CLEVELAND, Ohio — You might think that sharing a home with an avid gardener is nonstop parade of fresh produce, glorious bouquets, and thriving houseplants. And you would be correct, but there is a downside: dirt.
Without careful and consistent habits—or a dedicated greenhouse—dirt comes into the house from a variety of sources like shoes, spilled soil bags, and the subject of today’s column: houseplants.
The problem with houseplants arises because the proper way to water the majority of them is to add water to the soil from above, for example with a watering can or faucet, until water comes out the drainage hole at the bottom. This process helps flush salts that have built up in the soil and also promotes deep root growth. However, by the time I see the water coming out the bottom of the pot, there is a backlog of water behind it that then fills the drip tray and spills onto the surface below. Even though by now I know better than to set houseplants where the overflow could damage delicate furniture, electronics, or books, it is still annoying and messy to deal with the dirty overflow.
Read all of Susan Brownstein’s gardening columns here.
My go-to method to avoid this problem has been schlepping (that’s Yiddish for “to move or to carry something while complaining mightily”) the plants one by one from their location to the sink, watering them, letting them drain, and taking them back to their spots. The benefit of this method is that I can tell just by lifting up a plant whether it needs to be watered because I am familiar with their dry and watered weights.
The disadvantage is that inevitably some dirt drains out the bottom, and although most of it is trapped in the drain screen, enough gets through that it contributes to the occasional clogged drain. (Sorry, honey!) Some gardeners recommend putting gravel, coffee filters, screen material, or pottery shards over the hole to prevent soil from coming out, but in smaller pots this isn’t practical, and even in larger pots it can restrict water flow and harm plant health. Schlepping the plants also is a deterrent to regular watering, so I decided to find a better way to do this chore.
Most gardening problems are best solved by asking experts (or your friendly local gardening columnist) and consulting authoritative books and websites, such as the Cooperative Extension websites. To get several ideas, though, I like to seek the advice of the hive mind in gardening groups on sites such as Facebook and Reddit. The assistance from these sources can of course range from the ridiculous to the sublime but it can be worth exploring for free or inexpensive solutions to routine chores. For the houseplant watering quandary, I found two methods worth trying: the portable sink and the elevator.
Portable Sink: In this method, which is best suited for small to medium plant pots (up to 12 inches), simply bring the sink to the plant instead of the other way around. The portable sink can be any bucket or tub, and the water source is a good watering can. Place the plant in the bucket or tub, water the plant, let it drain, and put it back in its drip tray. Dump the excess water from the bucket outdoors and repeat until all the plants are watered.
The Elevator: Floor plants are usually too large and heavy to lift, and overflow can be an even bigger problem if the plant is on a carpet, rug, or other water-sensitive surface. Here, the Internet hive mind recommends elevating the planter pot so that more space in the drip tray is available for water overflow. Special plastic support grids that fit inside drip trays are available, but creative do-it-yourself solutions use plastic bottle caps, blocks, or a layer of gravel to elevate the pot.
Unfortunately none of these strategies is especially helpful for indoor hanging plants, but that will have to be an Internet rabbit hole for another day. If you have favorite tips for houseplant care, email me at sbrownstein216@gmail.com.
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https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2023/10/dealing-with-dirt-how-to-water-houseplants-without-ruining-furniture-or-plumbing.html
