Watering Indoor Plants in Air-Conditioned Homes: When and How Much

There is no single watering schedule that suits every plant, and no fixed day of the week. A plant drinks according to its light, the temperature and the size of its pot, and all of that changes between summer and winter. The simplest way is to ask the soil. Push a finger into the soil to the second knuckle: if it is dry, it is time to water; if it is damp, wait two days and check again. Hoyas and thick-leaved plants wait until all the soil is dry, while calatheas prefer to stay lightly moist. When you water, water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then empty the saucer after fifteen minutes. Little and often wets only the surface and leaves the deeper roots thirsty, and water left standing in the saucer is the quickest route to root rot. Air conditioning dries the air, not necessarily the soil. If leaf tips turn crisp while the soil is still damp, the problem is humidity, not watering: move the plant away from the vent, group it with other plants, or mist the air around it in the morning.