| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Cultural problem which
describes a plant that is receiving too much
water due to both
humid weather
or excessive
watering. |
|
| |
|
|
The
growing
substrate in which plants are
potted
should be adequately moist, but never dump,
roots need
water, but
they need oxygen as well to
function properly. Give your plants a chance to
dry out
slightly before you water them.
The number one plant killer is over-watering especially if we
cultivate cactus
and
succulents. It is easier to bring back a dying plant from
under-watering than overwatering. Over watering can be more
hazardous to our plants health than making them go without
water. Excessive moisture creates an
environment
favourable to such
diseases as
Crown Rot,
Phytium,
Phytophthora,
Root Rot,
damping off.
Overwatering can also cause a condition known as denitrification.
A good
growing medum is made to quickly
absorb water and then dry out. It is loose and allows
oxygen to flow around the
plant's roots
which the roots need to function correctly. If the
potting
media is kept too wet, the roots soon
rot and the
plant starts to
wilt because it cannot
absorb the water needed. When this happens the beginner
usually adds still more water thinking the plant needs it.
What should we look for?
- A plant suffering from overwatering may appear to actually
need water. The leaves or stems will
wilt and
turn yellow, sometimes dropping off. Someone seeing this might
believe that the plant needs water and add to the problem. But
once again, feeling the soil is the best way to avoid this.
When in doubt: Soil + dry = water. Soil + wet = don't water.
- The
media smells sour.
- One things that can happen to some plant (e.g. Christmas
cactus) is after the
flower
buds have developed they drop
off the plant. Bud drop can be caused both by lack of
humidity or over-watering
What should we do?
-
Succulent plants like dryness. Some dry periods between
watering will maintain a
healthy
root system.
-
Fertilize and water in the spring and summer and early
autumn, let
rest
in winter.
- During the
winter for most species withholding water completely is
the best method. Many plants will show signs of
shrinkage
during this dry period but this is normal and good as long as
the roots do not disintegrate.
- Spring
vegetative resumption: it is very important to withhold
watering until the plants actually begin to show signs of
growth.
Some species accept watering before they are ready to grow,
but it is very risky to attempt to push any plant into a
growth cycle with water too soon. There will be some
plants with indications of growth that are difficult to see
and obviously watering can't be postponed indefinitely. If the
plant has been kept completely dry through the winter and has
rested for over 6 months it may be safe to resume watering
without seeing signs of growth as long as the plant has
daytime warmth and enough sun.
- When plants are resting in their
summer cycle an occasional small watering will be fine for
most species as long as they can dry out between watering.
Some succulents and cactus plants will actually delay their
spring growth cycle until summer in more northern
climates
in which case they will need plenty of water.
- Repot
when there is a circular growth of root mass at the bottom.
- By the time you notice that there is something wrong, the
media has already started to
decay and the plant has begun to
loose its roots. You need to
repot immediately, cut off all
dead and decaying roots and let plant roots drying and
callusing
for some day before to plant in a fresh substrate . Use a
coarser grade of media since this will allow more rapid drying
out.
- If the plant has no (or very few) living roots left, you
can try re-rooting. If your plant has signs of
root rot,
treat it with a
systemic
fungicide
before repotting. Be careful when you start to water again.
- Plastic pots require less watering whereas
clay
pots can help to mitigate the effects of over-watering..
See: Watering
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertising
|
|
|
|
|
|
