Alyssum is a plant that differs from most in terms of flowers and foliage, and they are also somewhat sensitive in their watering habits. It loves moisture, hence it requires consistent watering. Now, how often should you water your Alyssum?
You should water Alyssum 2 – 3 times a week to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Potted alyssum needs more water than ground-grown alyssum plants.
There are multiple factors that can impact your watering schedules such as age, season, spacing, sun exposure, and soil quality.
As a thumb rule, you should water Alyssum only when the top one inch of soil is dry.
How Often To Water Established Alyssum Plants?
Large, well-established alyssum plants will need thorough watering. But, do note that these plants only need enough water to grow and will be quick to display negative signs when overwatered. Wilting is one such sign.
You will water established alyssum plants as often as you find their soil dry. Test the top one inch of the soil to check if it is dry. Water it if it is dry but do not water it if it is still wet or even moist.
NOTE- A great deal of maintaining the best watering schedule for alyssum pants is the soil it is in. Only well-draining soils will do for these plants!
How Often To Water Indoor Alyssum?
In most cases, potted alyssum plants need more watering since pots dry out faster than the ground. That said, it may be easier to mistakenly overwater potted alyssum indoors.
You should water the indoor Ayssum only when the top one-inch soil is dry. Often watering schedule for indoor Alyssum would be close to 1 – 2 times a week.
The biggest difference between outdoor and indoor alyssum plants is that indoor plants don’t have the hot sun beating over them. This means they need much less water.
You should try to make indoor conditions favorable for your alyssum. For example, don’t leave the potted plant near an open window or door. This is because the drafts of air will dry out the plant faster.
How Often To Water Potted Outdoor Alyssum?
Alyssum potted plants planted outdoors are exposed to the best conditions. Plants that are grown outdoors get long hours of sunlight, air, and less humidity.
You should expect to water your outdoor alyssum plant more often than an indoor one. This could add up to 2 to 3 times a week. This watering frequency is most likely to keep your alyssum plants in good health.
Luckily there is a way to ensure you’re not watering them too often. You can easily dip your finger into the soil at a depth of 1 inch and determine the moisture held by the soil. If it feels fairly dry, water your alyssum plant otherwise let it dry out if it feels relatively moist.
How Often To Water Alyssum Seedlings?
As is the case with all seedlings, you are more likely to overwater alyssum seedlings rather than underwater them. Excessive amounts of water can easily cause the seeds to rot instead of germinating!
Alyssum seedlings may need watering every 2-3 days or even daily if the weather is hot! It is best to use the rule of “less water more frequently” as opposed to “a lot of water but less frequently”.
Growing alyssum seeds in clumps can be advantageous as it leads to faster moisture intake thereby reducing the chances of them completely drying out. However, be sure not to water them if it is not necessary.
Watering Ground Grown Alyssum
You might be wondering how often to water alyssum grown in the ground as it differs greatly from a potted environment.
Surprisingly, you may not have to water them as often as you think! This is simply because the plants can absorb water from the surrounding soil. So you just have to keep a larger surface area moist for alyssum plants that are planted in the ground.
A thorough watering may be enough to keep the soil moist for a few days on end or even longer if temperatures are mild.
Factors Influencing How Often to Water Alyssum Plants
How often to water alyssum may not always have a straightforward answer as it depends on several different factors. Surrounding conditions, soil, and season, all play a vital part in determining the frequency of watering alyssum plants.
1) Sunlight and Shade Exposure
Plants that are permanently outdoors will need watering more often than ones that are out of the sun or indoors. Intense sunlight initiates rapid evaporation and transpiration, leading to a water deficit.
Occasionally if this deficit extends too far, the plants will start to become brown, the most affected or vulnerable foliage turning color first.
Your plants will experience the highest sun exposure in summer and particularly when the plants are in full sun during the hottest parts of the day. It is during such times that you must water your plants well and as many times as they may need it!
It is essential you water the plants very well during the summer months as shooting and flowering capacity may depend on it!
2) Season
It is true that plants need less water in winter and more in summer. Unless they are in the house this applies to alyssum as well!
During winter, sun exposure is greatly reduced. This slows the rate at which water is lost from the plant. But, during summers there is high sun exposure and water will be lost at a faster rate! Especially since the plants are growing they will need more water to carry out reactions.
Hence, watering must be increased or decreased according to the weather. Remember, the rule of checking soil first still applies here.
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3) Age of Plants
Established plants are capable of sourcing their own water to a greater extent. In addition to this, they have a slightly higher tolerance to drought than less established alyssum plants.
But, the same does not apply to more vulnerable plants like seedlings and younger plants. Indeed young alyssum plants and seedlings will need the most monitoring when it comes to watering routines.
Thus, be cautious and monitor younger alyssum plants to get a better grip on their water requirements. Doing this for a few weeks will help both you and the plants adjust somewhat to the watering habits.
Thereafter they will be able to tolerate less frequent watering habits.
4) Spacing
Ever thought about how the distance between two alyssum plants influences how often you water them? Probably not, but you should consider it as a highly influential factor.
The more plants there are in a smaller space, the higher the frequency of watering. The justification behind this is that all these plants will be competing for the same water. So, water will be used up relatively fast and plants that don’t get enough will suffer!
Yet if there are fewer alyssum plants in the flower bed, the water won’t be readily absorbed. As a result, the soil will remain wet for a longer time. Spacing is a crucial factor to consider and may just be the difference between overwatering or underwatering.
5) Soil Quality
Alyssum naturally prefers well-draining soil. But, if the soil drains too fast, this could create a big problem as it sucks water away from your plants.
That’s why soil draining capacity should be tested prior to planting your alyssum plants. It shouldn’t hold water for long periods of time either, as this would cause root rot and stem rot.
Instead, water should drain out adequately but hold just enough moisture to sustain the plants. Thus, soil containing enough sand (porous material) but also organic material (water-retaining material) as well will be good enough for alyssum plants.
Conclusion
If you’re questioning how often to water alyssum plants, the answer can be derived by considering the plant’s location. This means its presence in a pot or in the ground, indoors or outdoors matters!
Established plants and ground-grown alyssum plants will not need water as often as alyssum seedlings and young plants. Additionally, Potted alyssum plants require water more often than those grown in the soil.
Also, the frequency of watering alyssum depends on the factors below:
- Sunlight and shade exposure
- Season
- Age of plants
- Spacing
- Soil quality
Based on assessing these factors, you’ll find just how often to water your alyssum plants!
FAQs
No, you must not overwater alyssum. Upon receiving too much water, alyssum plants will start wilting and show poor health. But, be careful, wilting could also be a sign of too little water. It is up to you to decide which of the two it is.
It mostly depends on the season. In summer, alyssum needs at least 1 inch of water per week. In winter watering will be less frequent and so will the amount of water. Also, the age of the plant will matter greatly.
