What kind of water is best for watering succulents? Let me teach you how to water succulents with rainwater

Since the start of summer, more and more gardening enthusiasts have begun to wonder whether succulents can be left out in the rain.

Some enthusiasts always feel that rainwater is a much better drink than tap water and always want to collect some to save for their succulents, while another group of enthusiasts falls into the pattern of sunning their succulents when it is clear and bringing them in when it rains, afraid that the rain will kill their succulents.

Since it is all about rain, let us discuss it together today.

For enthusiasts who collect rainwater, they surely believe that rainwater contains nutrients that tap water does not. So what nutrients exactly are in rainwater that are not in tap water?

It is nitrogen fertilizer. Lightning can cause nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react chemically to produce nitrogen oxides that are soluble in water, and the content of this kind of nitrogen oxide in ordinary tap water is extremely low.

Because the nitrogen content in water bodies is very low, most plants grown at home rely on fertilization to obtain nitrogen. With rainwater that is relatively rich in nitrogen, it is naturally like applying nitrogen fertilizer. Thus, we see many articles advocating watering flowers with rainwater.

Be careful when watering succulents with rainwater.

The nitrogen fertilizer content in rainwater depends on lightning, so the nitrogen content in a thunderstorm is definitely different from that in ordinary light rain; in other words, the nitrogen content of rainwater is unstable. Ordinary home-grown flowers are generally in a state of fertilizer deficiency, and the nitrogen in rainwater is more or less beneficial to them, so naturally there is no problem.

But for succulents that come from poor soil, note that on cloudy and rainy days, due to the lack of sunlight, watering with rainwater will make succulents more prone to leggy growth.

Another benefit of rainwater is that its oxygen content is relatively high.

Why is the oxygen content high?It is because as rainwater falls, it disperses into raindrops, and the contact area with air becomes very large, so more oxygen dissolves into it. Moreover, the temperature at high altitudes is lower, which is also more conducive to increasing the solubility of oxygen in water.

A high oxygen content is obviously where rainwater excels over tap water. Water with a high oxygen content can ensure that the roots of succulents can obtain enough oxygen from the water even when the soil is not breathable, making them less prone to suffocation and turning to mush.

However, after rainwater is stored for a long time, its temperature will rise, and some of the oxygen dissolved in the rainwater will also escape, which makes the rainwater no different from tap water that has been left to stand. So note that stored rainwater must not be kept for too long, and it is best to avoid exposing it to the sun.

Let us now talk about letting succulents get rained on.

As mentioned earlier, rainwater generally has a very high oxygen content. For succulents, watering with fresh rainwater seems certainly to be a good thing. But in especially hot summer, this is not necessarily the case.

Oxygen is a substance that is slightly soluble in water. The solubility of oxygen in water drops rapidly as temperature rises; the lower the water temperature, the more oxygen can dissolve in the water.

For a summer afternoon thunderstorm, because the temperature is very high when it rains, the rain has already been heated into hot rain during its fall. The oxygen content in this kind of rainwater is not only not high, but rather relatively low.

There is a farming proverb that goes"Hoe the fields in drought, water the garden in flood". Here, "water the garden in flood" means that a high-temperature afternoon thunderstorm is oxygen-deficient, and after the rain it is very easy to suffocate crops to death. At this time, cool well water rich in oxygen should be drawn to irrigate the vegetable plot again to help the crops breathe.

A few days ago, an enthusiast wrote to tell me something. She is located in Guangzhou and grows succulents on a north-facing terrace, which I highly advocate. She had thought that a north-facing terrace, well, already avoids most of the time period with harsh sunlight, so she did not provide shade. But it happened to rain in the afternoon, and the rain was not light, almost soaking the succulents through. Then the sun came out and shone right into the north-facing terrace.

The next day, 2 of her succulents immediately developed black rot. So rain that suddenly falls in high-temperature weather should be avoided as much as possible. The rhythm of scorching sun, rain, then scorching sun again can certainly quickly kill all kinds of succulents.

If your succulents have been hit by hot afternoon rain, there is a life-saving method: just go all in and water them again with relatively cool tap water, and at the same time try to avoid exposing them to scorching sun again that day, letting them rest in a cool place for half a day.

Enthusiasts who keep fish at home should all have those small tablets used to oxygenate aquarium water. At this time, you can put one tablet into the watering can when watering. This kind of small tablet can rapidly increase the oxygen content in the water. Once water rich in oxygen is poured in, the succulents will basically not develop black rot.

That kind of drizzly, unending light rain does no harm when used for watering, and can also help you replenish water for your succulents.

The only thing that makes enthusiasts hesitate is that,after succulents have been rained on, you do not know when to water them next time. I also have quite a few succulents that are kept outdoors from early spring to early winter. For succulents kept outdoors, it is very necessary to understand how much rainfall they receive each time it rains.

I generally place a cylindrical cup in the outdoor growing environment. As long as it is cylindrical, it does not matter whether it is thicker or thinner. Then after the rain stops, I take a look at the depth of the accumulated water in the cup and know how much rainwater the succulents have received.

For ordinary light rain, the rainfall in a whole day is less than 10 mm. Farmers call this kind of light rain "cun rain", meaning that after raining for a day it can only wet the surface soil to a depth of 1 cun. Even if this amount of rainfall is used to water a square black pot, it cannot soak through, so after succulents are rained on by this kind of light rain, there is actually no need to worry at all.

For ordinary moderate rain, the rainfall in a day is about below 30 mm, and for heavy rain it is below 50 mm. This is much less water than we usually imagine. As long as they are not rained on for a very long time, it is also not a problem. Next time your succulents are rained on again, you can estimate the amount of watering, and in most cases there should be no need to worry.

Regarding deliberately watering succulents with rainwater, there is one point to note just like with watering: you should try your best to make sure it will clear up tomorrow before sending them out to get rained on. Being rained on for a long time is not necessarily the same.

Succulents grown outdoors are extraordinarily beautiful~ If you want to try growing them outdoors, besides the rainwater issue, you can also refer to the following points for attention~

Choice of flower pot

When growing outdoors, the choice of flower pot is very important. Not just any kind of flower pot can be used~ If you are in a humid area in the south, try to choose flower pots with strong breathability and water permeability, such as red clay pots or anti-corrosion wood, for outdoor growing, so that sudden rainfall will not cause water to accumulate in the pot.

In the north, the material of the flower pot is not so important, but the bottom of the pot must have drainage holes. If you dare to use a container without holes, the succulents will dare to die on you~

Choice of location

When growing outdoors, the choice of location is also very important. When growing outdoors in spring and autumn, try to choose a location with a longer period of sunlight to place your succulents, so that they can fully receive sunlight. Of course, succulents like Haworthia cooperi that prefer scattered light should not be treated this way.

Also, distinguish clearly whether the succulent is a winter-growing type, a summer-growing type, or a spring-autumn-growing type. For example, winter-growing and spring-autumn-growing succulents should not be grown outdoors in summer.

Pay attention to ventilation

Outdoor growing requires a good ventilation environment. In summer, be sure to pay attention to the ventilation environment. In a stuffy, hot, and humid environment, air does not circulate, which is not conducive to water evaporation and also makes it hard to lower the temperature, easily leading to root rot. In summer, the humidity in the air itself is greater than in other seasons, so only good ventilation can ensure the health of outdoor-grown plants.

In order to prevent scorching sun exposure and the onslaught of extreme weather, placement is also a skill. From the perspective of direction, in summer the southwest is a good position. At that time the sun begins to set below the horizon, the light is not so intense, and plant sunburn is avoided. At the same time, try to avoid placing them in low-lying areas or fully exposed places, so that plants are not damaged when heavy rain comes.

Water accumulation on leaves

When growing outdoors, it is difficult to care for them as meticulously as indoors. Especially when it rains or when watering on a large scale, it is often easy to wet the leaves. If the leaves are merely wet, there is no need to worry; once the morning sun comes out, it will basically evaporate away.

However, water accumulated in the middle of the leaves must be cleaned away to avoid water accumulation causing black rot in succulents. Also, do not let water droplets cling to the leaves. When sunlight shines, water droplets will focus the sun's heat like a magnifying glass and burn the leaves.

Black rot and pests

When growing outdoors, in order to prevent black rot and pests, you can first add a certain proportion of fungicide and some low-toxicity insecticide to the soil. Be sure to take preventive measures in advance! If conditions permit, you can buy insect-proof covers for succulents. This can not only prevent insects but also prevent birds and mice, though the cost will be relatively high~

If you have already found that succulents are being attacked by pests, do not rush to spray insecticide first. You can first use a toothpick to remove the insects, then spray a little fungicide, to avoid infection of the wounds bitten by insects and causing black rot in succulents.