Why do some people no longer use rice water for their plants? I only found out after asking an expert, and I regretted not knowing sooner
As more and more people take up gardening, all kinds of little gardening tips have multiplied too. For example, the fairly common practice of watering plants with rice water, or with beer diluted in water, and so on. It is true that some of these little tricks are very good for the growth of potted flowers. But that is on the premise that they are used correctly.
Watering plants with rice water has its own rules. For veteran gardeners this is naturally no problem. But for beginners, if rice water is used wrongly, it can end up being "arsenic" for the plants. This is no exaggeration: a few days ago a gardening friend left a comment saying they had watered their clivia with rice water and turned its leaves yellow.
Why do people like to water plants with rice water?
Rice water, put plainly, is the water left after rinsing rice. The reason people use it on plants is that this liquid contains quite a few residual trace elements, such as potassium and nitrogen, which are nutrients plants need. When rice water is poured into a flower pot, besides adding nutrients, it can also adjust the pH of the soil, making it slightly acidic. This helps the growth of acid-loving flowers.
Why have some people stopped watering their plants with rice water? Does it really cause yellow leaves?
When rice water is used incorrectly, it really can turn plant leaves yellow. The reason is that some gardening enthusiasts cannot tell whether the rice water has fully fermented. When rice water that has not fully fermented is poured straight into a flower pot, it ferments on its own inside the soil and produces a large amount of heat, which raises the temperature of the potting soil. This directly blocks the respiration of root cells and, in serious cases, causes the cells to rupture and the roots to rot. Once the roots rot, the plant's leaves will gradually turn yellow and dry up.
Gardening is itself a branch of knowledge. Never mind rice water; even watering with tap water has its rules. Only when used properly will flowers be grown well. Some gardening friends may ask, what rules could there be to watering with tap water? Little do they know that tap water contains chlorine, and it is only suitable for watering plants after being exposed to the sun or left to stand for a day or two. There are many more little details like this in gardening, and gardening enthusiasts need to discover them one by one.
Gardening requires care. That is all for sharing the knowledge about watering plants with rice water. Be careful when you use it from now on!
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