Methods of watering. What are your methods?

[accid]

Good Morning,

Just to let you all know I grow in 5 gallon pots (soil). When it comes time to watering, I water each 5 gallon pot with 1 gallon of water. Sounds fine and dandy don't it? Here is the problem:

When i add nutes and adjust ph, i do it to each gallon individually. It takes up a lot of time. Then once im down, i have to bring the plants to the bathroom (they are in a back room) water them in the tub so the run off does not make a mess in my grow box, wait the water to stop dripping (typically 15 minutes) then i carry them back into the box.

This whole process is a disaster particularly in flowering when i am watering them every 3rd day(or when needed).

So, I was curious as to how you guys mix and adjust your water. Do you guys just dump gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket then add nutes, stir and check for ph etc? What would be an easier way for me?

I purchase distilled water gallons. I need an easier way, this method is just to much. Hope to here from multiple people. Thanks.

 

[OldHippieChick]

I wish some wise sage would answer this valid question. I'm also interested in feedback on this issue....

 

[x Big Dave x]

I know this may sound silly but have you tried giving them less water so that you only get minimal run off? just my idea of watering is as soon as you get the first few drops of run off then thats enough water. Or perhaps just buy a tray to sit them in?

 

[Krazeydays]

If your plants are dry when you water you may not want to pour the whole 1 gal. at one time pour half first this will give the dirt time to soak. You will wasting a lot nutes . like dave said a tray would help,IMO.
As far as your water i admit i use your tech. as well, thought about getting a 30 gal. can and using this with a air stone.

 

[nouvellechef]

Rez,pump,good hose,wand. Put those little water saucers under each plant. They will catch the runoff and it will evaporate fast. Put the Rez right outside the box. Forget carrying them around. What happens when there 8 weeks into flower? Worth the $100.

 

[blackthumbs]

if the little pump and rez don't work for you, you could allways buy some of the autowatering spikes like they sell at harbour frieght they work great as long as you have the space no more overflow at all.

 

[Dr. Manny Bowles]

If you still want to use distilled, maybe pour multiple gallons into a bucket and mix and ph that way. I use tap water, and have a hose that fits around my kitchen faucet. 4 gallons in 5 gallon buckets and I mix/ph in them then water.
For your drainage problem, maybe make a collection pan. I had a couple made at a local heating/hvac place, 3" deep and I drilled a hole at the bottom of one of the sides and caulked a drain tube into it. I jacked up the back and one side of the pan about 1/2 inch so all the water runs to the drain and into a bucket.

edit- I should mention after filling the buckets with tap water, I let them sit for a day or two to evaporate the chlorine before mixing/ph'ing. Distilled you won't need to do that obviously :farm:

 

[Tater]

BigDave: When growing synthetically you should water until you achieve a 10 percent run off in order to avoid salt buildup and lockout. Plus flush the medium every few weeks fort he same reason.

accid, ummmm get a bigger bucket? This is a pretty obvious question. Personally I use a 45 gallon drum when I'm mixing water but I no longer mix water as I went all organic. Why don't you get a 5 gallon pail and a watering can? Or plumb water to the room where you plants are. Or get a big drum and a pump and a wand. Or mix nutes in your bathtub and use a hose and a pump.

Gardening is only as hard as you make it.

 

[nouvellechef]

HA HA, bathtub? Oh man, my wife would make me sleep in my garden if I did that. If you do the Rez,pump,wand. Get a coil hose and run hooks on the ceiling and drop it down into your garden with a bracket or something to make it handy to use and put back. Just flip switch grab wand, easy cheesy.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I use (2) 5gallon gas cans....of course they never had gas in them. And you want some run off, like Tater mentioned. I have a drain in my basement floor, so I just move the plants to that area, have a t8 floro positioned there, water, and let them set until they are finished draining, and move them back to the flower box. I have used the gas cans for yrs, I have a couple camo ones for when I was running the corn fields, guerilla-ing it. It's hard to carry 10 gallons in 1 gallon jugs when your running the fields.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

I buy my water from the water station...coes in 5 gallon jugs..i use to buy distilled from but found this to be easyier and cheaper..I then baught some 3 gallon jugs as well for mixxing..when i strt the shed up i use 1 gal milk jugs filled with my water..but now at the stage im at i mix 3 an 5 gallon jugs same time..I like to use a air stone and let bubble for 24hrs.. and I saturate my soils..and have bins under containers/bags to catch run off..Hope this helps..Merry Christmas:ciao:

take care and be safe:bolt::bong:

 

[eastla_kushsmoka]

i use half a gallon of nute solution per 5 gal. bucket your over watering

 

[Tact]

In my grow room my plants rest over a grate, under the grate is a plastic tray. I water my plants and the water runs through the grate, into the tray, I angle the tray slightly up on one end so that the excess water runs to one side of the tray under the grate. Then I use a shop-vac (bought one a few weeks ago from Ace Hardware for $25.00 on sale), and suck up the water runoff. This way I do not have to move the plants anywhere. If you keep your plants in a grow box you could do the same thing by getting yourself a grate/wire shelf on which you will put the plants, and rest that over anything from a rubbermaid tub, to a plastic tray like I use. The plastic tray that I use is a slide-out 3'x4' tray from the bottom of a dog-crate (what the dog sits/lays on), if you have ever seen those. The tray I have is raised on all sides 2", never had a mess, and the shop-vac sucks up all the water runoff in seconds. The whole process from watering the plants, to cleanup, takes about 5 minutes. This takes place in my basement which has a faucet down there, even though now I am using distilled, and a drain in the floor by my washing machine which I use to dump out the shop-vac after sucking up the water.

I can post pics if you need a visual.

 

[accid]

Great advice guys, I will be mixing a bit of all your techniques to fully utilize my box!!

w00t!

 

[Dr. Manny Bowles]

Get some!

 

[zem]

if you go hydro, timer will feed them for you. i only maintain my res i dont have to hand water or mix up solution and i can't overwater, light weight medium much less work. i never have to carry any medium in or out of my grow cuz i use growrocks with net pots and theyr reusable on and on. this is a very big advantage in growin hydro and IMO it shouldnt cost more than soil in the long run and if you consider that your time and effort is also money hydro beats soil in term of cost

 

[parkone]

I mix in a 30 gal garbage can. Use a pump with a wand attached. One full barrel last me three waterings. I too use 5 gal pots with saucers underneath. Works like a champ! I grow in an outdoor shed and run a hose to the barrel and usually start with 5 gallons of hot water from the house before topping off with cold water from the hose.