As a general rule, most potted plants can and
should be watered according to this principle: if the surface of the
soil in the pot feels dry to the touch, the plant needs water.
The main
exception to this rule is the African Violet, because wetting the
leaves can be harmful to the foliage, and it is difficult
to give them
a good soaking without letting a little water splash on them.
In almost
all other cases, however, top watering is the most successful practice.
Be sure that the pot is never filled with soil higher than an inch from
the top. The best way to give the plant the soaking it needs is to fill
it to the brim and let the water soak down through the roots until the
excess flows out through the drainage hole at the bottom.
With those plants which like bottom watering, the procedure is just the
reverse. Pour water into the dish in which the pot is standing, and let
it soak up through the earth until the soil at the top is damp to the
touch. Then you're sure that the soil is wet through. Never let water
stand in the dish after the plant has received a thorough watering.
This will eventually soak the bottom of the roots and damage the plant.
You have to be especially careful of this with any
plants
which you
keep in a jardiniere. An hour or so after watering lift the pot from
the container and check to see that there is no excess water left
standing.
A variation of the system of bottom watering is wick watering. This
system utilizes a thick braided wick, such as those used in oil lamps,
to conduct water to the roots of the pot. You can buy pots specially
designed for this purpose in your garden supply store.
They consist of
a covered saucer, on which the pot stands, which is filled with water.
The wick is trained from the saucer through the drainage hole and
spread on the bottom of the pot. As the soil dries out, water gradually
soaks up through the wick and is distributed to the soil.
Always
use water as room temperature - or a little warmer. Cold
water
often has a tendency to blight many plants and is to be avoided for
that reason. If you live in an area where the tap water is considered
"hard," it's a good idea to use one of the commercial water softeners.
In their natural state, your plants are used to rain water, the
"softest" water you can find, and an excess of minerals in the water
tends to stain the leaves and in some cases inhibit the growth of your
plants.
At the risk of repetition, then, there are three things you should
remember when it comes to watering your house plants: 1) Water when the
soil feels dry to the touch. 2) When you water, soak the plants well -
don't use the system of a little often. 3)Use water at room temperature
or a little above, not cold.
One watering system that I really like to use when I go on vacation is
the
Self-Watering Probes - Vacation Plant Waterers
