To prevent drying out, place all your newly potted plants in a tray that allows approximately 20 mm of water to sit in the bottom. If the tray is deeper than about 20mm, drill holes in the sides so it overflows at 20 mm. Your plants will not dry out as they suck up the water from the base tray. You can water directly into the tray.



If you have a tray with holes in it, place a rectanglar piece of heavy plastic inside the tray base before putting your pot plants in the tray. Make sure the water will overflow at about 20 mm so the plant does not get too much water.



We do this with native trees in New Zealand that require watering from underneath. They never dry out. Maybe you could try this.