Sometimes… I only do it to my plants that I let dry out completely or plants that I have planted in ceramic pots.
A lot of people do it for content because it’s aesthetically pleasing.
AnyLamename
Most plants don’t really care about bottom versus top, as long as you water deeply enough, but bottom watering helps to prevent the problem of only ever watering the top two inches of the soil. In my opinion, the value of bottom watering is that it is more foolproof.
Fenanix
bottom watering changed everything for my plants tbh..fewer gnats and way more even moisture plus you don’t accidentally wash away soil.
MeanHovercraft7648
It depends on the plant type & its condition. I top water without issue.
Greedy-External8996
i bottom water to avoid the top of my soil getting damp and attracting fungus gnats.
howbouthailey
It doesn’t make enough of a difference for me to go through the trouble of soaking all 30 of my plants on a 1-2 week basis
Early-Opportunity-70
I do this only to my Alocasias.
Critical-Star-1158
I soak mine in a shallow foot bin and water from the top. The important task it to allow complete drainage after.
Fr05t_B1t
It does but it also doesn’t. There are benefits to bottom watering such as reducing fungus gnats and you can “overwater” it, leave it for a while and come back take it out after a few minutes. Letting it sit in water lets you do some other things while the water is being soaked up.
TotalBor0n
I quit watering from the top because it would dry the soil out faster and push the soil down over time. I can tell when my plants are fully satisfied based on their weight after a bottom water
rkbizzle69
I don’t like moving my plants and a lot of them are climbing or vine plants, so I always top water. It’s just too much to move and bottom water 50ish plants. I’ve never had any issues.
CdnTreeGuy89
Top watering helps flush out any build up of minerals in the soil. I only really bottom water plants that are low to the soil, like some succulents, to avoid any leaf rot
polkaspot36
I bottom water my orchids, African violet and fittonia because they seem to like it better but everything else gets top watered and does fine.
princessplantlife
I don’t do it because most of my plants are too big but I would if it was practical (bottom watering)
_SoftRockStar_
I’ve never bottom watered a plant. I have tons of thriving plants, so I don’t know if it would matter. I don’t think they’d be doing any different if I did
FlounderKind8267
I find it helps for a more consistent watering and fixes the soil when it becomes too hydrophobic. Plus, it encourages roots to chase the bottom of the pot instead of staying towards the surface.
SumoRaptor
I put the tray on the bottom. Water from the top then fill the bottom. I do both!
AdventurousSleep5461
I don’t think the plant cares, but I bottom water where I can because it’s completely solved my gnat issue
Edit spelling
Stalkerus
This depends on the person doing it.
I mix, but I mainly bottom water because that way I can ensure the plant gets enough water and I don’t need to water as often because the plant gets enough water.
PSA: if you use decorative pots/ drain dishes with nursery pots you don’t need to move the plants to bottom water them. Just pour water on the dish and let the plant drink. You may have to add water before the plant is done, but it’s no effort option. If there’s excess water just pour it away (bring a small bucket, or similar, with you).
pinkordie
I prefer bottom watering because it ensures the plant is getting a large drink of water and I find is better at telling me how thirsty the plant was.
When top watering, I find it hard to tell when ive actually given it enough since it running down the bottom isn’t actually showing how much is getting absorbed. Bottom watering by contrast I can see how quickly the water is absorbed from the bottom and add more until the plant stops taking water. At that point I can empty out the reservoir to make sure it’s not sitting in water.
That said, I dont have a ton of plants and none of them are too big. Its easy for me to physically move my small collection. At the end of the day, the best practice is the one that fits your life and will make it easiest for you to make your plants happy
queencilantro
Using clear nursing pots, I physically see the difference between bottom and top watering, and I only bottom water now unless I’m in a hurry and see that a plant needs an emergency shot of water lol.
PrinceCiceroUmbra
I bottom water to complete soak the soil and it helps with hydrophobic soil as well. But also much easier for me to water 15+ plants all at one time than one at a time. I wash the tub out fill it and put the plants in and wait about an hr drain the tub wait until they stop draining and return them to their own places.
_allycat
If i was going to go through the work of putting my plant in the sink and drenching it and then need to wait for it to drain, I’d rather top water and rinse off all the leaves too.
dogscatsnscience
Why are you putting a plant in your sink.
Kooky_Confidence1447
I only bother for African violets. They hate wet leaves.
Fifth_Degree33
It’s really plant dependent. My variegated string of pearls loves a good bottom watering once every 10 days or so. It’s thriving and I’ve murdered many a “string of”s in the past that were top watered
Lynxieee
I top water about 75% of the time and do a propper bottom soak every now and then just to make sure all the soil is fully saturated, to prevent it going hydrophobic.
JavlaTjej
I’ve seen some good results since I started bottom watering. I will sometimes water the old fashioned way if I’m low on time or if, for some reason, I want the top of the pot to get wet. I like the whole ritual of it. I have a watering station. I select one or two thirsty plants and take out my watering bowl, nutrients and tools. While the plant is drinking I’ll use my dusting gloves on it and check for pests which talking on the phone or watching netflix. I refill the bowl until it doesn’t drink anymore.
31 Comments
Sometimes… I only do it to my plants that I let dry out completely or plants that I have planted in ceramic pots.
A lot of people do it for content because it’s aesthetically pleasing.
Most plants don’t really care about bottom versus top, as long as you water deeply enough, but bottom watering helps to prevent the problem of only ever watering the top two inches of the soil. In my opinion, the value of bottom watering is that it is more foolproof.
bottom watering changed everything for my plants tbh..fewer gnats and way more even moisture plus you don’t accidentally wash away soil.
It depends on the plant type & its condition. I top water without issue.
i bottom water to avoid the top of my soil getting damp and attracting fungus gnats.
It doesn’t make enough of a difference for me to go through the trouble of soaking all 30 of my plants on a 1-2 week basis
I do this only to my Alocasias.
I soak mine in a shallow foot bin and water from the top. The important task it to allow complete drainage after.
It does but it also doesn’t. There are benefits to bottom watering such as reducing fungus gnats and you can “overwater” it, leave it for a while and come back take it out after a few minutes. Letting it sit in water lets you do some other things while the water is being soaked up.
I quit watering from the top because it would dry the soil out faster and push the soil down over time. I can tell when my plants are fully satisfied based on their weight after a bottom water
I don’t like moving my plants and a lot of them are climbing or vine plants, so I always top water. It’s just too much to move and bottom water 50ish plants. I’ve never had any issues.
Top watering helps flush out any build up of minerals in the soil. I only really bottom water plants that are low to the soil, like some succulents, to avoid any leaf rot
I bottom water my orchids, African violet and fittonia because they seem to like it better but everything else gets top watered and does fine.
I don’t do it because most of my plants are too big but I would if it was practical (bottom watering)
I’ve never bottom watered a plant. I have tons of thriving plants, so I don’t know if it would matter. I don’t think they’d be doing any different if I did
I find it helps for a more consistent watering and fixes the soil when it becomes too hydrophobic. Plus, it encourages roots to chase the bottom of the pot instead of staying towards the surface.
I put the tray on the bottom. Water from the top then fill the bottom. I do both!
I don’t think the plant cares, but I bottom water where I can because it’s completely solved my gnat issue
Edit spelling
This depends on the person doing it.
I mix, but I mainly bottom water because that way I can ensure the plant gets enough water and I don’t need to water as often because the plant gets enough water.
PSA: if you use decorative pots/ drain dishes with nursery pots you don’t need to move the plants to bottom water them. Just pour water on the dish and let the plant drink. You may have to add water before the plant is done, but it’s no effort option. If there’s excess water just pour it away (bring a small bucket, or similar, with you).
I prefer bottom watering because it ensures the plant is getting a large drink of water and I find is better at telling me how thirsty the plant was.
When top watering, I find it hard to tell when ive actually given it enough since it running down the bottom isn’t actually showing how much is getting absorbed. Bottom watering by contrast I can see how quickly the water is absorbed from the bottom and add more until the plant stops taking water. At that point I can empty out the reservoir to make sure it’s not sitting in water.
That said, I dont have a ton of plants and none of them are too big. Its easy for me to physically move my small collection. At the end of the day, the best practice is the one that fits your life and will make it easiest for you to make your plants happy
Using clear nursing pots, I physically see the difference between bottom and top watering, and I only bottom water now unless I’m in a hurry and see that a plant needs an emergency shot of water lol.
I bottom water to complete soak the soil and it helps with hydrophobic soil as well. But also much easier for me to water 15+ plants all at one time than one at a time. I wash the tub out fill it and put the plants in and wait about an hr drain the tub wait until they stop draining and return them to their own places.
If i was going to go through the work of putting my plant in the sink and drenching it and then need to wait for it to drain, I’d rather top water and rinse off all the leaves too.
Why are you putting a plant in your sink.
I only bother for African violets. They hate wet leaves.
It’s really plant dependent. My variegated string of pearls loves a good bottom watering once every 10 days or so. It’s thriving and I’ve murdered many a “string of”s in the past that were top watered
I top water about 75% of the time and do a propper bottom soak every now and then just to make sure all the soil is fully saturated, to prevent it going hydrophobic.
I’ve seen some good results since I started bottom watering. I will sometimes water the old fashioned way if I’m low on time or if, for some reason, I want the top of the pot to get wet. I like the whole ritual of it. I have a watering station. I select one or two thirsty plants and take out my watering bowl, nutrients and tools. While the plant is drinking I’ll use my dusting gloves on it and check for pests which talking on the phone or watching netflix. I refill the bowl until it doesn’t drink anymore.
https://preview.redd.it/rulvk49hr12g1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=383f489f8fcb0ec16772ff0109c41dead0f6664c
I only bottom water cacti and succulents.
I bottom water because I’m a notorious over water-er. I haven’t killed a plant by over watering in years.
Does anything really matter