A guide to foolproof waterings
Want to learn more about How to water?
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How often should I water?
How often you should water a plant is dependent upon a lot of different factors such as:
The plant type
The soil
The material of the pot
How much light the plant gets
Time of the year
Current temperatures
Planta takes all of this, and more, into consideration when creating a unique watering schedule for each of your plants.
How much water should I give my plants?
You don't need to measure the amount of water you give your plants.
There's no such thing as too much water when you are watering your plant. When it's time to water, no matter what type of plant, ALWAYS make sure you add so much water that all of the soil gets wet. A good indication of this is to keep adding water until it drains out from the drainage holes. Note! This is for plants in pots with drainage.
If your plant suffers from overwatering damage, it's most likely caused by soil that isn't appropriate for your plant, the pot or soil not draining well, the lighting or the watering frequency.
Water your plants like this
First, feel the soil - stick your finger in the pot at least 2 inches down to make sure your plant is ready to be watered (read more below about how the soil should feel before watering)
If the soil is wet, snooze the watering action in Planta. Otherwise, proceed to step 3-->
Pour water over the soil, until it starts running out of the drainage holes (you can also bottom water, but this will not wash away potential salt buildups in the soil)
Wait for a while before you empty the tray or cache pot of any excess water
Done
How should the soil feel?
For plants with a low watering need
ALL of the soil should be dry before giving more water. An indication of completely dry soil is that when you lift up the pot - it feels very light. To be extra sure, you can check the soil from underneath the pot. Look in the drainage holes. If the soil is still wet here - wait a few more days before watering.
For plants with a medium watering need
The top 2 inches of the soil should be dry before giving more water. If you look at the soil in the drainage holes - it should be slightly damp.
For plants with high, very high and daily watering need
Soil should be consistently moist for these plants (like a damp sponge or cloth), but not wet unless you've just watered it. To determine the difference between moist and wet soil: pick up a small chunk of the soil and squeeze it between your fingers - if water seeps out it's wet.
This is how your fingers might look when feeling the soil - on the left, the soil is very moist and on the right the soil is completely dry.
If you have any questions, we are here for you!
From all of us at Planta - Happy planting