Use and Care Manual

• Starting in late fall, water houseplants sparingly until daylight hours
begin to increase in the new year.
• The best time of day to water is in the morning, except when it is cloudy or
rainy outside and there will no sunlight. Avoid watering on a fixed
schedule; instead, check the soil and water when needed.
• Water when the roots, in the lower two-thirds of potted soil, begin to dry.
Push your finger 2 inches down into the soil of a 6-inch-diameter pot. If
the soil feels moist, do not water. Repeat until the soil feels dry, then
water. Push you finger to a 1-inch depth in smaller pots. (If it is not
possible to push your finger into the soil, the soil may be compacted and
need porous material or the plant may be root-bound and could benefit
from being transplanted.) Alternatively, lift the potted plant when it is dry
and then again when it is wet. You may learn to “feel” its needs.
• Starting in late fall, water houseplants sparingly until daylight hours
begin to increase again in the new year.
• Water houseplants in unglazed clay pots more frequently, as the porous
clay will absorb and evaporate some of the water.
How to Water
• Water plants with room-temperature water. Cold water can be a shock to a
houseplant’s roots—like sticking your toes into an ice bath!
• Use filtered water if your tap water contains high amounts of minerals or
chemicals. Fluoride can cause the leaf tips of some houseplants, such
as peace lilies, to turn brown.
• Always water until the excess water drains out of the holes. Even plants
that prefer dry soil should be watered this way (just not as frequently).
• Water gently over the top of the soil; avoid water on the plant leaves or
crown. A long-spouted watering can works best.
• If water is not almost immediately absorbed by the soil, drainage is poor.
Mix perlite, vermiculite, or sand into the soil. For best results, remove and
repot the plant in the amended soil, if possible.
• Watering from the bottom can benefit plants, too. Set a plant pot (that has
holes in the bottom) on a saucer or in a shallow pan. Pour water into the
saucer or pan to about an inch depth. Add more water as necessary until
the surface of the soil in the pot is moist. Remove the plant from the
saucer or pan and set it aside to let excess moisture run out.
• If the soil is exceptionally dry, water may not be absorbed but instead flow
rapidly down the sides of the pot and out into the catch basin/saucer,
bringing no moisture to the plant’s roots. If this happens, submerge the
whole pot in a deep sink or pail full of water until air bubbles stop being
released. Remove the plant from the water and set it aside to let excess
moisture run out. Consider repotting the plant into a looser medium mix.
HUMIDITY