Watering Success or failure with houseplants often comes down to your ability to water the plants correctly. The plants are completely at your mercy, and if they survive or die depends on the care you give them. Because water needs are immediate and ongoing, proper watering will be your first test. People seem about equally divided between those prone to over water or under water. The kind of plant, the time of year, the size of the plant, weather conditions, light levels, the amount of air movement, the relative humidity and a host of other large and small factors all influence water uptake. Your goal is to interpret these conditions and get it just right – neither over or under doing the job.
The appearance of the plant and your finger are the best guides to water needs. Most plants do best when the soil dries slightly between waterings but not to the point that the plant wilts. An occasional wilting will not hurt most plants, but some plants, such as schefflera, croton and aphelandrea, begin dropping lower leaves if this happens too often. Dracaenas and wandering Jews often have burned leaf tips if allowed to get too dry. Plants that are continually maintained on the too dry side usually have little new growth and often have dull, unhealthy looking foliage.
If plants are kept too wet, root growth will be reduced, and many of the same symptoms mentioned above occur. For example, wilting and leaf drop are often the first signs of extreme over watering. Stick your finger in the soil before watering, and only water when it is dry to the touch. Both wintertime heating and summertime air conditioning dehumidify the atmosphere, so plants may need more water during the heating and cooling seasons than the rest of the year. Your finger is the best method of determining water needs, not the day of the week. Water gadgets that measure soil moisture are available, but they are of little practical value and are no better than your finger.
When you do water, apply enough so that about 10 percent of the water given to the pot runs out the drainage hole in the bottom of the container. If the soil has become really dry since the last watering, apply half the normal amount of water and let that soak in. Then, come back in a few minutes and water a second or third time to make sure the soil ball is completely wetted.
One of the common causes of plant death occurs when the flowerpot is inserted inside a decorative container. These are handy for keeping down spills and protecting the floor and carpet, but they can be a death trap for the plant. Any water that runs through the pot begins to accumulate in the bottom of the decorative container. After a few waterings, the plant will be in water and the soil ball will be completely saturated. Anaerobic rot sets in, and before long the roots will become a stinking mass of organic debris. To avoid this scenario, pour any excess water out of the pot soon after watering. If the pot is too large and this is not possible, put a layer of gravel or stones at the bottom of the pot to elevate the pot off of the bottom of the container. Then, stick a bamboo pole beside the pot to the bottom of the decorative container to use as a dipstick to test the depth of the water level. If too much water is found, delay watering.