"Wilt" sure isn't the best signal to wait for before watering. Or even a good one to use. Wilting means you have waited too long and some cellular damage is done to the plant. Sure the majority of the cells will recover but all of them will not. So as a general principle actual wilting shouldn't be allowed to happen.

There are much better signals to monitor. In containers, the weight of the container is a good one as there is a very noticeable difference in the wet of a just fully watered container and one in need of water.

Soil feel is another good one. Learn to tell the difference between wet soil, moist soil. and dry soil in your hand, with your fingers. And I don't mean surface soil. That doesn't matter. it is the feel of the soil at the root level hand deep that counts.

As for plants, they will show signs of needing water long before they wilt. Assuming they aren't rootbound in their container, most any plant will gradually begin to lose its leaf and stem turgidity. The stems become more flexible and the leaves softer to the touch, perhaps very slightly curled, and a bit droopy. That is when you water.

Learn to read the weight of containers and the soil and plant symptoms as indicators for water needs. And always keep in mind that water needs change as plants mature and the climate changes. Those who insist on locking their watering into a set schedule are doing it only for their convenience and not what is best for the plant's.

Dave

PS: what specific variety of yellow squash? Most are 3-4' diameter plants but some are longer vining varieties and need much more room.

I guess wilting wasn't the correct word it's more like u say "droopy" the leaves on my seedlings just look sad lol. Then I water... So would droopy work? Some of my containers are huge and I can't move them now so I would t be able to tell after plant is in there. That's what I have normally done is go by schedule and I know I over water as some plants need different watering not than others and I tend to water all at same time . Using soil is hard for me because this stuff feels moist to me all the time, the top looks dry as dust but you move it and it is black and not moist but for sure not bone dry like the top.

i have the yellow crook neck squash seeds I planted 2 in that bed last year and they didn't do worth a flip.

For seedlings, I wouldn't agree with droopy either as it is a relative term. What is "droopy" to you may be full blown wilt to me. :) An established plant in the garden is one thing and droopy might apply to them, seedlings something else entirely. Well established plants in the garden will often droop during the heat of the day and can tolerate any resulting cellular damage. But young seedlings just getting established, no. Any seedlings or even plants in containers can easily be watered by weight or feel.

"Are you saying that the main cause of problems is over watering in
general or that you over water?"

Trev it is well established that over-watering, be it with seedlings or garden plants, is a chronic problem for many gardeners, especially new/inexperienced ones, and it is often discussed in depth here. The old adage of "if a little is good, a lot must be better" fixes in the mind when just the opposite is true. The O2 the roots need in the drier molecular pockets of soil is just as vital to them as is water. And over-watering can still exist in situations with ideal drainage although the problems for the plant are marginally reduced.

"If you are planting in containers by the time the plant is flowering you
are going to be watering daily, I can't imagine over watering a
container."

That is a very broad statement to make as the size of the container used and the mix it is filled with makes all the difference in how frequently they must be watered. Not to mention size and age of the plant and the climate. So yes, it is quite easy to have containers that do not require daily watering and it is also quite easy to over-water any container plant.

As pointed out in a research study currently linked in a similar discussion right now on the Tomato forum about moisture meters, water can be one of the most "dangerous chemicals" used by growers when used to excess.

Dave

Well, I usually wait until my plants show some kind of wilting before applying water. You're saying that this produces damage. But then you say that "droopy" is OK, and that's perhaps a better description of my time-to-water signal. Full blown leaves- pointing-straight-down wilt is certainly bad, but leaf drooping, as far as I can see, is just fine. The leaves perk right up immediately after watering. Feeling the soil is, to me, a somewhat less precise way to establish the need for water because, for mature plants at least, it isn't really that obvious where the roots are. Reading your plants is the right strategy. And yes, for seedlings, even drooping isn't good.

I agree completely about the danger of overwatering, and that's why reading your plants is the right way to do it. Scheduled watering -- as in, so many inches of water per day, is really detrimental. All kinds of problems come from soaking wet beds, especially where the surface never dries out.

Water as a dangerous chemical -- I like that.

That's what I mean by the problems of using "droopy". It means very different things to different people.

A 20-25 degree decline of the leaf tip from normal is what I would call drooping. That or a 10 degree incline of the stem from normal. But then "full blown leaves pointing straight down" would also be "drooping" to some folks who define wilting as the whole plant laying draped over the side of the pot. It's a relative term.

And yes cells collapse. Interstitial pressure changes, sodium and nutrients shift, etc. just as with people when they become dehydrated. How much and how quickly they recover all depends how how severe the dehydration is and how long it takes to correct the balance. But full recovery? Nope. Some damage remains. Which is why it can be so vital to maintain the balance in seedlings (kids) vs. established plants (adults).

Plants will tell you when they need water but you have to study them, watch what happens to the stems and the leaves and the edges of the leaves, and relative position of the leaf tips to horizontal or vertical (depending on the plant). Feel the stiffness of the leaves and stems with your fingers.

Take one plant of the type (1 tomato, 1 lettuce, 1 pepper, etc.) to use as your control and put it where you can easily watch it. It doesn't take long to learn, just a couple of days of close observation and it becomes second nature to you. You can quickly recognize a plant that is thirsty now and one that isn't right now but may be 4-6 hours from now and one that is fine until tomorrow. And if it is in a container, lift the container as the plant changes and feel the weight of it and how it changes as the plant declines.

Sure I realize this is more time and effort than many want to put into their plants. But it should be a goal to shoot for. Too many would rather always water on Tuesdays and Saturdays or water the garden and every plant in it every 3rd day whether they all need it or not, water whether it rained or not much less measure the amount of rainfall. That is their choice of course but all they are doing is creating problems for themselves and then have to figure out why the plants died or the disease got so bad or the plant never set fruit or the fruit rotted on the plant, etc.

Dave

My zucchini used to wilt during hot periods. I stopped the wilt by providing shade.

I think that's exactly right, though the time difference between "droop" and "full scale wilt" may only be one day. In our hot Texas summers, I *must* check on everyone once per day in order to catch them at that "droop" stage. If I wait one day longer, they'll be in full scale wilt mode.

It is true. It takes a little practice, but reading thirst in your plants is an important skill. Once you can do that, you'll never be inclined to overwater. When I see a plant that is thirsty, my first reaction is, "Eh, that plant doesn't look quite right. Everything is green. What's wrong?", and then I see that it isn't quite as perky looking as it usually is. Yep, leaves tilted down by 20-25 degrees or so.

My indoor catnip is extremely sensitive to water. You over-water it and it will die from fungal infection. But it thrives on moist soil. Gotta get it right. I wait until I see "the droop", and then feel the top of the soil. It's dry. I add some water. A few hours later "the droop" is gone.

Well, I don't think providing shade is the answer. Plants need sunlight. If they are well hydrated and healthy, they won't droop. But it's true that cucurbits seem pretty tolerant of brief dehydration. Mine often droop in the late afternoon, but perk right up in the evening. They're telling me that they need water the next day.

Does this yellowing on seedling leaves mean over watering? Some are getting yellow dots?

Possibly but would need more info to be sure. The yellow spots could be ruptured cells from leaf edema and the pale leaf with the dark green veins could be a water issue or something else. As Trev said above over-watering can also result from poorly draining
media. It isn't as simple as just how much water you add and how often.

You have to look at the whole package. So inside, outside where it could be exposed to pests or disease, crowded in container as you had many that way before, nutrients available, mix in the container, etc. etc.

Dave