So I bought some plant trays and decided to start watering from the bottom up … sometimes they can drink as fast as I can pour the water into the tray …i have been using Fox Farm my question is what is the difference between feeding them from below compared to above!? should I flush the plant more often for salt build up or will the roots just grab what they want !?
any input helps me gain some understanding!
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you know if you feed from the bottom, then they gonna poop out their mouths
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Im very new but I’ve watered from bottom with no problems. However I’d think it safer to water through the soil as the soil regulates ph. I had fungus gnats so had to super dry the top.
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Everybody knows plants don’t have mouths… Haha. I predict great insight coming in.
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roots will just drive down and build up can occur if feeding too heavy but an occasional top watering can help with that, difference is you notice the top 1/3rd of your pots wont have many roots, otherwise they will grow fine and its easy to do.
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I avoid bottom watering under most circumstances (but I do do it…)
It’s applicable to larger established plants.
My issue with it is it is ‘uncontrolled’ … and I’m a bit of a control freak… 
I use 1020 trays for the 1 gallon and smaller pots. These are handy when you are off on a trip as you can simply flood the tray, turn the lights down and they will do OK for several days. Smaller plants can have problems with this approach.
I don’t think salt buildup is a problem unless you are reusing your soil.
Cheers
G
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I make sure the last of the water I do it from the top down to try and prevent this
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It’s pretty fascinating watching them actually drink !
Some plants are more reluctant to drink from the bottom up also alot depends on soil and capillary action I’ve noticed
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They seem to lap down the water!about a gallon and after that it’s a quarter a gallon till rejected …usually if I’m doing a nutrient feed I make the last half gallon clean water
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I try to think what would nature do. Ah rain. But maybe not always the case.
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Ya I enjoyed the bottom watering much more and its easier. I usually am using organics only that I need to break down in the soil too so maybe that changes things. Maybe salt fertilizers and bottom watering.
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I maybe onto something here lol…
The one I flushed decided to fade out pretty hard so I know they were getting what they need at a substantial rate to keep them growing
Articles about this would be pretty neat …
May get lost in Google 
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I mostly bottom watered these when using salt fertilizer. Because of gnats, they didn’t mindReally I’m not trying to show my plants haha.well maybe
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Bottom watering is excellent when growing purely organic without synthetic nutes, been doing it for years.
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Good to know. Just goes to show there’s more than one way to grow a plant.
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Been bottom watering with salt and organics freely with zero issues. Well I did drive off the gnats.
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Anyone that used to bottom water Coco+perlite with salts?Surely you should use less nutes,well,Idk actually…?
More of a flood and drain tho
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