How to Avoid Over Watering

Plants can be loved like a personal pet as we spend time pruning them, re-potting them and caring for them when they look haggard. We make time for them in our busy schedules to clean their leaves, give them water and make sure they have enough light. We must also know when it is time to water them and avoid over watering them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Place a saucer or drip pan under the plant so that watering doesn't collect excess water, which can promote root rot. Refer to a guide as to your kind of plant and what kind of watering schedule should be observed.

2. Measure the dryness of the soil before watering. You can do this with an electronic meter that will determine the dryness and let you know if it is time to water the plant. An alternate method of determining whether a plant needs to be watered is to feel the soil with your finger. If the soil is moist or wet, there is enough water for the plant to grow. If the soil feels dry, you should water the plant.

3. Slowly pour room temperature water into the pot and allow it to soak into the soil. Watch the bottom drain holes of the pot to know when you have added enough water. When the bottom starts to drip, the amount of water added is sufficient.

4. Drain any excess water sitting on the surface of the soil so that the soil is wet but not over saturated with water. As the plant grows and uses the water, the soil will dry out and you will know when it needs to be watered again.

Tips & Warnings

• One way to help avoid over watering potted plants is to ensure that you have a pot that has holes in the bottom so water can run out and that you have a thin layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot to ensure that the holes don't become plugged with soil.
• Leaving plants in ground that has standing water on the surface runs the risk of creating an environment that will allow the roots to rot and eventually kill the plant.

Resources

• Flowers and fancies
• Flower care
• Soil moisture indicator device

[08bairs]

on 3/17/2009 Thank you! Needed this advice :)