Without water, flowers begin to wilt and die. That's why you have to water your green roommates regularly. However, this requires sensitivity, because plants die because their feet are permanently wet far more often than from insufficient watering.
How often should you water flowers?
How often flowers should be watered depends on factors such as plant type, leaf size, location and time of year. Water when the top layer of substrate is dry. Avoid waterlogging and remove excess water after 10 minutes.
Estimating water needs
- Indoor flowers such as the Flaming Käthchen, a thick-leaved plant, have completely different water needs than, for example, the popular Busy Lieschen.
- Crops with large leaves that evaporate a lot of moisture need to be watered more often than those with few leaves.
- The same flower needs more water in a warm, very bright location than in a cool, sunny location.
- Flowers don't bloom all year round. If they set buds and have plenty of flowers, you need to water more often than when they are dormant.
When and how should you water?
The rule of thumb is: always water when the top layer of the substrate feels dry (thumb test). Pour flowers with sensitive roots over the saucer. These include, for example, cyclamen and African violets. For all other plants, add the water in a fine stream over the potting soil.
Orchids are an exception. This gets better if you spray or dip it with a flower shower (€29.00 on Amazon).
Almost all flowers tolerate waterlogging very poorly. The root system begins to rot and the important lifelines can no longer supply the plant. Therefore, you should dump any excess water that collects in the planter after ten minutes.
Watering garden flowers properly
In an attractively landscaped garden, colorful flowers appear from the time the snow melts until autumn and should be watered regularly. The following principles apply to these:
- Water in the morning or evening if possible.
- During hot periods, watering may be necessary twice a day.
- Give water directly to the roots.
- Water rooted plants thoroughly at longer intervals.
Tip
When watering houseplants, always use water at room temperature and leave it in the pot for a few hours. Many flowers are sensitive to high lime content. The use of soft rainwater is recommended for these.
