Overwatering, the leading cause of death of house plants.
There are two types of plant parents out there: the overbearing ones, and the the ones who sadly forget their plants even exist.
Alright, maybe the title of this blog was a little bit dramatic. But it unfortunately doesn't make it any less true. We love our plants. We want to take care of our plants as best as we can. Maybe we love our plants a little bit too much (yes, it is possible!)… leading cause of sudden death?
Now, I'm here to let you in on a secret: Overwatering KILLS. It's a tale as old as time: we get a plant, want to nurture it, yaaaaas stay hydrated because gorgeous gorgeous girls drink their water. Let's face it, most of us probably give our plants more water than we give ourselves... leading cause of sudden death?
Anyway... here are some tips and tricks on how to stop overwatering your plants (you will be forever grateful, trust me!)... lets end the sudden cause of death of plants!
First up, make sure you get plants that are more likely to survive your overwatering, murdering tendencies instead of getting plants that thrive on neglect: this is the first step and possibly the most difficult one... I know what its like when you the THE plant from across the room. Beautiful, calling your name, begging to be roommates.
But picking the correct plant for you is very IMPORTANT! Don't get a happy plant if you like to water your plants every 5 minutes… it will not be happy for long; opt for something more suited to your overwatering habits.
Some plant families that love water (still in moderation though!! don't go around and drown them, I will not be responsible for any casualties) are: ferns, begonias, polka dot plants and homalomenas. These will have a higher survival rate and will also benefit your mental health (as I know it is heartbreaking to kill a plant, I've been there... Rest In Peace my beautiful calathea rosy).
Getting a plant pot with a drainage hole, or a self-watering plant pot will be instrumental in keeping your beautiful plant babies alive. It will help the water drain, and aid in preventing root rot, fungus gnats, and other issues that can arise from overwatering without proper drainage, you name it. Check out our range of pots here.
An easy way to make sure that you are not giving your plant too much water is to check how much of its soil is still ~ moist ~. You can do so using your finger, a chopstick- when you pull out your finger or chopstick you should either notice a sticky wet cake like batter on either your finger or chopstick this is in an indication that your plant is already damp and likely doesn't need watering. If however when you pull out your finger or chopstick it is dry then bam, you can water. If this freaks you out a bit then why not try these super helpful Sustee water meters, they require little effort and will tell you when your plant is ready for a drink.
I hope this was at least a little bit informative and that this will help you with your overwatering problems! And hey, don’t feel too guilty if you’ve accidentally sent a few plants to the graveyard because you’ve overwatered them, it happens to the best of us! You’ve got this :)
Over and out,
Clem