 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-1024x576.jpg)
Never Fail At Houseplant Watering Again
Over-watering and under-watering houseplants is probably the number one reason why people struggle to keep their houseplants alive. So how can you tell if your plants need water or not?
Well, in this article, I’m going to tell you the signs that your houseplant is thirsty, the signs that you’re giving it too much water, how you can easily identify both for yourself, as well as some key watering tips to help you maintain a thriving plant in your home.
And we’re starting right now.
Table of Contents
Signs Your Plant is Thirsty
The primary indicator that your houseplant is thirsty is droopy leaves. You may be waiting until the leaves of your houseplant are starting to droop before giving it some water, but this is actually a really poor way to look after your plants and can lead to long-term damage of the plant. If your plant has droopy leaves, then you’ve waited too long to give the plant some water.
The plant is essentially going into survival mode by trying to conserve its energy and retain the water left in its cells by going limp. If you continually do this, it will lead to tissue damage on the leaves and eventually lead to a plant that gives up and dies. The plant’s roots will also become dry and damaged over the long term, leading to an unhealthy plant.
So avoid allowing your plant’s soil to get so dry that the leaves are starting to droop. Yellowing leaves is an indicator that your plant is not getting enough water. The foliage of your plant should be a nice vibrant color.
If you have a green philodendron, for example, then the leaves should be a nice dark green color rather than a more pale yellow color. This indicates that the plant is struggling to maintain the color and structure of its foliage because it’s not getting enough water to support its growth. Crispy brown edges on the leaves is a particular underwatering problem for calatheas but also for lots of other houseplants.
If your plant is not getting enough water and humidity, it can show this by developing brown tips and edges on the leaves. I think we’ve all had a plant in our homes that has some brown tips, and chances are you’re not really sure why. Well, this is all down to humidity and not giving the plant enough water to support its growth.
Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves, and the annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed. It can only be cut away, so you’re left with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, then you’ll notice that it’s pulling away from the sides of the pot.
This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture and water, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently.
In short- signs your plant is thirsty include:
- Yellowing leaves : Indicates the plant is struggling to maintain the color and structure of its foliage because it’s not getting enough water.
- Crispy brown edges on the leaves : A particular problem for calatheas but also for many other houseplants. This damage is often due to a lack of water and humidity.
- Soil pulling away from the sides of the pot : Happens when the soil is bone dry due to a lack of moisture.
Preventing underwatering:
- Ensure the soil of your plant does not get so dry that the leaves start to droop.
- Water your plants more frequently if you notice any of the above signs.
Signs Your Plant is Overwatered
Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought and then a large rain which rehydrates them.
We therefore need to mimic this as much as possible in our homes and not let our plants sit in wet soil all the time. So identifying overwatering problems can be a little tricky for new plant parents. These are the things you need to look out for.
Frustratingly, yellowing leaves can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem.
If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, then this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant.
Leaves that are limp and mushy also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias.
Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off the plant. Mushy leaves can also show up on your other houseplants if you are consistently overwatering.
Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off the plant if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin has recently developed some new brown leaves that have now fallen off the plant, and this was because I was overwatering my plant. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, then this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water.
This would be accompanied by a limp and mushy texture on the leaves. A plant pushes water through to the edges of its leaves, and if given in excess, this can cause veins on the edges of the leaves to burst, which leads to browning. You may also notice some water droplets on the end of the leaves of some of your plants.
This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer a drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. When I see this, I just make sure I dial back the watering to let the soil of the plant dry out.
Another sign that your plant may be too moist is an increased presence of fungus gnats. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it is creating a breeding ground for gnats to continue to multiply. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, then I would just dial back on the watering of your plant and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again.
In short-signs of overwatering include:
- Yellowing leaves : Can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem.
- Limp and mushy leaves : This is particularly true for succulents such as Echeverias, which store water in their thick leaves.
- Whole leaves turning brown : Indicates that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water, often accompanied by a limp and mushy texture.
- Water droplets on the ends of leaves : This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate overwatering.
- Increased presence of fungus gnats: These pests breed in moist soil, so their presence can be a sign of overwatering.
Preventing overwatering:
- Allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings.
- Use a moisture meter to check the soil moisture level before watering.
Image from : Yellow Stock photos by Vecteezy
Watering Tips
It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out in between watering. This prevents the possibility of you over-watering your houseplant, which is one of the most common reasons why people kill their plants.
I water my houseplants no more than once a week during the summer and once every two or three weeks during the winter when they’re not actively growing. Any more than this and the plants will have consistently wet soil, which can lead to root rot. Having consistently wet soil also increases the chances of fungus gnats getting into the soil, as I mentioned previously.
Try and water your plant only as it needs it, but how can you tell if your plant needs water or not? Before you water your plant, it’s always a good idea to check the level of moisture in the soil by sticking your finger two inches into the soil of the plant to check how moist the soil is. If it feels wet, then leave it a few days and then come back and check again.
This check will prevent you from over-watering your plant, which, like I said earlier, is a key plant killer. An even better way to check the level of moisture in the soil of your plants is to invest in a moisture meter. This is a super little device that needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil.
This gives you so much control over watering your plants. So I invested in one of these about two years ago, and my plants are doing so much better because I’m able to give them water only when they need it.
When you have identified that your plant needs some water, a really important tip is to make sure you give the plant a really thorough soaking. You don’t want to just pour a little bit of water over the soil of the plant and move on. Chances are you’ve not watered all the roots of the plant sufficiently.
Instead, you want to take your plant over to a sink area and thoroughly soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This makes sure that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches of the soil in the pot. When you do water your plants, you want to be careful not to get water droplets on the leaves of the plant.
Some plants, such as Tradescantias and succulents, do not like having water droplets on their leaves and they show this by developing brown spots on the leaves. This is leaf tissue damage that cannot be reversed, so be careful when watering your plants not to splash water onto the leaves. The number one tip I can give you, and a tip that has changed the health of my plant since I implemented it a couple of years ago, is to bottom water your plants.
Key tips to ensure proper watering:
- Check the soil moisture: Before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again.
- Invest in a moisture meter: This device tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, preventing overwatering.
- Thoroughly soak the soil: When watering, make sure you soak the soil thoroughly to ensure all the soil in the pot gets moistened.
Additional tips for effective watering:
- Avoid getting water on the leaves: Some plants, such as Tradescantias and succulents, develop brown spots if water droplets get on their leaves.
- Bottom water your plants: Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves and damaging them.
I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when you have to water your plants and when
not. So apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening!
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
