I make my soil mix drain so fast that any excess water runs right out the bottom and into the tray. Then I use a turkey baster.
Lately I've put cotton flannel in the bottom of the trays, so I can bottom-water without filling my bathtub tub drain with mud (I clogged it one year). But bottom-watering makes me worry about "building up salts", so I still flush from the top sometimes.
And I top-dress with bark chunks that are SUPPOSED to dry out quickly. Whether or not the "mulch" keeps the real surface from drying out, it does keep me from seeing the dry surface, so I don't over-water water or mist AS MUCH.
Is it ever possible to garden as a hobby? Or is it always an obsession?
