HOW TO TAKE CARE OF INDOOR PLANTS (part 2)

Ways to Tell If Your Houseplant is Ready for Watering

• Put your finger in the plant pot to check below the surface.

To check what's underneath the surface, stick your finger into the plant pot.

If the soil feels damp to the touch, it is secure. If the plant appears to be dry, water it. Various plants require different amounts of water. Among the warning signs are:

Discolored leaves, a lack of leaf growth, leaf loss, and mushy, rotten patches are signs of over hydration.

Slow leaf development, brown and dry leaf edges, and lower leaves that become yellow and curl are all signs of dehydration in plants.

• The wooden skewer test

Another method for testing a plant's readiness for water is this. A wooden skewer can be dropped and won't break unless you step on it.

Insert a wooden skewer into the plant's soil to check whether it is ready for watering. You only need to insert it 1 to 2 inches deep for small to medium-sized pots. You should almost completely insert the skewer into large pots. Slowly take out the skewer. The plant doesn't need watering just yet if There is moist dirt adhering to the skewer. On the other hand, if the soil is loose, dry, and easy to remove, it needs watering.

If a large plant's top is dry but its bottom is wet when a skewer is inserted into the soil, you may need to water. It depends on how much of each is dry and moist, in proportion. Water should be applied if the soil on the skewer is more than half dry. For instance, it's time to water if the top two thirds of the soil are dry and the bottom third is wet. There are roots at the surface and roots buried deep within the pot. Those superficial roots shouldn't dry out. However, you should wait a day or two before testing again if the top third is moist and the lower two-thirds are dry.

• The moisture meter test

Use a moisture meter to test plants to determine whether they need water in a more scientific manner. These devices gauge the soil's moisture content using electrical currents. In various locations, press this pronged device into the soil of indoor plants. You can determine if the soil is dry, wet, or in between using a gauge on the meter.

Be mindful that readings can occasionally be off. The moisture meter might no longer function properly because it is worn out or because you dropped it. If neither of these applies, the soil may contain a lot of salts, which will cause the measurements to be off. Repotting the plant in new soil is a smart choice in those situations.

Maintain correct soil moisture and use srustee's liquid plant food once a week, to see healthier plants, with more fruits and flowers in just 30 days. Click on the button below to know more.

srushtee.net/plant-food