Polka Dot Plants are one of the best plants for beginner gardeners. They are extremely easy to care for as either a houseplant or planted as an annual in an outdoor space. Minimal upkeep is needed to keep them looking their best as low-growing, bushy tropical plants. In their native growing range, Hypoestes prefer the cooler understory in a humid and warm jungle setting which is easily replicated with a few watering techniques.
How To Tell If a Polka Dot Plant Needs Water
Polka Dot plants thrive when they have consistently moist soil with good drainage. Plants that are in need of immediate watering will display drooping leaves and stems. Plants that have been left to dry completely will have brown leaf tips and edges. Leaves that are completely dehydrated may fall off the plant making it bare and looking naked. Low humidity can also cause dehydration and browning of the leaves.
Indoor humidity levels below 50% are too dry and need to be raised and kept at a high level consistently. Placing pots on a tray of pebbles or LECA balls creates a tray where water can stand under the pot without causing any damage to the roots. Misting daily around the plants with a fine mist spray bottle and filtered water is another good way to give Polka Dot plants extra humidity.
Pots that feel light when lifted also indicate that the potting medium is most likely dry and needs to be rehydrated even if the plant is not showing any immediate signs of drooping. Polka Dot plant is fairly forgiving if their underwatering is caught early enough to revive the plant. Repeated drying and reviving may weaken the plant making it more susceptible to pests and disease in the future.
How To Water Polka Dot Plants
Houseplants prefer either captured rainwater or filtered tap water that has been left to sit so that any chlorine or other chemicals can evaporate. A watering can filled with tap water is fine to use after 24 hours of sitting time. Do not use any tap water that is treated with a water softener as the high salt content is toxic to most plants. Distilled water should be used only on a few select and fussy plants. Long-term use of distilled water on Polka Dot plants will lead to mineral deficiencies down the road and is not necessary.
All indoor foliage plants like Polka Dot plants appreciate a monthly or quarterly soaking in a deep basin or sink. Watering from below allows the potting medium to soak up as much water as it can hold while spraying the plant gently with a shower or sprayer attachment helps to clean off the leaf surface of accumulated dust. Allow the pot to drain fully before setting it back in place on a saucer or in a decorative cache pot.
Water Polka Dot plants when the top of the potting mix is just dry or ideally when it feels like a very well wrung out sponge. Allow excess water to run through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. This indicates that the potting mix is well-saturated. Drain saucers or cache pots of the accumulated water after 20 - 30 minutes unless the pots are set on top of pebbles as for a humidity tray.
The roots do not like to sit in standing water. The need for watering typically reduces in the winter months as the plant's growth slows and the roots require less moisture. Once every 7-10 days is a common weathering schedule but will vary depending on the humidity in your home and the amount of bright sunlight the plant receives during the day.
Polka Dot Plants Watering Tips
- Keep the soil consistently moist not letting it dry out completely between waterings
- Restrict watering during the winter when the plant slows growth
- Use filtered tap or rainwater but not distilled water
- Keep the humidity around your plant at 50% or higher with daily misting or using a cool mist humidifier for the room the plant is in
- Leaves that turn brown indicate underwatering
- Leaves that become yellow, brown or black, and are mushy or wet feeling indicate a plant that is overwatered.
Sources:
“Houseplant Care” Smithsonian Gardens, www.gardens.si.edu
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Author Robbin Small - Published 12-27-2024 |