Hey Nah,

Welcome to Day 3, the final email in our watering series!

Over the past few days we've covered how you water (bottom vs top) and what you water with (tap, filtered, and rainwater).

You've probably picked up more about watering in three emails than most plant owners piece together over years of trial and error, and that's genuinely something to feel good about.

So for the last one, I want to leave you with something immediately actionable. Something you can change today and notice a difference from almost straight away.

It's this: water deeply, but infrequently.

Why a little trickle is quietly one of the worst watering habits going

It's an easy habit to fall into. You're passing your plants, you notice the soil looks a bit dry, you give each one a quick splash and carry on with your day. It feels attentive. It feels like good plant ownership.

But here's what's actually happening underground.

When you only add a small amount of water at a time, that moisture barely penetrates the surface layer of the soil. The roots sitting deeper in the pot, which are the established, important ones doing most of the work, and never actually get reached. They're sitting in dry soil week after week while the surface gets repeatedly dampened and dried out.

Over time, roots naturally grow towards moisture. So if the only moisture available is consistently at the top of the pot, that's where your roots head. You end up with a shallow, surface-level root system that's fragile, drought-sensitive, and far less capable of supporting a healthy plant than it should be.

Worse, the surface of the soil staying perpetually slightly damp is exactly the environment fungus gnats love. You're not overwatering in the traditional sense, the roots aren't sitting in soggy soil, but you're creating conditions that cause their own set of problems.

What deep, infrequent watering actually looks like

The goal is simple: when you water, water thoroughly. Add enough that it flows freely out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. That's your signal that the entire root zone has been reached and the soil is properly saturated.

Then wait. Let the soil dry out to the appropriate level for that particular plant before you water again. For most tropical houseplants and edible herbs, that means watering when the top inch or two of soil is dry. For succulents and cacti, you're waiting until the soil is completely dry all the way through.

The interval between waterings will vary depending on the plant, the pot, the season, and your home environment. But the principle stays the same: when it's time to water, be generous. When it's not time, leave it alone.

This approach encourages roots to grow deep and wide in search of moisture, which builds a far more resilient root system. Deep roots mean a plant that can handle a missed watering without drama. Deep roots mean stronger growth above the soil too because the infrastructure underneath is actually doing its job properly.

One genuinely useful test: after your next deep watering, wait until the soil looks dry on the surface, then stick a wooden skewer or chopstick all the way down into the soil and leave it for a few seconds. When you pull it out, check how far up the moisture has reached. You'll quickly get a feel for whether your plant is drinking all the way down or whether the lower half of the pot is staying bone dry regardless of what you do at the top.

If it's the latter, water more thoroughly next time, and consider whether your soil mix is draining well enough to allow water to move through it evenly in the first place.

That's the series. Three tips, three days, and hopefully a meaningfully different way of thinking about something most of us do on autopilot.

Thanks for reading all the way through, it genuinely means a lot.

Rich

One last thing before I go.

Today is the final day to grab my Growing Edible Plants course for $19.99.

If this watering series has got you thinking more carefully about how you care for your plants, this course is the natural next step, especially if you've ever wanted your plant hobby to start producing something you can actually eat.

It covers basil, chilli, citrus, avocado, ginger, pineapple, and more. All from home. No garden required. Suitable for complete beginners, available on any device, and backed by a 7-day money-back guarantee.

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After tonight, the $19.99 price is gone.

​Check out the Growing Edible Plants course (last chance).