Professional Watering Tips: Plants in Pots & Containers

In this video I'll share what I learned about watering plants in pots & containers as a professional grower.
Here's the full story of the watering "contest":
The owner of the nursery where I worked (John) had bought a watering tunnel, which did pretty much what you saw in the first pot. It attached to the end of the conveyor at shipping, and absolutely drenched the plants before we were to load them on racks. You saw how much water runs off the pot after the quick soaking. My guys on the load dock were pretty irritated by the "water park" this was creating in the loading area. Everyone was going home soaked!
The owner (who BTW is a great guy!) had 3 reasons for insisting on this: 1) he had paid for the watering tunnel, and wanted to see it used, 2) he thought it was the best solution, and 3) he didn't have to lift the pots on the loading dock!
The hero of this story is Paula, who was my boss at the time. If she thought the watering tunnel was doing a great job, I'm sure she would have gone along with the owner. What she saw was that it was leaving loads of water splashing all over the load dock, but she was still getting complaints from customers about dry plants.
So she challenged John to a contest. She asked him to prepare a couple of flats his way (through the watering tunnel) and also prepared a couple of flats her way (by watering the plants several times while still on trailers before labelling). She made good an sure that all pots were dry at the beginning of the trial. A day later, they went back and checked the pots.
John scratched his head at the results, but was gracious enough to remove that wretched watering tunnel the following day.
Morals of the story:
1) Don't be afraid to challenge upwards when you can back it up
2) Don't bet against the shipping manager when it comes to shipping plants!
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By far the best explanation of container garden watering technique I’ve seen.

[@clivesconundrumgarden]

This is a really great visual demonstration of how to water plants in pots. We've got all our potatoes in pots and aren't always sure how often and how much to water. Hmmm. The edge effect makes me think that I should be careful about where I select plants from at the nursery.

[@javedmushtaq3099]

Jason, I can't believe you only have 181k subscribers. You definitely deserve more. Thanks for the invaluable information you give us all. God bless you my son. 👍🙏

[@Goot253]

I always learn something from you! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. 🌸 🌺 🌹

[@flex_007]

I'm glad I'm not the only one learning about watering🌹🌺🌷🌻

[@bluesky7226]

Jason, thank you for dealing with this issue. I work in a garden centre and also plant for others. Watering is the biggest issue! People don't water deeply or thoroughly enough when they water, which causes great distress for plants. Using a jet sprayer to water a pot 10 feet away just doesn't cut it! Very helpful video!

[@jamestaylor8217]

One of your most useful videos. Thanks. I'm changing my watering practices.

[@KarenCampbell-qh1xt]

I live in the Palm Springs area. I always think I’m watering too much but checking roots on large plants is impossible. The only way I found out I’m not watering enough was taking a large plant out of its pot and seeing dry crumbly soil stuck to the dry roots. The temps are so extreme from summer to winter. In winter Pots seem to stay wet on top for a long time but maybe dry at the root zone? The plants look like they need water more often than needed . In the summer I’m watering two to three times a day and winter twice a week seems too often but it’s dry here . I know watering deep is definitely key. Growing veggies is a challenge here but rewarding.

[@lookforward2life]

Brilliant information. Straight on. It’s appreciated.

[@heatherh3457]

Excellent video. Same goes for hanging baskets. Water . Let it sit for a few minutes. Water again. Repeat until the pot 'pees'. If the pot has dried out a lot it will pee immediately so make sure to water slowly and repeatedly until it pees again. More nurseries need to train their staff with videos like this one.👌

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Heather you're so right about hanging baskets.

[@amberwidenhofer1626]

Thank you so much for this! I was just wondering about this because I have a collection of plants in pots that I am not ready to plant yet. Excellent information!

[@user-eo2tf9vk8b]

Thanks a lot Jason! Some great tips indeed!

[@paulinecrispin121]

Made a lot of sense. I have quite a number of plants in containers, including roses . It has always bothered me that when I try and give them a good watering most of the water seems to then follow out the bottom of the pot. I will continue with your method. Thanks Jason

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure Pauline. Have a great gardening season.

[@carolexo7269]

Just GREAT examples and information. SO helpful 💚

[@evec.1933]

I love all your videos. The historical rose series is wonderful and I always learn from your teaching videos. You are a great instructor. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@hpi2beme]

Thank you so much for another great and timely video. I have been trying to figure out why the potatoes in bags are not getting enough water. I soak them until water runs out the bottom. The top finger test says they have enough water but when I check the side pockets they are completely dry. I'll use your method starting today. Another reason to love gardening you can learn something new at least once a week.

[@denisebalog994]

Thank you Jason. I received two new plants via shipment delivery today after watching this video. I felt confident watering them both after their four day trip in a cardboard box. I always look forward to seeing your videos. I wish you could ship your beautiful roses to USA. Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge 🌹🌹🌹

[@sharilynn3024]

Another excellent video!!! Thank you! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@buipham123]

Thank you, Jason! I’m sharing this video with my gardening group.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure Lan Phan - and thanks for sharing around!

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Super interesting, Jason. Thanks. We were just talking about various watering methods the other day.

[@kristinpothast]

This was very helpful, thank you! I don't have the option of growing anything other than in pots and I was never exactly sure what I was doing when I was watering.

[@ju715365]

Thank you for this great tip👍 I will use your watering method for my pots.

[@jucjuc314]

Thank you for these advance level informations! I find a bit hard, finding, learning more advanced level information in gardening topic. It is a bit of a repeating every year, following the seasons and so do most videos with the same informations, again and again. So once you have learned these things, you seek more, and sure there is more, but hard to find. So I am happy you created your channel and share exactly these type of knowledge. 😊Greetings, Judit from over the pond 👋

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks so much Judit - that's helpful feedback.

[@suzanneseely7167]

Thank you for this informative and helpful video. I wish that I lived closer to your farm so I could see your plants “in person” or buy from you at the farmers market.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Suzanne - that'd be nice! I guess we'll have to settle for video

[@sarahhayhurst9944]

What a great video. Thanks for this info and explanation. Seems I've been watering my potted plants all wrong! 👍

[@raymurphy7956]

really great advice. Thanks.

[@josephlak9366]

Thank you very much for your helpful info appreciated very much very easy and simple way you explaining how to water our plants

[@petiteHD]

Thanks for “pro tips” . Yes right when you check on that soaking water pot and point out some dry spots it’s clicking in my head this morning i was watering my roses heavily and after that somehow I decided to check the soil under and i did see some surprisingly dry spot🙁🙁 . Now i learn to come back and water more throughout 👍🏻

[@orchidgarden3124]

Fascinating!

[@Christie-gp2cy]

Jason, thank you for your great ideas and instructions. Love your channel. :)

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure - and thanks for the encouragement!

[@deankudin]

Thank you for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@valeriezendiver263]

So helpful, thank you!

[@sandramulchahey8268]

Great information, thank you

[@jordanyeager9220]

Definitely informative!

[@dennistaft7868]

Jason, good news. I didn't lose as many roses as I thought. They had a lot of die back, but there is new growth coming on many of them now. It looks like it is above the graft so awesome.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

That's so good to hear. I kept waiting on a few of them and was rewarded with fresh red growth! I'm super happy you don't have to go out an replace as many.

[@Lillis-cg1nw]

Great advice, thank you. I just bought a new petunia and wanted to make sure i water it correctly.

[@juliabinford6500]

Very helpful! Thank you

[@sandraoconnor5700]

Great information thanks so much!!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Jason for the helpful tips 🌸💚🙃

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure. Thanks for watching

[@nauci]

This channel has been so phenomenally helpful! I now have 9 (out of 9!) successfully rooted rose cuttings, 32 (out of 40) Meyer lemon, and 2 (of 5) bougainvilleas. Actually not sure what to do with them all since I was expecting a much lower rate of survival...

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Great to hear!

[@capbin146]

Thanks for giving me hope!

[@orbitunderground4475]

excellent! thanks!

[@patriciahogg5763]

Good tips! Thanks! 😎

[@bmoody82]

Interesting! I had noticed this issue with my patio plants recently.

[@rreimer9320]

Thanks for sharing this. 👍

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Very much my pleasure.

[@OfftoShambala]

Great topic!

[@jimwilson1206]

Thank you, really great advise

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure Jim. Thanks for watching!

[@sebastienmarion]

Tks for all the great videos. A video on staking would be interesting.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I'll note down the topic. Thanks.

[@skyz3160]

Thank you !

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

It's an interesting point about "drought tolerant" plants not being remotely drought tolerant in a pot - like erigeron. It's v hapy with low water in the ground, but v v thirsty in a pot.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You bet. I've even seen Shasta Daisies (leucanthemum) listed as drought tolerant, but they're super quick to wilt once they've filled a pot with roots.

[@gwbuilder5779]

Very valuable information about watering Jason. When I was working with some of my clients here in Hawaii, especially here in Kona and other hot dry leeward side of the island, I set up their irrigation systems up to water in one minute increments every ten minutes for an hour cycle, twice during the night and once during the hottest part of the day. Some of the landscape was beds and planters and other sections were patio pots, but every section had the same program. The interesting result was thorough and efficient watering in all sections and almost half the amount of water used. I explained the theory to their gardener so he understood why it worked and he added it to his knowledge as well. Of course this method must be modified to each specific location because some areas have more wind or less sun and so many other variables, but the general principle certainly works well.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Beautiful when you can use less water and still end up with healthy plants! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@gwbuilder5779]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm That's what it's all about my friend. 🤙

[@laurelsayer7557]

Absolutely fascinating! I have always watered my border plants heavily, and did the same for my pot plants, but from now on will totally change my watering regime for the latter based on your recommendations. THANK YOU!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure! Have a great season

[@Goot253]

Jason! I tried a little experiment! After trial and error, I know my potted Peace Lily likes exactly 2 cups of RO water with a drop or 2 of 10-10-10 fertilizer. I give her 2 full cups, watch it pool up in the saucer, but she drinks it up. So today......I spread that 2 cups into 4 applications, and Jason, I swear, I think I heard her whisper, "Thank you!" Seriously, I could tell this seemed to be a good idea. 🥰

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Suze! So nice to hear it worked well for you

[@heatherjowett5382]

I have been following your tips and fertilised til late autumn. Good results for winter on 5 June so cold for a Perth winter down to 5 deg c. Might not be too bad for northern hemisphere but v cold for Perth. Hope I can upload a pic

[@anorthfacinggarden9045]

I have experienced same and now water potted plants in aliquots. I am tempted to try wetting agents 😬😀☺️

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. I know some soil suppliers add their own surfactant to the bend. The problem seems to be worse with peat-based mixes, and honestly the one I'm using wets fairly easily in comparison.

[@Blue_Azure101]

Great video! Always the researcher! I was wondering about proper watering recently after transferring a rose to a grow bag temporarily and placed it in small dish. I just water the dish and it gets sucked up pretty quickly and it’s been doing very well. I think when we water from top and bottom, we trap an air bubble right in the middle. Watering from bottom redirects the flow from bottom to top. The only draw back is minerals gets trapped in the top so I water it from the top every once in a while.

[@marinaacorn1380]

P

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Another excellent video with practical advice.

[@veronicaalta9462]

Thanks

[@GardenDiscovery]

You sure have the gift of teaching, Jason. I appreciate how you show and explain everything so well. Question: I've heard overhead watering is not good for plants because it can encourage mildew?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, especially if the water stays on the foliage for an extended period. It's best to aim for a sunny morning and open the greenhouse wide (if inside) to allow max air flow and dry the droplets. I've even seen growers go to the trouble of using a blower to knock the excess moisture off the leaves! Some plants (like roses, phlox and bee balm) are a bit more susceptible, but for most of my perennials it's pretty manageable.

[@nancyspanich3574]

Thanks!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thank you Nancy!

[@GumriRN]

It seems when my soil has more Peat Moss in it, that’s when soils are most hydrophobic. It’s hard to get Peat Moss wet until it is wet, then it can get soaked. Maybe I’m not watering correctly though.

[@Leslei8417]

Hi Jason! Great video as usual! I was wondering if you sometimes get Edema on some plants after watering (ex. Tomatoes and peppers). Even though I keep a good distance between plants and good air circulation, each year im faced with this problem. My suspicion is maybe I Iet the soil dry too much before watering?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

That sounds about right - too much change in water availability.

[@mykvass]

thanks great video ! love the sprayer is it available to the public ?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I bought it from Amazon. I'll see if I can add it to my Amazon store.

[@waynem.7226]

Great info. What wetting agents do you use if the soil is too hydrophobic?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

It depends on what's available locally, and just check if your soil producer already has a wetting agent incorporated. This can matter because some of the surfactants counteract each other. If you're fairly sure nothing had been added, you can choose based on availability & cost: I've seen quite a few local growers using Aquagro 2000L

[@pozzee2809]

Hi Jason, Could you please tell us the name of the nozzle on your hose and the connector? Oh heck, and the type of hose 😀

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Pat. The nozzle is a Dramm water breaker that came with my fertilizer injector kit (I have it on the Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/fraservalleyrosefarm/list/C9CR2E7X5JZ?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_list_own_fraservalleyrosefarm_dp_SCAr2MpmSvsKj ) Not sure on the hose though - we've had it forever.

[@pozzee2809]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm excellent thank you

[@destinyplays525]

Hi Jason! Thank you for sharing your professional watering tips as it is always my daily dilemma as to water or not cuz I love watering my plants, sounds crazy but it's true! I'm wondering if these also apply on my newly potted lavenders and rosemarys? Am so pleased to say that they already got about an inch of new foliage growth since I pruned them but what bothers me also is that they probably havent gotten any new roots yet cuz their roots were all brown when I repotted them. How long does it take for them to have new roots and how often shall I water them until they get fully stablished?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I do try to skip a couple of days between watering - hopefully not so much as to stress anything out, but that'll depend on the size of pot and how large the plant is too.

[@destinyplays525]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Awesome! Thanks again for your tip.

[@MagPiMaggie]

So would you water your inground garden bed like a lawn or a pot? This was a great demonstration btw.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

There's less a concern with hydrophobic soil in the garden, but yes, the principle kind of holds: it's better to water slowly or repeatedly to ensure good saturation.

[@totallydomestic433]

Wow! That was really helpful. But all my potted plants are in clay pots. I guess i have to stick my finger down in the soil to see if it needs water. I will to the quick water, wait 10 min, do again method. I am in Fl zone 9 and things get thursty.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You bet - tough to tip them out or tell anything by lifting! I'll have to check into soil moisture sensors at some point.

[@mariatorres3171]

Thank you so much for the info, I was watering incorrectly. Do you water roses in pots in the same manner or should I just water from below and not shower them. New to growing roses.💕

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Bottom watering is great, but I don't worry too much about wetting the foliage so long as it's a sunny day and there's sufficient time to dry the excess water down

[@kaysoutdooradventures955]

Hi great vidros..please help with watering seedlings and cuttings! How many times a day shorter more frequent ext. ..thank you!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Cuttings are more a misting or humidity dome, just to keep the stems and leaves from drying out. They can't take up moisture from (non-existent) roots yet, so no heavy watering. Seedlings will depend on how sunny / exposed a location you have them in. I'd be checking at least once per day to see if they need water.

[@bcu567obzx]

The rose nozzle on the end of your hose, where can you buy it please?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Peter. Here's a link to some of my irrigation picks on Amazon: a.co/8uBTTJu

[@elenalatici9568]

How often should roses in the ground be watered and how much? I do a real drenching once a week, but it's extremely hot here in Italy.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You're responding to the weather, which is great. I'd see no harm in bumping up to 2 (or even 3) times per week during warmer weather, keeping an eye on how the plants are taking to it.

[@williamli7906]

is it also true for potting medium such as pine bark (in Orchid grow case)? Thanks

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Orchids aren't my thing, but my impression with very coarse media like orchid bark is that they don't absorb a great amount of water anyway. If they've become quite dry, I'd probably hit them with a couple of cycles just to make sure I've rewet, but it shouldn't take a lot.

[@amerasiann4645]

Can you please tell me what kind of nozzle on that red hose in this video and who makes it. Thanks in advance.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Sorry, it came with the greenhouse, so I don't know.

[@debragraff4649]

Do you have any experience in watering fabric containers? Can't as easily pop the plant out of the pot to check on the root ball with them.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

True, and my experience with them is that they tend to dry out a bit quicker than a plastic pot for the same soil volume. Depending on the size, you can still gauge by the weight - or there are some moisture sensors I'll be playing around with to see if they're helpful.

[@murzua5]

Is the first plant you show coral dianthus?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Yes, dianthus. The color was listed as "salmon" but I think coral describes it nicely.

[@erictong8257]

When I water the top inch soil gets wet but the rest of the water comes out the drain hole right away. How do I water deeply?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Repeated short bursts of water to overcome the hydrophobic qualities of the potting soil. Alternately, a long soak.

[@amyisaac308]

Would this same watering pattern apply to potted roses too? I hear so much about root rot that I think I’ve been underwatering my potted roses. Leaves have been turning yellow and dropping off. I was very careful to drill many drainage holes in the pots. I used a professional potting soil especially for roses amended with a little sand and worm castings. So should I water a little ~ liter a day or soak them until water runs out the bottom. I rent a house and my landlord will not let me plant them in the ground because he thinks roses are “invasive”.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

You can't over water a rose

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The yellowing and dropping foliage down low makes me think you're right about underwatering. I do like to let my roses dry down (a little) between watering, so I generally go with a thorough watering every 3 days or so. For that thorough watering, it's several short cycles (as shown in the video) and yes, I expect some water will run out the bottom at least by the final application of water.

[@amyisaac308]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thank you Jason for your reply. I will use the method you demonstrated.

[@tennesseenana4838]

I have many different sized containers - most are too large and heavy for me to just lift up and look at, especially the ones with zucchini, sweet potatoes, etc in them. How can I be sure they're getting enough water into their roots?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Large containers can be tricky - and you really have to watch for signs of stress in the plants. I'll look into moisture meters at some point and see how they do.

[@tennesseenana4838]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you, I'd appreciate that.

[@jamestaylor8217]

What kind of nozzle are you using?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

That's a Dramm water breaker.

[@yonokzeller5402]

👍🏼🥰🙏

[@bigcar4305]

Whats the hose head called

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

A water breaker. This one came with a Dramm fertilizer injector kit and gives a pretty good volume, but is still gentle enough for seedlings.

[@skymax1507]

Isn't it easier to just turn on the mini fog jet and water all the plants at once?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Good question. I do rely on the overhead irrigation when I can't keep up with just hand watering, but that extra attention to things like edges makes a difference in plant quality. Likewise, when I have different crops in the same growing space, one often needs more or less than the others. For those reasons, when I have time I go through and take care of the tricky stuff by hand - but when faced with warmer weather and higher water demands, I don't hesitate to schedule a heavy watering with the overhead sprinklers to drench everything and even it all up.

[@mememe84]

how you pour so much water in the pot and not get root rot? I pour 250ml/1Cup a week otherwise root rot is imminent .

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The potting soil is designed to hold on to a fair bit of air even when saturated. Root rot is more a matter of lack of oxygen than excess water.

[@elenalatici9568]

What if you have huge terracotta pots? 😱

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The larger the pot, the more stable the moisture levels should be between watering. Terracotta does tend to dry things down a bit though. I'd still be aiming for 2 to 3 thorough soakings per week if you can manage the time.

[@johnman559]

Oh aye yeah.... if this is the first time you've seen Jason, he is indeed a master gardener, if your income depends on it you have to be😉👍.. by the way, I'm an Englishman, are there any Americans who would like a fist fight with me?🧐👊

[@todayjunior100]

Why not let it sit in the tub and soak for 30 to 60 mins?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Sure can

[@Goot253]

I always learn something from you! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. 🌸 🌺 🌹

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

My pleasure. Thanks for watching