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When it comes to watering a plant, did you know that there are multiple ways you can water it beyond just pouring water into the pot? One of the better known alternative ways of watering a plant is called bottom watering. This brings us to our question: Is bottom watering better for a cactus, or should you continue to use top watering?
It’s generally best to water a cactus from the bottom. Place the pot in a shallow dish with water and let the plant absorb it through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Be sure to empty the excess water from the dish after a few minutes to prevent waterlogged soil. This method allows the roots to absorb water as needed without the risk of overwatering, which can be harmful to cacti.
Let’s dig in to learn more details about the two watering methods.
Top Watering
Top watering is the most common way to water a plant, and the easiest at that. Top watering is done by simply pouring or sprinkling water onto the plant or into it’s pot.
Pour water over the soil surface until water comes out of the drainage holes. Avoid pouring water on the cactus stem. You want the water to reach the roots without oversaturating the soil. For some cacti and succulents, however, it might not always be the best choice.
~ Advantages of top watering: Top watering can simulate rain, avoiding root issues.
One reason you may want to water your cactus from the top is that it tends to make the root ball more compact, which makes it easier to repot.
~Potential drawbacks: Absorption may be mostly on the surface, and the unabsorbed water quickly runs off, leaving the roots with little moisture.
Bottom Watering
Bottom watering is generally considered the better way to water a cactus and is done by placing the cactus’s pot into a shallow dish with water and waiting a time before removing the water from the dish and letting it drain a little.
The soil will absorb the water from the shallow dish from the bottom up. Keep adding water until the soil is thoroughly saturated, letting any excess water drain off.
~Advantages of bottom watering: it avoids overwatering, and because the water is deeper, it encourages the roots to grow deeper. More effectively absorbs water into the soil. It is less disruptive to newly planted cacti.
~Potential drawbacks: It can be messy and takes more time than top watering since the absorption may be slow.
Here’s a good video talking about bottom-watering vs top watering your cactus plants.
When is it Best to Water Your Cactus?
Water your cactus only when the soil is completely dry, which usually means every week to two weeks in the summer or when it’s warm and every four weeks when it is winter. You may have to water more often if the humidity is extremely low in your home or if the pots are made of terracotta. Terracotta allows moisture to evaporate faster than glazed, plastic, or most other types of containers.
Watering too frequently is not good for your plant since cacti don’t like to have their roots sitting in water. This will cause root rot.
There are several ways to know when your cactus needs to be watered.
- You can often tell if your cactus needs water when the soil feels dry when you do the “finger” test. Just put your finger about 1 to 1 ½ inches into the soil, and if it feels dry, it is time to water your plant. (Be careful not to touch any spines as you do this test!)
- You may also test for dryness by using a moisture meter reader. If you want to know how they work read our article here. We also have an article explaining how to use one here.
- Another way to tell if your cactus needs water is if the pot is light in weight.
This works best if you know by experience how much it weighs when it’s wet compared to how much it weighs when it is completely dry.
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