How do you know if you are overwatering houseplants?

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by purehuman

chiroptera's right...it's better to wait until the plants very lightly drooping, it won't hurt the plant, and in fact promotes new growth when you do water. Over watering is a death sentence for the plant...If you have pots that drain well (as they should) just water when your plants are very dry...goodluck

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who does this. I'm down to just a few houseplants, and this week, I nearly killed a peace lily I've had for ten years. That baby was thirsty! Ineed to water when I first notice droop, but I only look at the peace lily when the puppy is about to run into that plant stand!

[J&Em]

Originally Posted by TinaMcG

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who does this. I'm down to just a few houseplants, and this week, I nearly killed a peace lily I've had for ten years. That baby was thirsty! Ineed to water when I first notice droop, but I only look at the peace lily when the puppy is about to run into that plant stand!

I never much thought about my plants when we had lot of indoor plants. I tended to periodically check for dryness observe a wilted leaf beginning to show and water them. Glad you caught the lily, it would have been a shame to have lost her after all this time. Our friends and family always commented on the "jungle" in our apartments and first home. That's about the time when I began seriously gardening. Now I keep almost all my plants in the garden and have an outdoor jungle to tend and only have a prized Thanksgiving Cactus (sentimental not monetary value) as an indoor plant.

[RGrandall]

I'm not sure what type of meter that you used, but there are quite a few that have some issues with them. Having tried my fair share of meters over the years, I have found that many of the cheap ones, although having an attractive price, did not behave in a desirable manner. What has happened to many of the sensors I've tried are one of 2 things. Either the sensor itself corroded, giving inaccurate readings, or salinity in the soil (i.e. fertilizer) gives a false reading, saying the soil is more moist than it really is. Moving from sensor to sensor, I finally broke down and got this Soil Moisture Meter. Though it is a little more expensive than the cheap ones you'll find at home depot, the results have been well worth the money. I have been using it for 3 years now, and I haven't run into any issues. It runs just as accurately as one would expect.

If you don't want to buy another sensor (Believe me, I've been there...) you have a few other options. If corrosion is the issue on your meter, I've heard you can clean it off with a piece of steel wool. Not really sure what to do about the salinity issue... The other option is the time old, do it yourself. You can either stick your finger or a piece of bamboo into the soil, and if it comes up dry, it is time for another watering. The other option is to either kick or lift the pot to get the sense of the weight. If it is to easy to move, add more water.

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Hope this helps!

[oregonwoodsmoke]

My experience with moisture meters hasn't been confidence inspiring. The old finger stuck into the potting soil method is the best moisture meter.

I use the weight of the pot ocasionally because that is reliable. I know which plant needs water first and I watch that one for the first sign of drooping and then water everyone.

Switching to good quality potting soil has turned me from a plant killer into a success with my indoor plants. I never use peat moss except to start cuttings from acid loving plants. I don't even use peat moss for those acid loving plants after they are started. Peat moss is too difficult. It gets too wet and stays too wet, then it suddenly dries out and resists accepting more water. I'm through fighting with it.

The real secret about potted plants, though, is to check them daily.