Round one of our radishes came to an end a little earlier than expected. Early last week the radish sprouts began wilting slightly. By the end of the week over half we're wilting badly or dead. It's a learning experience and not a terrible loss because we expected troubles with at least our first setup.
We have time for two more rounds of radishes to get it right. A new batch will be going in this weekend. This time we have done our watering research. Now we are passing on the information we've found so others don't have to make the same mistakes!
Watering 101:
Indoor plants don't need to we watered as often as outdoor plants, and definitely shouldn't be watered daily - the mistake we made. Most online resources recommend watering plants when the top 1 to 2 inches of top soil are dry to the touch. We'll be handling this with a moisture sensor.
When it is time to water the plants, give the roots a thorough dousing. A light watering may not dissolve enough nutrients in the soil. Thorough watering insures that the time the roots spend in water is well used. One resource we read recommends watering until water comes out of the bottom of the pot. We will be tuning our watering system to stop short of this point.
After watering is done, the roots need to breath again. Plants need oxygen from tiny air gaps in the soil. Oxygen is used to metabolize the freshly absorbed nutrients. The water is important too, it keeps the plant rigid and lets the plant "sweat" on hot days to stay cool.
All of this information is explained more accurately and with much more detail at The Garden of Eaden.
Stay tuned we'll have a post detailing our most recent setup and more pictures will be uploaded to our photostream!
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