How to water ornamental plants in the summer, the meaning of the dry-wet cycle is not known to everyone

Beginning in the summer, rising temperatures are often a threat to many treesespecially the ornamental plants planted in the balcony.

Many ornamental plants in the morning are beautiful, but after a day of hot sun, the leaves are drooping, the flowers are wilted, very disoriented. Every bonsai grower is worried that the tree will suffer from drought and excessive heat, so regularly water the tree to ensure that the bonsai is always fresh.

But watering a lot of bonsai is not a good thing. Watering flowers and ornamental plants in hot summer is also very important. If watering the wrong method, it is difficult for ornamental plants to grow.

Many ornamental plants are cared for very carefully but easily wilt in the summer. The fact that bonsai wither in the summer can be the reason you have watered indiscriminately without paying attention to the environment and the growing needs of each bonsai.

Here are some of the best ways to water bonsai in the summer, to ensure that the bonsai has enough water and grows most brilliantly.

1. There are some plants that need less watering in the summer

Many ornamental plants will enter a short-term dormant state when the temperature is up to 30 degrees Celsius. Specifically, cacti, orchids… will hibernate for a short time when the temperature is high in the summer.

When this bonsai goes into dormancy, the growth rate will slow down significantly, even many plants will stop growing.

At this point, the bonsai basically has no need to absorb nutrients, nor does it need water. Therefore, at this time, no matter how much water you water or fertilize, the plant will not be able to absorb it.

If you water a lot at this time but the plant doesn’t need water, the water will stay at the bottom of the pot and rot the roots. Thus, you are kind, taking care of the bonsai but it turns out that it harms the tree.

Many of you see that the temperature is high and keep focusing on watering bonsai, but in the end, the tree has yellow leaves and rotten roots! That’s because you watered the wrong plants.

Similarly, in winter, there are also some ornamental plants that hibernate when the temperature is cold. At this time, if you water the plants, fertilize them, they will not absorb it, but also cause root rot and root burn.

In addition, in winter, the amount of water evaporates decreases, so if you still maintain the daily watering, it is easy to put a burden on the roots of the bonsai.

2. Humid-loving bonsai can be watered more in the summer.

Many types of ornamental plants are not only suitable for hydroponics but also suitable for soil cultivation. These ornamental plants have a very high demand for water in the summer such as betel nut, gerbera, mini lotus…

These ornamental plants absorb water in the summer much higher than other ornamental plants. In addition, in the summer, water evaporates quickly so you need to water them in the evening and early morning, when the temperature of the day is relatively low.

Pay attention not to water the bonsai when the temperature is high. Because when watering at this temperature, the water on the leaves will be drained quickly, even if the water is heated, the leaves will be soaked in hot water and wilted.

Especially for the leaves and stems of some slender ornamental plants, if watered at high temperatures, their leaves and stems will soften when the water evaporates at high temperatures. Therefore, you should water your plants when the temperature of the day is low, in the early morning or in the evening.

3. Bonsai placed outside on the balcony, airy terrace can water more

In the city, most people will grow bonsai on the balcony or on the windowsill, some wealthy people with a terrace will plant on the terrace.

Placing bonsai on the balcony in the summer will be quite hot, the rate of water evaporation is fast. Therefore, you should water more. However, if the balcony is closed like in a house, the amount of water is only moderate like indoor plants. Watering even in the summer must be based on the water needs of the bonsai.

4. How to know indoor plants need water?

So how to know if a potted plant should be watered or not? There are two methods of judgment: one is to look at the potting soil, the other is to see the leaves and buds.

However, just because the surface of the potting is dry does not mean that the inside of the soil is dry and the plant needs water. Some experienced people just pick up the bonsai, estimate the weight to know if the bonsai needs water or not.

Heavy pots need no water and light ones need water. However, this method is difficult to estimate for bonsai growers.

There is an easier way is to stick your finger in a pot of soil about 4-5cm, if the soil is still dry, you need to water it, if it’s wet, you don’t need it. Or you plug a chopstick down 1/3 of the height of the pot, when pulled out, dry chopsticks are watered, wet chopsticks do not need to be watered.

In addition, you can view the buds and leaves of bonsai. Many ornamental plants have the ability to store water, when the potting soil lacks water, the bonsai will not be able to grow and outwardly the leaves and buds will wilt and droop. At this point you need to water immediately and water thoroughly.

5. Why wait until the potting soil is really dry before watering the bonsai?

Many people will wonder why you have to wait for the potting soil to dry before watering, but not at the “just right” time. Too much water supply for bonsai is not beneficial for the growth of bonsai.

Although the bonsai has good drainage, there is no need to worry about standing water in the root ball, causing root rot, but if the bonsai has enough water, the roots do not need to grow to find water. They will become lazy. The roots do not have to grow, the bonsai will not have an excess of nutrients to produce new leaves, buds and flowers.

Therefore, waiting for the soil to run out of water will stimulate the roots to grow to find water and produce new leaves, new buds, and new flowers. That is the purpose of waiting for the potting soil to dry completely before watering. The main purpose is to evaporate all the water vapor to stimulate root development, provide more nutrients for the plant to grow leaves and flowers.

Thus, when growing bonsai, for watering plants, we not only have to keep the roots very well but also keep the leaves.

One of the best ways to water is to water in a dry-wet cycle, so the roots and leaves are always in the best state of growth, of course, more flowers.