When it comes to houseplants, you have to water more often and in greater quantities according to the kind of plant, the dimensions of the pot, the type of soil, the position of the plant, or even the season.

How Do You Determine the Proper Time to Water Your Plants?

Just like Carnations require different quantities of light, some plants require different quantities of water. To get a sense of how much water your plants might need, think of your houseplants’ natural environments. Do they prefer hot and dry conditions, or do they love rainy and tropical conditions there?

Some native plants for dessert are succulent, and they will be happy with less watering because they do not like to remain wet. Cactus plants originate from hot dry environments, require less frequent watering as compared to tropical plants, and have an anatomical feature that is positively correlated to water storage. For example fleshy leaves, thick stems, or the rhizomes. It is also noteworthy that some of them have small root systems suggesting they originate from regions where rainfall is scarce.  To water succulent plants allow their potting mix to dry off fully and do not water again until after a week or two.

Whereas the other plants such as the monstera deliciosa or Bird’s nest fern, are in a tropical environment and are used to frequent rainfall. These are leafy plants that will require more frequent water and this should be done about once a week.

General Guidelines To Water Houseplants

Here are some guidelines for watering houseplants:

Checking Soil Moisture

In the case of watering the houseplants, you have to understand the status of the soil first. Generally, you should test the top inch (about 2. 5 cm) of soil and water when it is dry. But with other types of plants such as succulents it is recommended to allow the soil to dry out before the next watering.

Watering Frequency

The extent of watering also differs with the type of plant in the garden. On average, succulents and cacti need watering every 2- 3 weeks with the soil left dry in between watering. Indoor tropical plants for example Monstera and Philodendron require watering once a week or if the top layer of the soil appears to be dry. On the other hand, ferns require a consistent supply of water just as often, with some requiring watering 2-3 times a week to retain moisture in the soil. Most of the flowering plants should be watered when the top soil looks dry, which is usually a week’s interval.

Watering Amount

When watering the plants, you have to water them enough to freely drain out of the pot that the plant is put in. It allows the roots to receive good moisture as well as helps to control the accumulation of salt. At this stage, if you have very big pots then it will call for extra caution because you will have to add more water to make sure that the circumference of the pot is adequately covered.

Environmental Factors

Other external influences include the moisture content in the area, in areas where humidity is high, the plant will require fewer amounts of water as compared to an arid region. Further, plants that are grown in regions of high light intensity require more water than plants grown in low-intensity light.

Seasonal Adjustments

There is also the aspect of watering that is determined by the season in which the plants are grown. Trees and flowers, during the hot summer season, need to be watered more often than during the wintertime since they grow and localize heat during this time of the year. Thus, understanding these factors will help you keep up a healthy watering schedule that will be suitable for your house plants. Read more about the 10 benefits of houseplants.

What Are the Other Things That I Should Know About the Watering of the Houseplants?

Here are a few rules of thumb to remember when watering your plants:

The majority of the houseplants are happy if the water they are given is warm or tepid, not cold as this shocks the plant.  Warm water penetrates the soil the most. In particular, some houseplants may react to tap water. If the water contains chlorine, you have to let it stand for some time so chlorine can evaporate. After doing the planting in large planters, it is observed that the plants take longer time to dry up than when they are planted in small planters due to the added volume of the potting soil. Also, read about caring for your plants during a heatwave.

It is observed that plants that are placed in brighter light require frequent watering while the plants that are in lower light require less frequent watering other than if it is a succulent type. If this still worries you, first wait for visible indications of dehydration to appear: leaves of succulents plead for water with a wilting appearance, while tropical plants beg for a drink when their stems droop downwards as well as dry potting soil. Read more about 10 common houseplants.

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