Herbs do not need a lot of water
They need a healthy mix of water, well-drained soil, nutrients in the soil, sunlight, and air
Most herbs only need water once or twice a week. Any more will dilute the nutrients and air that they need to be in the soil. If you have mostly raised animals, it can feel weird not to do something daily to care for your plants. Don’t let that trick you into overwatering and killing your herbs.
Think about your needs as a living thing
You need:
- Water
- Food
- Air
- Room to live
- A healthy environment
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- And so on
Plants are the same way
Yes, they need water
But they also need other things
If you drink too much water without eating the vitamins that you need too, you’ll get sick too
When you overwater herbs, the vitamins, minerals, and air that they need get diluted or pushed out
So it is important to give your plants the right amount of everything they need so they can be happy and healthy
How much water do herbs need?
Most herbs do not like a lot of water
If you are unsure about the specific plant that you have, then I would research that specific plant
But as a rule of thumb, herbs only want water once or twice a week
Too much water can cause many different issues
If you are not sure what to look for, check out my post on symptoms of overwatering herbs
Herbs don’t like “wet feet”
This just means that don’t like their soil to be super wet al the time
It can be super freaky to look at your herbs and see that they soil is dry
But remember that the top of the soil is dry
That doesn’t mean the middle of the soil is
And you can tell if your herb needs a little more water
When I look at my Oregano at night, I expect them to be perky and happy
They droop during the hot days but that is expected
They are just saving energy!
But they should feel pretty good when it is cool outside
The longer you mindfully take care of your plants, the more you will be able to tell if they are not doing well
Is watering different for potted plants than for outdoor plants?
There are man differences in the situation your herbs live in if they are indoor or outdoor
There are alo two possible situations outdoors
You could have your plants:
- In a pot inside
- In a pot outside
- In the ground outside
The frequency of watering isn’t that much different
For pots inside, you’ll want to water about once a week (or possibly less if it is a very cool environment)
For pots outside, there will be hotter temperatures and more evaporation
That means they will need a little more water
I water my plants about twice a week in their outdoor pots
I pay attention to them when I water them
If they don’t perk up when I water, then I water a little more throughout the week
Plants in the ground outdoors are a little more stable since they have more soil to work with
You should water them 1-3 times a week depending on the plants you are growing
I like to water my outdoor gardens until there is about a inch of water sitting on top of the soil
This gives the water a chance to soak in before the sun comes and prevents any burning
When do I water my herbs?
When you water your herbs is just as important as how much you water your herbs
I water my plants at night, but we don’t freeze very often where I live
When the frost comes, I will water them in the early morning
This is because the water can freeze on the plants when the temperatures get too low and harm them
They would literally get frozen alive
If you water your plants during the day, the sun will treat the water like a magnifying glass
So when the water sits on the plants, the sun will shine through that water and burn your plants
Also harming them
So early morning when the sun is just starting to come up is the perfect time
The temperatures are starting to warm up so the water won’t have time to freeze
And there is still time for the water to soak in before the sun shines through and starting burning the plants
This is less important if your plants are indoors
It is unlikely that it gets to freezing temperatures in your home
But only you know if that is a concern for you
The sun burning the plants with the water is still a real concern though
If anything, the sun going through the glass first makes it a bigger concern
So as long as you don’t water your plants during the day, you should be good with your indoor plants
Once again, be mindful when caring for your herbs
They will tell you if something is wrong when you get to know them
There are more things that can go wrong other than watering too
I like to add the parts of fruit and vegetables that I don’t eat to my soil
You can either dehydrate and blend them into a powder to add on top of the soil, or you can chop the pieces very small and stick them into the soil
Pay attention to your herbs needs
For example, my strawberries need potassium to produce fruit
So I save my banana peels to add to their soil
This gives them the food they need to be happy and produce food for me
And it makes it so I don’t have to waste anything!
My son loves dried banana chips so I have banana peels several times a month
Don’t overfeed your plants, but get to know them and their needs
This will make your relationship with them much healthier!