Now I don't claim to be an expert in all things plants, I'm very much learning as I go. I didn't used to be as green fingered as I am now so wanted to share what I have learned over the last few months.
How to check if your plant needs a water?
The first way to check if your plants needs watering is if the soil is moving away from the outside of the pot. This usually means that the soil is dry and needs some water.
Another way to check if your plant needs a water is to dip your finger in the soil and check if the soil feels dry or wet. If soil is on my finger when I take it out I usually take this as the soil is quite wet and if I have no soil on my finger I take that as the soil is dry. Might not be the technical way to do it but it works for me.
Some plants will visually tell you they need a water because their leaves will go droopy. Although I have also read that this means that you have over watered your plant (so much conflicting info ahh). So if you know you haven't watered a plant for while and the leaves are looking a bit sad then you know you need to give it a water. As I write this I am looking at this guy who is telling me he needs a water:
What temperature should the water be?
I normally let the water get to room temperature if I have time. I'll get the water and let it sit for a little while. Too hot or too cold can be a shock to the plants so they don't like it. If I am in a rush though I will just take water straight from the tap.
How to water your plants?
There's lots of debate online about whether you should water from the top or the bottom. I have done both ways but tend to water from the top. I usually water until I can see the water come out of the bottom of the pot and then stop. When I water the plants outside I just take them out of their pretty pots and let them drain out the water. If I am watering inside and I notice that there is still water in the pot after about 10 minutes I tip it away. If roots are sat in water for too long this is how root rotting can happen.
Where to start?
I can't even remember my first plant that I had for the house but I think definitely some of the early plants I got were these succulents from Lidl:
I find a succulent or a cactus the easiest to keep alive because they don't need a lot of attention.
Hope you have found this helpful :).
Kath