Watering and Drainage Techniques for Potted Plants

Your plant’s health depends largely on how well it’s watered. Overwatering and underwatering houseplants are two of the most common ways well-meaning homeowners kill their plants. Knowing how to water your plants properly and determining their water needs is key to keeping them healthy. Different methods are used to water it depending on the situation and type of plant. This guide will make choosing the right method for watering potted plants easier.

Watering and Drainage Techniques for Potted Plants

Sink Bath Watering Method

This method is mainly effective for succulents, cacti, and potted plants with drainage holes in terracotta planters. Fill the sink with water to cover 3/4 of the plant pot when the soil is dry. The plants should be placed in the sink and soaked for an hour. After draining the sink, let the plant pots air dry outside before rearranging them on the window sill. As needed, repeat every two months.

Bottle Drip Method with Gradual Flow Devices

A colorful glass bulb filled with water can be purchased in stores and inserted into the soil upside down, releasing small amounts of water over time. Make your own by recycling plastic water bottles. Around the bottle’s neck, poke small holes with a sharp point tool. Cap the bottle almost to the top and fill it almost to the top. The bottle should be inverted and placed in the pot. As the water seeps from the holes, it will gradually drain. For those who travel or forget to water, this method is ideal.

Double-Pot Watering Method

The time between watering can be shortened if you double-up the containers to prevent spills. Ensure the container has drainage holes for your plant. The plastic cracked and even broken containers work fine – they don’t need to be pretty. The drainage holes should be sufficient as long as they are not too small. After placing the potted plant in a container, pot, or vase, find a large enough container, pot, or vase. A drainage hole is not necessary for this container. You should check the outer pot to ensure no stagnant water collecting, which can cause root rot.

Water Wicking Method

Using water wicking is also a very simple and convenient way of keeping the plants moist if you cannot water them regularly.

Fill a large container with water.
Using cotton clothes, shoelaces, or even jute threads/twines, wicks can be made.
The wicks should be long enough to reach the plant from the water-filled container.
Tie a small weight at the end of the wick that touches the plant container.
A few inches deep is the max depth for the wick to be inserted into the soil.
Eventually, the plant will absorb moisture from the container.

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Drainage for Potted Plants

Plant drainage is probably the most underrated aspect of container gardening, and how well you handle it will determine whether your plant succeeds or fails. Plants do well when provided with light, air, and water, but if you want your plants to thrive to their full potential, you’ll also need to ensure their roots are well-watered and aerated.

The soil in pots and planters is not a plant’s natural environment, and your plants have no access to a whole range of nutrients and moisture that occur naturally in the ground. The right balance between poor and excessive container drainage will prevent root rot and insufficient aeration, so your plants can shine. You should follow these four steps to ensure potted plants have efficient drainage.

Start with the Right Planter

Generally speaking, you want to buy a planter that’s proportionate in size to your chosen plant – but rather than getting a pot that’s too small and shallow, go ahead and err on the side of caution. Using a deeper, taller planter will increase the porosity of your soil or potting mix, which means your plant’s roots will get more air. Conversely, smaller containers will drain much faster, requiring you to water your plant more frequently. Do yourself a favor, buy a large planter, and let gravity do it rest.

Drill Drainage Holes in Your Pot

Your plants need to have adequate drainage and proper ventilation, and one of the easiest and most natural ways to achieve this is to drill drainage holes at your pot’s bottom. The planter’s base should have a few drainage holes, or anywhere between three and five, so the holes are around 1/4 inch in diameter and spaced more or less evenly across the base. You may want to consider getting a saucer to prevent messy spills or to accommodate water and dirt that may flow out of the container.

Use a Drainage-Friendly Potting Mix

Water and air can drain and flow easily through potting mix, making it an ideal choice for container plants. Plant potting mixes contain lightweight materials such as peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite rather than heavy soil, and they are designed to meet the specific needs of specific plants. Generally, it is the case that they are porosity-rich – which means they encourage root aeration and seed germination and facilitate the growth of new roots. Various potting mixes can be found at most nurseries and garden centers.

Avoid Using Rocks at the Bottom of Your Planter

Many believe planting containers with rocks, gravel, or even pot shards at the bottom will not improve drainage. Creating such a thick layer merely increases the risk of clogging your pot, waterlogging your plants, and being guilty of plant murder. Instead, keep things simple. Especially if you already grow your plant in traditional dirt and want to avoid root rot and make the soil lighter, a good potting mix is the only one you ever need to fill your container.

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Conclusion

It is crucial that you water your containers properly so that they do their best. Determining when and how much quantity of water you need becomes almost second nature once you have some experience. Therefore, you need excellent drainage for your potting containers if you want your plants to thrive. If your plant’s roots become waterlogged, they can suffocate and die. The best suggestion is to ensure your containers are filled with a porous potting mix containing no soil.

Watering and Drainage Techniques for Potted Plants