Add your plants and get a weekly calendar of when to check the soil, timed for each plant's pot, light and the season. Water only when the soil says so.
These are example plants. Add your own and the examples make way, or .
| Plant | Mon26 | Tue27 | Wed28 | Thu29 | Fri30 (today) | Sat31 | Sun1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden pothosBookshelf · every 10 d | Check Golden pothos · Bookshelf on Fri 30 Oct | ||||||
| Boston fernBathroom · every 5 d | Boston fern · Bathroom last watered Wed 28 Oct | ||||||
| Snake plantHallway · every 20 d | |||||||
| Aloe veraKitchen sill · every 9 d | Check Aloe vera · Kitchen sill on Sat 31 Oct |
check the soil last watered autumn timings (from today's date, northern hemisphere)
Next check: today every 10 days (expect 8–13)
Let the top dry. Water when the top 2–5 cm (1–2 in) of mix feels dry.
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
Next check: Mon 2 Nov every 5 days (expect 4–7)
Keep lightly moist. Water when the surface feels dry to the touch; don't let the root ball dry out.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
Next check: Tue 3 Nov every 20 days (expect 15–26)
Let it dry right out. Water only when the mix is dry all the way down, then soak it and let it drain.
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
Next check: tomorrow, Sat 31 Oct every 9 days (expect 7–12)
Let it dry right out. Water only when the mix is dry all the way down, then soak it and let it drain.
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
A fixed watering day is the quickest way to drown a houseplant: a cloudy week, a cooler room or a bigger root ball all change how fast the pot dries. Iowa State University Extension advises checking the soil rather than watering on a schedule, and Mississippi State University Extension names overwatering as the leading cause of death of houseplants. On each check day:
If it is dry enough, water slowly until some runs out of the drainage hole, then empty the saucer: Illinois Extension warns against leaving a pot standing in water. If not, leave it and check again in two or three days.
Every plant starts from a typical rhythm for its watering style, from about 4 days for ferns that like to stay moist to about two weeks for succulents that dry right out (for a 15 cm, 6 in plastic pot in bright indirect light in spring). Smaller pots dry sooner and larger ones later. Unglazed terracotta breathes through its walls, so it dries faster than plastic or glazed ceramic. Dim spots stretch the interval, sunny ones shorten it, and winter stretches it by 40 to 100% depending on the plant. These adjustments are our own estimates, which is why each plant shows a range.
A golden pothos in a 14 cm (5½ in) plastic pot on a bookshelf with medium light starts from the 7-day "let the top dry" rhythm. Medium light adds a fifth and autumn another fifth, so it gets a check every 10 days (expect 8 to 13). In an unglazed terracotta pot that becomes every 7 days; in winter, in plastic, about every 12.
Your list is saved in this browser only. Download .ics adds repeating all-day reminders to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook; export again when the season changes.
Size the next pot, read the light, plan repotting and print a care card for each plant.
The next pot up (2–5 cm, 1–2 in wider) and how much mix it takes, in litres, quarts and cups.
Estimate the light at your spot from window direction and distance, or enter a light meter reading in lux or foot-candles.
When each plant is due for a bigger pot, timed for spring growth, with calendar reminders.
Water, light, humidity and pet safety on one card per plant, four to eight to an A4 or Letter page.
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Try WebTraceCheckThere is no single answer. Most leafy houseplants want water when the top 2–5 cm (1–2 in) of mix is dry, which in a warm, bright room can be about weekly, while succulents may go two to four weeks. Check the soil rather than the date: the calendar only tells you when a check is likely to be worth it.
Because how fast a pot dries changes with the weather, the heating, the plant's growth and the mix. A check day is a reminder to feel the soil; if it is still damp, skip the water and look again in two or three days. Overwatering kills far more houseplants than the odd dry spell.
Yes. Unglazed terracotta is porous and loses water through its walls, so the mix dries faster than in plastic or glazed ceramic. The calendar shortens the interval for unglazed clay by a quarter. That makes terracotta a good choice for succulents and for anyone who tends to overwater.
Usually, yes. With less light and cooler rooms most houseplants grow slowly and use less water, so the mix stays damp for longer. The calendar stretches winter intervals by 40 to 100%, the most for succulents. Rooms next to a hot radiator can still dry quickly, so keep checking.
Choose how many weeks to cover and press Download .ics. Open the file on your phone or import it into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook: each plant becomes one repeating all-day reminder. When the season changes, delete the old events and export again.
The ASPCA lists spider plants, Boston ferns, parlour and areca palms, calatheas, prayer plants, moth orchids, African violets and Christmas cacti among plants that are non-toxic to cats and dogs. Pothos, peace lilies, snake plants, monstera and aloe are on its toxic list. If a pet eats a plant, call your vet or an animal poison line.