Watering, please help me...

I am getting very frustrated. I don't quite know how to water properly. I bought the fox farms ocean forrest soil, and added perlite to it.

Just wanting to know how much you all water when they are young. I mean as in mL's or cups or whatever. Or is there a guide, I don't want to kill my babies, and I want to get something out of this.

ALso, how often do you all normally water. Sohcdutch, I know you used fox farms potting soil, how much did you water your young ones and how often? Anyone else please!?

the p

IMHO the amount you water in soil-(less) mediums is dependant on the size of your pots and the medium contained in it.

How big are your pots, dont have small seedlings in large pots, they hold to much water for too long. Better to start small seedlings and /or clones in small pots and work your way up via transplanting.

This way you water the small pots until a little run off is apprent then stop.

Let it dry out imbetween waterings.
Poke your finger in the side of the soil for an inch down or more and If it is moist or wet do not water, but if it is dry as a bone go ahead and give her a drink.

Thats about it. No tricks just water when dry. thats all. Maybe keep a watering diary might help you.

Good luck.
Leeroy

they want little bits lots of times as opposed to a whole lot in 1 go, it wants to be a cycle of wetting, and then drying, so that encourages the baby roots to stretch out seeking water, same as u or me lifting weights to build muscles, well making em work for the water is a good work out for seedlings. dont go to the extreme though.

Watering

Watering

Hi Protege, I'll tell you a sure way for a beginner to water and know he is doing it right. The most common cause of problems in growing your plants is OVER WATERING. I am growing in two gallon pots right now and I use about 24 OZ. of water, three 8 oz. glasses. It should be enough to weten the soil all the way down and a little should run out the botton of the bucket. The most important thing you can do is get yourself a moisture meter, which coast about 6 or 7 dollars at any hardware store or plant store. Use it on every plant. There is a scale on it that ranges from 1 to around 5 to 9, all depending on which one you have. You don't water until the lower leaves start to wilt or the meter gets down to 2, if it is at three or four don't water. It should almost completely dry out before you water. With a large light (like 1000W) you will probable water every three or four days. It also depends on how well your soil drains. Hope this helps.

Rocket man is right - the most common newby mistake is overwatering - which will lead to small buds and possibly gray mold (bud rot) - wilting slightly once or twice during a cycle shouldn't do too much harm - though it is best avoided !

I am a 'pot lifter' - I know what the weight of a dry pot feels like - so every time I water I pick up each pot - and only water if it is dry enough (ie light enough) - i really recommend this tecnique to anyone growing in pots - once you get the 'feel' when and how much water becomes easy!

get a moisture meter. They have them at home depot for about 5 bucks. I wish I had bought one, but I usually let my plants tell me when they want water,(drooping).

Plant bathing

Plant bathing

I find that the most effective way to water my plants is to bath them. Simply place the dry pots into a larger container that has been filled with water and nutes (if applicable), and allow the pots to suck up water through its drainage holes. Some say that this method releases built up gasses within the soil. I give them a bath for one half hour every seven to nine days as during seedling and veg., (1 gal. pot)., and for an hour every four to five days during flower, (5 gal. bucket). I also like the fact that my Perlite stays mixed with the soil and does not float to the top, and that I can fill my pots to the rim with soil. I fill the lower inch or so of my pots with small sugar cube sized chunks of clean styrofoam so that the soil does not wash away during bathing.

Forfingoz

FF,i thought of that and was wondering-wouldnt it make the roots shoot straight down to the bottom of the pot and get rootbound faster?I know nuthin thats why i ask. Thanx

Hi D.W.W.
I have actually noticed a fairly balanced root structure with the bathing method. By bottom watering I get a better saturation throughout the pot, less dry spots, and less soil clumping due to the fact that my perlite is staying where it was when I mixed the soil originally. Also, the water will siphon up through the entire contents of the pot.

Forfingoz

the protege, If a water meter is only 5 bucks as Cough cough-eer says - get one - then you can be absolutly sure that you are not over Watering - and it will more than pay for itsself on the first crop

good luck

I'm with CCeer........I go by feel and signs of drooping. Usually get to them before they droop but it won't hurt them. It will actually make them stronger. By not watering as often....you make the roots dig down looking for water. I completely soak the container and wait until it is completely dry bdfore watering again. One exterme to the next.

thanks everybody. I will go buy a moisture meter, are there any specific brands I should look for? I am really grateful.

the p

Some things I have to comment on.

Overwatering is watering your plants too frequently, not watering them with too much volume in one application. You should be saturating the soil as thoroughly as possible. Since ferts are so cheap, use as much water as you can to ensure the soil is wetted all the way through. There is no reason to skimp on this and several other reasons that not giving enough is damaging.

First, if you dont get all the soil wet, especially the area directly under the plant that can be the last place to absorb water, you'll get dry pockets in the soil. The roots in these dry pockets will shrivel up and die, killing all the roots connected to them to the bottom of the planter. In many cases, this explains mysterious upper growth damage to individual plants in a room where many planters get identicle treatment.

For those that water from the top, cultivating the topsoil before every watering will help mitigate dry pockets. Simply break up the crust left by the drying soil on the surface of the planter until it's covered with a slight layer of loose soil. This will help fill in the spaces along the edge of the planter that lead directly to drain holes, allowing water to flow freely almost as soon as it's poured in. If you see this, you need to do somethign about it. Close the holes or use LOTS more water.

Finally, sticking your finger in the topsoil even a few inches will tell you nothing about if the plant needs watered. You need to feel down where the roots are, through the drain holes. If the soil feels dry-ish down there, water away. Or use the lift pot method. This always works well.

I personally use a moisture meter. Recoton, from HomeDepot or Menards. though you'll prolly not find one in N. America in October.

well said Caprichoso!! I agree....... completely soak and let completely dry.

Exactly. A distinct wet-dry cycle will force greater root growth into the soil. As soil dries out, roots begin growing out in search for more. This explains the growth spurt present when a dry soil gets a nice fat watering and why the growth above begins slowing in the drying soil as the roots below begin expanding. This process continues through the stretch and into the third week of flower and maintaining a healthy cycle will increase your efficiency per plant.

When I'm four weeks in I increase my watering schedule by 1/3 or so

Thanks for the replies. i picked one up today, it was pretty cheap. like 5 bucks. It was called rapidtest and it was the most expensive one at home depot. The garden store near me had a sunleaves with a ph meter, light meter, and moisture all in one for 10 bucks, but I don't really think i need the light meter.
Got back, and tested them, they were dry as a whistle, so I gave them a thorough soaking and now I am waiting, I stunted them bad, they have been going for at least 17 days and just now working on their second set of leaves, so hopefully they recoup from my stupid rookie mistakes.

the p