is it possible to overwater in one watering.

title. Just wondering, cuz i have two plants which i recently transplated into a 3 gallon container. For the first watering, i prepared 4 litres of water each, thinking it woul dbe more than enough t oget runoff, it was not. So for the second watering i prepared 8 litres each. It took about 7 1/2 litres of water to get any runoff at all.

im just wondering if you cuold give to much water to a plant in a single sitting, even if im letting it dry completely before drenching it again.

The plant will tell you within a few days it if is over watered. The signs are UN-mistakeable. But, you are right, the drying out period, is the important part.

So, I see over watering as completely correctable within a few days, also.



You see the difference. Under watered mean it hangs at the stem, since there is no water to hold it up. (left)

On the right, too much water, make the leafs heavy and bend down at the middle and not at the stems.

Also, for ganga, the leaves cannot flatten out.



The key is this, what I call the happy aspect.


This gal is dry enough to hold her leaves to the light. The leaves cannot be too heavy or they will not spread and lift.

No you can only over water by too frequent of waterings. If you are letting it dry in between waterings, you can give it a really good soak when you do. As much as you need to get runoff, or to flush if that's your intention.

It's the wet and dry period that stops the over watering symptoms.

Watering before allowing any dry time would cause over water symptoms.


J

jondamon said:

It's the wet and dry period that stops the over watering symptoms.

Watering before allowing any dry time would cause over water symptoms.


J

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I just switched to coco coir, and hydroton 50/50 because then I can feed every day. And that gives 2" a week in growth.

But, I know that at a certain point, they can transpire enough water to feed 2x a day. Twice now I tried bumping to 2x. But, even at 36" tall, they get all crinkled in the new growth in just a couple of days. And they recover in a few days, also.

What I've found for me, I guess, is that in 16 weeks, only, I will never feed 2x a day.

That is good to know.

Jae,
If you have a tiny plant in a large pot, then it is possible to overwater with one watering. But if your pot dries in a reasonable time, it sounds OK. Why do you feel the need to water to runoff?
JD

the plant is small for the pot, but i wouldnt say tiny 1.5 feet tall ish id say. I thought you were suppose to get run off. (to stop build up/ ensure you are getting water to the deepest parts of the soil)

I watered about 5 days ago, and an inch under the soil is still damp. This is what brought the initial question to mind.

jael07 said:

the plant is small for the pot, but i wouldnt say tiny 1.5 feet tall ish id say. I thought you were suppose to get run off. (to stop build up/ ensure you are getting water to the deepest parts of the soil)

Click to expand...

It is recommended to water till there is 10-15% runoff, for all plants. You want to ensure that you are soaking the whole rootzone as well as rinsing out any built up salts.

And yes if you have small plant in a big pot, it will need much less waterings, but as long as it is drying in between its fine. You want to soak in thoroughly, let dry, and repeat. Easy.

So true it is the main point for rooting in.

A seedling, I start in rooting plug, about the size of a 2 thumbs. As that begins to dry, the roots sense it and grow. If I give water, they don't need to grow.

Make sense? We are raising a Spartan type plant, not a hothouse flower. They need hardship from the beginning.

Then the plug goes into about 8oz of straight coco coir after a week, or when you can see roots in the plug sides. A week in wet coir, in a 16oz SOLO cup bottom, gives enough rooting with no extra water, to go into the, designed for transplant, 6" azalea pot. The mix now has 50% hydroton for fast draining.

Here is can water 2x in that week, transplant into the 2.5 gal square side, rose bucket and work into feeding every day that week.

It is the careful, low watering of the growing root ball, that allows them to be on everyday feeding and 2" a week growth from the first month.

Get roots. You can't do that unless you control the total water available. Only the small size of the container will do that for you.