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Post by daylilydude on Apr 10, 2018 4:12:43 GMT -5
How do you water your indoor seedlings... only when dry... everyday... whenever you remember... when they wilt... from the top... from the bottom?
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Post by tomike on Apr 10, 2018 5:02:04 GMT -5
Every day from the bottom.....
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 10, 2018 7:05:37 GMT -5
Every day from the top but this since they are small cell packs, this is also when they are dry and I do not get the foliage wet.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 10, 2018 7:15:06 GMT -5
I water them mostly from the bottom in the beginning. Later, when plants are getting larger, and damping off isn't an issue, I water some from the top, especially since some are sucking up water faster than others, and some pots will be drying out faster. I usually lift the trays to estimate when to water - you can tell pretty well how much water is in them by the weight of the trays.
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Post by octave1 on Apr 10, 2018 7:33:50 GMT -5
Both. I water a bit from the top, then add water to the tray just in case. Now that I think about it, perhaps this is too much water.
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Post by paulf on Apr 10, 2018 8:50:42 GMT -5
Mostly from the bottom, but if I neglect for too long, from the top for a quick shot of water.
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Post by ahntjudy on Apr 10, 2018 8:59:12 GMT -5
Haven't perfected the timing of bottom watering as yet...tend to overwater and things get too soggy...
First was using a spray bottle but that got the seedlings too wet even with careful aim... Was also using a plastic pipette but that was time consuming needing a refill or more for each cell...
So I now use the plant designated turkey baster...much quicker... Gets as much water as needed low to the soil and keeps the seedlings dry...
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Post by september on Apr 10, 2018 10:32:57 GMT -5
From the top, as needed while they are small. The top half inch dries out much faster than the bottom, and I'd rather keep the soil evenly moist by light top watering rather than over soaking the roots. I've never had problems with tomato or pepper seedlings damping off.
However, after they put on some size, and if they are starting to get a little root bound prior to transplanting to larger pots or garden, I will flood their tray and dump out any extra water after about 15 minutes. Especially if the soil is starting to pull away from the sides of the pot after being out in the sun for a while.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Apr 10, 2018 10:59:11 GMT -5
Bottom when dry once they have True leaves. Good soak till upper soil is wet.
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Post by guruofgardens on Apr 10, 2018 14:49:48 GMT -5
Top water tiny seedlings when the soil looks dry. Once they're transplanted, bottom water when the end ones are dry and light. Occasionally I'll find a few that need water, so I'll just top water the few
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Post by ladymarmalade on Apr 10, 2018 17:28:26 GMT -5
I used to do bottom watering because it was the "better way" to water plants. Then I had my worst ever damping off, and after that I switched to top watering only.
I water every couple of days- when the soil on top looks nice and dry. I haven't had damping off in my transplanted seedlings since I started watering from the top. I think with the bottom watering, the soil was just getting so saturated and it never really dried out I don't think. Really, it was a prime breeding ground for damping off and other fungal issues.
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Post by september on Apr 10, 2018 22:59:18 GMT -5
I know the prevailing wisdom is for bottom watering, but it has never made much sense to me when the seedlings are small. I grow in cell packs, usually 4 to 8 seeds per individual cell. The various cells dry out at different rates, you can visually see that some get light colored and dry faster, usually those near the sides of the tray, or cells with more seedlings that have germinated earlier and so are using more of the moisture for growth. If you bottom water, you'll be soaking up water in all of them, even the ones that don't need it.
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Post by brownrexx on Apr 11, 2018 8:24:52 GMT -5
I never do bottom watering either and never have a problem. It actually does not even make sense to me. If the spores for the fungus that causes damping off are in the soil already and the soil gets wet either from the top or the bottom then the spores will have the moist environment that they need and they will grow and cause damping off won't they?
I can see not getting the foliage wet but I really don't see an advantage to bottom watering and I can see how it would saturate the soil more than top watering.
So far, I have never had any damping off but I credit this more to using sterile soiless mix and growing in a warm room rather than the way that I water my seedlings. If the spores are not present and there is not a moist and cool environment then the fungus will not grow.
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Post by spacecase0 on Apr 11, 2018 18:59:34 GMT -5
once a day from the top. usually using a fantastic mister that puts out 2 gallons of water a min. no solid drops at all, and it soaks everything. just looked up who made it, and the company is long gone. so I guess I better not loose it.
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