Should i water from bottom or top?

[hero4u]

Hello.  I have heard that the correct way to water a soil plant is to fill the tray they are sitting on and let them take the water in from the bottom.  I have also heard that regular watering from the top directly into the soil i better?  Which way if correct and more efficient?  Thanks!

[Panama Jack]

Bottom watering can be a way to reduce algae if it's an issue.
Depending on the aeration of your soil it can be good to rotate top and bottom waterings.
If you have deep saucers you can also avoid watering by hand often by fullying watering from the top; avoiding drainage from the bottom, and then fill your saucer, this way when the pot begins to dry the bottom of the pot will absorb the water in the saucer, beware of the rise in humidity though.
Also, watch for build up of residual salts/fertilizer in your saucers. 

[Restorium2]

You need to water from the top or the top soil would be stagnant. When you water you need to water enough to wet all the soil from top to bottom. A perfect watering would allow a little into the drip pan so that when the plant sucks that up it brings in added oxygen. 

[hero4u]

Thanks! 

[Wild Bill]

I water from the bottom if I'm going out of town. Just set them in a pan of water and you don't have to worry about them drying out while you're gone.

[hero4u]

thats a great idea!  Thanks! 

[Kingdiamond]

I have always watered from the top down and have never heard of anyone watering from the bottom catch disk?

[Restorium2]

Where you water is where the roots will be healthy. If you only get the top wet then there will only be roots up top. If you only get the bottom wet there will only be roots down there. If you wet it all there will be healthy roots everywhere. If you water by the saucer all your top roots will die and the plant will be weakened. It would be ok to water by the saucer near the end of the bloom cycle, earlier in the grow will limit your harvest.