Watering

Lesson 1: Watering

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The purpose of this course is to discuss common watering methods and concerns. This course will also clarify special watering cases for certain types of plants. Please note that the watering methods in this course assume that all plants are in a pot with drainage holes on the bottom.

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Objective: Participants will compare watering methods to use with healthy and unhealthy plants.

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Diagnosing Watering Problems

Watering Timeline

Bottom Watering

Top Watering

Course Agenda

Top Watering

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Select Play on the videos below.

Tip

Top water with a cup

Top water using the sink

Top water using the sink faucet or a cup.Whatever you choose, it is important that the water drains out the bottom of the plant. Soak those roots!

Pros and Cons of Top Watering: Pros: Top watering is a quicker method. You can also rinse away any dust that has accumulated on the leaves. Cons: Top watering encourages the roots to grow up instead of down. You might also notice more fungus gnats because they like wet soil.

Top Watering

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Select Play on the videos below.

Tip

Top water with a cup

Top water using the sink

Top water using the sink faucet or a cup.Whatever you choose, it is important that the water drains out the bottom of the plant. Soak those roots!

Pros and Cons of Top Watering: Pros: Top watering is a quicker method. You can also rinse away any dust that has accumulated on the leaves. Cons: Top watering encourages the roots to grow up instead of down. You might also notice more fungus gnats because they like wet soil.

Top Watering

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Bottom Watering

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Tip

Bottom water in a bowl

Select Play on the video below.

Bottom Water by adding water to a sink, bathtub, or bowl. Set the plant in the water for 30-60 minutes. The plant will soak up the water through the drainage holes.

Pros and Cons of Bottom Watering: Pros: You'll expereince significantly less fungus gnats because the top soil will not be wet. Bottom watering also encourages roots to grow down. Cons: Bottom watering can be messier and more time consuming than top watering.

Bottom Watering

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Timeline for Watering

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Top watering and bottom watering will both give your plant a good soak. Next, it is important to give your plant time to dry out between waterings. The amount of time it takes for the soil to dry out will depend on the size of your plant and how many roots it has. When a plant has more roots it will soak up water faster.

Timing

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Lightweight

Wooden Skewer

Taco Test

Floppy Leaves

Similar to leafy plants, succulent leaves will bend in half like a taco when they are ready for water.

Push a wooden skewer down to the bottom of the pot. If it comes out moist and dirt sticks to it, the plant is not dry enough to water.

The pot may feel very light if it hasn't been watered in a while. The pot will become significantly heavier after watering.

There are a few ways to test your plant to know if it needs water or not. Select Play on each video below to view these strategies. When you are finished, select Done.

When a leafy plant is dry, the leaves become very floppy or droopy.

Timing

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Diagnosing Watering Problems

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Watering problems can be fixed if they are tended too early. Select each "+" button to view more information on how to combat under and over watering. When you are finished, select Next.

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Over Watering and Root Rot

Watering Problems

Under Watering

In Review...

Watch out for signs of under and over watering.

Practice using the various "tests" to determine if the plant is ready to be watered again.

Choose to top or bottom water.

Quiz me!

Lesson 1: Watering is complete. Next, complete Lesson 2: Plant Pests.

Congratulations!

Under Watering

A familiar sign of an underwatered plant is yellow, brown, or crispy leaves. When a plant is underwatered, it's oldest leaves will show these abnormalities. Unfortunately, the damage on the leaves can't be reversed and they will eventually fall off. However, give the plant a good soak and the rest of the leaves should be fine!

Over Watering and Root Rot

Soil is a clear indicator if the roots have enough or too much moisture. If the soil is dense and wet for too long, you may find that the plant is starting to droop. Stir the soil to give the plant some air flow which should help the soil dry out over the next few days.If the plant does not perk up again and leaves start to fall off, the plant may have developed root rot. Root rot is caused by the roots having too much moisture for too long.If your plant has root rot, remove the plant from the soil, clean the roots, and remove all infected (squishy/stinky) roots. Place the plant in a vase of water with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to recover. Change the water once a week.