How do ->YOU<- "Hand Water"?

[haze_daze]

Just get some autopots, they were designed for soil anyway.

Make sure you get compltely soulble nutes if you use this method or the pipes and valve will block periodically.

I use Flairform Green Dream which has 'slurry technology' and prevents blockages, while the nutes themselves are excellent.

http://www.flairform.com/Products/greendream.htm

I'm doing 8 plants on this grow, 4 x with Autopots and Green Dream, and 4 x hand watered with Bio Bizz.

 

[compost]

Just saw this post. I was tired of can waterings so I took some old hydro gear and made myself a little system. Take an aquarium pump like you would use for a F&D table. Drop that in your res and plug it into a surge protector. Take a water can(with the biggest spout end you can find) and remove the spout. Take the cover(that disperses the water) off the spout and put the hose through the spout. Put a screw through the hose so I doesn't slip out and seal the area between the hose and spout so it doesn't leak out. Pop the cover back on and your ready to go.

I use this so I can just flip the surge protector and water my plants. What is really nice is that the watering end is so small(only 4 inch diameter) that you can move it through tight spaces. I have blumats hooked up now but still use this for a once a week heavy watering. If you can pictures just let me know.

 

[Kalicokitty]

i also enjoi watering by hand.... literally. mix up my nutes and water by a gallon watering can w/ a long spout. i usually spend up to an hour w/ my ladies just TCOB.

That's how I do it too.
1-2 hours in the room each morning.
Sometimes I sing to them while watering, they seem to like it.

I find it very peaceful and relaxing working in my room, away from everything, my own little world.

 

[michaeljordan]

siphons and pumps?? Wow. Seems like a lot of work. I have 5 gallon containers filled with RO water.

I pick them up.

I pour what I need into a 5 Gallon bucket.

I mix in what I'm mixing in and ph it.

I grab my trusty plastic cup that had my icee in it from 711.

I dip it in the bucket and pour it on my plants.

Simple.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

I always have lots of seedlings to scrutinize for breeding, so the time spent hand watering is not wasted for me. I also use the time to practice my low stances.

 

[ZackMorris]

Damn. it looks like im watering all wrong. Doesnt sound like you guys water to the point of getting much runoff. I grow in five gallon buckets and pro mix and flood them (usually 3 gallons) over 5 minutes and get probably 0.5 gallons of runoff which is obviously way to much for the saucer to hold. So ive been pulling them out individually and setting them in a 5" tall rubbermaids and letting the runoff collect there. Takes forever! My plants have always looked awesome so ive been hesitant to try new things. LOL- i still only use tiger bloom, grow big and molasses too. I think i just got lucky and found a sick, sick strain that yields awesome and can take a beating(moby dick). Im pulling 4 zips with a 4 week veg. Anyways, so most folks water slow and get very little runoff?

 

[tokinafaty420]

When I was handwatering in soilless, I mixed 10 gallons of nutrient solution at a time. Then the container had a pump and watering wand attached to it. Made life easy. The last couple of inches in the bottom that the pump couldn't extract I just dumped into measuring cups and applied it that way.

I'm not a big fan of using gallon jugs b/c of the flow coming out of the jug. Makes it hard to evenly cover the whole pot of soil and I'd also have dry spots or the water just drained right out of the bottom right away since it was concentrated in a singe location.

 

[love?]

Anyways, so most folks water slow and get very little runoff?

Dunno about most but it's what I do. It takes quite long per plant but I can do many plants at the same time so it doesn't really matter. Every now and then there's too much runoff for the tray which is a real pain in the ass so yeah it ain't the best system possible but usually it's not a problem.

For my tomatoes this summer I've used pots that have a water reservoir at the bottom and a tube that goes to the top for filling it. I must say it's been really convenient and fast to water them, just fill the reservoir from the tube. Been considering them for the tent too.

 

[Cookie monster]

I use a 1.5 gallon watering can, add nutes then adjust and leave for an hour then test ph again.

Scuff up the first few cm of soil and water till I get some runoff, stop watering and test the runoff and then move on to the next plant.
Then I'll light a doobie make coffee and inspect the plants before repeating the process and finish up by leaving the pots on a slanted surface to drain properly.

I find it relaxing

 

[liquidmaco]

im in the same boat as all the res/hose/wand guys here. word to the wise, get a kink free or coil type slinky hose and avoid all those headaches from hose grief. a 30$ 396 eco pump works for me but i could use the next size up just to make things quicker. i have a t valve hooked up to my shower ( for adding a massager thing ect) and fill up my trashcan every few days that way. when i checked aces 32 gal trashcan was cheaper than a rubbermaid type rez of similar size. ab 10$

 

[Phedrosbenny]

I use a used cholesteral human amendment apparatis.Its size is one gallon.

 

[ZackMorris]

So most of you only have minimal run-off after watering?

 

[Surfr]

So most of you only have minimal run-off after watering?

I dunno about everyone else, but I like to have a lot of runoff every watering.. I do not want any kind of salt/nute build up..

 

[ZackMorris]

I dunno about everyone else, but I like to have a lot of runoff every watering.. I do not want any kind of salt/nute build up..

You see, what you said is what ive read from several other places. That significant run off flushes out the salts, but if you think about all the folks that do scrogs and vertical that dont/cant pull each individual plant out they really cant have much run-off. Ive grown for a couple years and ive always watered the way you do getting significant drainage. But i flood my girls and use promix so that has something to do with it. My plants have always looked great so im hesitant to change, but if i could do it the other way with little run off it would make my job soo much easier. I guess its time for an experiment.

 

[farmdalefurr]

i usually have 20-30% runoff. like the blade above..... i dont dig the salt buildup.

 

[geopolitical]

I have removable catch pans for run-off that allow me to drain plants that I can't move completely. I tend to water to about 10% runoff give or take a bit and normally use either plain water or a very mild fertilizer each watering.

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

If you use organic amendments, you don't want too much runoff (soon after repotting) because it's easy to wash out the nutes. A few weeks later, when the roots begin to fill the container, you'll see than runoff will come out clear, rather than the brown color right after repotting. So, the situation changes depending on size ratio of plant to container.

I always water fast, because I'm a big believer in the piston action of the water moving down and sucking air in from the top. But, I try to put in the exact right amount to achieve just enough runoff to show that the rootball was wet thoroughly. Like many things in horticulture, it is a skill and takes practice.

 

[kcbudz31]

dunking and love it; if the soil mix is right they drain in like ten seconds and then hold all but a few drops. No oversaturation at all. If the mix is too dense the plant will piss for a couple minutes - not cool, slows you down.

much rather have slightly too fast soil than too dense, can always water more, can't always eradicate root rot if it starts.

 

[supermanlives]

i am going back to gravity fed . 1\2 inch tubing with a stiff area using a coathanger and a ball shutoff valve.simple

 

[rasputin]

Wands and pumps sound great, the convenience/quick use is alluring but there's something about hand watering I enjoy. It has a meditative quality to it for me. And more importantly, when I look at the clock I don't feel like I just 'wasted' an hour in the room watering them. It was an hour well spent.

I'm glad I don't use salt-based nutes, especially with all this run-off talk. What a waste of water.

IS - bending over for 1/2 hr is definitely unpleasant. Do you have a small chair or stool so you can at least sit down & take your time?