How Often to Water Plants - Our Top 5 Tips

Watering tips for 5 of the most popular houseplants

 

Indoor plant care can often hinge on one thing: watering. The neglectful among us will naturally water too little. But by far the biggest killer is overwatering, or “overcaring”, as we like to call it. Because it is sometimes possible to love too much.

 

So, in response to this, we’ve created Plant Care Tags: a new product to help you keep your plant family happy and helpful. And to mark the occasion, we’ve put together our top 5 tips on how to water the top 5 most popular houseplants.

 

Our Plant Life Support continues to go viral. Our genius little plant self-waterer was featured in Mail Online Australia last week. And now it's been demonstrated by the theamazonbadger on TikTok.

 

People can’t get enough of this medical themed automatic plant waterer. But we’re not about to stop in our quest to produce handy gadgets and gifts for the indoor gardener. Oh, no.

 

Here at Bubblegum Stuff we know that somewhere there’s a #PlantParent in need of a helping hand.

 

Enter Plant Care Tags…

 

We totally get it. You see your friends’ indoor jungles and you go green with envy. So you pop down the plant shop, buy a load of parlour palms, only for them to die within days of getting them home. Unbe-leaf-able!

 

Well, now you needn’t worry, because Bubblegum Stuff has got you covered with all your indoor plant care needs in 2021.

 

Plant Care Tags contain care instructions for the 30 most popular houseplants that’ll help you keep your houseplants healthy; whether they prefer tanning in the sun, lounging in the shade, or sipping on the odd refreshment.

 

These handy care guides are ideal for all #PlantParents, regardless of your experience level.

 

Whether green or green-fingered, your houseplant family will flourish with the aid of these little guys.

 

But, since the Plant Care Tags are still in the production stage, you won’t be able to get your hands on one until later in the year.

 

However, since we’re feeling generous, we’re giving away our top 5 tips on how often to water plants. We’re covering the 5 most popular varieties of houseplants to satisfy your green-fingered thirst for plant-based knowledge until our product drops. These are on the house, for use in your house. No joke…

 

1. How often to water a cactus…

 

People think that cacti only need a small amount of water - this is not true. Yes, they do store water in their leaves and stems which allow them to survive in dry habitats. But they’re not going to thrive if you allow them to dry out too much. Your cacti will only grow if you water it. Simples.

 

In the growing season, your cacti should be watered at least once a week. When watering, the soil should be given a good soaking, allowing excess water to drain away. Then allow the soil to dry out a bit between each watering.

 

Remember: overwatering will stunt growth, but under-watering will cause shrivelling.

 

2. How often to water a succulent… 

 

Similar to cacti, there’s a common misconception that succulents need little to no water. Again, this isn’t true. That said, beware of overwatering them - it’s every houseplants’ silent nemesis.

 

If you notice your little succulent has wrinkled leaves, it could be a sign of dehydration; you’ve probably forgotten to water them. A clear sign of overwatering is discoloration and changes in the shape, size and form of their leaves.

 

You'll notice their leaves becoming translucent, soft, and squishy. They’ll more than likely fall off - unlike those that have been underwatered.

 

A fairly bulletproof rule is to always check the soil for moisture with your finger, up to the second knuckle, before watering. If your finger comes up moist, wait for a few days, maybe even a week, and check again.

 

When watering your succulent, do so thoroughly so that it comes out of the drainage holes. This will encourage the roots to grow downward, which is what you want for a happy, healthy succulent.

 

Also, you’ll want to avoid getting the foliage damp; this can cause leaves of the succulent to disintegrate. If you accidentally get them wet, dry them off with a paper towel.

 

3. How often to water a peace lily… 

 

One of the most common mistakes plant parents make when taking care of their peace lilies is overwatering (surprise, surprise!). These handsome plants can cope way better if you underwater them than if you overwater them. Overwatering is probably the most common cause of peace lily death.

 

It’s like groundhog day, isn’t it. Or déjà vu.

 

To avoid causing your peace lily to meet a gruesome waterlogged end, never water them on a schedule. Instead, check them once a week to see if they need a drink. With these guys you only need to check the top of the soil - no need for knuckles.

 

If the soil is dry, give your guy a drink. If it’s damp, they can go at least another day before their next refreshment.

 

Some plant parents will take it one step further, allowing their peace lily to droop before watering them. As they’re pretty hardy to a drought, this won’t do your peace lily any harm - anything’s better than overwatering!

 

4. How often to water a spider plant…

 

Spider plants are thirsty little guys. Like tomato plants, they’re really forgiving when you accidentally overwater them. A general rule with watering spider plants is to do so roughly once a week. But before you do, make sure you check the soil (up to the second knuckle of your finger) to make sure it’s dry.

 

If it's still moist, you should wait another day and repeat the ol’ second knuckle test until the soil is dry. Spider plants might be thirsty, but they do like the soil to dry out every now and again.

 

Don’t forget to check the soil to avoid overwatering your spider plant. You can get away with overwatering them once or twice, but if it happens too often, you’ll end up killing them. By checking the moisture levels of the soil, you’ll allow your spider plant to soak up the nutrients at their own pace.

 

There’s a handy sentence to remember when watering your spider plant: let it dry out a little and then water generously.

 

5. How often to water a snake plant…

 

Snake plants, like their namesake, like to dry out completely between waterings. The most common mistake made with these guys is overwatering (really?!). During the growing season (summer), don’t be tempted to water your spider plant more than once every 10 days, even if it’s in a bright spot with indirect sunlight.

 

During the winter, if your snake plant is in a spot that’s got low light, you’ll probably only need to water them once a month. Wherever you’ve decided to put them, though, always adopt the second knuckle test to make sure the soil is dry before watering.

 

Remembering to do this will prevent problems like root rot, which will spell certain death for your snake plant.

 

Plant Care Tags will be available for sale later in the year. To keep up to date on when this product will be available to purchase, scroll to the bottom of this page and join our newsletter.

 

But in the meantime, if you are having trouble taking care of your indoor jungle, take a look at the other products from our plant range, including the trending Plant Life Support.

 

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