Found that watering in the morning actually stops my seedlings from getting leggy

Been starting seeds in my basement for 3 years and kept getting tall weak sprouts until I switched to a 6am watering schedule 2 months ago. Anyone else notice a difference with watering timing on their indoor starts?

2 comments

2 Comments

haydenj905d ago

Yeah that makes a ton of sense actually. Watering early gives the soil time to dry out a bit during the day which keeps the humidity down around the stems and stops that fungus stuff too. I started bottom watering my trays around dawn and it helped my peppers stop stretching so much, they stay shorter and stockier. Do you use a timer or just wake up early enough to do it yourself?

benlewis1d ago

Actually the thing about humidity is only half right. I used to think the same thing but morning watering actually raises humidity around the plants for the first few hours while the sun comes up. The REAL benefit is that it lets the surface dry out before night time so you don't get damping off or fungus gnats. I set up a cheap analog timer on my lights and just water right when they kick on at 6am.