Mastering the art of watering your houseplants is the most complex task for home gardeners. It might look like just a daily task to you, but the wrong patterns can significantly affect your plant's health. Many people believe watering on a schedule, but that doesn't make sense when it's about houseplants. Both underwatering and overwatering can kill your plant. So you must first learn your plant's nature to find the best ways to water them. In this guide, we will help you identify the best tips on watering your houseplants to grow them better:
Type of Plant
Identifying your plant type is one of the first steps for assessing the right watering frequency for your plant. You need first to find whether your plant is a succulent such as Aloe Vera , tropical or perennial plant such as Areca plant. Different plants require different care as some don't prefer much watering while some of them prefer a wet environment. You need first to identify how much water your plant requires and at what frequency.
Wilting or Drooping of Leaves
Another big sign you can see on your houseplants is wilting or drooping of leaves. Wilting can be due to both overwatering and lack of water. As a home gardener, you have to find out why the leaves of your plants start wilting or drooping. Also, there are several other reasons, such as diseases or fungal growth. You must first find the actual cause of wilting to find better solutions rather than making the problem worse.
Use Moisture Meter
Sometimes it becomes quite complex to manage your houseplants. The health of your plants can be severely impacted when not appropriately treated. If you are not able to track the real cause of your plant's poor health, you must use a moisture meter. A moisture meter can help find the exact level of moisture in your plant to find the right time to water your plant. One of the best things is there are not much costly and are quite reliable.
Size of Your Plants
Another point you must keep in mind while you water your houseplants is their size. We all know that larger plants require more sunlight than younger ones, and however, many younger plants require more frequent watering during their growing stage. So yes, the size of your plants also decides how much water they need to keep thriving.
Temperature Change
There are many houseplants, such as snake plants , that dont affect much by temperature changes, while there are few that are easily affected by it. If you place your plants in a mostly warm corner, the plants dry out quickly. You also need to find the most suitable corner for your houseplants to ensure that plants do not dry out quickly. If you place them in a warm corner, there are chances the plant dries out quickly and needs frequent watering.
How Much I Need to Water My Plants?
Apart from learning when to water, you also need to know how much you should water your plants. There are so many things to keep in mind while watering your houseplants, and follow the given tips to find how much you should water your houseplants:
- Check the Soil - First, you need to check by poking your fingers in the soil whether it is dry. Different types of plants require watering under different conditions. Some of them like being moist all the time, such as Boston Ferns , while some prefer being dry.
- Without a Drainage Hole - One of the most crucial things to consider while watering is whether your pot has a drainage hole. Make sure not to water your plant thoroughly if it doesn't contain any drainage holes. Filling too much water will make the roots rot due to waterlogging.
If it's a Succulent - If you don't know, then you must never overwater your succulents. Succulents are popular because their store water in their leaves and go on easily for days without water. You must make sure not to overwater your succulents at frequent intervals.
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