While mature plants can get by for longer stretches without being watered, you need to avoid dehydrating any of the newbies. Most young varieties call for daily watering (skip rainy days) until roots are developed, which happens around the two-week mark. At that point, you can taper off.
This depends on the plant types, garden light conditions, and weather. Plants in shaded areas may last longer without water compared to those in full sun. Container and window box plants can dry out in a day, whereas many houseplants can manage with one watering per week or less.
However, general guidelines suggest watering indoor plants at least once a week and making sure the soil is moist but not soggy. Some plants that need more water might need it every day, while others only need water every other day.
Many houseplants can recover from missed watering. If your plant is very dry, it might lose some foliage, but most houseplants bounce back when watered.
First things first, you will want to look at how your plant is behaving. Brown leaves that feel soft and limp, yellowing leaves, stunted growth during their peak growing period, blisters or lesions on the plant, and wilting are all signs of overwatering.
The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration). If this isn't possible because major damage was done or little healthy root system exists then expect about 2 weeks until improvement can be seen.
Wilting: One of the very simple to spot and most obvious ways to tell your plant needs water is whether the flowers and leaves are wilted.
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Sometimes, it can take up to four weeks for a plant to completely recover from under-watering. After a period of drought, only water your houseplant when the soil feels dry, and don't overcompensate by adding too much water which may result in a waterlogged plant and root rot."
During extremely hot weather (daytime temperatures above 90F and nighttime temperatures above 70F), try to water daily or every other day. In a 10x10-foot garden, this would mean giving your plants 8 to 9 gallons of water each day.
When there is a lack of water, the cells deflate, and the plant looks wilted—a clear sign your plant needs more water if paired with dry potting mix.
Provide Slow, Deep Watering
If you are unsure how long to water new plants, aim for 30-60 seconds for small plants – longer for larger plants while moving the hose to a few locations around the plant. Avoid watering when the soil feels moist. The earth must be allowed to dry out between watering.
Check for underwatering: If the pot reaches a point where the soil is starting to crack and pull away from the edges of the pot, you probably have a severe underwatering problem. To revive the plant, you can soak it in water and then adopt a predictable watering schedule that uses the same amount of water each time.
You should check the moisture level around the base of your plants. Determine the watering schedule you need to keep in order to maintain the right level of moisture. Watering every day or every two days doesn't matter nearly as much as consistent watering. Make a schedule and stick to it.
Plants need water for just about everything: to grow, to produce fruit and flowers, and to stay alive. Without water, plants would simply not be able to exist. When a plant doesn't have enough water, it will start to wilt and its leaves will turn brown.
“Most plants will typically be fine if you're gone a week, but some may start to suffer if they go without water for two weeks,” says Justin Hancock, Costa Farms horticulturist.
When plants are under watered, they can usually recover within a few hours after receiving water. If they are overwatered, this can cause roots to rot, and the recovery process will take much longer.
Plants under water stress can have many symptoms including yellowing, wilting leaves that develop early fall color and burning or scorching on edges of leaves. Plants may drop some or all of their leaves and appear dead.
If the soil feels dry, it's time to water. In the spring and fall and in cooler climates, it might be sufficient to water container plants every two to three days. In the summer and in warm climates, container plants usually require daily watering, unless they are succulents or other drought-tolerant xeriscape plants.
Watering plants in the heat of the day is not ideal, but not because the water and sun together will scorch the leaves. The main reason not to water when the sun is high in the sky and temperatures soar is because of evaporation.
Watering at night is not the best for your plants' leaves or overall health. Here's why. After a night time soak, leaves can stay wet for a pretty long time since they don't have the sun to dry them off. Because of this, damp leaves become extra vulnerable to fungal development.
Symptoms include slow growth, wilting, discolored leaves and flowers, burning on edges of leaves. The affected plant can also suffer from disrupted nutrient uptake. Wilting. This is the classic sign of a deficiency of water.
A good rule of thumb is 1-2 gallons of water for smaller accent plants, 3-5 gallons for larger shrubs and 10 gallons of water for a 15 gallon plant each time you water. Boxed trees will need even more water but it doesn't have to be applied every day. Consult StarNote 001, Planting Guide, for new plants.
Leaves Turning Bright Yellow or Mushy Stems
This is usually a sign of overwatering, either caused by watering your plant before it's ready or if your plant is in too low of light. When plants sit in waterlogged soil, their roots can't get enough oxygen, leading to root damage which manifests as yellow leaves.