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Do You Water Correctly?

Category: Watering Plants Correctly | Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:48 pm

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One of the hardest things to do in gardening is knowing how to water correctly. There are many different variables, aside from your knowledge or lack there of, that will contribute to a plant's drinking rate. Some of these affecting variables are: size of the container, what the container is made of, drain holes in the container, air space, wind, sun, shade, temperature, growing medium, and the size of the plant.

To start off, we want to make sure that our plants are potted correctly in the selected container. I'll do another blog in the future on potting correctly. The main point here is that the soil line should stop below the top of the container leaving a space from the top. This space that is left contributes to the plant being watered correctly. If the soil level is too high such as being level with the top of the container it is planted in, the plant will never get watered correctly and the risk is higher for the roots to start growing near the surface due to the water hanging out at the top layers of soil. In turn, these roots, instead of being well beneath the soil surface, are now at risk from being burned by the sun.

So we know where to bring our soil level to. But what kind of soil do we use? Or should we use a soilless mixture? The consistency of the growing medium will affect the plants drinking rate. I prefer to use non bark soilless mixtures when planting annuals in containers. Bark mixes are too acidic and will eventually turn the foliage on the annuals to a yellow color. However, douse bark mixes for perennials.

Soilless mixtures are much lighter than your typical garden soils. When bone dry, a soilless mixture is super light like dust; one could sneeze and it would blow everywhere. This has its advantages. A soilless mixture will go from being fully saturated to drying out in a much quicker time frame than a garden soil. If you are liquid feeding, one could incorporate this after every two wet/dry cycles of the container. So look at it this way…if you are setting your potted container in an area that may be slightly shaded, not too windy, not too hot, go for the soilless mixture. It will dry out quicker and lessen the risk for CROWN ROT from being too wet for a sustained period of time. If the container is perhaps on a roof top—the weather can be very hot and windy which will speed up the plants drinking or dry out the soil much quicker. You may want to use a mix of a soilless mixture with a garden soil. Garden soils will hold onto their water much longer.

You have to be very careful with garden soils though. Because they can be heavy and sometimes clay like, a soilless mixture trumps it. For a plant to get bigger, its roots prefer a growing medium that allows the roots to easily spread and grow..not struggle in the environment of a heavy clay soil. Growth can then be very stagnant or halted. The risk of over saturation runs high and your plant(s) remain water logged for days. Not good.

The container size should carefully be selected. Like knowing your child, learn to know your plants. They all have different drinking rates, especially when at full growth. I'm not going to take a 2 inch Petunia plug and plant it in a container that has a diameter of 30 inches. It would never get watered correctly. The container would either stay wet for a prolonged period of time or dry out from being underwatered.

After having a good idea of your plant's drinking rate and the size container it will go in, the ideal to strive for would be to have the container go from being fully saturated to almost bone dry in 2.5 days max. Keep in mind that clay or terra cotta pots will also affect the water rates as they absorb water! Wind, direct sun, circulating air all diminish or quicken the drying out rate!

Now here is the key, when it is time to water, one should fully saturate the container—this means the growing medium should be fully wet from top to bottom. If a soilless mixture is being used, notice the weight difference when wet verses bone dry. Also note that if the container accidentally dries out, soilless mixtures will have to be watered a few times in sequence as the first two times, the water will run right out of the container….remember full saturation.

Now if we lined up our marbles correctly (is that how it's said?..I'm still young and don't know those old sayings) the container should be almost dry in 2.5 days. At that point, we can fully saturate the container again.

Don't fall into the trap of "oh I have to water everyday" just because the plants is there. If it is an overcast cloudy day, DON'T WATER. There are no high demands being put on the plants. Watering on overcast cloudy days just increases the risk for BOTRYTIS and CROWN ROT.

Now if our containers were clear and see through, this would all make better sense. When fully saturated, one would see the saturated soil. As the water gets used up by the plant(s), one would be able to see this. Mistakes are often made when "the grower" notices the top, say 2 inches of the container's soil line is dry. More water is then added and creates over watering because "the grower" failed to detect that from 4 inches to the bottom, the container was saturated.

Also when watering, don't water like a madman. I often see many practically killing their plants from the stream of a garden hose that is too much. Water at the soil line. Flowers can get bruised and discolored from water. Additionally, petals get knocked off, fall and stick to the foliage which starts to create that wonderful environment for BOTRYTIS.

Incorporate your liquid feedings whenever. Just make sure that your container is fully saturated first. I've played with some super phosphate ferts mixed at high ratios and always had desirable results.

Time for breakfast. Please feel free to ask questions if you have any.


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