6 easy ways to determine if your plants need water (2024)

Watering your plants properly is one of the most important factors in keeping them healthy. We are often asked how we know when a plant needs water and how often it should be watered. This is where many people go wrong when it comes to plant care, whether they are a forgetful under-waterer or an over-enthusiastic over-waterer!

There is no 'one size fits all' approach to plant watering, just as we plants are individuals and have individual needs. So rather than give you exact parameters on when to water and how much, we'll give you six simple tips that you can apply to all plants to ensure you're watering them correctly. The advice is general and applies to all types of potted plants and houseplants. Let's start with some preliminary considerations!

What should I pay attention to when watering my plants?

There are many factors that influence how often you should water your plant. These include:

How do I know when my plants need water?

1. Pay attention to your plants

The best tip for general plant care is to pay regular attention to your plants! Improper watering is one of the biggest causes of poor plant health, and is often due to neglect. With our busy lifestyles, it can be easy to forget to look at our plants. How many of us have had the thought, "I'll water that later" and promptly forgot to do it? Certainly quite a bit.

If you check your plants every day or two, you may notice small changes, such as wilting leaves. Being aware of these types of changes means you can take preventative measures if your plant dries out. This is much more effective than a fixed water schedule.

2. Research your plant's needs.

When you start growing a new plant (edible or houseplant), you should research the plant's specific care needs. There are hundreds of articles on plant care for various houseplants and edible plants. You can make simple notes for each plant species that you can quickly refer to.

For example, a simple search for "Prayer Plant plant care" tells me that they prefer well-drained soil that is kept moist but not soggy. For my bean plant I only allow the top empty soil to dry out between waterings, this usually takes a week but can dry out more quickly when temperatures are warmer.

My prayer plant

Knowing which plants will dry out more quickly than others is a good way to stay on top of your watering routine. Remember to regularly check plants in warm, dry areas, as well as plants in hanging baskets, as these dry very quickly. As fall approaches, you can reduce the frequency of watering for most plants because they don't need as much during the dormant period.

3. Check the Earth's surface

With a quick glance you can tell if the soil is dry on the surface of your pot. Moist soil is almost always darker than dry soil, so if you see lighter brown colored soil, this indicates a dry surface.

Although this technique provides a general indication of plant dryness, it is best suited to plants that can be kept moist at all times, such as umbrella palms and Boston ferns.

It is not as useful for drought-tolerant plants such as cacti, succulents and ficus species; Watering these when only the surface is dry will inevitably lead to overwatering. For these plants you have to dig a little deeper to know if they need water.

4. Stick your finger in the ground

One of the easiest ways to check if your plant needs water is to stick your finger in the soil. This will give you a clearer indication of soil moisture content than just looking at the surface. You can reach 2 to 3 inches into the soil and feel how moist or dry the soil is. This technique works best for smaller potted plants due to its limited reach. Be careful not to damage the roots when trying this technique; if you feel roots, try another part of the pot.

5. Lift your pots to determine their weight

Another way to determine if your plants need water is to lift the pots to determine their weight.This is a common practice in nurseries when watering.

If the plant is dry, it will be lighter than normal because water becomes heavier. This is a very quick method and recommended if you have a lot of potted plants! For larger pots, you can tilt them to measure their weight.

The more you try this technique, the better you will become at this technique. By collecting your potted plants regularly, you will know when they need water. When you have finished watering, lift the pot to get an idea of ​​its heaviest weight. This makes it easier to compare weight after a few days. If it feels much lighter, it probably needs water!

6. Use a humidity sensor

Practicing all the above techniques will help you know when to water your plants. However, there's no reason to neglect a good tech solution, especially when you can usually find them for less than $10.

You can use a moisture sensor by inserting the probe about ¾ of the way into the potting medium. The moisture level is displayed on a dial, sometimes indicated by color, with red (dry soil), green (good moisture), blue (soil too wet).

That is it!

So there you have it: six simple tips to help you decide when to water your plants. If you follow this advice, you'll soon become a pro with the most important part of your plant care routine!

Don't forget to do some research on your new plant's water needs, as all plants have different tolerances for moist soil. You can tell if your plant needs water by observing the dryness of the soil surface, as well as more precise techniques such as sticking your finger in the soil and picking up pots to determine their weight. You can also use a moisture sensor to quickly and accurately monitor soil moisture content.

The most important thing to remember is to pay regular attention to your plants. It only takes a few seconds a day to ensure they are healthy and properly watered!

I hope you found these tips useful. Please feel free to contact us if you have any home growing problems, we are here to help! (contact details below)

Square Mile Farms brings vertical urban farming to city dwellers in their homes and workplaces. We aim to bring people closer to food production and contribute to creating a culture of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Read more about ourofferand get in touchherwith any questions.Registerto our newsletter for healthy lifestyle tips and an overview of relevant news. You can also follow us on social media to stay up to date with our journey, find usInstagram,On TwitterInFacebook. Why not register with us online?The city's growing communityfor advice on growing at home and much more!