As a plant mum to a ton of plants, I often joke that I’m like “the old woman who lived in a shoe” with so many children who have different special needs. Knowing what to do to cater to their individual needs comes from a mix of patience, research and experience.

Most literature available online with regards to plants care are mostly tailored to the west. So I had to adapt most of what I had read and learnt to my region here in Nigeria.

I had to learn to understand how to water all my plants, by structuring a routine that suits them all. I had to create a schedule on my calendar, especially for the dry weather. We have had a particularly long dry season (here in Nigeria) this year, it’s June and we only had a handful of rains.

My gardening style is container gardening because I don’t have any ground space in my home, every part of my compound in concrete.

Let me share a few tips from my experience with my plants.

• It’s important to understand each of your plants and their various watering needs.
• Succulents and cactus for instance are mostly drought plants and they will die from overwatering.
• My outdoor succulents and cactus I water once a week.
• The location of your plant will also determine the watering needs.
• Plants outdoor in full sun for instance will have their soil dry up quicker than plants in a shaded location.
• My outdoor full sun and indirect sunlight plants I water every 3 days.
• While the ones in full to partial shade outdoors get watered once a week.
• I have a few palms indoor, complete shade environment. I mist them daily (use a humidifier or use spray function of a spritz bottle) and water once in two weeks.
• If you don’t have too many plants, stick your finger into the soil of your plant and if the soil is one inch dry, it is time to water the plants.
• If you pay attention to your plants they will tell you when they are dehydrated. The leaves will look droopy and sad.

My watering pattern changes in the rainy season for the outdoors when I depend mostly on rainfall. However during the rain breaks I adjust the schedule to suit the needs of the plants.

Watering day often coincides with feeding day for plants and over time I’ve using either DIY organic feed or trusted Organic brands.

• 

• 

• 

Be careful not to Overwater you plants. Overwatering your plants can cause, root rot, depletion of the nutrients in the plant, yellowing of the leaves, stunted growth, death of the plant…