Watering wisdom: the finger test beats every schedule
Why 'water twice a week' is bad advice, and the two-second habit that replaces it.
Care tags love schedules because printing them is easy. But your balcony's microclimate doesn't read tags.
The finger test
Push a finger two knuckles deep beside the stem. Dry there? Water thoroughly until it drains. Moist? Walk away — checking again tomorrow costs nothing; root rot doesn't forgive so easily.
Season shifts
- Summer: pots may need water daily; garden beds rarely
- Monsoon: move succulents under cover, stop feeding
- Winter: halve everything except for winter bloomers
When in doubt, underwater. Almost every plant that dies here dies of kindness.