A Guide On How Not To Water Your Plants

Watering. It is both the most important and most misunderstood aspect of caring for plants. 

At the nursery, we get a wide variety of questions related to plant health, but 9 out of 10 customers, we find ourselves giving the same answer. Many plant parents (both new and veteran) overwater their plants which can lead to all sorts of problems. 

In this blog, we learn about the most common mistakes that we make while watering, and we cover the basics of how to water your plants the right way!

1. No plant needs water daily!

If you catch yourself watering on a daily routine, stop it right now! Whether you have a garden full of shrubs and flowering plants or a living room full of potted houseplants, no plant needs water daily. 

We cannot stress this enough, your plants will likely die if you water them every day. 

The one exception to this pivotal rule are bonsai. Their root systems leave little room for soil in their pots and thus they require water often.

2. Plants don’t like frequent watering

Watering your plants several times a week is still not a good idea, but the reason why varies for indoor and outdoor plants. 

Outdoor plants

In arid zones, such as California, the top layer of the soil is often dry and devoid of water. However, if you dig deep enough, there will be water in the soil! Plants can find this water by growing strong and deep root systems, but they need to be trained to do so. Plants that are watered often develop small, superficial root systems and will not grow to be self-sufficient. 

Houseplants

A lot of houseplants are native to tropical rainforests where, instead of growing in the soil, they grow on tree trunks. We call these plants epiphytes. Some popular epiphytic houseplants are pothos, philodendrons, anthuriums, bromeliads, and orchids. 

Because they grow on trees, epiphytes are accustomed to a lot of airflow around their root system. Watering these plants too frequently can cause the roots to suffocate, which opens the door to any number of problems. 

Bromeliad growing as an Epiphyte on tree branch

So, how often should I water my plants? 

There is no short answer to this question as it depends on multiple variables such as time of year, the age of your plant, and the size of your plant. However, we’ve managed to come up with some pointers that will help you decide for yourself when to water.

Newly planted outdoor plants benefit from getting watered once or twice a week depending on the size of the current root ball. Cell-pack and 4” plants tend to need water twice a week due to their smaller rootball size.  If they are perennial plants their watering frequency should be adjusted to once a week after just a few weeks as the root system establishes. In winter or when it rains you won’t have to water as often. Established outdoor plants will need water once to twice a month. Older trees and shrubs can often go without water for months!

Most houseplants need to be watered once every 7 to 21 days. You can measure the amount of moisture in your pots by sticking a chopstick in the soil. If the chopstick comes out dirty there is still water in your soil. If it comes out clean your soil is dry. 

Most epiphytes only need water once the soil has nearly or completely dried. Other plants like ferns, peace lilies and alocasias prefer the soil to be slightly damp at all times. 

Finally, plants in large pots will need to water less often than plants in small pots. 

3. Plants don’t like shallow water

When plants get a small amount of water, this water doesn’t always reach the roots. It either runs off or it evaporates before the plant has a chance to absorb it. For your plant to receive the water you’re trying to give it you need to water slowly and thoroughly for a longer period of time. In the plant world, we call this deep watering. 

How do I deep water?

Your method of watering will vary for potted plants and outdoor plants. For potted plants you have a few options: 

• Pots with saucers: Water your plant slowly until water drips out through the drainage holes of your pot and fills the saucer. If there is still water in your saucer after letting it sit for 15-30 minutes, the soil is saturated and can hold no more moisture. Remove any excess water from the saucer to prevent root rot. If the saucer is empty the excess water has been wicked back into the soil. You may want to repeat the process until the soil is saturated. 

• Water in the sink: This method is my personal favorite for houseplants. Move your plants to the sink and water until the soil is completely saturated. Simply let the excess water run into the sink or in a bucket for later use. 

• Bottom watering: For this method, you need a big plastic bin or container. Place your houseplants in the bin and fill it with a few inches of water. Make sure none of the pots are submerged. The water will get wicked up into the soil through the drainage holes of your pots. 

• Pots with no drainage: This is the only exception to deep watering as the excess water has nowhere to go. Use the chopstick method detailed in the last section to determine whether or not your plant needs water. 

Newly planted and small plants require water more frequently than big, established plants.

For outdoor plants, the key is to water slowly, preventing any run-off, and ensuring the water runs straight down into the soil. 

The size of your plant can also help you determine how much water it needs. A newly bought plant in a one-gallon container will need about 2 gallons of water once a week, so twice the amount of water that would fit into its nursery pot. A plant bought in a 5-gallon container will need 10 gallons of water. 

As your plants mature they will need more water less frequently. The one-gallon plant you bought a year ago will now need 4 gallons of water once every two weeks.

After 3 years, most of your perennial shrubs and trees will only need to be watered once a month but will require a large amount of water at that time. 

You can check our Water-Wise Gardening Blog for more in-depth information.  

4. Watering requirements can change!

We already covered this a little bit but the water requirements of your plant will change throughout its lifetime. 

Young plants need more water than established plants. Warm summer days cause water to evaporate faster than on cool winter days, so plants need water more frequently in summer than in winter. Fruit trees need more water during ripening months than in non-fruiting months. If it rains more throughout the year you’ll have to water less often than during a drought. A houseplant that is developing a new leaf will require more water until that leaf has fully unfurled. 

You will have to adjust your watering schedule depending on the needs of your plant and the fluctuations in its environment. 

We hope this was helpful

There is a lot more information to be shared about watering plants but the information in this blog will help you evade the most common pitfalls. 

We’d love to hear from you on Instagram and Facebook. Do you overwater? If so, you’re certainly not alone!