watering question

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totalnoobie15

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hey all i have read thru the guides and there isn't much info about watering. i have recieved a lot of advice on correct procedures and i am unsure which is correct. The main one i took away was water until the water drains thru? please help
 
I think your main tip is not to over water in consecutive days. MJ likes to dry out inbetween waterings. Use your finger and if the top 2-3 inches are dry it would be time to water. When you do water you are correct, you want to see it run out the bottom.
 
As an example. I water everyone other day, and every other water has nutrients in it. My ladies love that cycle, they have a chance to dry out the soil completely but not starve. Its the best cycle i have tried so far, but this may not be right for you. i have a fairly warm grow.. sitting around 85-90 degrees. so my ladies dry out quickly.. for a cooler grow you may even be able to pull 2 days between waterings.
 
this should be a sticky: if you grow in pots - PICK THEM UP. best way to judge moisture content. you want them moist but not soaked and not super dry. i dont know where the idea of drying yer plants out came from but no, no, no. IMHO if the top of the pot gets bone dry, the water will not penetrate the soil and run down the inside of the pot to pour out the bottom = this will kill some strains like hashplant. if you water every 2nd day and they get super dry and do this; by the next watering or 4 days, they will be dead. or completely stunted with dieing roots.

You can also pick up a soil/moisture test meter and use it in 1 pot.

Last line edited by Stoney Bud.
 
tecks - i use the same cycle as you but i know my room as so do you. i run about 80F and use 2 gallon pots therefore every other day works fer me too. i tried saucers under the pots once but got some root damage.
 
yeah man..those "moisture meters" are $4.95 at lowes.

Edited by Stoney Bud.
 
i give each a liter of water a day.....one day nutes...2 days water.....but i am going to buy the soil test meter cuz i dont believe its healthy to the plant to be pokin yer fingers in the soil....and i find its a lil hard to tell, i also use big pots with a built in drain and only the roots go down it...7 bucks a pop and were well worth it...
 
Using phrases like:

If you're too lazy...

Stupid people do it this way...

You can be a total jackass and do it another way...


These types of name calling just beg the person they are directed at to become insulted. There is no reason to ever use that type of wording unless you make an OBVIOUS joke out of it.

Let's all try to teach without insult. It really is more effective.

Plus, as an added benefit, Stoney Bud won't edit your posts.

Thanks folks.

Stoney.
 
totalnoobie15 said:
The main one i took away was water until the water drains thru? please help
You took away one of the most important of guidelines.

There is a balance between water and oxygen usage in any growing plant. If the soil remains wet enough so that oxygen can't penetrate it to the roots, the plant will suffer root damage from this over wetness.

If the plant is allowed to totally dry out, the plant will suffer from dehydration and will alter it's growth to compensate for that dryness. The compensation may take the form of becoming a Hermie because of the water stress.

The advice to "weigh" the plants is very good. A simple lift of only one side of the pot will tell you the amount of water in the pot. I'll give you an example. If you use a small 4" pot of good quality dirt mix, and weigh it, you'll find it weights about 3/4 of a pound. After a good watering, it will increase in weight up to 2 pounds. The difference between these two weights is pretty radical and can be fairly judged by almost anyone. When I "feel" the weight of the pot and notice it has become pretty damn light, I water it until a small amount comes from the bottom. How much water this will take depends on the size of pot, if the plant is root bound in the pot, and the type of soil you use.

When "weighing" a large 3 to 5 gallon pot, the dry/wet weight difference is even more obvious. It will go from maybe 5 pounds dry to 20 pounds wet. That's real, real easy to tell if watering is necessary.

Just don't water again until you notice the pot weight becoming "light" again. As I said, it's real obvious when it's becoming dry because the pot will become very light again. Try to water just before the plant becomes dried out. If you use a screw top two gallon jug to water them, close and shake the hell out of the nutes, this will radically aerate the water/nutes and will literally shove air into the root system during watering. This is a good thing to do.

If you use a hydrometer, make sure to take several readings from at least two inches below the soil until you get used to the pattern of watering for your plants.

Good luck to you man. Let us know how you do, ok?
 
well ****, i did it again, sorry boss and thanks again. dont think i said the 3rd 1 about jackasses. i know i did the lazy remark, hhhmmm, wonder how else i could say that? IMHO
 
So for the most part the best way to water these guys is to pour the water until you see it seep out the bottom? My P and I have a difference of opinion on this topic and were both pretty much rookies........I water every other day about 12 oz per and never see the seepage out the bottom. As of late these guys have lightened up in color and my P is worried........I attributed it to not enough H2O and he vice versa.........any advice on this issue???..........my pots are 8X8X8.......i would say just about 1.25 gallons. They are still growing at a decent rate though but lighter in color now.......

Peace,
B~
 
IRISHMAN1972 said:
So for the most part the best way to water these guys is to pour the water until you see it seep out the bottom?
Pour in some. Wait. If it seeps a little out the bottom, you're good. If not pour some more and wait a minute or so. Repeat this until you see just a little come out the bottom. This will assure that the plant has been watered to the entire root mass. Don't flush the plant each time, you just want a little bit to seep out the bottom to show that the plant root area has been saturated good. Then, as I said, wait until the pot is "light" again before watering. Don't use one day, or two days or whatever. Use the weight of the pot to tell you when it's time to water.
 
whats yer PH? and no thats how you flush - pour till it comes out the bottom. 8x8x8 sounds like a 2 gallon pot to me. you can pick up a 2 gallon pot to judge weight - refer to stoney bud's post. i use a 2 gal. pot, room temp 80F max. 5 - 6 lights, water every second day or water/feed. are you feeding? after 2 weeks max, ya should be giving veg ferts full strenght. you can water anytime but best in light cycle. foliar in light too with dutch master penetrator and foliartec.
 
Thanks guys!!!!!!! I honestly believe these guys arent getting enough to drink.......because ive never seen any water seep out of the bottom and they easily could be 2 gallons.....im not sure but thanks for the continuing advice.....................

I~
 
"Over watering" is probably the most common rookie mistake. Overwatering inhibits root structure, deprives the rootzone of oxygen, increases the oppurtunity for disease and pests.(rootrot, fungus gnats,ect) Thus the advice to let the pots dry well between waterings is sound and prudent. You don't really want to see wilting/drooping from dehydration, but as long as it isn't a repetative practice or allowed to exist for prolonged periods. It doesn't hurt. And will give you an idea of "when" they are going to need water next time.(ie..if the start to show wilting at 5 days, watering on the 4th day should be about idel)
The frequency of watering is determined by transpiration rate, soil quality. environmental factors. Each growroom will determine "when" is right to water. It can't be said as a "set schedule" from room to room.
As said, learn to weigh the pots. Once you've become accustomed to this, it becomes second nature. Water slowly untill you see seepage/runoff at the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots. This 'ensures' that you have saturated the entire rootzone and NOT just a few inches on top.
It wil not "flush" your pots of nutes this way. "Flushing" requires copius amounts of water ran through the medium.
 
great post hick and not only a rookie mistake either. i've done it myself and seen other experienced growers overwater at times. just by looking at the pots and/or when the seasons change we can sometimes forgetfully under/over water getting used to a set schedule or routine.
 
Plants that are "rootbound" have a tendency to soak up the water and make it so you have to water almost everyday. Thought I'd throw that in. ;)
 
weight and seepage are prob the easiest to detect. I found that if you water closer to the end of your lights on period...plants will stay soggy during the dark stage and could possibly bring on the gnats. I water at the begin of lights on cycle and stick to it for consistency, they drink some, some evaps a lil for a tiny bit of humidity, not soggy during lights off. Soon as they are in big pots, I give a litre a day. 80 degree temps, cuz i cant drop it much lower, works well for me........
 
Sorry stoney....instead of lazy I should say...If you've got couch lock......haha
 

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