Beginner Gardening: Help With Diagnosing Problem, 0 by tapla

tapla wrote:
The problems associated with soils that require you to water in sips to eliminate the probability of root rot are the salt accumulations associated with the practice and how to eliminate the salts (and over-watering, of course). Obviously, the best remedy is to use a soil that drains better so you can water correctly. Watering correctly means to saturate the soil completely, and then some, so that at least 10-20% of the water you applied exits the pot. Many will scream bloody murder about the extra effort .... and that their plants are too big .... and a dozen other complaints, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the best way to water ..... and if your soil doesn't allow you to water that way, you should probably be looking for a soil that DOES.

You can insert a wick into a drain hole and let it dangle below the pot after you water. The wick 'fools' the excess water into 'thinking' the pot is deeper than it actually is. Water from the soil moves down the wick, 'looking' for the bottom of the pot and gets pushed off the bottom of the wick by the additional water moving down behind it. You can water to saturation + 20%, then tilt the pot at a 45* angle. Try this .... after your pots stop draining, tip them and see how much additional water drains from the pot. It's very helpful in draining excess water from heavy soils.

You can hold your pots at chin ht over the sink after watering. Move the pot downward toward the sink, then reverse the direction sharply upward. This uses Newton's Law of Motion to drain excess water from the pot as you reverse directions. You can remove almost all excess water this way if your pots are small enough.

Al