How to Water Your Plants without Drowning Them

There are thousands of ways you could kill your houseplants without even trying. Awful plant parenting aside, the most common way to snuff out your green friends accidentally is to overwater them.

If you can't help but dabble a little bit of water on your plant babies every morning, stop right now! Even less frequent overwatering can gradually kill your plant overtime. 

Here are some best practices to prevent your plant from drowning:

1. Test the soil by hand (finger) 

Ideally, houseplant soil should still feel moist about 1-2 inches deep. The easy way to check is by pushing your finger gently into the soil and judging for yourself. The catch is is that what you might consider dry is actually moist for a plant. If unsure, leave it on the dry side.

2. Know how much water your plant babies need

The trick to growing healthy plant babies isn't playing classical music at dusk and misting the leaves at dawn. It's about knowing how much water a specific plant species needs to thrive. Some plants may look robust but can get sick in a matter of days if you over water them. 

3. Make sure you drainage is right

New plant parents make the mistake of placing their green bundles of joy in stylish pots without drainage holes. This can be the number one way to drown your green friend accidentally. If you're keen in keeping your pretty pot sans hole, consider adding pebble on the bottom of the soil.

4. Use self-watering pots for a change

The best part of plant parenting is that you have plenty of help nowadays. One of the best way to ease your life is a self-watering pot that can do the job while you're away, so you don't have to be as strict about a watering schedule.

Overall, keep these four tips in mind, and you'll never drown a plant again!

• Roots need the water most, not the leaves
• Soil should be moist up to 2 inches deep
• Water less when pots do not have drainage holes
• Pour slowly and evenly when soil is dry and draining the water thoroughly from the nursery pot.
• Mornings are a perfect time to water!
• Delicate plants may need distilled water or rainwater (Holds true for Calathea plants and Air Plants)