Many of us have our dear indoor gardens. And we almost always make a mess while trying to water those large plants indoors and we have to run around with our mops! There are 2 types of plants that grows indoors. One might need plenty of water and the other might not need just as much water.
As we know, some of our large indoor plants need deep watering. And thus, watering them tends to be even messier. Sometimes, due to the hole at the bottom of your plant pots, excess water tends to seep out of the pot. And we surely don’t want such a mess in our homes.
So, if you are looking for some ways to water your indoor plants without making a mess, you are in luck. In this blog, I will write a few techniques to water your indoor plants without a mess so that your watering can be hassle-free.
How To Water Large Indoor Plants Without Making A Mess?
Here are some tips to help you how to water indoor plants without making a mess so your water can be hassle-free.
1. Use A Drip Tray
This is one of the best ways to stop a huge mess while watering plants. Even many indoor plant pot comes with a built-in drip tray. A drip tray is like a flat tray with elevated edges. It is placed under your pot where the excess water seeps out of. The purpose of this tray is to stop indoor plants from dripping. However, if your plant pot does not come with a built-in drip tray, you can easily improvise. You can either find and buy the drip trays available on Amazon or can do it yourself. Get yourself a plastic lid or a small pot without any leaks. Make sure the lid is a bit larger than your pot’s diameter. Place it under your plant pot with precision.
We know, placing our plant pots in a place for too long tends to stain that place. Using a drip tray would not only save you from moping the muddy floor but also help keep your floor and tables stain free.
2. Use The Right Type of Pot
All gardeners know that not all types of plants need the same amounts of water. Even some plants need a larger area to spread their roots. If they are placed in a compact pot, they would still need the same amount of water and time to suck it in. But before they could actually take all the water, the soil is not capable of containing that amount of water.
Thus, the excess water drips off and creates a mess. IN order to stop this mess, you need to use the right kind of plant pots. The plants that require more space and water, use a bigger plant pot for the. While in case of drier plants, lean towards a smaller pot. Using the right size of pot will not only keep your house mess free but also would not hinder your plants growth. Moreover, as far as the material of plant pot is considered, use a Terra cota pot or a plastic pot. Keep in mind that tetra cota pots seems to suck moisture and plastic is great to retain the soil moisture.
3. Use The Double Potting Method
For better plant growth, use a plant that needs more water at the top-most layer. Further, place a drier plant at the bottom. Thus, the excess water can fall into the lower pot. However, you may need to water the bottom plant scarcely. Using this method would keep your house mess-free. Alongside, it would save the precious water
4. Use Self-Watering Tray or Container
Self-watering plants are a very good way to get rid of your indoor plant watering hassle. A self-watering tray or container is like a reservoir containing water in it. It is placed below the plant pot where there is the irrigation hole.Additionally, self-watering plant trays are a mess-free way and it allows the soil to suck water whenever needed. If you do not overflow the pot, your watering the indoor plants goes on smoothly. Even, if your plant is over-watered, the excess water can seep in to the tray. Thus, it can act both as a watering plant and an extra drip tray.
On top of that these watering trays are inexpensive and comes is verity of sizes and shapes. You might even find your favorite colour in it!
5. Use The Right Watering Techniques
This is the most common reason why watering our indoor plants create a mess. Right way of watering is the key to having a healthy plant as well.
The best way to water your houseplants is to water them from below. As mentioned earlier, you can use a self-watering tray, saucer or by simply soaking your plants in to a water bucket. This method of water allows direct watering of the roots. Although this technique is time consuming, it is very effective.
6. Check The Water Temperature
This is a crucial factor that even many avid gardeners do not get concerned with. Although many gardeners like me really consider it to be important. So, it is high time that you give attention to it too. Maybe your water temperature is just not right and it is the main reason that your houseplants are over-flooding. You must be wondering what is the right temperature of water for watering your houseplants. Well, it depends on several factors.
Usually during the daytime when the temperature is high, keep the water temperature between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, during the night keep the temperature lower and between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Check The Soil Moisture Level
Sometimes we keep on watering our plant even when it is well watered. So it is crucial to check the amount of moisture present in your soil. If it is not possible for you to check the moisture manually, you can surely make a way for a moisture meter. A moisture meter is a device that measure the level of humidity and water along with the temperature of the soil in your pot. Thus, taking readings from a moisture meter, you can easily determine when to water your pot and when not to. This would ensure that you plant is not either over-watered or under-watered and saves you a lot of effort.
So, if you are thinking of getting a moisture meter, it is even easy on your pockets!
8. Use A Watering Spike Tool
Watering spikes are some coverings of a plant pot made of materials like ceramic or Terra cota. They come with a plastic tubin or a type of water reservoir to water your plants even when you are not around.
By adding the reservoir into the spike, you simply place the spike in to the pot’s soil. Then after filling the reservoir with water, push the other end of the tube inside the soil. In case your spike does not come with a reservoir, you can easily DIY it using a plastic bottle.
This is a perfect option if you are taking trips for several weeks and wan to make sure your plants are watered without any dripping.
9. Soak Your Plants
As you know, the best way to water a house plant is from below. In this regard, soaking your plant pots sometimes can be pretty helpful. It is a mess-free way and allows the roots to get all the water directly. However, this process can be quite time consuming. You need to leave your plants in the bucket or the bath-tub for several hours. So, this might cause some inconvenience.
Moreover, it is not recommended for daily watering. Once your plant soil is completely dry, you should soak them again.
10. Use a Sponge Inside The Soil
Is your plant pot always dripping water? There is a quick DIY fix for this solution! You can place a piece of sponge. We know that sponges can absorb water. So what you need to do is cut a piece of sponge according to that pot bottom size. Place it at the bottom and replant it. Or use small pieces of sponges and bury them deep inside the soil. This should be able to retain the excess moisture. Thus, your house plants would not drip.
In my initial years of gardening, this was my go-to method to keep my house mess free.
11. Use a Sprayer
For those small dry plants that we hang on our ceilings, it is not that easy to water them. Watering them conventionally is even tougher than other house plants. In such case, an easy way is to use a plastic bottle and a sprayer. Fill up the bottle with water and add a nozzle sprayer to it. Now, slowly spray the water onto the pot soil. Check the soil and spray water till the soil is completely wet. This way, you can save water and also save some moping work.
12. Water The Plants in The Washroom
Some of our hanging plants or potted plants require extra hydration. Even trying to water them in our homes is like a total disaster! But if we take some time to carry our plants to our washroom, it is solvable. For heavy watering purposes, the plants can be carried to the washroom and watered thoroughly. Later, the washroom can be cleaned. But if the same mess happens in your drawing room, then god may help you! Watering all your plants is crucial. But you should bear in mind that not all plants are the same. Every plant requires a different amount of nutrition as well as different levels of watering. So, it is essential to know what your plant needs.
FAQ About Indoor Plants Without Making a Mess
What Does Your Plant Need?
As mentioned earlier, some plants are wet type and some are dry type. So, you first need to determine under which category your plant falls. For the wet or water-loving plants like the Jade plant, the soil needs to be watered every once in a while when the soil is dry. On the contrary, dry plants like Aloe Vera or Cacti can be watered 2 or 3 times a month. Check the soil.
Whether your plant pot would drip water or not depends mostly on the soil retaining capacity. For most plants, you surely would want to water them frequently. But after average watering, check the soil before adding further water. Similarly, in the case of dry plants, do not keep the soil absolutely dry at times. Again, do not water just by seeing the surface. Dig some soil and see the moisture content first.
Should I Use Ice Cubes For Watering Plants?
Ice cube could be a great way to water your plants slowly. But the temperature is too low for some plants. Especially the dry loving plants tend to like warmer soil conditions. Even, some wet plants like optimal temperature rather than freezing. So, know it beforehand what temperature your plants like.
Use Clay Pebbles.
Watering indoor plants is always messy. But if you know the right ways to water indoor house plants without mess, you may save some extra effort in cleaning. IF you follow the above-mentioned methods, you can easily water your large indoor plants without making a mess.