water Watering

[pwb]

This is my chilli lime plant, its in a 5gal pot. 1,5-2" down in the soil the soil is dry, i think its dry all the way, but the plant dont show any sign that it need water? Should i still wait for the plant to drop or should i water them? Attached a video to show the soil on this plant (its 75MB)
 
 

 

 

 

 

[geeme]

A slight droop is the sign that the plant needs to be watered. Alternately, even if they haven't drooped yet, if the leaves soften the next step is drooping, so you might as well water if you feel the leaves have softened. Those happen to look happy, like they are not in immediate need of water at all. 
 
You can avoid letting the plants get soft or droop by using the weight method. First, when you water, water thoroughly letting the water flow through the drain holes. THis way you will know the soil is thoroughly moist. When you're done and the water has finished coming out the holes, just lift the pot slightly off the ground and notice how heavy it is. When the leaves soften or droop, lift it again, and this time notice how much lighter the pot is from when you first watered it, then go ahead and water it again. It is this weight difference that you are looking for - when it is almost as light as it is when the leaves soften or droop, go ahead and water. In the future, you won't need to let the leaves soften or droop, just judge the weight as close. You may, however, want to go through a couple cycles of letting the leaves soften or droop to become more familiar with the weight difference.

 

[Zoli]

It looks perfectly fine, I'd wait for it. I think you encourage deeper/wider root growth by watering only when the plant needs it.

 

[Geonerd]

If the deeper soil is bone dry, I'd water now.
Or wait until the plant sags, I don't think it will matter much...
 
But, when you do water, give it a proper drench.  You want a little to soak all the way through and come out the bottom of the pot.

 

[geeme]

I'll add one more thing - sometimes when the soil is very dry it takes a bit to get it to actually soak up the water - the water coming out of the drainholes could simply be going down the sides of the pot without getting the mass of soil wet. Be sure to water such that the entire pot is moistened.

 

[Geonerd]

I'll add one more thing - sometimes when the soil is very dry it takes a bit to get it to actually soak up the water - the water coming out of the drainholes could simply be going down the sides of the pot without getting the mass of soil wet. Be sure to water such that the entire pot is moistened.

 
Yea, make sure all the soil is wetted.  Depending on the soil, a pot that size might take 4+ liters of water.

 

[pwb]

4 liter? I have used to give 1 liter before its drip out of the bottom, but maybe its like geeme wrote that the soil is to dry to hold water. I will try to get more water in the soil.

 

[Swampy_NZ]

4 liter? I have used to give 1 liter before its drip out of the bottom, but maybe its like geeme wrote that the soil is to dry to hold water. I will try to get more water in the soil.

Get a wetting agent.I had the same problem with mine.I would water and it would all flow out the bottom and when i dug into the soil it was still bone dry.I bought some stuff you sprinkle around the plant and then water in.Worked really well and now all the soil waters evenly.

 

[Dave2000]

I'll add one more thing - sometimes when the soil is very dry it takes a bit to get it to actually soak up the water - the water coming out of the drainholes could simply be going down the sides of the pot without getting the mass of soil wet. Be sure to water such that the entire pot is moistened.

 
This happens to me regularly during the 2nd month in pots, though it probably has as much to do with rising summer temperatures as which month.  The soil dries and contracts away from the side of the pot. 
 
I counteract this by adding some soil in a sloped up layer around the perimeter of the pot and slightly packing that down.

 

[AlabamaJack]

If I could make a recommendation....drill a hole on the very bottom of the side of the pot....then stick your finger in at the very bottom to check the moisture there....that is where  you need the moisture....most of the roots for that plant look like they are deep...and you don't want to overwater...if you don't check the moisture at the bottom of the pot, IMO you are making a mistake...