Watering

Discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category.
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DaveW
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Watering

Post by DaveW »

Interesting idea on another cactus site. A flat stone on the top of the soil as a watering guide?

"Succulents should never be given just 'dribbles' of water .. or watered when the owner thinks the plant hasn't been watered for a while and feels guilty for neglecting it .. or watered on a weekly or monthly schedule. The plants need to be thoroughly watered when they need it. By thoroughly watered I mean watered until the water runs out the bottom of the pot. The water needs to reach all the roots in the pot otherwise some of those roots will dry up and die. Repeated die-off of the roots from lack of water (drying up) or too much water (rotting off) will stress the plant and set it back from growing normally and could also affect whether or not the plant flowers. If this happens over and over again you sooner than later have a very weak plant which will eventually die or be open to all sorts of disease and pest problems.

After thorough watering, excess water in the pot saucer should then be discarded. When the plant needs to be watered the next time is only when the soil has almost but not entirely dried out. You can either use a pH meter to test the moisture in the soil or as I have suggested many times before, find a flat stone and put it on the surface of the soil. When you lift it, if there is moisture under it, it is not time to water again. If the area is dry it is time to water again."
jmoney
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Re: Watering

Post by jmoney »

Interesting idea.
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greenknight
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Re: Watering

Post by greenknight »

I've been using that method for years, I've mentioned it several times on these forums. For plants that need drier conditions I wait a bit longer before watering, but for something like an Echinopsis that's the time to water.
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george76904
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Re: Watering

Post by george76904 »

Yup, I picked that trick up (probably from the same site) about a year ago. It works great!
aklaum
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Re: Watering

Post by aklaum »

Sounds like a good trick. Would this work on a pure pumice/dg mix? I have a moisture meter that works great on my regular plants. Anyone know if it would work on a pumice/dg mix as well? I would test myself but I'm waiting for my DG to come in at home depot.
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greenknight
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Re: Watering

Post by greenknight »

It would work, if you can tell when the stuff is damp.
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DaveW
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Re: Watering

Post by DaveW »

I have found the trouble with the non battery powered galvanic moisture meters they need quite a depth of soil to work properly, so no use for small pots.

If you top dress your pots with grit I find you can tell if the pots are wet if you look first off in the morning before the sun gets on the pots and see if the grit is damp. The same principle as the stone on top since the evaporating moisture overnight condenses on the cold grit, but the evidence disappears as soon as the sun warms the grit.
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greenknight
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Re: Watering

Post by greenknight »

The problem with that is you have to get up early in the morning. :sleepy2:
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