Flower watering and care methods are affected by soil conditions
Plant roots absorb the nutrients and water needed for growth and development from the soil. Only when the soil's physical and chemical properties can meet ornamental plants' requirements for water, nutrients, aeration and temperature can flowers of the best quality be obtained.
The nature of the soil affects watering, and loam is easier to manage. Good garden soil has strong water-holding capacity, and excess water drains easily. Clay has strong water-holding capacity, but its pores are small and water infiltrates slowly; watering easily causes runoff and can also affect the flower roots' absorption of oxygen, causing the soil to become compacted. Loose soil should be irrigated more often than heavy soil, so clay should be managed by alternating dry and wet periods: wet to supply the flowers with sufficient water, and dry to help increase the soil's air content. The larger the sand particles, the poorer the water-holding capacity. Roughly estimated, sand 30cm deep holds only 0.6cm of water, sandy loam 2.0cm, fine sandy loam 3.2cm, while silt loam, clay loam and clay hold as much as 6.3-7.6cm. Therefore, different soils require different amounts of irrigation water.
Poor soil properties or improper management are often one of the factors causing water deficiency in flowers. Increasing the organic matter in the soil helps soil aeration and water-holding capacity.
The amount of irrigation water is determined by the soil type, and it is best for it to penetrate the root zone. If the frequency and amount of watering are excessive, the flower roots will instead grow poorly, even to the point of being damaged; in severe cases this causes root rot and leads to plant death. In addition, if watering is insufficient, the water cannot penetrate to the lower layers, which often causes the roots to be shallowly distributed, and this greatly reduces the flowers' resistance to drought and high temperatures. Therefore, one should fully understand the time needed for the soil to dry out between two waterings.
Where the topsoil is shallow and there is a clay pan below, the amount of water per watering should be smaller, but the frequency should be increased; if it is deep sandy loam, watering should be thorough at one time, and then watered again after it has dried. Clay allows water to infiltrate slowly, so the watering time should be appropriately extended, and an intermittent method is best, leaving a period for infiltration, such as watering for 10min, stopping for 20min, then watering for another 10min, etc. This is a commonly used method for sprinkler irrigation and is especially suitable during high temperatures and drought; moreover, the site should be leveled in advance to prevent soil and water loss.