I always water my vegetable seedlings from the bottom because it is easy and fast. But sometimes, I forget to water (or simply do not notice that soil in the containers is dry) until the plants are all wilted and it is almost too late. And that is when I have to take more serious measures…
That was exactly what happened with these two lettuce seedlings. They were completely wilted and almost past the point of no return.
In the end, I did manage to save them. Here is how:
- First, I took them out of the container.
- Second, I dipped their rootballs into a bucket of water and kept dipping them for a minute or two.
Then I gave them some time to recover, and after an hour or two, watered them again, but this time normally: first from above, and then from the bottom too. The next day, they were back to normal…
I have saved my severely wilted vegetable seedlings this way numerous time. It works because the roots get instant access to water. The recovery starts pretty much right away – like giving a cold drink to someone who has overheated. You may lose a leaf or two, but if there is still life in them, they are going to bounce back sooner or later.
Keep in mind, tough, that this only works if the seedlings are well developed and their roots are strong enough to hold the soil together. Otherwise, you are just going to make the roots lose contact with the soil and do more harm than good.