Free printable
Plant Care Instructions (Printable)
By Jason Su · Updated October 13, 2026
The person taking over your plants needs to know one thing per plant: how much water. Light, fertilizer, repotting — all of that can wait. Overwatering is what kills a plant while you are away, and it is almost always kindness, not neglect.
This sheet is for whoever ends up holding the watering can: a house sitter, a neighbor, or a family member moving the plants into their own home.
What to write down
For each plant you need three lines: how much water, how much light, and the one thing to never do. Fertilizer and repotting are bonus details.
The sheet
Each plant
| Plant (and where it sits) | Water: how much, how often | Light it needs | Never do this | Extra (fertilizer, repotting, quirks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The ones that need a special hand
| Plant | What it needs | Why |
|---|---|---|
Who else can help
| Who | Number / how to reach | What they know |
|---|---|---|
| House sitter | watering only | |
| Neighbor with a spare key | ||
| The person who gave me the plant |
How to use it
- Fill in the water line first. Write how much and how often. “A mug of water every Sunday” tells someone far more than “moderate water.”
- Mark the ones that must not be overwatered. Most house plants die from too much water, not too little. If a plant wants to dry out between waterings, say so plainly.
- Hand it to whoever has the key. This sheet pairs with the House Sitter Instructions, which already list who is in the house and where the spare key is.
- If the plants are moving for good, bundle this with the Pet Care Instructions when there are animals too — or pass the sheet along on its own.
- Before a longer trip, fold plant care into the wider checklist in what to do before you travel.
Frequently asked
How often should I actually water?
That depends on the plant, the pot, and the room. The sheet is where you write your plant’s number, not a general rule.
Is it better to underwater or overwater?
Almost always underwater. A plant can recover from drying out; a plant sitting in wet soil will rot. When in doubt, skip a watering.
What if I have a lot of plants?
Write the ones with a story or a high value first. The rest can be one line — “water the others once a week.”
Do I need to list every plant?
No. List the ones that would be missed, plus anything with a specific routine. A single line like “water everything lightly on Sundays” covers a shelf of easy plants.
Next step
Fill in the water line for your five most important plants tonight. Then hand the sheet to whoever has the spare key, or tape it inside the watering can.
This is a record sheet, not a care guide for every species. Plant needs vary by species, pot, and climate — when in doubt, look up the specific plant.