Dirt and water question

[Mokey1]

I've been growing in FF soil in about a 3 gallon pot. Up to now it hasn't been a problem picking up each of the pots and carrying them all around to the place where I'm able to water them and let the water drain out freely. Now I'm 1 week into 12-12 and they are just getting to big to move. I have been soaking them well and letting lots of water flow freely out of the bottom of the pots. Lots of other people must water them in place where they don't have a drain. So how do you handle it? Do you just put one of those large saucers under each plant and only water until the water starts flowing out the bottom? .

 

[jmansweed]

Saucer is right. I use watering trays - about 16 inches in dia. I do empty the trays however.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I move mine...it's a pain, but it's got to be done. My grow area is confined anyway, I would not be able to reach plants in the back, without moving plants in the front. I use 21qt rectangle trashcans for pots this time...they have handles, so it makes it easier than when I used grow bags last grow.

 

[Alistair]

I don't know if it stresses the plants to take them out of the closet or not during flowering, but I don't like the idea, because the ambient house light might confuse them. Now, if I flush them for any reason, I bring them out of the closet far enough to place them on top of a clean trash can in order to catch the water. However, I try to keep them within the range of the HID light.

 

[PencilHead]

When I was using 5 gallon buckets, I got those oil drain pans from Wally. They were like $5 and are indestructable. They come black, but I painted mine. Those flimsy plastic plant saucers will break your heart, unless you like water on the floor of your grow room--those will eventually leak just sliding them around.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I don't know if it stresses the plants to take them out of the closet or not during flowering, but I don't like the idea, because the ambient house light might confuse them. Now, if I flush them for any reason, I bring them out of the closet far enough to place them on top of a clean trash can in order to catch the water. However, I try to keep them within the range of the HID light.

I don't know if it stresses them or not either, I've never seen any signs of stress from this. My set up is in my basement, when I feed I set all my plants above a floor drain with 2 of the big cfl's in shop light reflectors above them. They only sit there for maybe 1/2 hr to fully drain, and then back into the shed with them. I have not had any hermi's yet from it, and the leaves are always standing at a Y when put back...never drooping as if stressed. So if there is some ill that is caused from this I have not seen it yet (knock on wood) last grow was .75g/watt...so if it affected my yeild, it was not by much.

I really don't have a choice, but to move them, I put a drain in the floor of my cabinet, thinking I could water them in place, but then it is hard to get to the plants in the back to water, and inspect them. So I continue to pull them out once a week...trust me, lol...I'd rather not...just to make less work.

 

[DynaGlideGuy]

You can also place the buckets in a large rubbermaid container.

Best Wishes and better days
"P"

 

[nouvellechef]

Why so much run off? I never used any kind of catcher. Had a little run off for each 3gal pot. It dried overnight from HID's and air movement. But I guess I would get a solid catcher like Pencil said and a wet/dry shop vac and suck it up. Forget moving them around in flower. Asking for trouble late in flower.