Putting a bowl of water in the garden may not be on the top of your to-do list, but maybe it should be. This is because it could aid your outdoor space in a big way.
At least that’s what gardening expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish, says. In a recent TikTok video he explained how people can “rescue” their plants using nothing but a bowl of water.
It may seem easy, but he said it can really make a difference to your flowers. According to Ish, even the most seasoned gardener can sometimes be “neglectful”, as it can be hard to keep up with outdoor care when you have a lot of plants.
When you forget to water your plants, he said the soil can become “rock hard”, but there’s a simple trick you can use to fix it. Watering them becomes tough when the soil hardens, because it doesn’t absorb well.
However, there’s a simple way you can resolve the issue. Ish said compost is a bit like a sponge, but magic can happen when you pop it into some water for around an hour.
Demonstrating what to do by inserting a small plant into a bowl of water, he said: “Eventually it will slowly start soaking all that water back in, and it’ll start to then become soft and pliable and incredibly absorbant, and that’s exactly what you do with dried up compost.
“You leave it to soak for about an hour, and what that’ll do is rehydrate the soil, and create a kind of nice, easy, spongy texture, which means when you water this, it will completely soak in all of the water.
“Once an hour has passed, you can easily take this out, and you’ll feel the weight already of the hydrated soil in there. Just place it on a shelf to slowly drain away, and your soil will be fully rehydrated.
“As a result, you’ll be able to water this again and again as normal, and the water won’t run out of the sides, but actually soak in and your plant will be nice and happy.”
The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, and people were quick to comment too. They offered all sorts of thoughts and ideas.
One person said: “I get them under water until there are no bubbles coming from the soil.” Another wrote: “Yes, I did it to my indoor plant that was slowly showing signs of dying. Now it’s like a new plant and I’m so happy.”
A third replied: “I do this with my spider plant and peace lily house plants.” Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Very useful tip to keep in mind for the summer.”
During the summer months, when the weather is warmer, the sun can cause the soil to dry out. This is why it may be handy to have a bowl of water around in case your plants dry out.
The sun’s heat causes water in the soil to evaporate, especially in the top layers, which can cause drier soil conditions. This evaporation process happens more quickly when plants are in direct sunlight, and can impact plant growth and overall garden health.