Flushing Out Excess Salts
Plants rarely take up every last bit of fertilizer, particularly in the top 1 in (2.5 cm) or so of soil. In that area, moisture tent to evaporate, leaving behind accumulated salts.
Frequently, you can see these salts as whitish deposits on the inner rim of the container, and sometimes on the soil’s surface, too. Few plants are immune to the effects of these salts, which destroy root tissues and interfere with a plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water. Make a practice of flushing out pots every 4 to 8 weeks. Sometimes called double watering, or drenching, the procedure goes like this:
- Water plants thoroughly with plenty of clean, tepid water.
- Allow excess water to drip out though the drainage holes for 30 minutes then drench the pots again.
- For plants that are especially sensitive to salts, a third drenching may be helpful. Be sure to pour off all excess water that accumulates in pot trays when you are finished.
- Resume regular watering and feeding when the soil reaches the appropriate level of dryness for the plant.
April 19, 2007
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