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Watering dried-out pots

Hi all, with the current hot, dry spell some of us are experiencing (no significant rain here for 2-3 weeks), I though I'd share my method of watering pots in which the compost has dried out a lot and shrunk, so when you water them it all runs straight down the sides and out of the bottom!

While the best method is undoubtedly to stand the pots on a tray of water for at least 30 minutes, it's often not practical and is time consuming.

My tip is to create a slurry of multi-purpose compost by mixing a few handfuls of MP compost into a watering can and removing the rose.  When you now water this mixture into the pot, the compost slurry will run into, and quickly block, the gap at the edge of the pot thus allowing the water to soak through much more slowly.  Keep stirring or swirling the slurry about while you pour it in so that it comes out of the spout well-mixed and doesn't settle in the watering can.image

A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Brilliant Bob! image

     

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Fantastic tip Bob and just what I needed. My pots seem to be drying out so quickly even with regular watering, I think the compost I bought is rubbish!! 

    Thank you image

  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    Sounds a good plan, Bob...image

  • archiepemarchiepem Posts: 1,155

    phone dragons denimage

  • Good tip! I shall be squirrelling that one away! image

     

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    clever stuff Bobimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949
    What a fantastic idea Bob! After going away for a day my pots were showing their displeasure at not bring watered every 12 hours by hemorrhaging water when I tried to water them - I'll give your method a go tomorrow!
  • Will have to give this a go - thanks Bob!

  • dizzylizzydizzylizzy Posts: 91

    another great way that makes the water absorb into the compost is put a tiny squirt of washing up liquid into the watering can- give it a stir with a stick- then water yoru hanging baskets and pots.  Harmless to the plants.

  • philip4philip4 Posts: 42

    great tip Bob thanks.image

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