When is your favorite plant dies - you can try to save him. The action plan largely depends on the cause of wilting.
The plant is alive, but the soil in the pot does not dry out for a long time
In this case, there is cause for concern - because in normal condition, the roots take up moisture quite quickly! But perhaps you simply flooded the flower.
If the soil in the pot is waterlogged and for a long time does not dry out - this may indicate weakness of the plant itself or its disease.
What to do? You can either try to loosen the soil or remove it altogether. upper layer to the roots - and add fresh soil.
In extreme cases, you will have to completely replace the soil, but you can wash the roots and remove any rotten parts of the roots, if any are found.
Excessive watering - the plant dies
Excessive watering is no less harmful to indoor flowers than insufficient watering.
In this case, the flower fades, looks depressed, and the tissues lose their elasticity. After a few days, additional symptoms appear: on the leaves, along the edges or in the center of the leaf blade. brown spots. Eventually these spots turn black. This is done by putrefactive bacteria and fungi, which actively develop in waterlogged soil and spread through the roots through the tissues of the plant.
The easiest way to save it: move the flower to a ventilated room and stop watering for at least 2 weeks.
A more radical way: transplant the plant into a lighter, moist substrate, providing the flower pot with a sufficient drainage layer. Do not water for about 2 weeks.
If the spots have spread to the leaf petioles and stems, the plant most likely cannot be saved.
Insufficient watering
Water is the source of life for all plants without exception. When it does not find enough moisture in the soil, the plant begins to use up its reserves, the moisture contained in parts of the plant itself. Fleshy stems and leaves help out in this case, but not all types of plants can take advantage of such reserves.
Herbaceous, thin, tender stems cannot withstand even short-term drought. When plant cells lack water, they lose elasticity, tissues wrinkle and sag.
The easiest way to resuscitate is to place the pot with the plant completely in water. If the cells have not yet lost their ability to live, the appearance of your plant will soon be restored.
I wish your flowers to bloom abundantly, dear readers!
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Dear flower growers, please give me some advice! I left for 2 weeks and left flowers for my husband. He says he watered them, but several of them dried up, among them his favorite plant, which he really wants to save. This tree, it is 2 years old, has grown to 30 cm and could grow further, no one knows the name, it looks like a persimmon. The leaves have not fallen, but have dried out and drooped, and break when bent. Is it possible to do something?!
Various experiments in laboratories in many countries around the world have accumulated many facts that firmly prove: plants are as sensitive as animals and people. V.V. Mayakovsky, based on his own experience, warned: “Don’t trust your cats and dogs to anyone” (the author’s style is preserved in the quote) - not because someone will not take care of them at your request and in accordance with your instructions, but because that they need you.
Inexperienced and novice flower growers, who have not yet developed a “sense” for the frequency of watering and the amount of water needed for irrigation, make standard error: seeing that the plants are drooping due to the drying out of the soil, they strive to “quickly correct the situation” - they are watered very generously several times in a row (the ground becomes too wet). Other beginners, fearing that the plants will not have enough moisture, consider it necessary to water them a little “just in case” every day or very often - beyond the need, forgetting that the roots of plants need air as well as water. The result of such excessive care is the same: the roots rot and the plant dies.
If plants that have lost their leaves still have living roots, they can be helped to recover (most perennial plants has "dormant" buds).
To save plants, remove them from their pots, remove the soil from the roots with a stick (or carefully rinse with water) and carefully inspect them; cut off all rotten roots and sprinkle the cut areas charcoal(or immerse living roots in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour). Plant the plants in fresh loose soil in a smaller pot with good drainage(in a large pot, with a small number of living roots, the soil becomes acidified), water lightly (keep the soil slightly moist, water again only after the top layer of soil has dried). After removing dried leaves from the plants (carefully cut off the dried leaf blades from the tree with scissors, keeping the petioles on the branches), build mini-greenhouses over the plants in each pot. Once a day, open the greenhouses and ventilate the plants by spraying the stem and branches. Add "Epin" to the water for spraying (according to the instructions on the package). Spray the plants with Epin and keep them in the greenhouse until complete recovery (the appearance of young shoots). Fertilizing plants during the recovery period is contraindicated.
No other growing condition for indoor plants requires as much attention as watering. It needs to be controlled all year round. It is in this area that novice indoor plant lovers make the most mistakes. They either flood the plants with water, thinking that this will make them happy, or they completely forget that it needs water. As a result, the plant receives either too much water or too little; both of these can simply destroy him.
What determines the plants' need for water?
It may seem that all plants need only be watered a certain number of times each week. However, it is not. Each plant has its own watering requirements - it depends on the size of the plants, the size of the pot, the time of year, temperature and light, soil quality and the moisture needs inherent in a particular species. For example, on cloudy days the plant needs less moisture, but sunny weather he needs more water. During the warm summer months, plants need a lot of watering, but in cool weather they need less water. Even in stable conditions, a constant amount of water is not a guarantee of success, since the plant increases in size and, accordingly, the amount of water it needs increases.
Water more often and more abundantly:
✓ plants in clay pots;
✓ plants with large or thin leaves;
✓ plants with thin stems;
✓ plants during active growth;
✓ plants with a powerful root system;
✓ flowering plants;
✓ plants with hanging stems;
✓ in the warm season and during high temperature in the room;
✓ in bright light;
✓ in dry air;
✓ with open windows.
Requires less moisture:
✓ plants in plastic pots;
✓ plants with thick leaves with a waxy coating;
✓ plants without leaves;
✓ plants with thick stems;
✓ plants at rest;
✓ newly transplanted plants;
✓ plants with a poorly developed root system;
✓ weak and exhausted plants;
✓ at low room temperature;
✓ on cloudy days or in low light;
✓ at high humidity air;
✓ when there is no air movement in the room.
For example, orchids from the genus Dendrobium are watered no more than once a week.
How to determine that a plant needs watering?
The experience of many lovers of indoor floriculture has developed an exact criterion: it is time to water the plant when the earthen mixture in the pot becomes dry. The only problem is that the mixture, which seems dry on top, remains wet in the middle of the pot. You water, thinking that the soil is almost dry. In fact, you are oversaturating it with water from the middle of the pot to the very bottom, which is no less harmful to the plants than drying out the soil. How to understand in what condition earthen lump: wet, dry or almost dry? Sometimes this can be determined “by eye” and “by ear”.
The color of the soil mixture depends on whether it is wet or dry. A wet mixture is dark brown, while a dry or nearly dry mixture becomes pale brown and dull. One common technique, therefore, is to water the plants when the soil mixture begins to turn pale. However, eyeballing is not always reliable. When the mixture is dry on most of the surface of the pot, it may be wet at the bottom. However, for small pots it can be assumed that if the soil mixture is dry on the surface, it is dry enough throughout the pot. You can determine whether your plants should be watered simply by tapping the pot with your finger. If the soil in a flower pot is dry, the sound will be loud, but if it is wet, it will be dull.
The easiest way to determine if a plant needs watering is to test the soil in the pot with your finger or wooden stick. Dip your finger into the soil mixture up to the first or second knuckle. If the soil feels damp, no watering is required. If it is dry, then there is clearly not enough water in the soil. This technique is a reliable indicator of the soil moisture in the entire pot, and can be used for plants in pots 20-25 cm high. Avoid checking the moisture of the mixture with your fingers several times at a time. This way you can damage the roots of small and tender plant and thus you will bring him more harm than good. It is better to check the soil moisture with your fingers at the outer edge of the pot, rather than at the base of the plant.
You can tell if a plant needs watering simply by lifting the pot. It is clear that recently watered soil mixture weighs more than dry soil. Plants in plastic containers growing in standard soil mixtures weigh about twice as much as dry plants after watering. This is, of course, a rough estimate. The difference in weight depends on the type of pot, soil mixture and the material from which the pot is made. However, even plants in clay pots with a heavy potting mix are noticeably lighter when the soil dries out. Using the "weighing" method takes some practice. Lift the plant several times between waterings to feel the difference in weight between pots with wet and dry soil. Then, after some time, you can easily tell the difference between a lighter pot when the plant needs watering, and a heavier one when it doesn’t need watering.
How do soil moisture indicators work?
Watering plants in large containers - more than 30 cm in height - has always been a problem for indoor plant lovers. Plants growing in deep pots or tubs are constantly at risk of waterlogging. Fortunately, reliable and harmless devices have been developed for determining soil moisture in large containers. You can find various soil moisture indicators on the market. These devices measure the amount of water at a certain depth. Insert the indicator fork about 2/3 of the way into the soil. The arrow on the scale will indicate “wet”, “dry” or something in between. Water only when the indicator indicates the soil is dry. Keep in mind that an old, worn-out meter will not give reliable readings, so it should be replaced with a new one about once a year. However, even a new meter may be inaccurate if the soil mixture contains a lot of mineral salts. They can build up if you've been watering your plants with hard water for years. In this case, inaccurate meter readings indicate that your plants need to replace the old soil mixture to fresh.
In addition to the standard meter, an audible humidity meter is commercially available; it indicates when the plant needs watering by ringing, whistling or other sound signals. The sound meter is designed in the same way as a standard one, but instead of a scale, there is an audio transmitter at the other end. It costs about the same as the standard one. It makes sense to buy one of these meters and keep it in a pot of a plant that tends to dry out faster than others. When the indicator beeps, it’s time to check the rest of the plants using traditional methods.
What is the watering regime?
Each type of plant needs its own watering regime. This information can be gleaned from the description of the contents of a particular plant. There are abundant, moderate and rare watering. Abundant watering is carried out immediately after the earthen clod dries. Most tropical plants with thin leaves require deep watering. With moderate watering, the plants are not watered immediately after the earthen ball dries out, but after a day or two. Moderate watering required, in particular, for plants with pubescent leaves and stems (African violet, peperomia, etc.) and thick roots and rhizomes (dracaena). When watered infrequently, plants are left dry for days, weeks or even months. This applies to cacti and succulents, as well as dormant plants.
How to set the watering mode?
Maintaining a strict watering schedule for each plant is not easy, especially if you have a lot of plants. Ideally, you should check the condition of the plant regularly and water it as soon as necessary. This method brings best results, because in this case there is an alternation of wet and almost dry soil conditions. Check each plant every 3-4 days using one of the methods described above and water only those plants that currently need it. Recommendations in this matter can only be general.
It is better to water the plants more often and little by little, rather than less often and more abundantly. It is better to carry out the main watering in the first half of the day. Each time you water the plant, you need to give it enough water to thoroughly moisten the entire earthen ball and the glass in the pan.
What are the signs of water shortage?
Regular violations of the watering regime affect appearance most plants.
A lack of water can be noticed by the following signs:
Leaves droop;
Leaves and shoots become sluggish;
In plants with hard, leathery leaves, the leaves dry out and fall off;
Flowers and buds fall off or quickly fade.
What are the consequences of overwatering?
If there is excess water:
Signs of rot appear on the leaves;
The plant is clearly growing slower;
Mold appears on buds and flowers;
The tips of the leaves turn brown;
Both old and young leaves fall off.
How to save a dried out plant?
When the soil mixture gets so dry that it becomes almost crunchy, a curious phenomenon occurs - the soil mixture refuses to accept water. No matter how much water you pour, the soil becomes slightly damp only on the surface. This happens because very dry soil moves away from the walls of the pot and gaps form between the walls and the earthen lump. When you water dry soil from above, water flows through these cracks to the bottom and through drainage hole pours into the tray. The earthen lump will remain dry. Therefore, when the soil is too dry, watering it from above is useless. What to do? Water the leaves and stems of the plant from the shower. Fill a basin or other container with water room temperature and completely immerse the pot with the plant in it, carefully pressing the pot with a weight (stone or brick) so that it is completely immersed in water. Then add a few drops (no more!) of liquid to the water detergent- this will help reduce the water-repellent properties of overdried soil. After about an hour, remove the plant pot and allow excess water to drain. If the plant has revived (not all plants recover after drying out), it will soon become succulent again. Please note that even when the earthen ball takes its original size, some distance will remain between it and the walls of the pot. Fill this gap with soil mixture.
How to save a flooded plant?
If excess water has accumulated in the pot, this is no less dangerous for the plant than drought. However, even in this case, all is not lost. Tap the edge of the pot on a hard surface and remove the pot from the earthen ball. Usually the earthen ball is penetrated by roots and retains the shape of the pot. Remove damaged roots and wrap the earthen ball with a rag or old kitchen towel- it will absorb excess water from the earthen clod. You may need to change the towel several times.
Then wrap the earthen lump in blotting paper and leave it there until dry, but do not overdry. When the earthen ball is dry, plant the plant in a clean pot with fresh earthen mixture.
What size should the pallet be?
Usually, flower pots sold with pallet. The pan is absolutely necessary - excess water flows into it. You can also use saucers or bowls of a suitable size from any material as a tray. It is only important that the diameter of the tray is not less than the upper diameter of the pot. After watering, it is necessary to drain excess water from the pan.
What is drainage?
Drainage is a French word. It means the artificial or natural removal of excess liquid, usually from the soil. IN indoor floriculture drainage is used to prevent water from stagnating in the pot. Ceramic shards, gravel, pebbles or large expanded clay are suitable for drainage.
A large shard with the convex side up, or a handful of smaller shards, is placed on the drainage hole, then a layer of coarse sand is poured and the plant itself is planted on top of this. Since you don’t always have shards at hand, it’s easier to arrange drainage from expanded clay.
If the pot has a hole for water drainage, then you need to put 1 cm of large expanded clay at the bottom. If there is no hole, then the height of the expanded clay layer should be at least 3-5 cm. In general, it should be approximately a quarter of the height of the container.
How do you water from below?
Although plants are traditionally watered from a watering can, there is another way - watering from below. With this method, the so-called capillary effect is triggered - water moves from wetter layers to drier ones. When the soil is almost dry, place the pot in a tray of water and moisture will begin to flow through the soil and into the roots of the plant.
When watering from below, you simply fill the tray with water. If the water leaves the pan quickly, add a little more. After about an hour, the entire soil will become moist and its surface will shine with moisture. When the plant has absorbed all the water it needs, pour out the remaining water from the pan. Bottom watering is preferable for plants with pubescent leaves or a lush rosette of leaves.
Plants that you water from below are better able to meet their moisture needs. However, you will have to change their soil mixture more often, since excess mineral salts will accumulate in the soil more quickly.
What is the best way to water plants?
Watering from above seems to be a more “natural” way of watering since in nature plants get their moisture from rain. On the other hand, what is important for a plant is not the source of moisture, but the result - moist soil. Therefore, it is not so important whether you water from above or from below. When watering from above, be careful not to get water on the leaves. Many plants have very delicate leaves and stems that become stained by water droplets. In addition, water droplets in the light focus the light like lenses, and even on dense and leathery leaves, burns can form. Therefore, when watering from above, be sure to lift the leaves or move them to the side so that the water only hits the soil.
How to water plants in hanging pots?
Plants in hanging planters They often hang quite high, and watering them causes certain difficulties. For convenience, you can buy a special watering can, which will make watering such plants much easier. It consists of plastic bottle with a long tube that bends at the end. This type of watering can is quite inexpensive.
What kind of water do you water indoor plants with?
It is preferable to water plants with soft water, that is, water with a low salt content. If the water in your area is soft, then it is quite suitable for irrigation. tap water. Hardy plant species can be watered directly from the tap, but this should not be overused: there are not many such plants. It is better to let the water sit for about a day. During this time, gas bubbles will come out of it, especially chlorine and fluorine. Fluoride is very harmful to indoor plants. Can also be used for watering rainwater, melted snow and well water.
What is “hard water”?
Hard water contains a lot soluble salts calcium and magnesium. It is very harmful to plants. The surface of plant roots is covered with skin, which acts as a kind of filter.
It lets through and retains only what the plants need. When watering with hard water, the filter “clogs” - remember the scale on the walls of the kettle! As a result, the roots begin to absorb water poorly and nutrients. The plant begins to starve. In such a situation, increasing watering only leads to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. A sign indicating hard water is a yellowish-white coating on the surface of the soil, on the walls of the pot, and sometimes on the stems of the plant.
How to soften hard water?
To soften hard water add wood ash at the rate of 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) per liter of water. You can also add acetic or oxalic acid to the water. This must be done very carefully, checking the pH until it is established desired value (5,5-6,5).
Filtered hard water, i.e., water passed through a desalting unit or osmotic filtration system will not harm your plants. To soften hard water, special filter cartridges and water softener tablets (so-called pH tablets) are produced. If for some reason the described methods of softening hard water are not available to you, you can water the plants, especially delicate ones, with boiled water.
What should be the temperature of water for irrigation?
Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. It’s even better to take water 2-3°C warmer. Don't neglect this rule. Remember that when watering cold water thermophilic tropical plants, you can damage their roots and leaves.
Are there ways to self-regulate soil moisture?
Yes, there are such ways. Firstly, this is a so-called self-watering pot. Secondly, cultivating plants in a hydroponic system. In both cases, watering will require your attention once every 1 - 2 months, and in between the plants will be provided with water automatically. In addition, there are substrates, such as hydrogel and granules, that can retain water in the soil for a long time and release it to plants as needed.
Withered leaves, dried flower buds, soil in pots that looks more like stone... However, it is possible to revive indoor plants - the main thing is to approach this matter competently. To do this, you only need a few minutes of free time and simple devices.
Wilted leaves are revived when sprayed with sparkling water (pour it into a spray bottle and spray for several days). Only soda, for obvious reasons, should be unsweetened - it is best if it is mineral water.
To thoroughly moisten the soil in a pot without allowing it to overflow, you need to water it moderately and then put a wet sponge inside. The plant will gradually absorb moisture from it.
More complex, but effective option: a pot with a dried plant should be placed in a basin or a larger pot on wooden block. Then you need to pour into the vessel hot water(but not boiling water!) - so that it is three to four centimeters below the edge of the block. Such a steam bath should quickly bring the plant back to life.
Another option for "ambulance" is to dial cold water V glass jar, cover with a lid with a hole, and thread a tourniquet twisted from cotton wool or thick threads into it. When it is saturated with moisture, wrap the stem of the plant several times. It should come to life in the coming days.
If an orchid has withered, you can try to “wake it up” with stress. You need to put it in a cold place and reduce watering. The plant will throw out the flower. By the way, in order for orchids to always bloom, they must be kept in rooms where the air temperature at night is five degrees lower than during the day.
If a flower does not want to come to life, it is possible that it has suffered severe damage. root system(this can happen, among other things, due to generous watering in the first days). In this case, you will have to arm yourself with a spatula and remove the plant from the pot along with a lump of earth. Carefully release the roots, assess their condition and, if not everything is lost, try replanting it in fresh soil, or re-rooting it (in a vessel with water).
Perhaps the plant was damaged due to spider mite, which can be identified by the cobwebs on the leaves. He appears in certain conditions- if the air is very dry and warm. The flower must be urgently isolated from other plants, the leaves must be treated with a solution of laundry soap, and then packed together with the pot for a day in a bag with small holes for ventilation. The next day, the leaves are washed and packed again in a bag for two days. If this does not help, you can treat the plant with a special preparation (Fitoverm, Actellik), which are sold in flower shops.
Withered plants You can not only water it, but also feed it - with sweetened water or a solution of potassium permanganate (two crystals per liter of water). The crushed mixture is added to the ground eggshells and powdered sugar. But remember: you cannot pour tea, milk, fruit drinks and other drinks into pots. And for the future, during long holidays, it is best to leave flowers on windows where there is little light and cool. This way they will better tolerate the lack of proper care.
On a note
Another piece of advice is to start not capricious plants that require daily watering, but rather unpretentious versions of them. For example, tall aspidistra tolerates a lack of moisture well, it is insensitive to drafts and cool air and looks very attractive - large dark green leaves reach a length of up to half a meter.
The well-known Decembrist (or Christmas cactus) loves moisture only during the formation of buds, which usually occurs in the fall - at the beginning of winter. By the way, in order to force the plant to bloom in December, you need to keep it in complete darkness from mid-October, or move it to a cool room (with a temperature of 10-12 degrees) in early November.
Also unpretentious indoor plants include epipremnum ("devil's ivy", as it is called in Britain). This climbing plant, which loves artificial light, is almost impossible to destroy, unless you don’t water it at all. And also chlorophytum crested, which reproduces all year round with rosettes and feels great in both warm and cold rooms, with and without natural light.
What to do if the plant is flooded?
Place the pot in the sink and let the soil dry naturally. If this is not possible, empty the pan as soon as it is full. Keep the plant at 18 ° C, avoid drafts. And no bright light! You should water it next time when the soil ball is dry to the touch 4-5 cm deep or begins to easily move away from the sides of the pot. If you have overwatered your plant so much that the pot smells musty and the leaves are drooping or brown spots appear along the edges of the leaves, try changing the substrate. Remove the plant from the pot, squeeze the soil ball to squeeze out the water, and remove as much of the wet substrate as possible. Transplant the plant into a new substrate, slightly damp.
Do not water the plant for at least 15 days. If the plant has dense foliage, leaves that are tough, dense, or a succulent, do not water for a month.
How to water plants suspended from the ceiling?
Contrary to popular belief, plants suspended from the ceiling should not be watered as usual. Water is poured into the pan. You do not wet the leaves and soil. Check that after an hour the plant has absorbed all the water. Squeeze off excess with a sponge. This is especially important in winter.
Bokarne bent needs very little water
How do you know if a plant is thirsty?
The first signal will be given to you by the pot. It becomes lighter and produces an “empty” sound if it is made of clay. The substrate moves away from the walls of the pot, it is lighter than the wet substrate, dry to the touch on top and in the depths. The plant's foliage may droop. This happens with balsam and spathiphyllum. Sometimes the leaves turn brown and dry at the ends, becoming papery. Flowers and flower buds may fall off. But these symptoms can also appear with excess water. Always check the condition of the substrate with your fingertips. With a lack of water, the leaves and stems of succulents fade and shrink, but do not become soft.
To check whether a plant is thirsty or not, do the “bamboo” test. Take a thin bamboo stick and stick it into the substrate until the very bottom of the pot. Leave for a minute, then remove. If soil is stuck to the stick or there are stains on it, there is no need to water it.
How to “revive” a plant that lacks water?
In order to properly saturate the entire earthen lump with water, it is best to immerse the pot in a basin of soft water at room temperature. When air bubbles stop appearing on the surface, the substrate is completely wet. Place the pot in the sink to allow excess water to drain naturally. Then return the plant to a place where there should be no drafts or bright light. If the substrate has not reached its previous volume, replace it. Then water regularly, do not let the water stagnate in the pan!
The substrate of a newly purchased plant constantly dries out. What to do?
The substrate in which this plant was grown undoubtedly consists of high-moor peat, which dries out very quickly and is difficult to re-soak with water. If this flowering plant, wait until the end of flowering and transplant it into the substrate best quality, which allows water to pass through well. In the meantime, water the plant as much as necessary. It is best to immerse the pot in water. And do not let the water stagnate in the pan. If this is a plant with decorative leaves, immediately transplant it into another substrate, for example, with granules that retain water. After removing the plant from the pot, remove most of the old substrate, being careful not to damage the roots.
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