Watering Tips For Beginners
Let's go back to basics
Way before I had literally hundreds of them, watering houseplants is something I thought I knew how to do - I simply didn’t do it.
I just kind of assumed more was better, regardless of the time of year, species, and all that important stuff.
Overwatering? I don’t know her. Watering every day is good, right? Right?
As it turns out, there’s more to watering than I thought, but also…there’s plenty of margin for error, so once you get to grips with it, it’s pretty easy to do. After a while you won’t even really think about it - you’ll be able to tell whether your plant needs watering just by picking it up.
So, here are a few tips to get you off the ground:
Are you an overwaterer or an underwaterer?
You need to find this out first.
I’m an underwaterer. I simply forget that my plants need watering unless I keep myself on a strict schedule.
Some people think that they underwater, but actually they’re aiming to water every day and only manage three times a week.
The rules that I just made up are pretty simple: if you water more frequently than weekly, you’re an overwaterer.
If you leave it for more than two weeks, you’re an underwaterer.
There are exceptions, of course, but as a general rule it works quite well.
Use plastic pots
Keep your plants in plastic nursery pots, rather than terracotta or ceramic - you can always move them when you’re a little more confident.
Plastic is lightweight, so you can easily tell that your plant needs more water when it has no weight to it. This does sound like witchcraft to newbies, but it really doesn't take long to work out how much well-hydrated plants weigh compared to dry ones.
Stick to a schedule
Controversial I know.
There are so many articles out there claiming that watering houseplants on a schedule is a surefire to overwaterer them, and they’re not wrong. However, it’s a good idea to set aside regular time to check your plants and decide whether they need watering.
I suggest weekly. In the height of summer I move all the plants that may need watering more than once a week into my living room and check them twice a week.
You don’t need to actually water them once a week - you just check them. Sometimes they’re *nearly* ready for a water but not quite, but since they only have to wait a week till you check them again, it’s unlikely that they’ll suffer too much.
Adjust your soil
There is no point crafting the most perfect aroid mix for your Alocasia if you’re going to leave it to get so dry it becomes hydrophobic.
If you find that your plants are drying out too quickly, add some coir or soil to your potting mix. If you like to water a lot and get a lot of root rot, add more bark.
There’s no concrete evidence on what the perfect soil mix is for each houseplant - only anecdotal evidence that varies from expert to expert. You may as well make life easier for yourself.
A basic store-bought potting mix is great for underwaterers. Overwaterers, add some bark.
Know what factors influence watering frequency
There are tonnes of factors that can influence how often you need to water your houseplants:
How fast it’s growing
How big it is
Temperature
Light
Humidity
Soil type
Pot size
These factors also affect each other, so a plant getting good light will grow bigger, and thus need watering much more frequently than the same plant kept in lower light.
My article on watering Monstera goes into detail on how these various factors affect how often we need to water plants:
Use a moisture meter
I know that moisture meters aren’t that accurate, but they’re invaluable to beginners. A lot of people are told to water their plants when the top inch of the soil is dry, but that can be bad advice.
The top of the soil dries out much faster than the rest of it, so you could be unknowingly watering soggy soil.
Sticking a moisture meter in the soil will tell you if the middle/bottom of the soil is still wet. Often the top can be bone dry but the middle is soaking wet.
Moisture meters are decently accurate on denser soil, and tend to work well on plants that are still in their original soil. By the time you upgrade to fancier soil (supposing you want to) you’ll have a better grasp on when to water.
I have an article on moisture meters, but watering when they read 2 or 3 will work for most houseplants.
Get yourself a pressure sprayer
I love mine. It makes watering more fun so I’m more inclined to do it. It’s also less messy than a watering can.
Awesome for overwaterers because you can use the spray nozzle and your soil won’t get soaked as thoroughly. Underwaterers can remove the nozzle - the jet is comparable to a small watering can.
Make sure your pots have drainage holes
This is non-negotiable to newbies. I’ve come across many unicorns in the houseplant world that can water plants without drainage holes and not have issues, but it’s WAY easier to have an exit route for the water.
You can always either drill holes in your pot or put the plant in a plastic nursey pot and sit it in a hole-less pot.
Work out your plant’s watering needs
There are broadly four categories:
Plants that need to stay wet
Avoid if you’re a beginner. Keeping plants wet isn’t an issue in itself, however plants that need to stay wet tend to have very specific needs around light and water quality.
Fortunately, these plants are few and far between in the houseplant world. Carnivorous plants are likely the only ones you’re likely to see.
Again, avoid. Or at least don’t spend a lot of money on them.
Plants that need to stay moist
Ferns and Calathea are the main ones you’ll see. Like plants that like to stay wet, they have certain requirements that make them tricky for beginners, such as humidity and water quality preferences.
Plants that need to dry out a bit
Most houseplants fall into this category. Aroids, Hoya, spider plants, Africa violets, peperomia.
They need to dry out a bit to allow oxygen to the roots.
Plants that need to dry out a lot
Succulents like cacti. In an ideal world, they’ll get frequent waterings but their soil and environment will allow them to dry out quickly. Though many cactus experts dry their soil with a hairdryer.
Do NOT look to the plant to tell you when to water
If you wait for the plant to show visible signs of dehydration, you’ve waited too long.
You need to check the soil. If the soil’s dry or nearly dry, water. If it’s still moist, don’t.
The exception to this is picky plants like maidenhair ferns. I rely entirely on the weight of the pot to tell me when to water. I keep it on my coffee table and pick it up every few days to make sure I get it water in time.
As you can imagine, they’re not a great option for beginners (but at least don’t shed everywhere like Boston ferns).
I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions about specific plants (or whatever) leave me a comment.
See you next time
Caroline