Are you looking for helpful tips to improve in watering indoor plants and taking care of them? You’ve come to the right place. We know you’ll agree with us that watering plants is a seemingly easy task but a very challenging thing to master given the trial and error process with different demands per type of plant.
Indoor plants are very beneficial through improving air quality and adding pleasant sights at home. There are many houseplants that you can buy and grow at home, but proper care must be given for them to survive.
The essential elements of taking care of plants are water, light, and room temperature. It’s also necessary to imitate the climate of the place of the plant that you’re getting to allow it to adjust. Ideally, the environment you will place it must be suited with the right space and lighting so that watering plants will be an easy and enjoyable task for you.
To help you with this, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about watering houseplants like a pro:
How often should I water my indoor plants?
Watering indoor plants is all about getting to know everything about your plant. Keep in mind that there are two types of houseplants which are the dry type and the moist type. Dry-type plants usually survive on dry soil on a long time, while moist type plants like to be watered once their soil gets dry.
Rather than making a schedule on watering your plants, you should observe your houseplants and water them when they need it. Watering plants will depend on the type of plant, temperature, and humidity of their environment.
You should also consider the type and size of the pot when watering indoor plants. Plants which prefer hot environments go well with clay pots. Cacti and succulents usually go with smaller pots because they allow the soil to dry quicker. Meanwhile, plants that need moist would thrive better in larger containers.
It’s also helpful to feel the soil through the drainage holes and assess the dampness of the soil of your houseplant. You can even use a moisture meter if you want to be more sure about the dryness of your plant’s soil. Remember to water more frequently during the hotter months of the year.
How much water do I use?
A lot of people make the mistake of watering houseplants too much and unknowingly kill their plants in the process. You should first consider the type of plant you have to know how much water you should use in watering houseplants.
Most plants need watering less frequently than other plants. The warmer your house is, the drier your plant gets. Therefore, moist type of plants tends to require more water.
You may also need to water houseplants less during the winter season because your plants need to rest during these cold months. If your plant has moss or stones on top, do not water your them too much for these top dressings slow down the drying of their soils.
Moist type kind of plants are usually planted in bigger pots and need higher amounts of water. Dry-type plants, on the other hand, can survive weeks of not having water due to their original environments.
Most indoor plants require an average amount of water every 7-14 days depending on the specific needs of the plant. Some plants are very particular with how much water they need, unlike drought-tolerant plants which could survive weeks of not having water at all.
How do I know if I’m overwatering my plants?
Watering plants is essential for them to grow and survive, but too much will only dry and dull them out. If the plant appears to be wilting but has moist soil, then you may be overwatering your plant. Watering indoor plants requires correct regulation and schedule to avoid overwatering and successful growth.
To prevent this, only water your plants when you feel that the soil is too dry. Also, if you notice that your plant’s leaves have turned brown, your plant may have poor health or improper water level.
If a plant absorbs too much water, it can expand abnormally and be stressed. They can grow and burst up to the point of rupturing itself. This results in blisters and discoloration, which further damages your indoor plant.
Another sign of overwatering is falling of yellow and healthy leaves from the plant. You may check its roots to check its state. If the soil appears to be flooded with water, it can drown the plant and allow it to rot.
If you have tricky rare plants on hand, you may opt using a moisture meter to find out the exact amount of water that your plants need. They are excellent and cheap investments which can make your life easier in determining proper water measurements.
How do I know if my plant needs water?
To figure out if your houseplant needs more moisture, you just need to take a look at it and learn how to assess its physical indications.
You will need to check the moisture of your plants depending on its environment. For instance, has the temperature of the room become warmer? Is the air drier today? Or is the light in your room brighter than it usually is?
These are essential things to take note of so you’ll know the best times in watering indoor plants. It also depends on the plants’ containers. Such as with clay pots, they need more water since they dry out faster than plastic pots.
The easiest and most reliable way to check if your plant needs water is to stick your finger in the soil. If it feels dry, then your plant surely needs water. If not, you may do it on the other day.
If you don’t like your hands to get dirty, you can use a stick and think of it as a cake tester. You may also check if the soil is dry by its weight. Wet soil in a pot feels heavier than a pot with dry soil.
Another effective way to tell if your plant needs water is if its leaves seem droopy or sleepy. You will need to water your plant before this happens or else, it may turn into a dried crispy leaf.
Water Essential Tips for 2021:
Here are some factors to consider when it’s the best time to water your plants:
- If your house is warmer and gets a lot of air, your plants tend to dry up faster than the usual. It would be more helpful to put it in a colder area of your home.
- If your plant hardly gets some sun, you don’t need to water it as often. You may need to water them frequently during the summer. Then, it’s best to hardly water them during the winter season since their roots are resting during that time of the year.
- If your plant has a heavier soil, you will need to water it less. Doing so will allow the water to sit on the bottom of your plant and eventually drown it. With this, you may need to put a hole in the bottom of your pot so that excess water will automatically flow out.
- If your plant’s leaves are turning too much brown, that may indicate the salt in your water. You can use distilled water instead of a purer alternative for your plant.
- Do not water your plants at the same time. Check for the moisture level of the soil of your plants. If the top half of your plant is dry, that is the perfect time to water it and proceed to your next one.
- If you are worried that you will miss your chances of watering plants, you may use your calendar and mark the times that you should check on them. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should water them on a scheduled manner but to regularly check their state.
Conclusion
Watering plants can be an easy task given the right timing, needs, and tools. There are different types of plants that you can buy and display on your home, but it’s a must to learn the proper guidelines in watering indoor plants.
Don’t forget that these plants may require various levels of maintenance. Therefore, it’s great to research first on the type of plant that you are getting so you can suit it according to your time availability and lifestyle.
If you have a manageable daily schedule, you can always opt for more complicated ones while dry cacti plants are ideal if you want low maintenance houseplants. However, watering plants just entirely depends on your dedication and patience.
We hope that these tips helped you find your balance. It’s a learning process to perfect the right methods for each plant, but your efforts will pay off once you see your houseplants growing healthy.