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Gardening Enthusiast Shares Easy ‘Watering Reminder’ for Busy People Struggling to Care for Their Houseplants

This simple reminder highlights the two most important factors of watering plants to be considered: timing and the plant's water needs.
PUBLISHED NOV 26, 2024
Young woman upset on finding dried dead foliage of her home plant. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | OKrasyuk)
Young woman upset on finding dried dead foliage of her home plant. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | OKrasyuk)

Like human bodies, the bodies of plants have needs. Those tender seedlings don’t just wake up one day and sprout from the womb of the Earth to bask merrily in sunshine. It takes a consistent fodder of sunlight and water for them to emerge into full-grown adult plants, finally blossoming into flowers, leaves, and sometimes fruits. From the tiniest mint sapling to the prettiest rose vine, each plant is dependent on these supplies to sustain life energy. Amidst all this, timing is extremely important. Zoe who goes by u/4ism2ism shared a “watering reminder” that every plant-owner can use to water their houseplants based on the “soil moisture.”

Young woman at home watering plant (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Westend61)
Young woman at home watering plant (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Westend61)

“The most accurate method is always to check the soil moisture of your plants,” Zoe wrote in the post, further explaining the method. “My method is to place the plant that needs the most frequent watering in the most visible spot in my home and keep an eye on it,” the Reddit post read, “This reminds me when it needs watering and also stimulates me to check on the other plants.” Zoe named this “plant with the most watering need” as "Constantine." Taking reference from what Redditors call it, they said it’s an “indicator plant.” By definition, an indicator plant is a regular plant growing in the soil, that serves as a measurement for soil quality, soil moisture, soil’s nutritional properties, and conditions such as pest infestation.

Leaves of a plant slowly wilt indicating that it needs care. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Ela Bracho)
Leaves of a plant slowly wilt indicating that it needs care. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Ela Bracho)

Initially, Zoe arranged the indoor plants according to their “water needs” but that didn’t work out because the plants had different sunlight requirements too. They also tried keeping a journal of the plant’s moisture needs. “Now, by simply keeping track of my thirstiest plant, I’ve improved my habit of watering all my plants at the right time,” said Zoe. They stressed that this method is especially useful for people who love their houseplants but don’t have enough time to cater to their needs. With Zoe's method, one simply has to watch out for the appearance of the "thirstiest" plant to understand the watering needs of the other plants at home.

Women's hands hold a houseplant (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kseniya Ovchinnikova)
Women's hands hold a houseplant (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kseniya Ovchinnikova)

People who synchronized with Zoe’s idea, took to the comments section to share their experiences and ideas. u/FCAlive shared, “I water once a week, and adjust the amount of water based on the plant's needs.” Zoe, however, replied that this method doesn’t work when someone has 30 to 40 plants, as each plant would require a different level of water. u/vertigo72 recommended using “terracotta watering globes” for those who are forgetful of watering. In response, Zoe said that even though these globes are “definitely useful” for watering, one still needs to remember to fill the globes with water regularly.

Person in grey sweater watering flower home plant zamioculcas (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Juliya Shapoval)
Person in grey sweater watering flower home plant zamioculcas. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Juliya Shapoval)

As a general rule of thumb, Better Homes & Gardens suggests that timing is the key to watering plants. “If you see any wilting leaves, it's time to water your plants,” they explain, and add that the best way to tell whether a houseplant needs water is to stick a finger about an inch into the potting mix. “If it feels dry, break out the watering can. If you detect dampness, check back again in a day or two.” 

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