If you want to keep your plants alive, there are a few things you have to do: give them light, feed them now and then, and – of course – water them.
Watering seems pretty straightforward to me. You fill a jug or can, bring it over to your plant, and dump the liquid in, right? Not much room to run into trouble.
But despite that, I’ve managed to find trouble so many times, and I can pretty much guarantee that you have as well.
Fortunately there’s a different way, and it can help take the guesswork out of figuring out how much to provide. That means healthier, happier plants.
Plus, it can protect your floors and shelves (and books!) from overzealous watering.
Up ahead, here’s what we’ll discuss to help you figure out the art of bottom watering.
What Is Bottom Watering?
To put it simply, bottom watering (sometimes called reverse watering) is giving your plant’s roots hydration from the bottom up.
Instead of dumping liquid onto the top of the soil of your container plants, you allow the soil to soak it up into its roots from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
This isn’t the same thing as wick watering. That’s when you use a central container like a bucket to slowly wick moisture via ropes into nearby containers.
It’s a super handy skill to have in your back pocket if you travel a lot, but not what we’ll be covering here.
Why Use This Technique?
I warped my hardwood floors when I spilled an entire watering can once.
But beyond architectural disasters, I’ve also managed to drown my plants, and to chronically underwater them.
And don’t tell me you haven’t overwatered to the point where the drainage plate overflows and you’re frantically trying to find a towel before it runs everywhere… just me? I don’t think so!
Let’s not even discuss the time I decided it was a brilliant idea to put a bunch of houseplants on my wire shelves above a collection of leather bound books…
Okay, so it’s pretty straightforward to understand, but why would you want to water from the bottom? Doesn’t pouring it on the top work perfectly well?
Yes, there is nothing wrong with top watering (aside from occasional mishaps), but there are times when it isn’t ideal. For instance, some plants suffer if they have moisture on their leaves.
It’s hard to avoid splashes and mistakes altogether, even when you’re careful.
