How often to water bird of paradise

The interval

A bird of paradise is watered about every 7 days in the growing season and about every 18 days in winter, once the top 4 cm of compost is dry. Growing season means the warm, bright months from spring to early autumn, roughly March to September in the northern hemisphere and September to March in the southern. Winter is the cold, short-day part of your own year. NC State Extension puts the whole rule in one line: water plants freely in spring and summer, but keep them drier in winter.

Check by finger and by weight. Push a finger 4 cm into the compost and water when it is dry at that depth. Then lift the pot. A big plant in a pot that is crowded with roots dries faster than the number suggests in summer and holds water far longer in winter, so lift the pot as well as testing it. A pot that feels light is ready, and one that still feels heavy is not.

Water from the top, thoroughly, until water runs from the drainage holes, wait ten minutes and empty the saucer. The point is to wet all of the roots and then let them dry. Humidity is low for this plant, so it needs no misting and does best in a bright, airy spot.

Too much water is the way to lose one. NC State Extension warns that root rot can occur from overwatering or poorly drained soil, and a bird of paradise in a pot that stays wet declines slowly. Too little is the lesser risk, because the plant is drought tolerant once established.

What is particular to this plant is that it flowers when its roots are crowded. A potbound plant is the one you want, so it is never moved to a larger pot to fix a watering problem, and the answer to a pot that dries too fast is to water by weight, not to repot. Once established it is drought tolerant, and far more likely to be killed by a wet winter pot than a dry summer one.

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