Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Let's talk about evaporation and I propose an experiment.
95% of the water used in a container is used by the plant. It does not evaporate until it has been pulled up into the leaves by the roots, and then is cast off as transpiration or water on the leaves. Water does not generally evaporate from the container, even in cloth grow bags. The plant uses the water. If a plant is using water slowly, it is due to the roots not pulling it.
Do an experiment. Take a similar container filled with soil (no plant) and water it to runoff. Using the lift method, let me know in 2-3 weeks if it is still light enough to water again. That is how little evaporates, even if you poke some holes in it with knitting needles.
The poking holes no doubt damaged a few roots, no matter how careful you were, but you did force oxygen deep down into the soil by doing this. This oxygen has reactivated some waterlogged roots, so you are seeing some added vigor. You didn't do much harm when poking the roots, for anything you cut will split into two and keep growing, but there is an easier way to aerate your roots.
Picture the water sitting in your container. Gravity will pull it down as low as it can go, and essentially you end up with a lake under the surface. The top of this lake is a diaphragm that will very effectively suck oxygen down deep into the soil as the water table level falls down to the bottom. Drying the plant all the way to the bottom between waterings is the very most efficient and effective way to pull oxygen down where it is needed... much better than knitting needles.
95% of the water used in a container is used by the plant. It does not evaporate until it has been pulled up into the leaves by the roots, and then is cast off as transpiration or water on the leaves. Water does not generally evaporate from the container, even in cloth grow bags. The plant uses the water. If a plant is using water slowly, it is due to the roots not pulling it.
Do an experiment. Take a similar container filled with soil (no plant) and water it to runoff. Using the lift method, let me know in 2-3 weeks if it is still light enough to water again. That is how little evaporates, even if you poke some holes in it with knitting needles.
The poking holes no doubt damaged a few roots, no matter how careful you were, but you did force oxygen deep down into the soil by doing this. This oxygen has reactivated some waterlogged roots, so you are seeing some added vigor. You didn't do much harm when poking the roots, for anything you cut will split into two and keep growing, but there is an easier way to aerate your roots.
Picture the water sitting in your container. Gravity will pull it down as low as it can go, and essentially you end up with a lake under the surface. The top of this lake is a diaphragm that will very effectively suck oxygen down deep into the soil as the water table level falls down to the bottom. Drying the plant all the way to the bottom between waterings is the very most efficient and effective way to pull oxygen down where it is needed... much better than knitting needles.
