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- #21
ColonelBlake
Well-Known Member
Hi Emilya,You really need to get a handle on this watering thing and let them dry down to the bottom of the containers in veg. Since sticking your finger in the top 3 or 4 inches of a 20g pot isnt going to tell you much, you need a better tool. Thank goodness for old school gardening tricks!
Get you a nice soft wood dowel stick and use it as a dipstick to see where your water table is in those containers. A dipstick can help you to easily track the fall of the water table into the last inch of the container, and then you will know when it is time to water. Going by a set time schedule of watering every so many days is NOT the way to do this thing... you need to adjust to what the plants need instead. Watch your wet/dry cycle and track it on a chart, and you will then know which plants are thriving by needing water every 2 or 3 days vs one that is struggling that takes a week to drain the container. Also, never let a plant in a huge container go more than 3 days without giving the top spreader roots a mini watering... just enough to soak into the first 3 or 4 inches... you know... where your finger was checking things out. As it turns out, your finger method does have a purpose, but it is specific to the top roots that you are fingering, and not indicating a need for a complete, or as I say, a proper watering.
Would a 1/4" - 1/2" dia wooden dowel do the job? Should I put one in each plant and keep them in the plant at all time ( only remove to check water level )? I just want to make sure I understand you correctly.
Thank-you in advance?