which plants like bottom watering
If the top inch of soil feels dry, your plants most likely need to be watered. The best way to keep track of the water level is to use a moisture meter to ensure the plants stay well hydrated. This is the number one reason that I top water when I do. If you have terracotta pots, you can see the salts building up on the sides of the pots. In the case of plants like cacti and succulents, this mimics their natural condition – they often live in places with little rain – their roots have to grow towards the groundwater. Coleus. We’ve already talked about this. Top watering can also increase the number of pests and the likelihood you’ll attract bugs in the first place, so it’s all just swings and roundabouts really. If this is something you worry about (say, if you use tap water and it’s particularly hard) then just set yourself a reminder to top water everyone every three months or so. These Silver Satin Pothos Pictures will Make You its Fan! Bottom watering: pros It doesn’t damage the leaves. I have no idea if that’s true. I suppose I could try the fish de-chlorinator, but I’d worry about staining the bath. However, if you have a significant number gnats trying to climb into your wine glass (they bloody love prosecco) but you’ve not got a massive infestation, bottom watering may solve your problem. In fact, during winter they can go without water even for a few months. There are two pretty big downsides when it comes to watering houseplants from the top. In fact, if you’re a serial over waterer, a small saucer and bottom watering may dramatically improve your plant’s chances of survival. Read more about the List of 10 Magical Plants that Radiate... © 2021 Balcony Garden Web | All rights reserved, How to Bottom Water Your Plants + Houseplants that Love Bottom Watering, Check out the awesome benefits of bottom watering your plants. Most plants require that their soil becomes dry before it is watered. In such a case, poking a finger in the pot to check moisture level will not work. As the plants absorb water from the drainage holes in the bottom watering method, the topsoil might not get moist. Obviously, plants need water, and underwatering can cause a plant to die or stop growing, but overwatering can be just as problematic. Learn How to Identify Them! Unless you keep your plant’s saucers constantly topped up, you’re unlikely to overwater your plants. I was ask to make this video. It’s usually better to err on the dry side. I don’t bother with a water filter. A lot of plants have leaves that don’t want to get wet. You can also do this in your sink or tub. It’s hot in the parts of Africa they originate from, you see, so either there’s no rain for months at a time or the ain evaporates quickly. tropical plants, and lead to root disease and death. It can take AGES for big plants to absorb enough water, especially if they’re in terracotta pots. If a plant is consistently overwatered, it won’t matter how well the soil drains or how many holes are in the bottom of the plant. Check the soil moisture with fingers before watering to ascertain whether the plants need watering or not. If you’re interested in learning how to make your own potting mix, I have a recipe in this post. You can try occasional bottom watering for potted jade plants. The plants that do best in self watering pots are those that need the potting soil to always have some amount of moisture. I’ve set up a little watering station in my kitchen – I keep a tray there, filled with rainwater. Once the milk in your fridge has expired, there's really nothing you can do but dump it down the sink. Unless your plant is equally tiny. Yes, wilting is a sign that the leaves aren't getting … Lift the plant from its pot. As I mentioned above though, there are certain plants that won’t tolerate wet leaves at all – Africa violets, for example, will rot quickly if you indiscriminately get water on their leaves. Top Overfertilization Symptoms in Indoor Plants and Solutions, Celosia Flower Care Tips | Taking Care of Cockscomb, Growing Petunias in Containers | Petunia Care Tips, 29 Best Shade Loving Ground Covers | Ground Covers for Shade. You have entered an incorrect email address! Here are all the details on How to Bottom Water Your Plants at Home the Right Way without wetting the foliage! In fact, if you try to keep to a watering schedule, you’re probably going to do more harm than good. It’s starting growing pretty voraciously and I’m sure it’s down to being regularly soaked. Grouping plants together will also help increase humidity. Either let your water sit out until it reaches room temperature, or add a tiny bit of warm water if you’re impatient. Plants that come from arid environments are less likely to tolerate damp leaves than plants from the rainforest. You should be very cautious when watering the Sansevieria plants. Just don’t allow this to be your primary reason for top watering. But you still need to top water the plant at least monthly to flush excess salts. If you constantly water the plant from the top, it can cause black spots on the leaves. As strange as it sounds, you can actually water plants with milk. I don’t care if it never blooms because I’m a foliage girl, but my GOD it would be exciting if it did. A self-watering pot is quite handy when you want to grow in containers but don’t have time to keep watering the plants. My watermelon Peperomia also hates getting wet leaves, which is weird because I propagated a leaf cutting and it actually grew seemingly healthy leaves under the water. There are certain plants I water almost exclusively by soaking them – my Boston fern (the asparagus fern is pretty drought resistant, so I just fill his saucer) and my orchid. African violets, for example, don’t like getting their leaves wet at all, so bottom-up is the way to go. There are definitely pros and cons to each method, and the way I water my plants depends on a variety of factors, such as the plant, how much time I have, how arsed I can be, and how sick I am of fungus gnats at the time. Anyway. This post may contain affiliate links. As the plants absorb water from the drainage holes in the bottom watering method, the topsoil might not get moist. Only then it is safe to water your plant. Snake plant does not like overwatering and getting its foliage wet as it results in spots too. I’m planning on getting him a planter to go in (he’s still in his nursery pot, and seems happy enough) which I’m going to make sure is big enough to use to bottom water him. Take a tray that can easily accommodate the pot. I also question the quality of bathwater – I only have one bath with the only shower over it, so I’d have no way of reducing the chlorine in the water without compromising my own personal hygiene. In most of the cases, it is best to wait until the soil is dried down half the height of the pot or even a bit more. Basically, you’re giving the plant the freedom to soak up as much water as it needs. Bottom watering helps to keep them thriving without any fuss and spot-free! I prefer to bottom water (more on that later), but if I see a plant that needs watering urgently and I’m pressed for time, I just give it a thorough soaking and leave it on the draining board to tend to when I can. How long it takes varies (some take hours) so I check them periodically with a. Leave the water to drain away. Make sure all of your plants have a) a drainage hole or two in their pots and b) a saucer under the said pot in which to put water. What Do Carrot Sprouts Look Like? Myth: Wilting is a sign that it's time to water. If you are not careful with philodendron watering, then the foliage may become yellow or green. Again, top watering exclusively shouldn’t cause an epidemic of fungus or associated pests – it’s often a sign of a larger issue (often, you guessed it, overwatering). Well, would you believe it’s watering your plants from *drumroll please* the BOTTOM! The best way to keep track of the water level is to use a moisture meter to ensure the plants … Which plants are in which category? If you’re interested in learning how to make your own potting mix, I have a recipe in this post. Aloe succulents are healthier and have the best appearance when they are kept lightly moist. If you regularly pour a lot of it on top of soil it can cause it to become compacted, which is bad for a couple of reasons: If you’re worried about compacted soil then there are a couple of steps to take: Don’t worry too much about soil compaction if top watering is all that’s available to you – just make sure you have a nice, airy soil mix and give it churn up every now and again. They’re not bothered where their water is administered from as long as they get some. Having colorful and serrated leaves, coleus … I heard that some plants should be watered from above and others from below. As well as reducing soil compaction, homemade potting soil is great for growing stronger roots, and it’s peat-free and has less impact on the environment. Luckily he doesn’t need watering very often. I get it! For house plants, bottom watering is a better method as it prevents excess moisture on the top soil. Water always looks for the easiest route through the soil – if the soil is very compacted then it’ll run down the gap between the soil and the side of the pot, rather than evenly through the soil. If you want to grow jade plant bushier and healthier, then avoid overhead watering and do not keep the soil moist. Whether your growing pepper seedlings indoors or growing bigger plants outside, here’s some information to help you through each process. I use 2 parts house plant potting mix to one part each of perlite and bark chips. Allow the indoor potted plants to sit in the water for 10-20 minutes. How Often to Water Potted Plants. My golden dragon philodendron gets stood in the water tray in the kitchen where he gets in everyone’s way. Read the full disclosure here. To give these indoor plants a watering, fill a saucer/tray under the container and wait for the plant to take the water … Soak small potted snake plants in a tub or sink for a few minutes. If you’re unsure if the plant’s had enough water, poke it with your trusty moisture probe. Fill a big tray with water and er, put your plants in it. As every plant’s watering needs are different, it is essential that you water them right to ensure they stay healthy. Even if you fill up the saucer every day, you’re unlike to overwater, since the saucer can only hold a tiny amount. Cut a section of cotton rope or even a strip of absorbent fabric long enough to reach from the plant to the bottom of the water jar. I’ve found that by keeping the top couple of cms of soil dry really hinders any pest production. You can literally wash pests away when you top water – any eggs that are developing in your soil, or larva, will be sent down the sink. If it is a large plant, you may want to ask a friend to help you, so that you … Quick Tip: Use a moisture meter to keep a close tab on the water level in the pot. At some point I’m going to set up a second tray with a cooling rack in so the whole thing is a bit more streamlined. If you only have small saucers then it can be time-consuming to go around topping them up, and then emptying them when the plants have had sufficient watering. As I mentioned before, certain plants like African violets are extremely averse to getting their leaves wet and suffer water damage easily. Fact: Many succulents dislike overwatering, and bottom watering is the best technique to keep them hydrated without harming the health. Regardless of whether you’re top or bottom watering, don’t leave your plants sitting in water for too long. I saw a major decrease in fungus gnats when I started bottom watering almost exclusively. What works better: watering your plants from the top and of the soil or the bottom? Plants regularly watered from the bottom should occasionally be watered from the top to get rid of excess MUCH easier than diatomaceous earth, and more effective than those yellow sticky things. Rain doesn’t try to avoid plant leaves AT ALL, so plants have learnt to adapt to occasionally being rained on without dropping leaves immediately.