Watering veg in containers

[CADS]

Hi everyone

I'm worried that in the fear of not watering my veg plants enough, I might actually be overwatering them. I'm just not certain how much and when the veg need watering.

I have tomatoes, chillies, peppers, courgettes, dwarf runner beans and dwarf peas, all in containers. I have been watering around the stem every night but the surface of my compost is developing white mould.

Should I water from underneath instead? And how much water? How long should I leave the pots standing in the water?

Sorry, if this seem silly. But I'm getting my knickers in a twist over this.

Thanks
CADS

[muckdiva]

I think you are right to be aware of this - I've just managed to almost kill off a few strawberries I had in pots through overwatering. In this dry spell, I felt the top of the soil which was dry, so gave them plenty more water, but the plants weren't thriving and the leaves had started to go brown at the tips. I decided to transplant them into the garden in the hope they might do better, and discovered the bottom of the compost was completely sodden. I'm surprised the plants survived at all.

I will follow this thread with interest as I'd love to know the best way to ensure adequate water without drowning the poor plants!

[CADS]

Welcome to my club, muckdiva. I don't feel so silly now.

[nick the grief]

Firstly take off your knickers and untwist them ....you'll feel a lot better

I wouldn't water them every night. If possible water them in a morning then you won't suffer soo much with moulds. Also They probably don't need watering every day so tomorrow go and look at themany that are wiltinf put a plant label n top of the pot and leave them then in the morning if the leaves have perked up they are OK, if they are still drooping give them a good drink and then they will be fine.

Eventually the plant will make a good sized root ball and you'll need to water them about every doy or other day then you can pot them up intot he next size pot and carry on as above.

I usually pot my tomatoes, peppers & courgettes up in to 6" pots which is three moves ( pricked out into 3.5", then up to 4.5" then to 6") and I plant them out when they have filled the 6" pot.

If you go straight from a 3" or 3.5" pot into a tub the root ball won't be big enought to anchor the plant or use all teh moisture & food in the compost & you'll end up washing half of it away when you water.

Plants need air to be drawn into the compost as well as water otherwise you drown the roots

Hope this helps

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks Nick - was wondering this myself as I have noticed that small plants in modules or small plants have fared better when I have left them on the dry side.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks Nick, now I've unravelled my underwear I feel much better! Seriously though chuck, your advice is, as usual, invaluable!
Bernie aka Dexterdog

[Geo]

Lift the pot..if heavy..too much water..if light..needs water..

Geo..

[Paulottie]

Hi, don't feel silly, we've all done it. Too much is as bad as too little. in the good old days your first job in the kitchen garden was as pot boy. you spent all winter washing clay pots and all summer tapping the side with a little wooden mallet to see if they needed watering (dull thud-still wet) in these days of plastic it is normal to lift them and guess the weight of the cake. little plants don't use much. I always water from the bottom by standing in a bath (old roasting tin ideal) probably for five minutes. The trick is not to completely let them dry out as multipurpose compost is high in peat(or coconut fibre) which is difficult to re-wet. I tend to prefer a loam based compost-or a mix of the two.

The other golden rule is not to put a tiny plant in a huge pot. The compost will 'sour.' and waterlog

Sorry just got called away... think nick's said it but to save your plants repot in fresh compost not bigger pots and look for little maggots from gnats or rooten roots and stems. Good luck

[Geo]

Hi, don't feel silly, we've all done it. Too much is as bad as too little. in the good old days your first job in the kitchen garden was as pot boy. you spent all winter washing clay pots and all summer tapping the side with a little wooden mallet to see if they needed watering (dull thud-still wet) in these days of plastic it is normal to lift them and guess the weight of the cake. little plants don't use much. I always water from the bottom by standing in a bath (old roasting tin ideal) probably for five minutes. The trick is not to completely let them dry out as multipurpose compost is high in peat(or coconut fibre) which is difficult to re-wet. I tend to prefer a loam based compost-or a mix of the two.

The other golden rule is not to put a tiny plant in a huge pot. The compost will 'sour.' and waterlog

Sorry just got called away... think nick's said it but to save your plants repot in fresh compost not bigger pots and look for little maggots from gnats or rooten roots and stems. Good luck

Nice one..I tap mine with a stone

Geo..

[nick the grief]

.........Seriously though chuck, your advice is, as usual, invaluable........

Awwwww it's so true DDL

[Alice]

Hello Cadz, I think you have probably been over watering in an attempt to make sure water is getting down to the roots. Two points to make here.
I drill holes in the pots around the outside edges near the bottom so that when I water I can see if water is getting right down there and running out.
And I have a moisture metre (thing like a Ph metre) where I can stick the probe in and get a moisture reading. Cost less than £10. It sorts out whether things are just dry on the surface or really needs water. It has saved many a poor plant from a drowning.

[Flummery]

When in doubt, you can always (CAREFULLY) knock it out of its pot and look. Doesn't do the plant as much harm as over/under watering!

[Cutecumber]

I'm a closet over-waterer too (all my clothes are damp )

I have improved, though, over the years - you learn to restrain yourself after a few near-death experiences!

My feeling is that I have reacted against my mother's bad habit of under-watering...

[shirlthegirl43]

If I am worried that the surface soil looks too dry, I stick my finger into the pot to see if it is damp lower down.

[sez]

I suffered a little bit from this problem last year with my pots.
This year i'm, as said before, sticking a finger in and checking if its damp lower down. I've put plenty of holes + crocks in the bottom for drainage, and a cut-off plastic bottle is sunk into the compost, which i water into instead of onto the soil. Seems to be doing the trick so far (and i think having less moisture at the surface is also helping to minimise slugs!).