I have a couple of indoor plants and have always had a tendency to over water! I have restrained myself but I seem to struggle to get the balance right. I even buy the lovely house flowering pots at the supermarket and they seem to die after flowering. How damp must the soil be? Is there a tip to testing the soil before I water.
Indoor plant watering
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In my opinion the soil shouldn't be completely wet but it should be moist. But it really depends on a plant, some of them need to be watered more often than the others. I water my roses every single day because I noticed that if I don't, their top leaves wither.
A good way to check whether potted plants need watering is to stick a toothpick into the soil, leave it for a couple of minutes, then see if it comes up damp or dry. If it's dry you need to water. Some people can tell by lifting the pot - if it feels very light, then the soil is dry.
Whatever method you use, it's best to see water run out the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, then, after a few minutes you should empty the saucer. Some plants can tolerate standing in water but in most cases, if left in water for too long the roots will rot, and eventually the plant will die.
Whatever method you use, it's best to see water run out the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, then, after a few minutes you should empty the saucer. Some plants can tolerate standing in water but in most cases, if left in water for too long the roots will rot, and eventually the plant will die.
Thanks for the tip, Gina!
Have any of you tried those adorable little terra cotta worms? You're supposed to be able to stick them in your plants, and they change colors to let you know if you need to water your plants. I am just wondering if they work.
Have any of you tried those adorable little terra cotta worms? You're supposed to be able to stick them in your plants, and they change colors to let you know if you need to water your plants. I am just wondering if they work.
I've never heard of those Linda. Maybe they're not even available where I live, but they sound interesting so I'll try to find out if I can get them. Sorry I'm not able to answer your question, but maybe somebody else can.
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I've had that trouble at times also. Every plant has different water needs so you need to start with getting acquainted with each plant's requirements. Your plants should come with a tab that tells you how much light and water they need so always keep those. Even for plants you already have experience with because sometimes we forget, get confused, or take things for granted - hard not to in today's busy world.
I recently over watered my parsley - one of the thirstiest plants known to man - not sure why it suddenly went on a water diet, but all plants sometimes need a day or so to "dry out."
Indoor plants aren't exposed to the same amount of sun and heat, so naturally they require less water. Stick your finger in the top of the plant's container and touch the soil, if it's damp it doesn't need water. If it feels or looks dry on top, gently scrape back some of the soil with the pad of your finger so you can see if it's moist underneath that top layer. Sometimes plants seem dry when they really aren't.
Write down when you water, and maybe even measure the water and keep track of how much it takes for your plants to not be dry. Then you'll know exactly what they're individual needs are.
I recently over watered my parsley - one of the thirstiest plants known to man - not sure why it suddenly went on a water diet, but all plants sometimes need a day or so to "dry out."
Indoor plants aren't exposed to the same amount of sun and heat, so naturally they require less water. Stick your finger in the top of the plant's container and touch the soil, if it's damp it doesn't need water. If it feels or looks dry on top, gently scrape back some of the soil with the pad of your finger so you can see if it's moist underneath that top layer. Sometimes plants seem dry when they really aren't.
Write down when you water, and maybe even measure the water and keep track of how much it takes for your plants to not be dry. Then you'll know exactly what they're individual needs are.
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How does terra cotta change colors?
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I would love to know more about these as I suspect that my plants suffer the same problem: ME (watering them too much). I was thinking that it would be great if there was some sort of Moisturometer to help indicate the moisture level in the lower levels of the soil.
I've seen moisture meters with a metal probe attached but I've never used one. I found one listed online for $6.95, which sounds a lot cheaper than what I've seen in the shops in South Africa. Obviously if you've got a lot of plants you'd have to move it around a lot, but I imagine it works quite well.
I liked the idea of the terracotta worms because you don't have to move them to see when plants need watering and they are rather cute, but you would need one of those for each plant.
I liked the idea of the terracotta worms because you don't have to move them to see when plants need watering and they are rather cute, but you would need one of those for each plant.
That's a big problem that I have too. I always over water my plants but there has been occasions where I have underwatered them too. I just can't seem to get the balance right. I've never heard of the worms, but that sounds like something that I need to check into.
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I usually just look at the soil and gently touch it with my finger. I can tell if it's dry closer to the bottom or if it is just dry on the top. Though, they are still small. Those products mentioned may be a lot of help as they grow bigger. I should start looking into them.
I've seen the terra cotta worms at Walmart. They have cute cartoon faces, like Muppet worms. They cost 97 cents.
The terra cotta doesn't exactly change color but it turns darker and more wet looking when the plant has enough water. The worm looks dry if the plant needs water.
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Okay, that makes sense, but do they just sit on top or do you submerge them in the soil? I am starting the transition to terra cotta pots (trying to get away from plastic, at least with food plants) and those are the plants where water is most in question since the pot can soak up a lot of water. However, the pots don't necessarily look wet when you water.
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I just saw this in my Gardener's Supply email. It's not expensive, but I wonder how effective it would be -- my new concern is that I not over water my plants, but summer is coming and it's already getting hot. Something like this could be good to use during those times where I'm not home as much.
http://www.gardeners.com/Terra-Cott...utm_content=052113_windowboxes&utm_term=aslot
http://www.gardeners.com/Terra-Cott...utm_content=052113_windowboxes&utm_term=aslot