Edible Mushroom Fertilization Techniques and Flower Watering Principles

For beginner flower enthusiasts watering plants, two situations generally occur. One is that due to over-indulgence toward the plants, they water them from time to time, causing the plants to drown from excessive moisture. The other is that due to neglect of management, they leave the plants unattended for years without watering even a single drop, causing them to die from drought.

The following are the seven more and seven less principles of watering flowers, for flower enthusiasts' reference:

1. Water herbaceous plants more, water woody plants less

Herbaceous flowers have shallow root systems, poor water absorption capacity, high internal water demand, and fast leaf surface evaporation, so they should be watered more and frequently. Woody flowers have roots that go deep into the soil, a wide distribution, and strong water absorption, so the amount of watering can be appropriately reduced.

2. Water hygrophilous flowers more, water xerophilous flowers less

Hygrophilous flowers such as Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) and Reineckea carnea should be watered more; xerophilous flowers such as cacti, Echeveria (jade lotus), and Nandina domestica (heavenly bamboo) should be watered less.

3. Water plants with large, soft leaves more; water plants with small, waxy leaves less

The larger and softer the leaves, the easier water evaporates, so they should be watered more; for flowers with small, waxy leaves, leaf surface water evaporation is slow, so watering can be appropriately reduced.

4. Water sandy soil more, water clay soil less

Sandy soil is loose and has poor water retention, so it is suitable to water more appropriately; clay soil is compact, has good water retention and poor aeration, so watering should not be too much or too frequent.

5. Water more in hot weather, water less in cold weather

In the hot midsummer heat, leaf surface water evaporation is high, and potting soil dries quickly, so watering should be timely and thorough.

6. Water more in dry weather, water less in cloudy weather

In dry weather, soil loses water easily, so watering should be more and frequent: small pots watered 2 times per day, large pots watered 1 time per day.

7. Water more during the vigorous growth period, water less during the dormant period

During the vigorous growth period, flowers need large amounts of nutrients and water, so watering should be combined with fertilizing, watering more and frequently; during the dormant period, growth tends to stagnate, water demand is very low, and watering should be strictly controlled.

How to rescue flowers after they wilt?

For potted flowers, because the pot holds relatively little water, forgetting to water, especially missing watering in the hot summer, often easily causes leaf wilting.

The correct rescue method is: when leaf wilting is discovered, immediately move the flower pot to a shady, cool place, spray some water on the leaves and pour a small amount of water. Afterward, as the stems and leaves gradually recover their uprightness, gradually increase the amount of watering. Never pour too much water all at once, as that will cause the plant to die.