This could lead to overwatering unless you leave the pot in the water for long enough. But then the soil might have a hard time draining, which can mean your plant is sitting in soggy soil for too long. Not good! With a well-draining pot and aerated soil, overwatering shouldn't be an issue when bottom watering.
Place the container in the water and let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the soil can soak up all the moisture it needs. Larger containers need to sit for a bit longer, and smaller containers for bit less time. Keep an eye on things. If the soil soaks up all of it during those 15 minutes, add more.
Can you overwater a plant by bottom watering? Yes, if you water the plant too often, or if you let the plant sit in a saucer filled with water, your plant will end up overwatered.
The downside of bottom watering plants
In terms of plant health, there aren't a lot of drawbacks to watering plants from the bottom. However, one consideration would be that continual bottom watering could lead to a build up of minerals and excess salts in the growing medium, especially if you're using tap water.
Bottom watering is okay for smaller 4–6-inch plants, but we don't recommend this for larger plants. The time it would take to soak the roots in a larger potted container and get the full capillary action to the top of the soil may be too long.
When plants have too little water, leaves turn brown and wilt. This also occurs when plants have too much water. The biggest difference between the two is that too little water will result in your plant's leaves feeling dry and crispy to the touch while too much water results in soft and limp leaves.
He recommends: 'Using a mixture of bottom watering for every day with top watering to wash away the build-up of salts and minerals will keep your plants healthy, strong and well-watered. ' The build-up of salts should be dealt with every couple of months by watering from above.
“Bottom-watering” is when you put your parched plant in a bucket of water and let it soak up what it needs through the drainage hole. (It's very fun. “Like a magic trick,” said Adams.) This keeps the top of your soil dry and therefore gnat-egg-proof.
Because the water isn't going top-down, it doesn't remove any salts from the soil. Bottom watering is more time-consuming—you have to check your plant, fill the tray, wait for it to absorb, and drain the excess as well. We'll be honest: for larger plants, this method can take quite a bit of time.
Avoid showering plants that don't like to get their leaves wet (such as African violets, Cyclamen, and Begonias).
On the other hand, watering longer but less frequently, “deep watering,” produces deep roots that mean lawns can better survive periods of drought. The ideal watering schedule is once or twice per week, for about 25 to 30 minutes each time.
Yes, you can let your plants bottom water overnight. Bottom watering, sometimes called capillary watering, is a great way to make sure that your plants get just the right amount of water without over or underwatering.
When bottom watering potted plants, the key is in the timing. Push your finger into the soil between the wall of the container and the stem of the plant. If you push down to the second knuckle and still don't feel moist soil, it's time to water the plant.
No new growth and yellowing leaves that are dropping off can be sure signs of overwatering. You may also notice wilting, which can be confusing because that is also a sign of too little water. The trick is to check the soil when you notice these problems. If it feels wet, you probably should go easier on the water.
Gardening FAQ
The problem with your soil resisting hydration is not uncommon. It usually begins with the soil being watered incompletely and then drying more than it should. After that it can become hydrophobic and actually repel water! The ingredient in the soil that is causing that problem is peat.
Most plants leaves will begin to wilt when they need watered. As long as the leaves have not become crunchy, they will perk up within a few hours. If the plant is still wilting a day after you've watered it, it could be wilting due to over watering.
Hydrogen peroxide will kill the gnat larvae and not injure your plant. Keep reapplying weekly until you notice the gnats are gone.
One of the most common is fungus gnats. "If you start to see those really annoying floating flies around your plants, that is a telltale sign that you are overwatering," she says. To catch them, you can use sticky traps ($9), but, you'll still want to get rid of the source.
Watering Plants and Lawns Efficiently
DO water early in the morning when sunlight is weakest, the ground is coolest and foliage will have hours to dry before nightfall. Aim for between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. DON'T water in the evening when soil is warm and wet foliage can attract insects, fungus and disease.
There's no cut-and-dry definition of a deep watering. Most gardeners generally refer to it as when water has soaked at least eight inches into the soil.
Collected rain is usually naturally slightly acidic, so it can help flush away the build up of accumulated substances from alkali tap water deposits in your potting soil. I just set a bucket out in my yard to collect rainwater, fresh from the sky. Fresh bucket-collected rainwater is tops in purity for plant watering.