Do
- Use a watering can with a longer spout. If you use mugs, glasses or other small containers you may not only cause unnecessary spills but it will be more difficult getting the water to the base of your flower plant where it can give the roots a good soak.
- Use potting soil that contains a mix of peat moss and either perlite or vermiculite. These mixtures don’t pack down but instead allow the roots room to grow deep.
- Have a tool handy that helps you gauge the moisture in the soil. Just like with your outdoor flower plants, it’s good to have a soil moisture gauge available to make sure your plants are getting the right amount of water (not too much, not too little). Just like with the wooden dowel, this gauge can be placed directly into the soil, an inch or two, and will let you know the condition of the soil.
- Water more in the spring/summer and less in the fall/winter season. Days are shorter in the fall/winter and there is less natural light coming in through your windows. The plant is in what is considered a resting phase at this point and will need less water. As spring/summer approaches, photosynthesis speeds up and the plants are given the signal to start growing and at this point they need more water.
Don’t
- Use softened water from the tap. Since water softeners leave sodium in your tap water, this can have a long-term negative effect on the soil’s mineral makeup. If possible, use an outdoor spigot to fill your water can.
- Use outdoor soil to plant your indoor flowers plants. They will most likely contain insects (especially gnats), fungi, or pathogens that could result in plant diseases.
- Use pots without holes to drain the excess water. Without those drainage holes, the roots will sit in water and potentially rot.