The age old question when it comes to watering your indoor plants - how much water does it actually need? Well, I'm here to break down that quantity isn't actually the thing you should be worrying yourself about!
Want the answer? Feel free to watch the video below or scroll down for the text version:
So you've probably held up a glass of water to one of your plants before and said to yourself "Yeah, that looks about right" and sadly, it couldn't be further from the truth - unless the cup you held up was a 0.5L jug and your plant was in a 90mm pot or smaller.
The key to watering your indoor plants is not how much water they need but the frequency between waterings.
Ideally, you should be giving your plants a full, saturating drink every single time you water them. You want to train them to need you less often so you can live your life without needing to water your plants multiple times a week.
Realistically most indoor plants shouldn't need to be watered more than once every five to seven days (That's also being generous for times of the year like Summer where the temps and the air circulation are higher causing your plants to dry out their fastest).
Additionally, if you only give your plants a tiny drink of water you could be essentially not watering them - dry soil is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water, so that little splash here and there may not even get to satiate your plant.
So - how do I water my plants to give them the amount of water they need?
It is best to water your plant with a slower stream of water (whether that's from the tap or a watering can) and pour over the plant aiming to wet all of the top soil. While pouring, you'll notice the water may start to drip out the drainage holes at the bottom of your pot - Don't stop watering yet!
Depending on the pot size, I'll continue to water smaller plants for about 10 seconds after the water starts to run out the drainage holes and for larger plants that could stretch out to as much as 20 seconds - the goal here is to reallty saturate the soil and create a resivoir for your plant to have a reserve of water to utilise while you're not around. You can reference the video above to see a demo if you need it!
Assuming your soil is well aerated like Chunky & Funky Indoor Plant Mix or Succulent Savior, you don't need to worry about overwatering as there is a healthy amount of oxygen still accessible to the roots meaning root rot isn't a concern.
Q: Aren't I just going to be wasting water (And nutrients if I'm feeding with something like Foliage Focus)?
A: I recommend watering your plants over a bucket to catch any water that drains through - it will definitely contain beneficial minerals if you're feeding your plant when watering so use that to water some of your outdoor plants (they deserve a little treat to).
Are we surprised about this? Have I shaken yp everything you knew about watering your plants? If yes, I'm glad to have help! Share this with someone you think needs to know this technique.