It is tempting to water every Sunday. The trouble is that a plant's thirst changes all the time. How fast a pot dries depends on the plant, the size of the pot, the potting mix, how much light it gets, the temperature and the humidity of the air around it.
A fern in a small plastic pot on a bright, breezy balcony may need water every couple of days. A snake plant in a larger pot in a cool, dim corner might go weeks. The same plant also changes over the year: growth slows in cooler, darker months, so the mix stays wet for longer. In the tropics the difference is smaller, but an air-conditioned room, a rainy spell or a move away from a window will still change how quickly a pot dries.
So instead of a schedule, use a habit: check first, then decide. The next lesson shows two quick ways to check. A calendar reminder is still useful, but make it a reminder to look, not a reminder to pour.
Key points
- Plant, pot, mix, light, temperature and humidity all change how fast a pot dries.
- Growth slows when it is cooler or darker, so water less often then.
- Use reminders to check your plants, not to water them automatically.
Try this
Pick two of your plants in different spots and write down which one you think dries out faster. Check both over the next week to see if you were right.
Check yourself
Read more in the reference
Sources
Marking a lesson done is kept on this device only.