Tips to Effectively Water Your Lovely Plants

Over-watering is the leading killer of houseplants, and what's worse is that the symptoms for an over-watered plant mimic those of under-watering, thereby worsening the problem and hastening a plant's demise. Far too many people forget that plants need oxygen as well as water and thereby drown the little darlings.

No one can tell you exactly how often to water your plants. Pot size, pot material, plant species, light exposure, season and temperatures all interact to alter water needs. You can buy one of those dual feature doohickeys that read the acidity and dryness of the soil, but it really isn't necessary. The best tools are a wooden chopstick or Popsicle stick and your own eyes.

I favor terracotta pots for all but the most moisture-loving plants. This material has endured throughout the ages because its porous sides allow air into the soil and water out. The water escaping from the sides of the plant help leach out excess fertilizer salts and increase humidity around the plants. But perhaps the greatest benefit of using terracotta is that the pot will change color when dry. Get used to the appearance and heft of your terracotta pots. A lighter appearance and weight is an excellent tip that it is time to get out the watering can.

For plants potted in plastic or in pots too large to move, a chopstick or popsicle stick is an invaluable tool. Simply insert it a few inches into the soil and see whether it comes out clean. Moist soil sticks to it, dry soil does not.

Enlist your plant's appearance to tell you whether it is time to water. When in doubt, don't. Plants that are under-watered consistently will grow more slowly and may drop leaves, but over-watered plants rot. Repairing the damage to an under watered plant usually requires no more than removing it from light, watering it once, and giving it several hours to recover. In really bad cases, a plastic bag may be placed over the plant to temporarily boost humidity.

Under no circumstances should you look at an under-watered plant that is drooping over and water a second or third time. You will surely drown it. Instead, recognize that it is a living thing and will take several hours to circulate the water through its body before it completely recovers. Give it the necessary time.

Plants give you plenty of warning before they expire from under-watering. In addition to the bone dry touch, light weight and light color of soil, you can expect the plant to display drooping stems, lost leaves, and in plants such as African violets--softening leaves and curling leaves.

The African Violet in particular suffers from over-watering. This plant grows naturally on rocky cliffs where water drains rapidly after the end of the brief monsoon. To duplicate these conditions, wait until the edges of the plant are soft and beginning to curl. Only then, water from below with lukewarm water. This will thwart the crown rot and botrytis fungi that are the ancient foe of this regal plant.

African Violet is one plant that should always be planted in plastic pots. Leaves that rest on damp terracotta will rot completely through. If you use clay pots for this plant, you will need to line the edges with paraffin or tin foil to keep the stems dry.

Please be aware that all plants go through a dormancy period. In nature, tropical plants usually experience a wet-dry season rather than the Summer-Winter seasons that we experience in the temperate zones, but all plants must sleep sometime. During the colder darker months, reduce frequency of watering. No amount of water will make dormant plants grow faster and too much will rot them.

If you are blessed to receive a tropical plant that grows from a bulb or a tuber such as a gloxinia, amaryllis, or begonia, be aware that these plants follow a wet-dry season. If the plant starts to die down after its spectacular bloom, don't throw it away. Instead, leave it alone until it starts to show signs of growth naturally and then begin watering it again. While dormant, it should need little or no water, perhaps a sprinkle or two every few weeks to prevent shriveling, but by no means does it need normal amounts or frequency of watering.

Sometimes you can save an over-watered plant that has rotted away. For Cacti, take a sharp knife and cut the plant clean away from the rotted area and destroyed roots. Wait several weeks to let a callus form and then replant. Cacti during a dormancy period may not need to be watered more than once a month or so. When actively growing in the summer, you may not need to water more often than about every other week. Much depends on the growing conditions. More light means more water as do terracotta pots (which honestly, is all you should ever grow cacti in) and smaller pots need more frequent watering. Tropical cacti such as Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus or Easter Cactus will warn you that it's time to water by dropping joints. If the soil looks dry and pieces are dropping off, get the water can. You can also use your chopstick to be sure.

Plants like tight shoes. Keep the pots as small as possible for as long as possible. The worst that will happen if you use too small a pot is that it will retard growth. Too large a pot means over-watering and death. In fact, flowering plants benefit from being pot bound. The minor distress created by a small pot forces the plant to speed up reproduction, hence flowering, as it perceives potentially hazardous conditions.

Love your plants, but don't kill them with kindness. Sometimes less truly is more.