Growing coleus from seed - letting them dry out

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One of the most frustrating things I've ever encountered with plants is that you may be giving it too much water, or not enough. Like someone who has overfed goldfish, I have killed my plants with kindness by giving them too much water. I mean, how can you let these poor little babies suffer? But, you must.

In order for the plant to develop a strong root system, it must work. And that's done by letting the soil dry out a bit. Believe me, even when it seems dry as a bone on top, there is still plenty of water down at the bottom of the pot. So you have to grit your teeth, and leave them alone. These seedlings are right next to where I am sitting right now, on top of my dresser, so there is no chance that they will be forgotten. In fact, they are in a greater danger of drowning, so I have try to ignore them. If I start to feel guilty, I can do a light mist of water, and I probably will. They are sitting about four inches under a fluorescent lamp and close to a window, so they should be getting plenty of light.

But the tray that these seedlings are sitting in must be left to dry out. If it doesn't, the roots will rot and the plants will die.

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