How often should i water my potted plants?
This is one of the most common questions (other than what time do we close today?) that we get asked here at the Garden Centre and i wanted to give you a few guidelines on the main factors when considering this question for yourselves. Plants are all different like us humans and we need to treat them differently with varying frequencies of watering throughout the year.
With so many variables such as the weather, the season, the size of a pot, the amount of sun vs shade, indoor or outdoor, the type of plant etc…..there are numerous factors that influence your watering regime for a particular pot plant.
Im going to break it down into 3 main areas of consideration;
The First – Understanding your plant
Different species can tolerate certain extremes in soil conditions – one extreme being dryness and the other being moisture. It is up to you to know where your plant fits on the moisture scale. For example plants like Cactii and Succulents, Yuccas and Draceanas can tolerate long periods of dryness. On the other end of the scale you have plants like Ferns, Palms and Bamboo which are quite thirsty plants and appreciate more moisture. To help find this information it will often say on the tag, you can utilise the internet or even direct any relevant questions to our Annandale Garden Centre Facebook Wall as part of our free advice service.
Dont be afraid of trial and error.
The Second – How much moisture is actually left in the soil
One way to assess if a plant requires watering is knowing how much moisture is left in the soil. Not just checking the top layer which will always dry out first, but gaining an understanding on what is actually happening at the bottom of the pot. The best way to determine this is the put your finger in and check. You wont need to do this every time but you may be surprised to see the difference in moisture content between the top and the bottom of the pot. !
Note the symptomns of a drowning plant can often be the same as symptomns of a drying out plant. Plants wilt which appears to mean its dry but in actual fact by adding more water you are drowning the plant instead.
The Third – How quickly is the pot drying out
The main factors to look at here are the Size (and Shape) of the pot, how much direct sun or wind is the plant exposed to and also the quality of potting mix used. In short, a smaller pot will dry out quicker than a large pot and to a lesser extent, a shallow pot will dry out faster than a tall pot. A pot plant in direct sunshine is going to dry out faster and require more frequent watering than a pot plant inside or in the shade. Indoor Plants will generally dry out slower than outdoor plants as its generally cooler with less air flow, therefore the wind doesnt play a part in drying the soil like it does outdoors.
Beware of saucers full of water which often add to the demise of a potted plant. Plants with “wet feet” can keep the potting mix saturated which prevents drainage and necessary air flow through the soil. Appreciate there is a difference between moist and saturated soil.
Hopefully this info can help you save some potted plants in the future and keep them looking great.
