{"id":20314,"date":"2024-03-04T08:25:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T13:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/?p=20314"},"modified":"2024-03-04T08:25:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T13:25:17","slug":"your-finger-holds-the-key-to-proper-watering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/your-finger-holds-the-key-to-proper-watering\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Finger Holds the Key to Proper Watering"},"content":{"rendered":"
Did you know the number one way to kill a houseplant? It’s watering! Sometimes underwatering but usually overwatering. So, how do we not kill our plants this way?<\/p>\n
One of the best ways to correct your watering is, believe it or not, your finger! When you buy a plant, get in the habit of checking the soil with your finger before watering. A pot 4 to 6 inches in diameter should dry out about an inch down before you water. An 8 or 10-inch pot should dry out at least 2 to 3 inches down. A 12, 14, or 16-inch pot should dry out as far down as you can reach with your finger.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind certain plants, like cacti and succulents. should go dry all the way down before watering. You should never allow a plant to go so dry that the leaves begin to droop or curl. Also, identify the plant so you know if it likes to dry out more than another.<\/p>\n
Sometimes when you’re out at the grocery store or even a hardware store you’ll see a beautiful orchid in a plastic pot, with sphagnum moss, sitting inside a pretty little ceramic pot.\u00a0 Sometimes, the directions tell you to water with three ice cubes weekly.<\/p>\n
Most orchids are epiphytic, meaning they live in trees! They’re also native to the tropics, meaning they NEVER come in contact with melting frozen water! If you get one of these\u2014or any plant in a plastic pot sitting inside another pot, ALWAYS take the inside plastic pot out for watering and allow it to drain completely before putting it back inside the decorative pot. Also, after you finish watering all your plants, go back and ensure NONE are sitting in water in their saucers.<\/p>\n
So this should take care of a lot of your watering problems. Remember that different plants have different light requirements, from plants that tolerate lower light levels, to plants that need as much light as possible, so be sure to identify your plants lighting needs.<\/p>\n
We have a great selection of plants to suit your needs in high or low light!<\/p>\n
To read more posts from Bonnie, visit our blog<\/a><\/p>\n Return to the Great Big Greenhouse homepage<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Did you know the number one way to kill a houseplant? It’s watering! Sometimes underwatering but usually overwatering. So, how do we not kill our plants this way? The Answer to Perfect Watering Is At Your Fingertips One of the best ways to correct your watering is, believe it or not, your finger! When you … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":20316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n