PlantBottom watering.
Watering a container by standing it in water so the medium draws moisture upward through the drainage holes by capillary action.
What it means for your plants
Stand the pot in 2–5 cm of room-temperature water for 10–30 minutes, until the surface darkens, then drain it fully. Because nothing flows through, salts are not flushed out, so top-water thoroughly every few waterings to leach them.
IN PRACTICE
A peat-based mix that had shrunk from the pot wall rewets evenly after a 20-minute bottom soak.
Put it into practice
Bottom watering rewets a dry root ball evenly from below. Learn soak times, which plants benefit most, why salts build up, and when top watering works better.
Bottom watering houseplants: how long to soak and when to top water instead
