Despite common belief, the reason most plants die is over-watering. This occurrence includes gardens, yards, and even household plants. In a previous article, we discussed how to grow veggies in an apartment. One commenter, Cromely, suggested checking the plants before watering to make sure they need it.
Well, lets let Cromely speak for himself:
Great tips. I would suggest being careful about daily watering, however. Before watering, always make sure the plants need it. You can probably find a cheap water meter at discount stores and gardening centers.
If plants get too much water, their roots will have trouble getting the appropriate nutrients and oxygen from from the soil. In containers, it can sometimes be challenging to keep plants from suffering from “wet feet.”
Cromely offers a great solution to the problem. An example of a water meter for plants (also known as a soil moisture meter) is a Thirsty Light.
Here’s how Thirsty Light works: just stick it in the soil. Once the soil becomes too dry, the LED lights start blinking. Then when you water the plant, it stops.
You can find the Thirsty Light on Amazon for just $9.95
An (even better, IMO) alternative to the Thirsty Light is the Plant Watering Bulb. Plant Watering Bulb’s work essentially the exact same way but instead of alerting you when the plant needs water, they simply use the water held inside the bulb.
This can either be a plus or a minus. No matter what, you will still have to water the plant the same amount. The difference is that instead of watering the plant, you will be filling up the bulb. So you will still need to continually check the bulb to make sure it contains water.
You can find the Plant Watering Bulb on Amazon for $6.95 each
Here’s what the Plant Watering Bulb
No matter what you chose though, be sure to keep the soil moist, just don’t over-water.
Written: Jun 5, 2009
shaine
June 8, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
Thanks for the great tips, i actually watering my plants every other day, led light and watering bulb are very useful.