Proper soil, water, fertilizer, and lights are essential factors for a plant to grow healthy and stronger. This is common for any type of plant even if you grow it indoors or outdoors. No matter if, you are living in a tropical climate or colder climate countries.
Overwatering or under watering will stunt a plant’s growth. Watering right time is necessary. Too much water will rot the root system and no water will dry up the plant. In both of these situations, your home plants leaf wilt, and eventually, it will die.
Watering requirement depends on the plant’s environment humidity, sunlight. If you use a pebble tray then you can artificially improve the humidity around the plant. In such a situation, it requires low moisture. On a bright sunlight day, it needs good water, but on a rainy day requires very little or no water at all. In colder environments countries or the winter season, it needs very little or no watering. Although some plants like water spinach, water lilies, Lasia spinose like too much moist and no need to maintain well drain soil.
How to identify plant water requirements.
Identify the surface soil dryness.
When the plants’ surface soil dries up, then you have to consider the watering. However, it is not required every time. In some soil mixture, it can keep enough moisture a few inches deeper. Especially if you use coco peat mixed potting mix. You can use these method indoor plants, potted plants, or even outdoor plants.
- Using Chopstick or stick.
This is more effective than the above method. In this method, we can easily identify the soil moisture a few inches deep. That is exactly the root level. Therefore, this is the most effective method to check the plant-soil moisture.
First, you have to get a small dried stick or chopstick. Then bury it in few inches (around 3 or 5) deeper and wait for few minutes. If you have a deeper pot, push the stick at least 25% of the depth of the pot. After that take the stick and check whether its buried part has moist.
- Checking the leaves wilt.
When the plants leave going to wilt down, it can be underwatering. However, if the surface has enough moist and chopstick method confirmed everything OK. Then it may be another reason. Check the roots are rot or over-fertilized.
How much water need?
This depends on the plant’s native environment situation. For an instance in an arid environment growing plants like Aloe Vera water requirement too low. However, in tropical environments plants such as growing ginger in containers, such plants should be well watered and allow water to drain out of the pots.
There is no exact level all depends on the plant situation. If we consider bonsai plants, these plants require a high level of water. Sometimes twice a day.
What is the best time to water?
The best time to water plants is morning or early morning, but before the soil warms up. It will increase plant water absorption. When the environmental temperature getting high, it will evaporate the added water. If you are busy in the morning you can water late evening (a couple of hours after the sunset). The main disadvantage of evening watering is, it keeps moisture on roots over 10 hours. If your region night is too cold, it can rot the root bowl. When watering the plant, make sure that soil and plant foliage properly wet.
Best time to water indoor plants: Indoor potted plants watering best time also early morning or morning. No matter if it is hot summer, that is the best time to water indoor plants. In the winter it is not recommended for water evening. It keeps too much moisture for 10-12 hours, and it develops fungus activities and causes root rot issues. Watering indoor plants at night not good practice.
Best time to water plants in hot summer weather: In the summer, the best ideal time is the morning or early morning. In the hot weather, you have to water before the soil heating up. It is not recommended for water in the evening. Because evening soil temperature high. It will damage the plants’ root system. If your indoor plants not getting sunlight afternoon, it will cool down the soil, then no matter if you water the evening.
The worst time to water plants is noon. Because at that time soil temperature is too high and adding water to the soil will damage the root bowl. It is something like adding hot water to the plant.
Best time to water outdoor plants: Like other plants, it is early morning or morning time. If you can not water morning time, you can water after a couple of hours of sunset. If the soil temperature is high, it is not recommended to add water to the soil.
How much water after fertilizer?
Good watering is required when using solid fertilizers. Because it needs water to dissolve around the soil and reach the root ball. Especially when using chemical fertilizers such as urea, which has high levels of nitrogen. No matter if it is chemical or organic, always add more water than usual after. Nevertheless, never too much. Because essential nutrition will drain out of the plant’s pot.
Does liquid fertilizer need to be watered in?
This is somewhat different from the above situation. When pouring liquid fertilizer directly onto dry soil, it requires lightly water after applying fertilizer. It will wet the soil and help the fertilizer soak into deeper. Although when pouring liquid fertilizer into the water, it does not require immediate watering at all. When using chemical fertilizers always check the manufacture’s instructions.
How to water plants.
Once you identify the most suitable time for watering, you can start it. Different plants require different methods. You have to consider the leaves’ softness, soil condition also the plant environment.
Soft leaves plant watering.
If the plant has very soft leaves, you have to pay more attention. In such plants use small water spray canned/bottle or water shower. The optimum method is to add water directly to the surface soil. Especially when watering mint plants. Never use a high-pressure watering method.
Other plants.
You can use regular equipment for the rest of the plants. Nevertheless, never use high-pressure methods.
