be lost very quickly, and watering will also find it hard to meet the water needs of fittonia, and at this time it will cause the leaves of fittonia to become dry. In fact, this situation is still relatively difficult to judge, but when choosing soil, you can choose soil with somewhat better water retention.
2. Unsuitable temperature causes leaves to become dry. Fittonia being exposed to unsuitable temperature mainly means that in winter, the temperature is too low. When the temperature is too low, fittonia is prone to leaves becoming dry, and in the worst case may even wither. At this time, pay attention to the maintenance temperature and appropriately raise it a little to meet the growth needs of fittonia. In this way, its leaves are also less likely to become dry.
Because fittonia differs by season, there will also be some differences in the amount of watering. In winter, water must not be directly sprinkled on the leaves; this point needs attention. When fertilizing fittonia, be sure to fertilize evenly and do not drip it on the leaves. There are some detailed introductions above, and we hope they can be of some help to everyone.