How to water your plants
Watering plants both indoors and outdoors can be a fun, meditative part of your day. Much like mowing your lawn, there’s a sense of satisfaction you get from maintaining your plants and keeping them healthy. While water might seem like an easy enough task however, there’s actually a lot that goes into watering them right. Soil moisture, the temperature and the needs of each individual plant all play a part in watering. Despite this, there are still some general rules you should follow with most of your plants so that you can maintain a beautiful garden or have a home full of happy houseplants!
How to water outdoor plants
The watering needs of plants can vary greatly, ranging from plants used to arid environments like a cactus to a fern which can survive nearly constant wetness. Because of this, the first thing any plant owner should do is research the needs of each plant they own. Once you understand the general needs however, watering the correct amount still is no easy feat! When planting outdoor plants, one of the easiest ways to know when you need to water is when your most needy plant starts to wilt. By using that as an indicator, you should always be able to water all your plants before any of them start to die. Additionally, using a mulch during the summer can help your soil maintain its water a lot longer, lowering the amount of attention your garden needs! If you need to learn how to mulch, you can find our guide here! Finally, when possible, try to water the base of a plant and not the leaves. Minimizing the moisture on leaves will help prevent diseases that thrive there.
How to water houseplants
With houseplants, a lot of the variables of an outdoors garden are taken out of the equation. Being inside offers a controlled climate, the ability to easily limit sunshine, and more deliberate watering. The best way to water your plant is on a regular schedule. But what if you miss a day or lose track of your regular schedule? The first thing to check with indoor plants is the dryness of your soil. Typically, if you notice your soil is dry, you know to add some water! If you have a drainage tray, a good method to get the water right is to remove all drained water after 8 hours, allowing the soil to saturate fully without drowning your plant. There is an exception to this though! If you notice that your soil is thoroughly dry or dead, then it won’t retain any water given to it. To fix this, you will need to rehydrate the soil and most likely it will also need some fresh nutrients. To do this, put the soil in an airtight container with water for a day. Turn the soil over regularly while doing this to ensure water is being fully absorbed. Afterwards, you can use it with a plant again with a small layer of a quickly decomposing compost like coffee grounds or yard trimmings. Finally, try to water your plants with room temperature water to maintain the soil temperature and avoid watering the leaves!
