I've got a 5-gallon bucket filled with soil and am wanting to know how much water/nutes should I be adding each time? I do every other day, and alternate between nutes and water on days when I do it. I've been doing 1/2 gal of liquid per 5-gal bucket, but am curious if this isn't enough? What do others with similar setups do?
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How much to water a 5-gal bucket with?
- Thread starter anon0988
- Start date
Most growers would punch some holes in the buckets down at the bottom, around the outside. Put the bucket in a saucer, 1" or deeper. Water until some comes out the holes, fills the saucer a little bit. If the plant sucks that back up in a short time, add more until some is left standing in the saucer after an hour or so. That gives you a reference amount for the future. Drainage holes prevent soggy medium around the roots. I tend to let the plants go until they droop a little, then water. After some practice, you'll be able to tell when to water by the heft of the pot, too. Plants will need water more often as they get bigger, of course.
Sorry, I should have added more detail. I do a 5-gal stacked inside another one. The top one has the dirt in it, and does have lots of little holes drilled in the bottom. The 5-gal below it acts as a catch basin for water, gives me like 4-5 inches deep, which is around a gallons worth of liquid. The reason I'm wanting to know what the soil will take is once my plants have filled the scrog, I will no longer be able to drain the bottom buckets. I did this last round at 1/2 gal per bucket, every other day, and it worked out just fine. But I wondered afterwards if I should have been giving more nutes or water, and if doing so would have gotten me a better harvest. I guess I could pick up a couple metal pans to put the buckets in instead...
I just described what really is a standard method for most houseplants. It gives you a visual wrt what's going on. There are way too many unknowns for me to offer much more than that. If you know what worked for you in the past, it'll probably work again.
Good luck with it.
Oh, yeh- if they don't wilt, they have enough water. Maybe not the absolute best amount, but enough.
Good luck with it.
Oh, yeh- if they don't wilt, they have enough water. Maybe not the absolute best amount, but enough.
oscarthegrouch
Member
You will probably want to find a way to drain that lower bucket. The water left standing will not evaporate, the space will fill up, and you'll be left with stagnate old nutes down there. I cant see any good coming from that. maybe drill a hole in the lower bucket and put a valve in so you can drain. also no one will be able to give you the answer you seek because the plant will use different amount of water as it matures and grows.
mk6
Active member
smart pots are your friend... I know changing would be difficult at this point but def somthing to looking to for the next go around....
as for your question: I agree with what others have said... for me it was lift the pot to see how dry they are, and feed them if they need feeding you may wana get on a time schedual ie once a week at at 8 am, as well setting up a lil res with a pump on a timer to drip feed-m so not to be so tied to them....
as for your question: I agree with what others have said... for me it was lift the pot to see how dry they are, and feed them if they need feeding you may wana get on a time schedual ie once a week at at 8 am, as well setting up a lil res with a pump on a timer to drip feed-m so not to be so tied to them....
Z
Ziggaro
It always took me about a gallon of water/nutrient solution to saturate a 5 gallon bucket.
Nutrient concentrations depend on too many factors to say what concentration is best, but I usually start around .8 EC and work up from there. I don't usually alternate feedings, though unless they look too well fed.
Nutrient concentrations depend on too many factors to say what concentration is best, but I usually start around .8 EC and work up from there. I don't usually alternate feedings, though unless they look too well fed.
I agree with Zig. one time per week and this depends on air temp. I add 15% of the total volume of the pot ..as water to the plant, the water has been sitting for a few days, and once watered I always refill, this allow the water to evap the chlorine off and get up to air temp. over the next 5-6 days.
As successful yields, its worth understanding everything about your plants including the incompetence of your local water utility engineers, who really don't give a sh!t about how much chlorine or other chems are added to your water, or even where the water is sourced from, monitor closely.
If in doubt get one of those 3.1 gardeners tools for $5.00, thats give a rough indication of your soils health
As successful yields, its worth understanding everything about your plants including the incompetence of your local water utility engineers, who really don't give a sh!t about how much chlorine or other chems are added to your water, or even where the water is sourced from, monitor closely.
If in doubt get one of those 3.1 gardeners tools for $5.00, thats give a rough indication of your soils health
ProvisionSeeds
Member
Water them until the leak out of the bottom, and rewater once its dry. You can stick ur finger in the soil about and inch down and lift the bucket to see if its ready to be watered again.
When it comes to soil I've always done this from the start...
Fill the pots/buckets,and transplant.Lift the pots/buckets.This is about the weight you'd want to water/feed.
Then,water/feed until there's about 15% to 20% runoff.
I left soil growing and now am doing my first coco Hempy run.Liking the results so far.
Fill the pots/buckets,and transplant.Lift the pots/buckets.This is about the weight you'd want to water/feed.
Then,water/feed until there's about 15% to 20% runoff.
I left soil growing and now am doing my first coco Hempy run.Liking the results so far.
CaStoner
Member
When I used to in grow soil I just made sure they drained quickly, by adding a lot of perlite and a small layer hydroton on the bottom near the screen drained holes, you need to be able to flush your plants regularly to dilute the concentrated nutes that accumulate. I went Hydro and never looked back so much easier.
The only pic I saved during the soil days.
The only pic I saved during the soil days.
E
Eureka Springs Organics
You are missing the ever important mulch. If you are growing in soil in pots, and not mulching then you are working to hard. In 5 gallon smart pots with mulch you can water 1/2 gallon monday and friday and be good.
Mulch will help to keep the top layer of your soil moist instead of it being a crust. This will increase the area into which roots will grow. You should be able to pull back the mulch, and see roots growing up.
More roots equal bigger plants. Bigger plants equal bigger yields. Bigger yields equal a happy grower.
Mulch will help to keep the top layer of your soil moist instead of it being a crust. This will increase the area into which roots will grow. You should be able to pull back the mulch, and see roots growing up.
More roots equal bigger plants. Bigger plants equal bigger yields. Bigger yields equal a happy grower.
