Watering Basics

When thinking of watering a plant, one might picture the simple act of dumping water into a pot or on soil, either indoors or outdoors, waiting a specific amount of time, and then repeating the action. This same group of people continuously questions themselves as to why their plants are dying. Here at Noplanetb, we water more effectively than this. The act of giving water to you plants comes in many different methods, and knowing which method to use can be the single difference between saving your greenery, and letting it die.

Method 1: Bottom Watering

Water is filled in the tray, and the cardboard dividers are soaking it up.

This method is primarily used for seedlings. Oftentimes when gardeners want to begin their plants and crops from seed, they overwater them, killing their seeds before they have a chance to sprout, or underwater them, leaving them to dry out. Watering your seeds is important, but through bottom watering, you can make sure that your plants thrive, with just the right amount of water. Essentially, by putting your containers of seeds on a rack or tray filled with water, through capillary action your seeds will pull water through the soil and into their roots. This method only works with various containers, but it allows the seeds to consumer however much water they desire, instead of overwatering them and letting them drown, or under watering them and letting them die out. One simply has to refill the tray of water that the seed container is sitting in, and watch as their seeds soak up that bottom water.

Method 2: Humidity

Tropical Plants love this method of watering, whereas more temperate plants don't take as kindly to it. The Vanilla Orchid is the perfect example. Plants like the Vanilla Orchid require no direct watering at all to their soil. Once they grow tall enough, plants like these produce aerial roots that they use to take moisture out of the air, as shown in the picture above. Other plants will simply use their leaves to pull moisture out of the air. Many species of tropical plants thrive in these high humid climates, so it is essentially that gardeners and plant owners do their best to replicate it. There are many ways that one can do so without purchasing expensive equipment. Having many plants in an enclosed, concentrated environment as shown above will lead to a greater concentration of water vapor through plant transpiration, which is a process where plants release excess moisture through their leaves. Purchasing a cheap, bedroom humidifier and placing it near your plants as seen in the left-most picture is another excellent idea to create high humid environments. Even leaving out trays of water to evaporate is a good idea that can increase humidity, in the manner I have shown above! Gardeners using this method must be sure to maintain proper air circulation in high humid environments. The constant accumulation of too much water vapor in one space for a repeated period of time can lead to the growth of harmful mold and bacteria. A simple fan or open window can combat this issue. Doing research on which plants do and don't like high humidity is essential, because while some plants thrive in these airspaces, others don't.

Method 3: The Bottle Method

This method works very similar to Bottom watering, but caters more to adult plants over longer periods of time. By filling a bottle with water and sticking it in soil, one can create a constant reservoir of water that plants will take as they please. One simply has to refill the bottle over a longer period of time. Similar to this is the string method, where you place one end of a string in soil and the other in a pot. Through capillary action the water will travel through the string and into the pot, watering the plant as it pleases. This method is definitely easier and less of a hassle for those who tend to forget to water their plants, and is especially useful if you're going away on a long trip and have nobody to look after your greenery.

Overall, there are many ways that one can water their plants. Whichever method they choose all depends on the time, plants, resources, and patience they have. Knowing not just when or how much, but really how to water your plants will lead to miracles in the pot, garden, or greenhouse!