Know the conditions you’ve given your plant to thrive in. Plants can be grown in almost any container, but some containers are better suited for plant life than others.

Clay pots are porous and tend to draw moisture from the soil, so plants in clay pots will more easily dehydrate. But if the container is enameled, or if it is metal, glass, plastic, or other non-porous material, the container will not leach moisture. Because these pots conserve water, you must be careful not to overwater.

If your planter does not have drainage holes in the bottom, be sure to provide for a drainage layer of stones or other non-degradable material in which excess water can collect away from the root zone and can be gradually reabsorbed. Plants grown in closed containers may not need watering as frequently.

Peat, a natural product of bogs, is generally an ingredient of potting mixtures. A word of caution about peat-based potting mixes: peat is added for its water-retention ability.

However, once allowed to dry, peat is very difficult to rehydrate.

Learn to spot check a plant’s moisture level. If your plant is small, make a habit of picking up the plant before and after watering noting its weight change after watering. With practice, this method of checking soil moisture, together with other signs of plant vigor/weakness may help you assess a plant’s watering needs.

Similarly, a finger submerged an inch or so into the container soil should reveal a general sense of soil moisture. Or better yet, use a moisture meter. This is a foolproof, inexpensive device available at most nurseries. It will measure the soil as "wet", "moist" or "dry". For large container plants, a meter is almost essential.

Signs of dehydration and overwatering
Stem and leaf wilt signal dehydration, but you should avoid waiting for this sign. In addition, the soil mixture may pull away from the side of the pot. At this stage a plant is stressed, and repeated treatment of this sort is ill advised.


Watch for these signs of dehydration:

• Leaf growth is slow.
• Leaves become translucent.
• Leaves or flowers drop prematurely.
• Leaf edges become brown and dried.
• Lower leaves curl and yellow.

Frequent watering with small amounts of water can lead to waterlogging. This forces air from the soil and provides ideal conditions for the growth of fungi and bacteria. These organisms attack the plant’s roots causing rot and plant death.
Certain plants thrive in wet conditions--cypress or umbrella plants, for example. Many tropical plants with thin, delicate leaves--hibiscus, for example-- will not thrive in dry soil. Other plants will fail under wet conditions. A late and obvious sign of overwatering is growth of fungi or mold on the soil surface.

Early signs of overwatering signs include:

• Young and old leaves fall at the same time.
• Root rot--mushy, brown possibly odorous roots--are seen in pot bottom.
• Standing water noted in container underliner.
• Flowers become moldy.
• Leaves develop brown soft rotten patches and fail to grow