Succulents are very peculiar plants, which differ markedly from other types of indoor flowers. They are surrounded by many inventions, misleading novice florists-cactus. One of them is the myth that cacti do not need watering at all. Of course, this is not so. Despite the fact that the birthplace of many varieties of cacti is a hot desert, they still need water. And now let's find out how to properly care for cacti in terms of watering.
How often should I water the cactus?
There is no one-sided answer to this question, because the frequency of irrigation depends on several factors: the cactus variety, the condition of its roots, the features of the soil, the time of the year, and finally the temperature and humidity of the air in the room.
So, for example, the Peruvian cactus needs irrigation very seldom, and in the winter it should not be watered at all. But the plant variety "Christmas", on the contrary, is hygrophilous and very fond of spraying.
The second important indicator, as already mentioned, is the season. The irrigation conditions should be as close to natural as possible, and should be oriented on them. In spring, when nature wakes up, you need to gently and gradually increase the frequency of irrigation, starting with spraying. In summer, try to water the cacti regularly, but at the same time moderately. Do not allow water to stagnate in the pot, as well as getting it on the root neck of the plant. In the autumn, when the temperature of the surrounding environment begins to drop, watering smoothly stops, bringing it to a minimum before the onset of cold weather. Remember that the worst thing for any cactus is high humidity at low temperature. How often to water cacti in the winter, depends on the variety and conditions of detention. At this time there is a period of rest, and watering is required every 2-3 months or a little more often.
How to water a cactus?
In addition to frequency, you need to know about other features of watering cacti:
- Use water for irrigation with a temperature of 36-40 ° C.
- Water from the tap should be defended for at least 24 hours or passed through a filter. Ideally, use thawed or rainwater.
- Irrigation from above or below, each florist decides individually. Do as you like, remembering the peculiarities of each method (watering from above is more convenient, but nutrients are more quickly washed out of the soil, when watering through the pallet, make sure that the water reaches the roots of the cactus).
- Excess water is more damaging to succulents than its lack.
- A flowering cactus, as a rule, needs to be watered as the soil dries.
- You can water it in the morning or in the evening, but in no case on a hot day, especially with regard to plants located in the light.