Fertilization Techniques for Edible Fungi and Proper Watering Methods for Flowers

Most of the water that flowers need for growth is absorbed from the soil. Maintaining appropriate soil moisture is a necessary condition for the normal development of flowers and for achieving higher ornamental quality. Because flowers are cultivated in different ways, there is a certain difference in the amount and timing of watering.

1. Proper watering for field-grown flowers. Watering field-grown flowers is relatively simple. In rainy regions, attention should be paid to drainage in cultivation, especially timely drainage after rain. If there is a long drought without rain, appropriate irrigation is also needed to keep the soil moist and prevent the soil surface from cracking, so as to avoid tearing the root system. For field planting, never use flood irrigation. Where conditions permit, gardens can use sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation.

In the arid, water-scarce north and during water-scarce seasons, in addition to adopting drought-resistance measures, timely and appropriate irrigation must be carried out according to rainfall conditions to meet the water needs of flowers and trees during their growth process.

The amount and frequency of irrigation for field-grown flowers and trees mainly vary according to the flower species, growth stage, weather, and soil quality. Irrigation should be controlled according to soil moisture conditions. In specific operations, pay attention to the following points:

(1) Water according to the flower's growing season. Looking at the whole year, summer temperatures are high and evaporation is great, so more watering is needed. In winter, field-grown plants generally stop growing and temperatures are lower, so water less; if the soil is not dry, do not water. Looking at a single day, watering is generally done in the morning, but in summer, because water evaporates quickly, another watering must be done around 4 p.m. In winter, morning temperatures are low, and watering at that time is actually unfavorable; it is best to water between 10 and 11 a.m.

(2) Determine the amount and frequency of watering according to soil quality. Sandy soil has large porosity, strong water-holding capacity, and is prone to drying but not to waterlogging, so it should be watered more. Clay soil is a mess when wet and like a knife when dry; while paying attention to preventing waterlogging, also pay attention to preventing drought, loosen the soil by cultivating in time, appropriately reduce the frequency of watering, and increase the amount of water each time as appropriate. Humus soil rich in organic matter is loose in texture and has a large water-holding capacity; it neither dries out too easily nor becomes waterlogged too easily. Under the same conditions, both the amount and frequency of watering can be correspondingly reduced.

(3) Irrigate according to plant type and growth stage. Broad-leaved and moisture-loving plants should be watered more; small-leaved, needle-leaved, and cactus-type plants should be watered less. During the seedling stage, water less. When entering the vigorous growth period and flowering period (for fruit-ornamental types), water more. When seeds mature, water less. During the dormant period, water must be controlled even more. In addition, the leaves of gloxinia and African violet and the flower buds of African daisy are all prone to rotting after being watered, so these special situations all require attention.

2. Proper watering for potted flowers. Watering potted flowers has similarities with watering field-grown flowers. Both must consider water quality and water temperature, and both must be based on the moisture requirements of various plants, their current growth stage, their current growth vigor and appearance, and weather changes, watering according to the weather and according to the flowers, and choosing the appropriate watering time and suitable watering amount. The root system of potted flowers is limited to a certain space, so watering is more complex than for field-grown plants. Potted flowers also require special attention to watering according to the pot.

(1) Watering according to the weather mainly means deciding whether watering is needed and how much water is needed based on changes in season and weather. In specific operations, pay attention to the following points:

① Observe the season: In spring, temperatures rise, flowers and trees wake from deep dormancy, leaf buds sprout rapidly, some flower buds begin to grow, and the water demand of potted flowers starts to increase. Especially in the north, where spring drought and wind are common, the first watering after potted flowers are moved outdoors must soak through. Afterward, as spring temperatures gradually rise, the plant's vegetative body expands, and transpiration and evaporation strengthen, the frequency of watering should gradually increase and the interval between two waterings should shorten. Generally, it can go from watering once every 2 to 3 days in early spring to watering once every 1 to 2 days. For spring-sown annual flowers and trees, because they are still at the sowing and seedling-emergence stage, the seedlings are small and grow relatively slowly and consume little water; watering too much at ordinary times will instead lower the soil temperature in the pot and affect seedling growth. In summer, the weather is clear and hot, sunlight is intense, and this is also the season when most flowers grow and develop most vigorously. At this time, leaf transpiration and soil surface evaporation increase sharply, and only by further increasing the frequency and amount of watering can the water needs of the flowers be met. On sunny days, water at least once a day. During the dog days, the weather is even hotter, and continuous sunny, high-temperature, dry weather often occurs, causing intense evaporation from the pot surface and a sharp drop in soil moisture in the pot. This is precisely the season when potted flowers need the most water and consume the most water in the whole year. Drought damage is a serious threat to potted flowers through the summer; a slight lack of care can cause wilting due to drought or even death. Therefore, on sunny days, water once in both the morning and evening. In special cases, when the pot soil turns white and dry, timely supplemental water is also needed. However, potted flowers that are dormant or semi-dormant in summer, such as cyclamen, should have reduced watering frequency and amount. Try to maintain moderate dryness, but do not let them become too dry; excessive dryness is also unfavorable for flowers and trees dormant through the summer. Autumn is the transitional period from summer into winter. Sunshine weakens, temperatures gradually decline, and potted flowers and trees again enter a slow growth period. At this time, leaf transpiration and soil surface evaporation correspondingly decrease markedly compared with summer, and generally watering once every 2 to 3 days is enough. Winter is the season with the lowest temperatures of the year. Most potted flowers must be moved indoors to overwinter. The aboveground parts of deciduous flowers and trees wither after leaf fall and are in a dormant state. At this time, plant transpiration is negligible, and generally if the pot soil is not too dry, no watering is needed. Water when dry and stop when wet; being appropriately on the dry side is instead beneficial for most flowers and trees to overwinter. Flowers in greenhouses generally need watering once every 1 to 2 weeks; at most, watering once every 4 to 5 days can basically meet their needs. Never water too much or too frequently.

② Observe the weather: Different watering methods should be adopted for different weather, and watering should be done in a timely and appropriate amount according to weather trends. In dry and windy weather, water more and soak through. In cloudy weather when rain is forecast, stop watering, water less, or delay watering. In continuous rainy weather, not only is watering unnecessary, but accumulated water in the pot must also be drained at all times, and after the rain stops, attention should also be paid to withholding water. In weather with high relative humidity, water less and let the pot soil be on the drier side; whereas when there has been little rain earlier, relative humidity is low, and no rain is forecast in the future, water more.

(2) Watering according to the flowers. Watering according to the flowers means choosing the appropriate watering time and suitable watering amount according to the moisture requirements of various flowers, their growth stage, and their current growth vigor and appearance. In specific operations, pay attention to the following issues:

① Determine watering time and amount according to flower type and variety: Moisture-loving flowers with high water demand should be watered more; drought-loving flowers with low water demand should be watered less. Generally, herbaceous flowers have tender stems and leaves and need more water; woody flowers have hard stems and need less water. Cactus-type and other succulent plants would rather be dry than wet; bulbous and cormous flowers should not remain wet or overly wet for long; peonies and other fleshy-rooted plants like dryness and dislike wetness and should not be watered much; aquatic flowers like water and fear drought. Broad-leaved, many-leaved flowers with a large crown diameter should be watered more; narrow-leaved, small-leaved flowers with a small crown diameter should be watered less.

② Determine watering time and amount according to the flower's growth stage: Flowers in the vigorous growth stage need more water and should be watered more; flowers in the slow growth stage need less water and should be watered less. Most flowers need little water at the seedling stage, and during the seedling-hardening stage watering should also be appropriately controlled. During the vigorous growth period, keep the pot soil often moist. Some woody flowers also need appropriate water control before flowering, and normal watering resumes only after flower bud differentiation ends. When entering the flowering period, the pot soil should alternate between dry and wet; after flowering, the pot soil must not be too wet. During the seed and fruit maturation stage, the pot soil should be somewhat on the dry side. During the dormant stage, reduce watering frequency and amount, and just keep the soil from becoming excessively dry. Whether potted flowers need watering is often reflected in their external morphology. For example, if new leaves, young leaves, young buds, and young flowers wilt, it indicates that the flowers are beginning to lack water, and the severity of the wilting can roughly reflect how much water is needed. Conversely, excessive vegetative growth, slender and tender stems, thin and yellow leaves, and sparse flower buds indicate overwatering. Sometimes flowers suffering from excess moisture also show symptoms commonly seen in drought-stressed flowers, such as yellow leaves, leaf drop, and flower drop. It is necessary to distinguish among these to decide whether to water. If a plant indeed shows severe wilting symptoms such as drooping leaves and young branches due to drought, it is best not to water immediately. Instead, first move the potted flower to a shady place, water a little, and after the branches and leaves have basically returned to normal, water thoroughly, and it can recover its vitality. If the cause is long-term excess water in the pot, promptly move the potted flower to a well-ventilated, shaded place, stop fertilizing, strictly control watering, pay attention to clearing the drainage holes, and carry out deep cultivation and soil loosening in time to promote water evaporation and improve aeration in the root zone. Spraying a small amount of water mist on the wilted branches and leaves also helps the root system heal and recover and maintains the plant's internal water balance. If the wilting is caused by overly concentrated fertilizer application, immediately shade the plant and water repeatedly to reduce the excessively high soil solution concentration, while also raising the bottom of the pot to promote the rapid overflow of excess water through the bottom hole. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that some potted flowers with relatively strong drought tolerance do not show abnormal external morphology when they first begin to suffer drought, but once obvious wilting truly appears, it will inevitably affect the plant's ornamental effect. Watering at that point is clearly too late. Therefore, judging whether potted flowers need watering from external morphology is sometimes not completely reliable.

(3) Watering according to the pot. Potted flowers require special attention to watering according to the pot. In specific operations, pay attention to the following points:

① Observe the material of the flowerpot: Commonly used clay tile pots have a relatively rough texture, and there are countless tiny pores in the pot wall. These pores have strong water seepage and air permeability, and the water lost through these pores every day is also considerable. Purple clay ceramic pots, colored glazed porcelain pots, and the like have a very fine texture and few pores in the pot wall, and their water seepage and air permeability are too poor. Flowerpots with a rough texture need to be watered more often, and the amount of water each time needs to be larger, while when using ceramic pots to grow flowers, never water too much or too frequently, otherwise it is very easy to cause root rot and death. For old clay tile pots, because the pores in the pot wall have mostly been blocked by mud, the watering frequency and amount should also be reduced as appropriate.

② Observe the size of the flowerpot: Small pots hold limited soil, store less water, and have a relatively large surface area, so they lose water faster and dry faster than large pots. Therefore, small pots should be watered more frequently, and the amount each time should be smaller. However, for each watering, the amount for large pots should be slightly more than for small pots; otherwise, a "waist-cut" watering phenomenon is likely to occur. If a small pot cannot meet the need, it should be promptly replaced with a larger pot.

③ Observe the color and weight of the pot soil: When dry, the soil color becomes lighter, the weight becomes lighter, and the hardness increases. Moist soil is the opposite. Therefore, if your pot soil looks whitish, is relatively light in weight, and feels hard, it indicates that the pot soil is already dry and should be watered a little more in time. If the pot soil is still dark gray or dark brown, heavy in weight, and feels soft, it indicates that the soil is moist and does not need watering for the time being.

④ Observe the soil quality in the pot: Soil with a relatively high sandy nature has a coarser texture, large porosity, fast seepage and leakage, small water-holding capacity, and weak water retention. It is prone to drying but not to waterlogging, so the watering frequency should be appropriately increased. Heavy clay pot soil is a mess when wet and like a knife when dry. While paying attention to preventing waterlogging, also pay attention to preventing drought. Loosen the soil by cultivating in time and break up surface crusting on the pot soil. The watering frequency can be appropriately reduced, and the amount each time should be increased as appropriate. Humus soil rich in organic matter has lower evaporation from the pot surface, a loose texture, and a large water-holding capacity, so the amount and frequency of watering should be appropriately reduced.

⑤ Listen to the sound of the pot: When you tap the flowerpot lightly with your finger, if the pot wall gives a crisp, bright sound, it indicates that the pot soil is on the dry side and should be watered; if the pot wall gives a low, dull, muddy sound, it indicates that the pot soil is on the wet side and does not need watering for the time being.

⑥ Observe whether there are abnormal conditions requiring treatment: For example, when newly potted flowers lack sufficient soil moisture, separation between the pot and the soil often occurs. At this time, if a large amount of water is poured directly, it will inevitably cause water to flow rapidly out through the bottom hole along the separated cracks. In this situation, it is best to first block the cracks around the pot wall with potting soil, then slowly pour in a small amount of water, and after the pot soil has been moistened, water according to the normal method.