Bottom watering

[Ginger Spudman]

If after 24 hrs the seed tray is dry but the medium in the pots still looks nice and damp, should I water again or wait until the medium dries?

[PaulF]

I have always waited until the medium is a little dry. Too much moisture can lead to damping off. It also tends to stress the seedlings a little and that promotes more and healthier growth. Just be sure to keep an eye out so the little buggers don't dry out too much and croak. Tricky situation that requires close attention when the seedlings are small.

[Peter1142]

I don't bottom water, but plants should never be watered if the mix is damp, and unlikely needing water every 24 hours unless they are too big for the pots and rootbound. The pots should dry out, down under the surface a bit. Drying out can be a problem but overwatering can be a big problem also. Some plants like peppers appreciate the mix getting very dry, others like tomatoes are more easily damaged if the pots dry out, but just about anything will not do well with a constantly wet mix.

[pepperhead212]

Here's something I do with the first few waterings of my seeds and seedling pots, to prevent fungus. I use the leftover from last season's batch of Actinovate, and make a solution using 2 tsp/gal of filtered water. I also add a few drops of Microbe Lift, to prevent fungus gnats. I use this to wet the mix, when packing the seeds, and for the watering when waiting for the seeds to sprout. As soon as the seeds sprout, I stop watering from the top, and only water when dry looking on top (I judge by lifting the tray, to see how heavy it is), and maybe add some some more ML in a couple of weeks, just to be safe against those gnats!