Emily Sanchez of Classy Casita

How To Not Kill

YouR Plant
THE WATERING GUIDE TO HELP KEEP YOUR 
HOUSEPLANTS ALIVE
How To Not Kill
YouR Plant
The watering guide to help keep your 
houseplants alive

by Emily Sanchez
Contents
Plants

Agave 08 Flaming Sword 09

Alocasia 14 Gold Dust Plant 09
Aloe 08 Hoya 11
Anthurium 14 Ivy 11
Aralia False 11 Jade Plant 09
Arrowhead Vine 11 Lipstick Vine 09
Bird of Paradise 08 Money Tree 11
Bamboo Plant 11 Monstera 11
Baby Tears 14 Orchid 09
HOW TO USE YOUR MOISTURE 
Bay Tree 14 Oxalis Triangularis 09
METER
Buddhist Pine 14 Palm 15
Cacti 08 Peace Lilly 12 06
Caladium 14 Peperomia 09
Calathea 14 Philodendron 12 HOW TO UNDERSTAND YOUR
Calla Lilly 14 Pilea 09 MOISTURE METER
Cast Iron Plant 08 Ponytail Plant 09 07
Chinese Evergreen 11 Pothos 12
Christmas Cactus 15 Prayer Plant 15
WATER WHEN DRY
Coleus 15 Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma 12
Colocasia 15 Rubber Plant 12 (LEVEL 0-3)
Creeping Fig 15 Sensitive Plant 16 08
Croton 15 Snake Plant 10
Cryptanthus 08 Spider Plant 12 WATER WHEN MOIST
Donkey’s Tail 08 String of Hearts 10 (LEVEL 4-5)
Dracaena 08 Succulents 10
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Dumb Cane 08 Umbrella Plant 16
Ferns 15 Wandering Jew 12
Ficus Audrey 08 Weeping Fig 12 WATER WHEN MOIST
Fiddle Leaf Fig 09 Zebra Plant 16 (LEVEL 6-7)
Fingernail Plant 15 ZZ Plant 10 14
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 How to Use  your

moisture meter

1 2 3 4

STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4:

Insert the probe vertically Adjust the position Read moisture Remove
into your plant pot. In of the probe until level in the dial probe from
large pots, insert the the pointer on the after the reading soil and
meter to root level. In dial swings slightly. stabilizes. wipe clean
smaller pots, insert the after each
meter about halfway. use.

Tip 1:
Don’t just test the soil once, insert the probe a few times
into different sections of your plant pot for accuracy.

Tip 2:
Never use this meter to test water,
it may damage the sensor.

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How to understand
Your moisture meter
your

Your moisture meter measures the level of wetness

between 1 - 10. Level 1 means very dry, and level
10 means very wet. No plants can tolerate the two
extremes for long, so it is important to often check
on all of your plants.

In the next page you will find a large variety of plants

listed alphabetically by their popular names. Look for
the plant you want to test, and look at the range
listed by that plant.

The range listed by the plant is where you want your

meter to stabilize to confirm your plant is in need of
a good watering. If the meter reads at a higher level
than the range listed, it is too soon to water your
plant.

If the meter reads at the same or lower than the

range listed, then get your watering can ready
because it is time to water your plant!

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moisture meter
the

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Water these plants
when dry RANGE
LEVEL (1-3)

AGAVE CRYPTANTHUS
Ready to water at level: 1 Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

ALOE DONKEY’S TAIL

Ready to water at level: 1 Ready to water at level: 3
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 3 DAYS

BIRD OF PARADISE DRACAENA

Ready to water at level: 3 Ready to water at level: 3
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

CACTI DUMB CANE

Ready to water at level: 1 Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

CAST IRON PLANT FICUS AUDREY

Ready to water at level: 3 Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

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FIDDLE LEAF FIG/ ORCHID
FICUS LYRATA Ready to water at level: 1
Ready to water at level: 1 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS
LOVES A GOOD MISTING
OXALIS 
TRIANGULARIS
FLAMING SWORD Ready to water at level: 3

Ready to water at level: 1 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

TEST EVERY 7 DAYS REDUCE WATERING DURING

DORMANT SEASON

GOLD DUST PLANT

PEPEROMIA
Ready to water at level: 1
Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

JADE PLANT PILEA

Ready to water at level: 1 Ready to water at level: 3
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

LIPSTICK VINE PONYTAIL PLANT

Ready to water at level: 3 Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

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SNAKE PLANT
Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

STRING OF HEARTS
Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

SUCCULENTS
Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

ZZ PLANT
Ready to water at level: 1
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS

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Water these plants
when dry RANGE
LEVEL (4-5)

ARALIA FALSE HOYA

Ready to water at level: 4 Ready to water at level: 4
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS TEST EVERY 7 DAYS
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY

ARROWHEAD VINE IVY

Ready to water at level: 4 Ready to water at level: 4
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

MONEY TREE
BAMBOO PLANT Ready to water at level: 4
Ready to water at level: 4 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS LOVES A GOOD MISTING

MONSTERA 
CHINESE DELICIOSA
EVERGREEN Ready to water at level: 4
Ready to water at level: 4 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS LOVES A GOOD MISTING

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PEACE LILY SPIDER PLANT
Ready to water at level: 4 Ready to water at level: 4
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

PHILODENDRON WANDERING JEW

Ready to water at level: 4 Ready to water at level: 5
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

RHAPHIDOPHORA WEEPING FIG

TETRASPERMA Ready to water at level: 4
Ready to water at level: 4 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

POTHOS
Ready to water at level: 4
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

RUBBER PLANT
Ready to water at level: 4
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS
LOVES A GOOD MISTING

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note

TO SELF
DON’T WATER PLANTS
AT WET LEVEL 8-10

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Water these plants
when dry RANGE
LEVEL (6-7)

ALOCASIA BUDDHIST PINE

Ready to water at level: 6 Ready to water at level: 6
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY

CALADIUM
Ready to water at level: 6
ANTHURIUM TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
Ready to water at level: 6 KEEP SOIL MOIST BUT NEVER
TEST EVERY 3 DAYS SOGGY
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY

CALATHEA
Ready to water at level: 6
BABY TEARS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
Ready to water at level: 6 SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

CALLA LILY
Ready to water at level: 6
BAY TREE TEST EVERY 3 DAYS
Ready to water at level: 6 REDUCE WATERING DURING
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS DORMANT SEASON

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CHRISTMAS FERNS
CACTUS Ready to water at level: 6
Ready to water at level: 6 TEST EVERY 3 DAYS
TEST EVERY 3 DAYS SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY
REDUCE WATERING DURING
DORMANT SEASON
FINGERNAIL PLANT
Ready to water at level: 6
COLEUS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
Ready to water at level: 6
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

PALM
CREEPING FIG Ready to water at level: 6
Ready to water at level: 6 TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY
PRAYER PLANT
Ready to water at level: 6
COLOCASIA
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
Ready to water at level: 6
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY
TEST EVERY 7 DAYS
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY

CROTON
Ready to water at level: 6
TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS

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SENSITIVE PLANT ZEBRA PLANT
Ready to water at level: 6 Ready to water at level: 6
TEST EVERY 3 DAYS TEST EVERY 4-5 DAYS
SPRAY FOLIAGE DAILY REDUCE WATERING DURING
DORMANT SEASON

UMBRELLA PLANT
Ready to water at level: 7
TEST EVERY 3 DAYS

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helpful

tips
01
Never let a plant sit in water for too long. If you place your plant directly back into a decorative
pot after watering, be sure to discard any water that goes through the drainage holes. 

02
If you have a plant that is extremely dry and is tough to water from the top, try bottom
watering it. You just need a small bucket or container with a couple of inches of water, then
place the plant on top to absorb it until your plant is evenly watered.

03
Remember that it is always better to underwater than to overwater your plant. Overwatering
will KILL them but you can always bring them back to a happy state if you underwater.

04
If your plant is looking a little sad, they are letting you know they are thirsty!

05
Make sure to remove any dead leaves you see on your plant. This will allow more healthier
growth because your plant is not wasting energy on any of the unhealthy ones.

06
Remember that as long as you have proper drainage, it doesn’t matter how much water you
use when watering. You always want to make sure that your plant is being evenly watered, so
that can sometimes mean using more water than you think. As long as you have proper
drainage, there is no need to worry! 

07
If you have tropical plants, you should bump up the humidity! Use a humidifier, pebble trays,
put them close to other plants, or try misting your plants.

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08
If you are misting your plant to increase humidity, be sure to use a very fine mister and spray
upwards so that large droplets do not land on the leaves. If they do, try your best to wipe
them off or that you have proper air circulation at home to help them dry off quicker. 

09
Smaller pots dry up faster than larger pots, so be sure to check those smaller plants more
frequently.

10
The more light you give your plant, the faster it will dry out and more frequent it will need
watering. The less light you give it, the slower it will dry and less frequent it will need
watering.

11
Spring is the best time to repot your houseplants. Remember to only repot if you notice roots
coming out of the drainage holes or you notice that it is root bound. When you do repot, only
go up 1-2 inches bigger than the current pot it’s in. 

12
Remember that in the hotter seasons, your plants will be a lot thirstier than in the colder
seasons. Be sure to check in with them more frequently in the spring and summer. 

13
If you notice your plant is getting a bit dusty, try your best to wipe them down so the leaves
can breathe. Dust on leaves will block sunlight and reduce the ability to photosynthesize. 

14
If you can, try watering your plants in your sink or bathtub to make sure water is properly
going through the drainage holes. Plus this will help you keep your home from getting messy!

15
Remember that your plant loves you just as much as you love them!

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 Want more?
@classycasita

www.classycasita.com

classycasita@gmail.com

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