How To Care for Houseplants – Water

White quite possibly the easiest of all plant caring techniques to master, improper watering is the most common way the average houseplant owner destroys his own plants.  Usually the plant’s death is a result of overwatering, not underwatering, the plant.  When you overwater, the excess amount of water combines with improper drainage and forces the roots of the plant to rest in water, resulting in root rot.

How much water should you give your plants?  Well, this depends on many individual factors, including light, temperature, humidity, type of container, and of course, the type of plant in question.

In general, plants with a large amount of flowering buds, or those with many young leaves, will need more water than plants that are either in full bloom or that contain leaves which are all roughly the same size and color.  Plants with a large leaf surface, such as Ferns or Wandering Jews, require more water than plants without much foliage, and plants with softer leaves are thirstier than those with waxy or succulent leaves.  In the winter, plants generally require less water than in the summer.

These rules do not, however, apply to every plant so it’s important that you learn how to tell when a plant needs water.  There are many techniques which have been devised for this task, including fancy, high-priced electronic meters which, when placed into the soil, beep or flash if it’s too dry.  However, these devices are not always accurate, so I recommend using your own eyes and fingers to judge whether or not your plant needs water. 

Form the habit of checking that dirt!!

Signs A Plant Needs Water or Has Had Too Much

If your plant is drooping or wilting, chances are good that it could use some water.  Do not, however, rely on this so-called “sight method” everytime for a plant can only survive a few drooping periods during its lifetime.  The oldest and most proven method of judging a plant’s need for water is the simple touch test.  With your index finger, feel the soil down to about one inch deep.  If the soil feels dry, add water; if the soil is moist, do not water and check the plant again in the next day or two.

Be aware that there are certain plants which thrive in more moist conditions than this however.  For instance, Fern, Gardenias, and African Violets prefer the soil to be slightly moist at all times.  Meanwhile, Philodendrons, Coelus, and Monstera prefer the soil to be dry on the surface, but moist underneath.

When you decide that your plant does need water, try to do it during the morning hours and avoid using water that is either too hot or too cold.  Also, make sure that you give all of your plants a thorough soaking.  If you simply water the surface of the soil, the roots, will not receive an adequate amount of water.  The important thing to remember about watering plants is not the amount of water that you give them, but the frequency with which you water them.  Finally, always be sure to remove any standing water from the saucer kept beneath the container.

A wonderful trick I learned over the years is that hanging plants and plants on slabs of tree fern love to have their pots occasionally soaked in water.  During the warmer months of the year, about once a month, put the pot in a sink of water until the water rises to just about the rim of the container.  When the bubbles top rising to the surface of the water, remove the pot, let drain, and return it to its regular place.  Again, be sure to empty the saucer of any standing water.  The period just following one of these soakings is also a good time to fertilize your plant.

Lastly, if your household is equipped with soft water, you should water your plants with either bottled water or the tap water from an outdoor faucet.  A little known but important fact is that soft water contains high amounts of sodium which can prove to be harmful to your plants.  On the other side of the coin, if you live in a region of the country where the soil is very alkaline and the water is unusually hard, you will have great difficulty trying to grow such acid loving plants as Azaleas and Camellias. 

The result are plants whose leaves turn yellow.  Try using ferilizers that contain an acid reaction, or adding peat moss.  If, however, your plant’s foliage remains yellow despite these remedies, place one ounce of iron sulfate into every two gallons of water and use this solution every two weeks until the foliage becomes green again.  Thereafter, keep a watchful eye on your plants in case the problem returns.

How To Care for Houseplants – Humidity

Humidity and temperature are very closely related.  When air becomes warmer, either naturally, or artificially, the humidity level tends to decrease quickly.  This is most evident in regions where temperatures are extremely warm during the summer months, or during wintertime, when the heating unit in the household is being used.

While houseplants such as Cacti or Succulents require dry air condtions, the majority of the plants you will be growing in your home need humid conditions in order to survive.  The easiest way to determine the humidity level of your home is with a hygrometer, a device that measures the moisture in the air.  These are readily available at most nurseries or hardware stores.

If the air in your home tends to be on the dry side, less than a 50% level, you should try one of the following methods of increasing the humidity in the areas where you keep your plants:

• Humidifiers:  A cool vapor humidifier placed in an extremely dry home will not only increase the level of comfort for your plants, but for your family too!  Portable humidifiers can be placed wherever needed, while a humidifier installed as a part of your central heating unit can increase the humidity level in your home by as much as 25%.
• Misting:  This is the easiest and least expensive way to boost the humidity level for any plant.  Ferns and Orchids respond especially well to misting, but be aware that certain fuzzy-leafed plants, such as the African violet, should not be misted as spotting may result.  It is best to mist in the morning with luke warm water.  Spray with a fine mist so that a cloud is created around the plant, being careful not to damage furniture or other household items that may be harmed by the falling mist.
• Humidity Trays:  These are another popular method for dealing with low humidity levels.  Begin with a tray at least two inches in depth.  Make sure the tray is waterproof, that is, one made out of such materials as metal, rubber, plastic or glazed ceramic, clay trays should be avoided for they will retain moisture and may damage any furniture they are resting on.  Fill the tray with pebbles, pea gravel, perlite, vermiculite, or small rocks and add water, stopping just below the top of the pebbles.  When you place the plant’s container on top of the rocks, make sure that the pot does not touch the water, which could result in root rot.  Your plant will enjoy a higher level of munidity, you can check the level with a hygrometer, just make sure you take the reading close to the plant itself.
• Naturally Humid Rooms:  Another way to boost the humidity for a particular plant is to place the plant in such naturally humid rooms as the bathroom or the kitchen.  The hot water used in these rooms generates humidity that certain moisture craving houseplants love! 
• Grouping Plants:  If your plant desires just a litle bit more humidity, grouping it together with other houseplants can give it the extra moisture it needs.  Since water evaporates from any plant’s leaves during the natural process known as “transpiration,” the area immediately surrounding a group of plants wil be naturally more humid than an area whwere a plant sits alone.  Additionally, your plant will enjoy the company of the other plants!!  Just make sure to leave enough room between the plants to allow for proper air circulation.