Did you know there are different ways to water your plants, and each way has its own benefits? You don't always have to stick to one way of watering and can rotate between all of the different methods.
We recommend keeping your plants in nursery pots until they need to be changed into bigger pots for watering benefits, which you'll see why!
Here are three ways to water your plants:
From the top: If you have plants that prefer to dry out in between waterings, it might be a good idea to separate the dry soil that tends to stick and clump together by using a chopstick or popsicle stick. This way, the water can travel down the roots more efficiently. We wouldn't recommend doing this with plants that have unique roots, such as ZZ plants. Water the soil evenly in your pot and let the water drain out of the bottom, then plop it back into its decorative pot.
From the bottom: Ok, say what? How do you water your plants from the bottom?!
Your nursery pots will have holes on the bottom. Fun fact: This method has a nickname, called "butt-chugging" your plants. We promise you, we did not make that up.
All you have to do is fill a saucer with water and set the plant in it. Let the water throughly travel up the pot, giving your plant's roots all the water they need. This can take anywhere between 10-15 minutes for a 4-inch pot and 20-30 minutes for 6" pots and 45-60 minutes for 8-inch pots (with water refills).
We personally prefer to take the plant out when the soil feels dry about an inch down. Keeping the soil dry on top can help prevent fungus gnats that like to lay eggs in moist soil. Just simply stick your finger in the soil to gauge the moisture.
In the shower: Thoroughly watering your plant's leaves top and bottom in the shower can help to rinse off pests such as spider mites and dust so that your plant can receive more light. Just let the water drain out of the bottom and voila! You're ready to place it back in its spot.
We hope these tips help you determine what's best for your plants and home environment. People put so much time and effort into taking care of their plants. They've become the new "pets." 😉
3 comments
I have also used the technique of using a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap, apple cider vinegar and mixing them into a fair-sized bowl of water, then set the bowl next to the plants. The gnats, having a sweet tooth are drawn to the mixture for a drink and become stuck in the liquid and unable to get out, and wind up drowning. I’ve used this method with wonderful success.
Using the idea of essential oils, would it work well to use Ivys suggestion of using a popsicle stick, but before placing it in the plant medium ‘infusing’ it with peppermint oil or other essential oil that is unpleasant to gnats? I would think this would keep them at bay!
Would it help to put tiny rocks or some type of material on top of soil to keep gnats from laying eggs on the soil?