Watering Guide For Our Modern Gardeners

Watering your plant is a must, the tricky part comes when you don't know when and how much to water it. Our team of Modern Gardners put together some tips and tricks that every plant parent can follow when it comes to watering for optimum plant health. Let's dive right into it!


  • New pot: Out with the old in with the new, when your plant gets a new planter it must always be watered.
  • Pot size: Large pots vs Small pots. As a rule of thumb the bigger pot will always take longer than the smaller one to dry out all plants drink at the same speed so give your Plants with larger planters more time than usual before you water them again.
  • Sunlight: The more sunlight it gets the more water it needs. 
  • Temperature: Humid air keeps soil moist for longer than dry air.




We all love water but sometimes we'd rather wait before drinking too much! Healthy plants will never say no to water, but timing is everything. One of the biggest mistakes plant parents make is pick a certain time or day in the week and do it consistently not knowing this actually hurts more than it helps.

Plants are like our beloved babies they need consistent attention, keeping an eye on the soil when you see it getting dry its time for water — not just surface dry, but 2-inches-deep dry. Use your fingers to easily determine soil moisture levels.
All of our indoor house plants come with specific instructions to help you see them flourish and grow with time but there will always be specific exceptions and that's why you need to be prepared!


Our natural instincts may give us the idea that watering our plants from the leaves is the best way to do it when in reality it is not. It’s important to avoid splashing the leaves when you water your plant. The spout of your watering has to be below the leaves and aimed directly at the soil. Leaves are plants can get sick and grow unhealthy bacteria and by aiming straight to the soil we make help prevent bacterial infections, insect infestations, and other health issues.


Every plant is unique and has its different needs so knowing your plant's water preferences is key. There are 2 types of houseplants: the Dry-type and the Moist type. Members of the dry type are cacti, succulents (such as Aloe Vera or Echeveria for the most famous) and several other species in from the family-like (ZZ plantSnake plant, Rubber plant, etc.).

They enjoy dry soil less watering duty, these types of plants live more than happy with being watered once to twice a month, depending on the temperature of the room. Overwatering is one of the main causes for houseplants to die so the last thing we want to do is overwhelm them with our care.

The Moist type: They like to be watered as soon as the absorb what's in the soil. Most tropical plants behave like this and this type you can water every week.

The Dry typeThrive on dry soil during longer periods usually need to be watered bi-weekly. They're easier to care for and perfect for beginners check out our best for beginner's plants here.


There are many variables that play a huge role in your plant health! Plant size, room temperature, and water temperature will also play a factor in how much water your plant needs.
Smaller pots vs Larger pots: smaller pots have less soil, the soil will dry out faster larger pots take longer. If you have two of the same plant and one is larger than the other, the one with the larger planter will always need less watering.

Staying hydrated is always a great idea but plants can drown if they are flooded with too much water. If the soil is left too wet for too long, it can cause root rot. That’s what we call overwatering. On the other hand, if your plant’s soil is consistently too dry you’re likely under-watering.

Letting your soil dry out before watering is key for plants to receive the perfect balance of water and oxygen. Room temperature and the time of year are also a huge variable. During the summer when the sun is more intense and the air is more humid, smaller succulents could be watered more regularly, biweekly or so, compared to once a month in colder seasons. Ferns and tropical plants will need to be watered once a week.
For these plants, make sure the humidity levels stay high during hotter months. Some ferns love soil that’s always moist (not to be confused with soaking wet).
No the last question you may have is should you be watering with hot or cold water and of course we got you covered! Plants love the warmer water like most of us do :) warm water absorbs into soil best.

Now you can go ahead and continue watering your plants the right way and if you ever have more questions reach out to our #Moderngardeners community and we'll be happy to help.

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