Watering your plants seems simple. Unless you’re someone like me, who overthinks everything! These are some of the questions that came flying through my head:

How much water do I use?

How often do I water?

Do I need a drainage hole?

Do I need a tray?

Do I use tap water or filtered?

Do I need a watering can?

Thankfully, I was able to answer these questions by working at a nursery, learning from fellow plant lovers, and experiences with my plants at home. I found ways to make watering a very simple experience with no “schedules” or “measurements” to try and remember. I am blessed to have met some amazing and extremely knowledgeable individuals who taught me so much of what I know today regarding plants.

I’ll start by answering each question listed above and close with a plant-watering golden rule I now live by. 

how much water Do i use?

Not only is there an endless variety of plants, but there’s an array of environmental factors to take into consideration. Although this seemed stressful to figure out, the answer was easier than I wanted to accept.

Water your plant until the water runs out of the bottom.

That’s it. No measurements to remember. No environments to research. However, stay tuned because for this to happen, you’ll need a drainage hole. Keep reading…

how often do i water?

With each variety of plant comes the natural environment it came from. Some varieties are accustomed to desert-like climates, where they store water for long periods and don’t require as frequent watering. Other varieties are comfortable with humid or wet climates where they’re constantly absorbing some form of moisture. As you guessed, this overwhelmed me too.

Now, there are two answers I can give you to this question. The second is my golden rule, so we’ll save that for the end. However, the first answer is, generally as follows…

Cactus/Succulent– Every 2 weeks to once a month

‘Tropical’ – Once a week with a humidifier.

Dracaena – Every 2 weeks

Philodendron – Once a week

Ficus – Every 2 weeks to once a month

Chinese Evergreen – Once a week to every 2 weeks

Sansevieria – Every 2 weeks to once a month

Spider – Once a week

Depending on how many plants you have, this could be a lot to remember. Write it down, set a reminder, or wait for the golden rule at the end.

do I need a drainage hole?

This question has an overall answer for all plants. Well, except for water plants…

YES!

I did NOT understand the importance of a drainage hole until later in my plant journey. You absolutely, positively need a drainage hole. There are a lot of plant varieties that can easily get root rot. This is when the roots of the plants are wet for too long without drying out and begin to rot. This will eventually kill the plant.

I am a victim of not having drainage holes and getting root rot. This was how the majority of my plants when beginning this journey, died. Having a drainage hole allows the plant to absorb and drink whatever water it needs and get rid of any excess. It’s a great way to not drown your plant.

do I need a tray?

Preferably. I use trays and find them extremely convenient. They’re not a necessity, but they do help make things easier. These trays are what sit under the pot, with the drainage hole, to collect any excess water that runs out of the bottom. When I’m watering my plants, I let them sit in the excess water for about 15-20 minutes before dumping the excess out.

I’ve been able to find trays at a variety of stores including Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Walmart. However, if we’re being honest, Dollar Tree trays are the best! For $1.25, there are typically 4-8 in a pack depending on their size. They have trays that are fun, fancy, clear, black, or terra cotta. Some even have wheels for moving large and/or heavy plants.

Oftentimes, trays are overlooked or forgotten about. But these have made my ‘plant mom’ life a lot easier.

do I use tap or filtered water?

Each of us has a preferred drink and believe it or not, so do plants. I’ve experienced firsthand the effects of using these different types of water with my home plants.

Being that plants come from nature, whether they’re outdoor decor or inside aesthetics, rainwater is best. Rain barrels are amazing for watering your plants. You can even use melted snow. Just be sure you allow it to melt to room temperature.

Tap water isn’t going to be the best for your plants. There is a lot of chlorine and heavy metals that can build up in the plant’s soil. If you’re using tap water (which I’ve done plenty of times) let it sit out for 24 hours so the chlorine can evaporate.

Filtered Water is great for plants. It removes a lot of the chlorine and heavy metals that are in tap water. However, be sure to allow the water to come to room temperature before use.

Another type of water that would work just as well is distilled water. This water is also free of chlorine and heavy metals. The only downside to distilled water is it’s costly.

do i need a watering can?

I didn’t have a watering can for the first 2 years of my plant journey, and we made it. However, after getting a watering can, I realized how much I was missing out.

Cup or Bowl -You can absolutely water your plants with a cup or bowl. You can use anything that gets water to the plant’s soil. When I leave my tap water out I would fill 3 or 4 bowls with water and leave them on my counter before watering the plants with the bowls.

Ice Cube – No. Absolutely not. I know there’s some information about watering plants with ice cubes. However, unless you like taking ice-cold showers, don’t torture your plants the same way. Plants are sensitive to extreme temperatures. So, water that’s extremely hot or cold is not going to please your plants.

Watering Can – I purchased a small watering can a couple of years ago and it’s the most convenient thing ever! There are watering cans with different spouts which offer a single stream or a shower stream. You can easily get under the leaves to get right to the soil with the nozzle. Whenever I have plants in difficult locations, I can easily water them without moving them.

golden rule

This golden rule is a ‘plant parent’ lifesaver. After endless schedules, reminders, and memorizing, this is still my preferred method of knowing when to water my plants.

The easiest way to tell when your plant needs water is to stick your finger in the soil about knuckle deep. If your knuckle comes out moist, damp, or wet then don’t water. If your knuckle comes out dry, it’s time for a drink!

It’s that easy. No schedules to remember or reminders to set. Now and then, when walking by, check the soil of your plants.

I could go into endless detail about environmental factors that affect your watering. But that will have to wait for another post. My best advice and the golden rule is to water when the soil is dry. All the way dry.

Over-watering is the fastest way to kill your plant. If ever in doubt, it’s easier to recover from under-watering than over-watering. However, I would still make sure there are no special requirements your plant might need. This is the case for unique plants such as air plants or cacti.

also…

There are a few plant apps that are available on both iPhones and Androids that help you remember when to water each plant or at least keep track of when you last watered. I personally use the Planta app which notifies me when my plants need to be watered. I then check the soil to ensure its dry because occasionally my plants are still damp.