I started to bottom water early in my plant journey after a pretty serious fungus gnats infestation and never looked back. All my plants have strong root system to the point I had to remove extra top soil from some of my pots. In my case for a 6” pot I usually fill a 6” saucer x 2 which is approximately 150 to 200 ml. My big plants in 10 to 12” pots can soak up to 1 1/2 liter of water every 15 to 20 days depending on the weather However I recently start to sparingly top water because the infestation seems to be under control thanks to Mosquito bits and bottom water. ⚠️ If you have been bottom water for a long time be careful if you decide to transition back to top water because the roots are going to be mostly at the bottom of the pot and wet top soil could rot the base of your plant since there are no or few upper roots.
Thanks for that extra information at the bottom! Never even thought of the potential for stem rot after top watering again. That's why I love these types of comments....everyone sharing their knowledge and experience.
I bottom water my house plants. It does take a lot of time but with about 100 plants I rarely see fungus gnats. I’m retired so it’s my hobby so I have the time. LOL.
I have a really big problem with those knats, so now i am watering from the bottom, I actually put dish soap in a little shot glass and wow, a lot of those fungas knats are going in there. Good video❤
I bottom water almost all of houseplants and all of my vegetable seedlings for my outdoor garden. I put them outside for a rain shower or hose off in the sink to clean the leaves. It really helps cut down on fungus gnats and I think the roots grow stronger. I recently read somewhere that it’s good for top heavy plants like sansaveria to be bottom watered.
Your channel is the best! Every time I need help with my plants, you've addressed it in one of your videos. I'm going to try bottom-watering my peperomia I've been having issues with. Thank you :)
Thanks so much Sam! I really appreciate this comment because it keeps me motivated to do more videos. Feel free to submit any future video suggestions for content.
This is a great tutorial! I just started to collect and grow various plants, so I need every tip for planting cause I'm a newbie at this and I really worry if I'm doing things right. When the water gets totally absorbed by the soil from the saucer, when do you have to water again?
It’s about the frequency of watering and not the amount you water. As long as you let the plant dry out as instructed by research (aka google) you’ll be fine.
I bottom water 100% of my plants. I don't stick my finger in, bc I'm never sure. I scrape back an inch or two of the top soil a good inch or more down - if it is a dry damp (not soggy or shiny wet) then I water. Ever since I started bottom watering and checking the soil 'visibly' as well as touching - my plants are now thriving beautifully. Ofc, I have a lot of ferns and Calatheas, but for regular plants & succulents I let them get just a bit dryer. It's interesting how people say 30 minutes. I let them sit for hours, even over night but some like ferns & Calatheas in peat moss are much faster, however I know how much they will take up. I previously was a chronic under-waterer epic 'killer of plants', but now as soon as the very top layer of the soil is 'visually' dry I start checking for when the top inch or more is dry as a visibly dry damp.
Hi Jeff. Good demo! I agree bottom watering is fine on a limited basis for certain plants but way too time consuming for more than a handful of plants.
I have over 100 plants bottom watered in my office and I do a full rotation of a couple every day - I noticed now that it warmer I'm doing 5-6 in the morning and 5-6 at night every day. I leave them sitting for hours, bc it takes time to get fully soaked, some faster than others though.
@@rebeccahenderson7761 Wow that's good to know! Thank you for sharing your method. Most of my plants are in my kitchen extension and I'm seeing fungus gnats so I know the bottom watering would definitely help with that. 😃 👍
@@mollys1584 Yes, absolutely. In 2019, I went plant crazy & fill my office with ferns & calatheas - I had those yellow stickies everywhere & they were so covered it was gross, especially when my sleeve arm or hand would get fully stuck to one & there must have been over 1,000 stuck to them -. That's when I started bottom watering & never looked back! The only time I don't is on my cactus soil that just won't soak up water.
@@rebeccahenderson7761 HI Rebecca! Your office sounds beautiful! I've been avoiding the yellow sticky traps but need to get them out for awhile and start bottom watering. I grow a range but no desert cacti (yet!) Just tropical cacti. Thank you again for sharing your experience and advice!
Great Video! What type of Water? I know water on water softener line isn't good. What about distilled water? Does that help avoid the mineral deposits that you mentioned in your instructions? Thank you!
this is great! My previous peperomia orba pixie rotted off soon after watering even though I knew it was thirsty. Will have to try bottom watering next time
I, too mostly bottom water. I do occasionally add water at the top, as well. Especially if the medium seems hydrophobic or I’m using Liquidirt. I’ve also let the plant sit longer, up to 30 minutes in the case of my peace lily and scindapsus. I always have a timer set, but don’t necessarily need it, since I water mostly in the kitchen where I can’t forget.
Interesting, I sometimes let my plants sit over night, bc they haven't taken up enough, but in the morning they are full, and I haven't had any issues. Ofc they get a thorough watering at that point.
Huge fan of bottom watering. After starting vegetables from seed indoors last year, and having a houseful of fungus gnats, I am very hesitant to top water. I know that every now and again it is in the best interest of the plant to flush things through, but .... 😣😬
Soil flushing is one of my issue right now (Afraid the gnats might come back) I have not tried it yet but some plants, I learned would really benefit from that. In the meantime I will water down my fertilizer before application .
I find this approach doesn’t take time if you use a big tub and put 4 or 5 plants at a time in there; and just never drain the tub so it’s at the ready for another day. And don’t do all of your plants at the same time, do 4 or 5 daily. It becomes a 15 minute, once a day job and over the course of a week you can easily cover off a very large plant inventory.
@@EverythingPlants no, why? I suppose a bit of soil drains out the plant pot hole and into the basin, but it just sits there until tomorrow and eventually it will add up and I suppose I’ll throw it into the yard.
Thank you for using a snake plant!!!! I always overwater them! I will definitely try to bottom water from now on. Question: I have found a chunky fast draining soil mix. Will that mix work on bottom watering as well? Or should I use a moisture retaining soil instead? Thank you!
@@EverythingPlants yes I have repotted in chunkier mix a couple of months ago but it is still curling it's leaves but growing super slow(but does have new growth)
Scindapsis are generally slow growers. My jade satin probably took a year before it gave me a new leaf. The exotica is a bit faster. Are you giving it enough light?
All my planters have a saucer with enough water to let them drink as much I they want. I just fill it up with water once dried up. Use compost tea for watering. Or, steep or soak leaves or yard waste, compost or other organic sources for watering. Water will smell like rotten eggs but plants would love it. Your plants will look like they just fresh from the nursery. New shoots will start to pop out. Make sure to take before and after shots. Avoid chlorinated water, if you can.
@@EverythingPlants no im wondering if because my mix includes orchid bark causing it ? I use high end soil, fox farm n mix perlite n bark in ? Thnx in advance
I have one plant in leca....my calathea orbifolia. I keep the bottom about 1/4 filled at all times. I've let it dry out a couple times and the roots dried and got damaged. Im holding onto one leaf 🤣
Not a silly question at all. Kind of depends on the plant as well. Generally I will use the weight of the pot (feels light). I should have mentioned in the video that I use a bamboo skewer to stick into the soil to gauge the moisture level right to the bottom. If the stick is wet or you can see soil sticking it it then thats the line of soil moisture and then you can determine if it needs water or not. Great question Krystal
Jeff has great advice. How I do it is I scrape back the top soil an inch or so - if it is a dry damp (not soggy or shiny wet) then I water. I have been a chronic under-waterer and ever since I started bottom watering and checking the soil 'visibly' as well as touching - my plants are now thriving. Ofc, I have a lot of ferns and Calatheas, but for regular plants & succulents I let them get just a bit dryer between waterings.
@@EverythingPlants no not really, it’s takes so long and I started school in January full time, so I try to quickly Get my plant care done. I did buy a self watering pot today
I bottom water all my succulents & Sansevieria but I add much more water than you in the plastic container. The plant sucks it up so much faster but I always let them sit on a cloth after to take away excess water.
I've had plants to die because of heavy rain outside and I forgot to remove the bottom water trays so in just five six days it had rotted Roots severely in a bunch of plants if the soil is super wet this is a terrible idea
@@EverythingPlants yeah I wasn't implying it was anything in your video just an experience I had in our hot dry Summers here in Florida I use this method with my plants outdoors and it works great but then when you get a big heavy rain and don't remember to remove the water trays you be so surprised how quickly Rot hits
Oh no....you can bottom water any plant. Depending on the type of plant and its soil needs, some plants need a faster draining soil. That's when you can repot and add in extra stuff like perlite to help with drainage.
I started to bottom water early in my plant journey after a pretty serious fungus gnats infestation and never looked back. All my plants have strong root system to the point I had to remove extra top soil from some of my pots.
In my case for a 6” pot I usually fill a 6” saucer x 2 which is approximately 150 to 200 ml. My big plants in 10 to 12” pots can soak up to 1 1/2 liter of water every 15 to 20 days depending on the weather
However I recently start to sparingly top water because the infestation seems to be under control thanks to Mosquito bits and bottom water.
⚠️ If you have been bottom water for a long time be careful if you decide to transition back to top water because the roots are going to be mostly at the bottom of the pot and wet top soil could rot the base of your plant since there are no or few upper roots.
Thanks for that extra information at the bottom! Never even thought of the potential for stem rot after top watering again. That's why I love these types of comments....everyone sharing their knowledge and experience.
@@EverythingPlants Happy to help. Yes, shared knowledge is the best
I bottom water my house plants. It does take a lot of time but with about 100 plants I rarely see fungus gnats. I’m retired so it’s my hobby so I have the time. LOL.
Nice! Are there any plants that you don't bottom water?
Awesome hobby.
I have a really big problem with those knats, so now i am watering from the bottom, I actually put dish soap in a little shot glass and wow, a lot of those fungas knats are going in there. Good video❤
I bottom water almost all of houseplants and all of my vegetable seedlings for my outdoor garden. I put them outside for a rain shower or hose off in the sink to clean the leaves. It really helps cut down on fungus gnats and I think the roots grow stronger. I recently read somewhere that it’s good for top heavy plants like sansaveria to be bottom watered.
I agree with you 100% Thanks L Garden!
Your channel is the best! Every time I need help with my plants, you've addressed it in one of your videos. I'm going to try bottom-watering my peperomia I've been having issues with. Thank you :)
Thanks so much Sam! I really appreciate this comment because it keeps me motivated to do more videos. Feel free to submit any future video suggestions for content.
I'm new to the house plant world, soo glad I discovered thus method 😄 ☺️ ❤️
Welcome!! And I hope you check out more of my videos!
@@EverythingPlants will do!!
This is a great tutorial! I just started to collect and grow various plants, so I need every tip for planting cause I'm a newbie at this and I really worry if I'm doing things right. When the water gets totally absorbed by the soil from the saucer, when do you have to water again?
It’s about the frequency of watering and not the amount you water. As long as you let the plant dry out as instructed by research (aka google) you’ll be fine.
Yup!
I bottom water 100% of my plants. I don't stick my finger in, bc I'm never sure. I scrape back an inch or two of the top soil a good inch or more down - if it is a dry damp (not soggy or shiny wet) then I water. Ever since I started bottom watering and checking the soil 'visibly' as well as touching - my plants are now thriving beautifully. Ofc, I have a lot of ferns and Calatheas, but for regular plants & succulents I let them get just a bit dryer. It's interesting how people say 30 minutes. I let them sit for hours, even over night but some like ferns & Calatheas in peat moss are much faster, however I know how much they will take up. I previously was a chronic under-waterer epic 'killer of plants', but now as soon as the very top layer of the soil is 'visually' dry I start checking for when the top inch or more is dry as a visibly dry damp.
Nice!
Hi Jeff. Good demo! I agree bottom watering is fine on a limited basis for certain plants but way too time consuming for more than a handful of plants.
Yes...yes it is. Thanks for commenting Molly.
I have over 100 plants bottom watered in my office and I do a full rotation of a couple every day - I noticed now that it warmer I'm doing 5-6 in the morning and 5-6 at night every day. I leave them sitting for hours, bc it takes time to get fully soaked, some faster than others though.
@@rebeccahenderson7761 Wow that's good to know! Thank you for sharing your method. Most of my plants are in my kitchen extension and I'm seeing fungus gnats so I know the bottom watering would definitely help with that. 😃 👍
@@mollys1584 Yes, absolutely. In 2019, I went plant crazy & fill my office with ferns & calatheas - I had those yellow stickies everywhere & they were so covered it was gross, especially when my sleeve arm or hand would get fully stuck to one & there must have been over 1,000 stuck to them -. That's when I started bottom watering & never looked back! The only time I don't is on my cactus soil that just won't soak up water.
@@rebeccahenderson7761 HI Rebecca! Your office sounds beautiful! I've been avoiding the yellow sticky traps but need to get them out for awhile and start bottom watering. I grow a range but no desert cacti (yet!) Just tropical cacti. Thank you again for sharing your experience and advice!
thank you for sharing great ideas have a wonderful and blessed day❤❤
Thanks so much Jillian!
Great Video! What type of Water? I know water on water softener line isn't good. What about distilled water? Does that help avoid the mineral deposits that you mentioned in your instructions? Thank you!
this is great! My previous peperomia orba pixie rotted off soon after watering even though I knew it was thirsty. Will have to try bottom watering next time
This worked well for mine and I hope it does for you too!
Congratulations on the growth of your channel. 🎉
Thanks Karen!
I, too mostly bottom water. I do occasionally add water at the top, as well. Especially if the medium seems hydrophobic or I’m using Liquidirt. I’ve also let the plant sit longer, up to 30 minutes in the case of my peace lily and scindapsus. I always have a timer set, but don’t necessarily need it, since I water mostly in the kitchen where I can’t forget.
Set it and forget it. I also let some sit longer if they need it.
Interesting, I sometimes let my plants sit over night, bc they haven't taken up enough, but in the morning they are full, and I haven't had any issues. Ofc they get a thorough watering at that point.
I think I havea few plants I might try this on. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome!
I might need to do this for my herb sprouts. Some of them are so tiny that the finest overhead mist pounds them like a monsoon torrent.
Huge fan of bottom watering. After starting vegetables from seed indoors last year, and having a houseful of fungus gnats, I am very hesitant to top water. I know that every now and again it is in the best interest of the plant to flush things through, but .... 😣😬
That is awesome!
Soil flushing is one of my issue right now (Afraid the gnats might come back) I have not tried it yet but some plants, I learned would really benefit from that. In the meantime I will water down my fertilizer before application .
I find this approach doesn’t take time if you use a big tub and put 4 or 5 plants at a time in there; and just never drain the tub so it’s at the ready for another day. And don’t do all of your plants at the same time, do 4 or 5 daily. It becomes a 15 minute, once a day job and over the course of a week you can easily cover off a very large plant inventory.
Makes sense but don't you get a lot of soil down the drain?
@@EverythingPlants no, why? I suppose a bit of soil drains out the plant pot hole and into the basin, but it just sits there until tomorrow and eventually it will add up and I suppose I’ll throw it into the yard.
Thank you for the great tips!!
Thanks for watching Chong Chiu Sen!
Thank you for using a snake plant!!!! I always overwater them! I will definitely try to bottom water from now on. Question: I have found a chunky fast draining soil mix. Will that mix work on bottom watering as well? Or should I use a moisture retaining soil instead? Thank you!
I struggle with scindapsis and being sensitive to soil moisture, do you think they would benefit from bottom watering?
IMO yes!
Yup, I agree with Becky above....next repotting try a better draining soil mixture.
@@EverythingPlants yes I have repotted in chunkier mix a couple of months ago but it is still curling it's leaves but growing super slow(but does have new growth)
Scindapsis are generally slow growers. My jade satin probably took a year before it gave me a new leaf. The exotica is a bit faster. Are you giving it enough light?
So for bottom watering do I need to repot and add perlite first? They are all new plants and I'm a new plant mom but ots time to water them
Thanks
All my planters have a saucer with enough water to let them drink as much I they want. I just fill it up with water once dried up. Use compost tea for watering. Or, steep or soak leaves or yard waste, compost or other organic sources for watering. Water will smell like rotten eggs but plants would love it. Your plants will look like they just fresh from the nursery. New shoots will start to pop out. Make sure to take before and after shots.
Avoid chlorinated water, if you can.
all great, my question is how to cotrol the mold on top of soil from bottom watering ?
There shouldn't be any mold on the top of the soil when bottom watering. Is the top getting wet?
@@EverythingPlants no im wondering if because my mix includes orchid bark causing it ? I use high end soil, fox farm n mix perlite n bark in ? Thnx in advance
Hi..Jeff, may i ask about jade plants, how long i have to bottom water of my jade plants, I'm use plastic pot. Tq..
Do you use LECA or PON at all? I'm not sure how much to water or how often??
I have one plant in leca....my calathea orbifolia. I keep the bottom about 1/4 filled at all times. I've let it dry out a couple times and the roots dried and got damaged. Im holding onto one leaf 🤣
I have a gloxinia aka sonata, do I have it on top of stones?
Hi this is kind of off topic 🙃 but I took some cuttings of my pothos plant it's grown and all I have is cactus soil from Walmart. Is it okay to use ?
Yes....that is absolutely okay 👍
@@EverythingPlants Thank you 😊
How long do you leave the water ?
Won't you have fungus gnats at the bottom then in this case?
might be a silly question, but how do you know when its time to water again if the top of the soil is always dry?
Not a silly question at all. Kind of depends on the plant as well. Generally I will use the weight of the pot (feels light). I should have mentioned in the video that I use a bamboo skewer to stick into the soil to gauge the moisture level right to the bottom. If the stick is wet or you can see soil sticking it it then thats the line of soil moisture and then you can determine if it needs water or not. Great question Krystal
Jeff has great advice. How I do it is I scrape back the top soil an inch or so - if it is a dry damp (not soggy or shiny wet) then I water. I have been a chronic under-waterer and ever since I started bottom watering and checking the soil 'visibly' as well as touching - my plants are now thriving. Ofc, I have a lot of ferns and Calatheas, but for regular plants & succulents I let them get just a bit dryer between waterings.
If the soil is loose, does watering from below work?😢
I do this occasionally
For any particular plants?
@@EverythingPlants no not really, it’s takes so long and I started school in January full time, so I try to quickly Get my plant care done. I did buy a self watering pot today
Oh nice! Well thanks for watching my videos as you are probably very busy with your schooling.
I bottom water all my succulents & Sansevieria but I add much more water than you in the plastic container. The plant sucks it up so much faster but I always let them sit on a cloth after to take away excess water.
Interesting....thanks Hacier!
What kind of peperomia is that? A Rana Verde?
Yes, it's a rana verde!
@@EverythingPlants nice, I’ve been seeing them around Ontario lately!
@@b.r.v.8609 it's such a simple and beautiful peperomia
@@EverythingPlants it’s like a plain version of the ripple varieties! Which is more my vibe haha maybe I’ll pick one up this summer
can I bottom water when traveling . I will typically leave for 2-3 months during the summer . can bottom watering work for that long?
How many minutes left the plant on water?😢
Put one inch of water? 3:50😢
🌿💚
Thanks!
I've had plants to die because of heavy rain outside and I forgot to remove the bottom water trays so in just five six days it had rotted Roots severely in a bunch of plants if the soil is super wet this is a terrible idea
Well of course....water only when it needs it. This is only a demonstration for watering indoor houseplants....not ones left out in the rain 🌧
@@EverythingPlants yeah I wasn't implying it was anything in your video just an experience I had in our hot dry Summers here in Florida I use this method with my plants outdoors and it works great but then when you get a big heavy rain and don't remember to remove the water trays you be so surprised how quickly Rot hits
@@thefishylife6823 You are right. I do not know any plants that enjoy sitting in water. Even when they are planted in the ground.
Such a bad instructional video, should be removed.
So for bottom watering do I need to repot and add perlite first? They are all new plants and I'm a new plant mom but ots time to water them.
Oh no....you can bottom water any plant. Depending on the type of plant and its soil needs, some plants need a faster draining soil. That's when you can repot and add in extra stuff like perlite to help with drainage.
Thank you snake fern pothos monsteria