| | | Different Watering Techniques - I | | | | | |
| Different Watering Techniques - I
How often Watering is needed ?
Many factors are responsible for the term “when to water” like the size of the pot, how fast the plant removes water, and by how much PAW (Plant Available Water Capacity) water is available (a function of the growing media and the potting techniques).
The ideal scenario is one, where the media dries relatively quickly.
This allows the gardener to water again which pulls new air into the media, make dissolved fertilizers available, and it keeps disease pressure at bay.
Not all home growers are equally thrilled about the prospect of having to water several times per day, and a As a general guideline, the faster the growing media dries, and the more often you water, the better off the plants are. But not all home growers are equally thrilled about the prospect of having to water several times per day, a suitable compromise may have to be found, but
Let's repeat this, because it is important: the faster the growing media dries, and the more often you water, the better off the plants are.
Following are the techniques which can help you determine when to water:
*observing the color of media,
*feeling the surface,
*lifting the containers, or
*Water based on a time schedule.
You can also look at plant signs (slight wilting). Most growing mediaturn light brown when drying. Watering on a schedule should only be done with experience, as temperature and plant stage development will affect the speed with which the water is removed from the pots. A pot filled to field capacity will be heavier than a pot with little plant available water. Soon you will get used to the weight difference and will be able to tell when it is time to water from the weight of the containers alone.
Too much of Water
Based on above statement, we can deduce that over watering is when growing mediastay too wet for too long.
Over watering means watering too often. The growing media should be thoroughly soaked during each irrigation, then allowed to drain. Over watering is very misunderstood concept which has nothing to do with the amount of water applied.
As long as the PAW capacity has not been exhausted there is really no reason to water again, although it is important to water before the plants actually start to wilt. This may seem contradictory to our goal of watering frequently, but it is not. The gardener must carefully select a growing medium, pot size, and potting technique to ensure the medium dries as fast as possible and water according to the fact that how fast the water is being removed.
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