Lucky wrote:
Mindful wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
It was nice and wet a few days ago and today it's dry and wilty.
(Nasturtium seedlings; they don't shade the surface yet.) The basket is
hanging in bright shade and gets a little sun early in the morning.

Would spraying the surface with a little soapy water help?

Thanks,
Bob
It may be better to soak the basket in a tub of water until it's thoroughly
soaked. I replaced all my baskets with hanging plastic pots. They're much
easier to water and stay damp longer.


Yes, that's excellent advice.

Soil is like a sponge.

Place a completely dry sponge under the faucet and it takes a long
while before it absorbs water.

Place a slighly damp sponge under the faucet and it immediately takes
up water.

This is a property of surface tension in water, where water molecules
attract other water molecules, in effect pulling water into the
sponge/soil.

That's why I mentioned the soap.

Soaking the pot in a bucket of water, or even the kitchen sink will do
the trick.

I can do that now, while the plants are small. Once they are streaming
three feet over the sides, it won't be practical.

I watered them from the top this morning and most of the water just ran
through. But I checked it a couple of hours later and the little bit of
water that had soaked in had spread all throughout the soil, and it was
receptive to more water now.

Best regards,
Bob