We all know plants need water and light to grow, but for something so essential to plant growth, it’s also something a lot of plant parents struggle with. Most of us have probably been guilty of “killing a plant with kindness” by over-watering or just not watering them as much as they need, slowing growth and negatively affecting their health.
Watering plants incorrectly can lead to a whole host of problems for your leafy children, from root rot to browning spots on leaves, and can even lead to plant death. Despite how essential proper watering is to plant growth, it can be difficult to learn how to water plants properly without a bit of trial and error.
It would be impossible to write one singular guide for watering every plant perfectly, because not all plants have the same watering needs. So, this guide is instead meant to walk you through the basics of watering and how to approach it so you can learn how to water your plants properly.
Understand Your Plants' Needs
Before you start watering, it’s essential to understand the specific needs of your houseplants. Different plants have different water requirements, and a cactus won’t need the same amount of water as a basil plant. While each plant is different, here are a few general guidelines:
Succulents and Cacti: These plants are typically desert natives and prefer dry conditions. Water them sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
Tropical Plants: Plants like ficus, aroids, and orchids thrive in humid environments and need consistent moisture. This doesn’t mean they want waterlogged soil though, so be careful not to over-water.
Flowering or Fruiting Plants: Plants that are producing fruit or flowers are working overtime, so they usually require more frequent watering and feeding, especially during their blooming phase.
Learn to Listen to Your Plants
Once you understand what your plants' watering needs are, you need to learn to listen to your plants to recognize the signs they need watering. While our plants can’t actually talk to us, they can and will communicate they need watering if you can learn to recognize the signs:
Dry Soil: Inspecting the soil can be a good way to judge moisture levels, but make sure you aren’t just looking at the surface of the soil, as this will dry out faster. Check the soil closer to the bottom of the pot by looking at the drainage holes, or putting something like a toothpick or straw (or your finger!) into the soil to see how moist it is further down. Picking the pot up can also give you an idea of how moist the soil is by how heavy it is, but this isn’t a very precise method.
Wilted Leaves: Another common sign of low water levels is when plants begin to wilt. Plants need water to maintain their shape, and so when they are too dry the leaves will begin to wilt as the plants' cells essentially ‘deflate’ like an emptying water balloon. Make sure to check soil though because wilting can also be caused by over-watering by causing root rot, which negatively impacts a plant's ability to uptake water.
Browning Leaves: Brown tips or dry and dead leaves can also be a sign of insufficient watering in plants, or that humidity levels may be too low.
Environmental Factors to Consider
Understanding how different factors affect a plant's watering needs can also be a huge help to watering more effectively, because the environmental conditions a plant is growing in will also affect its watering needs. Generally, the more intense light a plant receives and the hotter and drier a plant's environment is, the more water it will need. The reverse is also true, and a plant receiving insufficient light or in a room with too low of a temperature will use water more slowly.
This is part of the reason why conditions like temperature and relative humidity are important for plant growth, so monitoring these conditions can help you better predict when your plants will need watering.
Best Practices
Ok, so now you know what to look for when a plant needs watering, and how different factors can affect water needs as well. Now how can you actually water your plants more effectively?
Bottom Watering: Bottom watering is when a plant is placed in some sort of dish that is filled with water, instead of pouring water over the top of the soil. Bottom watering is great because it doesn’t make a mess of your plant's soil and won’t lead to you accidentally over-watering your plants. Because the soil absorbs water from the bottom up, it will simply stop absorbing more when it reaches capacity. When bottom watering, keep in mind soil can’t effectively absorb water if it's too dry! If a plant is too dry, try pouring some water over the soil before bottom watering.
Water Evenly: If you aren’t bottom watering, make sure you are watering a plant evenly and not pouring all the water in one place. That can lead to dry spots in the soil.
Use The Right Water: While this isn’t necessary for most people, some plants are highly sensitive to dissolved minerals or trace chemicals in the water. If you are growing a plant like that, use rainwater, reverse osmosis water, or distilled water instead. It’s also nice to let water adjust to room temperature before watering plants so the cold water doesn’t shock them.
Morning Watering: Watering plants in the morning is ideal because it means that standing water is much more likely to evaporate by the end of the day. This helps reduce the risk of issues with mold or fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
Use A Moisture Meter: Using a device to measure the moisture level of your plant's soil is the best way to know when a plant needs water, and can help take the guesswork out of watering. If you struggle with watering, consider getting a device to measure soil moisture like our EarthOne plant monitor. With notifications sent directly to your phone and real-time data on soil moisture, humidity, temperature, and light levels, you can understand exactly what’s going on with your plants and provide them the best care possible.
By understanding your plants' needs, recognizing the signs they need watering, considering environmental factors, and following best practices, you can ensure your plants stay healthy and happy. Happy watering!
