Hand water questions

[Ziggaro]

Hey guys I wanted to ask this question because I see guys with big bright white roots throughout the pot, instead of just the very bottom, and I think I might not water enough. My roots are nice at the bottom but the sides are all brown and shriveled 1/4 way to the top.

I always lift the pot and water when I feel like there's basically no water in the pot and I don't feel much weight other than just the plant. If I forgot to water the next day they would be completely wilted, that's how long I wait. Is that too long? I am starting to wonder if by letting the pot dry out so much I'm killing the fragile root hairs that need moisture.

 

[dragunn]

you dont want your plants too wilt.your stressing the plants out.let the top 1/4 inch of soil dry out.i hand water every day.i think daily watering is better than saturating the soil every three days or so.dont let the plants wilt what ever you do.

 

[Ziggaro]

Thanks for your opinion

Anybody else? I have always heard the top 2 inches should be dry, if anything, and NOT to water everyday. Anybody with pics got an opinion?

 

[Aerosol]

Letting the top half inch or so dry out is alright, but having your plants wilt is not. Don't follow rules blindly. Modify your actions according to your plants needs. If they look like they need a water, water them.

 

[Ziggaro]

why do people keep telling me about wilting did you even read the post my plants don't wilt!

 

[someotherguy]

sometimes hand watering doesn't saturate the whole pot so try dunking when you water, ...by that i mean put your solution into a bucket or bin or cooler or something deeper than your pots are tall, then submerge your pots until you stop seeing bubbles, that means the entire rootball is saturated, ...then take them out, let drain a bit and put them back into your flower space.

...i use the heft-test myself and i also let them get pretty damned light, ...and SOME stress actually stimulates growth so as long as you don't consistently let them get so dry they wilt badly, you should be good to go.

peace, SOG

btw, i'm no expert, i'm just sharin' what works for me.

 

[Ziggaro]

Thanks man nah I never let then wilt at all and while I do agree some water stress probably adds frost.
I still wonder if letting them get so light harms the root structure.
A 3 gallon pot with an inch or two of dry soil (sunshine mix 4a) is still pretty heavy compared to when watering just before wilt occurs, so I'm afraid of over watering, so if anybody reputable can reassure me that'd be great

 

[MoeBudz^420]

I also am using 3 gallon, with Promix BX, a similar mix to sunshine. I water to runoff approx. every 4 days - going by weight as it is easy to tell. (Edit - Plants are 3.5-4.5' and 4 weeks in today)

When wet, it takes 2 hands to lift it as the container will buckle if lifted by the rim from 1 side only. Fairly dry, it lifts easily with 1 hand without the container's rim flexing.

Keep a good wet-dry schedule w/PH and PPM in order and always water to runoff to avoid salt buildups. Edit: Watering to runoff also ensures that the entire container is watered, not just the top or middle - (mine takes almost 5 gallons to water 4 3 gallon buckets of promix to runoff)


My Ph going in - 6.2-6.0 Coming out - 6.0.

Ferts (A+B bloom hydro nutes) are mixed to 1100 ppm and applied @ every watering. Similar PPM is coming out in runoff.

They are happy as a clam...

Peace

 

[Ziggaro]

now that's what I'm looking for! thanks for the detailed info judging by this I feel I'm under watering. il update when I've had some time to see results of a slight change.. thanks again!

 

[Hammerhead]

I hand water my plants. When I water I always give enough for some runoff. If there no runoff your not watering enough ..

 

[Ziggaro]

Alright so basically I need to water sooner.

My plants don't ever wilt but by letting the entire pot dry I'm killing my root hairs and hurting my yield.

As per a trusted member I'm going to till my soil after I water to runoff, and then water again when the tilled soil is dry. That's going to be at least a day sooner than I water now. Thanks again for your help!!

Shout out to Hammerhead for helping me via PM as well

 

[187020]

Been on here since 2007 and don't know how to water? Need a detailed response? Give it up homie

 

[Ziggaro]

Good job! Do you wait until the top 2 inches dry or do you wait until all of the soil is dry?

 

[Ziggaro]

I've seen Cravens grows.. good stuff. He grows a fine plant.
My plants turn out fine too. Just look in my gallery at my last run, and I think you'll agree its not too bad looking.
But the point is we are growing a weed, and it will grow through pretty much anything!
So even though I have been doing it differently than Hammerhead, my bud is still way better than what I'd buy and produced much less expensively, and thats why I grow!
But after 4 years I've never asked a question about watering. Maybe it's because of idiots who respond when they're drunk and acting a fool.
Still, I want to grow the best I can, and I'd much rather ask an experienced grower than test the theory myself and overwater my plants!
If you still have a problem, internalize it or seek therapy because your problems come from you!

 

[Hammerhead]

Been on here since 2007 and don't know how to water? Need a detailed response? Give it up homie

Dude are the jabs really necessary. Completely off topic and not needed.. Lets keep the thred on topic please

 

[187020]

Ok in vegg I'll do wet/wet watering, but during flowering I run em dry before watering ...plants and roots like a damp spring and dry summer I suppose.

If my posts offended someone I'll remind u this is the Internet don't take it too personally. (have fun)

Piece

 

[Ziggaro]

So craven is my new friend lol
A ended up watering a day early and well find out if they like to have just a few inches if surface dry or the whole pot

 

[supermanlives]

the pots dont need to ever dry out. blumats prove that. but i have know it a longass time.

 

[dutchy]

Hey ziggaro nice to read you^^
It sound to me like you wait one day to long…or you need a lil bigger pots..but the pot size has to be kinda right for what u want to have ..i calculate like this 20 pots a 6,5 litres grow mix soil under 600 watts a1,2m2 have to give me 500-550 gramms and I want a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 35 gramms that’s kinda standart genetic calculation …if you reduce the numbers of pot to 10 I calculate the rest x2 ect..kinda 150 litre soil is kinda minimum for 550 gramms and 250 max
7litre pot soil grow mix .25-35 normal u can get 45 but only with the right genetic so that’s not in the calculation a normal plant wont do that……
So u can calculate with that that’s no bullshit but u should not take pots that are to big they should take 3days that’s best….4 is max and to dry min 2….or you will get a stress job and nuteburns on top

Than your water check technic is like mine….i look for the weight of the pot it has to be light but the soil has to be still lil moister I check that with the back of the my hand…you have to feel the coolness of the water but not the water…. if the soil not cool the hand a bit its to dry and feels bit crispy usually the soil is brighter when dry and darker when wet….the color when watering has to be between that and it has to feel soft and smove and cool from the water but not really wet and not really dry …you will get a sense for that right color.. I now my girls need in high flowering water every 2 days and in normal condition flower 3 days so i check that all 3 days kinda with my eyes and if the color is to bright I check again with hand and than I check the weight…. Than I instantly know whats going on and if its to light I don’t feed nutes, only water and water the next day again to fill the soil buffer…….but if that heavy dry out happens to often(the leaves are still healthy but the pot is still to dry!!)the soil kinda die and it wont take water quickly it will take just a bit like 30% and after an hour like50% and much will drain out and even if it looks wet its not 100%…its kinda like you have to water the soil because there is live in it like microorganism and the structure of the soil will close its pores if dry out to much and to often…imagine an ice crystal that have to be cold enough for its shape..and now imagine the crystal is the soil and the soil has to be a bit moisture for its perfect buffering structure(u can dry out a bit more once a month to bring fresh air in to the soil)… I think u will understand what I mean….we talk about perfection here not any problem has to be shown to the plant in know that..its just to increase skills and to come near the 100%of the genetic maximum that makes maybe a difference between 0-3gramms in a 7 litre pot….keep it green

 

[Granger2]

See how many days they take to start wilting, then water the day before. This will need to be adjusted as the plants get larger, etc. Good luck. -granger