help with greenhouse watering
my first year using greenhouse.had mixed resultswich I think may be down to watering.lots of them witheredwas wondering iff this was down to watering the plants directly with watwaser getting on leaves etc.was wondering if using shallow trays filled with water and placing my pots into them would be better or would the bases of the pots become too soaked.ps I'm a beginner and so I'm trying pretty easy stuff to begin with like marigolds asters an dahlias etc.
Sunderland as in northeast UK?
greenhouses are an artificial environment - so indeed there is a learning curve.
watering - toss "the rules" and learn by experience - because . . .
a greenhouse at your latitude and a greenhouse at my latitude (similar to central Italy) are vastly different.
the frequency things need water depends on the soil you're using, the amount of soil "exposed" (ie size of plant covering the soil) pot material - glazed/terracotta/plastic/peat/etc (ie how much moisture is lost "through" the pot) - over all temperature, air movement & exchange inside greenhouse, temperature & relative humidity outside the greenhouse.
"every other day" and such just is not good advice.
through practice experience I can pick up a pot, or hoist a hanging basket, and judge from the size / weight whether it needs watering. no, not to the gram - but close enough.
"watering from the bottom" works for most plants - most described as filling the tray/saucer until the pot stop "sucking up" the water, then empty the tray - keeping plants with constant "wet feet" does not work for everything. success is also dependent on using a soil mix that wicks up the water - for example a heavy clay does not work well in bottom watering.
greenhouses are an artificial environment - so indeed there is a learning curve.
watering - toss "the rules" and learn by experience - because . . .
a greenhouse at your latitude and a greenhouse at my latitude (similar to central Italy) are vastly different.
the frequency things need water depends on the soil you're using, the amount of soil "exposed" (ie size of plant covering the soil) pot material - glazed/terracotta/plastic/peat/etc (ie how much moisture is lost "through" the pot) - over all temperature, air movement & exchange inside greenhouse, temperature & relative humidity outside the greenhouse.
"every other day" and such just is not good advice.
through practice experience I can pick up a pot, or hoist a hanging basket, and judge from the size / weight whether it needs watering. no, not to the gram - but close enough.
"watering from the bottom" works for most plants - most described as filling the tray/saucer until the pot stop "sucking up" the water, then empty the tray - keeping plants with constant "wet feet" does not work for everything. success is also dependent on using a soil mix that wicks up the water - for example a heavy clay does not work well in bottom watering.