How much and how often to water a plant depends on many factors, including the size and type of plant, the soil, room temperature and humidity. Even the kind of pot in which the plant is growing is a factor. Frequently people give their plants too much water. This can kill them just as surely as will lack of water.
The simplest and most reliable way to tell if your plants need water is to poke your finger into the topsoil a half inch or so. If it feels dry, apply water generously, but do not let the pot stand in the excess. On the other hand, do not wait until the leaves become limp before watering, since by this time the plant has been weakened.
Proper drainage will lessen the danger of over watering. To facilitate drainage, pots should have a layer of gravel or stones in their bottoms or adequate drainage holes. If they do not, the soil becomes waterlogged, the roots decay and the plants die. So make sure that the plants have good drainage, and water them only when they show need of it.
Here are some general tips: Flowering plants and those in peak growing condition need more frequent watering than do dormant ones. Plants with thin leaves generally must be watered more often than those with tough leathery leaves. Plants growing in a hot, dry room will need more watering than those in a cool room. Also, sandy soil dries out faster, and thus plants grown in it generally need to be watered more often than do those in clay soil or soil with humus. It is a good practice to loosen the topsoil frequently to aerate it.
The simplest and most reliable way to tell if your plants need water is to poke your finger into the topsoil a half inch or so. If it feels dry, apply water generously, but do not let the pot stand in the excess. On the other hand, do not wait until the leaves become limp before watering, since by this time the plant has been weakened.
Proper drainage will lessen the danger of over watering. To facilitate drainage, pots should have a layer of gravel or stones in their bottoms or adequate drainage holes. If they do not, the soil becomes waterlogged, the roots decay and the plants die. So make sure that the plants have good drainage, and water them only when they show need of it.
Here are some general tips: Flowering plants and those in peak growing condition need more frequent watering than do dormant ones. Plants with thin leaves generally must be watered more often than those with tough leathery leaves. Plants growing in a hot, dry room will need more watering than those in a cool room. Also, sandy soil dries out faster, and thus plants grown in it generally need to be watered more often than do those in clay soil or soil with humus. It is a good practice to loosen the topsoil frequently to aerate it.
