How to Water Indoor Plants

Learn the tricks and tips of those greenthumbers on how to water your house plants and keep that indoor jungle happy & healthy.

Have you ever wondered when the prime time is to water your plant? Maybe your plant is an extension of yourself and you want to care for it as if it’s your own child, or maybe you got a plant as a simple decoration to brighten your space. Whatever the reason for keeping a plant may be, it is best to keep it lively rather than withering away, right? Water is obviously the key factor for keeping a plant thriving so it’s critical to know when to water a plants and how much water to provide. Although there are many different species and variants of plants in the world, there are general rules that can be applied to almost all plants when it comes to watering them. Finding the balance between watering too much or too little can take time to figure out on your own, so follow these simples steps to help you throughout your plant life journey.

Step 1 - Push a finger into the soil approximately 2-inches down to feel the moisture level. If this part of the soil is dry (whereas the soil does not stick to your finger) then it’s definitely time to water your plant.

Step 2 - Once you have decided your plant is thirsty, now is the time to pour the water in the soil. Keep in mind that plants can only drink from their roots, so enough water needs to be added to reach the plant’s roots down in the soil.

Step 3 - Once you ensure the soil is sufficiently damp, remove any excess water left in the pot. This can be done by either dumping it out or through a drain hole at the bottom of the pot.

Some extra tips to keep in mind when watering a plant:

Water Temperature: In this aspect, plants are not very different from humans. A majority of the plants you keep at home prefer warm/lukewarm water rather than cold water because the plant can absorb it much faster.

Environment: A plant’s needs will vary depending on its environment. If the air is dry the soil will also lose water faster than in humid conditions. Also consider the season as well; when the sun is more intense in the summer it will dry up your plants soil much faster than in the winter.

Plant Size: Don’t forget to consider the size of your plant when watering it. The bigger the plant the more water it will need to stay healthy. These large plants would not need to be watered as frequent as plants in smaller pots with less soil. This is because larger pots retain the water for a longer period of time, so be sure to follow the steps above in order to prevent over watering of these larger plants.