How to use rice water to care for flowers and plants
In the process of keeping flowers and plants, fertilizing is a fairly important step, and organic fertilizer also has a very good effect on flowers and plants. Rice water is fairly common as an organic fertilizer, but how should rice water be used correctly in flower and plant care?
Azalea (detailed introduction)
Rice water contains various nutrients essential for the growth and development of flowers, such as phosphorus, nitrogen and trace elements, and is especially rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus can promote the differentiation of flower buds and is beneficial to the formation of buds. However, rice water cannot be applied directly, otherwise after application it will ferment in the soil, generate heat, burn the root system and breed pests. When washing rice, first add a small amount of water, so that the rice water is more concentrated, then put it into a sealed jar or pot, and after 15-20 days of fermentation it is ready to use; when using, add a small amount of water to dilute it. After fermentation, rice water is acidic, and is especially suitable for flowers and trees native to tropical regions, such as camellia, gardenia, osmanthus, jasmine and so on, because when such flowers and trees are cultivated in the north, the soil is mostly neutral or slightly alkaline, and the iron in the soil cannot be absorbed and used by the root system, thus often causing the leaves of the flowers and trees to turn yellow, so regularly watering with rice water can effectively prevent iron deficiency.
Using rice water to grow flowers, correctly using daily rice water
Whether using rice water to water flowers is good or not, in recent years articles published in some newspapers and magazines have given differing views, causing many readers to not dare to use it, afraid of damaging the flowers. Actually this is not the case; as is well known, rice water is mixed with bran and a small amount of broken rice grains, and contains abundant phosphorus, nitrogen and trace elements and other nutrients needed for the growth of flowers, and applying rice water is very beneficial to the growth of flowers and trees, this is certainly beyond doubt.
There is just one point to note: rice water needs to be fermented first before watering flowers. The fermentation method is very simple: put the rice water into an empty jar, cover the jar mouth tightly, and in summer it takes about 10 days, while in other seasons about 3 weeks, before it can be used. Before use, stir it a little, and when watering flowers be careful not to sprinkle it on the leaf surface, so as to avoid the cloudy liquid contaminating the leaves and affecting their gloss.
After fermentation, rice water is slightly acidic. Using it to water flowers and trees that prefer acidic soil can not only promote robust plant growth, more blooms and rich fragrance, but also extend the flowering period and prevent the occurrence of chlorosis. At the same time, because rice water contains more phosphorus, it can promote the formation of buds, so regularly watering with rice water can promote flower bud differentiation, making flowers and trees bloom more and bear more fruit.
Many people who grow flowers do not need to buy too much fertilizer; they can make some simple liquid fertilizer and compost themselves. The more common liquid fertilizers are some rice water or watering with edible vinegar and the like. Rice water is available every day in life, and we can pay attention to saving some when washing rice, to make it into liquid fertilizer for growing flowers.Precautions for using rice water to grow flowers 1. Can rice water be used directly to water flowers?This question has always been a matter of endless debate. Some friends' potted flowers and plants are grown outdoors, with good ventilation, so directly watering with rice water is not a big problem; the key is not to use it to water those weak plants, otherwise they cannot tolerate the feeding, and are instead prone to fertilizer burn.
If you are caring for potted plants indoors, then I would not suggest directly using rice water to water flowers, because such an environment is not ventilated, and being separated by glass is also not suitable.
2. How to use rice water correctlyBesides the above situations of good ventilation and good weather where rice water can be used directly, actually the best way to use rice water is to ferment it first, and after fermentation is complete, dilute it with water to water flowers.
The method is very simple: you can use the water from washing non-fine rice, put it into a plastic bottle, place it in the sun for two weeks, and every three days unscrew the bottle cap to let air in; there will be a bad smell.
After two weeks, check whether there is still sediment at the bottom of the plastic bottle; if there is none, then fermentation is complete.
After the rice water has finished fermenting, it can be diluted with water to water flowers, thus becoming a simple homemade liquid fertilizer. Isn't it very simple?
If you grow some vegetables at home, using rice water to care for them will make them grow especially well, such as the chives above, which were fertilized with rice water and have never been given any other fertilizer.
Rice water fermentation gives off a very disgusting bad smell; you can put some citrus fruit peels in it, preferably cut into small pieces with a knife, which can appropriately reduce the bad smell a little.
Precautions for rice waterDo not use glass bottles or ceramic pots for fermentation, because rice water expands during fermentation; this is why you need to unscrew the bottle cap once every three days, and why plastic bottles are used; it does not matter if a plastic bottle expands.
Methods for caring for flowers and plants in winter
1. Temperature should be adjusted appropriately according to different flowers
In northern regions, the winter climate is cold and the temperature is relatively low, so generally southern flowers need to be moved indoors to overwinter, and the suitable temperature should be adjusted according to the requirements of different flowers.
For flowers that like high temperatures, such as Milan, poinsettia, African impatiens, begonia species and succulent flowers such as cactus species, the pots should as far as possible be placed on an indoor windowsill with ample sunlight and a relatively high temperature (between 20°C and 25°C), and the lowest temperature must not be lower than 10°C.
For flowers that like moderate temperatures, such as jasmine, geranium, Chinese rose and evergreen species, the suitable winter temperature is 18°C to 22°C, and the lowest temperature must not be lower than 6°C. For flowers that like low temperatures, such as kumquat, osmanthus and orchid species, the winter temperature should be kept between 12°C and 15°C, and the lowest temperature must not be lower than 2°C. For aquatic flowers, such as lotus, water lily, water hyacinth, spatterdock and so on, before frost the water should be drained in time, and the pots moved to a cellar or corridor hall, with the temperature kept at 5°C as suitable, and when the pot soil is dry, spray water appropriately.
In addition, flowers that bloom in winter and spring and flowers that like light and warmth, such as Christmas cactus, cyclamen, camellia, poinsettia, Milan and jasmine, should be placed on a windowsill or in a sunny spot near a windowsill. Evergreen flowers and trees that like sunlight but can tolerate low temperatures, or flowers in a dormant state, such as osmanthus and citrus species, can be placed in a cool place with scattered light. Flowers that generally do not have strict light requirements, such as potted water lilies and Chinese roses, can be placed in a dark, cold place without light.
2. Fertilizing should be reduced as much as possible or stopped
In winter most flowers enter a dormant period, so fertilizing should be reduced as much as possible or stopped. Indoor flowers that do not go dormant in winter, such as evergreen flowers like snake plant, fishtail palm, bamboo palm and pothos, basically have no fertilizer requirements when the room temperature is around 5°C, so there is no need for additional fertilizing; if fertilizing when the temperature is relatively low, root rot is likely to occur. The main reason is that in winter the growth of the plant root system is in a slow state, and the applied fertilizer cannot be absorbed by the root system, but instead hinders normal root absorption, and in severe cases causes root rot.
If the room temperature is relatively high (above 20°C), and it is a flower that blooms in winter, such as cineraria, cyclamen, primula, calceolaria, African impatiens and anthurium, then it needs a thin organic liquid fertilizer once every half a month, and a small amount of compound chemical fertilizer can also be applied. For growing potted flowers at home, it is best to apply odorless "flower-growing fertilizer tablets" or fermented rice water, to prevent the fertilizer smell from polluting the indoor environment.
For some flowers that like acidic soil, such as camellia, azalea, banana shrub, clivia and four-season osmanthus, alum fertilizer water should be applied regularly (add 0.1% ferrous sulfate to the soaked fertilizer water), which can make the leaf color deep green and full of gloss, and at the same time make the flowers fragrant. In addition, some flowers can also grow well when the winter temperature is low, such as flowering kale, clearweed and begonia, and can be given a fertilizer with a reasonable combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, but the amount should be appropriately controlled.
3. Never use tap water directly to water flowers
In winter, because the temperature is low, the water used for watering flowers should be stored in containers or left to stand in the sun; never use tap water directly to water flowers, to prevent an excessive temperature difference from damaging the root system. Because as winter arrives the temperature keeps dropping, the metabolism of flowers is slow, or they enter a dormant state, so generally potted flowers should have fertilizer and water strictly controlled. If the pot soil is not too dry, then do not water; especially for shade-tolerant flowers, even more avoid root rot and leaf drop caused by excessive watering. Generally the watering time should be around noon as suitable. For some shade- and moisture-loving evergreen flowers, such as asparagus fern, monstera, spring feather, arrowroot, camellia and evergreen species, water close to room temperature should often be used to spray and wash the leaf surface, cleaning off dust, to facilitate photosynthesis.
According to surveys, flowers will develop root rot in winter, and frequent watering also makes them wilt. The living habits of flowers in winter differ from those in other seasons; when the above situations occur, the flowers should be given sunlight. Whether flowers are shade-loving or sun-loving, they should all be given appropriate sunlight. This can prevent the wilting situation. And because the winter temperature is relatively low, appropriate sunlight plays an important role in regulating the flower's own temperature.
In addition, in winter flowers should not be watered frequently; frequent watering may also cause root rot. Common household plants such as pothos, stephanotis, black diamond and lucky bamboo can be watered once every half a month to a month.