watering seedlings

duajones · January 22, 2008

How often do you water seedlings under normal conditions. Seems like I am having to water mine every two days now and I dont remember watering that often last spring.

Granny · January 22, 2008

Mine needed watering that frequently last year, particularly when they were small and the heat was still on in the house.

robin303 · January 22, 2008

I check mine by picking them up to see how heavy they are. Do admit with temps in the 20 & 30's with the fireplace going and Central heat they do dry out rather fast.

duajones · January 22, 2008

I am stuck with temps between 70 and 77 degrees and I do have a fan on the seedlings pretty regular. Not a big deal but it just seems that I am watering more than in the past. As long as they are healthy I guess I dont have anything to worry about

rxkeith · January 22, 2008

depends on their size. when i first transplant the seedlings they get watered in well. they can go a week or longer at that stage. as they get bigger, frequency of watering gets shorter, maybe every 3 to 4 days. i tend not to water, until the soil is pretty dry when i poke my finger in. growth is slower, and i get a more compact plant. also less worry about disease conditions brought on by too much moisture. i try to water them just before they start to wilt.
toughens them up i like to think.

keith in calumet

the999bbq · January 25, 2008

I think too that the risk of overwatering and the damage done is bigger than the other way around - and there it depends on your situation I think (drafty, temperature,...)
I have my newspaper pots together in some containers/flats (with holes in the bottom) that I can put in a large container so that the pots can soak from the bottom for a couple of minutes each time ... this way I can do it frequently with ease so I don't force myself to keep them 'wet'

January 22, 2008	#1
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	watering seedlings How often do you water seedlings under normal conditions. Seems like I am having to water mine every two days now and I dont remember watering that often last spring.

January 22, 2008	#2
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	Mine needed watering that frequently last year, particularly when they were small and the heat was still on in the house.

January 22, 2008	#3
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	I check mine by picking them up to see how heavy they are. Do admit with temps in the 20 & 30's with the fireplace going and Central heat they do dry out rather fast.

January 22, 2008	#5
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,842	depends on their size. when i first transplant the seedlings they get watered in well. they can go a week or longer at that stage. as they get bigger, frequency of watering gets shorter, maybe every 3 to 4 days. i tend not to water, until the soil is pretty dry when i poke my finger in. growth is slower, and i get a more compact plant. also less worry about disease conditions brought on by too much moisture. i try to water them just before they start to wilt. toughens them up i like to think. keith in calumet

January 25, 2008	#6
the999bbq Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 191	I think too that the risk of overwatering and the damage done is bigger than the other way around - and there it depends on your situation I think (drafty, temperature,...) I have my newspaper pots together in some containers/flats (with holes in the bottom) that I can put in a large container so that the pots can soak from the bottom for a couple of minutes each time ... this way I can do it frequently with ease so I don't force myself to keep them 'wet'