Hey everyone! I'm new to the world of plants and just set up a small backyard with some geraniums in 1.71 pt pots. These pots are on a drip irrigation system that runs for 20 minutes a day, putting out about 0.5 GPH, which means my plants are getting around 2.6 cups of water daily. However, since the pots have drainage and are in a basket that allows all the water to drain out, I'm concerned about whether this constant moisture could lead to overwatering or root rot. Do I need to adjust my watering system? I'm located in the Bay Area, CA. Thanks for your advice!
2 Answers
While there’s always a slight chance of overwatering, it sounds pretty unlikely in your setup unless you’re hit with an excessive amount of rain. Your drainage should keep things under control pretty well!
It’s actually surprising, but overwatering typically doesn’t happen just because of too much water—it’s more about oxygen in the soil. If the soil structure gets really compacted, that can suffocate the roots and lead to root rot. So even with consistently moist soil, you might not see any issues if there’s good aeration. But hey, what kind of soil are you using in that basket?