Less is more!! We often think plants need to be watered frequently - when in reality, once a week (or longer) is often adequate for most plants. Of course, each plant has it's own needs, and there is no definite time line for watering.

How do I know when to water my plant?

There is a lot of factors that go into your plants water consumption. Once your plant settles into its new home, you will start to learn how often it needs to be watered. Temperature, humidity, and lighting all play into this, but a quick way to check the soil moisture level is using a wooden skewer - much like checking if a cake is fully baked with a toothpick, if the skewer comes up dry, it might be time to water. If the skewer if still damp and has dirt sticking on, you probably don't need to water just yet.

How do I water my plant?

There are a few ways to water your plants - but first, we recommend keeping them in their nursery pots (the plastic pots with drainage holes at the bottom). While decorative pots are pretty, they often do not have the proper drainage and will lead to root rot and fungus gnats. You can place a nursery pot inside the decorative pot, and pull them out when it's time to water.

Second, we do not recommend using tap water - not without treatment first. You can fill a jug and leave it open on the counter for 24 hours - the chlorine will evaporate from the water. They also sell tap water conditioner, available at online stores like Amazon, and this will instantly make it safe for your plants. Rain water or distilled water is usually the best water source.

Option 1: Bottom Watering

Fill a shallow bowl, container, etc. with water and set your plant down - set it and forget it for around 15 minutes. You will notice the water level has lowered as the plants roots and soil drinks up the amount of water it finds neccesary.

Bottom watering is our preferred method, as it allows plants to absorb water up through capilliary movement through the soil. The benefits include preventing overwatering (or underwatering), prevents pests, a stronger root system because they are absorbing nutrients better and it allows fresh air into the soil. 

Option 2: Top Watering

While this may seem the easiest way to water, it is not always the most effective way. Often times, water will only soak through the top inches of the soil, and not reach all the way down into the root system. This will not allow your plant to recieve full nutrients, and the root system can be compromised. Some plants are also sensitive to their leaves being wet - so make sure you dry them off.

For top watering, you want to THOROUGHLY water your plant. Remove the nursery pot from your decorative pot, and allow the water to thoroughly soak through the soil mass. This means you will see water running out of the bottom - and that is good! Sometimes, you may need to rotate the plant to ensure the water soaks evenly. 

Option 3: Self Watering

There is also a variety of self watering pots and systems. We recommend this for the more experienced plant parent, though, as it can be a bit of a science to nail down.

Tropical plants often enjoying being misted. A simple spray bottle does the trick. Just make sure your fuzzy leafed plants, such as African violets, don't get their leaves wet.