How Much Should You Actually Be Watering House Plants?
One of the most common questions we get asked about house plants is how much should you actually be watering them? It seems very common that more houseplants have died because of improper watering than any other single reason.
Generally at first when people get new house plants they go through the honeymoon stage. They tend to overwater everything and make sure to pay extra close attention to everything happening to the plant. Then after a few weeks, people tend to fail to recognize the differences between their various plants and how much water specifically each plant needs. This leads to plants being over watered or under watered. Then finally, there is the stage of neglect, when houseplants are no longer so exciting or new, so they are forgotten and no longer apart of our routine.
Developing good watering habits isn't difficult to do but it does require two essential factors.
Consistency and paying attention to your plants signs. The key here is that the plants themselves are your best source of information. Plants that are wilting are telling you they need more water, while plants that are yellowing and looking washed out may be getting too much water
How to Water Your Plants
While it's hard to really dive deep into how to properly water each plant. We put together a few steps you can take to help make watering easier and your house plants happier!
Leave room for water in the pot! Leave enough room that you can pour in some water and let it soak in on its own.
Be consistent. Even if this means marking days on your calendar, make sure your watering habits are consistent.
Grow similar plants next to each other. Yes this may seem funny, but you do so, you won't have to thread your way among various plants while watering.
Learn to water from the bottom. Bottom watering is a very effective method for many plants whose leaves don't like to get wet.
Use a long-necked watering can. This will allow you to apply water precisely at the soil level, without wetting the leaves.
Never let your plants sit in water! Make sure to empty the plant trays after you're done watering so the plants aren't sitting in water. Sitting in water is a good way to get root rot, while is frequently lethal.
Keep a water supply nearby. If your plants aren't near a water source, make your life a little easier and have a watering container in the room where they're located! This will make it easier to regularly water and stay on routine.
Provide drinks, not sips. Shallow and insufficient watering encourages weak root systems. This then makes the plant more vulnerable to collapse.
Water in the morning. Watering at night encourages dampness, which is a prerequisite for fungal attack.
Lastly, pay attention to your water quality. Some plants cannot tolerate chlorinated tap water, while other plants have a difficult time with soft water. Use the cleanest water possible, such as rainwater, water that has been left out for a few days to dechlorinate, or reverse osmosis water.
We hope you guys enjoyed this weeks blog post and gained some tips and tricks on how to keep those house plants happy and healthy! We will see you next week!