is bottom watering really effective?
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I came across alot of buzz about bottom watering, have any one of you tried it? is it really effective?
Namaste Emma, my own experience is it depends on the plant. I suppose you mean putting a pot on a tray and then pouring water in the tray?
For me this works very well for seedlings in their little pots. The potting mix soaks the water up and then I remove them from the tray and only a little water runs out.
But it doesn’t work well for other pots that are bigger. The water doesn’t seem to soak up high enough. I’d have to use a bucket instead of a tray to make sure the water reaches the whole pot, and then when I remove it too much water drains away. I feel all the food is washing out.
However I love doing this for cactus and succulents. Since the pebbles drain very fast, I’m quickly done with the watering chores because it fills and empties very fast. And i do add a little fertilizer to the water so it compensates whatever washes out.
What are you using it for?
I suppose, it makes the root stronger and allows them to grow directly toward the moisture. Research shows that moisture in the potting soil reaches the bottom and nourishes the roots.
Yes I saw that experiment where they film a seed sprouting and the root knows which way to go to find water it was amazing. So bottom watering makes a lot of sense. But maybe it also depends on the size of the seed and that of the pot. A tiny seed might not make it to the bottom where water is… And the soil, too: some don’t let water seep up very well.
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