Did you know that incorrect watering behavior is one of the most common causes of premature death in indoor plants? The problem is well known that it is unfortunately not possible to tell from the outside whether the plants are still adequately supplied with water. What do you mean: do we pour too much or too little? This article has the answer, and it also gives you a few tips to help you assess the moisture needs of your indoor plants.
Better a little more than too little – do you think that when you water your plants? Unfortunately, far from it: This saying may apply to the light needs of most indoor plants, but not to their water needs. The motto here should be better: less is more! Because dried out plants can usually still be saved; but if the roots are too moist for a long time, they start to rot – and in the worst case they die. To put it the hard way, houseplants are far more likely to drown than to die of thirst. Loose leaves can be the first indication that you mean too well with your houseplant when it comes to the water supply.
Have your fingers in the game!
Even if the surface of the earth is already light and dry, it can still be damp underneath. The tried and true thumb trick will help you get a feel for how often you should water your plants. Simply stick a finger into the soil to see if your plant is still sufficiently moist. A moisture meter, which measures the water requirement directly at the root ball, is even more precise. By the way: The material of the planter also has an influence on the thirst of your green treasures: If your indoor plants are in clay pots, they need more moisture, as they can store water in contrast to plastic pots and only release it gradually to the earth.
Back to the roots: what role does the origin of your plants play
How often and how much water your plants need also depends heavily on their origin and location. Exotic treasures have different needs than prickly friends from a desert landscape. Therefore, inquire carefully about the preferences of your plants so that you can give them a home that is as similar as possible to their home location. Plants in warm, sunny locations usually need a lot more water than plants in locations with little solar radiation due to greater evaporation. You should also water your plants more often in rooms with dry air. Buy plants online in Karachi
Why do your plants need more water in summer than in winter?
When everything starts to bloom again outside, your houseplants will also wake up from hibernation. Since they don’t get much sunlight during the winter months, they stop growing. As soon as the sun comes out more often in spring, house plants end their resting phase. During this time, they need more moisture and nutrients in order to obtain sufficient strength for the formation of new leaves. So during the warm season, you can bravely reach for the watering can.
What the leaves of your plants reveal about their thirst
If you don’t know the name of your plant and therefore don’t know its water requirements, take a look at its leaves. Does it have large leaves and/or corrugated leaf surfaces? Then it will very likely need more water than plants with small and/or smooth leaves. Plants with thick, fleshy leaves, on the other hand, store moisture well and rarely need to be watered. Either way, it’s good to keep an eye on your plants, because this way you will automatically get a feeling over time as to whether they should just sip a sip of water or use a whole pot.
