peppereater
Breeder in Training
TREE HUGGER
just tell me when to shut up
Posts: 230
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Post by peppereater on Feb 9, 2010 13:34:22 GMT -5
PapaVic's topic on BER got me thinking, new and even experienced gardeners have problems determing what adequate moisture is. On a lawn, where broadcast sprinklers are pretty much the rule, you can set containers around and observe the amount of water collected in a given time, but in gardening, especially tomato gardening, you want to completely avoid wetting leaves any more than nature does already. My tried and true method for basically any soil, be it most houseplants, or annual beds, or vegetables, is to push my index finger through the mulch layer, and then through the soil to the second knuckle. If you detect moisture, all's well. If it is dry to that depth, it's time for supplemental watering. In many cases, tomatoes and vegetables suffer when overwatered, and erring on the side of a little dry is preferrable to too wet.
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landarc
Global Moderator
FORUM HERMIT
Posts: 326
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Post by landarc on Feb 9, 2010 18:08:41 GMT -5
I take a guess and go attitude. I also rely on the plants appearance, if the leaves are rolled up, I water, if they are rolled down, I do not water for a while.
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