Watering indoor plants: How to dose the water optimally

Contents

1.  When watering indoor plants, tact and powers of observation are required. With these tips, you can identify the water requirements of your green roommates.
   2. At a glance: Watering indoor plants
   3. How much water do my house plants need?
   4. When and how often do indoor plants need to be watered?
   5. How can I water my houseplants on vacation?

 When watering indoor plants, tact and powers of observation are required. With these tips, you can identify the water requirements of your green roommates.

how often should I water my house plants? 

Unfortunately there is no universal answer to this question, 

because there are many factors that influence the water requirements of a plant. 

Often, it is not at all drought damage that affects the house plants: 

We tend to water our green roommates too much, 

resulting in waterlogging and the roots slowly rotting. 

But if you stay alert and water with a sure instinct, you can soon find the right amount.

At a glance: Watering indoor plants

• Houseplants that require a lot of water should be watered about every two to three days. These include hydrangeas, decorative asparagus, Cyperus species and indoor bamboo.
• Houseplants with a moderate water requirement should be watered about once a week, such as single leaf, tillandsias, flowering begonias, camellias or flamingo flowers.
• Houseplants with a low water requirement such as cacti or succulents tolerate short periods of dehydration.

How much water do my house plants need?

Watering should be adapted to the growth rhythm of indoor plants, such as the orchids shown here. The water requirement is particularly high during the flowering period

Ideally, indoor plants would like to be cared for in the same way as in their natural habitat. 

Plants from dry regions such as cacti need only little watering, 

indoor plants from rainforests usually have a higher moisture requirement. 

But the development phase also plays a decisive role in watering. 

In winter, many indoor plants are in a dormant phase during which they need to be watered less often. 

During the growth period - and especially the 

flowering period - they usually need considerably more water. 

Especially with orchids, it is very important to adapt the watering to the growth rhythm. In general:

• In strong sunlight, the water requirement increases.
• At higher temperatures, watering must be done more often.
• The lower the soil temperature, the less water the roots can absorb.
• In an air-dry room, more water must be watered than in a humid room.
• Fine-grained substrate can store water better than coarse substrate.
• The water consumption in clay pots is higher than in plastic pots.

Another important factor is the foliage: 

plants with large, 

soft leaves tend to consume more water than indoor plants with small, 

leathery leaves. 

Succulents, for example, are real starvation artists: their fleshy, 

thick leaves store a lot of water and evaporate very little moisture. 

Also consider the age of the plant: 

older specimens have usually already developed more 

and stronger roots and can survive longer without water than young plants.

When and how often do indoor plants need to be watered?

Check the substrate of your houseplants regularly. 

Many species are best watered when the top layer of soil has dried out. 

The finger test has proven to be effective: 

stick a finger about one to two centimeters deep into the substrate. 

Water when it is completely dry. 

The tapping test can also provide information: 

If it sounds light and hollow when you knock against the clay pot, 

the soil is dry. 

Another indication: 

dry earth is usually lighter than moist earth. 

If the substrate detaches from the edge of the pot, 

this is also a sign that you need to reach for the watering can.

Few indoor plants like it when water collects in the coaster

To avoid excess water, check the coasters 15 to 30 minutes after pouring: 

Does the water collect in them? 

Only a few houseplants can tolerate leaving water in the coaster. 

Exceptions are, among others, the Zantedeschia or the Cyprus grass. 

Otherwise, it is better to pour the water away immediately to prevent waterlogging.

If you are unsure about the amount of water to be poured, 

you can only water carefully at first and then observe the reaction of the plant. 

Do the leaves straighten up? Does the plant appear stronger? 

In general, it is usually better to thoroughly wet the substrate 

(or dip the root ball) at longer intervals than to water more often and always in small doses.

How can I water my houseplants on vacation?

Especially in summer, when many are on vacation, 

houseplants on the windowsill use a lot of water. 

Automatic watering systems for houseplants have proven to be very effective. 

Depending on the model, 

wicks or fleeces release the water from a water container into the soil. 

For example, a clay cylinder, which is inserted into the soil, allows water to penetrate the "Blumat". 

A thin hose connects the cylinder to the reservoir. 

We also recommend "Bördy" from Scheurich. 

The water reservoir in bird shape is simply put into the moist earth and filled with watering water. 

Depending on the size and location of the plant, 

it slowly releases the water through a clay cone over a period of about ten days. 

Alternatively, you can water your plants with PET bottles or install a drip irrigation system. 

Tip: Try out the irrigation systems before you go on vacation.