How Much Do I Water This Plant?
Keep moist does not mean never let the soil dry in the top few inches and keep dry does not mean turn the soil to powder between watering. Watering plants can be tricky, but we'll give you some tips that work for every plant.
First, know what type plant it is, if it likes to stay moist (not WET) or on the dry side (not like the desert), and how much light it likes. The answers to these three questions will get you started on finding out how much to water a particular plant.
Remember when you take a plant inside your home, you are in complete charge of how much water it will get. Develop a REGULAR watering schedule. Plants like consistency. Even if you over or underwater, your plant will adjust to you if you do it regularly. Watering your plants every seven days is an easy way to set up a regular schedule. After you figure out what your schedule will be, remember these things:
- more light equals more water
- water all the way around the pot and not just in one spot
- water the outer edge of the container and not at the base of the plant
- use room temperature water
- over-watering is much harder on plants than under-watering
- stick your finger in the soil and check EVERY time you water!
OK. You've got your new plant home and you've found the best light for it - now you have to start working on the hard part: how much water. Decide if the plant is wet or dry by inserting your finger into the soil in several places. Peaty soil mixes that are cool can feel wet, but really are dry. If the mix is very light, press some soil between your fingers and see if it sticks together (moist to wet if it sticks), or lift the pot and gauge its weight (light is dry, heavy is wet). If you still can't decide if the soil is dry, moist or wet, feel the bottom drain holes. If it sticks to your finger, it's wet.
Watering Recipe
Here is a recipe to water a plant in a 6" grow pot. When the soil is dry to the touch at least 2 inches down, give the plant one cup of water. Wait 3-4 days and check the soil again. If the soil is still moist, wait 3-4 more days and check it again. Keep checking the soil until it dries. If it takes more than seven to ten days to use the cup of water, cut back to ½ cup and see how long it takes to dry out. Most likely it will be dry in 3-4 days with only one cup of water, so give it 1 ½ cups and check it in 3-4 days. If it is dry in 3-4 days, increase it to 2 cups and check it in 3-4 days. If the grow pot is 8"-10," start with 2 cups of water and increase from there. If it is a 14" grow pot, start with 1 quart of water and go from there.
It will take about one month to tell how much water a plant is going to use by following this recipe. If it is cloudy for 10 days in a row, which happens in Arkansas all the time, the plant will slow down and not use as much water. When it gets really hot, which happens here when it's not cloudy, the plant will begin to use more water! Drafts, blooms, active growth and season changes can all affect how much water a plant uses.
The Easy Answer
So, the "easy answer" to the watering question is feel the soil every time you are about to water, know how much water the plant has been using and know that what happens in the plant's surrounding environment affects how much water it uses.
P.S.
Don't repot that new plant as soon as you take it home. Leave it in its grow pot and put it inside your decorative planter. It will be easier for you to figure out the watering and easier for the plant to adjust to its new home away from the greenhouse! Most plants can live in the pot you buy them in for quite some time. When you can't give them enough water to last a week, repot, but only in a 1-3 inch larger pot.
Plant Selection And General Care Guide
| Plant | Watering | Common Pest |
|---|---|---|
| Low Light (Never place in direct sun) | ||
| Aglaonemas | Keep on dry side | mealy bugs |
| aspidistra (cast iron plant) | Keep on dry side | spider mites |
| bamboo palm | Moist to dry side | spider mites |
| dracaenas | Keep on dry side | |
| Kentia palm | Moist to dry side | |
| Neantha bella palms | Moist to dry side | spider mites |
| pothos | Moist to dry side | mealy bugs |
| sansaveria | Keep on dry side | |
| spathiphyllum (peace lilly) | Keep moist | |
| Medium Light (Window not required, but must be bright) | ||
| aralias | Keep moist, not wet | spider mites |
| bromeliads | Keep on dry side | |
| calathias | Keep moist | spider mites |
| English ivy | Keep moist, not wet | spider mites |
| nepthytis | Keep moist, not wet | mealy bugs |
| ponytail palm | Keep on dry side | mealy bugs |
| High Light (in front of a window) | ||
| Areca palms | Keep moist, not wet | spider mites |
| dieffenbachias | Moist to dry side | spider mites |
| Ficus | Keep moist, not wet | scale |
| Schefflera and Arboracolas | Moist to dry side | scale |
| Adjustable (low to high light with watering adjusted to light) | ||
| Drac. Marginata | Keep on dry side | spider mites |
| fishtail palm | Moist to dry side | spider mites |
| lipstick plants | Keep moist to dry side | |
| Mahogany | Keep moist | scale |
| zz plants | Keep dry | |
