Watering and Cloudy Days

[777thSunRay]

Hi all! In all my research, I'm surprised I haven't seen this question addressed. If the day is cloudy, or you know the next one or two, or a couple few will be, then do you later lightly till it becomes prevalently sunny again? And even if quite sunny, but cool temperatures, do you lighten watering a bit? Thanks in advance...

Oh I should add, would it not depend on species? I mean I imagine trees in cold climates receive a good deal of precipitation on sunless days, whether rain or snow...

 

[SeanS]

If the soil is dry you should water

 

[Fidur]

Watering is almost an art.
No general rules. You'll have to learn how much, and when.
It depends on soil, species, season, actual circunstances....and so many other variables. With enough experience time I think you will "feel" in your guts when you do have to water or not.
I only dismiss watering any of my trees when it's raining.

 

[777thSunRay]

If the soil is dry you should water

Right... I just mean, should I use less water, wet the soil less, in a single watering, if it's going to be cloudy and for another day or more?

Watering is almost an art.
No general rules. You'll have to learn how much, and when.
It depends on soil, species, season, actual circunstances....and so many other variables. With enough experience time I think you will "feel" in your guts when you do have to water or not.
I only dismiss watering any of my trees when it's raining.

Okay, makes sense. As almost an art, sounds like intuition plus experience.
And of course, I'd never let a mix stay dry...

 

[leatherback]

I only dismiss watering any of my trees when it's raining.

My wife thinks I am crazy for watering in the rain. But canopies are dense enough that the water drips off on only the outermost leaves, which normally are outside the pot rim.
I certainly water when it rains. But not in winter, normally. So..:

If the soil is dry you should water

Do note: My substrate is adjusted to winter weather; Rain on 8 out of 10 days for most of winter means I have very porous substrate. In summer that means more frequent watering for me. Adding water is easier than keeping water away, for me.

 

[Lorax7]

I water the same on a cloudy day as I would on a sunny day. Human beings can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day, so there’s more solar radiation than you might think. It’s just that it’s scattered more. Unless it’s raining enough to give the soil a good soaking, I’m going to water (in the summer). My soil mix is akadama, pumice, and lava. So, it’s very free draining and without organics that would hold on to a lot of water. I do modulate my watering seasonally and if the tree is located somewhere where it’s shaded for a significant portion of the day. Basically, ambient temperature and shade from the surroundings matter a lot more than cloud cover.

 

[Joe Dupre']

I have a couple of trees I use as a guide. They are usually the first to dry out. If they're still damp, PROBABLY the rest are OK. I can usually tell by the weight when I tilt the pot up a bit. Like Fidur said, you'll have to learn how much and when.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Watering is almost an art.
No general rules. You'll have to learn how much, and when.
It depends on soil, species, season, actual circunstances....and so many other variables. With enough experience time I think you will "feel" in your guts when you do have to water or not.
I only dismiss watering any of my trees when it's raining.

Panza de burro... they will never understand us.... haha