Plant saucers are a great way to water plants with peace of mind. They allow your plants to have proper drainage without the risk of water damage. However, many people aren’t sure how to water their plants correctly. Improper watering practices are the leading cause of houseplant death. Therefore, learn how to water your plants properly with plant saucers.
Watering Plants with Plant Saucers
Top watering your plants, or pouring water into the top of the pot, helps provide water for your plant’s roots. This also helps flush out salts that can harm your plants. To properly water your plants, pour plenty of water into the pot until water starts to seep out of the drain holes and into your plant saucers. This helps ensure that you are watering more than just the surface.
You can also practice what is called bottom watering. For this plant watering method, you place potted plants in plant saucers full of water and allow the roots to drink from the drainage holes. Which method you choose depends on the type of plant you have. However, even if you choose bottom watering, ensure you also top water from time to time to flush out salts that build up in the soil.
How Often Should I Empty Extra Water from the Saucers?
What many plant owners don’t realize is that they must remove excess water from their plant saucers for optimal houseplant health. Leaving your potted plants in standing water can deprive them of oxygen and promote root rot. Additionally, emptying saucers after top watering prevents your plants from drinking up the salts you remove during top watering. Be sure to empty your planter saucers within 30-60 minutes after watering to ensure plenty of drainage and to protect the roots from standing in excess water. If your potted plant is too heavy to lift to empty the extra water, try using a turkey baster to remove the water from the saucer. Also, don’t forget to empty drained water from your hanging basket drip pans for your hanging plants!
Another method to prevent root rot and plant suffocation is to line the bottom of your clear plant saucers with pebbles or gravel to prevent the bottom of the planter from sitting in excess water. This is great for plants that need plenty of humidity and also gives you decorative options for your saucers. With these few tips, you can ensure that your watering practices will help promote healthy houseplants.
At Curtis Wagner Plastics, we offer high-quality, durable plastic plant and home products, all made in the U.S.A. Founded in 1992, we’ve been designing innovative products for over 28 years. For top-quality plastic products, call us today at (713) 937-3784. We are here to serve you.