If you have a pot with a solid bottom, repot the plant in a pot with drainage holes to water it from below. Watering from below works best for small- or medium-sized plants that you can easily pick up on your own.
If the soil feels a little wet, hold off on watering for now so you don’t damage or stress the roots.
If you’re watering multiple plants, you can even fill the bottom of a bathtub with water. Avoid using softened water since it has more minerals that could change the soil makeup and make it tougher for your plant to grow.
If the topsoil still feels dry, let the pot sit in the water for up to 20 minutes longer.
If you keep your potted plant on its saucer, dump out any excess water that’s leftover so your plant doesn’t reabsorb it. [7] X Research source
Flush out salt deposits before you apply fertilizer to a potted plant, or else you may rinse away all the helpful nutrients. [9] X Research source
You may need to bottom-water dry soil for 1 or 2 hours to fully re-wet it.
Watering from below also helps seedlings establish their roots without washing away or disturbing the soil. [12] X Research source
