Photo: From below or from above — Teona Swift · Pexels.
Water
From below or from above
MYTH
Fill the saucer and leave it — the plant will drink what it needs.
FACT
A pot left standing in water never dries out, and the roots rot. And if you only water from below, salts from the water and fertiliser build up in the soil.
What actually matters
- From above: until it drainsPour onto the soil until water runs out of the holes. Once it has drained, empty the saucer.
- From below: watch the topStand the pot in a bowl of water, one pot per bowl so disease can't pass between plants. When the moisture reaches the surface, lift the pot out and let it drain.
- Sometimes flush from aboveIf you water from below, run water through the pot over the sink every three to four months to wash out salts. A white or grey crust on the soil or the rim means they've built up.
- African violet: dry leavesWater on the leaves damages them. Water from below, or pour straight onto the soil under the leaves.
- The Venus flytrap is differentIts pot should stand in a saucer of rainwater or distilled water.
Sources: Wisconsin Extension, Illinois Extension, Iowa State Extension, Missouri Botanical Garden, Clemson Extension, RHS, American Orchid Society.