Pillar 3: Watering
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Watering is about observation, not a calendar. There's no one-size-fits-all answer to how often or how much to water. Your plant's needs change with the seasons, its growth, the light it gets, and the air around it.
When you do water, go slowly. Slow watering soaks the whole root ball evenly. Fast watering tends to "channel" straight through, leaving dry pockets where roots and soil microbes die off.
Observe Your Plant
Look at the shade of green, the condition of new growth, and the plant's posture. Is it firm and upright, or drooping? These are your plant's signals. Think about when you last watered, too, since timing is a big part of what it needs now.
Check the Soil Moisture
Two simple ways:
- Lift the pot. A pot that feels much lighter than right after watering is drying out.
- Feel the soil. Push your finger in to the first knuckle. If you feel no moisture, the plant likely needs at least a light watering. If the pot is very light, the soil is dry, and the plant is drooping or growth has slowed, give it a thorough soak.
Use a Wooden Skewer or Chopstick
Push a wooden skewer, chopstick, or knitting needle halfway into the pot, leave it for 30 seconds, then pull it out. Soil sticking to it, or wood that feels damp or looks darker, means there's still moisture down where the roots are. It's free and works in any pot.
Water Demand and Sunlight
A healthy, fast-growing plant uses more water, and the more light it gets, the faster it drinks. Light speeds up photosynthesis, which pulls more water (and nutrients) through the plant.
Humidity matters as well. In humid places, plants lose less water through their leaves and need watering less often. In dry climates like Colorado, Arizona, or Utah, plants lose moisture faster and need watering more often.
Moisture Preferences by Plant
Some plants want soil that stays evenly moist, never soggy. Others do best with "soak and dry," where you water thoroughly and let the top part of the soil dry before watering again. Find your plant in our Plant Care Guide to see which it prefers.
For most plants (cacti and succulents aside), avoid letting the soil dry out completely. Bone-dry soil can become hydrophobic, so water runs off instead of soaking in. That leaves dry pockets that hurt roots and kill the soil microbes that cycle nutrients.
Watering Day Is Feeding Day
Since you're watering anyway, it's the easiest time to feed. Our liquids mix right into the watering can.
Grow Queen for Watering Day
Mix into your watering can during the growing season.
Organic 5-5-5 Liquid Plant Food
A gentle, complete organic liquid feed for actively growing plants.
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Overwatering is one of the most common causes of plant stress, and soil plays a big role. A chunky, well-draining mix like Craft Aroid Potting Mix lets water move through instead of sitting around the roots. See Pillar 1: Soil.
Watering Tools We Recommend
A good can makes slow, careful watering easy.
Indoor Watering Cans by Haws
Haws has made watering cans in England since 1886. Their small indoor cans have long, slim spouts that reach under leaves and pour slowly at the soil, which is exactly how you want to water.
View at Haws →A wooden skewer or chopstick from your kitchen drawer
A free moisture check that works in any pot. Leave one in a big pot and check it before you water.
We don't make these tools and these aren't affiliate links. We picked them because they do the job well.
Next: Pillar 4: Environment →
