Summary of how to water plant pots

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Watering method 1. Watering from above

Usually, it is said to give enough water until the water flows out from the bottom. The reason is that it is good for the plant to moisten the soil evenly, and as the water flows out from the bottom, a hole is created between the top and bottom, and the plant breathes through that hole.
Also, the advantage of drenching the water is that it is convenient because you can water it once and not worry about it for a few days, and you can clearly recognize that once you water it thoroughly, you do not need to water it again. (If you give it little by little, you may get confused about how much moisture is present and end up giving it again even though there is a lot of moisture.)

However, if you water it thoroughly and do not let it dry for too long, the plant may die due to overwatering, so watering it thoroughly until the water runs down to the bottom is not the answer.
If you're not sure, it may be better to give it just a little water to keep it from drying out.

It is said that one of the worst ways to water is to give a little water every day.

This is because the bottom part of the soil has a lot of water, but the top part seems dry.
You should water when you lift the pot or poke the soil with a wooden chopstick and see that the bottom of the soil is dry.

Advantages
: When applying fertilizer, the ingredients of the fertilizer remain in the soil (salt accumulation), but if you water from above, the water comes out through the hole at the bottom and the fertilizer ingredients are also discharged.

Disadvantage: Because

a waterway is created, even if you give it a lot of water, it can all immediately escape into the waterway.
Then, the soil may not be wet properly and evenly, causing the plant to dry out and die even though you thought you had given it enough water.
In that case, you can moisten the soil more evenly by bottom watering (explained below) or dividing the water several times (applying water an hour later or once more the next day).

Watering method 2. Bottom irrigation

This is a method of putting water in a large basin, submerging the pot for a certain period of time, and then taking it out when the soil has retained enough water.

Advantage:
The soil can be thoroughly and evenly moistened.

Disadvantages:
Difficult and cumbersome.
You have to soak it in water and take it out again after a certain period of time, but if you leave it in for too long, there is a risk of it dying from overhydration.

Watering method 3. Closed bottom pot

I think that watering a closed-bottomed pot is much easier than watering a regular pot if you know how.

Since water does not drain from the bottom, there is no need to clean it separately, and the only place for water to drain is the top, so it does not dry out quickly.
One thing to note is that you should not water it thoroughly like you would a regular flower pot.
Since there are no holes in the bottom, even if you water only a little, the water that accumulates on the bottom gently seeps upward. (Is this a bit fanciful?)
You might think that because plant roots can't breathe, they are more likely to die, but in my experience, even in pots with closed bottoms, if you give them just enough water, there is no problem with overwatering. Even in pots with lots of holes in the bottom, if you give them too much water, they die from overwatering.

Advantages:
No need to worry about waterways.
There is no need to water frequently.

Disadvantage:
Difficult to repot. (General flower pots are easy to remove by pushing the hole in the bottom.)
If you apply chemical fertilizer, there is no way to avoid salt accumulation.

Watering method 4. Watering in the water saucer

This is the watering method that I have recently found to be the most ideal.
If water stays on the bottom for a long time, bugs can grow and it doesn't look good, so a thin plastic flower pot, such as a slit flower pot, is recommended to absorb as much water as possible.
Also, the water saucer should fit as closely as possible to the bottom of the pot so that the soil in the pot can absorb all the water from the water saucer.

You can water from above, into the water saucer, or from both sides.
Because it is similar to a pot with a closed bottom, you only need to water it sparingly.
Then, like a pot with a closed bottom, the soil in the pot absorbs all the water from the water saucer, and the water slowly seeps into the top of the soil.
If you feel like you have given too much water, you can place three bottle caps on the bottom of the pot like a regular flower pot so that the water can drain to the bottom and dry out.

Advantages:

It has both the advantages of a closed-bottomed flower pot and the advantages of a regular flower pot.
There is no need to water multiple times like in regular pots, and the soil can be sufficiently moistened without being difficult and inconvenient like bottom irrigation.

Cons:
Can be a bit difficult for beginners.
Check how wet the soil is and water only as much as needed.

basic knowledge

Overwatering is a condition in which the roots cannot breathe.
It is said that more plants die from overwatering than from lack of water.

Most plants do not die even if their roots are soaked in water.
However, I think the reason why they die from excessive moisture in the soil is because the soil becomes wet and resembles mud or rice cake, preventing the roots from breathing.

Outdoors, the wind continues to blow and the sunlight is strong, so the soil dries quickly, but indoors, it does not dry quickly, causing problems.
So, if you grow a plant outdoors, or if the plant is large and healthy to begin with and drinks well, then if it dries out too quickly, you need to water it every day.
However, when the plant has just been brought in, when the plant is too small for the pot, when the indoor humidity is too high (like in the middle of summer), when there is no air flow (no wind blowing, no ventilation), or when it is too hot or cold, water to a minimum. I have to give it.
It seems that a safe watering method is to wait until the plant is almost wilted (even if there is an overwatering problem, the plant may wilt because it cannot drink water) and then give it a little water. (If you are not sure, the correct answer is not to give it.)

As for gout, from what I understand, if it is dry or the wind blows continuously like outdoors, moisture will continue to evaporate into the leaves and the roots will continue to absorb water, so there is no problem.

However, in the middle of summer indoors with high humidity, the humidity in the air is already too high, so moisture cannot come out to the leaves and the soil in the pot remains wet, which seems to cause problems.

You can check whether the soil is dry by lifting the pot and checking its weight, by touching the soil at the top or by poking it with a wooden chopstick.
If it's ambiguous, don't give it or give it very little.

The most important thing for me is to check the condition of the plants regularly, at least once a day.
If you know when to water and check to see if there are any problems with the plants, at least you won't have to dry them out and kill them.
Rather than watering it all at once and not paying attention for a week or a month, it is much easier to check briefly every day and give it a little water if necessary.
If you find it difficult to give your plants attention even once a day, it might be better not to grow them.

If you search for ways to water plants, many people say to water them thoroughly until the water flows to the bottom.
It only applies when the pot is small or suitable in size compared to the plant.
If the amount of soil is small compared to the size of the plant and the amount of roots, you can of course provide enough water, but only by thoroughly moistening the soil.
However, if the pot is large compared to the size of the plant, if you water it thoroughly, the plant may die due to overwatering.
The method of watering varies depending on the size of the flower pot.
I think it's a good idea to water the plant in small amounts every day, just enough for the plant to eat. If you feel that too much moisture has accumulated in the soil, don't water for a few days, and then water again in small amounts when the soil seems somewhat dry.