Guidance…Watering Correctly is So Important to Your Garden!

No matter what color your thumb, you likely already know that all plants need water to reach their full potential. Whether you want to cultivate pretty outdoor perennials or you just bought a new houseplant, heed these best and worst practices for watering plants indoors and out and you’ll reap healthy, happy specimens.

Overwatering and under watering houseplants are two of the most common ways well-meaning folks kill their plants. Figuring out the right amount of water for different varieties of plants can be tricky, as can determining the amount to water when you’ll be away from home for a while. How, when, and where you water your garden and houseplants can critically impact their greenery and blooms.

Not all plants need the same amount of water, so if you're not sure how much yours need, take cues from nature. Many popular houseplants like philodendrons come from tropical regions of the world where it rains regularly. These species usually have big leaves that use up a lot of water to look good. Plants like these will need more water than desert denizens like cacti and succulents, which often do better when you let the soil dry out between watering.

#1. Right planter for right plant:

To keep your plants healthy, they need pots that are the correct size for the size of the plant. The pots also need drainage holes to help the soil dry out after watering and should be on a saucer to allow you to water thoroughly and capture any excess water.

#2. Check the Soil Before Watering

The best moisture meter is at the end of your hand. When the soil surface looks dry, probe down a few inches to see if the soil is dry several inches down. If so, it’s time to water. If not, wait a day.

#3. Water from the bottom:

Soak a number of plants simultaneously in a deep tray or saucer with 1 – 2 cm water so that the nutrients do not drain out and the watering is more uniform. 

#4. Try layering with clay pebbles

You can consider having a layer of clay pebbles to keep the moisture for more time around the plant. Put a layer of gravels, regular pebbles or clay water-retaining pebbles above the soil in order to reduce the pace of evaporation.

#5. Water in the Morning

The best time to water your plants is in the morning. This way, if the leaves get wet, they have the entire day to dry out. It's much more difficult for plant diseases to get a foothold when the foliage is dry.

#6. Frequently Watering

Plants need oxygen as much as they need water. For most plants, it’s best to let the soil surface dry out a bit between waterings. This is especially important with container plants. It’s always best to water deeply and less frequently.