Did you know that the size of the saucer a flower pot sits in is important in the survival of the houseplant it contains?
To choose the right size saucer, place it upside down on the top of the pot: the saucer should have a diameter as large as that of the pot or even slightly wider. For example, for a 6 inch (15 cm) pot, the corresponding saucer should also measure at least 6 inches (15 cm).
Few people know this, but a proper horticultural saucer is designed so that, when it is filled almost to the brim, it contains enough water to moisten all the soil in the pot.
People often choose too small a saucer. In fact, many decorative pots (obviously designed by non-gardeners!) come with a built-in saucer clearly too small for the pot it’s attached to! So when you water the first time, the saucer begins to overflow before the plant is satisfied with the amount applied. Not wanting to damage your furniture, you add less water the next time … and thus the poor plant in the pot begins to suffer from a chronic lack of water. Your effort to “avoid damaging the furniture” overrides the health of the plant and may even gradually kill it!
Do not be fooled by appearances when you choose a saucer! A pot is narrower at the base than at the top and for some reason humans generally find a saucer that is somewhat tight around the base of the pot more aesthetically pleasing than a saucer of the right size. Look at the picture at the top of this page: most people will find the saucer seems a little too big. Yet it is exactly the size to correctly water the plant!
Overgrown Plants Need Bigger Saucers
So much for a correctly potted plant, but sometimes plants outgrow their pots, one sign of which is that they begin to need watering two or three times a week. Ideally, you’d repot into a larger container, but if you don’t have time, simply place the plant in a wider or taller saucer and fill it to the brim with water when you water. It’s amazing how quickly it will drink it all up! And now it will have enough moisture to last a few more days before it needs water.
This tendency to undersaucer (I know, I know, it’s not a real word, but…!) is a major cause of the famous “black thumb” so many people claim to suffer from. Increase the size of your saucer so it matches your plant’s needs and suddenly your thumb will become much greener!
Thank you for sharing this information.
Starting seeds indoors in the Northern Hemisphere during January does indeed present some challenges due to the limited daylight and cooler temperatures. To overcome these obstacles and give your seeds the best chance of germination and healthy growth, setting up an indoor growing space with artificial lights is often necessary.
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But who waters their plants in the saucer? I usually take mine out and water it in the sink, then when it stops dripping, I put it back on the saucer.
Depends on the plant.. African Violets speciallly like to be watered from below never wetting there foliage!! Most plants are fine and like taking a shower sometimes. It has always been my understanding than many varieties of plants do not like “wet feet”!!
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Thanks for this explanation, concise and well written.
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