Is Rice Water Good for Succulents?(Full Study-2020)

Rice water is something that has been used for hundreds of years in Asian countries. It is no secret that rice water is stuffed with nutrients that can be used for a variety of benefits. It can range from self-care to gardening. So,

Is rice water good for succulents? Rice water is rich in essential vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants which are valuable sources of nutrition for the succulents & other houseplants. Watering your succulents with rice water will help the soil to be more fertile and will promote better growth of the plants.

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What makes Rice Water so special?

Rice is the end product obtained after making rice. It has several useful uses however commonly it is being treated as waste & is drained through the kitchen sink. It should never be the case as when you add water with rice and let it soak or boil, a major portion of the starch from the rich is released into the water.

Some common uses of rice water are as follows:

Promotes better hair & skincare as they help in nourishing the body.
They have also been used for promoting the growth of garden plants as a natural fertilizer.
Acts as a natural pesticide and keeps the plants safe from pest manifestations.

Can You Water & Fertilise Succulents with Rice Water?

Yes, you can fertilize succulents and other plants with rice water. It helps in enriching the soil further with vitamins and minerals. The starch and low levels of nitrogen help in supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the soil.

However, never use rice water as a substitute for proper store-bought well-balanced liquid fertilizers.

Fertilizers are prepared in an optimized way and hence you should always fertilize your plants with a proper fertilizer at least once a year before the start of the growing season.
Rest of the year, you can use rice water from time to time, maybe once in a few weeks as an addon fertilizer.

Pros of Using Rice Water for Fertilizing your plants

It is a well known natural fertilizer and will boost the plant-soil with essential vitamins and minerals important for the growth of the plant.
The rice water is mainly rich in starch and has a low amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along with traces of other essential nutrients. This is important as high amounts of these elements can harm plant growth if applied regularly. Succulents prefer having low levels of nitrogen in the soil. Phosphorus plays an important role in the proper blooming of the plant.
The solution can encourage the growth of beneficial bacterial when used in a controlled amount. They further can help in breaking down the organic matter in the soil and will get rid of soil odor produced by the compost.

Things to keep in mind when using Rice Water on your Succulents

Always avoid adding salt to the rice and water mixture, and then using it to water the plants. Green plants have no need of that excess salt and it can in turn harm the plants.
If you prepare your rice water via boiling, let the water cool down to room temperature before watering the plants.
Avoid using artificially scented flavors of rice for preparing the rice water and go for plain ones having normal flavor.

How to make Rice Water Fertilizer for Houseplants?

The simplest way to m make rice water is by letting the rice soak in the water for some time.

Take a half to one cup of rice in a cup(uncooked of course).
Rinse the rice with water to get rid of any kind of impurities present.
Now add three cups of water and mix all of them together in a bowl.

Leave the mixture undisturbed for an hour.

You will find the rice to sediment at the bottom. Now slowly collect the rice water in a separate bowl.

Alternatively, you can just boil the rice, normally for cooking. After everything is done, collect the excess water in a separate bowl.

What kind of Rice is used for Rice Water?

You can literally use any kind or quality of rice for preparing rice matter. It can be

White
Brown
Basmati
Jasmine or any other kind of plain rice.

Always avoid using flavored rice as that contains unwanted scented flavors and perfumes that are completely unrequired for the plant growth. Try to go for plain and simple varieties especially for preparing rice water fertilizer for succulents or other green plants.

Should you Dilute Rice Water before applying it to succulents?

You should always dilute the rice water with water by several folds just to be safe. For example, if you have 1 cup of rice water, add 3 more cups of water to dilute it further. Use rainwater or distilled water in place of tap water for dilution as tap water is filled with chlorine and many unwanted minerals and chemicals that end up harming your succulent.

Also Read: 4 Facts to Know before Using Springwater for Succulents & Houseplants

How often to water succulents with rice water?

In case you fertilize your succulents at least once a year, using rice watering once a few weeks or once a month will be more than enough. Rice water won’t magically boost the soil and you won’t be seeing any tremendous change in the plant growth in the short term. However, it is a healthy process to adhere to and helps in keeping the soil healthy.

Also Read:

Is Alkaline Water Good for Succulents? (Facts you need to know)

Healthy Practises for Using Rice water for watering succulents

Rice water is rich in starch which can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the soil. However, if used frequently it can lead to enormous bacterial and fungal growths and can do more harm than any good.
Instead of using stored rice water or fermented rice water directly try using fresh ones.
It is a good practice to dilute the rice water several times with more water before applying them directly to the soil.
From time to time keep an eye over your succulents and see how they react to the new homemade fertilizer.

In most cases, green plants love getting watered with rice water and won’t show any signs of stress. However, exceptions are always there. It depends on the kind of succulent you have, its age, the soil quality, and pH of the soil you have in place, and many other factors. So when experimenting with watering your succulents with rice water always keep an eye over your loving succulents…

You can refer to the following posts on fertilizing succulents naturally and for the best potting mix practises:

FAQ

Can cooked rice be used as fertilizer?

Cooked rice can invite the growth of loads of bacteria in the soil, some of which can be beneficial however some may be harmful. If you want your plants to enjoy the benefits of the rice nutrients then it is ideal to use the rice water as the water is equally rich with all the nutrients of the rice and as it is in the liquid form it will better nourish the soil (source).

Does rice water go bad? How long can you keep rice water in a spray bottle?

Rice water is a natural product obtained by boiling rice with water. So it will go bad after a few days. The time it will take to go bad depends on the weather conditions of the place. Roughly they can go bad after 3 to 4 days when kept at room temperature. When kept it the refrigerator it can last up to a week.

Conclusion

Rice water is full of beneficial ingredients that can undoubtedly boost the health conditions of the plant soil. If you consume rice regularly then it won’t require any extra effort from your end to produce it. So instead of draining the rice water through the drainage, diluting it several times with water and then applying it for watering your succulents is a great thing to do.