Let’s talk about Watering your houseplants

Let’s talk about Watering…

Weather is changing and our house plants know all about it, even before we realize it!

With the sun and temperatures going down, there are a few things that we need to do to accommodate for our plants to continue on a healthy path.

A new watering schedule: it’s time re-assess how often we water our plants; you might notice they are not drying as often as they used to do a few weeks ago, and that’s because the natural light has been reduced (naturally) and the temperature has dropped (No more heat waves- Sadly for me and Thankfully for the rest of the world LOL) Always check and ensure the soil of your plants is drying rather than watering on a Set schedule.

Start reducing fertilizer applications if you’re feeding your plants, gradually reduce the amount of plant food you’re giving to your plant and the frequency of feedings.
(is recommendable to apply plant food every other time you water from May to September and then only once a month during October and November- I completely stop feeding from December to February) *for most plants under house conditions* 
This doesn’t apply to plants that are growing on a tent under grow lights.

I wanted to share some general watering tips for your house plants, the information below is taken from an old book “Foliage House plants by James Underwood, I find this Book to be very useful and very detailed when it comes down to advise.

Regardless of how a plant is potted, there are a few basic tips on watering I would suggest.
First use tepid water, that is simply tap water that is pleasantly warm to the touch; plant take tepid water more rapidly than cold water, and cold water can Shock many plants and cause them to wilt. If the water is heavily chlorinated, let it stand in a pan or a bucket overnight so the chlorine can evaporate.

When you water a plant in a standard pot with drainage holes, add water until some comes out of the holes. Beware of water coming too quickly, however; if the ball of soil around the roots has been allowed to become overly dry, the soil may has shrunk and pulled away from the pot walls, and the water you have applied have just run down the gap on the side of the pot, completely by passing the roots. In such case take the plant, pot and all, and immerse it in the sink or in a pail of water, leave the top of the soil covered with an inch or two of water until air bubbles stop rising, and then set the plant aside so the excess of water can drain.

Wishing you lots of Light in your plant journey

Eyra