On 16 Nov 2002 20:20:53 GMT, (DaveDay34) wrote:

The last thing you want is for them to be standing in water.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.


Several people have commented that if the pots are standing in water it will
rot the roots, etc. I thought it went without saying that the pots should be
deep enough, and the water level low enough for the compost/soil to draw up the
required amount of water to prevent the plants from drying out, while not
becomming waterlogged. It appears that it should have been said, and I
appologise for not saying it in the first place. Most medium to large sized
pots stood in an inch of water or less will not become waterlogged and it will
prevent the plant in the pot from drying out.

Yes Dave, I understand what you are saying but be careful because
"osmosis" is stronger than gravity. I know it depends on how open the
structure of the soil is, but you can waterlog all the soil in a pot
by continually adding water from the bottom. Even if the reservoir of
water only reaches only half and inch up from the bottom of the pot
and the pot is nine inches high.

Have you ever noticed that when you water a pot and the water runs out
of the bottom of the pot into a tray, you can be surprised when you
look moments later to find that the tray no longer has any water in
it? Osmosis will operate until all the soil is truly saturated.

Respect

Hussein