Watering

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Watering is an essential part of caring for any plant. No matter what type of plant you own it is going to need water at some point. Succulents and cacti need a lot less water than your average house plant, but will still need watered. During the winter my succulents get watered once a month.

Watering succulents 

 If I notice wrinkly leaves on my succulents I will water that plant more often, but most get watered once a month. If you are new to succulents and are not sure how often to water you can look at the leaves to see if they are wrinkly. Another way to tell if your succulent needs watered is to stick your finger 2" into the soil if it is dry you can water. If it still feels wet wait longer to water. Succulents like to be watered thoroughly and then have a while to dry out before they are watered again. I bottom water all my succulents. 

Reasons to bottom water

Bottom watering helps prevent over watering, root rot, and can also help with pests. Bottom watering  also encourages roots to spread. 
    Top Watering can cause damage to plant leaves and encourage pest due to the dampness. 
I start by filling a bowl with rain water or filtered water if I don't have rain water. If you have a really root bound plant bottom watering ensures water gets to all the roots and doesn't just drain out the sides or gaps. 
How to bottom water

Fill a bowl, tub, or sink with water. Then stick your plants into the water. I leave my pots sitting in the water for about 20 minutes, if my plants are really root bound I will leave them in the bowl for 30 minutes. My air plants I soak in water for 10 minutes and then lay them upside down to dry. They do not like their leaves to stay wet. Once I take my plants out of the bowl I sit them on a towel for 5 minutes to let any excess water drain out. I try to water early in the day, so they still get plenty of sunlight after watering. My plants have been thriving using this method of watering. I really love it for my root bound plants it makes sure that all of the roots get a good soak. 
   
Con to bottom watering
     One con to bottom watering is that over time salts and minerals will build up on the top of the soil. It is a good idea to occasionally pour some water on the top of the soil to help the salt and minerals drain out.  Another is it can take awhile for enough water to be absorbed for big plants or plants in a terra cotta pot. My 2 and 4" terra cotta pots absorb well in 20 minutes, but for bigger terra cotta pots it will take more time.
bottom watering succulents butt chugging succulents houseplant care

Comments

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