Drainage holes are essential for preventing overwatering and root rot in potted plants. They allow excess water to drain out, preventing waterlogged soil and maintaining healthy root systems. The best water for potted plants is free from chemicals, minerals, and impurities, such as rainwater and snow. The limited amount of soil in the pot causes it to dry out quickly, so proper watering is crucial for plant performance.
For most plants, it is best to water deeply and slowly, allowing water to access all parts of the soil and roots. Short, light watering can go out the drainage holes before the plant can absorb moisture. Regular, thorough watering could be the most important factor in container planting’s success. Young and newly-planted plants need watering regularly in warm, dry weather, while drought-tolerant plants with small, fleshy, or silvery leaves can be watered.
Watering plants in pots should be done deeply and slowly, ensuring that the entire root zone is moistened. If soaking the pot or basket in a tub of water is impractical, rehydrating by watering repeatedly can be done. To know your plants, choose the right soil, use the right kind of containers, check moisture levels, and water deeply in the morning.
A good soak involves watering the medium to 25-33% of the pot capacity, providing the root system with all its needs. To keep the plant full and lush, water evenly all the way around the pot and thoroughly until water flows out the bottom of the pot into the saucer. Plants can absorb water from the top of their containers, where their deepest roots are.
📹 5 Quick tips on watering your indoor plants
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Is it better to overwater or underwater a plant?
To prevent underwatering a plant, follow these tips:
Water correctly: Soak all soil thoroughly when watering your plants, adding slowly and allowing it to drain from the drainage hole. This ensures equal access to water for all roots. If excess water accumulates in the saucer, remove it to prevent the plant from sitting in water.
Be mindful of the plant’s location: The more sunlight a plant gets, the faster it will utilize water. Warmer temperates also cause plants to use water faster, leading to faster soil drying. If your plant is in a warm, sunny spot, water more frequently, while if it’s in a lower light spot, check the soil weekly. By following these tips, you can prevent underwatering and ensure your plant’s health and longevity.
What to put in plant pots to retain water?
To ensure healthy growth in container plants, use a blend of vermiculite, perlite, sand, and peat to keep soil light and well-drained. If containers need water multiple times a day, consider using a water-retaining soil additive. When potting plants, leave 2-3 inches of space at the top to hold water, as water will run off the soil before reaching the roots. If the soil seems damp but plants still seem stressed, move them to a cooler location as they acclimate to hotter temperatures. Test the soil for dampness and adjust the location if necessary.
What time of day should I water pot plants?
Watering plants in the morning or evening is the best time to do so as it prepares the plant for the day ahead and helps retain water. Watering in the afternoon, especially during summer, evaporates water instead of absorbing it into the soil and roots. Morning watering is preferable as it allows the plant to dry before the sun goes down, while evening watering encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Heat and dry soil indicate that a plant needs more water, while dry soil indicates dehydration and requires more frequent watering for healthy growth. Ideally, the soil should be moist and well-drained.
A plant’s age also helps determine when to water. Young and newly planted plants need more water to establish a healthy root system, while shallow and fragile roots require additional water for root strength and expansion. Mature plants don’t need as much water as younger plants, but need a larger amount at one time to ensure their roots thrive deep in the ground.
How to correctly water plants?
To ensure optimal plant health, use watering wands, drip irrigation, or soaker hoses to direct water to the root zone. Watering early or late in the day minimizes moisture loss from soil surface evaporation. Shield plants from wind to reduce moisture loss. Plants require oxygen as much as water, so it’s best to let the soil surface dry between waterings, especially with container plants. Water deeply and less frequently. Allowing soil to get too dry can damage fine root hairs, reducing energy for flower and fruit production.
How much water should you put in a potted plant?
To maintain a healthy planter, water up to one-fourth or one-third of the planter’s volume, especially for those without a drainage hole. For those with a hole, water until excess water drains out of the bottom. Allow the water to sit in the saucer or cache pot for 15-30 minutes to soak up the roots before discarding it. Overwatering can cause plants to drown, while consistently dry soil can lead to underwatering.
To avoid this, be flexible in your plant care habits and avoid a strict watering schedule. Instead, use the day to check in on your plants and water only those that need it. This will help prevent overwatering and ensure the health of your plant.
How to tell if a plant needs water?
Wilting is a common sign of watering a plant, as it can indicate heat stress. To determine when and how much to water plants, consider factors such as the plant’s age, temperature, and the amount of water it needs. For instance, if the plant is newly planted or well-established, the temperature can be hot or cold, and the plant may be in constant sun or shade. Additionally, the watering schedule can vary depending on the plant’s needs and previous watering. By following these tips, you can ensure your plants receive the necessary water during hot summer months.
How do I keep my plant pots from drying out?
It is recommended that a sponge be placed at the bottom of a pot to assist in the absorption of water, particularly for smaller plants. In the event that the soil is in a state of extreme aridity, it is recommended that a shovel be employed to disrupt the soil in order to prevent the runoff of water and ensure its optimal absorption.
Should I use nutrients every time I water?
In coco, giving nutrients every watering can help plants grow faster and prevent nutrient deficiencies. However, it’s important not to overdo it, as it can cause nutrient burn, which can result in burnt or brown leaf tips. If giving nutrients every other watering, the recommended dose should be half, while if giving nutrients every watering, the full dose may be given. Nutrient burn can be identified by burnt tips on leaves, nitrogen deficiency, and other nutrient deficiencies caused by too-low pH at the roots. It’s crucial to start at half the recommended dose and adjust the schedule accordingly.
Should you water pot plants from the top or bottom?
Bottom watering is a popular watering technique that promotes healthy roots, helps prevent root rot, and fungus gnats, and is easy to perform. It involves filling a shallow dish or pot halfway with water, eliminating the question of how much to water. This method is also beneficial for keeping root rot and fungus gnats at bay. To bottom water, simply fill the shallow dish halfway with water, ensuring it has a drainage hole in the planter and a shallow dish. This method is a breeze and can be done with a drainage hole in the planter.
Why is bottom watering better?
Bottom watering is a highly recommended practice that can help reduce the likelihood of root rot or fungal infections in container plants or seedling trays. It is more difficult to overwater and prevents water from pooling in the bottom of the pot, reducing the risk of rot. Bottom watering also prevents accidental watering of leaves, which can cause rot in some ornamental plants. It also prevents diseases from spreading between plants by not splashing water onto other plants.
Bottom watering keeps the soil uniformly moist, promoting a stronger and larger root system as it grows down towards the water source. This is especially important for vegetable gardens, as bottom watering promotes deeper and more resistant root systems after transplanting seedlings. Additionally, bottom watering doesn’t disturb seedlings’ position in the soil, preventing harm to fragile new roots. Overall, bottom watering is a more effective and efficient watering method for container plants and seedling trays.
Can you overwater by bottom watering?
Plant-led watering allows plants to take the amount they want without overwatering, which is less likely to spread disease. This method benefits sensitive leaves and roots by allowing them to absorb moisture and become stronger. Bottom watering is more time-consuming and requires checking the plant, filling the tray, waiting for it to absorb, and draining excess. It is better for smaller plants. The best way to water plants is up to the plant parent, but some prefer to mix it up, bottom watering when possible, giving plants the occasional shower, and top watering when needed. The best way depends on the plant’s size and needs.
📹 How to water a plant…. the right way!
Do you know that watering a plant has a right and wrong way? In this “HOW TO” segment, Denise Chavez from our horticulture …
I’m a soil chemist and soil bioweb consultant, while popular opinion agrees with you, the action of plants using foliars sprays whether it be food, water etc, plants have the ability to draw through their leaves whatever is placed upon them. Similarly, to your example of humans drinking water only through their mouth, humans absorb as much as one liter of water THROUGH their skin with the average shower. This also explains why many tropical plants have funnels to flow water in and around their central stems as the plant is able to hydrate much quicker as studies have shown, if they are both wet on the leaves and watered in the soil. Not a huge detail but it’s always best to share the most accurate information you can. Now you know. Thanks for your article! 🙂
Good evening! Thank you! This is my 3 Rd plant. It’s coming up! But slowly! This will help me a lot! A neighbor/ friend gave me a fern one time. I told her it was my first plant. Sadly. It started dying really fast, leaves falling off. I was a little embarrassed. If we don’t know. We don’t know. Within 3 days she had it blooming again! Leaves turned back to normal. I was so happy! I said what did you do!? She said, I talked to them. Thank you so much! Thank you for reading my story! Have a blessed day 🙏
About once per week I put all my houseplants in the bathtub and use the detachable showerhead to absolutely drench everyone, I even put the plug in the tub and fill it with an inch or two of water to make sure everyone’s bottom roots are soaked. It’s also a good way to wash away any aphids. I call it plant spa day.
This is how I water all of my plants, even my cacti, and they are all healthy. I’m guessing the people who are loosing plants are watering them too OFTEN. I find I only need to water about once a week for normal plants, and once every 2-4 weeks for cacti unless it’s winter, then you don’t need to water most cacti at all, they will go dormant. An important reason for watering the way she did it in the article is to flush out any built up minerals/salts from fertilizing. Over time, left over fertilizer will build up in the soil and literally burn the roots and kill the plant.
Thank you for this, I am a great fan of the “Big Drench”. Some people did not listen that you let it drain for an hour or more. Because some plants thrive and love to be root bound, It does not like repotting until it is busting out of the nursery pot or the roots arm coming out at the bottom of the pot thru the drain holes. The plant that you showed is not completely root bound and still has quite a lot of soil in it, no wrap around roots on the bottom. You always take these plants outside to do this unless you use the bathtub. but outside like you have it is better. This is for the people who think they know more than you, a plant expert. It is common sense that the nutrients will have to be replenished after every watering and sometimes before.
with me it was trail and error, few plants died as i over watered my plants and few dried out as i under watered them, just happened to one of my ferns, all leaves dried out, also happens with my peace Lilly a lot, they’re hard plants to keep, i find dracenas require very little water, the lady was showing one of corn dracena, but other plants very hard to maintain, my flat has 80 plants now, some of them decent size, around 1.4m tall, and some are just tiny 20cm tall but keeping them happy takes experience and plenty oi care, sun for some, pony tale palm required loads of sun for example, parlor palm hates direct sunlight, or Acer, for that matter.
This was very informative. We know that plants absorb/need more water/food when they’re getting lots of light like during summer, but what about wintertime? Plants in window sills are practically dormant up here in the northeast during the short days of the season. Having seen this article, I may try shoving tubes in the soil so that water can get to the bottom easier.
Excellent advice! I have Thujas and two of them are struggling. My initial thought was to pull them up and soak the soil and roots due to suspicion that they weren’t getting enough water. I’m thankful for your article and advice: it confirmed that they need a really good soaking (I saw water bubbles when I went to water them near the drip line.) Thanks again!
I was surprised that the bottom was fairly dry when she took it out. I have always believed in a good soaking but now I will extra soak it just to be sure it gets good and wet. I do think a plant will generally like watering over the leaves to help hydrate it, granted it won’t absorb much or any water through leaves, I just think it benefits it. It certain won’t hurt in most cases. If nothing else, it cleans the leaves of dust at least.
I have an aglaonema. It is a full-sized plant and I have had it three weeks. I always wait for a plant to look like it needs water to water it. I watered this lightly at week 2 because a leaf was turning brown. It did not help, Three more leaves are joining that and dying. They are all on the same side of my big pot. The plant is in my bedroom and my windows are covered for privacy. Very low light. What is wrong? Should I pull out those dying leaves?
That’s quite general information. Watering depends on various factors, such as: * the type of plant (foliage plant, succulent, cactus etc.) * the type of leaves, the foliage of the plant (plants with hairy leaves should never watered from top, such as Cyanotis somaliensis for example, because these leaves should never get wet from tap water. In that way the leaves are going to rot) * type of root growth (shallow roots versus deep roots) * temperature and season accordingly * light intensity * size of the pot (which depends to all of the other factors combined). Thus, if you have a succulent plant with thick leaves in a large pot and you water it like that in the wintertime, you are killing the plant, inducing root rot and fungal attack.
Pretty poor example. That plant was clearly root-bound a long time ago, and that is the reason the water just completely runs through the pot without soaking the roots. If you’d plant it in new soil or a bigger pot you wouldn’t need to water it as much or often. And if you’d water a smaller plant in a bigger pot like that, it would almost certainly be overwatered, so it’s hardly universal. If you water a plant like that it will also wash away any potential nutrients you’ve added. Also, letting a plant completely dry out makes it a bigger target for pests.
For me this method always produces root rot unless I am growing in cactus soil, which needs to be replaced twice a year to prevent compaction. The method I use is lightly water the top, and place the bottom quarter of the pot in water for about 10 mins. This can be done in a bath tub, sink or bin. Still requires a good draining soil but not to the same degree as with the drowning method. Personally I find that the cactus soil works best for all my houseplants. Also note, that a 0.3 peroxide solution in your water can help control root rot by getting oxygen to the roots and sometimes even killing rot bacteria.
How to water a plant…. the wrong way! 1) grab your plant out of the pot and touch your dirty fingers all over the rootsystem which is severally damaged from touching. 2) Overwater your plant like this until you see the roots getting brown from the fungus from overwatering. 3) When you see the water flowing out of the pot keep watering it until it suffocates and showing bubbles. 4) To even suffocate it even more badly push the ground on top downwards again to be sure all the remaining oxygen is gone. 5) Always be sure when your ground is clouded with roots don’t overpot it to another ground so you are sure all the oxygen and nutrients left are flushed out. 6) A plant drinks during the day and breaths through the night, accordinly to this she is watering her plants right before the night. 7) … (batteries empty of keyboard)
All my potted plants require a full submersion and soaking in water to actually get wet. Time after time I’ve seen the soil dry as can be after a rain. All the water seems to run down the sides of the pot on the inside. Very frustrating- so much so that I basically gave up (they’re my moms plants) It’s way too much work
Plants also need air so if it stays wet to long and it has no aeration it will drown and suffocate, that’s why you see perlite in that draceana pot, not cos she over waters often but to give plant easy’r time, there different materials you can use to aerate the soil, it should always be added, on top of having holes for drainage and for the plant to breath thru.
I my opinion the most important info was not included. For most plants rain water is best. Well water can be OK but then again it may be too hard. Some plants don’t like hard (high PH) water. If you have to use city water you need to let it sit overnight to let the chemicals used settle out or evaporate into the air. In areas where roads are salted the salt gets into city water supplies during thaws. Not good for plants. Cold water will shock plants so make sure it is close to air temperature. Keep your plants in overflow trays. When you water, the tray will catch the flow through and then suck back up into the dry soil. Some plants appreciate that you water not from the top but into the tray to be soaked up until you just see moisture on the surface. You should never leave excess water in the overflow tray. Most plants don’t tolerate wet feet for long.
Not all plants need to be watered the same way. Some plants will thrive on neglect, others can sit in a container without drainage and revel in an aqua environment. You have to consider each plant individually and NOT treat them all the same way. I have bamboo plants outside in large containers without drainage. It only needs to have the water tipped out in cool weather or after a rain storm. In summer, it loves being in a pool of water.
in my experience, having the proper soil, using flood irrigation and capillary action works 100x better than drowning your plants and pulling them out of the pot to check…especially when dealing with plants with an un-established root system. Please Ignore this article if you want your plants to live. Not all plants are meant to thrive in a swamp.
This might be fine if your plant is on the patio in the summer time but I’m sorry for a houseplant indoors? First of all, that’s a paradise haven for a fungus gnat invasion. Yep, I know that mistake. Second the way you soaked that plant, in all likelihood what about the risk of root rot? If someone watered their pothos in that manner it would be fatal. Yes water until it drains out the bottom, but unless that plant is in direct sunlight it will not dry for weeks, even with the best drainage soil.
I feel like this is going to kill my plants more than anything…how credible is this lady? The only tip I agree with is to touch the soil and test for dampness. Update: I did try deep watering for some plants, it did work for my peace lilies and boston fern. but not so much for my english ivy and snake plant. I also have a large peace lily, the Sensations variety, i am not sure how to deep water that one, although i do think it will be beneficial to do it once a while to flush any salt/fertiliser buildup in the soil. so i find it is 50/50.
Unfortunately this article isn’t showing the RIGHT way to water potted plants! When you water from the top your plants will NOT ever get completely soaked! If she had broken the soil into two parts she would see the huge air pockets that never get wet when they are top fed! I water all of my plants including my indoor legal grow show of 150 plants from the bottom! They will continue to suck up 5 times the water in total that the top watered plants! To ensure the water is evenly pulled up from the bottom I first create a seal by misting the top soil until completely wet, then I add 2 L at a time to the bottom feeder trays until the plants can’t absorb any more. I usually wait 2-5 minutes and either continue to give water if its dry or empty the feeder trays if there is residual water. You will be surprised how much water your soil can absorb watering in this method and how long your plants will remain moist! This is also a wonderful way to correct extremely dry soil! ( if you have allowed your plants to get almost too dry due to poor watering habits the soil inside and around the roots has shrunk, leaving huge air gaps that allow the water to drain very fast when top watered and those air pockets will only get bigger over time with each drying, top watering will NEVER correct this issue once you have allowed your soil to become dry, it will compact loosing volume and you will see your plants barely surviving while those that bottom feed are seeing extreme growth and robust healthy plants!
This is the most horrendous advice I’ve ever seen. All you have succeeded in doing is flushing out all the liberated ions and salts in the soil starving it of nutrients lol. Keep the soil top damp with gravel and misting occassionally if the plant requires higher than room humidity, but always water from the bottom by watering into a container that is deep enough so the water level will push up inside the bottom to at least the root level. If you don’t want the roots spilling out the bottom then simply allow to dry out every other day rather than keep container topped up.
Not really a good way to water. I grow pretty much all my food and that is not the proper way.. Thanks for sharing but a bit misleading for others out there that don’t know any better yet. Please do all your research online before following anyone’s opinion, I know years ago when I started it was crazy all the wrong info on their.
Hmm I disagree with you, watering leaves does matter a lot so they “drink” not only through their roots. However what makes your technique basically bad is that you just wash every precious nutrition out of your soil. A lot of plants not even require that much of water. I agree you need to watering plants what do require a lot of water but definitely not like almost washing it out of its pot
Meh… this is fairly misleading information. Drenching your plant once in a while and waiting til it’s bone dry to water again might work for certain plants but it’s definitely not the correct way to water… there is no correct way. It all starts with what type of soil you are using and what kind results you want to see from your plant. Store bought potting soil is over rated, and quite frankly I wouldn’t doubt it if the manufacturers just shredded up a bunch of wooden pallets, added some worm shit and perlite to call it a day. Make your own soil, it’s really not that hard or expensive. I prefer to use coir with amendments and growing in fabric pots. You can literally have a hose running all day on your plant and it will never be over watered. Pretty impossible to over water cocoa. Try it out.
She says we like plants only take in water trough the mouth (roots for plants). Not sure if that is 100% true. when you sit in the bath skin gets wrinkly. so the cells do absorb the water, I would think there might be something similar with plants, but not sure. I know sweat glands might have some way of absorbing but again not sure. Either way I do know for a fact that the cells do absorb the water on the skin. It’s just if that would be of any use before it evaporates. I would think a plant if not getting the benefit of the water trough absorption would get it trough keeping it cool on hot days? would it maybe help it grow faster in hot climate/tropical since it gets the benefit of being wet while the sun/temperature is hot?. Anyone else have some info on this?
In many years during my life I hardly lost a plant from drying out, but I often have lost them to watering too much. I have far too many plants to drench them in the shower, it’d take me about 5 hours! You said “most plants’ roots are located at the bottom of the pot” ? If you repotted recently there will be no roots yet at the bottom. Now you made a soggy mush for it to sit in. The article does not mention the conditions or the season your plants are in, for example, don’t do this in Winter, and different plant varieties require different amounts of water, and at different intervals. They come from different climates, some get very little rainfall. “Your plant” is a ridiculous general term. You can’t treat them all the same, as you suggest. Would that it were that simple.
Sorry but the myth that plants only drink through the roots is NOT TRUE! Redwood trees, for example, augment root watering with fog intake. But even for housesplants, spraying the leaves can help water some species of plant. While those with hard wax surfaces can’t transpirate, many plant species can breathe through leaves and misting the leaves can help add water to the plant. That said, most of the water does come from the roots so watering the leaves is only an augmentation.