Plant Parent Basics: Aeration
Almost all houseplants need soil aeration because, you can see here, the soil has become dry and compacted. This inhibits proper watering.
As part of our feature series, Plant Parent Basics, in this article you will learn about the essential plant parent task of aerating your plant’s soil to ensure proper watering.
What is aeration?
Soil aeration is the act of gently loosening the soil with a chopstick or similar object usually just before watering.
Using different materials in the soil can help keep plants aerated naturally, such as stone, sand or wood chips.
Why do I need to aerate my plant’s soil?
The benefits of aerating your plant’s soil includes:
Allows oxygen to more easily flow through entire root ball
Allows water to more evenly moisten the soil
You can use the chopstick as a gauge for how moist the soil is to better inform you about when to water
As Daryl Cheng of House Plant Journal website, explains, aeration “ceates channels through which water can flow, ensuring evenly moistened soil (i.e. properly watered). As water trickles down, air is also pulled in, getting oxygen down to the roots. In nature, insects and worms aerate the soil but indoors, we must do their job." Check out Cheng’s time lapse video below to see how aeration works.
How do I aerate my plant?
To aerate your plants, follow these simple steps.
Get a chopstick or stick of similar size. such as a pencil. We prefer metal straws.
Poke the chopstick deep into the soil a few times.
Water your plant. Listen for a crackling sound as water travels through your plant's soil.
Repeat every few times you water your plants.
For more detailed information, please see this website.
If you’re unsure how to aerate your plant, please reach out to us via email or a direct message via Instagram. Pictures are encouraged.