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water Pots and watering

W

wordwiz

This is more of a task than I expected. I watered some plants decently last night and they are drooping today , more droop than is normal on a hot (90 degree) day. Once again, they are in a tub, soaking up water.

I'm thinking that during the fair - while most of them are on display of tilling up some of the garden and raking the dirt to the side. Keep doing this until I have a trench that is at least eight inches deep. When I bring the plants back, set them in the trench and rake the dirt around the pots.

This won't stop the evaporation process but it should slow it down considerably. I would like to get to where I only need to water once a week, once every five days if the heat reaches triple digits.

Mike
 
I am having to water every day...sometimes twice...I would love to get to where I could just water every 3 days but with 35-40% humidity and 100F days I don't think that will be possible. I am letting the grass grow around my pots to try and insulate them from the sun...I am going to HD in a few minutes to get a soaker hose and see if that will reduce the hand watering I am doing...I "deep" watered Friday evening and it took me 3 1/2 hours...
 
I water my plants from the top, in containers, I have a couple inch's between the soil level to the container edge & I just spray on shower mode until its full & let the water soak into the soil. & likewise I only need to water about every 3 days or maybe once a week if we get some rain.

as for bottom watering I just dont see the soil where most of the roots are getting enough water, or you'd have to put the containers in water basically up to the top edge of the container, seems like too much work if ya ask me vs just spraying them with the hose. but bottom watering I can understand when they are small seedlings but not for a well rooted grown plant.
 
chilihunter,

Watering from the top seems to not allow water to soak into the area of the dirt where the roots are. I should have done a better job of taping holes closed - as it is, when I water them, a large percentage of it runs out the sides and bottom. I've gone back and forth, making sure each pot has more than enough water (three-four watering each) but the next day, they are dry.

Bottom watering is a PITA, but not that hard. Pick the plant up, set it in a tub of water, go drink 1/3 a beer, come back and replace it. By the time I get to 32-36 plants, it does become a little bit of a chore keeping the plants in a straight line!

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Watering from the top seems to not allow water to soak into the area of the dirt where the roots are. I should have done a better job of taping holes closed - as it is, when I water them, a large percentage of it runs out the sides and bottom.
Click to expand...


this depends on how much you let the soil dry out. if I let my soil dry out alot then the soil shrinks some & creates space between the container & soil, then yes water runs freely to the side & out the bottom holes.
BUT if you notice the soil is this dry just take your fingers & move some soil to the edges to fill those cracks & then water, you'll have water standing in the containers & then it slowly soaks into the soil & deep, & if by chance that plant needs more water come back to it & water it again after watering the others.

plus if you keep on a regular watering regimen the soil should stay moist enough to prevent the soil shrinking to a point where it creates this space that allows water to freely flow out the bottom holes.



wordwiz said:
Bottom watering is a PITA, but not that hard. Pick the plant up, set it in a tub of water, go drink 1/3 a beer, come back and replace it. By the time I get to 32-36 plants, it does become a little bit of a chore keeping the plants in a straight line!

Mike
Click to expand...

again IMO it sounds like way too much work vs just standing there with beer in hand & hosing the plants :lol: & no need to move any plants for watering so you can enjoy your beer :D
 
CH,

It sounds like a simple fix but when I try it, the soil runs out the side. Perhaps I need to use something like peat to line the sides?

Mike
 
WW - I dont know but what I say it might be different for you because of the soil I/you use. what I said works for me & its just garden soil thrown into the containers, at 1st they dried out really good & cracked like a dried out lake in AZ, & even 2 days ago I had some of my plants w/.25-.5" thick stems wilt over bad & just give'em a good soaking & they're good to go for awhile (plan not to water them until maybe tuesday ? & it was friday night I saw them like that)

but then again the soil I'm using is a sandy loam w/some rich blk dirt w/compost & fert's added to it, in short its been worked to produce better than what it was plain.
 
Perlite and/or vermiculite is great to mix in with your container soil(especially the top layer) since it doesn't crust up or shrink like peat or soils.
 
wordwiz said:
chilihunter,
Pick the plant up, set it in a tub of water, go drink 1/3 a beer, come back and replace it. By the time I get to 32-36 plants, it does become a little bit of a chore keeping the plants in a straight line!

Mike
Click to expand...
:lol::lol::lol:
 
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