Repeat after me, underwatering is better than overwatering. Not sure why when I got started with houseplants, I thought every plant needed to be watered every day. I was so wrong.
It’s so tempting but most plants don’t need that much water or else you’ll drown them.
If you are someone who likes to be able to water plants often, then I would suggest getting a tomato plant, prayer plant, peace lily, or polka dot plant. They’re thirsty plants.
Watering is one of the indoor house plant care tips that can really make or break you when you’re just starting. The more you deal with houseplants, the more you’ll get to know your plants and notice when they are happy or sad.
I never understood this before, but a lot of plants are quite “vocal.” They will droop, leaves will curl or turn yellow. Some plants give you obvious signs.
WATER TYPES
Also, don’t forget that some plants are total drama queens that require purified water or filtered water. Some people even collect rainwater.
BOTTOM WATERING
Bottom watering is a method of watering where the plant absorbs the water from the bottom. It ensures that the roots get sufficient water, prevents overwatering, and prevents fungus gnats.
The way I do it is I fill up a bucket with about 1-2 inches of water. I let my plants sit in it for 15 mins to an hour depending on the size of the plant. You can tell it’s done drinking once you feel the top 1 inch to be wet.
I only bottom water my smaller plants (plants in 2”-8” pots) and top water the larger ones. It’s difficult to bottom water larger plants because it could take 24 hours until they’re done drinking, and I found that it’s really hard to tell when to stop.