A gardener has shared one of his top tips for keeping your plants happy and healthy in the heat of summer.
The scoop
In a recent Instagram video, Jay (@texasgardenermagazine) explained one of the best ways to ensure you're quenching your plants' thirst on hot summer days — and all it takes is a hose and a terracotta pot.
"I just wanted to point out there is actually a proper way to water, and this is not just Jay's opinion. This is science," Jay says in the video.
"A lot of pots, especially these terracotta pots, [will] have a raised ring," Jay says, gesturing to the protruding circle at the top of a pot. "It is actually designed for you to put your soil line up to the base of the bottom of this, and then when you water, you're supposed to fill the rest of the pot up to the top, and that area between the soil and the top of this should be enough once full to allow the water to fully trickle through the soil in the pot and completely hydrate it. "
In other words, you should leave a couple of inches of room between the top of your soil line and the top of the pot so you can fill the remaining top section with water on hot days.
In the post's caption, Jay explained the best way to "flood" your plants.
"Flooding is best done with a 'breaker' applied to your hose," he explained in the caption. "A breaker is a generic term for a watering head that contains many small holes. These holes break up the force of the water in the hose and spread the water over the surface of the pot gently, quickly and thoroughly."
How it's helping
Jay's watering trick should ensure that no matter how hot the day, you can rest easy knowing that you've given your plants the proper amount of water they need to survive. Underwatering and overwatering can both threaten the health of plants in your home and garden, and it can sometimes be tricky to know the exact amount of water each plant needs.
Keeping a personal garden or a collection of houseplants has been proven to have a number of positive effects. Gardens can lighten your mood, lower 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's saying
Users expressed their gratitude for Jay's tip in the comment section of the post.
"Good info Jay! Poor watering habits make me cringe 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 overfilled my pots with soil. I'll remember this forever now! Thanks!" a third user commented.
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