"Jenny" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

Stop bottom watering. Water from the top until some drains out the
bottom. Then, take the pot off the dish and dump the excess water.

I have to disagree here! Though I'm relatively new to gardening outside,
I've been growing gorgeous African violets on my windowsills for many
years. I always bottom water.

Here's what I do that works. I always put my pot in some kind of outer
container, either one of those thin plastic cachepots that come with
plants or a larger pottery container like a big decorative mug large
enough for the plant to sit deep in it.

You're adept enough at this to notice what's enough, and what's too much.
Keep it simple for beginners!

How you water also depends, to an extent, on your water quality. Everything
I've read over the years (and my own experience) says that you're more
likely to end up with mineral deposits on top of your soil if you bottom
water. Again, this is something beginners might not notice, or know how to
deal with. So, I recommend against it, especially since it's so easy to top
water correctly.