We all would like to have plants that are always healthy and perfect, right? Not surprisingly, that would mean that we are providing them with the care they need and that, therefore, they do not lack anything. But it's not always like this. Sometimes we think that we have everything under control and one day, without further ado, the leaves start to get ugly. Why?
To answer that question and prevent it from happening again, we have to discover how to know if a plant lacks water. And we are going to take care of that in this article 🙂.
What are the symptoms of lack of water in plants?
The plants that are going thirsty are those that have the dry leaf tips, brown (more frequently) or yellow. What's more, they look sad, being able to have fallen or straight stems and flowers. The land that we have on it will feel dry, lasts, something that will prevent growth from continuing normally.
If we are not watering enough, our beloved pots or our beloved garden will lose green, it will lose life. But how do we have to water? It is not enough to add a little water each time, but it is important that we make sure that the earth is well moistened -not flooded- every time we have to drink the plants.
How to recover dry plants?
Fortunately, it is relatively easy to recover a plant that has suffered from a lack of water, you just have to do the following: cut the dry or yellow parts, fill a container with water and place the pot inside until the soil is moist. Also, it will be necessary to water more often to prevent it from happening again.
But before watering, you have to check the humidity of the soil. To do this, we can introduce a thin wooden stick - the kind used in Japanese restaurants - and check how much has adhered to it: if it comes out practically clean, it will mean that it is dry and therefore can be watered.
5 plants that don't need water
If you still want to forget about watering, at least in part, you should know that there are a number of plants that can live with little water. Many of them are grown in the gardens of southern and eastern Spain precisely for that reason, because despite the fact that it rains very little and usually only a few weeks throughout the year, they only have to be watered from time to time during the first twelve months; from the second or third year on, watering can be suspended or, if preferred, more spaced.
Here you have a selection:
Paradise tree
Image - Wikimedia / Anna Anichkova
El tree of paradise or melia, is a deciduous tree that reaches between 8 and 15 meters in height, with a really nice umbrella shaped glass. Its leaves are odd-pinnate, and dark green. During spring it produces florets grouped in panicles up to 20 centimeters long.
When it is grown, it is important that it be planted in the garden, in an area with a lot of sun, and at a minimum distance of 5-6 meters from walls and pipes. It withstands drought well if at least 350mm of precipitation a year falls during the rest of the year, and frosts down to -12ºC.
Cica
Image - Flickr / brewbooks
La cat It is a plant that is often included in the category of shrubs. It has a false trunk that tends to lean a little over the years, and a crown of leathery green leaves. The most interesting thing is that it removes many new leaves in one go, once a year. Besides, does not grow more than about 7 meters although the normal thing is that it stays in 2-3 meters.
It grows well in the sun, but you have to get used to it little by little to prevent it from burning. For the rest, it wants little water, and a mild climate with frosts down to -12ºC.
Dimorphotheque
I believe that there is no more resistant and adaptable flowering plant than this one. The dimorphotheque, With its 30 centimeters in height and around one meter in length, it is a beautiful and interesting option to grow in xero-gardens. or in gardens where it rains little (minimum 350mm of precipitation per year).
It lives well in the sun, but also in semi-shade, and its growth rate is quite fast. During most of the year it blooms, producing daisy-shaped flowers of very different colors: white, purple, orange, ... In addition, it supports moderate frosts.
Laurel
Image - Wikimedia / Marija Gajić
El laurel is an evergreen tree that grows between 5 and 10 meters in height. It is very common in low maintenance gardens, as it quickly gets used to the lack of water (within a few months). Its leaves are very common in the kitchen, since they are used a lot as a condiment.
Like the dimorfoteca, it vegetates well both in the sun and in semi-shade, but the soil must have good drainage. Resists up to -12ºC.
washingtonia
Image - Wikimedia / Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia
The Washingtonia, both the thin trunk (W. robust) and the thick trunk (W. filifera) are palm trees that live in areas where rainfall is very scarce. For this reason, although they are large plants, With a height of up to 20 meters, they are the most interesting to grow in gardens that have warm or mild climates. and where, in addition, it rains little.
But yes: they can not lack sun at any time, nor some sporadic watering during the first year that they are in the ground. They resist up to -10ºC.
If you want to see what other types of plants resist drought, click here:
Greetings, Working in an automatic irrigation system, by chance you will know how by means of some variable to know if there is a lack of water, such as humidity or temperature, I understand that different care is necessary depending on the type of plant, but with these two variables it is possible to know if we occupy watering the plant.
Hello, the soil of my potted plant, bamboo palm tree, is wet to the bottom and also the leaves are sad, although it has new shoots. To do?
I await your prompt response, I do not want to lose my palm tree. Thank you!!