A common problem many customers come to us with is knowing how is best to water their plants. It is important to water plants correctly, as this allows them to breathe and protects from many common issues for plants. One of the most common causes of dying plants is overwatering, so the question is, how do we know when to water?
It is generally best to find out how much water your plant needs and how often. The amount of watering will vary dependent on the conditions they are living in and the plant type. For example, plants with thin or large leaves will need more water than your typical succulent plant, such as a cactus. Of course, these still need watering, but due to their fleshier stems and leaves they are able to store more water.
The aim when watering potted plants is to give them enough water, that it will start to drain out of the bottom slightly, meaning the water has got right down to the roots of your plant. You can check this by putting a plate under your plant pot, and seeing if it gets wet. If the water doesn’t go all the way through, this risks a buildup of nutrients in the soil, which can actually harm your plant.
The key to watering plants is to check the moisture of the soil. Watering should be done once the plant’s soil has dried out completely, so after a maximum of three days from watering you can check the soil and see if it’s dry. If the soil is dry, then you can water it enough that it will drain out of the bottom of your plant pot again. If it is still damp/wet then leave it till the soil is dry, and repeat as above.
The amount of days needed between watering may vary due to the location of the plant as well as the environment, but should be fairly similar. The same applies for the amount of water.
Some final things to remember is to check the water temperature. The ideal temperature is around 17-22 C; and this insures that you are not shocking your plant with cold water. Also, if your plant is starting to wilt slightly, bear in mind that this may not mean you need to keep watering it. It is better to check the soil before watering to see what condition it’s in, as this could be to do with the lighting or environment of your plant, not your watering habits.
Hopefully this will help you get perfectly blooming plants without any over or under watering issues.