18th April, 2021
Tips for Happy Plants #12
The benefits of having houseplants in your home are well documented and for some of us they bring a sense of calm and tranquility; they behave perfectly well and never put a foot wrong.
And there are some of us who love them but just can’t keep them. Why? What’s going wrong?
Let’s assume you have the right plant in the right place, you have a sun loving plant in a light airy position or you’ve chosen a plant that loves low light because you have a north facing room.
If you have that correct and you’re still not at one with your plant I’d lay good money down that you are a ‘dribbler’!! You continuously water your plants just a little bit every time you walk past, or you see your plant looking sad and just add water thinking it’s the right thing to do.
STOP! PUT YOUR WATERING CAN DOWN!!
Your plant needs to be thirsty before he needs a drink.
The majority of plants (there is always exceptions to the rule) need a good drink regularly – often around every two weeks or when the first half of the compost is dry and the second half is drying out.
Only then do you water, preferably with rainwater, and you give your plant a good drink. How much will depend on the size of the plant, I tend to advise you give the same amount of water as the size of the plant pot. Let the water drain, you need to remove the plant from its decorative container to water, only returning it once the excess water has drained away. No plant wants to sit in a puddle!
Watering is all about being consistent, so set an alarm on your phone, or use recycling bin day to check your plants and only water them if they are thirsty!
Here’s an additional tip.
Once a month soak a banana skin in a big jug of water for 12 hours. Use this water to water your plants and they love you for it! You’ll see the difference immediately. If you have lots of plants then use watering can and pop multiple skins in to soak. Potassium leaks out of the skin into the water and is a huge boost to your plants.