When caring for houseplants, it’s always important to pay attention to watering them. Houseplants need to be watered properly so they can grow and stay healthy.
Anthuriums are very popular houseplants that will be perfect for most people. They’re not too hard to take care of, and they look gorgeous.
If you’ve just bought one, you likely want to look into how to care for it. Below, you’ll learn all about watering anthuriums.
Reading this information will help you to care for the plant well. You’ll have an easier time keeping the plant healthy when you understand how to approach watering it safely.
What Type of Water to Use
Using the right kind of water is a good idea when you’re trying to keep the plant healthy. It’s not wise to use tap water because tap water usually contains chemicals.
You can use tap water only if you treat it by using a dechlorinating agent. Conversely, you could allow the tap water to sit out in the sun for 24 hours to make all of the chemicals evaporate.
Most people choose to use either distilled water or mineral water when watering anthuriums. Both types of water should be perfectly fine.
You should also know that it’s important not to use water that’s too hot or too cold. So you need to use lukewarm water to keep the plants safe.
Room temperature water will do nicely when watering these plants. Keep this in mind so you don’t encounter any unexpected problems.
How Often to Water Anthurium
How often you need to water an anthurium depends on various factors. For instance, the plant might dry out faster if it’s rather hot outside.
Of course, there’s a difference between keeping anthuriums indoors and caring for them outdoors. Most people keep these plants as houseplants.
In a hot area, you might need to water anthuriums as often as every three days. However, it’s more common for the plants to need to be watered once per week.
It’s important not to water the plant on a static schedule. If you just water an anthurium once per week without checking it, you could easily wind up overwatering the plant.
You see, these plants need to be allowed to dry out between watering sessions. If you don’t let the soil dry out, you’ll do more harm than good when watering the anthurium.
So the best course of action is to touch the soil with your fingers. When the soil has become dry, it’ll be ready to be watered again.
When to Water Them
Anthuriums should only be watered when the soil has been given time to dry out. So this means that you must check the soil with your fingers to see if it’s time for it to be watered again.
Always check the soil to make sure that it’s ready. Don’t just water the plant because it has been one week since you watered it.
It’s best to check the plant fairly often and touch the soil to see how it’s doing. Remember that warmer weather and more sunlight have the potential to dry the plant out faster.
The time of day doesn’t matter that much, but most people water anthuriums during the early morning hours. This allows the sun to do its work during the day to help the plant start drying out.
How Much to Water Them
Generally, anthuriums don’t need too much water. These plants will not do well if you give them way more water than you’re supposed to.
Most enthusiasts say that it’s best to give an anthurium ½ cup of water each time. This will give the plant enough water, but it won’t make it too hard for the plant to dry out.
You want to err on the side of caution when watering these plants. Since watering the plant too much can be a problem, it’s better to stick to giving it just this amount of water.
Of course, you don’t have to measure things out meticulously. It’s not as if giving the plant slightly more than ½ of a cup of water will be terrible, but it’s a good general recommendation to keep in mind.
How to Water Anthuriums
Watering your anthurium isn’t going to be tough. You just want to make sure that you do things right.
To start, check the soil with your fingers. If the soil has become dry, it’ll be time to water the plant.
Get ½ of a cup of distilled water or mineral water. Put it in a cup and then slowly pour the water at the base of the plant.
You should see liquid pour from the drainage holes. Allow the water to accumulate in the saucer that’s sitting underneath the plant’s pot.
After several minutes have passed, you’ll want to get rid of the water that has accumulated on the saucer. Dump the water and then move the anthurium back to its normal location so it can receive sunlight.
Do this approximately once per week. Know that you won’t be able to follow a strict schedule because when you water the plant will be determined by when the soil dries out.
What Are the Signs of an Underwatered Anthurium?
Sometimes your plant will look unhealthy when you aren’t watering it enough. If you suspect that you’re not watering your anthurium enough, it’s best to look out for certain signs.
One of the biggest signs of an underwatered anthurium is brown leaf tips. The tips of the leaves will have a brown appearance, while the plant might look a little bit droopy.
Drooping leaves will be a telltale sign that will be obvious enough. You might also notice that the aerial roots are shriveling when you’re not giving the plant enough water.
If you recognize some of these signs, it’s best to turn things around. Try to pay more attention to the plant and check the soil condition more often.
You’ll water this plant once every week on average when caring for it indoors. It might be prudent to check the soil condition more often to see if it needs to be watered sooner.
Warmer conditions will make the plant dry out faster. So paying attention to the plant’s needs will always be important.
What Are the Signs of an Overwatered Anthurium?
Overwatered anthuriums will be in danger. These plants can die if you continue to give them too much water, and this is why it’s imperative to watch out for signs of overwatering.
You might see that the tips of the leaves will become yellow when they receive too much water. Take this as a sign that you need to be careful.
When things get really bad, you might notice that the stems will become discolored. Eventually, you’ll see that sections of the plant are starting to become mushy.
If you examine the roots, you’ll see that they have become soft. The roots turn brown and become rather mushy as overwatering issues continue.
Eventually, the plant will experience full-blown root rot if you don’t turn things around. When this occurs, the anthurium is going to die, and that’s something you wish to avoid.
Be careful when watering your anthurium. You want to check the soil and make sure that it has dried out first.
You might need to change the type of soil that you’re using. Or you might simply need to pay more attention to the condition of the soil.
What is the Best Soil to Use?
Anthuriums do best when you plant them in coarse and well-draining soil. Generally, people will create custom soil blends for these plants.
You never want to use thick potting soil for these plants. It won’t drain well enough, and the plant will be in danger of getting watered too much.
It’s more common for people to make soil blends using perlite, peat moss, vermiculite, and different types of fertilizer. You can also simply buy an orchid potting mix from the store.
Orchid potting mix is popularly used for anthuriums. This can easily be bought at stores, and you won’t need to worry about creating your own special soil.
Can You Water Anthuriums with Ice Cubes?
It’s normal for people to water anthuriums using ice cubes. Some people find that using ice cubes to water houseplants is very convenient.
If you want to try this out, it’s good to give the anthurium six ice cubes. Placing six ice cubes on the soil and allowing them to melt naturally will give the plant enough water.
This is a very simple way to water the plant that you can count on. Even though you normally want to use lukewarm water when watering these plants, it’s okay to use ice cubes.
If you’re concerned about the cold water shocking the plant, you can always stick with using ½ of a cup of lukewarm water. Ice cubes are generally used as a convenient watering method, but it isn’t as if you need to use ice cubes to get the job done.
Give the Plant Enough Sunlight
Giving the plant enough sunlight is an important aspect of helping it to dry out. You need to ensure that the plant is getting bright indirect sunlight.
Note that these plants don’t do well when placed in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight is generally too harsh and will cause scorching issues.
You don’t want your plant to get scorched, and this is why you must find a good spot where it can receive filtered or indirect sunlight. A spot near a sunny window is good for the plant, but make sure that the sun isn’t shining directly on it without being filtered in some way.
At least six hours of bright indirect sunlight will do this plant well. You can also give the plant eight hours or more, but don’t give it more than twelve hours of light.
Some people use artificial lights to grow these plants, too. Artificial lights can work out fine and will help to dry the plant out.
If you don’t have a good sunny window for this plant in your home, artificial lights will be a strong option. It’s common for people to use artificial lights for plants in cubicles.
Anthurium Humidity Requirements
It’s also important to know that anthuriums do best when they receive enough humidity. When these plants are kept in dry environments, it’s harder for them to thrive.
If you want the plant to do well, it’s best to keep it in a room that has 50% humidity or more. Your home might not be this humid naturally, and that means that you’ll need to take steps to increase the humidity artificially.
A safe way to do this is to buy a small humidifier for plants. This allows you to increase the humidity in the area near your houseplants.
You don’t need to worry about things being too humid in the rest of your house when using this method. Too much humidity can be dangerous for your house, and that means that using a small humidifier is a very practical solution.
Sometimes people will use simple methods to raise the humidity, though. You can try misting the plants regularly or placing bowls of water near them.
Both these ideas will raise the humidity in the room. It’s simply easier to use a plant humidifier when you’re trying to save yourself time.
Final Thoughts
Having a better understanding of how to water anthuriums will help you out a lot. Both underwatering and overwatering these plants can be dangerous.
It’s important to keep an eye on the plant and check the soil condition. You’ll likely water the plant around once per week, but it’s better to touch the soil to see when it needs to be watered.
Water anthuriums using mineral water or distilled water. The water should be lukewarm to get the best results.
You can water the plant using six ice cubes if you’d like to go that route. Some prefer using ½ of a cup of lukewarm water, though.
Make sure to let the plant dry out between watering sessions. If you don’t do this, it’ll be tough to keep the plant healthy.
Using the right soil plays a huge role in this. You need to use well-draining soil that will make it easier for the plant to dry out, and ensuring that the anthurium gets enough sunlight also matters.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.