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| Boilerpipe Text | âHow often should I water my houseplants?â is a question weâre asked more than any other. Watering causes a lot of confusion, but we promise itâs very simple.
Plants canât survive without water, but they probably donât need as much as you think. When it comes to watering your plants, the key things to remember are:
Check your plants at least once per week
Only water when the top two inches of soil feel dry
In summer, plants may dry out quickly
Cut back watering in winter, when plants arenât growing
Remember plants like soil thatâs lightly moist, never soggy
Thatâs the basics, but letâs do a deep dive on watering. Also, a quick tip if you always forget to water: try an
(almost) unkillable plant
.
How often should you water your plants?
Thereâs no one-size-fits-all answer. Plants need different amounts of water depending on time of year and species.Â
In dry, hot summers they may need water every couple of days. In winter, maybe every few weeks.Â
The general rule is:
water when the top two inches of soil feel completely dry
. That will stop you overwatering. Note: Some plants, including zz plants and corn plants, prefer their soil to dry out completely between drinks. Check your plantâs page to check how thirsty it is.
How should you water your houseplants?
Water the soil, not the leaves. This ensures it goes straight to the roots (and doesnât splash everywhere).
Some people like to pour water into the plantâs saucer (if it has one), so the roots suck it up through the potâs drainage holes. We donât use this method, but if it works for you then we support you.Â
Some plants prefer filtered water to hard tap water, fussy devils (check your plantâs page to see if thatâs yours). If you donât have a filter, you can boil water, then let it cool fully before you use it.
When is the best time to water your plants?
Honestly, with houseplants it doesnât make a huge amount of difference what time of day you water. That said, first thing in the morning is the absolute best time for watering.
This is because your plant is preparing for a day of growing and will be ready to suck up all that water. If you water at night your plant will wait until the next morning to start drinking.
How do you know if youâve overwatered your plants?
Itâs pretty easy to tell if your plant has been overwatered. Some of the clear signs are:
Lots of leaves are yellow and limp
Very floppy leavesÂ
Dropping lots of leaves. A waterlogged plant may shed leaves from stress
Soil that feels very soggy, even days after wateringÂ
Mouldy soil. Mould and fungus love damp conditions
What should you do if youâve overwatered your plant?
An overwatered plant can usually be saved if you stop watering and let it dry out fully before you give it another drink.
In severe cases your plant may get root rot. That requires a bit more work to fix. Find out
how to tell if your plant has root rot
and how to fix it here.
Signs of underwatering
The signs of underwatering are probably what youâd expect:
Dry, wilted leaves
Soil feels dry and is pulling away from the edges of the pot
No growth. A plant canât grow without water
Light brown, faded leaves
What should you do if youâve under-watered your plant?
Very easy. Just water more regularly, but still stick to only watering when the top two inches of soil feel dry.
If your plant is constantly drying out very quickly, it may mean the pot is too small to sustain it.
Check if it needs repotting here
.
Solutions for forgetful waterers
Itâs easy to forget to water your plants, so you could make life easy for yourself by getting plants that donât mind drying out.
Cacti
are great bets, or any of these plants on our
(Almost) Unkillable
list.
You could also invest in
water dispensers
, or hydrospikes, which water your plants gradually with no effort from you.
Donât forget misting
One final tip: Plants also like to suck up moisture from the air, so give them a regular mist or boost the humidity in your home. You can
learn more about humidity here
.
Congratulations, youâre now an expert on watering! You might say youâve just completed your H2O-levels (weâre very sorry).
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# Complete guide to watering
âHow often should I water my houseplants?â is a question weâre asked more than any other. Watering causes a lot of confusion, but we promise itâs very simple.

Plants canât survive without water, but they probably donât need as much as you think. When it comes to watering your plants, the key things to remember are:
- Check your plants at least once per week
- Only water when the top two inches of soil feel dry
- In summer, plants may dry out quickly
- Cut back watering in winter, when plants arenât growing
- Remember plants like soil thatâs lightly moist, never soggy
Thatâs the basics, but letâs do a deep dive on watering. Also, a quick tip if you always forget to water: try an [(almost) unkillable plant](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-unkillable/).
## Jump to
[How often should you water your plants?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#how-often-should-you-water-your-plants)
[How should you water your houseplants?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#how-should-you-water-your-houseplants)
[When is the best time to water your plants?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#when-is-the-best-time-to-water-your-plants)
[How do you know if youâve overwatered your plants?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#how-do-you-know-if-youve-overwatered-your-plants)
[What should you do if youâve overwatered your plant?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#what-should-you-do-if-youve-overwatered-your-plants)
[Signs of underwatering](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#signs-of-underwatering)
[What should you do if youâve under-watered your plant?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#what-should-you-do-if-youve-under-watered-your-plant)
[Solutions for forgetful waterers](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#solutions-for-forgetful-waterers)
[Donât forget misting](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-watering/#dont-forget-misting)
## How often should you water your plants?
Thereâs no one-size-fits-all answer. Plants need different amounts of water depending on time of year and species.
In dry, hot summers they may need water every couple of days. In winter, maybe every few weeks.
The general rule is: **water when the top two inches of soil feel completely dry**. That will stop you overwatering. Note: Some plants, including zz plants and corn plants, prefer their soil to dry out completely between drinks. Check your plantâs page to check how thirsty it is.

## How should you water your houseplants?
Water the soil, not the leaves. This ensures it goes straight to the roots (and doesnât splash everywhere).
Some people like to pour water into the plantâs saucer (if it has one), so the roots suck it up through the potâs drainage holes. We donât use this method, but if it works for you then we support you.
Some plants prefer filtered water to hard tap water, fussy devils (check your plantâs page to see if thatâs yours). If you donât have a filter, you can boil water, then let it cool fully before you use it.

## When is the best time to water your plants?
Honestly, with houseplants it doesnât make a huge amount of difference what time of day you water. That said, first thing in the morning is the absolute best time for watering.
This is because your plant is preparing for a day of growing and will be ready to suck up all that water. If you water at night your plant will wait until the next morning to start drinking.
## How do you know if youâve overwatered your plants?
Itâs pretty easy to tell if your plant has been overwatered. Some of the clear signs are:
- Lots of leaves are yellow and limp
- Very floppy leaves
- Dropping lots of leaves. A waterlogged plant may shed leaves from stress
- Soil that feels very soggy, even days after watering
- Mouldy soil. Mould and fungus love damp conditions

## What should you do if youâve overwatered your plant?
An overwatered plant can usually be saved if you stop watering and let it dry out fully before you give it another drink.
In severe cases your plant may get root rot. That requires a bit more work to fix. Find out [how to tell if your plant has root rot](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/root-rot-how-to-spot-it-and-fix-it/) and how to fix it here.
## Signs of underwatering
The signs of underwatering are probably what youâd expect:
- Dry, wilted leaves
- Soil feels dry and is pulling away from the edges of the pot
- No growth. A plant canât grow without water
- Light brown, faded leaves


## What should you do if youâve under-watered your plant?
Very easy. Just water more regularly, but still stick to only watering when the top two inches of soil feel dry.
If your plant is constantly drying out very quickly, it may mean the pot is too small to sustain it. [Check if it needs repotting here](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-repotting/).
## Solutions for forgetful waterers
Itâs easy to forget to water your plants, so you could make life easy for yourself by getting plants that donât mind drying out. [Cacti](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-cacti-and-succulents/) are great bets, or any of these plants on our [(Almost) Unkillable](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-unkillable/) list.
You could also invest in [water dispensers](https://www.patchplants.com/products/accessories-water-dispensers/), or hydrospikes, which water your plants gradually with no effort from you.

## Donât forget misting
One final tip: Plants also like to suck up moisture from the air, so give them a regular mist or boost the humidity in your home. You can [learn more about humidity here](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-humidity/).

Congratulations, youâre now an expert on watering! You might say youâve just completed your H2O-levels (weâre very sorry).
### In this article
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### You might like
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Find the right plants for your home
[Why is my plantâs soil mouldy?](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/why-is-my-plants-soil-moldy/)
Letâs clean up your dirt
[How to care for your houseplants in summer](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/how-to-care-for-houseplants-in-summer/)
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| Readable Markdown | âHow often should I water my houseplants?â is a question weâre asked more than any other. Watering causes a lot of confusion, but we promise itâs very simple.

Plants canât survive without water, but they probably donât need as much as you think. When it comes to watering your plants, the key things to remember are:
- Check your plants at least once per week
- Only water when the top two inches of soil feel dry
- In summer, plants may dry out quickly
- Cut back watering in winter, when plants arenât growing
- Remember plants like soil thatâs lightly moist, never soggy
Thatâs the basics, but letâs do a deep dive on watering. Also, a quick tip if you always forget to water: try an [(almost) unkillable plant](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-unkillable/).
How often should you water your plants?
Thereâs no one-size-fits-all answer. Plants need different amounts of water depending on time of year and species.
In dry, hot summers they may need water every couple of days. In winter, maybe every few weeks.
The general rule is: **water when the top two inches of soil feel completely dry**. That will stop you overwatering. Note: Some plants, including zz plants and corn plants, prefer their soil to dry out completely between drinks. Check your plantâs page to check how thirsty it is.

How should you water your houseplants?
Water the soil, not the leaves. This ensures it goes straight to the roots (and doesnât splash everywhere).
Some people like to pour water into the plantâs saucer (if it has one), so the roots suck it up through the potâs drainage holes. We donât use this method, but if it works for you then we support you.
Some plants prefer filtered water to hard tap water, fussy devils (check your plantâs page to see if thatâs yours). If you donât have a filter, you can boil water, then let it cool fully before you use it.

When is the best time to water your plants?
Honestly, with houseplants it doesnât make a huge amount of difference what time of day you water. That said, first thing in the morning is the absolute best time for watering.
This is because your plant is preparing for a day of growing and will be ready to suck up all that water. If you water at night your plant will wait until the next morning to start drinking.
How do you know if youâve overwatered your plants?
Itâs pretty easy to tell if your plant has been overwatered. Some of the clear signs are:
- Lots of leaves are yellow and limp
- Very floppy leaves
- Dropping lots of leaves. A waterlogged plant may shed leaves from stress
- Soil that feels very soggy, even days after watering
- Mouldy soil. Mould and fungus love damp conditions

What should you do if youâve overwatered your plant?
An overwatered plant can usually be saved if you stop watering and let it dry out fully before you give it another drink.
In severe cases your plant may get root rot. That requires a bit more work to fix. Find out [how to tell if your plant has root rot](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/root-rot-how-to-spot-it-and-fix-it/) and how to fix it here.
Signs of underwatering
The signs of underwatering are probably what youâd expect:
- Dry, wilted leaves
- Soil feels dry and is pulling away from the edges of the pot
- No growth. A plant canât grow without water
- Light brown, faded leaves


What should you do if youâve under-watered your plant?
Very easy. Just water more regularly, but still stick to only watering when the top two inches of soil feel dry.
If your plant is constantly drying out very quickly, it may mean the pot is too small to sustain it. [Check if it needs repotting here](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-repotting/).
Solutions for forgetful waterers
Itâs easy to forget to water your plants, so you could make life easy for yourself by getting plants that donât mind drying out. [Cacti](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-cacti-and-succulents/) are great bets, or any of these plants on our [(Almost) Unkillable](https://www.patchplants.com/collections/plants-indoor-unkillable/) list.
You could also invest in [water dispensers](https://www.patchplants.com/products/accessories-water-dispensers/), or hydrospikes, which water your plants gradually with no effort from you.

Donât forget misting
One final tip: Plants also like to suck up moisture from the air, so give them a regular mist or boost the humidity in your home. You can [learn more about humidity here](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/plant-care/complete-guide-to-humidity/).

Congratulations, youâre now an expert on watering! You might say youâve just completed your H2O-levels (weâre very sorry).
In this article
Never kill another plant
Plant tips. Special offers. No spam.

Free standard delivery on orders over ÂŁ50
- 
### Help
Need to get in touch?
Just use the help widget to send a message to the team.
Customer service opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 9am-8pm
Live chat is available 10am-5pm Monday to Friday
[Contact details](https://www.patchplants.com/pages/contact/)
- 
### Security
Secure payment - our systems are protected with bank-grade security. Your payment is safe with us.
- 
### Quality
We work directly with over 40 specialist growers to bring you the best quality plants
- 
### Patch Promise
If you need advice, just get in touch - weâll be your personal plant gurus as long as you need us. If somethingâs up, tell us within 30 days of delivery â weâll sort it. |
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