We at Pistils acknowledge there are different effective watering styles. Whether you prefer a schedule to maintain your plants or you need houseplants that can handle some inconsistent care, the best way to ensure your plants thrive is to stick to one watering style and grow plants that are best suited for your type of care. Taking care of houseplants should be enjoyable and rewarding, not stressful or overwhelming.

We are partial to our brass watering can because of its weight, spout size and placement, and because brass can hold water without rusting over time. Here, it's pictured with Hoya curtisii and some Tillandsia. 

General Houseplant Watering Tips

• • Use a watering can with a small spout to water slowly, so the water penetrates the soil more evenly.
  • Use room temperature water.
  • Use your finger! For most plants, the top half of soil should feel dry between waterings.
  • Dry and compacted soil can reject water. In this case, set the planter into a shallow dish of water to help rehydrate the roots.
  • Consistency is key! If you keep changing your watering style, your plant can't adjust or acclimate to the conditions you provide.
    
  • Plants use energy from sunlight to move water from their roots to the tips of their leaves. In darker areas, plants will need less water. In brighter spots, plants will need more water to thrive.
  • If you're watering a houseplant more than once a week, something might be off: Consider repotting into a slightly larger planter or use a more water-retentive substrate.
  • Try investing in an attractive watering can that you can leave out as a reminder to tend to your plants.
  • Refill your watering can after each watering so it’s ready for next time.
    

Our brass watering can is as artful as it is useful. Here, it's being used to water a blooming Peperomia caperata.

How Plants Tell You They Need Water

When plants are dry, there are many ways they can show stress. Most commonly, plants will droop and their leaves will curl if they are left too dry for too long.

Some plants show these signs more dramatically than others. When a Nerve Plant or Peace Lily is dry, the plant looks completely flat and shriveled, and after receiving water they can reinflate and look good as new.

When a Monstera is dry, you might notice that the leaves are slightly curled, a little pale, and feel thinner than normal. This is a sign that you’ve waited a little too long to give your plant a drink.

Pinching a succulent’s leaves is a good way to tell if the plant needs water. If the leaves feel flimsy or lax, water will help the leaves refill with water.

Every plant has its own way of telling you it’s ready for a drink. Spend some time observing your plant and listening to its needs.

Fittonia albivenis, also known as Nerve Plant, will dramatically wilt if left dry for too long. But after watering, this plant will rehydrate with little-to-no damage to its leaves.

Ways to Water

Here are some ways you can find success with plants:

Scheduled Watering: Finding Balance Through Routine

For those who prefer structure to get tasks done, a watering schedule is a game-changer. People who use this method often pick one day a week as a “watering day.” This is the time to check all your plants for water.

With consistent water, plants can develop a sense of trust. For instance, if a Fiddle Leaf Fig is accustomed to fully drying out between waterings, it will hold onto healthy leaves during a dry spell longer than a Fiddle that gets more frequent water. Many people find this plant difficult because they change the plant’s routine and all the leaves drop. The plant isn’t dead; it’s just conserving energy and waiting for growing conditions to improve. The best way to grow this plant is with consistent care.

Some plants that are best suited for this type of care are Ficus trees, Anthurium, moth orchids, African Violets, and Staghorn Ferns. These plants look their best with consistent, reliable watering.

A word of caution for Schedule-Based Waterers: Be mindful of seasonality with your care. During the hottest and longest days of summer, plants grown in a windowsill might need a mid-week drink or a deeper watering. In cooler and darker months, your plants might not need water every week.

Ficus lyrata, also known as Fiddle Leaf Fig, appreciates consistency and a schedule. This plant is known to be resentful of change.

Convenience Watering: Embracing Flexibility in Plant Care

For laid-back personalities, convenience-based watering might be a good fit. This laid-back approach involves watering your plants whenever it's most convenient for you. If you have a few ounces of water left in a glass, throw it in your plant. This watering style often gives your plants a couple small drinks a week, but never a lot of water at any one time. While it may lack the precision of scheduled watering, convenience watering ensures that your plants are never fully dry or fully wet, allowing you to enjoy your greenery without added stress.

Just make sure to feel the top inch of the soil before adding more water into any of your plants.

Some plants best-suited for this watering style are Aglaonema, Spider Plants, Asparagus ferns, and thick-leaved Alocasia (Black Velvet, Silver Dragon, amazonica ‘Polly’). These plants like light & even moisture.

Asparagus retrofractus can tolerate neglect but looks best with little sips that keep the plant lightly moist.

Comet Watering: Infrequent & Intense

For those who prefer a hands-off approach to plant care, comet-style watering offers simplicity. Like a comet, your plant care might burn bright and come around only very occasionally. Some low-maintenance plant varieties only want water every 1-2 months, for example cacti, euphorbia, snake plants, and ZZ plants. By mimicking the natural drought conditions of their native habitats, you encourage these resilient plants to thrive with minimal intervention. Water these plants infrequently, but provide slow waterings that just barely reach the roots at the bottom of the pot.

Snake Plants and Pencil Cactus are perfect examples of plants that want to dry out between waterings.

Intuitive Watering: Listening to Your Plants' Needs

This is where the magic happens. With this type of watering style, you develop a closer bond with your plants. Plants are excellent communicators if you know how to listen.

Intuitive watering relies on paying attention to cues from your plants, such as curling leaves, a droopy stem, or puckering, and watering as they ask. By tuning into your plants' signals, you can provide water at exactly the right time--just before your plant shows signs of stress. This type of watering is a practice in mindfulness.

Trusting your intuition is key in mastering this watering style, so don't be afraid to let your green thumb guide you. All plants are good for this watering style.

Pilea peperomioides, also known as Friendship Plant, getting watered just as its leaves look a little droopy.

Conclusion

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to watering your plants. Whether you prefer the structured routine of scheduled watering, the flexibility of convenience watering, the simplicity of comet watering, or growing into intuitive watering, finding the right watering style is all about what works best for you and the plants you grow. Embrace the art of watering, experiment with different techniques, but in the end settle on a consistent regime, and watch your plants flourish.

Anthurium forgetii getting a drink.