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Overwatering help

Pulp

Member
I was just poking around my pot that my plant is sitting in and it's way more wet than it should be. Is there any way to help run some of the water through?

Thanks.
 

Pulp

Member
Update: Just poked a load of holes in the bottom of the pot and loads of water came out of them. I guess this could damage the roots but I would assume this is better than the roots being suffocated? I think my problem is that the soil/compost is too tightly packed?
 

exploziv

pure dynamite
Administrator
Veteran
it may be tightly packed but also could be a bad mix, which doesn't allow proper aeration to the roots. You could find another brand or add pearlite to it.
20 to 30% pearlite by volume should solve the problem.
 

SpaceKiller

Member
i like to add 1/2 inch of either hydroton or perlite to the bottom of my soil.

i also always do 50-50 with perlite
 

Pulp

Member
did your pot not have any holes to begin with? maybe that was all you needed.

Haha yeah the pot had holes, but the soil was pretty tightly packed so seemed nothing was coming through.

it may be tightly packed but also could be a bad mix, which doesn't allow proper aeration to the roots. You could find another brand or add pearlite to it.
20 to 30% pearlite by volume should solve the problem.

The mix is pretty much pure home made compost, really potent stuff and is pretty dense so yeah I think you could be right, but it's a bit late now as I have already re potted it once, unless you guys think I could give it another one?
 

SpaceKiller

Member
not worth the extra stress if its moving along better now, just make sure to amend the soil better next time for future issues like those.

i know its hard watering soil sometimes, people always say the liff the pot method is the best but every soil comes different and has a different weight or consistancy which really throws me off for that method. plus as the plant grow more weight is added on which throws that off also.

if you can poke the bottom of your pots to feel how dry or wet the soil is, thats the best bet to water correctly ive found is to wait until the bottom is somewhat dry. its better to underwater your plants than over water them, they will show sings of being hungry way faster than cell damage from over watering, which they can appear healthy for a while but will slowly start to deteriorate.
 

exploziv

pure dynamite
Administrator
Veteran
it's better if pearlite is spread evenly in the soil (at least you know this for next time), but now it's too late. if you feel they will not grow good this way, you could put some pearlite in the bottom of a new pot that is slightly bigger and then try to take down any loose soil off the roots without damaging the roots and repot in the new pot with extra soil needed beeing let's say 50% pearlite.
works just if you can fit bigger pots where are you growing them..

good luck! :wave:
 

Pulp

Member
not worth the extra stress if its moving along better now, just make sure to amend the soil better next time for future issues like those.

i know its hard watering soil sometimes, people always say the liff the pot method is the best but every soil comes different and has a different weight or consistancy which really throws me off for that method. plus as the plant grow more weight is added on which throws that off also.

if you can poke the bottom of your pots to feel how dry or wet the soil is, thats the best bet to water correctly ive found is to wait until the bottom is somewhat dry. its better to underwater your plants than over water them, they will show sings of being hungry way faster than cell damage from over watering, which they can appear healthy for a while but will slowly start to deteriorate.

I guess you mean lifting it to feel the weight? Yeah I find this one quite hard as I can't usually gauge it properly. I usually just stick my fingers in (yum) and see how wet it is. (Oh shit).

:dancer:

it's better if pearlite is spread evenly in the soil (at least you know this for next time), but now it's too late. if you feel they will not grow good this way, you could put some pearlite in the bottom of a new pot that is slightly bigger and then try to take down any loose soil off the roots without damaging the roots and repot in the new pot with extra soil needed beeing let's say 50% pearlite.
works just if you can fit bigger pots where are you growing them..

good luck! :wave:

Yeah guess I can only do this in the future.
 
i havent worked with soil just soiless well besides hydro maybe its different. with soilless the lift the pot method seems easy after a while because the pots feel abnormally light to lift after lifting them a few times you should be able to feel the difference its like night and day. with that being said im assuming that soil must always feel kinda heavy? is that the case? best of luck id say if they look like there on deaths door replant if not ride it out and change your mix ratio next time best of luck hope it all works out for ya.
 

Pulp

Member
i havent worked with soil just soiless well besides hydro maybe its different. with soilless the lift the pot method seems easy after a while because the pots feel abnormally light to lift after lifting them a few times you should be able to feel the difference its like night and day. with that being said im assuming that soil must always feel kinda heavy? is that the case? best of luck id say if they look like there on deaths door replant if not ride it out and change your mix ratio next time best of luck hope it all works out for ya.

Mainly the bottom set of leaves are going a bit yellow. I'll go take a pic.
 
how far along are you? i mean you can gently repot with a bed of hydrotron perlite or somethin in the bottom to keep the water draining down off the roots some
 

Pulp

Member
how far along are you? i mean you can gently repot with a bed of hydrotron perlite or somethin in the bottom to keep the water draining down off the roots some

About 2 months.

Here's a link to my thread.

Here's some pics I just took.

picture.php


picture.php


picture.php
 

cirog

Member
You should look into blumats if watering keeps giving you trouble. I used to struggle with watering too much in the begining, then I let them get to dry in between waterings, and now I just let the blumat water when it feels nessacary. Best thing to ever happen to my grow. Just an idea for the future.
 

Pulp

Member
I'm thinking about repotting and putting some broken up old pots at the bottom for drainage. The roots haven't expanded out too much into the new soil since repotting yet, what do you guys think?
 

Pulp

Member
Things are getting any better for a few days and have been letting it dry. Think I may have to repot with better water flow.
 

Pulp

Member
Repotted it just now. Definitely had to change the compost, the old stuff was way too moist and dense and was killing the poor thing I'm sure.
 
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