Watering calculator
Pick your plant and tell us how it lives. The calculator returns how many days to wait between waterings and how much water to give, backed by 16,756 real intervals between waterings logged in the Bloom app, across 102 species.
5 cm60 cm
Water every
17 days
Between 13 and 21 days, depending on your climate. Check first: if the soil is still damp 2 cm down, wait.
About 180 ml per watering
Starting point: 14.5 days — the real median of 314 intervals between waterings of Snake Plant logged in Bloom.
What moved that number
- Fall (rule of thumb)×1.15
How we calculate it
No black box: four steps, and we say which numbers come from measurement and which are general gardening rules of thumb.
- 1 We start from the species interval. When we have at least 30 observed intervals for it in the app, we use the real median; when we don't, we use the care plan from Bloom's species database.
- 2 Indoors versus outdoors is measured: a median of 5.9 days outdoors against 7.3 days indoors, across 16,756 observed intervals.
- 3 Pot size and material, light and season are general gardening rules of thumb, not measurements of ours: the intervals we observe follow the app's reminder, which is set per species, so they cannot validate those factors. The calculator tags every adjustment with where it comes from.
- 4 The amount of water follows the app's own formula: about 10 ml per centimetre of pot diameter, 12 ml for drought-tolerant species — water them less often, but soak them properly.
Recommended vs. practiced across 102 species
Each row compares the care-plan interval with the real median of logged waterings: 16,756 intervals across 5,422 plants. In 12 species the gap is over 30% — those are the highlighted ones.
| Plant | Recommended (days) | Practiced (days) | Intervals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peace Lily Spathiphyllum wallisii | 4 | 4.6 | 679 |
| Golden Pothos Epipremnum aureum | 8 | 9 | 552 |
| Moth Orchid Phalaenopsis | 9 | 9.8 | 538 |
| Swiss Cheese Plant Monstera deliciosa | 10 | 10 | 385 |
| Boston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata | 3 | 4 | 365 |
| Flamingo Flower Anthurium andraeanum | 5 | 5.7 | 359 |
| Snake Plant Dracaena trifasciata | 14 | 14.5 | 314 |
| Tomato Solanum lycopersicum | 3 | 3.5 | 297 |
| Thanksgiving Cactus Schlumbergera truncata | 3 | 3.5 | 284 |
| Corn Plant Dracaena fragrans | 8 | 8.4 | 269 |
| Flaming Katy Kalanchoe blossfeldiana | 10 | 10.3 | 248 |
| Spider Plant Chlorophytum comosum | 8 | 8.5 | 232 |
| Chili pepper Capsicum annuum | 3 | 3.3 | 219 |
| Dumb Cane Dieffenbachia seguine | 5 | 5.7 | 208 |
| Sweet Basil Ocimum basilicum | 3 | 3.8 | 206 |
| Rubber Plant Ficus elastica | 7 | 7.5 | 195 |
| Parlor Palm Chamaedorea elegans | 7 | 7.6 | 192 |
| Heartleaf Philodendron Philodendron hederaceum | 7 | 7.8 | 180 |
| Chinese Evergreen Aglaonema commutatum | 7 | 7.5 | 163 |
| Strawberry Fragaria x ananassa | 3 | 3.9 | 163 |
| Blushing Philodendron Philodendron erubescens | 4 | 4.8 | 161 |
| Bigleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla | 3 | 3.2 | 152 |
| Chinese Hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis | 4 | 4.2 | 149 |
| Chinese Banyan Ficus microcarpa | 7 | 7.1 | 147 |
| ZZ Plant Zamioculcas zamiifolia | 18 | 18.6 | 143 |
| Lemon Citrus limon | 4 | 4.1 | 141 |
| Swiss Cheese Vine Monstera adansonii | 7 | 7.5 | 139 |
| English Ivy Hedera helix | 5 | 6 | 124 |
| Inch Plant Tradescantia zebrina | 5 | 6 | 119 |
| Jade Plant Crassula ovata | 14 | 14.1 | 116 |
| Spearmint Mentha spicata | 2 | 2.5 | 114 |
| Nerve Plant Fittonia albivenis | 3 | 3.1 | 110 |
| Prayer Plant Maranta leuconeura | 3 | 3.9 | 109 |
| Aloe Vera Aloe vera | 14 | 14.1 | 102 |
| Polka Dot Plant Hypoestes phyllostachya | 4 | 5 | 100 |
| Money Tree Pachira aquatica | 7 | 8 | 99 |
| Song of India Dracaena reflexa | 10 | 10.4 | 98 |
| Petunia Petunia × atkinsiana | 6 | 6.1 | 96 |
| Rose Rosa | 7 | 6.1 | 95 |
| Noble Dendrobium Dendrobium nobile | 7 | 5.9 | 93 |
| Chinese Money Plant Pilea peperomioides | 8 | 8.1 | 91 |
| Desert Rose Adenium obesum | 10 | 9.8 | 91 |
| Lucky Bamboo Dracaena sanderiana | 7 | 7.6 | 89 |
| Emerald Ripple Peperomia Peperomia caperata | 7 | 7.9 | 87 |
| New Guinea Impatiens Impatiens hawkeri | 2 | 2.9 | 84 |
| Arrowhead Plant Syngonium podophyllum | 8 | 8.1 | 83 |
| Baby Rubber Plant Peperomia obtusifolia | 7 | 7.4 | 83 |
| Coleus Coleus scutellarioides | 7 | 7.1 | 81 |
| Polka Dot Begonia Begonia maculata | 4 | 4.6 | 77 |
| Scarlet Star Guzmania lingulata | 4 | 5 | 74 |
| Calla Lily Zantedeschia aethiopica | 3 | 4 | 72 |
| Areca Palm Dypsis lutescens | 5 | 4.9 | 71 |
| Wax Plant Hoya carnosa | 10 | 11 | 70 |
| Garden Croton Codiaeum variegatum | 7 | 8 | 70 |
| Mexican Gem Echeveria elegans | 10 | 10.5 | 69 |
| Weeping Fig Ficus benjamina | 10 | 10.2 | 68 |
| Coffee Plant Coffea arabica | 5 | 5.5 | 68 |
| Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae | 7 | 6.9 | 66 |
| Pinstripe Calathea Goeppertia ornata | 10 | 10 | 66 |
| Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus | 7 | 5 | 64 |
| Stinking Orchid Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis | 3 | 4.1 | 64 |
| Cape Primrose Streptocarpus | 7 | 7.1 | 62 |
| Fiddle Leaf Fig Ficus lyrata | 10 | 11.5 | 61 |
| Blueberry Vaccinium sp | 3 | 3.5 | 60 |
| Dancing Lady Orchid (genus) Oncidium | 6 | 6.2 | 59 |
| Turtle Vine Callisia repens | 7 | 7.1 | 57 |
| Lady Palm Rhapis excelsa | 7 | 8 | 57 |
| Small-leaf Spiderwort Tradescantia fluminensis | 7 | 8.1 | 56 |
| Persian Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum | 5 | 5.9 | 55 |
| Cucumber Cucumis sativus | 3 | 3.4 | 55 |
| Busy Lizzie Impatiens walleriana | 3 | 4 | 55 |
| Mandevilla Mandevilla sanderi | 4 | 4.9 | 55 |
| Spineless Yucca Yucca gigantea | 14 | 14.2 | 54 |
| Rose Painted Calathea Goeppertia roseopicta | 7 | 7.2 | 54 |
| Hemp Cannabis sativa | 3 | 3.5 | 53 |
| Garden Dahlia Dahlia pinnata | 3 | 3.3 | 49 |
| Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus | 10 | 9.9 | 49 |
| Lucky Bamboo Dracaena braunii | 14 | 14 | 46 |
| Lace Fern Asparagus setaceus | 3 | 5 | 46 |
| Wild Banana Musa acuminata | 4 | 4 | 45 |
| English Lavender Lavandula angustifolia | 10 | 4.1 | 45 |
| Avocado Persea americana | 7 | 7 | 45 |
| Dwarf Umbrella Tree Schefflera arboricola | 7 | 7.5 | 43 |
| Vining Peperomia Peperomia serpens | 7 | 8.7 | 42 |
| Zebra Plant Aphelandra squarrosa | 5 | 5.3 | 40 |
| Watermelon Peperomia Peperomia argyreia | 7 | 4.9 | 40 |
| Ghost Plant Graptopetalum paraguayense | 14 | 14 | 40 |
| Peacock Plant Goeppertia makoyana | 7 | 7.2 | 40 |
| Wax Begonia Begonia cucullata | 4 | 5.1 | 40 |
| Tuberous Begonia Begonia × tuberhybrida | 7 | 5.2 | 40 |
| Olive tree Olea europaea | 14 | 6.1 | 39 |
| Crown of Thorns Euphorbia milii | 14 | 4.6 | 38 |
| Umbrella Tree Heptapleurum | 10 | 10.2 | 37 |
| Lady Slipper Orchid Paphiopedilum sp | 5 | 5.7 | 35 |
| Corsage Orchid Cattleya | 7 | 7.2 | 35 |
| Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides | 3 | 3.1 | 34 |
| Giant White Bird of Paradise Strelitzia nicolai | 10 | 10.4 | 34 |
| Begonia (genus) Begonia | 6 | 5.8 | 33 |
| Parsley Petroselinum crispum | 3 | 3.9 | 31 |
| Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus | 7 | 7.4 | 31 |
| Rattlesnake Plant Goeppertia insignis | 6 | 6.1 | 30 |
| Satin Pothos Scindapsus pictus | 10 | 10.1 | 30 |
Anonymous aggregates from the Bloom app, updated 2026-09-01. Only species with at least 30 observed intervals are listed.
What this number is not
People who log a watering in Bloom are answering a reminder from the app. So the observed median shows how often people water in practice, with a reminder — not how often they would water on their own, and not how often the plant needs it. That is why we show recommended and practiced side by side, never one in place of the other.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I water my plant?
It depends far more on the species and the room than on any fixed number. The median across every watering logged in Bloom is 7 days, but it runs from 2 days for mint to over 18 for a ZZ plant. Use the calculator above with your species and your pot.
Does the calculator work for outdoor plants?
It does. Plants outdoors dry out faster: in our data the median is 5.9 days, against 7.3 indoors. Switch to "outdoors" and the interval adjusts.
Why does a terracotta pot change the result?
Terracotta walls are porous and let water evaporate through the sides, so the soil dries sooner. Glazed ceramic and plastic hold more; a self-watering pot holds far more.
How do I know if I'm overwatering?
Leaves yellowing from the bottom up, soil that is never dry and a sour smell are signs of too much water, not too little. When in doubt, push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil: if it comes out damp, wait.
Where does this data come from?
From waterings that Bloom users log in the app, always aggregated and anonymous: no row, photo or user identifier ever leaves the database. The method is described above and the last update date sits under the table.