Plant for electronics project recommendation please.

Hi @T_i_m

Think as you are finding the water absorption rate of different composts brands are different and also change as they get older and decay in the pot and become entangled with roots as the plants grow.
Not sure how you could compensate for all those variables and different species of plants, certainly a lot of testing needed !

Re Tomato Feed, most fruiting or flowering plants will benefit from a high potash feed, usually at the same dilution as for the Toms and weekly.
However if the bottle is more than a year old, probably worth discarding it as sometimes things can settle out of suspension or be affected by heat and cold over time.

 

Hi Ricky,

I don't think anyone would be expecting a perfect solution so the point is, assuming you have a reasonable idea what sort of environment (watering wise) any monitored / auto-irrigated plant wants, the system should be able to keep it close on it's own irrespective.

eg. If a particular medium doesn't allow water to migrate easily, the plant and the sensor would see the same effect (as you would put the watering point equally between them) and with the 'water a little (and that value can be adjusted etc), wait (adjustable), measure (threshold settable), re-water if below threshold (water quantity adjustable)' process, should allow you to cater from a cactus to (as mentioned) rice. ;-)

And I'm guessing all the above is what we would typically do anyway if watering by hand?

Re the tomato feed unfortunately the question is mute now as the Begonia is no more. I thought I'd lost some of it (the stalk had gone all brown and soggy just above the surface on a couple the stems) but it seems they have all gone that way now so I just have a pot of soil with a couple of sensors. I'm not sure if it gave it's life in the name of science or was likely to go in any case?

So, should I give a spider plant a go and if so, could I just get one from Homebase? Are they normally hardy enough to survive the journey and re-location, if that's what might have done for the Begoinia?

eg, Reading up it looked like the Begonia should have been reasonably tolerant to water and it's never stood in any (the pot is draining) and I have been told / reassured in the past you can't generally 'over-water' many plants if they are in a self draining pot and you don't keep the moisture level up high continuously (root rot)?

Cheers, Tim

 

Its a difficult one as any pot plant overwatered will eventually 'drown' if the compost remains too wet the roots will steadily rot.

Never had that much success with Begonias ( depends on variety), so do try a spider plant, generally tough, available at most garden centers etc.

 

How long is 'eventually' Ricky (I know, 'piece of string' question <g>) as these seemed ok one night then were collapsing the next morning? And during my time with them I've not been watering them much as I've been watching the moisture levels etc?

On the spider plant, it turns out daughters spider plant (I didn't even know she had one as we haven't been in her flat since lockdown) had babies and she potted up three of them yesterday.

That said, I'm not sure I want to be responsible for them and so may still go for a bigger / more mature plant from somewhere to better suit my needs. Are they thirsty do we know?

Cheers, Tim

 

Hi,

Hard to say as it depends on so many factors like , light, location eg shade. humidity, sun.
Also if the plant is very healthy or already badly stressed.
If your Begonia went over, then it must have been suffering from something a few days earlier, eg the roots could have been rotted.

Most healthy plants can be fully submerged for say a hour and then will readily survive in the right conditions, but if placed in a cold and gloomy position could die off in a couple of days as the excess water would not drain or evaporate away.

Yes, you need a large healthy plant to start with in a warm light position so it can use up the water you give it.
As small plant or just rooted offset would take up little water.

If you observe your plants and the composts moisture content, you will see that the plant often put on the greatest growth just before the compost becomes quiet dry.

 

Hi Ricky,

Ok, FWIW the plant was on a mantelpiece in a warm lounge and 3m from a fairly large South facing window, so plenty of sun(light) but nothing direct. The pot is about 150mm diameter and the plant was about 300mm high.

A picture speaks 1000 words ... ;-)



I would be interested to know what variety of Begonia it was as it only says 'Begonia' on the sticker on the pot?

Whilst I'm not really 'into' plants for decoration myself (as opposed to food, especially being a vegan <g> or where others (inc 'nature') are looking after them etc) I do appreciate how wonderful they are. ;-)

We managed to include a day at The Eden Project when on one of our family motorcycle camping trips round the UK and even I was nearly in as much wonder re all the different plant species as I was the engineering of the place etc.

Cheers, T i m

 

Hi,

There are several types, but that probably is the Fibrous rooted type vs the Corms/Tubers, plus there are uprights and trailers and smaller bedding types etc.

Yours looks very healthy so hard to say what caused it rot off like that, could be over watering or some disease ??
As said we have never had too much success with indoor Begoinas