Water not penetrating soil!

GreenHighlander said:

They are a fantastic addition once dialed in.

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I know they are. Been watching people grow in them for three years now. There is nothing that doesn't sound like perfect. But like you said, "dialed in'. For some reason I haven't been able to do it yet. It will happen. It you don't have a backup in Oklahoma you will lose to the bugs and weather. That means an inside grow for enough to get by on if there is hail, grasshoppers, or any of the rest of...

Wow, it sure is a lot of work to relax.

GreenHighlander said:

more wet dry cycles the better.

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I'm not quite sure of what you're saying here. Is it OK , or even good, for the soil to be dry like that around the sides?

this is my first time using fabric pots and that’s what I’m finding they are drying out far to quick around the sides I know I said I underwatered but in theory to look at the plant u wouldn’t think it no dropping all teaching and once u got a finger into the soil didn’t feel nothing like the outside I’ve gotta somehow manage to keep it evenly moist

Tonight I started the tests. The plants needed water so this time around I scratched the top of the soil and used hotrodharley's holes. 22 1/4" holes in each pot and gave them half the water as normal. The water soaked right in. Tomorrow they get the rest of the water aloe.

Horrid Harley’s holes? I googled it saw it was a riu member but can’t find the thread/topic your talking about ?

Hotrod Harley’s ** lol

Red4twenty said:

can’t find the thread/topic

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I don't think you'll find a thread/topic by him but I have even seen him called into a discussion on topic. How many people get called in for their advice? One reference is post #28 and #31 on this thread. He shows up pretty often when there is an overwatering problem. I think he is right. When I checked the moisture this morning with a moisture gauge it was reasonably consistent. Actually better than it has been since the soil was fresh and just moistened.

The plan was to finish the watering with aloe water this morning but it looks almost perfect to me now. That's with half the water normally used so I'll hold off until the drip system is completed. Maybe two systems, one with aloe and the other with "Sunlight" (

This question of overwatering comes up all the time and the same people give their best answers. What I am doing is listing as many ways as I can with the side-by-side results and comparisons. With a six plant experiment where anything goes we should come up with the best solutions. So far hotrodharley's poking holes to loosen and aerate looks very good.

Ahh ok that explains it then lol ......how big are the holes are you doing it at any particular placement on the soil or all over to get even coverage? Do you not think by stabbing loads of holes all over it might mess with the roots abit? What are you using to make the holes? Sorry for all the questions just curious lol

Last night I used a my tester to make the holes. There are two probes about <1/4" dia. Poked 11 times in each. I don't know what is happening to the roots. If anything I'm being particularly rough with these plants. They've been cloned. The clones were cloned. Some were excessively pruned. These poor plants have had more trauma than any plant should have. But, I am building a list of good, accurate solutions for a world of problems.

Of course I hope for some smoke from it but don't expect much. My main purpose for the grow was to get answers. When you post a problem everyone has a different solution. I am after those that work. Don't know if I killed them or not.

Hotrodharley uses a bamboo skewer to make holes. That would probably be about the same size.

Going back thru the thread I saw a sentence that didn't get finished. The reference was "Sunlight". Someone one the thread said they could use "a little Sunlight". Thought he meant put them outside. "Sunlight" is a dish washing detergent in Canada. lol. We had a good laugh over that.