Some people are born gardeners, some people have gardening thrust upon them. If you’ve moved into a place with a garden, or you’ve inherited a houseplant, congratulations! You now have a living thing to love and care for. Scary thought, we know! So naturally, the first question is, how often should you water your plant to keep it alive?

Killing a plant brings a surprising amount of guilt with it. You’ll know what we mean if you’ve ever done just that (you monster). We thought we’d do our bit for plant life everywhere by sharing some watering tips that will help you keep your greenery healthy.

Watering Indoor Plants

There’s a huge variety of plants you can keep in your home. Some need regular tending; others are happy doing their own thing. The key is research. Research different plants and choose wisely based on your own watering habits.

Low Maintenance

Desert plants like cacti or palms like to dry out for a bit in between watering. In other words, if you’re the type who forgets about plants, this is your solution. They will still add that dash of green around your home without you having constant fear you forgot to water them.

Somewhere in the Middle

Then there are some plants like ferns or spider plants that appreciate moist soil but are still pretty easy to look after. They take the middle ground in the indoor plants arena. These plants are the perfect stepping stone before you upgrade to some of the more ‘high maintenance’ varieties.

High Maintenance

Some plants are really fussy about how they’re watered and like to have a certain amount of moisture at all times. Orchids are notoriously hard to look after as they ideally like to take water from humid air. One top tip is to leave them in the bathroom (close to the window as they like lots of light too).

High maintenance plants are probably best suited to those who actively enjoy tending to plants rather than just having something leafy and green to enhance the living room decor.

Indoor Plant Top Tips

Some rules to follow for indoor plant watering:

• Rain water or filtered water is better than water straight from the tap as tap water has more chlorine and other impurities in it
• Use water at room temperature by filling your watering can up straight after each watering session
• When watering, water well so that water filters down through the soil
• Keep plants in a pot that can drain with either a saucer or a larger pot underneath

Watering Outdoor Plants

Flower Beds

Water your flower beds in the morning. Yes, the sad news is you may have to crawl out of bed a little earlier, however, its all for the benefit of the flowers. Morning watering means water can be absorbed before it begins to evaporate in the summer heat and the leaves will dry before the temperatures drop in the evening, which helps to prevent mould.

Outdoor Potted Plants

Rainwater can be all that’s needed to keep the plants in your flowerbeds happy, but potted outdoor plants will need a little more TLC in the form of H2O. Look out for the signs that they’re thirsty.

• Dry shrivelled leaves
• Yellowing/discolouration
• Drooping leaves
• Flowers dropping off

If your plants are showcasing any of these signs, it’s happy hour! Give your plants a drink. Ideally, water slowly using water butt water until it flows out of the bottom of the pots.

Watering Grass

Unless the weather is particularly dry, you shouldn’t need to water the grass a lot. Too much excess water is best avoided as it discourages roots from growing down further and the lawn is less healthy. In a particularly dry spell top up the moisture in your lawn if you think it’s on the verge of wilting. Otherwise leave well alone.

Alternatively, you can give grass the exact moisture it needs without lifting a single hose or watering can. Gardena has a system we have fallen in love with as it’s basically the stuff of sci-fi movies.

Their Smart System for lawns has:

• A robotic lawnmower which cuts grass while you relax on your patio reading a magazine or novel, or listening to an e-book in this modern world we now live in
• A moisture sensor that also measures the temperature and light intensity in your garden
• A water control which dispenses water letting your water your plants on a whim without lifting a finger. Yes, this is garden goals right here people!
• An app that lets you remotely control when your lawn gets mown or watered at the touch of a button, even when you’re away from home.

No, this isn’t made up and no, you aren’t dreaming. This product actually exists.

If you now have the gardening bug, you can read more about getting the greenest grass here. Gotta keep up with the Joneses after all.

So the moral of this story is, as long as you don’t water too much or too little you and your plants will have many happy years together. And everyone lived happily ever after…

Tags: Garden Watering, Gardening Tips, plants, summer