5 Ways to Tell How Much Water Your Indoor Plants Really Need
Not too much, not too little – learn the right amount of water to give your indoor plants
Lauren Dunec Hoang
19 September 2019
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Keeping indoor plants happy and healthy can often feel like a guessing game, particularly when it comes to how much water they need. Sure, the label might say ‘water once a week’, but how much water is one to give? There isn’t a clear-cut answer because it’s different for every plant and specific to your home’s light exposure, temperature and humidity, as well as the time of year. However, to get on the right track, ask yourself these five questions to determine whether your indoor plants need to be watered.
1. What type of plant do I have?
You don’t need to remember the botanical name, but it’s helpful to have a general sense of what type of plant you have in order to provide the care it needs. In basic terms, common indoor plants fall into a few categories in terms of how much water they need, ranging from dry-soil-loving cactus to happy-with-their-toes-in-water lucky bamboo (Dracaena braunii).
Find a gardener or landscape contractor on Houzz for professional advice on which plants will thrive in your home
You don’t need to remember the botanical name, but it’s helpful to have a general sense of what type of plant you have in order to provide the care it needs. In basic terms, common indoor plants fall into a few categories in terms of how much water they need, ranging from dry-soil-loving cactus to happy-with-their-toes-in-water lucky bamboo (Dracaena braunii).
Find a gardener or landscape contractor on Houzz for professional advice on which plants will thrive in your home
- Low water: allow soil to completely dry out between watering. All types of cactus and succulents, mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) and cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior).
- Low to moderate water: allow soil to partially dry out between watering. Most palms, dracaena (Dracaena marginata and D. deremensis), pothos (Epipremnum aureum), culinary herbs such as rosemary and thyme, English ivy (Hedera helix), bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) and umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla and S. arboricola).
- Moderate water: allow soil to partially dry out between watering, but always keep soil slightly moist. Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), bromeliads, fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), geranium (Pelargonium spp.), coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides), citrus varieties, culinary herbs including basil, parsley and coriander, moth orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.), heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens), phlebodium fern (Phlebodium spp.) and ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia).
- Moderate to high water: always keep soil moist. Lucky bamboo (Dracaena braunii), maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) and Swiss-cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa).
2. Where is the plant located?
How much light a plant needs not only depends on the type of plant, but also whether it’s situated in a sunny window or a shadowy corner. This can make a big difference to how quickly the soil dries out. A potted plant will dry out much faster when situated in bright light and a warm environment than a plant placed in a cooler, darker area of the house.
Watch out for plants placed close to heaters or air conditioners, which can dry out the soil and zap humidity from the air. Ideally, move plants away from heaters and air conditioners, and invest in a humidifier if you keep the heat on in winter.
How much light a plant needs not only depends on the type of plant, but also whether it’s situated in a sunny window or a shadowy corner. This can make a big difference to how quickly the soil dries out. A potted plant will dry out much faster when situated in bright light and a warm environment than a plant placed in a cooler, darker area of the house.
Watch out for plants placed close to heaters or air conditioners, which can dry out the soil and zap humidity from the air. Ideally, move plants away from heaters and air conditioners, and invest in a humidifier if you keep the heat on in winter.
Also keep an eye on plants in small containers in direct sun, as they can dry out very quickly. Even sun-loving cactuses and succulents are unhappy in bone-dry soil, which can happen in the blink of an eye on a hot day.
To give yourself more of a buffer between waterings, repot plants into larger containers with fresh potting soil. A larger soil reservoir will retain more water and dry out slower than smaller pots.
How Do I… Grow Indoor Plants in Low Light?
To give yourself more of a buffer between waterings, repot plants into larger containers with fresh potting soil. A larger soil reservoir will retain more water and dry out slower than smaller pots.
How Do I… Grow Indoor Plants in Low Light?
3. Has the top of the soil dried out?
Once you’ve determined your plant type, or at least which moisture-level category it falls into, you can check the top of the pot plant’s soil to see if your plant needs water. Take a look, or better yet, poke a finger down three to five centimetres of soil to determine the moisture level.
How much you should allow the soil to dry out depends on the plant type and time of year, but most indoor plants thrive when you allow the top three to five centimetres of soil to either completely dry out (no moisture) or slightly dry out (still some moisture) between waterings.
Once you’ve determined your plant type, or at least which moisture-level category it falls into, you can check the top of the pot plant’s soil to see if your plant needs water. Take a look, or better yet, poke a finger down three to five centimetres of soil to determine the moisture level.
How much you should allow the soil to dry out depends on the plant type and time of year, but most indoor plants thrive when you allow the top three to five centimetres of soil to either completely dry out (no moisture) or slightly dry out (still some moisture) between waterings.
4. How heavy is the pot when lifted?
The quickest way to get a rough estimate of a container’s moisture level, besides the finger test, is to lift the pot. In most cases, wait to water until the container feels relatively lightweight – but not too light – when lifted. If it feels too light, the soil may have completely dried out, and your plant could benefit from a deep watering or being soaked in water for a few minutes.
If the pot feels very heavy, there’s a good chance the soil is too wet and that drainage might be an issue. Most indoor plants, save for lucky bamboo, hate sitting in water and can develop root rot if they do so for an extended period of time. If your container feels heavy, hold off on watering and check to make sure your container’s drainage holes are not blocked.
How Do I… Display Indoor Plants?
The quickest way to get a rough estimate of a container’s moisture level, besides the finger test, is to lift the pot. In most cases, wait to water until the container feels relatively lightweight – but not too light – when lifted. If it feels too light, the soil may have completely dried out, and your plant could benefit from a deep watering or being soaked in water for a few minutes.
If the pot feels very heavy, there’s a good chance the soil is too wet and that drainage might be an issue. Most indoor plants, save for lucky bamboo, hate sitting in water and can develop root rot if they do so for an extended period of time. If your container feels heavy, hold off on watering and check to make sure your container’s drainage holes are not blocked.
How Do I… Display Indoor Plants?
5. What season is it?
One of the easiest mistakes to make is to overwater indoor plants in winter. Most species go dormant in the cooler months and need much less water than during their growing season (spring through to autumn). Giving a plant as much water in winter as you have been during other times of the year can cause root rot.
For dormant indoor plants – check your plant type, but it will be the majority of them – dial back your watering to let the top five centimetres of soil dry out between waterings and allow the pot to stay relatively lightweight when lifted.
10 Ideas for Hanging, Trailing and Cascading Indoor Plants
One of the easiest mistakes to make is to overwater indoor plants in winter. Most species go dormant in the cooler months and need much less water than during their growing season (spring through to autumn). Giving a plant as much water in winter as you have been during other times of the year can cause root rot.
For dormant indoor plants – check your plant type, but it will be the majority of them – dial back your watering to let the top five centimetres of soil dry out between waterings and allow the pot to stay relatively lightweight when lifted.
10 Ideas for Hanging, Trailing and Cascading Indoor Plants
If your houseplant isn’t happy, adjust your routine
Use these questions as a starting point to gauge roughly how much water your plant needs, then go from there. If a plant isn’t thriving (yellowing leaves, wilting or growing very slowly), move it to a different location with a different amount of sunlight, and adjust your watering schedule.
Your turn
What fail-safe tips do you use to keep your indoor plants happy? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Craving inspiration for greening up your home with indoor plants? Don’t miss this Picture Perfect: 20 Wonderful Ways to Add Plants to Your Bathroom
Use these questions as a starting point to gauge roughly how much water your plant needs, then go from there. If a plant isn’t thriving (yellowing leaves, wilting or growing very slowly), move it to a different location with a different amount of sunlight, and adjust your watering schedule.
Your turn
What fail-safe tips do you use to keep your indoor plants happy? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Craving inspiration for greening up your home with indoor plants? Don’t miss this Picture Perfect: 20 Wonderful Ways to Add Plants to Your Bathroom
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Great reminder to pull back on watering during those cooler winter months!
Thanks so much for the excellently written article. I don't have as much time at home as I used to, when I could wander around, bonding with my plants. Now I need to 'fit in' watering, and make sure I don't forget! It's an entirely unsatisfactory scenario, but this article will help.
I would actually put the ZZ plant in the Low Water category. They love to go for long periods with no water at all. When you do water, water them thoroughly.