How to water your houseplants correctly is the most commonly asked question we get at flower shows.

I often hear, 'It's Tuesday again, which means it's time to water my houseplants'. But no, wait! Don’t just stick to a schedule; water when they actually need it. I've lost count of how many times folks at flower shows ask whether they should stick to weekly watering.

So, don't overwater. And rememeber that each plant is an individual. 

Wait until the top centimeter of compost is dry (use your little finger and push it into the top of the compost).  If it's dry, it's time to water.  If you're not sure, leave it another day.

Here are some ways to water your plants:

(A) The simplest way to water is from above.  Just not too much!

(B) An alternative way of watering is to briefly sit your plant in water. However, remember to remove it after a couple of minutes and let it drain. For larger plants, a slightly longer time may be necessary.

(C) An efficient solution for preventing overwatering in established plants is through the use of a self-watering trays. As someone who is away at flower shows all the time, I personally rely on this method for my own houseplants. It is a convenient option, especially when you are out of town.

(D) Wick watering, is a method of delivering water to plants using a porous material like fabric or string to draw water from a water reservoir. This system uses capillary action (with a slow, steady delivery) to move water to the roots of the plant. The piece of string here draws the water up from the jam jar up through one of the holes into the bottom of the pot. Use a knitting needle or similar to push the wick through the drainage hole. Easy to do and very effective! Perfect for larger plants like this tradescantia.  Careful though, smaller plants can be over-watered using this method.

(E) You may like to investigate various ways of watering houseplants, whether in trays with clay pebbles or using different types of water reserves. We rather like the fun Birdy water reserve- perfect if you're leaving your plants for 4-7 days.  You'll find lots of water reserves like this and some are better than others, so do experiment!

I always recommend giving plants water when they require it, rather than following a set schedule.

Here are some ideas for you: