Did you know that there were two ways of watering plants? Well, if you are a pro gardener, then you must have heard about bottom watering and might have tried it as well.
But, for beginners, this might be a new term.
Bottom watering and top watering are two different types of methods that you can use to quench your plant’s thirst.
Here, we will tell you about these two methods, their advantages, disadvantages, and plants that prefer specific watering types. 1.
Bottom Watering Vs. Top Watering
One of the major differences between the bottom and top watering is the method.
In bottom watering, the plant is given water from the bottom with the help of a tray or saucer filled with water.
Whereas, in top watering, we directly water the plants with the help of a water can, teapot, or sprayer.
In bottom watering, the roots get the proper amount of water to provide to the rest of the plant.
Due to this, there is significant root growth. Whereas, in top watering, all salt and waste minerals are flushed out not to harm the plant in any way.
Top watering doesn’t require much time, as you can simply spray water on your plants and head out to work. However, it is not the same in the case of bottom watering.
Here, the plant takes time to absorb water, and you need to check on your plant baby from time to time to see whether the water tray is empty or not.
If it’s empty, you have to fill it again and continue doing so till the water is not drained out.
Besides, you have to check the moisture level of the soil after every 10 to 15 minutes. The surface just below the top layer of soil should be moist enough.
Top watering can be done for all plants and doesn’t have any exceptions.
In the case of bottom watering, you can only try this method with limited plants. That’s because it takes a lot of time to water large plants with this method. 1. 2
Bottom Watering Top Watering
It takes a lot of time as roots need to grow towards the water source. It takes less time as water is directly provided to the top layer of soil.
It helps in proper root growth, and new leaves can be seen in a few days as well. Top watering takes time for the roots to absorb water and leads to slow growth.
It isn't easy to water large plants with this method. Top watering can be done for all plants.
Bottom watering cannot flush out salt and other waste minerals from the pot. Top watering helps in removing salt and other debris from the pot.
Pros Of Bottom Watering
There are various advantages that you can get by trying bottom watering for plants. Here, we have noted down some important pros of this watering method. 1. 4
1. Keeps Leaves Safe
One of the major disadvantages of top watering is that it can easily damage leaves, especially baby leaves.
Moreover, not all plants love getting their leaves wet, due to which they start wilting or drooping immediately.
Bottom watering doesn’t damage the leaves and makes sure that water properly reaches the roots so that every part of the plant can get it.
2. Discourages Fungus Growth
If the top layer of the soil remains wet, it encourages pests and fungus growth that can easily kill your baby plant.
But, with bottom watering, the top layer remains dry, whereas the remaining pot is moist enough to provide nutrients to the plants.
3. Proper Root Growth
When you start bottom watering, the roots are forced to move towards the bottom to get water.
Due to this, there is proper root growth, which in turn improves plant growth. A plant that has proper root growth can live longer than one with thin and underdeveloped roots.
4. No Over Watering
With bottom watering, there is no chance of overwatering your plant.
In this method, your plant will only absorb water till it is completely moist, so you don’t have to worry about killing your plant with excess water. Besides, it helps you to know how much water your baby plant actually needs and then water it accordingly.
Related:
Cons Of Bottom Watering
Every coin has two sides, and so does bottom watering. Though it has several advantages, there are some cons that you might face if you try this method.
1. Salt And Mineral Build Up
The first difficulty that you might face with bottom watering is that it won’t remove salt and mineral build-up in the pot.
If you constantly use this method of watering, then within some time, you might see a white powdery substance in the pot.
You need to remove salt and waste mineral deposits as they can seriously harm your plants. For removing the deposits, use top watering for a few days.
2. Time Taking
As stated earlier, bottom watering takes a lot of time because the roots need to reach the water source and then absorb it.
Besides, you have to constantly check whether your plant has soaked up the water or not and then fill the tray accordingly.
That’s why it is highly suggested to use bottom watering once in a while.
Also read:
- Plants that like to be root bound: A complete list
Pros Of Top Watering
When it comes to watering a plant, we usually go with top watering because that’s the easiest method.
However, there are other advantages that you can get if you practice top watering for your plants. 1. 3.
1. Removes Salt And Mineral Deposits
One of the major advantages of top watering is that it removes salt and mineral build-up in the pot easily.
A strong spray of water can remove all the waste and toxic debris that the plant has released and prevent it from harming the stems in any way.
Salt and mineral deposits usually occur due to fertilizer used in the potting mix, which needs to be removed from time to time to encourage proper growth.
2. Reduce Pests And Bugs
There are high chances that bugs and pests might make a home in your plant and kill it slowly.
Though a proper pest treatment is highly suggested, the first method would be to spray high-pressure water on the plant.
It would remove maximum pests and any larvae or eggs that might be present. After that, you can use any medicated soap or solution for the plant.
Cons Of Top Watering
Though top watering is easy, it does have some invisible side effects that can further lead to the death of plants.
1. Damaged Leaves
Some plants don’t like their leaves getting wet and show an immediate reaction to it.
However, if you still continue top watering, the plants will start drooping or wilting and die gradually.
Baby leaves are highly sensitive to various things, one of which is top watering, as it can immediately break or kill it.
2. Fungus Growth
In top watering, the upper layer of soil remains moist, which further encourages fungus growth.
Due to this, there are high chances of your plant getting infected as the fungus would take away all the nutrients from the soil, leaving nothing for the plant.
Also read:
Should You Water Plants From Top Or Bottom?
You should try both top and bottom watering for your plants. Because you cannot always depend on top watering for all plants, as some need more water than others.
Here, you might have to switch to bottom watering to enable proper growth.
Your watering routine should be a mixture of both: top watering regularly and bottom watering once in a while.
However, make sure to check your plants to see if there is any type of infection or fungus growth that can occur due to top watering.
Apart from that, if you have recently added new fertilizer in the potting mix, switch to top watering for a few days for the plant to get proper nutrients from the soil. 2. 5
Resources
- Different types of watering methods: https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/hseplant.html
- Result of changing watering cycles: https://academic.oup.com/treephys/article/23/18/1225/1675958?login=true
- Effects of top watering: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/39/2/article-p280.xml
- Wick watering method: https://www.publish.csiro.au/an/EA9880805
- Alternate watering methods: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378429002000473