Watering young plants/seedlings

[rary]

How do you water your young plants or seedlings, in the greenhouse my plants are usually sitting on cappilary matting and are watered by adding water to the matting, I moved French runner beans into the cold frame and thought they needed some water and as I had the hose out I gave them a drink, now some of the leaves look a bit the worse the wear, the look as if they are either burnt by the bright sun touching them while wet or chilled by the cold water hitting them this morning, no doubt I will know what caused the change in due course, but was wondering how others water their young plants in a cold frame

[veggiechicken]

I wouldn't use a hose on seedlings - much too vicious. Watering can with a "rose" is my preference and only early morning or evening.

[Mark_Riga]

I've got 3 watering cans small, medium and large depending on the size of the plant and the pot it's in.

[nickdub]

I use a watering can without a rose mostly - I try to keep water off the leaves though, and if the seedlings are really small I soak the container they are in from underneath.

[Logunner]

1ltr plastic bottle with several 1mm holes drilled in the lid. I fill a few and store in the greenhouse so they get a warm bath...

[Penellype]

I usually water from underneath, either via capillary matting or a drip tray. For seedlings that are in the ground or larger containers (eg carrots) I use a can with a rose.

[Jungle Jane]

I put my 3” & 5” pots on a large tray & add water with a watering can,no rose or it would spray to wide for my need. Then they drink for a few minutes & I put them in the grow tent,top shelf first so they don’t drip all over each other. It takes a long time but my shelves are on top of each other,I don’t want them to drip on each other yet,when they’re harder they can take that kind of thing but they’re so young at the mo. I accidentally put my tomatoes out on a cold day a couple of weeks ago & I was out,I couldn’t get home to save them,half are fine but half have shrivelled lower leaves,I’m hoping they’ll be alright although the growths stopped,they might be alright soon. I gave them some seaweed feed to get them excited about nutrients.

[rary]

I wouldn't use a hose on seedlings - much too vicious. Watering can with a "rose" is my preference and only early morning or evening.

Should have said the hose had a watering lance fitted to it and it was set on spray, that's why I think that there is a possibility that the water was too cold

[fishpond]

Hi Rary
imho, I would say the water was too cold as I think sunscorch due to water droplets is a myth.
But in this weather sunscorch /overheating is a problem without the water droplets.----water droplets adding nothing to the equation.

[nickdub]

Whatever your method of getting water in to the pots I would say that its better to have the water at room temperature first. I always have a tank of water in any GH or PT where I can fill at least a couple of watering cans by dipping them in it. Usually I have a hose feeding this tank from a larger outside butt which collects rainwater, in a dry period I fill the butt with a hose from the mains. In my newest PT I have an old trug as the indoor tank, an 80 gallon drum as the butt and plans to link in two 1000L IBC's as long term rainwater storage - no need for pumps BTW gravity feed works fine once you have a siphon set-up.

[Small pumpkin]

I have a selection of watering cans kept full in the polytunnel. And that's where the pampering stops I'm afraid. I don't have any matting and they're not sat in drip trays. They get watered from the top. Same as they would if they were growing outside and their only water was from the sky. If they are in individual pots I do avoid the plant until they get to a certain size. And if anything does get flattened I stand it up again. It works for me.




You can all stop cringing now

[veggiechicken]

Watering cans in the GHs for me too. Refilled from the rainwater butts and left to warm up in there.
I'm a haphazard waterer, as you would expect, and usually ended up wetter than the plants.
Seedlings are in trays, so they can be moved around easily.

[bramble]

I fill up 2 litre bottles with water and leave them I the greenhouse.
When I need to use them they are never completely cold.

[fishpond]

45 gall water drum in greenhouse.
Automatic windows in top of greenhouse where the Squirrel got in and wrecked the inside of the Greenhouse last year, before it decided to go for a bath in the drum and couldnt get out again.
Now buried under an apple tree.
Surprising how much water you get through in a few days.

[rary]

I have 5 watering cans and a 10 gallon drum in the greenhouse to take the chill off the water for using inside but do you use the water from the greenhouse to water plants you are hardening off outside