watering from top or bottom? advice needed please...

[detroitjoe]

Plants contain DNA.
DNA contains "switches" ; its either on or off....or 111's and 000"s

some of these switches are adaptive.

A plant living in soil executes one way and a plant growing in fluids executes in another.

The million dollar question of " does it matter.... " ......

YES it matters.

when you water from the base, the plant's sensors are detecting water at the root level; not at the top level.

Leaves are , among other things; are water sensors.

If I grow in "soil" ....I smack them with a shower from a garden hose FIRST, then water at the base secondly.
Water hits leaf...leaf send the signal down the line; making its way to the roots.
roots start up to uptake fluids etc.

its like chewing gum. your ears pop, you burp, stomach rumbles but all the while, your starting up the stomach to process food....food thats not being delivered because their is no food. your just chewing gum. and swallowing spit mixed with rubber.

 

[Rowe1750]

Seems to be a touchy subject... in theory as I have ben told ba an industry cultivator here in ak bottom feeding achieves a few things first and foremost is o² by always allowing the top 2" of soil to remain dry. Another important benefit is preventing the soil to compress allowing roots to move more freely and keeping more o² in the top root zone. It keeps insects away as there's no water source in the top soil for organic grows and lastly it allows the nutrients to release much slower for longer soil use. When your plants need a boost of nutrients you can run water along the edges from the top and it release...

 

[Dan789]

Hi, I am growing in 20 litre pots, indoors in soil, 600w HPS etc. Up until now I have watered from the base of the pots (once the roots are established) however, a few friends have said in soil they water from the top of the pot. Any ideas people? Thanks

Don't fight gravity versus forcing the plant to pull the water up into itself...imho. How do farmers water their crops?

 

[DrPeeper]

Don't fight gravity versus forcing the plant to pull the water up into itself...imho. How do farmers water their crops?

Depends on the crop. Any time that they plow and flood rows, they are wicking it, not top watering it. So actually, more often than not, it's wicking. Now they use drip a lot but that is for water conservation, esp in California which is hands down the most ag in the U.S. by several hundred percent. But not for tall plants like corn, they still flood between rows. At least where I live where it's 100f plus during the summer. Any gardening video you see involves bottom watering usually. With coco coir, bottom watering is just fine. It wicks WAY way easier than soil, just look at how you reconstitute it form a brick.