When to Water Plants: Do You Need a Watering Schedule?
Plants need water, light, nutrients, and a cozy environment with the right temperature and humidity to thrive and grow. We’ve tackled how to find the right plants for your light level and how to fertilize plants, but how do you perfect your watering technique?
Do you have a plant watering schedule you follow, like watering once a week or on a specific day? Or do you let your plants do the talking and follow their cues? This blog will tell you everything you need to know about when to water plants.
Do You Need a Plant Watering Schedule?
The short answer is no. A plant watering schedule is not the best move for your plants, because their needs change depending on other factors in their environment. Unless you’re in a very controlled environment with no changing variables, you’ll need to adjust your watering routine from time to time.
During the summer, your plants are likely exposed to more sunlight and therefore a little more heat than in the cooler months, so they’ll need more water because the soil dries out faster. In the fall and winter, less sun and cooler temperatures mean they may need less water than usual.
It’s best to check your plants regularly and water them when their signs say they need water. But remember, not every plant needs watered in the same way. Some plants need to stay consistently moist, like Coffee Plants, Ferns, and Calathea, and others can go longer between waterings and are very forgiving of a temporary dry down, such as Pothos and Spider Plants. And then there are some that don’t need much water at all, like Sansevieria, ZZ Plant, and Succulents.
When to Water Plants
A single watering day isn’t always the best method, since some plants will need more or less water than this schedule, so learn to read your plant’s signals!
Drooping Leaves: Many plants will droop when they are thirsty, especially Pothos, Arrowhead Vines, and Coffee Plants. When you learn to notice this signal, a little water will perk them right up.
Fingertip Test: Stick your finger into the soil to the first knuckle and remove it. If it’s dry, water the plant. This test is best for plants that should be watered when the top 1-2” of soil is dry.
Moisture Meter: You can purchase a moisture meter from a garden center or online to get a more accurate reading of how dry your soil is. This is great for plants that get a little grumpy when they miss a watering, like a Fiddle Leaf Fig.
Each plant has its own water needs, so keep track of their ideal watering schedule using an app or keeping your own personalized list. At the end of this blog post, you can download our Self Care Journaling pages that include habit trackers for you and a page for you to write down your plants’ habits too!
How to Water Foliage
Foliage plants tend to need regular watering roughly every 5-10 days depending on the plant and the environment. Water foliage thoroughly by watering around the entire pot to moisten all of the soil, and let it drain well.
Wild Interiors plants are potted in a plastic grower pot with drainage and a decorative outer pot, so always check the decorative pot for any excess water that drains from watering and dump it out so your roots don’t sit in the water. If you repot into something new, make sure it has drainage holes to protect your plant’s roots.
To water multiple plants at once, you can take them all out of their pots and place them in a sink or tub to water everyone at the same time, then put them back into their original pots when they’re fully drained.
For more foliage care tips, check out our foliage care page.
How to Water Succulents
Watering succulents is a little trickier because they need very minimal water. Succulents are drought resistant desert dwellers, so they are used to going a long time without water.
Our trick for perfect succulent watering is to let the soil dry completely between waterings, which usually takes three or more weeks in an indoor setting, and then water them from the bottom. Bottom watering a succulent helps them grow stronger roots and minimizes the risk of root rot and overwatering. It’s also easier, especially if your succulent takes up the whole top of its pot with a spread of beautiful leaves!
To water a Wild Interiors succulent, remove the potted succulent in its plastic grower pot from the outer pot, add about an inch of water to the pot (roughly ⅓ cup for a full size succulent or about 1-2 Tablespoons for a mini succulent), and place the grower pot back inside. This allows the soil to soak water from the bottom.
Check out more succulent care tips here!
Watering Considerations
Water stress is one of the easiest ways to make a plant unhappy, leading to leaf drop, root rot, and susceptibility to pests. Check out these symptoms to stay on top of your plants’ watering issues.
Signs of Overwatering
If your plant is overwatered, it may tell you in a few different ways. Yellow leaves may indicate overwatering, so check for overly moist soil and standing water at the bottom of your pot. Overwatering can lead to root rot, which will require some care and repotting to treat if you catch it early enough! Know the symptoms of root rot to keep an eye out.
Sometimes overwatering can kill a plant, so take care to only water when your plant tells you it needs a drink. Regularly check your plant’s drainage holes for roots too. If the roots are blocking the holes, excess water won’t drain and you may not find out until it’s too late.
Signs of Underwatering
Underwatering is also harmful to a plant, because plants need water, even if some need it more than others. If you notice yellow leaves that drop off the plant, you’re likely dealing with an underwatering issue.
Check the soil. If it’s compacted and pulling away from the edge of the pot, your soil has been sucked dry and needs to be rehydrated. Let the grower pot soak in water for a few minutes to fully saturate the soil, because watering normally will pass right through the compacted soil and won’t stick around for your roots to get a drink. Once the soil is rehydrated, wait until the top inch is dry (for foliage) or the soil has dried down again (for succulents and other drought tolerant plants) before watering again as needed.
Is Tap Water Okay?
There are a lot of options when it comes to watering your plants. Do you use tap water, bottled, filtered, or rain? All of these options have pros and cons, so find out which type of water is best for houseplants in our blog all about water quality!
Now that you’re an expert in knowing when and how to water your houseplants, sign up for the Wild Interiors newsletter for other insider tips, the scoop on our latest developments in the greenhouse, and a free download to help keep up on your watering needs.