Water dynamics of soil mixes prior to (6 July–13 Aug, 38 d) and after (13 Aug–16 Nov, 95 d) watering treatment implementation.
| Water added (ml) | Water lost (ml) | WHC (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-watering treatment (6 July–13 Aug) | |||
| 85:15 soil mix | 3647 ± 51 | −3090 ± 12 | 16.83 ± 1.90 |
| 50:50 soil mix | 3764 ± 56 | −3039 ± 66 | 24.24 ± 4.09 |
| Watering treatment (13 Aug–16 Nov) | |||
| 85:15 Infrequent | 4228 ± 66 Aa | −3936 ± 61 Aa | n/a |
| 85:15 Frequent | 4570 ± 40 Ab | −4259 ± 38 Ab | n/a |
| 50:50 Infrequent | 4431 ± 53 Ba | −4051 ± 59 Ba | n/a |
| 50:50 Frequent | 4638 ± 20 Bb | −4563 ± 65 Bb | n/a |
Notes: A subset of pots was weighted before and after each watering (1 g water = 1 ml) to determine mean total water (± SE) added during watering and lost to evaporation and transpiration. Water dynamics were not significantly different between soil mixes before the watering treatments began. Differences after watering treatments were implemented are denoted by different uppercase letters (soil mix main effect) and lowercase letters (watering frequency main effect). See text for statistical results. The water-holding capacity (WHC) of the 2 soil mixes was determined by weighing pots filled with oven-dried soil and then weighing them again after slowly adding water to pot capacity.