How do you water a nerve plant? How often to water it depends on these 6 tips

Because the white and red leaf veins are clearly and evenly distributed across the leaves, the nerve plant (Fittonia) is a plant with very distinctive features. To make these net-like patterns look even better, in everyday care and management, since the nerve plant likes a humid environment, watering is very important. So how do you water a nerve plant? How often should you water a nerve plant? Let me tell you the detailed watering tips.

How to water a nerve plant

In the methods for growing a nerve plant, we once mentioned that the principles of watering are: no waterlogging, no water shortage, no shallow watering. In actual practice, watering times will constantly be adjusted according to climate changes and different growth stages. Below, let me share the watering methods for different periods and different seasons.

How often to water a nerve plant

1. How long after cuttings to water

Cuttings are a commonly used propagation method for nerve plants, and watering determines the success rate of propagation. Generally, after inserting the cuttings into nutrient soil, you should water thoroughly, and then no watering is needed during the period until they root. If the soil is relatively dry, you can spray some water.

2. Watering during the seedling stage

After rooting, the nerve plant is still rather fragile. How do you water a nerve plant at this time? Generally water once every 7-10 days. If the soil is on the dry side, you can water earlier; just do not water too frequently.

3. Watering during the growth period

When the nerve plant enters the growth period, its demand for water increases rapidly. How often should you water a nerve plant during this period? Generally water once every 3-5 days, keeping the soil moist and not too dry, while also ensuring the humidity stays above 50%.

4. Watering in spring and autumn

The temperatures in spring and autumn are relatively suitable for the growth of nerve plants, so watering is also relatively more frequent than at other times of the year, but you still cannot water too much. Under the principle of no waterlogging, watering once every 4-5 days is enough. During the rainy season, you can collect some rainwater for watering, which works better than tap water.

5. Watering in summer

The nerve plant is a tropical plant, and its ability to tolerate high temperatures is relatively strong, but summer often causes water to evaporate too quickly. If you follow the spring watering method, it clearly cannot meet the needs of the nerve plant, so you need to increase the frequency of watering. Generally, water once every 2-3 days, and when the temperature is relatively high, you can also spray water on the leaves.

6. Watering in winter

We know that the nerve plant is relatively afraid of the cold. When the temperature is below 12°C, it is very prone to cold damage. To ensure it can get through winter smoothly, you need to reduce watering frequency in winter. Generally, watering once every 1-2 weeks is enough, avoiding too much watering that makes the temperature impossible to control.

Precautions for watering a nerve plant

The water quality used is best clean and healthy. You can also use rice-washing water, river water or rainwater, etc. for watering. Do not use household wastewater, and even more do not use water with relatively high alkalinity, otherwise it easily causes bacteria to breed in the soil or makes it alkaline, which is unfavorable for the growth of the nerve plant.

How often to water a nerve plant

Watering a nerve plant in spring and summer

Plants grow relatively quickly in spring and summer, and the nerve plant is the same, so the nerve plant also consumes relatively more water in spring and summer. In these two seasons, the amount of water given to the nerve plant should also be relatively greater, so under normal circumstances we can water once every four to five days. Because the water demand is relatively high, in addition to watering the soil, you can also appropriately spray water on the leaves of the nerve plant, which can make the soil and the surrounding environment a bit more humid.

Watering a nerve plant in winter

In winter, the growth rate of the nerve plant slows down, and because the temperature drops, the amount of water evaporation also decreases, so we should reduce the amount of water given to the nerve plant. We can water roughly once every a little more than a week. In winter, you cannot directly sprinkle water on the leaves of the nerve plant, as this easily causes the leaves of the nerve plant to rot and fall off. Also pay attention to the water temperature, and do not directly give the nerve plant water that is too cold.

Precautions for watering a nerve plant

How do we judge in daily life whether a nerve plant lacks water? Under normal circumstances, we can directly touch the soil in which the nerve plant is planted with a finger. Because the roots of the nerve plant do not go deep into the soil layer, when we find that the surface soil has become dry, we should water immediately, but we also cannot water too much, otherwise it easily causes root rot, so just make the soil slightly moist.

How to water a potted nerve plant

In the process of growing a nerve plant, scientific watering is indispensable. So how do you water a nerve plant? Below is a summary of the daily watering methods for nerve plants and watering matters for different seasons.

For daily care of a nerve plant, there must be sufficient water. In spring, summer and autumn, you should follow the principle of “better wet than dry”, but there must be no waterlogging. In ordinary care, just keep the soil moist.

The nerve plant is in its growth period in spring and summer, so in spring and summer it consumes more water and also has a greater demand for water. When watering a nerve plant in spring and summer, you must water sufficiently. Generally, you can water once every four to five days.

Because the water demand is relatively high, in addition to watering the soil, gardening enthusiasts can also spray water on the leaves of the nerve plant,

which can keep the soil and the surrounding environment a bit more humid.

By winter, the growth rate of the nerve plant becomes slow, and at the same time winter temperatures are lower, so the amount of water evaporation also decreases. Therefore, in winter gardening enthusiasts need to reduce the amount of water given to the nerve plant. Generally, watering once a week is enough.

In addition, in winter, gardening enthusiasts should not directly sprinkle water on the leaves of the nerve plant, as this easily causes the leaves of the nerve plant to rot and fall off. Also pay attention to the water temperature, and do not directly give the nerve plant water that is too cold.

If a cold wave hits in winter, be sure to pay attention to keeping it warm and blocking the wind, reduce the amount of watering, and watering in the morning is best, to avoid water remaining on the leaves at night, causing cold damage and rot.