Watering Mistakes: 5 ways you are damaging potted plants (with or without love)

Got potted plants at home which are not faring too well? Are you sure that you are not doing these five mistakes? Here’s what you need to be cautious of and start changing your caring habits for these plants.

Sometimes, we tend to over water the plants which can make the roots drown without the availability of enough oxygen. To fix this problem, it is best to check the kind of soil the plants are growing in and have an idea of how much water they need. Also, while watering your plants it is suggested to stick your finger inside the soil for an inch and see if the soil is still moist. If it is, it is better to skip water that day. Houseplants usually tend to dry up completely before taking up the next cycle of moisture.

One should not forget to water the plants for long period of time or give them less water than is required. Moisture-less soil will become very dry and compacted and sometimes prevents water from reaching the roots which makes the plant dry out. Hence, to avoid this problem it is important to be consistent when you are watering the plants.

It is recommended to use pot for the plants which have drainage holes. When excess water has nowhere else to drain through, it accumulates within the pot and leads to excessive water retention which can again lead to the problem of over-watering. Thus, it is important to always use a pot with a hole in the bottom. In case you are too worried about aesthetics you may also use a decorative pot over the actual one which holds the potted plant inside.

One basic mistake that one tends to make while watering a plant is sticking strictly to the schedule. But it is also important to note that the needs of the plants keep changing with seasons or otherwise. Hence, you need to observe the requirements of the plants, especially visual clues like moistened soil or droopy leaves, or others and then make adjustment to the water schedule. The schedule is not sacrosanct.

Many times we spray water mist on the leaves instead of moistening the soil. This is a mistake that is unknowingly caused because it does not hydrate the soil and therefore the plant internally as well as it leads to several fungal spots on the leaves. To avoid this, what needs to be done is water the plants directly at the base till it runs out of drainage holes.