Are You Killing Your Plants with Too Much Water?

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of letting your houseplants die because of improper watering techniques. We’ve all been there, done that. In most cases, either you’re not watering your plant enough or worse, watering it way too much, causing it to die. In this useful guide, we will outline tips on keeping your house watering plants healthy and happy. Let’s jump right in.

Tip #1: Don’t Overwater Your Plants and ‘Baby Them’

While getting a plant is an emotional investment, getting carried away and overwatering them is not a good idea. Many first-time plant parents tend to do that and end up with washed-out, yellowish plants that are on their way to dying.

Tip #2: Recognise the Requirements of Different Plants

Every plant has different watering needs. You cannot water a snake plant the same way you’d water say a money plant. So, speak to a gardener or look at the instructions to understand how to water your house plants.

Tip #3: Choose the Right Location to Water Your Plants

When it comes to choosing the right location for your house watering plants, follow these simple hacks:

• Make sure that your plant is getting enough sunlight or less sunlight as needed
• Keep–and grow–similar plants together. This will make the watering process easy and seamless. For instance, pair your succulents with your succulents.
• Always keep a water supply handy. If that is not possible, then invest in a good quality watering container and place it right next to your plants. If you have to go back and forth to water them in varying amounts, that’s the end of the watering routine for you.

Tip #4: Work on Cultivating a Good House Plant Watering Habit

Maintain the same time for watering your plants to inculcate into a habit. Research indicates that it takes about 66 days for an activity to turn into a habit so keep watering your plants consistently. With time, it will start to feel like second nature. Whatever you do, do not give up on your plants out of boredom or worse, lack of interest.

Tip #5: Pay Attention to Your Plants and Read the ‘Signs’

One of the most important hacks is literally looking hard at your plants. They themselves will tell you whether they need more water or not. For example, if your plants are wilting, they definitely need more water. If they’re too washed out or are looking too yellow in colour, you need to dial back the water quantity. All in all, your plants are an invaluable source of information so keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs.

Tip #6: Keep the Plant and the Pot Properly

As a thumb rule, always leave plenty of room for the water in the pot. On the off chance that you’re repotting your plant, do not fill the rim with potting soil. This makes the watering process tedious as you’ll need to wait till the water seeps in. Leaving enough room allows you to water the plant and let the plant soak the water on its own. It’s less time-taking and the correct way to water your plants.

Finally, make sure that your plants are not sitting in water or else, you risk letting the roots rot, which will eventually be fatal for your plant babies.

Tip #7: Use the Watering Right Technique

In this section, we will cover some of the most important watering techniques to remember and water your plant like a pro:

• Learn how to water your plant from the bottom as this strategy is useful for leaves that don’t like to get wet.
• Always use long-necked watering to prevent fungal growth on wet leaves and help you apply water precisely at the soil level.
• Water properly and not as ‘sips’ as insufficient watering can make your plant more vulnerable to collapse.
• Always water in the morning so that the excess water evaporates and you don’t risk fungal growth due to dampness.
• Pay close attention to the water quality. Whether you use chlorinated tap water or soft water, your plant should prefer the same.
• Make sure that the amount of water you’re using is right and always double-check the water quantity.

By now, you must have understood that keeping your house watering plants healthy and thriving is more about sticking to a consistent and accurate watering schedule. For more helpful tips on how to beautify your home with house watering plants, head on over to HomeLane’s blog section where you’ll find a ton of topics to your liking. Happy reading!