However, bottom watering is a more controlled method of watering your plants. By remembering to check your plant every ten minutes or so while it's sitting in water, you can significantly reduce your chances of overwatering and causing root rot.
Bottom watering assures evenly moisturized soil, which is a must for many plants. Healthy root development. Not that top watering doesn't promote healthy roots, but bottom watering promotes even spread and growth towards the base of the pot, which is what's most natural to plants.
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.
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.
The main advantage of bottom watering is that it lessens the risk of overwatering. After all, the soil can only absorb so much.
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. Plus, it would take a larger bucket to do it in too!
Can you over water by bottom watering? Yes, if the plant is sitting in water too long, you can still overwater your plant through bottom watering. However, bottom watering is a more controlled method of watering your plants.
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.
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.
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.
These plants are prime candidates for bottom watering: Plants with hairy or fuzzy leaves, such as African violets, or plants that don't like getting their leaves wet, such as snake plants, Philodendron verrucosum, and P. micans.
Avoid showering plants that don't like to get their leaves wet (such as African violets, Cyclamen, and Begonias). Did you fill your plant container with anything besides potting mix or potting soil?
“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.
Figure 2: Root hairs often form on fine roots and improve water absorption by increasing root surface area and by improving contact with the soil. Roots of woody plants form bark as they age, much like the trunks of large trees.
The two main nutrients that support excellent root growth in plants are phosphorous and potassium. These two ingredients are extremely helpful in any fertilizer mix that needs to encourage a thick, healthy collection of brand-new roots, or to strengthen and stimulate existing systems.
Root hairs form in the zone of differentiation; this is also where they begin to poke out into the soil to absorb water and mineral nutrients. Root hairs greatly increase the root surface area and therefore increase the ability of a plant to absorb water and nutrients.
Drip irrigation is the most water-efficient way to irrigate many different plantings. It is an ideal way to water in clay soils because the water is applied slowly, allowing the soil to absorb the water and avoid runoff. Drip devices use a fraction of the water that overhead spray devices use.
Because overwatering and underwatering are equally tough on your plants, finding a good balance - the sweet spot where your plant is happiest - is essential. Let's take a look at how to diagnose whether your plant needs more or less water, and tips for finding that perfect balance.
DON'T water too frequently—or not frequently enough.
Instead, opt for a less frequent watering routine that thoroughly saturates the soil. This method encourages the plants' roots to reach deeply for residual water, even when the surface of the soil appears dry.
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.
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.
Watering from the bottom encourages stronger and better root growth. The roots will grow and reach to access the water below. Bottom watering can prevent leaf or crown rot by not having water pooled up in the crown of plants like echeverias, snake plants, and other succulents.
Excess water reduces oxygen in the soil, which damages fine roots and renders the plant unable to take up water. Plants exposed to excess moisture show the same symptoms as plants with root rots, crown rots (crown rot from overwatering) or drought stress.
If you don't have a drainage hole in your pot, you probably shouldn't use it for an outdoor plant, unless the plant will be sheltered from rain. You need to micromanage the amount of water going into your pot; if it get's drenched in a downpour, all could be lost. More soil means more moisture for longer.