Do you know your plant leaves are telling you how you can take care of the plant they’re connected to? How?
Thickness of Plant Leaves
Plant leaves point out how you can take care of the plant by the thickness and texture of the leaf. The leaves above are Nematanthus ‘Tropicana’ leaves and they’re thick and glossy.
These traits let you understand the leaf can maintain water. It received’t want watering as usually as a thinner-leaved plant, such because the ‘Cotton Sweet’ fern under.
Fern leaves
Most ferns have skinny leaves that don’t wish to dry out. They don’ t have a variety of water-holding capability. This implies you could maintain the plant well-watered, not permitting it dry out.
Ferns will want water extra usually than most crops, but there are ferns which can be extra forgiving of drying out a bit.
The bear’s paw fern under (left and center pics) has giant, pretty thick leaves. This permits it to carry extra water than different ferns. As well as, it has giant furry rhizomes that may additionally maintain water. Contemplate the entire plant in the case of watering the plant.
The Austral Gem fern (Asplenium dimorphum x difforme) on the proper under, has a thick, waxy frond that feels faux. It appears like plastic to me. I’ve let this fern dry out considerably and it comes proper again. That isn’t to say that there aren’t yellow leaves concerned, however different ferns wouldn’t have made it.
Different skinny leaves
Although philodendrons are forgiving of drying out, they’d reasonably not. Their skinny leaves are a sign that they want water extra usually than different crops.
Oxalis leaves are additionally skinny. They dry out rapidly, so control them.
Thick Plant Leaves
Succulents have thick plant leaves. This sansevieria/dracaena under has thick, rubbery leaves that may face up to lengthy stretches with out water.
In case your plant has thick leaves, like many succulents, it is going to want water much less usually than different crops.. These leaves retailer water for when little is out there to their roots. They might reasonably not dry out fully however can dry out quite a bit.
The Tillandsia xerographica above has thick, leathery leaves. It additionally has silver leaves that act as sunscreen, so you understand this plant wants excessive gentle ranges.
As a result of it’s a tillandsia, the leaves are lined with trichomes that retailer water. The extra silver coloration or trichomes a tillandsia has, the extra drought tolerant it’s. These crops want excessive gentle and might tolerate dry circumstances.
Medium thickness leaves
The aglaonema and pothos (Epipremnum) above have medium-thick leaves. They received’t be on the identical watering schedule because the crops mentioned beforehand. Their leaves can retailer some water, however not as a lot as a succulent, but greater than a fern or oxalis.
The secret is to examine the potting combine along with your finger earlier than watering any plant. And know your plant. Vegetation don’t wish to be bone dry or standing in water.
This dragon tree under has medium-thick, strappy leaves. It doesn’t wish to dry out, however it additionally doesn’t wish to be saved too moist. The woody trunk of the plant will rot if saved too moist. Belief me.
So what have you ever realized? Vegetation let you know about their care necessities by the thickness of their leaves. Skinny-leaved crops will want water extra usually than medium and thick-leaved crops. That is a method a plant talks to you, however there are others.
The secret is to check the potting medium to see how moist or dry it’s and decide from that should you ought to water or not. Your plant will let you understand if it isn’t blissful along with your care of them.
Have an incredible week, plant buddies!
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