Watering plants is not done by a schedule. They require different rates of
watering based on their consumption and transpiration rate. For example: I
have not watered my cacti or succulents since last October. I water my Rex
begonia about twice a month, but the spathaphyllum need watering almost every
fourth day because they are very large. I have a whole house humidifier, but
you can easily increase humidity around the plants by placing several saucers of
pea gravel with water in it.

The soil you are using may have too much clay, which would form a crust. I
suggest you use a premium potting MIX which has no soil in it at all. I make my
own using peat moss, compost, granite sand, and Osmocote (a prill shaped, slow
release, synthetic fertilizer). I only use Osmocote on potted plants. To break
the tension of the soil surface, you can scratch it up with a fork before you
water so the water doesn't run off to the sides of the pot and out the bottom.

Believe it or not, Walmart makes a potting mix which is excellent and it already
has the Osmocote in it.

Less watering is better than over watering. The single most killer of house
plants is over watering. I always water from the top, unless, as you said, it
is an African violet (which I gave up on).

Victoria


On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 10:13:36 -0600,
(JMH) wrote:

Hi,

I would like to know what is the best way to water potted, water from the top
(i.e. not african violets, etc.) plants. I have a problem in that either the
soil stays too wet, or it dries out too much, both of which are hard on the
plants. Drainage is fine, humidity in my apartment varies.
I have watered with a can, most generally every other week. This tends to let
soils dry out, but generally stay a bit damp if I stick my finger down in the
soil. This causes the top of the soil to get weird though, it is almost hard,
and coated, not soft and slightly airy like below the surface. The plants
grow, some do better than others, but they stay alive. However, I dont thik
that my weatering schedule and plan is what is best for keeping plants
indoors.
I am thinking that I should water lightly every other week, and then spray
the plants and soil with a spray bottle every week, or every half week.
Is this a good routing for most plants that are kept inside?
Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks

JMH