can u underwater ur plant without it wilting. i think thats my problem

[bobman]

on my young plants from seed(about a foot tall) (in two gallon containers) my main root ball stays moist but the surrounding soil is bone dry. the root ball is about fist size. the plant shows no symptoms of under watering but all kind of others weird symptoms and yellowing. i think the new growth is growing into the dry soil and causing problems. i ruled out ph and some plants have gotten older and stopped showing problems. I used 50/50 perlite.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Repot into a smaller container with about 1/4-1/3 perlite in the mix (at most) and maybe a few tablespoons of lime. You're having problems watering such a big pot accurately because there's no way to really know what the roots are doing down there. A foot tall plant in my garden is probably still in a 20oz cup about ready to go up to 1quart. Here's a plant finishing up in a 1quart;

Here's one (not genetically as high a yielder as the one in the quart) in a gallon;

 

[bobman]

wow, thats impressive for a small container. i just transplanted from a 1 gallon a week ago and there was dense root development on the bottom 2 inches of that pot.

 

[PhenotypeX]

I think under watering your plant is good for the root system. I think its harder for the roots to grow in wet soil because its heavier. When the soil is dry, not only is the plant growing more roots in search for water but the soil is lighter and easier to grow through, also more oxygen when its dry. I always notice a boost in growth when the soil starts getting dry, then after I water growth seems slow that day. Just my opinion and im sure alot of people have a different one. I think the best medium is one that is easiest for the roots to grow through, while still providing nutrition. This makes aeroponics and hydroponics the best choice for max root system, since the plants dont have to work extra hard to push their way through soil that gets compacted from watering.

 

[growcodile]

in general its very possible to underwater without much or any wilting signs.. some strains take underwating better without wilting .. underwatering can cause probs ofcourse

 

[homebrew420]

I believe that if you can get those plants to the point just before they begin to wilt and water at that time, your growth will be more productive. I think Pheno is right. You don't want to stress them but you also don't want to water-log them

 

[growcodile]

I believe that if you can get those plants to the point just before they begin to wilt and water at that time, your growth will be more productive. I think Pheno is right. You don't want to stress them but you also don't want to water-log them

partly that is true .. but the point where wilting begins is a bit too far imho .. before wilting comes at least the closing of stomata .. and you also dont want to (over)do that ..

 

[psycho pirate]

Repot into a smaller container with about 1/4-1/3 perlite in the mix (at most) and maybe a few tablespoons of lime. You're having problems watering such a big pot accurately because there's no way to really know what the roots are doing down there. A foot tall plant in my garden is probably still in a 20oz cup about ready to go up to 1quart. Here's a plant finishing up in a 1quart;

Here's one (not genetically as high a yielder as the one in the quart) in a gallon;

Nice work with the small containers... I have always thought people worry too much about getting root bound... Plants can thrive in small containers if you have a regular watering schedule and the nutes dialed in... Just need to make sure the roots stay healthy... I have found that if I use a pot too big it yields less

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

"I have found that if I use a pot too big it yields less" Good observation psycho pirate. In general horticulture, it's called 'flower forcing' and has been used for years by little old ladys and master gardeners alike. Getting a plant to the right amount of rootbound-ness at peak flowering will make it produce more and larger flowers. It's odd that this knowledge isn't better known among cannabis growers.

Whether you're overwatering or underwatering a certain plant has everything to do with the ratio of plant to pot size, and the condition of the rootball from previous repots. A plant that has just been repotted doesn't need water for quite some time. That time depends entirely on how big the increment is between the starting pot and the new one is, and how long it takes for the roots to hit bottom of the new container. The reason to wait longer is to encourage roots to grow more in search of both water and nutrients. So, the first watering interval could be long, but right away the roots and top have grown. In my garden, a fast vegging plant that is being repotted frequently will basically double in size each week, so that interval between waterings changes immediately. The second interval might be much less. By the time of the third interval, the plant should have grown so much that it will need a fourth watering in only one day. When a good sized plant has it's roots at the bottom of the container, overwatering becomes next to impossible. A large leaf area buffers against both drought and overwatering (and over/under fert too). A large plant in a small container of mostly inorganic (well draining mostly sand, hydroton, etc.) soilmix is very similar to a hydro grown plant in the sense of how much actual control you have over the plant, but without as many responsibilities in the area of grow medium control. Wow, I said that pretty good that time, huh?

 

[psycho pirate]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Mr. Greengenes again. Great post! Very informative, and something that is not talked about as much because people love to jump on the root bound bandwagon when they are having plant troubles. A lot of people suggest 1 gal. per foot of plant, but i can get better yields off a 5 ft. plant in a 3 gal container than if i was using a 5 gal.