Plants that love heavy watering?

Excaka

New Member
any safe plants that do ok with heavy watering? Right now I got a umbrella plant I got from LLL reptile. I have it set on a big tupperwear container with holes in the top inside the cage. I also have a little dripper on the top that drips on the top leafs and trickles down the stem into the pot. I usually have the dripper on about 8 hours a day, and I noticed the tupperwear under the plant is always full. (I do empty water out every day)

I'm thinking it may soon have a problem with root rot, Since the soil always seems saturated. So far in the past two weeks it's been doing fine, but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

I also don't want to do a crazy draining system in my small apartment, and because I'll be changing the cage soon for a adult size enclosure.

Any safe plants that love overwatering? Or should I just get a few at lowes and change them out every week?
 
My pothos I start out with a clipping in water so I think they can live in a saturated place as I grow them in water
 
If the plant's pot and soil can drain quickly enough that should really help prevent root rot. You can add pumice, perlite (in the lower part of the pot), very COARSE sand, and pebbles to the soil to help it drain. Even broken packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot. Also enlarge the pot's drain holes. As long as the plant pot isn't sitting directly in the accumulated drain water it may be OK. However, you could also arrange the dripper so the excess water doesn't reach the plant's soil in the first place. I've sometimes used a spray of fake foliage arranged so the water drips over it, and put a perch between the live plant where the cham "lives" and the dripper's foliage.
 
If the plant's pot and soil can drain quickly enough that should really help prevent root rot. You can add pumice, perlite (in the lower part of the pot), very COARSE sand, and pebbles to the soil to help it drain. Even broken packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot. Also enlarge the pot's drain holes. As long as the plant pot isn't sitting directly in the accumulated drain water it may be OK. However, you could also arrange the dripper so the excess water doesn't reach the plant's soil in the first place. I've sometimes used a spray of fake foliage arranged so the water drips over it, and put a perch between the live plant where the cham "lives" and the dripper's foliage.

Thanks for the tips! I was thinking about getting one of these;

http://m.staples.com/Staples-Medium...Plastic-Storage-Drawer-28774-/product_1833570

And just poke a bunch of holes at the top, as well as the bottom section of the reptibreeze. Good idea?
 
If you have decent light and are looking for a small tree, a cat palm would do better with overwatering, because they enjoy water and often have ample roots filling the pot, so no soggy soil suffocating the roots. If you're looking for smaller and lower light plants, spider plants would work for the same reasons as the palm. The advice about increasing the porosity of your mix is excellent. Perilite and pumice can be difficult to find, but lava rock and leca stones are easy to find. Make sure the stones are not in a situation where they can be ingested.
 
If you have decent light and are looking for a small tree, a cat palm would do better with overwatering, because they enjoy water and often have ample roots filling the pot, so no soggy soil suffocating the roots. If you're looking for smaller and lower light plants, spider plants would work for the same reasons as the palm. The advice about increasing the porosity of your mix is excellent. Perilite and pumice can be difficult to find, but lava rock and leca stones are easy to find. Make sure the stones are not in a situation where they can be ingested.

Thank you for the help! I went ahead and bought a shelf and drilled holes for a draining system. Not the best, but still doesent flood the bottom! I just pointed the dripper over one of his vines and let it hit that and drain to the floor. He is kind of a weird drinker. He sits under the dripper to hit his head, and let's it go in his mouth lol.

But for some reason my umbrella plant seems to be dieng. A lot of the bottom leaves are turning brown and falling off. Even after letting the soil dry somewhat. I'm thinking of just buying another plant and using this advice, thanks!
 
Maybe the Schefflera's roots were already damaged or diseased from being overly wet. If you examine the roots you may find they are already rotted. If not, maybe repot it and leave it out of the cage to see if it recovers. They can also self prune the branches that don't get enough light...typically in the lower area of the cage.
 
Back
Top Bottom