Bottom watering your Pothos is not some advanced technique that will transform your plant’s life.
It’s also not a waste of time.
It’s just a different way of getting water into the soil — one that’s more convenient for some people and useful in certain situations.
Here’s what it actually is, when it’s worth doing, and when to not overthink it.
What Is Bottom Watering?
Bottom watering is exactly what it sounds like: instead of pouring water onto the top of the soil, you sit the pot in water and let it soak up moisture through the drainage holes at the bottom.
The soil absorbs water upward via capillary action until it’s saturated, then you take the pot out and let it drain.
That’s it. There’s no magic to it. What is bottom watering, if not just a fancy word for soaking?
Is Bottom Watering Better Than Top Watering?
No. It’s also not worse. Top watering and bottom watering both do the same job — getting water to your Pothos roots — and your Pothos does not have a preference. Anyone telling you one method is definitively superior to the other is overcomplicating things.
What bottom watering does offer is a different set of practical advantages, which may or may not be relevant depending on how you’ve got your plants set up.
When Bottom Watering Is Actually Useful
When You’ve Got A Tray Setup
If you keep a shallow tray of water somewhere convenient — on a shelf, in the bathroom, under a grow light — you can just drop your Pothos in for half an hour and walk away.
No watering can, no hovering over the pot checking if water’s coming out the bottom, no drips on the floor.
It’s low-effort in a way that suits people who want their plant care routine to be as minimal as possible.
Half an hour is usually plenty for a small to medium pot. For larger pots, longer is fine. I’ve left Pothos to bottom water overnight before and they don’t care.
There’s no precise timer to watch here — the soil will absorb what it needs and stop when it’s saturated, so you’ve got some wiggle room.
When Your Soil Has Gone Hydrophobic
If your Pothos has been left to get very dry, the soil can become hydrophobic — it starts repelling water rather than absorbing it.
When this happens, watering from the top is almost useless: the water runs down the gap between the dry soil and the pot sides and straight out the drainage holes without actually reaching the roots.
The fix for hydrophobic soil is soaking it slowly so the water has time to penetrate properly. Which is, again, exactly what bottom watering is.
Sit the pot in water for 15 to 30 minutes and the soil will gradually rehydrate from the bottom up. This is one of the most practical uses for bottom watering, and if your Pothos is showing signs of underwatering despite regular top watering, a proper bottom soak is the first thing to try.
When You Want To Avoid Wet Foliage
Water sitting on leaves isn’t usually a big deal for Pothos, but if you’re in a cool, low-airflow environment where moisture takes a long time to evaporate, consistently wet foliage can contribute to fungal issues.
Bottom watering keeps the leaves dry entirely. Again, this is more of a nice-to-have than a necessity for most people.
How To Bottom Water Your Pothos
- Find a container that fits your pot — a sink, a basin, a tray, a bucket, whatever you’ve got.
- Fill it with room temperature water to roughly halfway up the pot.
- Place your Pothos pot in the water. Make sure it has drainage holes, otherwise this does nothing.
- Leave it for 30 minutes or so. Longer is fine if you forget about it.
- Lift the pot out and let it drain before putting it back in its spot.
- Check the soil — it should feel damp all the way through. If the top few centimetres still feel dry, the soak wasn’t quite long enough. Give it a bit more time next round, or top up from above to make sure the whole soil column is moistened.
That last point is worth noting: very occasionally with particularly large pots or very dry soil, bottom watering alone doesn’t fully saturate the top layer. If you’re consistently finding the top of the soil stays dry after a bottom water session, just pour a bit of water from the top as well to finish the job.
What You Do Need For Bottom Watering
Drainage holes. This is non-negotiable. If your pot doesn’t have holes in the bottom, the water has no way to get in and bottom watering is pointless. If you love a pot without drainage holes, use it as a decorative outer pot and keep your Pothos in a plastic nursery pot with holes inside it.
A container that fits. You don’t need anything special — a washing up bowl, a kitchen sink, or a deep tray all work. If you’re doing this regularly, a dedicated tray under your plants can make it very convenient: fill the tray, let the plants soak, tip it out.
Does Bottom Watering Cause Overwatering?
It can, if you’re not paying attention to how often you’re doing it. Bottom watering isn’t a loophole around the fundamental rule of waiting until the soil is almost dry before watering again. If you’re bottom watering before the soil has dried out from last time, you’ll get the same overwatering problems you’d get from top watering too frequently.
The method doesn’t change the frequency, only the direction of water travel. Check the soil before you water, whichever way you’re doing it.
Bottom Watering Pothos FAQs
How long should I leave my Pothos when bottom watering?
About 30 minutes for most small to medium pots. Larger pots benefit from longer. Leaving it overnight is fine — the soil will absorb what it needs and stop, so there’s no risk of it soaking up too much as long as the pot has drainage holes.
Can I bottom water my Pothos every time?
Yes, if that’s what works for your setup. There’s no reason you need to alternate between top and bottom watering — just stick to whichever method you prefer and check the soil before each watering regardless of method.
Does bottom watering encourage deeper roots?
This gets repeated a lot. The theory is that roots grow downward toward the water source when you bottom water, encouraging a stronger root system. In practice, Pothos roots grow where conditions are good — where there’s moisture, oxygen, and space — and the direction water comes from is unlikely to make a significant difference for a plant this adaptable.
Can I bottom water a Pothos without drainage holes?
No. Bottom watering relies on water entering through the drainage holes. Without them, the water has nowhere to go. Get a pot with drainage holes, or use a nursery pot inside your decorative one.
Is bottom watering better for hydrophobic soil?
Yes — this is one of its best uses. If your soil has dried out so much it’s started repelling water from the top, a long bottom soak is the most effective way to rehydrate it slowly and evenly. Full guide to fixing underwatered Pothos here.
Will bottom watering prevent fungus gnats?
Fungus gnats breed in moist surface soil, and because bottom watering keeps the top of the soil drier than top watering does, it can reduce the conditions they favour. But if you’ve got a fungus gnat problem, the real fix is to let the soil dry out properly between waterings rather than relying on which direction you water from — they’re a sign of [overwatering], not a specific consequence of top watering.
New to Pothos? Grab the free guide — Everything You Need To Do When You Bring Your First Pothos Home — and start off with the basics nailed rather than troubleshooting from day one. Get the free guide →