Houseplant Care 101 - Water
“How often should I be watering my houseplants?” you ask… and there are so many variables that go into the answer. You know, it’s sort of like trying to answer the question “how often should I wash my hair?”.
So, to be on a safe side, many decide to water plants every other day and they will be all good, right? WRONG!
The 2nd easiest way to kill a plant is to over water it (read last week’s post for #1). Or not water it at all. So, here is what you are going to do forevermore for all your plants! - Don’t overthink your houseplant care strategy! Most popular houseplants are so ubiquitous (it is cool to check dictionary for the word’s meaning; it is even cooler to drop this word casually in one of the Christmas party conversations) because they have minimal requirements for care!
Repeat after me: “I will not kill my Plant Pets with kindness and will follow few simple rules below”.
- Stick your finger into the soil near the stem and see how damp it is. For most plants, if it's dry, it's time to water. If it's still damp, hang tight.
- Give drinks, not sips. Water the plant and let it soak it in for 5-10 minutes.
- Never let your plants sit in water! After above mentioned 5-10 minutes make sure to empty the water from plant pot or saucer.
Obviously, there are exceptions to any rule, life is complicated like that!
The frequency of watering will change depending on the season, pot size, location of the plant and plant type. But try keeping like with like for simplicity – all cacti on south facing side, moisture-loving plants like peace lily and ferns in low light house area, etc.
Plant Pet Club focuses on supplying hardy plants for beginners, which are pretty forgiving.
Happy planting!
