Tricks of the trade...

[Super Skunk]

I am just a little curious here. I spend on average 3 hours a day tending plants. I have cut that time down by installing automatic watering and more lights. Now I just make sure that the watering system is functioning properly, and with a bit more light I do not have to turn plants. How many people have found little tricks to cut your time down? I think we all are intrested in ways to work smarter not harder.

 

[wmmeyer]

I seem to have the opposite problem. I have a very small, very ghetto grow area in a closet in the bedroom with only one plant at a time. I find myself in there several times a day, just looking at the girlie, wishing there was more to do, to spend time on with her.

 

[legalize_freedom]

I usually don't even mess with them but once a week, unless working with clones or seedlings. Big plants I have now are in 5gl containers, and only need fed once a week, but I still tend to at least look in there once a dy to make sure all is ok. young clones in smaller containers require more time, but I enjoy spending time with my plants so it's not a big deal...sometimes I go down to my "shed" and just leave the door open, and sit next to them with a book...it's good energy for me.

 

[LEFTHAND]

ive got it down to a pretty simple system.. water/lights on timer mother clone box 24/7 check in couple times a day if i have babies..
other then that im down there twice a day atleast when the tents up at full bore... try not to over mother my youngins hehehe
LH

 

[leafminer]

I think it's a great idea to automate because then there's no panic when it's time to go on holiday or whatever. I'm certainly looking to automate watering using a drip irrigation system and timer. If I had time I'd like to build one of those systems using a PLC like I just put on the DIY section yesterday. Two of those controllers could pretty much totally automate a hydro grow.

 

[ishnish]

:yeahthat:
I left town for a few days last summer when my girls were half way through flower. i unplugged the 400w and left a few flouros in on the timer so she wouldn't freak out. my main concern was that they were in DWC and I worried the roots would suck up all the water and dry out. but since the light was reduced, so to was the water/nute consumption. and when i got back, just plugged the big light back in and kept grow'n on.
so they were pretty much in a state of suspended animation one could say.

 

[gourmet]

My fans run 24/7 and my light is on a timer. I have a soil grow in 5 gallon buckets that only need water about once a week. I am better off leaving my hands off of them. I peak in on them daily, check soil moisture midweek and weekend. Do watering/nuting/flushing on the weekend.

For me less is more.

The tent is in my bedroom so if lights or fans went out I would know.

 

[Time4Plan-B]

Apart from the hand watering everything is automated yet i still check for a good hour each day to see if they have miraculously tripled in size

lol

t4

 

[jmansweed]

I have a larger operation. All automated except feeding - which is all done by hand. I have an automated watering system available but only use it in emergencies. I spend easily 40 hours a week with my ladies. When I'm not working on them I do research to improve my grows. (my office is in the veg room) Even before I dedicated all my time to MJ and had a full time job, I would spend a good 1 to 2 hours daily. I could greatly reduce the time with the plants but simply would rather find things regarding MJ to involve myself in.

A freind of mine grows killer herb. He grows all "in soil" organic, watering only. Some times he claims he spends 2 hours a week with them! Once the right soil, strain and environment are fine tuned things can get easier.

 

[DonJones]

What kind of systems are you guys using the automatic watering on?

I have so many different aged plants, from germinating seeds to cuttings for cloning to rooted clones & seedlings to immature veg to mature veg where I'm just trying ot get more plant before switching to freshly flowered to mature flowered that I don't see how I could automate much more that the lights and fans, which are already on timers.

But I'm always up for hearing new ideas or even old suggestions that I haven't heard of before.

Great ideas.

Great smoking

 

[leafminer]

Don, it depends on the medium. If you use coco for instance, as I do, overwatering isn't a problem. Doesn't really matter if it is a seedling or a six foot sativa.