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The greenhouse manager in Ohio told me my trays were too wet. She was right.
Honestly, I used to water my seedlings every single morning without fail. Last month a greenhouse manager named Deb stopped by my community plot and pointed out the algae growing on top of my potting mix. She said I was drowning them, not feeding them, and that the roots need a dry cycle to stretch down deep. I switched to bottom watering only when the top inch felt crumbly, about every 3 days instead of daily. Within two weeks my tomato starts in Cleveland had thicker stems and way less damping off. It felt backwards at first, like I was neglecting them, but now I check the weight of the tray before anything. Has anyone else gotten this kind of tough-love feedback about overwatering and actually seen better plants?
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young.ryan1d ago
The "roots need a dry cycle to stretch down deep" line really stuck with me. I heard this plant scientist on a podcast once say that overwatering is like giving a kid a juice box every time they frown, it feels kind, but it actually stops them from learning to deal with anything. My own move to bottom watering was a total game changer too, not just for tomatoes but for my peppers and basil. The weight check thing is genius, I started lifting my trays and you can literally feel when they're light enough to need a drink. I also stopped misting the tops of the soil, which cut down on that green slime you mentioned pretty fast. It's wild how much we fight our own instincts to just leave things alone for a day or two.
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