Scoop
In a recent Instagram video, Jay (@texasgardenermagazine) demonstrated one of the best ways to make sure you’re quenching your plants’ thirst on hot summer days — and all it takes is a hose and a clay pot.
“I just wanted to point out that there is actually a proper way to water, and that’s not just Jay’s opinion. This is science,” Jay says in the video.
“A lot of the pots, especially these pottery pots, (will) have a raised ring,” Jay says, pointing to the protruding circle at the top of the pot. “It’s actually designed so that you can line your soil up to the base of the bottom of this, and then when you’re watering, you’re supposed to fill the rest of the pot up to the top, and that area between the soil and the top should be enough once it’s full to allow the water “By flowing completely through the soil in the pot and moistening it completely.”
In other words, you should leave a few inches of space between the top of the soil line and the top of the pot so you can fill the remaining top with water on hot days.
In the caption of the post, Jay explained the best way to “drown” your plants.
“Flooding is best done with a ‘breaker’ applied to your hose,” he explained in the caption. “A breaker is a general term for an irrigation head that has many small holes. These holes break up the force of the water in the hose and spread the water over the surface of the container gently, quickly and accurately.
How it helps
Jay’s watering trick should ensure that no matter how hot the day is, you can feel comfortable knowing that you’ve given your plants the right amount of water they need to survive. Overwatering or underwatering can threaten the health of the plants in your home and garden, and it can sometimes be difficult to know the exact amount of water each plant needs.
Maintaining a personal garden or collection of houseplants has been proven to have a number of positive effects. Gardening can lighten your mood, reduce anxiety, and improve your mental health, according to the Mayo Clinic. They can also help clean the air, enrich the soil, increase biodiversity, and attract vital pollinators in your local ecosystem, according to Green Matters.
What everyone says
Users expressed their gratitude for Jay’s advice in the comments section of the post.
“Good information Jay! “Bad watering habits make me feel down, but few people know how to water well,” one user wrote.
“Thank you for this good information!” Another user said.
“I wish I had seen this before I filled the pots with soil. I’ll remember this forever now! Thanks!” a third user commented.
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