Rules of watering cactus
Although succulents are plants with little water consumption, it is vital for them. At the same time, an abundance of moisture leads to undesirable consequences for the plant. That is why it is important to know the rules for watering a cactus.
Features of watering a cactus
Water for irrigation of succulents should be soft and clean: the presence of impurities, chlorine and salts is not allowed. In this case, rainwater is ideal, although it cannot be used without additional treatment, otherwise a whole bunch of infections can be introduced into the soil. If hard water was used for irrigation, the soil becomes alkalized, as a result, the growth of the plant slows down, it weakens and becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases. To reduce the hardness, water is boiled or nitric or acetic acid is added to it (a few drops per liter of water).
For watering a cactus, it is better not to use well water, since it is considered too hard and may contain impurities harmful to the plant.
Watering cacti can only be done if they are healthy and in a state of active growth, because only healthy roots can absorb water. It is important to find a middle ground, which will be the correct watering. It is difficult to say for sure how much and how often a cactus should be watered. The answer to this question depends on many factors: the amount of light, the condition of the plant, the humidity of the air and its temperature. It should be remembered that in its natural habitat, the succulent wakes up and starts growing in spring, actively grows and blooms in summer, and falls into hibernation in the fall and arrives in this state all winter. All this must be taken into account when watering a cactus.
In addition, in winter, it is not recommended to water cacti at all, it is better to start watering with the arrival of spring. The fact that the cactus has awakened is evidenced by the greened top of the plant (this is the growth point), as well as the growth of young thorns at the top of the succulent. The first watering is carried out in the morning: this is done so that most of the water evaporates during the day, and by the evening a minimum amount of moisture remains in the soil (this will minimize the likelihood of rotting of the succulent root system).
The basic rule of watering cacti: it is better to underfill than overflow
Rules for watering cactus, which should be followed when caring for succulents at home
Although among succulents there are moisture-loving cacti (these are zygocactus, ripsalis and others) and desert plants (for example, mammillaria), nevertheless, the watering rules are the same for all of them: – it is impossible for water to fall on the plant stem; – the water should not stagnate in the pot (this requires good drainage); – in summer, cacti are watered in the evening, and in spring and autumn – in the morning; – do not water the plant until the soil is completely dry; – cacti can be sprayed (recommended water temperature is 30-40 degrees).