The amount of water a plant needs constantly changes and is affected by its size, soil type, weather, sun exposure, time of day/year, etc. Watering, at least watering effectively, does require some attention and observation.
Here are some general watering tips.
1. Check the soil before watering. Is it soaked, damp, completely dry?
2. When possible, water the soil directly and not the leaves.
3. The best time to water is in the morning, in order for the leaves to dry out. Watering during the middle of the day is least efficient, as water on leaves acts as a magnifying glass for the sun and can cause the leaves to burn.
4. Water slowly. Once the top few inches of soil are moist, the water will absorb
more efficiently.
5. Not all plants need equal amount or frequency of watering. Over-watering
is just as bad as under-watering. The more you water a potted plant, the
more you are washing away soil and fertilizer.
6. Don’t let plants go dry. If a plant goes into permanent wilt (plant unlikely to
recover even when watered), it will not recover. Potted plants that are
outgrowing their pots will dry out faster than you think because their roots are taking up most of the room in the pot, which means there is very little soil to hold moisture.
Here are some watering tips by plant type.
1. Succulents: Let the soil dry between watering. If more than the top inch or so is dry, then water.
2. Tillandsia (Air Plants): Mist daily. You can soak the entire plant about once a month for ten minutes.
3. Flowering Plants: Keep the soil damp, but not soaked.
4. Drought-Tolerant Plants (snake plant, portulaca, ti leaf, croton, bougainvillea): Let the soil dry between watering. If roots are too wet, they will rot or fungus can grow.
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