My mom's 'Thirsty Thursdays' routine keeps plants thriving — and here's why I swear by it

My home and garden is abundant with plants and so is my moms. If you've found yourself here, I'm assuming yours is, too. And while having a home full to the brim with lovely green plants, flowers, and fauna looks great, it can also be a lot of effort to keep them alive.

I've tried things like looks into whether I'm overwatering my plants and ironing out mistakes that could be killing my houseplants, and they're solid in practise. But, it comes down to one simple fact I've struggled with over the years and that's remembering to water them. I'll find I'm constantly asking myself: "When was the last time I watered the plants?" Resulting in some sort of perpetual cycle of plant care or neglect.

But then, my mom introduced me to a technique she came up with and she calls it 'Thirsty Thursdays'. Catchy, right? And while it's usually something you might associate with going out for a drink with friends as the week of work draws to a close, knowing you'll be too tired to attempt it come Friday, it's all about plants here. For my mom's 'Thirsty Thursdays', you'll be able to remember exactly when you last watered your plants because you're doing it at the same time every week – and it's absolutely genius. Here's how it works.

A watering can and a dream

As I'm writing this, I'm seeing sun outside my window for the first time in what feels like forever. The winter months are finally leaving and all of a sudden, plants are desperately waiting for you you to water them regularly, rather than getting what they need from the rain.

Of course, I've been keeping all my inside plants alive all winter long regardless. But, the 'Thirsty Thursdays' routine is about to come out in full force. It's pretty simple, really. Every Thursday from now on becomes the day you decide you're going to water your plants.

Qilebi Watering Can: was $15.99 now $12.99 at Amazon

Armed with a simple watering can is all you need to give your plants indoors and out a good refresh. This option from Qilebi comes with a detachable shower nozzle to switch your water flow up. Plus, a 14-inch spout that makes getting into tricky places around your plants to reach the soil is a lot easier. At 1.8L capacity, you'll also be able to get a lot of your watering done in one go.

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How to do it

I'm sure it sounds too simple, but sometimes it doesn't have to be a complicated routine to make it work. My mom convinced me that if I started calling Thursday the day I'd water my plants with a moniker to boot, that I'd start to water my plants regularly – and she was right. It can really be as easy as giving a fun little catchy name to a day of the week that indicates to you that your plants are thirsty and you need to water them.

It used to be 'Wet Wednesdays' but for some reason, my mom decided that had less of a ring to it and I'm inclined to agree. Of course, it's totally up to you. I've found 'Thirsty Thursdays' to be the easiest day to remember, but there's no reason you can't invent 'Moist Mondays' or 'Soggy Sundays'.

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