Soil/Compost Drying out-How bad is it?

[big ballin 88]

Well i remember seeing something that Secondtry had written stating below a certain percentage the micro life decreased. I think 80% water capacity and it becomes harder for the microlife to stay mobile and live.

Usually i keep my soil mix in good moisture spraying it with water to make sure it stays moist. When it dries out completly since its been 98*+, I spray it with fish and humic acid(which is the same mix i use to start "cooking" my soil). That mix isn't used very regularly though, maybe once every 2 weeks or once a month.

What i want to know is how bad is this drying out? Does it destroy the soil activity to the point where you must start over? Or is it easily fixed by merely mixing in a compost source and AACT?

Recently no matter how much i try it dries out within a couple of days(dew point down here?). I want to know if its destroying my once living soil or maybe they go dormant. I'm hoping things just go dormant.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Dormant is correct for the drier parts of the soil but the plants roots have activity. See Rhizosphere
Once the plant dries out it's dead.
Be sure to water before applying liquid feeds. In the heat adding nutrients before watering can cause stress on a plant.

Cannabis can handle dry somewhat. Some strains have deep roots for the top soil can be dry and the plant will still have access to moisture.

I just woke up so I feel sleepy.. I hope that helps.

 

[VerdantGreen]

as long as it doesnt dry out enough to kill the plant, and it gets watered well on a regular basis, its fine - in fact the plants seem to like the wet - nearly dry cycle and grow well in it from my experience.

 

[guest2012y]

Soil....Since I'm using some 1 gallon pots in my garden,I have to water every two days. These are my troubled pots....watering a few 1 gal pots everyday is just out of the question when 80% of the garden holds pots of bigger sizes. The 1 gals tend to get a bit dry when the outside temps climb.....this is no doubt causing the soil life to suffer. These plants yellow out in mid-flower and fail to continue building big buds...they make it and make extra weight from extra space,but this is not ideal and I'm DONE putting my favorite plants in 1 gallon pots....the plants in 1 gal pots will go in small and be ones that I don't expect a lot from. I run a terrace type garden,the 1 gallon pots sit up on the terrace where it's warmer,which in turn depletes water faster.
However,I'm getting an extra half pound just off the trouble using space that would otherwise not be utilized.
Sorry for the drawn out explaination,but it is clear that the life in those pots is being affected by random drying and re-moisturizing.

 

[JackTheGrower]

For sure the 1 gallons need constant attention.

I tried the Dunk method and it just turned the soil into something akin to fibre board kind of material. So there is no good and easy way to do it IMO.. We just have to water and feed 1 gallons every couple days.

I sure seem to correct a lot of odd words in my posts.

 

[big ballin 88]

I guess i should've phrased my background info better. What i was actually speaking of is my leftover soil mix.

So by JTG's post i should be alright since they are going dormant. That's the reason i refer to using a fish/humic acid dilute after bringing up the moisture to full capacity first. This is usually a week or two before i start using the mix again. However, right now is recycling time, and realized everything has gone very dry. You guys may hate it but tween 80 is amazing stuff, a little goes a super far way for this kind of task.

I'm hoping that if the soil dries out like that, than the fish/humic acid should help bring them back which is my main worry. I tried to keep a nice organic mix but once the heat and dew point kicked up things went downhill.

Inside i use blumat JR's because i realized how important soil moisture was. I feel, when you can visually tell its to dry your letting your great organic soil mix fall off drastically. Thats my whole problem with my leftover mix drying up because its outside(in the shade). Just seems so hard to keep it up to full capcity though, and theres not even any plants in it.

 

[guest2012y]

Could always hit it with a compost/EWC tea to put more life back in it.
Considering you are re-amending when you recycle...which I imagine you already do BB.

 

[big ballin 88]

Yup thats what i was thinking is either AACT or EWC slurry and it should be good to go. I think the fish and humic would well but not as well as some kind of tea.

Recycling is the best. I get to feed my worms the leftover plants and roots just become a nice texture. I will have this mix for a long time..

 

[JackTheGrower]

oh.. it's summer here and hot..

just add some N and C wet lightly toss in a couple handfuls of live soil mix and you are done.

If this is a question on going fallow keeping it moist is the thing.

kelp meal is a great n+c and ground coffee makes a great n..

 

[VerdantGreen]

Soil....Since I'm using some 1 gallon pots in my garden,I have to water every two days. These are my troubled pots....watering a few 1 gal pots everyday is just out of the question when 80% of the garden holds pots of bigger sizes. The 1 gals tend to get a bit dry when the outside temps climb.....this is no doubt causing the soil life to suffer. These plants yellow out in mid-flower and fail to continue building big buds...they make it and make extra weight from extra space,but this is not ideal and I'm DONE putting my favorite plants in 1 gallon pots....the plants in 1 gal pots will go in small and be ones that I don't expect a lot from. I run a terrace type garden,the 1 gallon pots sit up on the terrace where it's warmer,which in turn depletes water faster.
However,I'm getting an extra half pound just off the trouble using space that would otherwise not be utilized.
Sorry for the drawn out explaination,but it is clear that the life in those pots is being affected by random drying and re-moisturizing.

hiya capt. whilst i would agree with most of what you say about 1 gallon pots, i tend to think the problems are associated with too many roots not being in contact with the soil (ie rootbound) rather than the microherd being compromised by the wet/dry cycle.

have you tried standing the 1gallon pots on a saucer and leaving some runoff in there for the roots to drink? i find they are happier that way in mid - late flowering. you also tend to get a whole horizon of roots growing through the holes and forming a mat between pot and saucer - so you get a mini hydro thing going too which helps feed and water the plant too.

soil in nature dries out quite a lot fairly regularly, and i can quite believe that the soil fauna wouldn't have evolved to handle this and either survive it or bounce back very quickly..

VG

 

[guest2012y]

Interesting point V,that's one thing I forgot to mention..these pots get root bound with plants that start out in them too big. I too have used the trays and get better results from reabsorption. I would like to think the herd is okay after such abuse,but I'm just feeling the high temps due to the location of the pots and going through the dry/wet thing puts a toll on them. Not that they are getting completely wiped out,but maybe rather going through continued interupted cues of dormancy and awakening every couple days is playing a roll as well. This environment is unlike a natural one,we are pushing human expectations in a cycle that may be environmentally confusing to some forms of life..maybe they have evolved do deal with it. It just seems harsh on them.

 

[DARC MIND]

soil in some parts drys out pretty quickly yes but imo i see the best growth (in nature) were trees/shrubs ect naturally mulch the ground a few inches to feet and the soil stays moist. i also notice more life/biodiversity in and above ground were nature has done this,way more fungi!!!
i my self,try to copy this to best i can in my garden by mulching 3-4 inches and keep my soil moist and alive. the wet dry cycle does work with containers but i see no real big dif (in growth) if u mulch, foliar and keep ur top media moistened.

 

[guest2012y]

Here's another factor......pot temps on at the floor are about 65 degrees where the fresh air is sucked in and cools those. The 1 gal. pot temps on the shelf 1/3 of the way up the wall are 80 degrees. 4k in flower with an 8 inch vortex the room runs at 80 with lights on. Thermometer is at flower level.
It just seems that those 1 gal pots that sit in the 80 zone would be a tough deal to push soil life to actually exist comfortably.

 

[big ballin 88]

Interesting point V,that's one thing I forgot to mention..these pots get root bound with plants that start out in them too big. I too have used the trays and get better results from reabsorption. I would like to think the herd is okay after such abuse,but I'm just feeling the high temps due to the location of the pots and going through the dry/wet thing puts a toll on them. Not that they are getting completely wiped out,but maybe rather going through continued interupted cues of dormancy and awakening every couple days is playing a roll as well. This environment is unlike a natural one,we are pushing human expectations in a cycle that may be environmentally confusing to some forms of life..maybe they have evolved do deal with it. It just seems harsh on them.

This is what my main idea is and hoping for. This would be my main problem with drying out.

However before i heard what ST had said I used to believe in the benefits of a wet/dry cycle. I believe to have seen an increase in production it seems by providing a constant access of water to draw from. This is just my opinion though.
One nice thing about wood mulch which is why i not only use it on the top but mixed in has to do with holding water. It was mentioned i think mezopores(?) which hold water until the roots have accesss to it, by breaking into the wood. But also there were other pores that micro life can hide and draw from.

I think having that base level of moisture may be very helpful in keeping the population alive when otherwise wouldn't be doing as well.

 

[DARC MIND]

high soil temps and quick evaporation of water(small container/media), sounds alot like a desert
think ther be more soil life/cycling in better environments but i bet some strains may genetically prefer desert type soil/conditions??

 

[guest2012y]

...double post

 

[guest2012y]

Like a desert with flash floods every two days. Yet the humidity from the incoming air is high. I'm using pumice and more compost in the newer mixes and these seem to hold water longer...they never really get bone dry.

 

[big ballin 88]

I think humidity plays a big role in dry soils also depending upon how much moisture is lost and their ability to soak up water. I think dew point plays a big role in soil's ability to soak up or dry up.

 

[guest2012y]

Excessive transpiration due to high temps from 4K and massive air flow is the biggest culprit in my garden. If I was a bit more in the $$$,I'd cool my lights with vented hoods and turn down the speed control on the exhaust.....ahh the benefits of more environmental manipulation via funding.

 

[big ballin 88]

Excessive transpiration due to high temps from 4K and massive air flow is the biggest culprit in my garden. If I was a bit more in the $$$,I'd cool my lights with vented hoods and turn down the speed control on the exhaust.....ahh the benefits of more environmental manipulation via funding.

You never know what you can find on ebay. They had 6" fans that push almost 600cfm for $99. I got a PL dep hood for $50.

You and your 83* high temps haha. Try growing in 88*-92* makes me want to breath into the cube for CO2 supplemntation j/k..

I find the 1 gal smart pots dry out slower than my 3 gal plastic pot, mulched slightly.