Watering and my attempt to pick your brains

[Chesh]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and this my first post, so be gentle with me.

I tried for the first time a few years ago at growing my own in bags with not much success. Carrots were fine, potatoes were more like a wedge each, the spring onion was like chives and don't even ask about the onion mush!

I came to the conclusion that I think I over watered things but only watered when it seemed try.

This kind of put me off for a few years but now am trying again. I haven't got much space so bought a small shelved structure greenhouse with a plastic covering a few weeks ago. So I'm looking in almost every night and am like oh it seems dry they need a water, but memory takes me back a few years and it makes me wonder does it really or am I falling into the too much watering bracket again.

I am only using a small spray bottle on purpose too so that I try and keep this down.

So my question really is how much watering is enough especially if the soil in the pots and trays does look dry.

I want to make a go of it as the other half may be persuaded into agreeing to me getting an allotment if I show I can do at home

[WendyC]

Watering can be tricky. I tend to go on what the weight of a pot feels like as often the surface can be dry but plenty moist enough a few millimetres down. Try standing your tray or pot in a saucer of water for 5 minutes, it will soak up all it needs. Now feel the weight of it and use it to judge whether pots need watering.

[scarey55]

Hello, and welcome to the Vine

Wendy is right, watering can be a nightmare and you do need to water from below rather than above. If you have pots, you can get a feel for when they need watering by weight but, as a rule, I don't water my plants unless they are crawling across the desert croaking water...water It is probably a bit more difficult if you are using growbags and I am wondering if you had too much water in one place and not an even spread.
Keep at it, it does get easier

[johnjohn]

Welcome Chesh. ^^^^^^^What they said^^^^^^^

But...... if you add your location it would help- If your in the Algarve or Africa the answer is going to be different!

(sorry couldn't resist)

[Chesh]

Thanks everyone I will bear all that in mind

@johnjohn unfortunately not in the Algarve or Africa

[johnjohn]

Thanks everyone I will bear all that in mind

@johnjohn unfortunately not in the Algarve or Africa

Midlands is good though, me too!

What have you got under cover that your watering? I think the spray bottle is a great idea at the moment btw.

[Chesh]

Ive sown in two stages.....

Stage one was 2 and a half weeks ago
Radishes, they are comimg up nicely although i may need to thin them out slightly.
Iceberg lettuce - they have started to come through with the tiniest of shoots.
Mangtout - the very first sign of two little shoots were spoted yesterday
Cucbers - nothing at all
Peppers and mint nothing as well

Stage two was on sunday
Tomatos and moe peppers nothing yet
Strawberries nothing yet
Little gem lettuces signs they were starting to come through
Spring onions nothing yet
Basil, chive, corriander and parsley nothing yet for any of those
.

[johnjohn]

If your covered staging is outside you might consider bringing the cucumbers, peppers, toms and basil indoors to germinate to get a bit more warmth. None of my tomatoes or cucumber plants are outside over night yet but they will be shortly but they were all germinated in the house.

[Paul Bromley]

As a beginner, watering for me was and is the biggest issue I have faced. If someone could sell bottled years of experience they would make a fortune, my plants have ranged from desert dryness to swamp conditions thankfully most of them have been tolerant to my hamfistedness ! I did get the watercress right though !!

Mainly as a result of my ineptness and the fact I have to be away from time to time I invested in the self watering pots thingies from various sources, my plants are happier now when I don't go near them and leave them to water themselves, I think they cringe when I get home ! Whether what I spent was worth it time will tell, but for now she likes to see the greenhouse green.

[Jeanied]

If you are watering things in pots, you could try putting the pot into a dish of water and letting it soak up what it can - then taking it out of the dish and draining. Then you won't flood from the top.

[Ja9]

Your herbs might need some heat too to germinate. Watering by weight of the pot will tend to come with experience. It's very easy to overwater and I have killed plants that way too.stick your finger into the soil and if it's dry a cm or so down and the pot feels light give it a soak from underneath. I usually give mine a good water after sowing then leave it apart from misting until the seeds have germinated.good luck Chesh

[Two_Sheds]

Cucbers - nothing at all
Peppers
Tomatos

These could all do with a heated propagator to get them germinated. Once they are up, they can go in (slightly) cooler and (a lot) brighter conditions

[Alison]

These could all do with a heated propagator to get them germinated. Once they are up, they can go in (slightly) cooler and (a lot) brighter conditions

You'd get away well with even a basic plastic cover (dead cheap ) at this time of a year (although a heated one would be quicker). I only really use additional heat for the stuff I sow back in Jan / Feb but do have a quite warm utility room. As said, it could take forever outside.


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[Kristen]

You'd get away well with even a basic plastic cover (dead cheap )

I use a plastic bag (really dead cheap ). I haven't put anything in a heated propagator this year - rearranging garage into kitchen and "usual spaces" all in turmoil ... so I have selected sites around the house that are 30C (boiler), 25C (top of microwave, and catches morning sun which elevates the temperature nicely), 20C (home office) and 15C (back bedroom) and I have just put the bags-of-pots-of-seeds in the place with temperature closest to ideal for that plant's germination.

[Chesh]

Cheers everyone think I'll bring the bits you all mentioned inside tomorrow and see how they go