I'm missing something very basic about watering containers

13 years ago

Hello all,

I'm at a loss. I live in Mexicali which is 9b/10 desert heat and moved here in June and have just pure containers. Everything obviously is not established since I planted everything just recently.

I think I was actually watering too much. I had a banana in in a container with soil (too heavy I think) and it had leaves and so I watered it frequently and it did fine. It got moved inadvertently to full sun and lost all it's leaves. Now I feel like it's gonna rot as it's not growing and there's no leaves. Now I realize it probably doesn't need near as much water as it did as there's no leaves for evapotranspiration.

I have a hibiscus and it's growing, I'm waiting a bit to water but then a couple bottom leaves yellow and I think I'm waiting too long.

I have seedlings and I don't know if I can rot them too. I realize if I wait too long to water, I kill the seedlings, but I don't want them to rot either.

I have a moisture gauge but I've read that they don't work well and the I don't trust the finger test. I have no idea what to do. I feel I'm missing a basic tenant in watering or gardening in general.

I'm sure it would be much easier if it weren't so hot and if I could plants in the ground. But I know people have success even in the heat so please help!!

BTW, next time, I'm going to use much lighter soils for the banana and the hibiscus.

I just wish I felt more confident about knowing when to water and when to hold off!

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Comments (5)

col_sprg_maters
13 years ago
Differnt weather, different situations, different plant size ....all mean different watering needs; it is not a one size fits all.

A recently transplanted tomato plant will get pretty drenched to make it easy for the roots to get what they need. Of course a recently rained on pot may not get any additonal water. Great big healthy fruiting plants in the desert will get more water than smaller plants in lower temperatures. And sprouting from Seeds is a special situation.

The point is you need to know what the plant needs versus what the plant has, then things fall into place. Its not that hard, but not paying attention to this will make for some unhelathy plants with not too many tools in the old tool box.

I can understand your distrust of moisture meters, but again if one understand their limitations they can be useful;but I do not understand your distrust of the finger test.

Get 4 pots- 3 with drainholes and a moisture meter. fill the pots with different kinds of mix, water 3 well, wait a few hours then come back and stick your finger and the meter in the different pots. this should give you a bit of an understanding of too wet, too dry and kinda right. Now your finger is kind of calibrated. If you dont want to use your finger get a 12inch log 1/4" threaded steel rod, and use this to push down in the pot and bring up soil samples from 6 inches below the surface.

anyway just some ideas to take some mystery out of the water game.

d
jardinerowa
Original Author
13 years ago
d,

Thanks for the reply. I will try the 4 pot/compare wetness idea, that sounds good.
Just to clarify, I know that all plants have different watering needs based on many things and that itself is probably the biggest reason why I'm frustrated; I try to take that into account and adjust for different plants and still have problems.
As far as the finger test, I just don't know how far down to check and how far to put the moisture gauge.
Thanks again.

Z
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col_sprg_maters
13 years ago
"Root level" is the term seen bantered around.

me, baby plant = 1 knuckle,

medium 2 knuckles

biggie- third knuckle

monster--- looking for a wooden stick

I asked an employee at the nursery about using a meter, she said that she did not use a meter because "she always knew where her finger was"......

d
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
I think you'll find the thread I'm linking you to very helpful. It talks about the water/media relationship in containers and how it's affected by physical factors. It should also help you to distill any specific questions you have about your watering habits.

If anyone has a link to Kristi's "Watering 101" thread saved - would you please post it? There is a lot of good information in that thread.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: More help
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
13 years ago
Google "Soil Sleuth." This is a cheap little substitute for a finger, much longer, and it aerates the soil while it tells you the moisture. You could probably notch a dowel, and make one easily! It's my favorite container tool.

Also, Al made up a mix for desert dwellers, and it works really good for my containers here in the low southern California desert. It drains well, and also retains water. My plants are thriving in it.

I lost the link to the thread, but here is the recipe:

For 100+ degree Desert Heat:
4 parts Turface
3 parts bark
2 parts crushed Gran I Grit
1 part vermiculite
Plant a little high, and after the planting is established, mulch heavily with crushed granite.

1 Tbsp gypsum per gallon of soil

I'm missing something very basic about watering containers

Comments (5)

col_sprg_maters

jardinerowa
Original Author

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I'm missing something very basic about watering containers

Comments (5)

col_sprg_maters

jardinerowaOriginal Author

Related Discussions

col_sprg_maters

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

jardinerowa
Original Author