How Often To Water Anthurium? (Anthurium Water Requirements)

Anthuriums are one of the most commonly seen indoor plants among the majority of houseplant enthusiasts. 

While growing, one question that many plant parents including myself had was, “how often to water anthurium?”

You’ll only need to water them once in one or two weeks. However, it is recommended to always check the top 2 inches of your soil with a moisture meter or your fingers before watering your plants. If you discover that your soil is dry, then you’ll know it is time to water your plant. 

Anthuriums are tropical plants, but they don’t require too much watering. 

Let’s have a detailed look into the anthurium water requirements. Here are the topics that we cover in this article,

• Factors affecting anthurium water requirements
• How to water anthurium?
• Signs of overwatered anthurium
• Signs of underwatered anthurium
• When to water anthurium?
• Lots more.

Let’s get started.

Factors Affecting Anthurium Water Requirements

There are so many factors that influence the watering needs of anthuriums. 

These include the height of the plant, climate, humidity, the potting soil blend, season of the year, etc. 

Each of these factors must be put into consideration when watering your anthurium and they are briefly explained below:

1. Time Of The Year

Seasons significantly affect the water needs of anthuriums. Generally, most plants need even more moisture during the spring and summertime than in winter and autumn. 

> Spring and Summer: 

Anthuriums will dry out more quickly during spring and summer. This is because these warm seasons encourage plant growth. 

Consequently, your anthuriums would have more watering needs at this time as they’ll need it to grow well.  

Plus, warm temperature conditions also stimulate more evaporation in your potting soil. Much of the moisture that gets into your soil would evaporate very quickly and never reach your plant’s roots. Always check your soil properly and increase watering in warmer seasons accordingly.

> Winter and Autumn:

Anthuriums experience slower growth and dormancy in the cooler seasons of winter and autumn. 

In these cold seasons, the soil retains moisture for a much longer time since there’s less heat. Hence, the plant will require less water in winter and autumn. 

2. Blooming

Anthuriums have a unique year-round long-lasting blooming pattern. However, your anthurium would only flower properly when it is watered adequately. 

While your plant blooms, the soil dries out much faster. When your plant blooms, you’ll need to water it, even more, to keep it happy and colorful.

3. Size Of The Anthurium

Just like every other plant, anthuriums have lovely leaves that turn carbon dioxide and moisture into sugar for the plant. 

So the bigger your anthuriums, the more leaves they have, and the more water they’ll need in order to produce energy for staying healthy.

4. Humidity

Anthuriums love humid areas, and they lose a lot of water through transpiration. 

So depending on the rate at which your plant loses water due to the climatic condition or indoor heating, they’ll feel dried up and would require adequate watering. 

5. Temperature

Anthuriums are tropicals that need to be in warm climates, they thrive in temperatures between 60-90ºF (15-32°C). 

If you love your anthurium to bloom nicely, keep your anthurium at higher temperatures. 

And as earlier stated, warmer climates do not just boost growth, it also makes the soil dry up much faster. If your anthurium enjoys a much warmer temperature, then you’ll need to water your plant more.

6. Type Of Potting Soil Mix

The type of potting mix you use can significantly affect the growth and health of your anthurium. 

These gorgeous plants do best in well-draining soils as they don’t retain too much water and you wouldn’t need to worry about how much water you apply to your anthurium.

On the other hand, soils that are thick and conserve so much water will make your anthurium prone to root rot and other diseases. They’ll also be very difficult to water. At this point, your plant would not even be able to use the water you apply to your plant.  

7. Kind Of Pot/Container 

Pots are made of different kinds of materials, there are porous pot materials like terracotta that absorb water from your soil mix and increase humidity. 

On the other hand, materials like glass, plastic, and glazed ceramics retain moisture properly, you wouldn’t need to water your anthuriums so much. 

Every pot ought to have drainage holes to prevent moisture from compiling at the base of the pot as it encourages the activities of pests. 

8. Size Of Pot/Container

The size of your pot is another important factor influencing the water requirement. 

A large plant in a little container can hold only very little water, so you’ll need to water your plant more frequently. However, a larger pot would hold even more soil and retain water even more. An overly large pot will make you use a lot more water than your plant actually requires. 

How To Water Anthurium?

You want to make sure your anthurium is watered properly to keep it healthy and happy. Here are three ways to water your plant adequately:

1. Use Self Watering Pots

An easy way to properly water your plants and minimize wastage is to invest in self-watering pots. Using the steps below, you can adequately water your plants with a self-watering pot:

Step 1: For best results, select and purchase a quality self-watering pot with a transparent water reservoir and a water meter.

Step 2: Fill in the reservoir of your self-watering pot with undiluted and purified water.

Step 3: Take time to fill up your reservoir monthly as your watering pot would not work without having water in the reservoir. 

2. Water Your Plant From The Top

Anthuriums are tropical plants. In their natural habitat, they are watered naturally from the top. This way, they enjoy even more humidity and they are happier. 

To water your plant from the top, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Get a good measure of rainwater or already filtered water.

Step 2: Pour the water on the soil of your anthurium plant from the top, making sure you do not affect the leaves. 

Step 3: To make sure your anthurium is watered properly, pour the water until you notice the water flowing out of the drainage holes. 

Step 4: Now, empty any water collected in the saucers or trays during watering. After watering, make sure that the top 2 inches of your soil dry out before watering it again. 

3. Bottom Watering   

Watering anthurium plants from underneath ensures that it receives the ideal amount of water it requires. 

However, this method is only suitable for pots with good drainage holes. The following steps will help you effectively water your plant from the bottom:

Step 1: Fill a watering tray or a shallow container with rainwater or filtered water up to 2.5 cm deep at least depending on the size of your plant.

Step 2: Now place your pot in the already prepared tray and allow it for some time so the water would get into your potting mix. 

Step 3: You can add up more water as your anthurium absorbs the water in your potting soil. 

Step 4: Immediately check if your soil is receiving water uniformly and then let your anthurium sit for at most twenty minutes.

Step 5: Remove your plant from the watering tray. 

Step 6: Allow your anthurium to drain, and then you can take it back to its ideal spot.

Signs Of Underwatered Anthurium

Certain signs will notify you that your anthurium isn’t getting enough water. If you notice any of the signs below on your plant, then it has been underwatered:

1. Wilting Or Sagging Leaves

Sagging leaves is usually the very first sign your anthurium would give you if it is being underwatered. Normally, anthuriums have firm leaves that hang on long stems. 

So, if you notice the leaves drooping and then, wilting, most times it’s a sign that your plant needs water. 

2. Brown Leaf Tips

At times, drooping leaves may not be a sure-fire sign that your plant needs water. 

But if you also find the tips of your anthurium leaves drying out and appearing brown, it simply signifies that your plant is thirsty. 

3. Leaf Wrinkling 

The leaves of an anthurium plant also get wrinkled as a result of water loss, so wrinkled leaves are another clear sign of underwatering. 

4. Leaves Turning Brown or Yellow

While yellowing leaves may mean a lot of things, it is also a symptom of an underwatered anthurium. 

When you’ve left your plant underwatered for a reasonable amount of time, the result is brown or yellow leaves.

Signs Of Overwatered Anthurium

Most Anthurium owners assume that all tropical plants need a lot of water, but as mentioned earlier in this article, anthuriums don’t need much water to survive. 

These plants don’t like to sit in waterlogged soils, so below are 5 signs that your plant has had a little too much to drink:  

1. Wilting Or Drooping Anthurium

Drooping plants can also be a sign of overwatered plants. If your plants suddenly become floppier, check your soil properly. It could be that you’ve been giving them too much water. 

2. Slow Growth And Brown Patches On Leaves

Muddy brown patches on anthurium leaves are a clear indication of overwatering. 

In addition, when the leaves begin to experience slow or no growth, it is important to make sure that your soil isn’t waterlogged. 

3. Leaves Turning Light Green Or Yellow 

When your leaves turn to a lighter green shade and then yellow, check your soil to ensure you’re not overwatering your anthurium. 

4. Mold And Root Rot

One clear sign to tell if your plant has been overwatered is the presence of root rot (black or mushy gray areas on your anthurium roots). 

If you’ve seen mold at the tip of the stems, leaves, or just the soil surface, then you’ve overwatered your anthurium. 

In most cases, these signs also come with a foul smell on the soil. 

How Do I Know When To Water Anthurium?

Here are a few methods you can use to check your soil moisture level and find out when to water your Anthurium:

1. Check Your Soil Moisture Level With Your Finger

This is the easiest way to check your soil moisture level. 

At least once every week, stick your finger in your potting mix and feel the moisture level of your soil. Ideally, the top 2 inches of your soil should dry out in-between waterings.  

However, if anywhere down from the top 2 inches feels dry, then it’s time to water your Anthurium. 

2. Test Your Soil With A Moisture Meter

You can purchase a moisture meter to frequently monitor the amount of water in the soil, some moisture meters also evaluate temperature and pH. 

Moisture meters are accurate and very easy to use. This way you can know when your plant needs water and when it doesn’t. 

3. Check The Weight Of Your Pot 

Checking for the weight of your anthurium’s pot is another way to find out if your plant needs water. You can do this by lifting your pot to know if it is heavy or not. 

The trick behind this method is simply finding out how much the water changes the weight of your plant by lifting it after you must have watered it. 

Once you’ve taken note of the weight of your plant when it is watered, you can know when it needs water by weighing your pot. if your plant is much lighter, then it probably needs a drink of water. 

Wrapping Up

Most anthurium owners make mistakes when it comes to its watering procedure. Yet, there’s no hard and fast rule for watering your anthurium. 

But as opposed to having a strict watering schedule for your anthuriums, a better approach is to frequently monitor your plant and know when it needs a drink of water. 

Also, make sure to use the right potting mix and watch your anthurium grow healthily and beautifully.

Sources

To back up the information we provide in our articles, the Plantials team only uses high-quality sources published in peer-reviewed university or scientific research journals.

1. Evaluation Of New Anthurium Cultivars In Soilless Culture, International Society For Horticultural Science.
2. Guide Values For Anthurium (Anthurium Cultorum Birdsey) Grown In Expanded Clay, Journal Of Plant Nutrition.