Watering from the bottom?

[exploziv]

salts doesn't mean only salt/sodium..

The ions responsible for salinization are: Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl-.

more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_salinity

so salts can come from the things you mix in, or can accumulate from the water you use.

some more info here:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/224.html

 

[shmalphy]

I have noticed one strain is more susceptible to salt damage than the others. I prefer to use rain water when possible, which has very little salt

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

Most salts are originally a decomposition product of rock weathering. But they are transported in water. If you're growing organic in soil, unless you're adding something unique and in quantity, the water would be your greatest source of salts. It's like a tea kettle. The salts just keep accumulating. They can hide better in soil, but they leave clues.

If your soil surface gets dry, sometimes you can see white salts. When wet, the high points which wick water to the air can have a cluster of salts at the tip. This is usually stained an orange brown by the soil. If the very top millimeter of dry soil crumbles to dust when handled, it could be because the salts are occupying all the bonding sites which would have glued soil particles together. You see this at the edge of moist areas in the desert. It's called flocculation.

And as said in my first post, if this is a problem it can be eliminated simply by wetting the media from the top occasionally. A mulch would probably reduce surface evaporation considerably. Most people have water that isn't hard enough for this to be a problem.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Where does the salt come from exactly? I mean I know about the danger it presents but what exactly is putting all this salt in the soil?

The organic amendments? Is sodium a by product of decomposition or something? I dont understand that part.....

I've been waiting for this to happen, the confusion that ensues by terminology. If you will allow me, I'd like to try to briefly explain how I'm interpreting the discussion (as well as what I've meant during my participation).

Salt/salts does not mean "sodium" necessarily, nor does it mean sodium chloride, necessarily. Simply put, in chemistry the term "salts" is referring to ionic compounds that result from the neutralization (reaction) of an acid and a base. That's it. That's why Epsom salts, which is MgSO4 (not a single atom of sodium OR chloride) is referred to *as* a salt.

The other 'salt', which I think is being incorrectly referred to as salts here are the carbonates and other mineral impurities found in the source water. Carbonates are a bigger potential for trouble, IMO, because of how they affect pH, its stability and the plants' and microbes' ability to shift pH may be affected.

I hope this has helped.

 

[guest2012y]

When I went to school and soaked up that time period of horticultural knowledge...they taught us to water from the bottom on potted plants. The reason being that is was California and we wanted the roots to go down into the pot when looking for water...not turning up and expecting the water to come from the top all the time.
This makes for plants that don't manage rootspace well and have shallow reaching roots that don't utilize all of the water holding capabilities of the soil mass in the pot....

...BUT after growing cannabis for years and years I realized that as cannabis growers we are more attentative to our plants than regular potted plant type people and we won't allow for neglect on watering...so watering from the top on your indoor cannabis garden really doesn't matter if you manage your watering skills.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Water from the top but keep plants on a tray... best of both worlds.

O yeah and MULCH!

 

[Bennyweed1]

Water with a 700psi fire hose. Eliminates the need to even care for the plant because you successfully blasted it to bits.

OK, that's funny. But let's not venture too far off topic please. LOL Thank you. -Burn1

 

[rosalind]

Does anyone water from the bottom? I have been experimenting with it recently with good results.

Even I got the best good results. It not only cater for ample accumulation in staff watering time and plant care but if used accurately actualize better plant health and vigor, accordingly decrease the number of plants that have to be abandon due to less care and water. This alone can be a convincing saving cost.