How often to water houseplants: guide for 25 plants
Suggested starting intervals from PlantLog, not measured moisture levels or universal watering rules. Adjust for your pot, soil, and light. Click a plant to load it into the calculator.
| Plant | Water | Light | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pothos Epipremnum aureum | Every 10 days | Low light | Tolerates a wide range of conditions. Let soil dry out between waterings. Yellowing leaves usually mean too much water. |
| Snake Plant Dracaena trifasciata | Every 14 days | Low light | Very drought-tolerant. Water sparingly; more plants die from overwatering than underwatering. |
| ZZ Plant Zamioculcas zamiifolia | Every 14 days | Low light | Stores water in rhizomes. Allow soil to dry completely. Handles low light. |
| Cast Iron Plant Aspidistra elatior | Every 14 days | Low light | Extremely hardy. Slow grower. Tolerates neglect, deep shade, and temperature swings. |
| Peace Lily Spathiphyllum spp. | Every 7 days | Low light | Droops visibly when thirsty, a reliable watering signal. Prefers consistently moist, not soggy, soil. |
| Chinese Evergreen Aglaonema spp. | Every 10 days | Low light | Tolerates low light, but variegated varieties prefer bright indirect. Avoid cold drafts. |
| Heartleaf Philodendron Philodendron hederaceum | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Forgiving and fast-growing. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. Yellowing means overwatering. |
| Monstera Monstera deliciosa | Every 10 days | Bright indirect | Allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry between waterings. High humidity preferred. Wipe leaves to keep them breathing. |
| Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae | Every 10 days | Bright indirect | Needs bright indirect to filtered direct sun indoors. Water when the top 2 inches are dry. |
| Rubber Plant Ficus elastica | Every 10 days | Bright indirect | Keep soil lightly moist spring to summer; reduce in winter. Avoid moving it, leaf drop is common after a move. |
| Fiddle Leaf Fig Ficus lyrata | Every 10 days | Bright indirect | Sensitive to drafts and inconsistent watering. Water when the top inch is dry; avoid wet feet. |
| Calathea Calathea spp. | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Loves humidity. Use filtered or distilled water to avoid brown tips. Keep soil lightly moist. |
| Alocasia Alocasia spp. | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Needs bright indirect light and high humidity. Allow the top soil to dry slightly between waterings. |
| Spider Plant Chlorophytum comosum | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Very forgiving. Keep soil evenly moist. Produces offshoots that root easily. |
| Boston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata | Every 5 days | Bright indirect | Needs consistent moisture and high humidity. Fronds brown quickly if the air or soil is too dry. |
| Dracaena Dracaena spp. | Every 12 days | Bright indirect | Allow the top inch to dry. Sensitive to fluoride; use filtered water if possible. |
| Jade Plant Crassula ovata | Every 14 days | Bright indirect | Water deeply, then let soil dry fully. Overwatering is the main killer. |
| Aloe Vera Aloe barbadensis miller | Every 21 days | Direct sun | Extremely drought-tolerant. Water thoroughly, then not again until the soil is bone dry. |
| Echeveria Echeveria spp. | Every 14 days | Direct sun | Needs bright direct light indoors. Use well-draining cactus mix. Water sparingly in winter. |
| Cactus (general) Cactaceae family | Every 28 days | Direct sun | Needs maximum direct sun indoors. In winter, water once a month or less. |
| String of Pearls Senecio rowleyanus | Every 14 days | Bright indirect | Delicate roots rot easily. Let soil dry fully. Bright indirect to some direct sun. |
| Anthurium Anthurium andraeanum | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Blooms repeatedly in good indirect light. Water when the top inch is dry. High humidity prolongs blooms. |
| African Violet Saintpaulia spp. | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Water from below to avoid crown rot. Keep roots lightly moist. |
| Orchid (Phalaenopsis) Phalaenopsis spp. | Every 10 days | Bright indirect | Water weekly by soaking roots, then let drain fully. Do not leave in standing water. |
| Tradescantia Tradescantia zebrina | Every 7 days | Bright indirect | Fast-growing trailing plant. Keep soil lightly moist; avoid soggy roots. |
How to use the houseplant watering calculator
- Select your houseplant from the list or the guide table.
- Enter the date you last watered and adjust the days between waterings for your conditions.
- Choose how many dates to show and select Build schedule.
- Check the soil against your plant's needs before watering. If you wait, enter the actual watering date to rebuild the schedule.
How this watering schedule works
The next watering is the last watering plus the interval. That is exactly how PlantLog schedules its reminders. When you tap "watered" in the app the anchor moves, so a late watering pushes the whole schedule rather than piling up missed days.
Interval data comes from PlantLog's built-in care guide, which the app uses to suggest a schedule when you type a plant name. It is general guidance, not a substitute for looking at your plant.
Sources
Plant table and scheduling rule copied from PlantLog's care guide and reminder scheduler on September 17, 2026. A printable version of this schedule is on the plant watering schedule template page.
Houseplant watering calculator FAQ
How often should I water houseplants?
There is no single interval for all houseplants. Start with the plant-specific guide, then adjust for soil moisture, pot, light and season. Treat the dates as reminders to check the plant rather than instructions to water.
Should I water on a fixed schedule?
Use the schedule as a reminder to check, not a command. Check the soil against your plant's moisture needs before watering; different species tolerate different amounts of drying. Pot size, soil mix, light, and season all change how fast soil dries.
Do plants need less water in winter?
Some houseplants dry more slowly when light levels and growth decrease. Check the soil and adjust the interval to your conditions instead of adding a fixed number of days.
Can I get a printable plant watering schedule?
Yes. Use the free plant watering schedule PDF linked below to record each plant, its interval, last watered date and next check date. The calculator and PDF download need no signup.
How does the calculator pick the next date?
The same way PlantLog schedules reminders: next due = last watered + interval days. Each following date adds the interval again.
Printable plant watering schedules
- Plant watering schedule printable PDF — a log for each plant.
- Plant watering calendar — a weekly checklist.
- Succulent watering schedule — a separate sheet for succulents.
- Indoor plant moisture level chart PDF — a separate reference worksheet.
- Vacation plant watering plan — instructions for a plant sitter.
More free tools
- Fuel cost calculator — Trip fuel cost and cost per mile from distance, economy, and pump price; MPG from two fill-ups.
- Sourdough hydration calculator — Dough hydration with levain included, or the water to hit a target, plus salt.
- Reef dosing calculator — Millilitres of alkalinity, calcium, or magnesium additive to reach a target, from your product label.
- Reading time calculator — Days to finish a book from your page pace, or pages per day to hit a deadline.
- Varroa mite calculator — Mites per 100 bees from an alcohol wash or sugar roll, with the 3% treatment flag.
- Film reciprocity failure calculator — Corrected long-exposure times for HP5 Plus, Tri-X, T-Max, Delta, Portra, Fomapan.
- Kiln firing cost calculator — Electric kiln firing cost from kilowatts, Orton cone, ramp rate, and electricity rate.
- Cut list optimizer — Guillotine cutting diagram and yield from stock and part sizes, kerf-aware.
- Board feet calculator — Total board feet and cost for a lumber order, across as many board sizes as you need.
- Miter angle calculator — Compound miter and bevel for crown molding, or a plain miter for baseboard and picture frames.
- Wood shelf sag calculator — Expected shelf sag from span, depth, thickness, material, and load, Sagulator-style.
- Pet age calculator — Dog or cat age in human years — a 2020 DNA-methylation study for dogs, International Cat Care's chart for cats.
- Dog & cat calorie calculator — Daily calories (RER/MER) from weight, species, and life stage or status, the standard veterinary formula.
- Whetstone angle calculator — Spine-lift height for a target sharpening angle, or the angle for a lift you used — freehand or guided rod.
- Wallpaper roll calculator — Rolls needed from wall width, ceiling height, roll size, pattern repeat, and door/window openings, metric or imperial.
- Dough temperature calculator — Water temperature to hit a target dough temp from room, flour, and levain temperature — the standard ×3/×4 baker's formula.
- Bee syrup calculator — Sugar to add for 1:1 spring or 2:1 fall syrup, by the correct weight-based ratio, with a cup measure.