A retired gardener taught me the real secret to watering

I was at a community garden in Portland last spring when an old guy named Frank told me to stick my finger in the soil up to the second knuckle before ever turning on the hose. Has anyone else picked up a weird practical tip from a stranger like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

young.thomas15h ago

Respectfully, that tip is overrated. Dry topsoil with damp deeper soil is normal for most plants, so you're better off just sticking to a consistent schedule.

fionafoster11h ago

Exactly what I was thinking, @young.thomas. I've had way better luck just watering on a set schedule and ignoring that dry topsoil thing. For my pothos and snake plants, sticking to a routine stopped all the guesswork and yellow leaves. Have you found a specific schedule that works best for your setup?

emery1011h ago

Gotta say I kinda agree with @young.thomas on this one. I've killed more plants by overwatering because I stuck my finger in, felt dry topsoil, and then just dumped water on them without checking deeper. The finger test only really works if you actually pay attention to the whole pot, not just the top inch. Maybe it's just me but I think the real trick is learning what your specific plants look like when they're thirsty, like when pothos leaves start to droop just a little. That tells you way more than any finger test or set schedule can.