root bound or not root bound... advice on potting on plants

[Florence Fennel]

When I came home from work today I realised that the tomato plants on my bedroom windowsill had not been watered since last weekend. The sun on the windows today had made the leaves start to shrivel and they were really wilting so much I thought I might lose them. I watered them about three hours ago and they are now upright. Their recovery is a joyous event, it's amazing how resilient they are. I'm trying not to overwater this year as I drowned a fair few plants last year(I managed something of a harvest with the help of two darlings on here). I've been growing tomatoes for a few years now, but still learning! Those plants look healthy Sarico so you're doing something right, carry on

[Two_Sheds]

good tip that but when you water from the bottom the top look still dry..

... which is fine. It's the roots that drink the water, not the surface of the soil.

Keeping your soil dry at the surface is a GOOD thing. It reduces moulds & fungi, fungus gnats & other problems.
A dry surface soil acts as a mulch, keeping the lower-down soil nice and moist.


Honestly ~ most plants die of over-watering than underwatering

[Alison]

Honestly ~ most plants die of over-watering than underwatering

Speaking at somebody who is rubbish at watering and regularly leave stuff a bit long between at this time of year I can confirm that I don't loose many plants.

[Sarico]

Thanks to everyone. Anyway I check 3time a day my plants so if I see that the plant is start to wilt will be only for a bit considered that I check them at 10 am (when i put them in the blowaway) 5pm (when I put them inside before go to work) 10 pm (when I'm back from work wile I wait for the kettle for my cup of tea) this make me feel much better

[veggiechicken]

I left mine for 12 days last week and they've all recovered!

[zazen999]

Thanks to everyone. Anyway I check 3time a day my plants so if I see that the plant is start to wilt will be only for a bit considered that I check them at 10 am (when i put them in the blowaway) 5pm (when I put them inside before go to work) 10 pm (when I'm back from work wile I wait for the kettle for my cup of tea) this make me feel much better

If I checked all my seedlings 3 times a day I'd never get any work done. 3 times a week, at best!

Do you think maybe - you should stop checking them and just leave them inside for a few days to dry out a little?

[singleseeder]

I left mine for 12 days last week and they've all recovered!

Blimey VC, that's the sort of week I want; one with 12 days. I'd get so much more done.

[veggiechicken]

I knew when I wrote it, it wasn't right! Couldn't think how else to say it though
I never know which day of the week it is, so if there are 12 days I wouldn't be at all surprised!!

[Maccabee]

I poke my finger into the soil to about 2cm. If it's dry i water*, if not i don't. I'm probably still overwatering but i've never had any plants die from it.

* from the top, because i can't be bothered faffing around watering from the bottom. Plants usually get water from the sky anyway, right?

[singleseeder]

I thought in the dim and distant past (or perhaps I dreamt it), that I read that watering from the top on dry soil took air into the soil as it percolated down. This was a good thing.

Anyone heard of this?

[Two_Sheds]

^ nope!

There should be air pockets in the compost anyway, because there will be tiny gaps between the particles.
What you get with compaction, ie if tractors repeatedly drive over the same bit of ground, is the particles getting crushed smaller & smaller and the air pockets disappearing: water won't drain and plant roots can't penetrate

[Two_Sheds]

Plants usually get water from the sky anyway, right?

they do, yes.
but "in the wild" conditions are different to how they are in a container: drainage is deeper and air/wind is constantly circulating to dry out the soil surface

[zazen999]

As we are on the topic...

As taught to me on my horticulture course.

Plants need their soil to have:
25% air
25% water
45% soil [equal parts sand, silt clay]
5% organic material

With compost, that organic material is very high - hence having to feed as in soil, the nutrients ideally are in the clay.

So, if your pots are kept wet all the time, where are they getting the air from? They need to be watered but they do not need to be constantly wet. There should be enough in the compost in weather like this to sustain the plant for a few days, if you are watering every day then they aren't drawing any air into the soil. Unless they are water plants like celery of course. But anything else - give them some air!

[Sarico]

If I checked all my seedlings 3 times a day I'd never get any work done. 3 times a week, at best!

Do you think maybe - you should stop checking them and just leave them inside for a few days to dry out a little?

i know as i said in an other post that maybe taking care so much i will kill them... anyway today i only put them outside ih the blowaway because i don't have space inside. i stop water them now until moday (my next day off)... i think though that my basil plant is dead.. is not a big deal because i have more already in the propagator and i notice that is better leave them in module cell longer before transplant...

[Newton]

I check mine 3 times a day too sarico........it's exiting!