Underwater, over water your houseplants?

image from creatlivelynature   underwatering

image from Jus_01  overwatering 

     Good morning…sorry I haven’t posted for a while.  I have been trying to get Larry’s Garage statements out from this spring.  I am almost there which is good.  IT is hot, humid out and this is the last day we are hearing.  I find going out and in with A/C is hard.  Uses up lots of energy for sure.  I see tomatoes are starting to produce for many, canning to starting for them.  I love to can but don’t know if it is the plans for this September.  See what happens.

Our church the West Fork United Methodist church will be having their annual Ice Cream Social Sept 3 at 5:00.  Beefburgers, homemade ice cream, chips, bars, drinks for a free will offering to the North Iowa Vietnam Vets.  All proceeds will go to them.  They use the money to give out $100 gift cards to the needed Veterans at Christmas.  Hope to see you there. 

Overwatering or Underwatering?  House plants  by Su Reid-St. John
Watering an indoor plant seems like a no-brainer—just pour in some water every week or so, right? But there’s more to it than that. Happily, learning how to water houseplants the right way is easy. We’ll explain how to tell if you’re overwatering or underwatering—and provide simple tips for ensuring your houseplants are watered correctly.  If you do an online search for “the number one reason why houseplants die,” you’ll see that just about every top result point to a single culprit: overwatering. If you’re blushing with recognition right about now, you’re not alone.
Photosynthesis, the process during which plants make their food from the sun’s energy, requires both water and air to create the glucose that provides energy to the plant.   Water helps transport the nutrients and sugars produced by photosynthesis, as well as nutrients from the soil to every part of the plant.
Water evaporates through the leaves (in a process called transpiration) to help keep the plant cool.  Plants are up to 95 percent water, and that water is key to strong, healthy cell structure.
Too much water can prevent oxygen from moving through the soil to reach the plant.  If that happens, roots may begin to rot and, ironically, can no longer deliver the moisture the plant so desperately needs.
Eventually, the roots will die—and the plant along with it.
Of course, there’s also such a thing as underwatering (also called, let’s face it, forgetting to water). Without moisture, all the important processes mentioned above can’t happen. The result? The plant stops growing, the leaves turn dry and brown, the stem becomes brittle, and the plant will eventually die.
 Houseplants can be especially susceptible to underwatering in the summer when they’re growing faster, there’s more light, and the surrounding temperature is higher—all of which translates into water disappearing more quickly from the soil through use and evaporation.
Signs of overwatering include droopy and/or yellowing leaves, leaves (even young ones) that fall off, mushy-feeling stems near the base of the plants, and soggy soil.
Signs of underwatering include leaves that droop (but perk up after watering), turn brown, begin to curl, and/or even get a bit crispy. You may also notice a gap between the dry soil and the inside of the pot.
Lots of people water their indoor plants every week on the same day, but while that may make it easier to remember, it’s not the best approach for your plants.
See, your houseplants don’t all use water at the same rate. Some may be thirstier than others, depending on the size of both the plant and pot, the amount of sun it gets, whether or not it’s actively growing, how hot and dry the room is, etc. That being said, it’s fine to choose one day a week as the check-in-on-your-plants day to see if they need watering! Fortunately, the best way to ensure your houseplants get the right amount of water is the same.
Every few days, stick your finger into the soil. Generally, if the top inch of potting mix (two inches for succulents) is dry, it’s time to water. You can also lift the pot to feel how heavy it is–if it feels oddly light, it’s time to water.  Using room-temperature water (not too cold!), water the soil evenly around the base of the plant until water begins to run out of the drainage holes in the pot—make sure you have a saucer underneath. (If there are no drainage holes, water until the soil is well moistened, then switch to a pot with holes the next time you repot in containers.)
 It’s fine to use tap water, but if you live in an area with heavily chlorinated water, let it sit out uncovered overnight before using it to allow the chlorine to evaporate. Better yet, use water from your rain barrel.
See? It’s a pretty straightforward path to keeping your houseplants happily hydrated.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-and-when-water-houseplants
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-930-9365