Tried watering from the top vs bottom for 6 weeks and bottom watering wins every time

I got really into my pothos and peace lily collection a few months back and kept seeing people argue about watering methods. So I grabbed two identical plants from the same nursery on Oak Street and ran my own test. Top watering left the soil uneven and I kept getting fungus gnats buzzing around. Bottom watering took a bit longer each time but the roots grew way deeper and the leaves got this healthy shine I never saw before. After 6 weeks the bottom watered plant had put out 4 new leaves while the top watered one only grew 2 and looked kinda sad. I measured the soil moisture with a cheap meter from the hardware store and the bottom watered pot stayed more consistent. Has anyone else tried this side by side and noticed the same thing with their houseplants?

2 comments

2 Comments

logantaylor5d ago

@charlie_ellis maybe the gnats are just drawn to the top waterers.

charlie_ellis5d ago

3 new leaves on my bottom watered peace lily... and 2 drowned ones on my top watering attempt.