When watering the Lanceleaf polypody, you should aim to use filtered water that is at room temperature. Filtered water is better for this plant, as tap water can contain particles that are harmful to its health. The reason that the water should be at room temperature or slightly warmer is that the Lanceleaf polypody comes from a warm environment, and cold water can be somewhat of a shock to its system. Also, you should avoid overhead watering for this plant, as it can cause foliage complications. Instead, simply apply your filtered room temperature water to the soil until the soil is entirely soaked. Soaking the soil can be very beneficial for this plant as it moistens the roots and helps them continue to spread through the soil and collect the nutrients they need.

Both overwatering and underwatering will be detrimental to the health of your Lanceleaf polypody, but overwatering is a far more common issue. When this species receives too much water, its stems and leaves may begin to wilt and turn from green to yellow. Overwatering over a prolonged period may also lead to diseases such as root rot, mold, and mildew, all of which can kill your plant. Underwatering is far less common for the Lanceleaf polypody, as this plant has decent drought tolerance. However, underwatering remains a possibility, and when it occurs, you can expect to find that the leaves of your Lanceleaf polypody have become brittle and brown. It is crucial that you notice the signs of overwatering as soon as possible when caring for your Lanceleaf polypody. Some of the diseases that arise from overwatering, such as root rot, may not be correctable if you wait too long. If you see early signs of overwatering, you should reduce your watering schedule immediately. You may also want to assess the quality of soil in which your Lanceleaf polypody grows. If you find that the soil drains very poorly, you should replace it immediately with a loose, well-draining potting mix. On the other hand, if you find signs that your Lanceleaf polypody is receiving too little water, all you need to do is water more regularly until those signs have subsided.

If your plant is in a pot. The most precise way to decide whether your Lanceleaf polypody needs water is to plunge your finger into the soil. If you notice that the first two to three inches of soil have become dry, it is time to add some water. If you grow your Lanceleaf polypody outdoors in the ground, you can use a similar method to test the soil. Again, when you find that the first few inches of soil have dried out, it is time to add water. During the spring and early fall, this method will often lead you to water this plant about once every week. When extremely hot weather arrives, you may need to increase your watering frequency to about twice or more per week. With that said, mature, well-established the Lanceleaf polypody can show an admirable ability to withstand drought.

When it comes time to water your Lanceleaf polypody, you should not be shy about how much water you give. With the first two to three inches of soil dry, this plant will appreciate a long and thorough watering. Supply enough water to soak the soil entirely. The amount of water you add should be enough to cause excess water to flow through the drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. If you don’t see excess water draining from the pot, you have likely underwatered your plant. But do not let the water accumulate inside the soil, which will be very dangerous to the plant as well. Alternatively, a lack of water draining through the pot could indicate poorly draining soils, which is detrimental to the health of this plant and should be avoided. If the plant is outside, 1 inch of rain per week will be sufficient.

The water needs of the Lanceleaf polypody can change depending on growth stages as well. For example, when your Lanceleaf polypody is in the first few years of its life, or if you have just transplanted it to a new growing location, you will need to give more water than usual. During both of those stages, your Lanceleaf polypody will put a lot of energy towards sprouting new roots that will then support future growth. For those roots to perform their best, they need a bit more moisture than they would at a more mature phase. After a few seasons, your Lanceleaf polypody will need much less water. Another growth stage in which this plant may need more water is during the bloom period. Flower development can make use of a significant amount of moisture, which is why you might need to give your Lanceleaf polypody more water at this time.

The Lanceleaf polypody will have its highest water needs during the hottest months of the year. During the height of summer, you may need to give this plant water more than once per week, depending on how fast the soil dries out. The opposite is true during the winter. In winter, your plant will enter a dormant phase, in which it will need far less water than usual. In fact, you may not need to water this plant at all during the winter months. However, if you do water during winter, you should not do so more than about once per month. Watering too much at this time will make it more likely that your Lanceleaf polypody will contract a disease.

It is most common to grow the Lanceleaf polypody indoors for any gardener that does not live in temperate and tropical regions. Those gardeners should consider the fact that soil in a container can dry out a bit faster than ground soil. Also, the presence of drying elements such as air conditioning units can cause your Lanceleaf polypody to need water on a more frequent basis as well. if you planted it outside. When that is the case, it’s likely you won’t need to water your Lanceleaf polypody very much at all. If you receive rainfall on a regular basis, that may be enough to keep your plant alive. Alternatively, those who grow this plant inside will need to water it more often, as allowing rainwater to soak the soil will not be an option.

Although this plant doesn’t particularly like a lot of light, it does need some throughout the day to photosynthesize and therefore grow properly. Full shade plants like Lanceleaf polypody don’t need a full eight hours of sunlight per day, but they do need access to at least six hours of indirect sunlight every day in order to grow at a healthy rate.

Lanceleaf polypody is a shade-loving plant that requires lots of shade. During the hottest parts of the day, this plant needs to be protected from direct sunlight; however, it can tolerate partial sun during other parts of the day. Morning sun is ideal for Lanceleaf polypody, but it can tolerate small amounts of afternoon sun if it’s not too hot in one spot for the entire afternoon and evening.

There are a few tricks to planting Lanceleaf polypody that can prevent you from having to take extra measures to protect it from direct sun. You can try strategic shade planting using buildings or trees to plan where to plant, or even layer using taller plants that can tolerate bright, direct light all day. Otherwise, you can try using shade cloth to build a sunshade over your Lanceleaf polypody facing toward the sun during the hottest parts of the day.

Unfortunately, too little sunlight is still possible, even though this plant loves the shade. You might notice leaves straining to grow towards better-lit areas, leaves that grow progressively smaller, and even generally-stunted growth. In these cases, you can try moving Lanceleaf polypody if it’s in a pot, or move other foliage out of the way so that some of the sunlight can reach into your Lanceleaf polypody.

Lanceleaf polypody can be damaged fairly easily from sunlight overexposure. When its leaves are exposed to bright, direct sunlight for multiple hours per day in the same spots, you may begin to notice some yellowing and/or brown discoloration at the leaf tips. The leaves in heavily burned spots may also start to curl under or in. These are signs that your Lanceleaf polypody is being cooked in the sun, and needs a little bit more shade to be happy.

In some climates, sunlight for plants coming out of dormancy may be a bit much. When your Lanceleaf polypody is in its early stages for the year, it shouldn’t be exposed to much sunlight. The new, tender leaves are far more susceptible to sunburn than mature ones, so be sure to shade your plants properly if they aren’t already protected from direct rays of sunlight. It’s important to keep the first foliage intact, as this will be the primary source of energy the plant as it puts on new growth for the year!