If you water your houseplants and the water goes right back out the bottom of the pot and the plant isn’t getting enough water, this video will help. The secret to making sure that houseplants get enough water is to squeeze the plant pot when you’re watering. This video shows you how and why to squeeze the plant pot. Soil gets fissures in it over time. The water will run through the fissures and out the bottom of the pot without giving the plant enough water at the root zone. This will result in dry roots, which can lead to drought and houseplant death.
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Hello, and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you can see below. You’ll also find a link to an article on the Healthy Houseplants website covering this topic that I’m going to be discussing right now.
The topic for today is about watering your houseplants and a quick tip: squeeze the pot when you water. The reason for this is to help water thoroughly reach your plant’s roots. For example, you can see that this plant’s soil is dry—I waited until it was dry so I could water it right now. Notice the cracks and crevices in the soil.
As plants sit in the soil over time, they start to create these little craters. If you simply pour water into the pot without adjusting, the water will likely just flow through the soil without saturating the roots effectively.
A quick trick to help with this is to squeeze the pot gently as you water. This method works with plastic pots (not hard pots). When you squeeze the pot while watering, you’re helping the water saturate the soil instead of just running through those cracks, crevices, and even small canyons in the soil. Watering this way prevents the water from quickly draining through the pot without benefiting the plant’s roots.
You’ll also notice that when you use this method, the pot will feel heavier after watering compared to when it was watered without squeezing. If the pot still feels relatively lightweight after watering, it’s a sign that water might be going straight down through gaps in the soil. Squeezing the pot helps your plants receive as much water as possible, keeping them healthy and happy.
That’s about it for today’s video. Thank you for stopping by and learning all about gardening in the Great Indoors! Please leave any comments about indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see. And remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I squeeze the pot when watering my houseplants?
Squeezing the pot helps ensure that water reaches your plant’s roots rather than flowing through cracks in the soil. This technique works best with plastic pots, allowing water to fully saturate the soil and promote better hydration for your plants.
How does squeezing the pot help with watering?
When you squeeze the pot, it prevents water from quickly draining through soil cracks and crevices, allowing more water to reach the root zone. This helps keep the soil evenly moist, promoting healthier plant growth.
Can I squeeze hard pots to improve watering?
No, this method only works with flexible plastic pots. Hard pots cannot be squeezed and may not allow for the same level of water distribution if cracks and gaps form in the soil.
How do I know if my plant is fully watered?
After watering with the squeezing method, the pot should feel heavier than before, indicating the soil has absorbed the water. If the pot remains lightweight, it’s likely that water is draining through soil gaps without fully hydrating the plant.
What are the signs of dry soil that needs watering?
Dry soil will often have visible cracks and crevices. Waiting until the soil is dry before watering, then using the squeezing method, ensures the roots get a thorough soak without excessive water runoff.
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