How Often and How Much You Should Water Indoor Plants: Everything You Need To Know

Most of the plants die early due to lack of maintenance. One of the critical points of maintenance is watering them correctly. However, since the frequency and amount depend on plant types, it gets difficult for any gardener to know when and how much to water them.

So how often and how much you should water indoor plants? While some plants, such as Ferns, require watering once every week, others require watering every 1-2 weeks. This includes plants such as Orchids, Palms, Succulents, and Cacti. Similarly, the amount also ranges, and the most common one is till the plant’s container starts to drain.

This article covers watering habits that you must adopt for most indoor plants. Furthermore, signs of over/under watering, along with seasonal watering tips, are also covered. Let’s start.

How Often and How Much You Should Water-Indoor Plants

One of the questions that every new gardener comes across is how often and how much you should water indoor plants. The answer is so versatile that more than one article is needed to answer all these. However, I ensure that this article covers more than any other one.

Since there are so many indoor plants worldwide, picking everyone and writing their water requirement takes work. Thus, I have categorized them into different parts so that you can choose the category of the specific plant in your house and find its optimal watering requirements. 

Tropical Foliage Plants

Some examples of tropical foliage plants include Peace Lilies, Philodendrons, and Snake Plants. These very low-maintenance plants require watering once every 2-4 weeks. For this amount, you should water them until the water from the bottom holes of your plant’s container starts to drain.

Ferns

Button, Boston, and Rabbits Foot ferns are great examples of ferns. These types of plants require more attention than tropical foliage plants, so you have to water them at least once a week. When it comes to how much, you need to water them until the entire root ball is moistened.

Orchids and Air Plants

Dendrobium, Cymbidium, and Tillandsia Stricta are typical examples of orchids and air plants. They require medium care for their survival, so watering them once every 1-2 weeks is sufficient. Nevertheless, the amount is similar to tropical foliage plants. Water them until the container’s hole starts to drain.

Succulents and Cacti

Aloe vera, Cactus, and Jade plants fall under the category of Succulents and Cacti. Water them every 1-2 weeks while ensuring the soil dries out completely before you water them again. 

Palms

Areca palm, Kentia Palm, and Parlor palm are excellent examples of palms. If you have them, you need to wait to water them until the top inch of soil feels dry, which is usually 1-2 weeks. If you are wondering how much, it’s similar to orchids: water them till the container’s hole starts to drain.

Herbs

If you have plants such as Basil, Mint, or Rosemary, they fall under the herbs category. Water herbs only when the top inch of soil feels dry, which should be typically around 2-4 weeks. However, ensure you don’t cause waterlogging when providing them with water.

Bamboo Plants

Lucky bamboo, dragon bamboo, and ribbon plants are all bamboo plants. Their maintenance process is simple: water them every 1-2 weeks until the soil is evenly moistened but not waterlogged.

Trailing Plants

English ivy, Devil’s Ivy, and Peperomia are the trailing plants you might have in your home. The maintenance process must be monitored carefully compared to other types of plants mentioned above. They require watering every 2-3 days, and only water them when the loam on top feels dry.

Nevertheless, water them adequately, ensuring the entire root ball is moistened while avoiding overwatering.

Seasonal Watering Tips

Just like plants outside, plants inside have different water needs at various times of the year. Knowing these yearly changes is essential to keeping indoor plants healthy and growing. Check out how often you water your plants based on the season.

Summer

This is the season of thirst for us as well as the plants. This is why the ideal choice is to increase the frequency of watering during summer. Furthermore, to keep plants from drying out too fast, move them out of direct sunlight or give them shade.

Autumn/Fall

In this period, the daytime is shorter comparatively. As a result, they require less watering to survive. So consider lowering the frequency of watering as well as avoiding overwatering. 

Winter

The days are shorter than in autumn and thus the frequency of watering is even shorter. At this time, consider watering your plants at a minimal level to prevent waterlogging. Furthermore, the humidity levels are quite low so consider using a humidifier for your plant’s wellbeing.

Spring

In spring, your indoor plant watering requirements increase again. Thus, monitor soil moisture levels and adjust your watering according to their needs. Also, don’t forget that pests are more likely to attack this season, so use natural repellents to keep them away.

Signs of Overwatering and Underwatering

Plants are living beings capable enough to provide you with the signs of being underwatered or overwatered. However, you need to know how to read their signs. Well, don’t worry, as I will help you here.

Signs of Overwatering

Here are the signs of overwatering;

• Wilting: Even though it might not make sense, plants that get too much water can sometimes wilt. This happens when roots get too much water, making them rot and harder for the plant to take in water.
• Yellowing Leaves: This color change happens because roots are suffocating because there is too much water in the soil, which makes nutrients unavailable and photosynthesis less effective.
• Leaf Drop: Plants that get too much water may lose their leaves to deal with the stress.

Signs of Underwatering

Here are the signs of underwatering;

• Wilting: Similar to overwatering, wilting is also a sign of underwatering. 
• Dry Leaves: If there isn’t enough water, the leaves can’t get enough moisture, which makes them dry out and break.
• Cracked Soil: Plants that don’t get enough water often have dry, cracked dirt that draws away from the pot’s borders.

FAQ

Some commonly asked questions regarding how often and how much you should water indoor plants include;

1. Can I water my houseplants with tap water?

Most of the time, tap water is fine for watering plants inside. However, chlorine and fluoride, found in tap water, may harm some plants. For better water quality, let tap water sit for 24 hours to get rid of chlorine, or use water that has been filtered.

2. What should I do if I accidentally give my houseplant too much water?

The damage has already been done. You need to reduce your watering frequency so the soil can absorb the excess water. This should fix the problem without any trouble.

3. What is the best time of day to water indoor plants?

You should water your plants in the daytime rather than in the evening. This way, your plants will have more time to absorb the water from the sun’s heat.

Key Takeaways

To sum up, learning how to water indoor plants properly means finding the perfect mix between how often and how much you water. We can keep house plants healthy by following some general rules and also taking into account the specific needs of each type of plant. 

For good growth, it’s essential to check the soil’s moisture levels often, change how much you water based on the seasons, and ensure enough drainage. We can make indoor settings where plants grow and look nice by paying close attention and being mindful about how much we water them.