Plant question for Greenfreak!

BlurOfSerenity

BlurOfSerenity

New Member
when i try to water some of my plants, the water seeps directly down thru the pot into the saucer, with none of the moisture remaining in the soil.
my plants are sufferring because of this.
how do i remedy it?
 
That happens with mine too when I wait too long to water. Has the dirt seperated from the sides of the pot? Soil holds water a lot better when it gets a little water frequently rather than a lot of water seldomly. (is seldomly even a word? ;) )

If the pot is small enough, fill up your sink with lukewarm water and dump the whole pot in. Let it soak for about 10 minutes. Then let it drain for a while and it should expand a little so that it will hold water better the next time you water it.

You should always water in the morning so it has higher temps during the day to absorb the water and if you have deep trays, some plants prefer to be watered from the bottom. That way, when the top turns dark, you know it's had enough and you take it out of the tray (usually no more than 15-30 minutes). African Violets are like that; you can't really water them any other way.

Also, plants like to be repotted once every year or so. There's only so much nutrients in the soil and they deplete it after a while and start drying out quicker than they used to.

Sorry for rambling but I like talking plants, can you tell?? ;)
 
thanks so much, gf!! :D
i'm so doing that!

hex - dirty fishwater? seriously? how dirty?
i gots me plenty o' dat stuff, i've got a goldfish.
 
That's what i've got, or my daughter anyway. Every time i change the fishwater i put a little in the plants.
 
Yep, I used to dump mine out front on my bushes, that is until they started growing too wild. Now it all goes in the wifes flowerbed.
 
I've never tried it myself but fish emulsion and fertilizers like that are big with the professional gardeners. Yes, nitrates are good but if you don't take care of your aquarium water, can't there also be a lot of ammonia in it? I don't think that would be too good for the fish or the plants. I don't know half of what you know about fish so you know best.

Even if you do fertilize regularly, plants can become "root bound" where the roots choke the inside of the pot. In those cases, it's good to repot too.
 
i watered my plants that have this problem, by pouring water in, slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, and it managed to stay in the pot somehow.

one of my plants is in really sorry shape, however.
it's a Schefflera...
does anyone know any tips or tricks for not having droopy bad-looking scheffleras?
 
greenfreak said:
(is seldomly even a word? ;) )
Click to expand...

* Reads his dictionary.
Apparently (or at least what i understood) it isn't valid and seldom already means "seldomly", another suggestion is rarely.

would anyone confirm or refute this?
 
Peatmoss....increase your amounts of peat in the soil mix for greater water absorption.

I've heard of using aquarium water, but never tried it before...sounds like a good idea.

Personally...I create my own compost coils using compost and worms...lots of them...Feed them coffe grounds every once in a while and they're just humming along and growing fat...churning the soil for you and depositing nutrients wherever they crawl...loverly...AND...when I've had enough of my worm-farm...I go fishing :)

Mmmm....Rainbow Trout :)
 
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