Getting dry pockets in soil in grow bags

[Rtaym22224]

Good info out of this thread appreciate the replies will try a few new things with my watering methods

 

[Mattbho]

Bottom watering imo is the only way to confirm a peat based mix is 100% hydrated .

Do this the 1st couple waterings and again if pots get too dry .

 

[Week 4]

Different things work for different people.

I like to have an "airy" soil mix. To do that have a lot of LECA or perlite even wood chips or pebbles or whatever in the mix. When filling the containers I drop/pour the soil in but don't push it down to compress it. And I cover the top with LECA or pebbles to "break up" the water when watering. And try to cover the entire surface when watering (obviously easier when hand watering and not using an automated system).

Next poster will prob call me an idiot and say I'm doing it wrong. Whatever, works for me.

Humboldt Tupur is some airy medium. I mixed it 50/50 with Happy Frog and water just disappears from the top. No more hydrophobic runoff to the sides of my fabric pots.

 

[Rtaym22224]

I am having to water my vegging plants in 5 gal grow bags daily. About to switch to flower in a couple days.

I’d like to start dunking my plants in a water nutrient solution. How deep do I set the grow bag in water/nutrient solution (50%, 75%, etc) and how long do I let it sit in there for?

 

[Week 4]

I am having to water my vegging plants in 5 gal grow bags daily. About to switch to flower in a couple days.

I’d like to start dunking my plants in a water nutrient solution. How deep do I set the grow bag in water/nutrient solution (50%, 75%, etc) and how long do I let it sit in there for? View attachment 18762856

Just use what they can absorb within 30 minutes.

 

[Creeperpark]

I am having to water my vegging plants in 5 gal grow bags daily. About to switch to flower in a couple days.

I’d like to start dunking my plants in a water nutrient solution. How deep do I set the grow bag in water/nutrient solution (50%, 75%, etc) and how long do I let it sit in there for? View attachment 18762856

You will need just a couple of inches of water but use a wide tray with a lot of room and set your pot on it with water for a few minutes. When you remove the plant from the soak be sure and put it on another wide tray for runoff drainage. Don't leave the plant setting in water. Good luck

 

[Rtaym22224]

You will need just a couple of inches of water but use a wide tray with a lot of room and set your pot on it with water for a few minutes. When you remove the plant from the soak be sure and put it on another wide tray for runoff drainage. Don't leave the plant setting in water. Good luck

Glad to see you back in my thread. I’ve really picked up on a lot of what I’ve read. I’m growing four plants two indoors two I had to unexpectedly move outdoors as my two indoor plants will barely have enough room to flower.

I vegged with co2 for approx 16 weeks. Maybe more. I aggressively bent pruned tied down throughout the veg process with each plant.
My tallest plant at about 4.5ft tall i bent over and cracked the stem, then staked it. It now grows horizontally I cut off 8 underside branches. Plant recovered great, it’s a hardy plant that can take a lot of shit. It’s the one in the photos outdoors
Each plant is in its final 5gal grow bag rocks on the bottom. The two I moved outdoors are doing great so are my two indoor plants. Initiating flowering today indoors

I dunked my plants in nutrient water solution for the first time yesterday.. I’m never watering any other way. So much more convenient and no dry pockets.

Here are some updated photos for you, I’m doing something right

 

[Rtaym22224]

I gave the plant 7 weeks to recover before flowering

 

[Rtaym22224]

And my plants in five gal bags are requiring a watering every day. I didn’t mean to veg these so hard, for some reason they look much smaller in my grow tent when I pull them out to photograph I think oh shit I’m going to have to seriously manage height control. My tent with extensions gets to 11.5 feet with the extensions I can handle another 4.5 feet in height

 

[troutman]

I like to water several plants at a time and go slowly. I find if you water too fast
the water doesn't properly soak the entire soil and runs out of the pot. You can
also place a layer of clay pellets or gravel on the soil surface to protect it from
baking under the bright lights or Sun.

 

[Rtaym22224]

Here is purple punch 36 days ago….

Here it is today

I believe my co2 use significantly contributed to the growth I’ve seen.

 

[Rtaym22224]

I like to water several plants at a time and go slowly.
I find if you water too fast the water doesn't properly
soak the entire soil and runs out of the pot.

I do this also… I have a 2 gal capacity lithium ion pressurized sprayer that I can use however each watering I give each plant about 3.4 gal of water. On four plants watering with this pressure sprayer takes hours. I dipped my plants in nutrient water yesterday and according to my moisture meter no dry pockets and plants are extemely happy.not going back to manual watering unless I see an issue with bottom watering.

 

[Rtaym22224]

And frankly once my plants are flowering I probably won’t be lifting them to bottom water so I’ll have to get used to three hours a day of watering my plants with my 2 gal sprayer from the top

 

[Mattbho]

If u get an idea of how much volume they are drinking you can just top water a few times and then when u have extra time like weekend you can bottom water . Keep the roots guessing during veg .

Flowering you want to allow less dry backs and more of an even moisture content . You really should cover that naked soil !!
A 1 inch thick layer of straw, bark hell even cannabis leaves will encourage more surface roots . And more roots = more bud.

Say .5 liter and by the time the last 1 is watered. You can easily go back to the 1st and double it soil should soak it right up .
Towards End of flower they will almost stop drinking you should still mist them to keep the top of soil from Drying out.

 

[JeffWix67]

So I use 5 gallon grow bags(felt)...so I water from the top and the bottom...I generally put about 4 Dixie cups on the top(I topdress my nutes) I then take about 4 Dixie cups and pour it in the pan the bag sits in...it's gone in 5 minutes, I then water from the top what I feel it needs...the top water is necessary first as if you 2ater from the bottom first it seems to take a lot of time to wick it up...seems the top water gets it going...I did this after my first time using the 5g bags as when I was done I noticed dry spots on the root ball in the center of the pot...now that I do it this way...there are no more dry spots.

 

[Talesofchronica]

Water from the bottom and let it soak the water up.

Get a sprayer .

 

[St. Phatty]

Soap reduces surface tension. That is sort of its purpose.

I would try a 1/4 teaspoon of a more benign soap, e.g Apple Dawn dishwasher soap.

But on a plant you determine that it doesn't hurt the plant.

 

[Creeperpark]

Bottom watering can be good if done during the veg stage however one has to be very careful during flowering. The excess water intake can make conditions prime for mold and powdery mildew with dense flowers. Knowing how much water the container holds can be very helpful during flowering.

 

[Week 4]

Bottom watering can be good if done during the veg stage however one has to be very careful during flowering. The excess water intake can make conditions prime for mold and powdery mildew with dense flowers. Knowing how much water the container holds can be very helpful during flowering.

A dry 10 gallon container can hold up to 1.5 gallons of water. True Story.

 

[St. Phatty]

Ebb & Flo in rockwool involves submerging the rockwool completely.

Tough to do sometimes, and there are limitations.

24 square feet of water 6 inches deep ... weighs a LOT !

I recommend watering the root mass Completely - and using a medium that drains well.

You could water the root mass 4 times a day, as I sometimes did with rockwool.

But I think it's a case of diminishing returns. The pH of the water in the nutrient tank has to be managed.

in other words, a Complete Watering once a day is Great, Aggressive, and pretty much makes the plant grow with as much weight and THC as possible.