Watering House Plants

Here are some watering tips for your houseplants. If you ever notice that your houseplants aren’t performing as expected or look less than desirable, start by making small changes to their environment and observe whether the plant is responding before making drastic alterations.

Always use room-temperature water to avoid shock to the root system.

Check plants often enough to ensure that the potting mix is moist, but avoid keeping it too wet or not wet enough. Stick a finger into the media up to the first knuckle and feel whether it is wet below the surface. Water the plant if the potting mix feels dry, and then wait to water again until the media feels slightly moist, but not too dry.

Check the soil for dryness more often if the plants are:

• Larger or have large leaves
• In higher light or low relative humidity conditions
• Rapidly growing
• In a smaller pot (consider repotting!) or in a porous pot like clay
• In a potting mix that dries quickly
  

If leaf cover is dense and makes watering difficult, place the container in a pan of room temperature water for about 30 minutes while the potting mix absorbs water though the container’s drainage holes. This method works well for plant species such as cyclamen whose leaves or crown can become damaged if they get wet.

For the complete fact sheet on houseplant care, go to: http://consumerhorticulture.psu.edu/files/caring_for_houseplants.pdf or contact your local extension office. In Lackawanna County call the Garden Helpline at 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu.


Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.