When thinking about watering your plants, think instead about drying them out. Sounds crazy, but plants need oxygen around their roots as much as they need water. When you water, you fill the air pockets in the soil with water. If you don’t allow the soil to dry out properly, then you will deprive the roots of essential oxygen. The result is root rot. In general, most potted plants need the top 20-25% of the soil to feel dry to the touch before water is added. Moisture loving plants need water as soon as the soil surface is dry, while succulents need the soil to dry halfway down into the pot in between waterings. Know how much drying out your plant requires and focus on that when thinking about when to water them. Learn more about proper watering by ordering a free copy of Indoor Plant Bulletin No.4.
