How to feed a plant that doesn't need water

[DoobieShadows]

So here is the scoop, my plants which are just starting there 3rd week. Don't ever seem to go dry. They are in 3.7 gal buckets, SS #4. They are very happy, first watering gave 1 gal each and didn't water until 8 days later. The soil was still very wet (have a moisture meter) but they had started to wilt. Due to lack of salt in my opinion. So i gave them 1/2 gal each and the next day they were happy as can be. This week i am hitting them before they wilt. I know it will happen. but the soil is still very wet!? I want to avoid root rot but i know what they need. Any suggestions would be great. Temp never goes above 75 F never drops below 62.

Thank you for your help

 

[theother]

I have seen the same thing happen. Don't know the cause

 

[DoobieShadows]

I have seen the same thing happen. Don't know the cause

Any Solution? Other than raising the temp. I feel like i am at the perfect range don't really want to mess with it when summer is right around the corner.

 

[Snook]

IMO, too much water....does the pail/bucket have a drain hole in its bottom? not sure what SS#4 is but if the plants are smaller (young) roots may not get to the bottom of the bucket and without a drain hole, water will/can sit on the bottom of the container. too much water will cause many bad situations...just thinking.

 

[tokersmoke]

ive used the sunshine mix it does seem to take awhile to really dry out.Which i didnt like.Next time try adding some perlite,

 

[NEW ENGLAND]

What's the humidity,is it too high?
Is there a sufficient root mass to help uptake?

 

[GSPfan]

Sounds like over watering. I over watered the first time I grew but at the time I was unsure of what I was looking at. The leaves would be drooping every morning but would perk back up if I gave them more water/nutes. I think the coco in the mix medium used was keeping them alive and allowing the oxygen and nutes to be accessed. But when the oxygen ran out they would begin to drown again. But thats just a guess.

 

[DoobieShadows]

@Snook First watering less than a cup run off from 1 gal and then no run off from half gal. also sunshine #4. My plants were vegged for 2 months the are no 4-4.5 ft tall plenty big enough. and yes there are drain holes. The plants don't wilt until about day 8 of no water, than perk up after I water. I am talking wet all the way through on day 8, put the moisture meter in from every angle i could still reads 7+ (1-10)

@Toker I add perlite about 1:3 Perlite: SS#4. Should i match them 50/50>

@New England The Humidity is in the 40's and to my understanding that is right about perfect. As far as root mass they are beginning to poke out the holes of my 3.7 gal I am going to upgrade to 5 gal in 1-2 weeks. I would like to wait until the soil is more dry. Much easier to transplant. But I watered today so who knows how long it could be

I really do appreciate all the help. Not trying to argue at all, just give my response on what I have already done to try and correct the situation.

 

[DoobieShadows]

Sounds like over watering. I over watered the first time I grew but at the time I was unsure of what I was looking at. The leaves would be drooping every morning but would perk back up if I gave them more water/nutes. I think the coco in the mix medium used was keeping them alive and allowing the oxygen and nutes to be accessed. But when the oxygen ran out they would begin to drown again. But thats just a guess.

They are not drooping every day only around day 8 of no water. They look happy as can be at all other times. Should I be watering less with each watering than? 1/4 gal as opposed to a half. I gave them a half gal this feeding and the last and there was no run off either times. .

 

[tokersmoke]

the mix seems very light it may feel too wet but its not especially after 8 days.I would change medium i did.I didnt like the results maybe outdoors it would work better

 

[FtWendy]

Have you considered watering the pots from below? Ie: flooding the bottom of the pots in a flood/drain table, or dunking them into a container with your nute solution? Watering from above when the medium is already wet can drown the roots, whereas flooding from below wicks moisture into the bottom of the pot where the roots likely have not fully colonized the medium. As long as the pots are not left in standing water for longer than a few minutes, flooding from below is a pretty safe method to follow to avoid overwatering (esp in larger pots like you have).

All things considered, it sound like you're doing fine. In the future maybe consider adding more perlite to your substrate mix, or using smaller pots and transplanting frequently

Best of luck, ftw

 

[theother]

Wish I could be more help, it was never my deal when it happened, just helped friends with it. It was in ss#4. I always kind of suspected high rh at night as a possible contributing factor, but not positive.

What are your environmental parameters day and night? That will help with this a lot.

 

[Asslover]

If they wilt after a week and perk back up when you water them then obviously they WANT the water, regardless what your moisture meter says...
Just because your meter shows moisture does not mean it is enough moisture for the plant.
I like to keep thing simple so for me it's Fafords' soil and GH 3-part. I water every few days to run off.
If they're wilting by day 8 then water on day 7.

 

[FtWendy]

Grab a scale. Weigh the pot the day you water it, then begin weighing it every few days there after. You will know how much water (and when) to add if you use a scale

 

[Buddler]

Sunshine 4 is peat based holds a lot of water also tends to go acidic over time. Eight days is too long between watering alternate food water food water and keep ph above 6.2 and keep track of runoff and transplanting in third week of flower not a good plan let plants finish in pots they are in also throw away moisture meter and learn to read plants .the wilting is no doubt too dry as mr asslover says lol good luck.also get pots off floor if too cold.B

 

[theother]

Depending on temp rh may be too low and causing vpd. Also with peat or soil you don't need to piss them, the goal should be a good watering but no runoff if possible. If I was gonna run ss#4 again I would add some extra perlite and I would add dolomitic lime to the mix. It's a good media, your problems are probably environmental IMHO but who knows. That's a healthy amount of veg time. What water cycle where they on in veg?

 

[DoobieShadows]

@FtWendy I will try feeding from the bottom seems like an excellent idea

@Assolver The plants need more than just water to survive they need salt and sugar which is supplied by the nutrients if the plant isn't receiving the correct amount of nutrients it needs to survive it could also wilt.

@Buddler I will make up some rails tomorrow. I like that idea quite a bit. create a drain table for the runoff/spill. my runoff ph is at 6.5. the reason i got the moisture meter was because i thought i was going crazy. I am talking brush aside 1/2 inch of dirt and its as if it was watered the day before Could you also suggest a soil medium? almost time for a new bag as it is.

 

[Buddler]

Grab some canna coco great medium, if want to go simple go coco hempys Kiss the SS goodbye.B

 

[theother]

If you are feeding synthetic nutes you may want to try a flush with peroxide or physan20 or whatever. Something may be fucked up in the rhizosphere. I still think the most important question here is how long where they going between waterings before? If they all of a sudden are going longer than before you may have a pathogen or some problem in the root zone. I have definitely seen pythium take hold in soil before, most people talk about it in hydro, but it will hit soil in certain circumstances.

Can you take a picture of your plants, that would help a lot in judging the overall size and health of them.

 

[Asslover]

@Assolver The plants need more than just water to survive they need salt and sugar which is supplied by the nutrients if the plant isn't receiving the correct amount of nutrients it needs to survive it could also wilt

Not from my experience. A watered plant won't wilt, an under fed plant will go completely deficient but generally won't wilt (not right away anyway), AN UNDER WATERED PLANT WILL WILT!!!
Your problem is obvious, you're relying on a moisture meter instead of relying ON THE PLANT to tell you they're thirsty.