Gardening experts have revealed the one mistake you're making when it comes to watering your pot plants this summer, and it’s all about how you pour the water.
When taking care of your garden during a heatwave, watering it is obviously one of the best things you can do. But whether you are using a hose or watering can, if you've been pouring water over the top of your potted plants, you've been making a grave mistake, according to garden experts.
Stop making the gardening mistake of top watering and switch to bottom watering instead, they say. Placing water in a shallow tray and placing your potted plants on top allows you to water them far more efficiently than watering from above.
Why you should bottom water in summer
Where top watering means watering your plants from the top (positioning your watering can directly over the top of a plant), bottom watering takes a more considered approach. Here, you water from the bottom up, usually by using a tray or container filled with water.
While top watering isn’t the worst watering mistake you can make, it is the least efficient method. Plus, with hosepipe bans coming into effect in the UK this week, gardeners can only use a water butt, watering can or bucket in their garden. So, it’s even more important to ensure you’re watering your plants as efficiently as possible.
'Bottom-watering encourages plants to develop deep, strong root systems. This makes them better able to withstand heat and drought in the long run,” says Josh Novell, gardening expert at Polhill Garden Centre.
‘Another benefit is that it reduces the likelihood of diseases caused by excess moisture sitting on leaves and stems, like rust, powdery mildew, and black spot, which can weaken or even kill plants during hot, humid spells.’
However, there are still some instances where you should water from above.
‘If watering a plant from above, try to aim the water at the base of the plant instead of pouring water over all of the plant. Plants in larger pots or containers should still be watered from above, as it would take much longer for such a large volume of soil to absorb water from the bottom, and it can also be hard to move larger containers,’ explains Richard Barker, commercial director and horticultural expert at LBS Horticulture.
Watering kit
A watering tray allows you to bottom water with ease. Simply fill the tray with water and place your plant pots on top.
If you can't lift a pot or have bedding plants, these watering spikes use old water bottles and slowly release water into the soil, heading straight to the roots.
Olla irrigation is a slow watering practice that has been used by farmers for thousands of years, and it is a good alternative to bottom watering for a flower bed. Fill a terracotta pot with water and bury it next to your plant, leaving the top exposed. The water seeps out of the porous pot and straight to your plant's roots.
With hot weather becoming a more common occurrence in the UK, bottom watering your plants over summer can give them the best chance to thrive. It may require a little more effort, but the end result is happier, healthier plants. What’s not to like?
