Do flower plant leaves need cleaning? Learn the correct cleaning method
For potted plants, especially broad-leaved foliage plants, after being placed for a period of time, a layer of dust accumulates on the leaf surface. Over time the plant looks unsightly and the leaves gradually turn yellow. Why does dust on the leaves cause them to turn yellow? Because dust blocks the stomata on the leaves, preventing the plant from absorbing water and oxygen from the air or releasing excess water from inside its body. At the same time, it seriously affects the ornamental value of potted plants; covered in dust, and even more blotchy and unsightly after spraying with water. So the leaves of flower plants need to be cleaned, and cleaned regularly. Below, the editor shares with you the methods and precautions for cleaning flower plant leaves.
Have you heard that flower plant leaves also need cleaning? How should you wash them?
Methods for cleaning flower plant leaves
1. Time for cleaning the leaves
The time for cleaning the leaves is in the morning or early morning, so that after a day of drying, they avoid remaining in a damp state at night.
2. Methods for cleaning the leaves
Spraying method: use the impact force of the water stream from a sprayer to wash the dust off the leaves.
Wiping method: use a sponge or cotton cloth dipped in water to repeatedly and gently wipe the dust and dirt off the leaves. This method must be done at least 2 times; one time is not clean enough.
Brushing method: use a soft-bristled brush to brush the dust off the leaves.
Precautions for cleaning flower plant leaves
1. Cacti, succulents and plants with hairy leaves are not suitable for the spraying and wiping methods. Once the leaves of hairy plants are wet, it is difficult for the water to evaporate, and they will quickly become moldy and rot. Also, the flower buds in the leaf rosette of Gerbera jamesonii (Gerbera daisy) and the pseudobulbs in the leaf rosette of Clivia miniata (Clivia) should not be exposed to water, especially during the germination and bud stages; contact with water will affect the development of the flowers.
2. When cleaning the leaves, do not spray water directly onto the flowers. This will cause the flowers to rot and wilt easily, and will also lead to poor fertilization, affecting flowering and fruiting.
3. For potted flowers such as pomegranate, crabapple, Fuchsia and Lagerstroemia indica (crape myrtle), spraying water on the leaves will cause the branches and leaves to grow excessively, so they are not suitable for spraying to clean the leaves; the wiping method and brushing method should be used to clean the leaves.