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Keep your plants healthy by avoiding these watering pitfalls.
Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. This is especially true when it comes to watering houseplants. Even the most drought-tolerant succulent needs moisture—but too much water and your beloved houseplant will drown and die before you know it. To keep your plants happy, we spoke to gardening experts to understand the most common mistakes people make when watering houseplants and their tips for avoiding each one.
Overwatering
Overwatering is an easy mistake to make with houseplants. “Often, plant owners are watering without checking to see if the soil is moist or dry,” says Sharon Yiesla, a plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum. The amount of water a houseplant needs varies depending on the variety, but always check the soil moisture before watering. Soil that is too wet can lead to root rot and eventually kill your plant.
Shallow Watering
Watering frequently but not deeply can cause your houseplant to produce a shallow root system. While your plant may survive, it will never thrive, Yiesla warns. Most houseplants require watering when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil is dry, depending on the size of the container and plant type. "Then apply enough water so that some of it starts to come out of the drainage hole," Yiesla says. Pour out the excess water from the saucer and don’t water the plant again until the top inch or so of soil is dry again.
Using Ice Cubes
Houseplants are tropical and subtropical plants, so they don’t want ice. Even orchids don’t need ice cubes—despite the old wives’ tale. "I’m not sure when the ice cube for orchids myth came to be, but this is a hard no," says Jeanna Liu, houseplant expert and founder of Cowbell Plant Co. "Cold shock damages plant roots." Additionally, a couple of ice cubes don’t provide much water. If you use ice cubes to water your plants, they will always be underwatered.
Disregarding Soil Type
Soil type plays a major role in how often your plant needs water, as some soil types drain more quickly than others. "Chunky, well-draining soil can dry out two to three times faster than dense coco coir or potting soil," Liu explains. If you water all of your plants at the same time, but they are potted in different types of soil, you may encounter issues with over- or underwatering. Always check soil moisture before watering.
Not Using Drainage Holes
Planters need proper drainage holes so water can escape from the bottom. "Too often we buy decorative pots without any drainage, so water pools at the bottom for months," says Liu. If you already potted your plant in a container without drainage holes, you will need to repot it into a different container or remove the plant and drill holes into the current container. Skipping this crucial step could lead to root rot and plant death.
Underwatering Followed By Deep Watering
If you realize it's been weeks since you last watered your houseplants, overcompensating by watering a lot at once can do more harm than good. "The biggest culprit of plant death is a combination of multi-week neglect followed by overwatering too much at once to compensate," says Liu. If your plants are wilting or the leaves are becoming crunchy from underwatering, try reintroducing water gradually over a few days rather than drenching your plant with too much water in one session.
