How do beginners grow mint? The secret to growing mint into a bursting pot
Growing a pot of mint lets you brew tea with it, and it is especially refreshing, pleasing to the eye and fresh. It is a fairly common potted plant in our daily lives, and it is used very widely in every aspect of our lives. Mint-flavored chewing gum, mint candy, mint toothpaste and so on. So how should beginners grow mint in pots? For the secret to growing mint into a bursting pot, see below.
1. Mint can be planted in flower pots or in flower beds. As long as the soil is fertile and loose, there is plenty of sunlight, and you water it often, mint grows especially fast.
2. To grow mint you do not need to buy any at all. As long as a neighbor, relative or friend grows mint, just ask for some stems, and it is even better if they come with a few roots. Prepare a flower pot, fill it with soil, and just stick them in as cuttings.
3. Then water them, do not put them in the sun, give them a little shade. The current weather is just right for cuttings, around 20 degrees, and in less than half a month they will have rooted in the pot and gradually grow small leaves.
4. Within a few months, the mint will grow more and more luxuriant, more and more abundant. You can pinch off as much as you want.
5. Occasionally give it some fertilized water, for example rice-washing water, organic fertilizer liquid fermented from soybean residue, or mix in some leaf mold or peat soil and add it to the pot; it will grow into a bursting pot especially fast.
6. Once the mint has grown for a year, you need to change the potting soil, because it loves fertilizer and has absorbed all the nutrients in the pot. Replace it with more fertile soil, and it will again grow until the pot cannot hold it.
7. Prune it more often, give it a "haircut" more often; the more you prune, the more luxuriant it grows. New leaves pop out in a rush, and it will even produce tiny flowers.
8. Mint roots have a powerful ability to grow and spread very quickly. Never plant it in the yard or in a large flower bed, or it will cover the entire yard and you will never be able to pull it all out.
Care secrets for 38 common flowers and plants. If you cannot grow them well, look at this!
1. Money Tree
Key care points:
The Money Tree is not strict about light, but too much watering easily causes root rot. Many gardeners' Money Trees die exactly this way. In winter, watering about once a month is about right.
2. Pothos
Key care points:
The most common green plant in homes, extremely easy to care for. It likes a humid environment and does not tolerate drought. If you find yellow leaves, just remove them promptly.
3. Snake Plant
Key care points:
The Snake Plant is very drought-tolerant and does not need frequent watering. If it has not been watered for a long time, the leaves may tend to shrivel; at that point you can first mist the leaves, then water the pot, and let it slowly recover.
4. Boston Fern
Key care points:
The Boston Fern is a fern, shade-tolerant and not tolerant of harsh sun. It has fairly high requirements for air humidity, so gardeners should frequently mist its leaves, and the potting soil should also be kept moist often.
5. ZZ Plant
Key care points:
The ZZ Plant has fleshy roots, does not tolerate waterlogging, and is not strict about light; it grows better under scattered light.
6. Peace Lily
Key care points:
Peace Lily care requires attention to two points: ventilation and moisture retention. If the air is not circulating, the leaves of the Peace Lily easily droop. In addition, air humidity must be increased; dry air also easily causes the leaves to wilt.
7. Ficus
Key care points:
Ficus has especially high requirements for humidity, does not tolerate dryness, and has relatively weak resistance to temperature; it is not cold-tolerant. So if northern households grow Ficus, they must pay attention to humidity and temperature, mist more often, and keep it warm in winter.
8. Dracaena fragrans
Key care points:
Dracaena fragrans has strong shade tolerance. If indoor light is weak, Huahua suggests you can choose a pot of Dracaena fragrans. It is also fairly easy to care for and can effectively purify the air.
9. Ivy
Key care points:
Ivy can be grown both hydroponically and in soil, so everyone can choose according to their own needs. Ivy has fairly strong shade tolerance, but it is best to give it sufficient light so it can grow more luxuriantly.
10. Lucky Bamboo
Key care points:
Lucky Bamboo is generally grown hydroponically. In winter, be careful not to place it on a radiator or at an air-conditioner vent. At the beginning of hydroponic growing, yellow leaves may appear; just trim them off promptly. Usually place a rusty iron nail in the water, which can effectively prevent the leaves from turning yellow. In addition, add nutrient solution promptly to promote healthy plant growth.
11. Spider Plant
Key care points:
The Spider Plant is also a common household green plant. The price is affordable and care is simple. As long as the soil is kept moist or slightly dry, the Spider Plant will not die. Once it grows up, it will produce small spider plantlets from its stems; just cut them off with scissors and stick them into soil and they will live.
12. Dracaena marginata 'Tricolor'
Key care points:
Dracaena marginata 'Tricolor' has relatively high light requirements. When light is too weak, the leaves easily fade in color. In addition, it should not be watered too much, which easily causes leaf drop; keeping it moist is enough.
13. Asparagus Fern
Key care points:
Because the Asparagus Fern has small, delicate leaves, it easily develops yellow leaves when the environment is even slightly unsuitable. This requires gardeners to pay more attention during care: mist often, do not expose it to harsh sun, and once yellow leaves are found, promptly look for the cause and treat the root problem. Already yellowed parts of the Asparagus Fern can simply be cut off.
14. Lily of the Valley
Key care points:
Lily of the Valley has extremely strong shade tolerance; even without light it does not matter. It is also not strict about water, but it is not cold-tolerant. In winter, the temperature should preferably not be lower than 10 degrees.
15. Alocasia
Key care points:
Alocasia can be grown in soil or hydroponically. For soil-grown Alocasia, pay attention to water control in winter; it is fine not to water for one or two months. On the contrary, too much watering easily causes root rot. You can often mist the leaves, which both increases air humidity and keeps the leaf surface clean.
16. Monstera
Key care points:
Monstera grows very fast and has unusual leaves, and can create a strong European style atmosphere. It also has relatively high humidity requirements and can be cared for under scattered light.
17. Peperomia
Key care points:
Peperomia is also called the computer darling, and can reduce the radiation from computers to the human body. So placing a pot of Peperomia on an office desk is a pretty good choice. Care is also fairly simple; just water it once every three or four days.
18. Schefflera
Key care points:
Schefflera, also known as Umbrella Tree, has a very full plant shape and is not strict about light, and can quickly create large patches of greenery. Schefflera likes moisture and fears dryness. It can only tolerate brief drought; long-term lack of water easily causes leaf drop.
19. Parlor Palm
Key care points:
The Parlor Palm is a small potted plant. It likes a humid environment, and with proper care it can even produce small pale-green flowers. It is not strict about light and can grow healthily under scattered light or semi-shade.
20. Areca Palm
Key care points:
The Areca Palm is a large green potted plant and is not cold-tolerant; in the north it cannot overwinter outdoors. Too much watering easily causes root rot. In winter, when the air is dry, mist more often, otherwise the leaf tips easily dry out. Once every half month, apply a slow-release fertilizer to promote leaf growth.
21. Rubber Plant
Key care points:
The Rubber Plant is robust by nature and is not strict about light, but it is not cold-tolerant. If the temperature stays below 5 degrees for a long time, it easily freezes to death.
22. Maidenhair Fern
Key care points:
When it comes to ferns, the most important thing is to maintain temperature and humidity. If you find the leaves wilting, it is either lack of water or the air is too dry.
23. Croton
Key care points:
Croton is generally kept indoors. It has relatively high light requirements, but its cold resistance is fairly weak, and in the north it cannot overwinter. So when winter comes, you can place them in a bright living room or on a balcony and control the watering frequency, and they can also pass the winter safely.
24. Pilea
Key care points:
Pilea likes sandy soil, and its roots do not tolerate waterlogging. The winter overwintering temperature also cannot go below 5 degrees, otherwise it is easily frostbitten. Its shade tolerance is fairly good, but comparatively speaking it still prefers an environment with sufficient light. It can be placed in the living room, on the balcony, in the bedroom and other places.
25. Pilea 'Moon Valley'
Key care points:
Pilea 'Moon Valley' and Pilea belong to the same family and genus, so their living habits are very similar: water when dry, and absolutely avoid water accumulating in the pot. It is not strict about light, but sufficient light is preferable. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer once every one to two weeks.
26. Coleus
Key care points:
Coleus grows robustly and has beautiful leaves. It can be planted in courtyards and on balconies, adding a lot of color to the environment. But when light is too weak, the leaf color becomes dull. It likes light and tolerates drought, and care is simple. Even if you are a beginner, you can grow lush Coleus~
27. Nerve Plant
Key care points:
The Nerve Plant is shade-tolerant, but when the light is too shady, it easily becomes leggy. It is not strict about water and is not very drought-tolerant. When short of water, the leaves wilt; replenish water promptly and it will recover quickly.
28. Dragon Tree
Key care points:
The Dragon Tree is robust by nature and likes a warm, humid environment. It can endure short periods of drought and is not tolerant of low temperatures; when the temperature is below ten degrees, it should be moved indoors. In winter, water must be controlled to avoid leggy growth at the branch tips.
29. Arrowhead Plant
Key care points:
The Arrowhead Plant has beautiful leaf color, likes water and does not tolerate drought. During the growing period, sufficient water must be ensured. It likes light and is shade-tolerant.
30. Calathea orbifolia
Key care points:
Calathea orbifolia likes light and tolerates shade, and likes moisture. When the air is dry, the leaves easily droop, and when watered too much, the roots easily rot. In winter, it is best to mist it every day.
31. Radermachera
Key care points:
Radermachera is shade-tolerant; scattered light is preferable. In winter, you can often mist the leaf surface, which can keep the leaves green and fresh.
32. Jade Plant
Key care points:
The Jade Plant is extremely drought-tolerant; it is fine not to water it for one or two months. Its thick, broad leaves can store water, making it very suitable for gardeners who are busy with work.
33. Mint
Key care points:
Growing a pot of mint lets you both enjoy it and brew tea. When caring for it, it is best to place it in a spot with sufficient light and keep the potting soil moist. If conditions allow, apply an organic fertilizer about once every ten days.
34. Philodendron 'Golden Diamond'
Key care points:
Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' has deep green leaves and grows robustly. It is shade-tolerant and not strict about water; during the growing period, just keep the soil moist.
35. Calathea makoyana
Key care points:
Calathea makoyana likes moisture. When the air is dry, the leaves easily curl; at that point, just mist more. Its shade tolerance is average, so it is best placed in a spot with sufficient light.
36. String of Pearls
Key care points:
String of Pearls has relatively high light requirements. When light is insufficient, growth weakens and slows. It is not strict about water; too much water easily causes the little beads to rot. In addition, it needs strong ventilation to reduce infection by pathogens.
37. Muehlenbeckia complexa (Maidenhair Vine)
Care tips:
Muehlenbeckia complexa is easy to care for, not demanding about light, drought-tolerant but not cold-tolerant; its trailing stems are graceful and elegant, making it a beautiful decorative plant for any setting.
38. Hosta
Care tips:
Hosta is extremely shade-tolerant and can be planted in small courtyards and gardens. Its leaves come in rich colors, making it a rare foliage groundcover plant.
How to make your balcony beautiful? Skip the trees, just grow flowers
This March, if you don't want to go plant trees, then put a little "flowery" thought into your own little patch of land. You can do your modest bit to purify the air and make your balcony beautiful at the same time!
First, let's look at which plants can be called pioneers in "fighting smog" --
Aloe, cactus, pothos, clivia, dianthus, spider plant, mint, money tree, rubber plant, elephant ear (Alocasia), peace lily, Aglaonema, maidenhair fern, Schefflera, Monstera, English ivy, Rhapis palm, asparagus fern, lucky bamboo
(This is just a list; for their appearance, benefits and precautions, please consult Baidu yourself)
The editor knows that for many friends, the point isn't what to plant, but how to plant it! How to avoid becoming a "plant killer"! (Don't ask the editor why she knows)
The article is a bit long, so flower lovers please read patiently to the end!
Planting always comes down to three things: water, growing medium, and light.
Light mainly affects how well a plant grows, so it's an advanced-level factor. But water and growing medium can directly determine whether a plant lives or dies. Many beginners, when they first start growing something, casually use some soil, then enthusiastically pamper the plant by watering it every day... and then... there is no then...
Water sensibly
For home gardening, especially indoor flowers in the living room, since there is no direct sunlight, the plants' transpiration is relatively weak, so you must not water too frequently. Otherwise, the soil stays waterlogged for long periods, the roots suffocate and die. Overwatering and watering too often is an important reason many home gardeners fail.
Watering should follow the principle of "don't water until dry," and the amount should be on the smaller side. Generally speaking, water balcony flowers more and indoor flowers less; water more when the weather is hot and less when it is cool; water herbaceous plants more and woody plants less. Also alternate between dry and wet, that is, water only when the soil is relatively dry, and each time water until water seeps out of the bottom of the pot.
In the rainy season and winter, you must especially water less, "rather dry than wet." A small courtyard has high humidity and poor ventilation; if you don't control the water, it easily causes root rot and yellow leaves, or mildew, leading to death.
To avoid this, choose loose soil with good drainage and aeration as your growing medium. The pot size should match the plant size; a pot that is too large easily keeps the soil wet and the roots won't develop. Usually, loosen the soil and remove weeds to prevent pests and diseases. If the branches and leaves are too dense, thin out branches and remove leaves to "ensure sufficient light and ventilation." Once pests or diseases are found, kill them promptly and remove diseased branches and plants to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
How to water flowers when no one is home?
For people who love growing flowers, if they are away from home for ten days or half a month visiting relatives or running errands, there is no one to water the flowers. In this case, you can fill a plastic bag with water, prick a small hole in the bottom of the bag with a needle, place it in the flowerpot with the hole against the soil, and the water will slowly seep out and moisten the soil. The size of the hole must be controlled so the water doesn't seep out too fast. Or place a container full of cool water next to the flowerpot, find a wide cloth strip with good absorbency, put one end in the water in the container and bury the other end in the soil of the pot. This way, the soil can stay moist for at least about half a month and the flowers won't die.
Fertilize at the right time
Household flowers generally don't need much fertilizer. Especially for currently popular foliage plants like the Brazil iron tree (Dracaena fragrans) and money tree, since you want to maintain their original shape and prevent leggy growth and aging, generally apply fertilizer 12 times each in spring and autumn. For other flowers with more vigorous growth, applying fertilizer once a month is generally enough. For fertilizer, you can use a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer diluted 500-800 times and water it on, or make your own organic fertilizer, such as sealing rice-washing water or water from rinsing milk bottles with added orange peel and eggshells, letting it soak for half a month, and it becomes an odorless, high-quality organic compound fertilizer.
Pollution-free pest control methods
For home gardening, the main pests include aphids, red spider mites, scale insects, and ants and white grubs in the soil. Since general chemical pesticides are highly toxic, easily pollute the environment and harm the human body, it is best to mainly catch them by hand. You can also make your own pollution-free flower sprays to kill them, such as mashing garlic and adding a small amount of laundry detergent, diluting 50 times; or soaking tobacco shreds in water at 25 times, soaking for 48 hours, taking the filtrate and adding an appropriate amount of laundry detergent; or using essential balm diluted 500 times with water. These all have obvious toxic effects on common pests.
How to grow succulents?
For the succulents that cute girls love most, although they are said to be very easy to grow, you can often see them opening their innocent big eyes and saying to you, "Why did my succulent die?"..
To avoid becoming that unlucky one in a small-probability event, cute girls, come take a look and hear how to grow succulents.
1. The soil should be loose, breathable, and well-draining, but with a certain water-holding capacity, neutral or slightly acidic. There are many growing media suitable for succulents, but a very important point is that they must be sterile. The direct cause of succulent death is often rot, and the only direct cause of plant rot is fungal infection. During transplanting of succulents, if the medium itself carries various pathogens, plus improper later care (such as frequent watering), it is very easy to cause fungal infection.
Therefore, from the very beginning, you should choose a sterile soil, or one that has been sterilized. There are two common ways to sterilize: one is to use a fungicide such as carbendazim, and the other is to use high temperature to sterilize. For example, I've heard of someone stir-frying soil in a wok, and also heard of someone putting soil in a microwave to bake it. Good medium, good start.
2. The watering principle is "dry then wet," meaning if the soil has dried out completely, water thoroughly. If it's hard to judge whether the soil is completely dry, you can stick a toothpick into the soil, and when it's usually time to water, just check how dry or wet the toothpick is. "Dry then wet" is a common term in flower growing, meaning water thoroughly at one time, then wait until the soil is almost dry before watering a second time. Its purpose is to prevent root rot from overwatering and pests and diseases caused by dampness. Of course, it doesn't need to be so strict; as long as you don't water too frequently, it generally won't cause succulent death.
3. Succulents all love sunlight, and with a certain amount of light they will grow better. Growing succulents is actually not hard; in fact, just grow them rough! Many beginners kill succulents because they water too frequently.
However, some people still exclaim, I raise flowers according to the secret manuals circulating online, so why are my carefully tended flowers not as good as the foxtail grass by the roadside?
So someone (Shi Jun, PhD in botany, member of Science Squirrel Society) came to explain it to everyone: dry then wet, using tea leaf residue to loosen soil, eggshells and expired milk as fertilizer? Do you really understand the wishes of flowers and plants?
The "dry then wet" watering method?
How to water is a technical job; being too diligent or too lazy can both bring trouble to plants.
Many people water that little pot of flowers on their desk every day, and what happens? The poor cactus slowly shrinks and dries up; other classmates, to save trouble, soak the begonia pot in a shallow basin of water, and as a result the leaves fall off and everyone is upset. Then these well-meaning classmates still look frightened, saying, don't plants all like water, so why don't they appreciate it?
Simply put, these practices are trying to drown the plants to death. Yes, flowers and plants like water, but they also like air. Don't forget that those roots in the soil also need to breathe. When there is too much water, it is bound to affect the distribution of air in the soil. Roots that cannot breathe normally will accumulate harmful substances such as lactic acid and ethanol in the root system. Over time, at best it causes metabolic disorder, and at worst rot occurs. The root system of papaya will suffer irreversible damage after being submerged in water for 24 hours.
In addition, the root systems of some plants (such as various orchids, rhododendrons, etc.) also host important fungal allies, which are the logistics officers that provide plants with minerals and water. Of course, these fungi are even less able to swim. Once they are drowned, the flowers and plants can only wait to die. So for most plants, watering every day is not a good habit, especially for cacti, agaves, and succulents; "dry then wet" is still effective for them.
The "dry then wet" watering method is more suitable for cacti, agaves, and succulents.
Many people suddenly realize, you must wait until the soil in the pot is completely dry before watering. Before long, someone asks again, why can't our mint survive?
That's because plants like mint need a sufficient water supply. If you wait until the soil is dry to water, then just wait to harvest a pot of mint specimens. Various ferns and Impatiens plants all like environments with plenty of water.
Of course, keeping the soil moist doesn't mean letting everyone make mud in the flowerpot. If water and soil mix into a muddy state, probably only aquatic plants like lotus root would like that. Overall, even for plants that like shady and damp conditions, the soil in the pot must remain loose and breathable, able to drain water and let air in. That is also largely why soil with high humus content is favored by plants.
In any case, when to water and how to water all depends on the type and condition of the flowers and plants. One thing is certain: don't pour tea into the flowerpot.
Tea residue into the flowerpot?
Casually pouring cooled tea into the flowerpot is clearly a lazy action, but surprisingly the internet began spreading the "tea water is good for watering flowers" argument. This is probably a conspiracy of lazy people; flowers don't need tea to refresh themselves. On the contrary, tea water will bring them a lot of trouble.
Tea water will change the pH of the soil. Generally speaking, the pH of tea water is around 5-7. Pouring tea into a flowerpot over the long term will inevitably make the soil acidic. But not all plants like acidic environments. Plants like camellias, rhododendrons and Michelia that like acidic soil can still tolerate it, while plants that like alkaline soil, such as Rosa xanthina, hibiscus and Amur honeysuckle, simply cannot stand it.
For hibiscus, which likes alkaline soil, watering with tea water is a bit too much to handle.
Of course, the tea-water believers will not give in so easily. They will emphasize that tea leaves are rich in various nutrients, such as 18%-31% crude protein, 22% crude fiber, and 1%-2% tea polyphenols. It seems like a pretty good way to use waste by putting them into the flowerpot, even giving people a thrill of turning waste into treasure. But things are not as simple as you think. Plants are not animals; their root systems simply cannot absorb organic matter such as sugars and proteins. Inorganic minerals like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are their food. Tea residue will not only fail to provide nutrients to flowers and plants, these organic substances can also cause trouble. Many fungi and insects have their eyes on them, so the flowerpot becomes a small fungal culture ground. These active organisms will indiscriminately break down cellulose and protein, and plant roots are inevitably damaged. Even tea residue fertilizer that can be applied must be fermented; only after fungi consume the cellulose can the remaining minerals take effect. But composting at home, no matter how you look at it, doesn't seem like something that can actually be done.
In addition, tea water is usually poured out casually, and the pourer naturally won't care about the dry or wet condition in the flowerpot, so flowers being drowned is also a frequent occurrence.
The only thing worth noting is that tea polyphenols can inhibit the activity of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, reducing the amount of urea decomposition and volatilization, while also lowering the conversion rate of ammonium ions to nitrate. On one hand, it can increase the effective fertility of the soil; on the other hand, it can reduce the nitrate content in plants (especially in leafy vegetables). But first, we won't go nibbling on the flowers and plants in flowerpots, and second, the nutrients in a flowerpot are always abundant anyway (if not, just add flower fertilizer; a palm-sized flowerpot doesn't use much fertilizer). So tea polyphenols seem to have little significance, just an on-paper benefit.
Endless egg and milk nutrition?
Speaking of fertilizer, many classmates are used to putting eggshells thrown away from the kitchen into flowerpots, saying it can add nutrients to flowers and plants. I often did this in childhood too. Now there is an upgraded version: some classmates pour expired milk directly into flowerpots, saying that delicious milk strawberries are also grown this way.
Things are not that simple. As mentioned above, what plants take in are various minerals; no matter how rich the protein is, it cannot enter their root systems. However, whether it is leftover protein or milk, both contain protein, and protein is rich in nitrogen. As long as it is degraded through fermentation, it can become what plants need. But the nitrogen content in milk is only about 0.5%, far lower than general liquid nitrogen fertilizer (12.4% for ammonia water). Not to mention lower than the 46% nitrogen content of urea. Moreover, for plants, there is no difference between the nitrogen in milk and the nitrogen in urine.
Moreover, this process should preferably not be carried out in the flowerpot, because milk will also change the soil. Suddenly adding milk will increase the concentration of the soil solution and affect the normal absorption of the root system. In addition, the state of the soil will be affected by milk, becoming compacted and affecting root absorption. At the same time, the large amount of fat in milk will also attach to the surface of plant roots, affecting normal plant respiration.
So cream strawberries are just a gimmick. To supplement nutrients for plants, it would be better to use special flower fertilizer. If you especially like organic fertilizer, then collecting rotten vegetable leaves and animal offal from the trash can, fermenting them, and then applying them to flowerpots would be a good choice, but the premise is that you have enough space to place the fermentation tank and won't be complained about by neighbors for that special stench.
The warmer the better?
Keeping warm is something many people like to do. Little do they know, many plants themselves do not like hot and humid environments, especially most alpine flowers such as rhododendrons and gentians. Although rhododendrons' flowers and tree shapes are very suitable for garden landscaping, people rarely see them in plain areas precisely because these places are too hot. When the temperature is above 30°C, "hydrogen peroxide" will accumulate in large amounts in the leaves of most rhododendrons. These substances will damage cell membranes and cause plant death. If you pay attention while visiting botanical gardens, you will find that many botanical gardens have a special type of greenhouse, a low-temperature greenhouse, which is prepared for these flowers.
Not only alpine flowers like low temperatures; many ordinary flowers also need low temperatures. For example, tulip bulbs need to go through a low-temperature process (at 5°C for 2-3 weeks) before they can bloom normally. Chinese cabbage needs conditions of 3-11°C, and only after 44 days does flower bud differentiation begin, and only after 80 days does it bolt. In fact, this low-temperature process called vernalization is a protection for plants. If plants begin to develop without going through low temperature, they are very likely to suffer from severe cold.
Low temperatures make tulips bloom more beautifully.
As our indoor environments improve, low-temperature environments are becoming fewer and fewer. Even Chinese cabbage is enjoying warmth, so the cabbage flowers that were very common in childhood are now hard to see.
Watering at noon will kill the flowers?
Watering flowers at noon will kill them. There are two explanations online for this experience: first, watering at noon will make the soil temperature drop rapidly, affecting root activity and causing death; second, water droplets sprayed on leaves have a lens effect, which will burn the leaves and cause plant death. But with a little analysis, you will find that both reasons have loopholes.
First, a drop in soil temperature does indeed affect plant growth. After all, plants also have an optimal growth temperature. If the temperature is too low, physiological activities will pause, and when the temperature is even lower, cell membrane damage may occur, causing chilling injury. But we are watering, not feeding plants ice cubes. It is not so easy to freeze plants badly at such temperatures.
As for the lens matter, it seems somewhat reasonable, but you should know that leaves usually have a very good drainage function, and they dry out not long after. Otherwise, there would be no need to wait to be scorched by water-drop lenses; mold would already have attacked the leaves. Moreover, when we water flowers, we do not necessarily spray through the leaves; many times we water directly at the roots, so there is even less need to worry about the so-called lens danger.
Summer rainstorms often occur, even accompanied by large amounts of hail, but no one has ever seen a large number of plants die because of the low temperatures after a rainstorm (hail). This precisely shows that the vast majority of plants can tolerate temporary low temperatures. Think again: if plants could be killed by watering, then we could just sprinkle water on weeds at noon, which would save manpower and avoid herbicides, killing two birds with one stone. But such a good thing will not happen.
Not to mention when plants are already severely dehydrated; if you still wait until the sun sets to water, then everything is too late.
(Compiled from Guokr and Rouding)