1. If possible lift the plant. If the plant is heavy, it doesn’t need water.

2. Look at the soil; as it dries out it will turn from a dark brown to a lighter pale brown.

3. Get your fingers dirty. Stick your finger into the soil; for a 6” pot at least the top 1” of the soil should be dry, for an 8” or 10” pot the top 2” should be dry. I personally, do not trust moisture meters. They are easily influenced by the salt content of the soil. Fertilizers contain soluble salts. So a well-fertilized plant may register as wet even though it is dry. I use a water meter, especially for large plants that I can’t lift, like I use a toothpick when baking a cake. I stick it into the soil several inches, if it comes up with moist soil clinging to the tip; I know the plant doesn’t need water.

4. Over watering: Take a minute to look at the plant. In many cases the plant will tell you what the problem is. If the leaves are wilted and the soil feels wet, you have over watered the plant. The roots are dead or dying from lack of oxygen, and water & fertilizer are not being absorbed. Cut off the dead growth. Try taking the plant out of its container. Sometimes if the soil is exposed directly to the air, it will dry out enough & the plant can be saved. Other signs of over watering include: flower buds fall off without opening, new leaves are small, turn black & fall off (ficus), green leaves fall off (schefflerra), all of the old leaves fall off (croton), fungus (toadstools) grow in the soil. The worst is when there is this awful methane sulfur smell, something like rotten eggs. Here are a few signs of over watering that are often mistaken for under watering. Ferns & wandering jews get brown & crispy in the middle. Grape & oak leaf ivies get brown crunchy leaves. The tips of the leaves on dracaenas & palms turn brown. Remember, when in doubt, don’t water. It’s easier to save an under watered plant than an over watered plant.

5. Under watering: Under watering will not kill a plant as quickly as over watering; but after a period of time, the results are the same. If a plant is consistently under watered the roots become damaged in two ways: dehydration and being burned by the salts in fertilizers. Remember, you must look at the plant and test the soil for moisture because, in some cases, problems that indicate under watering mimic those that indicate over watering. In under watering, leaves wilt, becoming soft & droopy, when the soil is dry. An entire branch may petrify and turn brown (Norfolk Island Star Pine). Fronds turn a yellow or even orange color (palms). Some plants turn very pale, losing their vibrant green color (ferns, spider, China Doll). In severe cases of under watering, the soil will pull away from the sides of the pot. When this happens, water simply runs through without hydrating the soil. There are a couple of solutions for this problem. If the pot is small enough, submerge it in a bucket of water (up to the pot brim); you will see bubbles floating up. This is the oxygen escaping as water is taking its place in the soil. When this problem happens with large pots, add a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent (I use Ivory) to a few gallons of water; then water the plant slowly until the water comes out the bottom drip holes. A few other indications of under watering include: the tips or margins of the leaves turn brown; leaves and flower buds drop off or just don’t develop.

6. Always water a dry plant with plain water before using water with fertilizer in it. This will prevent the salts in the fertilizer from burning the roots of the plant.

7. When you water, water thoroughly, until you see the water come out of the drip holes at the bottom of the pot. This leaches out any salts and chlorides that have been building up in the soil from the use of fertilizers. The plant should be sitting in a drip saucer, which will catch this excess water. You should go back and empty the water out of the drip saucers; if you don’t the plant merely reabsorbs the salty water you have just rinsed out.

8. Water treated by a water softening system should never be used with plants. This puts too much salt into the soil and damages the roots.

9. The ideal temperature of the water you use should be between 62 and 72 degrees. If the water is too cold the roots can’t absorb it. It’s best to water your plants early in the day so that the leaves and soil dry out a little before the nighttime chill.

10. Changes can affect your watering schedule. Be careful not to over water when:
the air conditioning starts in the summer
there are several days of dark cloudy weather
the plant is resting after a burst of new growth or flowers

11. Mulch, grave, and moss help the soil retain moisture

Next Section: Watering Your Plants While On Vacation

Chrysanthemum	Palm	Spiderplant
Dracaena Janet Craig	Ivy	Spathyphylum (Peace Lily)