How To Properly Water House Plants

Training Yourself to Water House Plants

Surprisingly, more house plants die from improper watering than diseases. Plants are just like people and simply must receive enough water to survive and at the proper times. Over watering can kill a plant just about as quickly as under watering. A lot of people just want to know how to water house plants and are looking for a quick and easy answer. The problem is, there is no short and quick answer. Study these tips for watering house plants and develop a routine and soon, watering house plants will become second nature.

Step 1

Water house plants thoroughly. Do not just dribble a little water on the surface of the soil and assume that is good enough. Use enough water to wet the soil all the way through the pot. This not only provides water to the plant, but leaches out soluble salts. Make sure you have a container below the pot to catch excess water.

Step 2

Check your house plant pots frequently to see if plants need watering. Remember, humidity, direct sun, air conditioning, heating and temperatures all effect how quickly the soil can dry out. If your house plant is already showing signs of wilting, you should have watered sooner. When a plant gets to this point the roots become damaged from fertilizer burn and dehydration. Plants may develop leaf drop, leaf spotting and become dwarfed in size as a result of improper watering.

Step 3

Never leave house plants sitting in standing water. Moisture is absorbed back up through the holes in the bottoms of pots and makes plants susceptible to salt injuries and common root rot. Empty the tray under each plant pot after watering if it has standing water in it. You can also place gravel in the plant tray, which gets the pot above the water level in the tray to prevent reabsorption.

Step 4

Determine when pots need water based on there size, moisture and the appearance of the soil. For large house plants in containers from 8 to 10 inches around, stick your finger down in the soil 1/2 inch. If it feels dry, you should probably water. Insert your finger two inches deep into the soil for six-inch pots. Smaller sized pots less than six inches around should be checked to a depth of one inch.

Step 5

Research the needs of each house plant that you bring into your home. Some of these plants require humid conditions to grow, some prefer moist soil and yet others must dry out just a little in between watering. House plants with extremely fine root systems cannot tolerate dry soil and eventually die without a proper watering schedule. House plants with thick and coarse roots adapt much better to dry conditions and are generally easier for most people to grow.

Tips

Set up a watering routine to water in the mornings and if at all possible, use room temperature water. Be careful not to get water on the leaves of house plants. Water left on the leaves not only causes water spots, but can ruin the looks of delicate plants such as African violets.

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