I was flipping through a gardening magazine the other day and had to laugh at the instructions (I use the term "instructions" loosely) on how to water your plants in containers! The instructions consisted of "Water until water runs out the drainage holes".
Technically, I guess this "method" is correct, but probably needs a tad more explanation, especially if the growing medium has pulled away from the sides of the container! Common sense will tell you that the water will run straight off the top, down the sides of the container and out the drainage holes without ever giving the poor plants a drink!
So, let's back up and talk about the growing medium. The correct soil is the most important part. It is what ensures that your plants have adequate air, nutrition and proper drainage/moisture retention.
There are many different "recipes" for growing mediums. I simply use potting mix (not potting soil), and add in some builders sand and compost until it "feels" right. Whatever mix you prefer, just remember it is essential that the water drain through quickly (so as to not drown your plants), but enough moisture be retained for plant use at the same time.
When planting, I leave probably a 2-inch gap from the top of the soil to the rim of the container. And then, when I water, I fill each container up to the rim. If the water starts running out of the drainage holes too quickly, I keep on watering until the water gets to the rim. This ensures that water gets to the root ball!
I have found that watering my containers in this way reduces how often I have to water. However, no matter how thoroughly you water, frequency of watering still depends on the size and type of container, location of container, the actual plant's water requirements and whether or not the plants are new or established.
But if you want to reduce watering chores and have happy hydrated plants, start with the correct growing medium, monitor the moisture content in the soil and then water as described above as needed. It is as simple as that and your plants will love you for it!
