Plant care guides: Pflanzenpflege

by Plant Circle

How to water your plants

It’s no secret that the number one cause of death among houseplants is overwatering. This bad watering habit usually develops when well meaning plant parents give their plants just a little too much love and attention. Let’s explore how to water your plants… properly! Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there. And most of us learned the hard way how to not water our plants! But whether you’re new to plant parenthood, or a seasoned plant parent, there’s no reason for you to make the same mistakes we did. And although all plants are different and have various watering needs, there are some good practices that you can apply all across the board. To help you out, we’ve compiled our top ten tips on how to water your plants here! 1. Sufficient lightYes, this post is about watering, but we can’t talk about watering without mentioning light! If your plants are not getting the sufficient, optimal light they need, they’ll also require less water than the internet, the sales assistant, or your friend says. Adjust your watering routine to the conditions you have! 2. Observe your plants They’ll tell you when they’re thirsty. All plants wilt when they’re dehydrated, and you’ll either notice rolled up leaves or some droopiness. Notice how many days it’s been since the last time you watered your plants, and now you know when your plant is overdue for a drink! Please note: some plants can take under watering quite badly, and will get burnt edges on the leaves, or even drop a few… looking at you, Ficus! If you want to avoid that, simply water them a day or two sooner the next time. Based on your previous observations you should now have a good idea of when the wilting is expected to occur! 3. The finger methodSimply stick your finger into the soil and check whether it’s wet or dry. If the top 3-4 cm of the potting mix are dry, you are safe to water your plants. 4. Bottom wateringSome plants, like Saintpaulia or Begonia, prefer bottom watering, as they don’t like getting water on their leaves. Do a little research about your new plant to find out if it has any special preferences! 5. Filtered water In a lot of places, like for example Berlin, tap water is really hard. Hard water has a negative impact on plants, therefore we recommend to always use either filtered, distilled, or rain water if possible. If those options aren’t available to you, then just let your water sit in the watering can for couple of days before using it. Read more about hard water here! 6. Showering your plantsOnce in a while it’s beneficial to give your plants a good shower! Not only will you clean dust off of the leaves, which is important for optimal light absorption, you’ll also take care of potential bugs and pests that could be hiding under the leaves. Furthermore, a thorough showering can wash out any mineral residue from the potting mix! We recommend this technique for the summer months. 7. Potting mixWhat potting mix your plants are in is crucial for keeping the roots healthy. The vast majority of plants will appreciate a well draining potting mix that will dry out between watering. Never use garden soil for your house plants, as it will turn into mud when watered and suffocate the roots. Read more about potting mixes here. 8. SeasonsAs the lighting situation changes with the seasons, it’s also important to change your watering routine. A good rule of thumb is to cut your watering in half in winter, meaning if you watered your plants weekly in summer, you can switch to watering every two weeks in winter. This, of course, doesn’t apply to for example cacti, if you’re hibernating them, or ferns that would rather stay kind of moist all the time. 9. Know the difference between moist and wetSome plants love for the potting mix to stay moist, but this doesn’t mean wet! Learn the difference, and never let your plants sit in water as it promotes root rot. 10. Drainage holesWe will forever recommend that you keep your plants in pots with drainage holes. No matter what! Drainage holes are actual lifesavers, as they make sure excess water doesn’t stay in the soil and damage the plant’s roots. When watering, make sure that you lift your pot up afterwards and let the excess water run through. Also, keeping your plants in plastic pots with drainage inside ceramics, promotes airflow around the roots. To make the conditions even better, you can put a few rocks under the plastic pot to lift it up a bit, and don’t forget to make sure that the ceramic planter is a few centimeters bigger than the plastic pot itself.