How Much to Water Our Indoor Plants?

How do we know how much water is enough or too much for our plants? The overall health of our plants is determined largely by the proper amount of water they receive. If they do not get enough, they will wilt and collapse. If they get too much, the roots will rot and the plant will eventually die. Also, the plants needs will change with each new season.

Plants will actually tell you, by certain signals, how they are doing. So, it is important that we watch closely for those signs before it is too late.

* If the leaves are turning yellow, and soil is dry, the plant is calling for water.
* If the leaves are turning brown and moist, and the soil smells sour, it is too wet.
* If the soil stays wet, and the plant is dying off, it probably has root rot.

When a plant has the proper moisture level, it will have firm and vibrant colored foliage. The leaves will be gravitating toward the light source, and they will generally feel cool to the touch.

Plants that lack sufficient moisture will be limp and dull in color, and will feel warm to the touch. However,they can also look like this if their roots are rotted, because they are unable to draw up water.

There are a few ways to test the moisture level in a plant:

* The first would be to use your finger (if you don't mind getting dirt under your nails). This works best with smaller plants because you have to go about 1/3 of the way down into the soil.
* Test the weight of the plant. If you can lift the plant very easily, it is probably dry. Try lifting the same plant after watering it to judge the difference.
* Soil Probes are metal, or plastic rods with several notches in them which, when inserted deep into the soil, will pull out soil samples. You just feel the dirt to tell how wet or dry it is. Soil dries out unevenly in potted plants, so you should extract soil from different areas around the plant before deciding how much to water.
* Moisture Meters will tell you to what degree the moisture level is at. It has a metal probe which you insert deep into the soil. At the top of the probe is a scale which registers the moisture level. This is pretty accurate in telling you when it is time to water, except for certain soil types and high pH levels.

There is no set way to check the moisture level of plants. Some ways are better than others for different plant situations. Use a combination of methods to determine what works best for each plant.

Keep alert for the signals that the plant is giving you, and do a little exploring to find the cause of any problems, and you'll be able to make the correct watering decisions.
Source: EzineArticles.com