Water houseplants properly Botanically

The most important tips on casting

You always water your houseplant regularly and still have the feeling that the beautiful leaves are getting fewer and fewer? The beautiful flower that your plant usually gets hasn't grown for a long time?

In short: Your plant dies despite watering. No problem! Here we want to clarify some questions about "watering houseplants correctly". You may already have some questions floating around in your head:

How often do I have to water my plant?
Should I water them better in the morning or in the evening?
Are there plants that don't need to be watered at all or only very rarely?
Who takes care of my houseplant when I'm on vacation?

In order to answer exactly these questions, we want to show you how you can water your houseplant correctly, so that it beautifies your apartment and not after a few days through the wrong care incoming.

Water demand factors

The water requirement of your plant usually depends on the species, but also on the natural habits of life. But these are not the only factors. Current conditions also play a role in how often and when is the best time to water your plants.

Here are some tips on how to determine if your plant has a fairly high or low water requirement:

Your plant needs to be watered more frequently if:

your plant is in the growth phase
strong root penetration develops in the vessel
the temperatures are high
the plant has thin and large leaves

Your plant needs to be watered less often if:

the plant is dormant
the pot is only slightly rooted
the temperatures are low
the humidity is high
the plant has thick and small leaves or shoots

When should I water my plant?

As you have just learned, a number of factors are decisive for the casting behavior. But if you follow a few rules, watering your indoor plants is relatively easy.

Despite different water requirements, there is a relatively general test how you can find out if your plant needs water:

Tip: Stick your finger about 2cm into the soil and see if it is still damp. If this is the case, then watering the plant is not absolutely necessary. However, if the soil is dry, then you should water it.

For large pots, a moisture meter helps, which you can easily buy in a garden center or hardware store.

But if you work intensively with your plants, you will certainly get a sense of when the right time for watering is, because of course you shouldn't generalize the watering behavior because every plant is individual.

Does the time of day play a role in watering?

If you are a hobby botanist and also have various plants in your garden, then you may already know the rule that it is better not to water during the day, but rather in the morning or evening.

You can also apply this simple rule to your indoor plants. It is best if you give them water in the morning. This way the plant has enough water throughout the day and does not dry out.

Tip: The sunnier the location, the more frequently you have to water the houseplant. Watering in the morning is therefore useful for healthy plant growth.

App: Water plants

If you want to discover your green fingers first and need some help or you are just one of those people who would like it to be easy and convenient, then you can also get an app for caring for and watering your plants.

The apps "Water flowers" and "Koubachi" reliably remind you to water your indoor plants regularly. Your plants no longer have to die of thirst or are watered and can therefore thrive magnificently. They not only contain information about the correct watering behavior of more than 500 plants, but also provide tips on care.

Are there plants that don't need to be watered?

Unfortunately, there are no indoor plants that do not need to be watered at all, since every plant also needs water for healthy growth.

Nevertheless, there are so-called succulents. These plants are the masters of water storage in the leaf, the trunk or the root. As a result, they are adapted to special climatic and soil conditions and can survive without water for a long period of time. The most well-known representative of the succulent plants is the cactus family.

Here are our two favorite houseplants that need little watering

The Candlestick Flower

You can recognize the candlestick flower by its heart-shaped leaves. Chandelier flower care is relatively easy because it requires very little water. You should even avoid watering them excessively so that waterlogging, i.e. when water collects and cannot drain away, develops in the pot.

You should water more sparingly in the winter months than in the summer months. The plant needs water again if the soil is slightly dry. You should never water them when the soil is still wet. This can cause your candlestick flower to begin to rot.

Die Leuchterblume benötigt weniger Wasser

The rubber tree

The rubber tree with its large, dark green, thick leaves proves to be very easy to care for, as it also consumes less water. That is why many appreciate the Ficus Elastica, as it is called in science. You can also get this classic beauty for your home in our shop.

The special feature of the rubber tree is the casting method. Here the rule applies: Dip rather than water! All you have to do is dip the flower pot in water. Then wait until no more water bubbles rise from the potting soil.

After that, you can just wait for the excess water to drain and put it back in place. In this way, the rubber tree can survive for a few weeks without fresh water. When the soil is completely dry again, you can repeat the dipping process.

Water plants on vacation?

You finally want to go on your long-awaited vacation and don't know what to do with your houseplants during that time? Neighbors and family don't have time to water the plants either? No problem! Here we show you four tricks that you can use to ensure that your beloved plant survives the holiday without you.

Method 1: Place your plant in the bathtub (preferably a towel or a plastic bag to protect it) and let cold water run in until it is about 3 cm high in the bathtub. It is best if you use this method the evening before your vacation. So you can estimate the next morning how much water the plants need.
Method 2: You already got to know this method above when caring for the rubber tree.Simply dip the pot in water the night before and wait until no more air bubbles form. Then the pot can be placed in a shady spot in the home.

Repeat this method after returning from vacation.

Method 3: For our third method, you only need a thick cotton thread and a larger water container (e.g. a bowl). Stick one end into the potting soil of your plants. It is best to hang the other end in the water container with a weight so that the thread touches the ground. THIS is how the plant always gets as much water as it needs.
Method 4: You can also go on holiday in peace with the watering ball. This method provides your plants with water automatically, similar to the string method. You simply have to fill the (glass) ball with water beforehand and stick the tip of the stick into the potting soil. The earth now only absorbs as much water as is currently needed.

The peculiarity of the carnivorous plants

The so-called carnivorous plant is a special case when watering. They must never be watered with calcareous water. Lime is the enemy of these plant species. It is best if you water your carnivorous plant with rainwater, alternatively you can use still mineral water.

Carnivorous plants like a bright spot, but you should avoid direct sunlight.

Zimmerpflanzen richtig gießen - Gieße Deine Fleischfressende Pflanze richtig

Keep your plant from drying out. They also do not tolerate waterlogging. You should also avoid watering the upper parts of the plant when watering.

The plant also prefers high humidity. You can increase this by placing water bowls on the heater. You can also spray larger carnivorous plants regularly with lime-free water. This is the best way for your plant to thrive.