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water Watering

W

wordwiz

Some of my plants (they all have four leaves at this time) seem to be turning yellow. I have them in 3.5 inch tall, nine-ounce cups with holes drilled in the bottom. I know a couple of people suggested keeping them in a ttub with water, but I don't the ability to do that and keep them in lights at this time. But I'm wondering if they are not getting enough water? Would the idea be to water them to the point that water starts coming out the bottom, then not water them for a few days, then repeat the process?

I guess an option would be to place nine of them at a time in a tub of water overnight and rotate all 36 (soon to be 45) plants through of a period of nights.

They are in a room where temps average from about 62 of a night to 75 in the day (maybe a bit higher on very sunny days.

Mike
 
Mike is the dirt moist to your touch ? What kind of dirt do you have them in? Make sure you are not over watering or feeding to much .I do water from the bottom ,In my opinion it the better way . Good luck.
Dan



LET IT BURN
 
Bowhunter,

It's potting soil that has been sifted. It's moist, at least on the top, but the roots go to the bottom of the cup.

Thinking way back, I'm probably underwatering them. Forty years ago, when I was helping dad raise tobacco, the plants were in a "bed" and covered with a canvass. Once the seeds sprouted, dad would keep the ground pretty wet, probably about an inch of water at least twice a week unless it rained.

I'll probably try rotating the cups and see how that works.

Mike
 
it sounds like they are being overwatered, What do those "couple of people" mean by keeping them in a tub of water. Definetly do not keep them in water overnight, it should only take a plant about 10 mins or so to wick up enough water to keep them happy for way more than a few days probably a week. I have about 80 seedlings in a 72 cell tray right now and they have not been watered for 4 days maybe 5. Just because the top of the dirt in the container you have them in is dry does'nt mean it is time to water. I usually water by weight. Fill up a cup with completely dry dirt and feel how much it weighs and compare it to a cup with one of your seedlings in it. If you are using a soiless mix in that nine oz. cup it should have very little weight to it when it is dry. I personally would'nt water until they are showing signs of stress, it makes for much hotter peppers. (so they say). Just a guess but i think from the sounds of your watering regiment you are over watering.

Dale
 
Dale,

I really wasn't watering them very frequently. I'm guessing less than 1.5 ounces of water per time, no more than twice a week.

The truth is, this is all 100 percent new to me. I've always put plants or seeds in the ground then taken care of them as needed.

Mike
 
pics are not that good but you can see how dry these are. I will probably go another day before watering, the cell trays still have some weight to them. Another thing you might want to try is next time you think they need water turn one upside down and pull out the whole thing of dirt it should stay in one piece then you could have some kind of feel for how moist they really are in relation to thier weight.

Dale

DSC00467.jpg
 
I take the guess work totally out of it and i bought a seven dollar moisture meter from home depots' garden section. Basically i see empiracly exactly what podpiper says, when the top of the soil is dry to the touch the bottom can still be soaking wet and if that doesn't have a chance to dry a little between waterings you're roots will eventually rot.
the meter has like a 1 to 10 calibration with 'dry', 'moist' and 'wet' marked, i find peppers like it on the side of moist closer to dry and things like tomatoes like it on the side of moist closer to wet. so it really does sound like you're actually overwatering your plants.
 
It could be. But the thing is I have about 36 plants and have treated them all the same, at least relatively. Same cups, same amount of water, same lights and heat. Some are as green as can be, some are yellow. Though the yellow ones have taken a turn for the better in the last day or so.

Mike
 
Im actually thinking it may be some type of defficiency possibly. Yellow leaves over watering draining out the nutrients maybe, lack of nitrogen possibly, but at such a young age???? My dorset nagas started like that I added trace minerals (general) and some hi N fertiliser and they picked up. Remember when watering make sure the water doesnt drain out the bottom, I water twice a day (I am in a hot climate) but i only water briefly. Ill ask a mate in the know for ya.

Scorp
 
Most of them seem to be holding their own, if not getting greener. I think one problem might have been the lights were too close - they are now about two inches away from the top of the leaves. I've also started using some Miracle Grow in the water, though not at a strong solution.

One good thing is that I still have plenty of time to get healthy plants that I can transplant into their final growing place.

Mike
 
Wordwiz, I do not believe that being to close to the lights would turn them yellow. most of my seedlings are within a 1/2 inch of the lights and will stay that close until I plant them outside.

Dale
 
Wiz: Back about a month ago, he top of one of my little elfs was yellow. I asked a question about it and got some good input. The main thing I did was I started bottom watering. I put about 3/8" of water in the pan I have them all in about 2 times a week. How much water I give them depends on how long I let the fan run. The fan evaportes the water in the pan and the top of the soil becomes drier quicker.

I am a bottom watering believer now.
 
Dale,

Most of my plants were about that far away except for one that grew way faster. If it wasn't touching the light, it was so close that a sheet of paper would not have fit between the leaves and light!

At least I have some idea how moist the soil is. When completely dry, a cup weighs 1.85 ounces. Super saturated, 5.65. I will have some idea how moist the soil is now, though it may take a week or two to even things out, such as whether the majority of moisture in in the bottom or top.

Mike
 
AJ,

I'm going to try bottom watering, though I will still mist the leaves once a week or so. Peppers and other plants love dew of a morning. It's hard to get away from being a dirt farmer after 50 years.

Mike
 
Totally understand Mike... but it is soooooooooo much easier to just pour the water in the bottom of the pan and not worry about splashing on leaves or overwatering the plants...I am truly a convert...
 
AJ,

Just did a little bit of both! Poured water into a pan and set the cups in it. While they were sitting them, I lightly watered the tops, barely enough to wet the soil. Stuck them under the lights and went to the next group. Within about 20 minutes, the leaves had absorbed all the water on them and the top of the cup was looking a bit dry.

At least all the plants except one - a white hab - are getting greener and growing. I will say, I am far more impressed with using plastic cups rather than styrofoam ones.

My best plants, though, are some tomatoes and an eggplant I sowed about two weeks ago. I have to include a Jalapeano also - it's 25 percent larger than any other plant.

It won't be much longer before I have to add another 4' light to the array. I can hardly wait!

Mike
 
I need to get some aluminum pie pans to put my 6" pots in so I can still bottom water them. Everything is in 6" pots except 12 I just planted last week. I want the aluminum so it will match the mylar....lol

Oh yes, I planted the tepin seeds last week. Planted 3 and looked this evening and have three little sets of leaves. I am glad those tepin seeds are good and fertile.
(gone to take pictures)



 
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