Rain at last??/When to start watering

Rodger Whitlock totototo@pacificcoast.net
Sun, 17 Oct 2004 15:39:35 PDT
[quotage rearranged]

On 16 Oct 04 at 21:09, Shirley Meneice wrote:

> Mary Sue Ittner wrote:

> > Finally does anyone have any good ideas about the best way to
> > water dormant pots that are completely dry? I find the water goes
> > right through them, around the sides.

> I find a deep saucer under the plant helps.  The water applied to
> the top does run through, but when caught below tends to be taken up
> as if by a wick.  The other possibility, though terribly
> time-consuming, is to immerse the whole pot in a bucket or large
> container of water and let it stay there until the bubbling ceases,
> indicating that the soil is soaked.  Often it will "float" in the
> container when really dried out.  Then I place a smaller plant on
> the container to hold it down into the water until it has begun to
> soak up the moisture and no longer tips over in the water.

IMHO, immersion is asking for trouble. Dry, dormant bulbs are not 
going to enjoy a sudden bath, being unable to cope with their sudden 
access to water; better to let the soil gradually become damp, as 
they will if a saucer is placed under them to catch the runoff.


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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