Yellowing and wilting leaves on potted plants may be caused by improper watering

Gardeners who like to grow some flowers and plants in pots at home have usually encountered this situation, that is, flowering plants are relatively prone to yellowing and wilting leaves. For ornamental potted plants, this is something we cannot accept under any circumstances, because yellow leaves and wilting will greatly reduce the ornamental value of potted plants.

For many gardeners, they usually only water potted plants when they are short of water, so why do adverse symptoms such as yellowing, wilting and withering leaves still appear? In fact, the phenomenon of yellowing and wilting leaves on potted plants may be caused by improper watering methods.

This is because each kind of flowering plant often has its own growth habits, especially different water requirements. If you water too little and let the plant frequently suffer from drought, or water too much and prevent the root system from breathing, green plants may develop yellowing and wilting leaves. So how should potted green plants be watered scientifically?

When watering potted plants, first we need to grasp the right timing. Generally, when we see that the potting soil has become dry and the plant leaves show slight signs of wilting, it means we can water it at this time. Or we can also lift the pot with our hands to weigh it and compare it before and after watering, which also makes it easy to judge whether timely watering is needed.

If we find that the potted plant is noticeably lighter than when it was just watered, it means the water in the potting soil is very scarce and needs to be replenished in time; if it still feels relatively heavy when we weigh it, then it usually means there is still a lot of water in the potting soil and there is no need to water. We can also insert a chopstick or dry wooden stick into the pot and see whether there is moisture on the stick to judge whether watering is needed.

It can be seen that there are quite a few methods for judging whether a potted plant is short of water and whether it is necessary to water. Moreover, if one aspect alone is not enough to judge accurately, multiple methods can be combined to make the judgment, and it will certainly be reliable. In spring, summer and autumn, when temperatures are higher, the watering time is generally suitable in the early morning or evening when temperatures are lower; in winter, it should be done at noon on a sunny day when temperatures are higher.

But in addition to grasping the timing of watering well, the watering method is also very important. If the method is improper, it can likewise easily cause the plant leaves to turn yellow and wilt. First, we need to choose the water source reasonably. Many gardeners, for convenience and to save trouble, directly use tap water to water. If using tap water, it must be drawn in advance and left to stand for a few days, so that the chlorine in the water can fully evaporate.

It is generally recommended to use clean water such as river water and rainwater for watering. And when watering, never use a large volume of water to rush it in violently, because that makes it hard to soak the potting soil thoroughly and easily results in half-watering. This is because when watering flowering plants, we generally need to follow the principle of not watering if not dry, and watering thoroughly if dry. Watering heavily not only makes it hard to water thoroughly, but also easily causes localized water accumulation and root rot.

But for flowering plants to grow vigorously, they need sufficient water and nutrients. If you do not want to fertilize, it is recommended to use rice-washing water, vegetable-washing water and so on from the kitchen to water the flowers. This can not only replenish water for the plants, but also supplement nutrients. But the premise is that it must be fermented and decomposed first, and then diluted with water in an appropriate ratio before it can be used to water flowers.