Joseph Clark, a UK garden lover and content creator known as Joe’s Garden on TikTok, shared how most people are making a mistake when it comes to watering potted plants.
He went on to say, “Most containers have a small gap between the soil and the inside of the pot, especially in plastic ones. Water naturally flows down the sides of the pot and out through the drainage hole, which often leaves the roots in the middle of the plant dry.”
Top watering can actually cause more harm than good
Joseph warned, “If you water your potted plants this way, you might be doing more harm than good.” He also added, “Be careful when you water pots from the top,” Joseph said. “It might look wet on the surface, but if you dig deeper, it can be totally dry underneath.”
Potted plants are convenient but need special care
Today we are back and I am showing you one of my favourite tips when it comes to watering your plants, specifically plants which you are growing in containers. Pots and containers are a great way to grow crops, plants, flowers and even trees, however, there is often one mistake we all make when it comes to watering them. Most containers will have a slight gap between the soil and inner side of the pot, this is especially the case with plastic pots. As water will always travel down the path of least resistance, it will funnel down the sides of the pot and out the drainage hole in the bottom. This can sometimes leave the middle of the root ball dry. Now to solve this issue it is often best to water plants (especially small plants in seed trays and small pots) through the drainage holes in the bottom. This way you guarantee an even drink all the way through the soil. The bowl in this video was more for show, I like to get big metal trays so I can do 20 or 30 pots at a time 😊 Obviously we all water from the top, myself included, and it is absolutely fine to do so. Just take the time to make sure the water has gone where you wanted it to go, by poking a finger down into the soil. But if you have the time and a large water tight tray try watering from the bottom from time to time too 😊 If you have large containers, you can’t water them from the bottom, but if you bury a smaller pot with drainage holes, you can water directly into this, which will funnel the water right to the plants roots where it’s needed most 😊 Thank you so much for watching, I love you all, Joe 😊🌱💚 #watering#gardeningtips#planttips#zerowaste#ecotips
While potted plants are great for people with limited space or who don’t own their homes, they do need special care when it comes to watering.
Tip #1 — Try filling a tray with water to soak the soil
TikTok | joesgarden
Joseph then shared a clever trick: instead of watering from the top, fill a tray or container with water and place the potted plant inside. In the video, he filled a transparent plastic bowl with water halfway, then carefully placed the potted plant inside.
“The water will soak through the drainage holes and evenly water the whole plant,” he explained.
He showed another trick with a funnel. By placing the funnel deep into the soil of a larger plant and filling it with water, he was able to water the roots directly.
Tip #4 — Learn to focus on essential tasks for spring and summer
Part 1 of getting my lawn looking luscious for summer 👀 DISCLAIMER **I am by no means an expert and there is a whole side of #lawntok if you want a professional opinion.** 😂 New build lawns are pretty rubbish so putting in the work now (spring) will give your grass the best chance of growing strong and healthy for the summer. It’s hard work but so worth it in the end – this is what I’m doing as a new(ish) gardener who managed to get decent results last year but is still figuring things out as I go. Last year, by biggest focus was improving drainage in our heavy clay soil to help the new lawn establish and hopefully avoid the dreaded leatherjackets. This year, my focus is on helping get the grass as healthy as possible to make it more resilient to the heat and dryness it experiences in our full-sun garden (which gets VERY hot 🥵) I’m starting out with SCARIFYING which removes the layer of debris (dead grass/moss/leaves) that can suffocate the healthy grass and prevent water and nutrients reaching the roots. Next on the agenda is aerating to lawn to further improve circulation and alleviate any compaction, following by seeding to fill bare patches and feeding the lawn to top up vital nutrients. I’ve also noticed that the lawn feels quite bumpy this year – but more on that in a future video 👀 #lawn#lawncare#lawntok#lawntiktok#lawnmower#lawnsoftiktok#beginnergardener#gardening101#gardeningtips#gardeningtiktok#newbuild#newbuildhome#newbuildgarden
Another TikToker called Vicky made gardening less intimidating by focusing on a few key tasks. On her TikTok (@therosetintedgarden), she walks us through some basic, essential gardening jobs for the warmer weather.
“If you’re just getting into gardening, the best thing to do is understand the calendar and know what to do when,” she said.
