How much water does a plant need?
It is clear that your plants need water. Just like that watering is often more difficult than we think. It is not for nothing that giving too much water is the number 1 cause of death for house plants.
But how much water does your plant need?
How do you know if your plant has enough?
And what kind of water is best for your plant?
We will do our best to give you some answers so that after reading this blog you will feel more confident about your water skills.
Here are a few tips to reduce your fear of water:
Table of contents
Tip 1: Measuring is knowing
Don't just feel the first few centimeters in the potting soil to see if your plant needs water, but go to the depth where you think the roots are. A moisture meter is ideal for this and that ensures that your guesswork does not become mis-work. Sometimes the top layer of potting soil can be bone dry, but the roots are still in moist potting soil. An extra splash can then cause the roots to rot, and we want to prevent that of course! Therefore, check the potting soil carefully.
Tip 2: Action plan
Don't stick to a plan. The amount of water your plant needs varies a lot based on a number of factors. Think of the season, the temperature in the room, the humidity and the size of your plant. A routine check, on the other hand, is not wrong! Do you like structure? Then you can check your plants on fixed days of the week.
Tip 3: No tap water
Give your plants filtered water rather than tap water! Despite the fact that there are a number of plants that can withstand tap water and the tap water in the Netherlands is of good quality, there are minerals and lime in the water that your plants do not like.
Have you ever wondered why there are those little white dots on the leaf? It could very well be that this is lime deposits from the tap water.
Does this mean that you have to buy water for your plants in the store? No Fortunately not. What plants love very much is rainwater or aquarium water. Rainwater naturally contains hardly any dissolved substances, in which a relatively large amount of nutrients can be absorbed. And aquarium water often contains a little fertilizer, which your plant will certainly appreciate!
Tip 4: Rather not take a cold bath
If you want to take your water-your-plant skills to the fullest, you can water your plants at room temperature. As an example, a Calathea will be very grateful to you, because she likes to be difficult about tap water and temperatures. When you water cold, there is a chance that your plants will startle. The fear of cold water can cause the plant to grow less well, among other things.
Tip 5: Drain for a while
If you have plants in a growing pot, watering will be easier for you. All inner pots with holes ensure that excess water can drain away. Before you water it, it is therefore best to remove the plant from its decorative pot. For example, place the plant in the sink and pour all the way around the plant so that the potting soil can absorb everything well. Then let the plant drain in the sink before putting it back in the decorative pot.
