A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 overwatering. . .

question for you guys. . . my plants were lookin healthy until today. I am starting to break them in to the outdoors weather. . and i have them in seed starter mix, the smaller ones. . and the tomatoes/squashplants i have transplanted into potting soil. . still loose for good drainage.

anywho, i put a lil more water than what i think i should have into their pots. . prolly about 1/4 cup in the bigger jars. . the soil was just looking too dry on the top. . and i watered teh bejeezus outa them! Will they come back if i cut some watering for a day or two? I've been mostly using a spray bottle and putting way less than todays dosage of H20.




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Yes, hold off on the water. Watering everyday is just not necessary in most instances.

Water when the surface of the soil is dry to about 1/2 an inch. Preferably in the mornings. Depending on the amount of direct sunlight they receive, that may be daily or every two or three days. Your seedlings look very healthy to me so whatever you've been doing, do it some more:-)

yah longy i've been watering every day with just a spray bottle since theyve been seedlings. (still are i guess ) usually just enuff to moisten the soil. but like i sai di was starting to put them outdoors in the sun/heat to get broken in. and i watered a lil more than i should have thinking it would need it being in full sun & heat.

a stupid question (sorry i'm new to all of this) once i have them in the garden is everyday watering necessary? I have excellent drainage round where i'm planting and am using grass clippings as mulch atop where i'll be planting the veggies.

a stupid question
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No such thing. Only stupid mistakes.


once i have them in the garden is everyday watering necessary?
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For the first week give or take, probably yes. Also maybe some protection from the hot sun in the middle of the day, increasing their exposure daily. Ease off watering a bit to each second day once you see them perk up and put on new growth. Then to each third or so. Depends on the heat of the day. Water deeply to encourage the roots to go down and you'll get better plants in the long run better able to withstand a dry period.

When transplanting, i recommend you get some seaweed or kelp extract to reduce transplant shock. It works great for all seedlings or even bigger plants being transplanted. Water with this solution half an hour before and immediately after transplanting.

I've heard of people actually putting dead fish inches below their transplanted plants. LIke go buy goldfish, let them die and decay a good couple days and bury 2" below your roots. but this is hearsay from my knowitall dad

I think this lil guy was murdered by my hands!! I pinched the begginer leaves off cuz they was wilting bad. . . and low and behold i accidently ripped a strip of the stalk almost the whole length of the stalk down. prolly about 1/4 of the stalk size. . . . we'll see if it comes back alive. i doubt it though as pretty much all the leaves are starting to wilt & die it looks.

I had my dad planting fish around the tomatos and other veggies no fish grew but the veggies grew well. when we would go fishing and clean them he would dig holes around the plants and bury the fish. Idont know if it helped but it didnt hurt

putting dead fish inches below their transplanted plants.
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no need to go buying fish to kill. |There are liquid fish fertilizers available which will help just the same and can be applied to the soil or to the leaves of the plant. By all means though, any fish waste you get from the kitchen or from fishing will help a garden. This stuff can also be hot composted.