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How often should I water my plant?
- Thread starter bani buds
- Start date
mk6
Active member
need a little more detail....
how big is it - seedling, 2 footer, tree? n what size pot are you in ,and whats your medum soil, soilless ie fox farm coco, etc... indoor out door green house?
welcome to the board lots of good info look for your spicific type of growing in the sub forms lots of info in there..
how big is it - seedling, 2 footer, tree? n what size pot are you in ,and whats your medum soil, soilless ie fox farm coco, etc... indoor out door green house?
welcome to the board lots of good info look for your spicific type of growing in the sub forms lots of info in there..
thats exactly right, IBjamming
another thing you could do is to feel the weight of the pot itself after you water. then as it starts to get lighter you know they need some water.
another thing i do is a stick my finger in the drain holes in the bottom and check to see how moist it is. ill usually water if its still moist, but not wet. but IB said it well.
its something that you will just have to dial in for yourself and figure out as you go.
good luck and welcome to the world of growing, this is a great place to learn. there are MANY people here that know their shit.
happy growing
another thing you could do is to feel the weight of the pot itself after you water. then as it starts to get lighter you know they need some water.
another thing i do is a stick my finger in the drain holes in the bottom and check to see how moist it is. ill usually water if its still moist, but not wet. but IB said it well.
its something that you will just have to dial in for yourself and figure out as you go.
good luck and welcome to the world of growing, this is a great place to learn. there are MANY people here that know their shit.
happy growing
Depends on strain and grow conditions. many people water until just a little runs off and then waits until the soil is fairly dry (feel the weight of the pot before and after watering to get an idea of what a dry pot should feel like). keep reading the plants and adjust accordingly. This allows the roots to get oxygen as well as encourages the roots to spread throughout the soil. However, without knowing your set up and conditions its hard to give an answer.
Read books/mags and check out as many threads as possible. Many of the most important info is sticky'd and easy to find. Being prepared will save you time and money, and definitely a lot of frustration. The first thing you are going to learn is that no way is the right way. Ive seen many methods used and all can have great or terrible results. If you dont have the time to learn this stuff then you probably dont have time to grow. Not trying to be rude but i have had friends try in the past unprepared and they just waste their time either killing off plants or harvesting shitty bud.
Read books/mags and check out as many threads as possible. Many of the most important info is sticky'd and easy to find. Being prepared will save you time and money, and definitely a lot of frustration. The first thing you are going to learn is that no way is the right way. Ive seen many methods used and all can have great or terrible results. If you dont have the time to learn this stuff then you probably dont have time to grow. Not trying to be rude but i have had friends try in the past unprepared and they just waste their time either killing off plants or harvesting shitty bud.
I usually just shove my index finger down as far as it goes and if its dry soil, it gets watered. If it's moist, wait until it's dry. probably when the top 4-5 inches are dry. Oh and somethingI learned in horticulture classes was when you water, water the shit out of em because if you dont the whole root system doesnt get watered. SO basically there should be a lot of runoff
Flux451
Member
The medium, and the size of the pots are what matters most.
As you transplant (or dont depending) and the plants fill out with roots some times they will take longer to penetrate the spidery mass... AND use it faster so its reflexive...
Experience and weight are what I mainly go off of
You want to make sure you flush them briefly all the way through to avoid any dry spots or no grow zones
Soil grows need water less often then coco coir or expanded clay etc..
Best words of advice is read read read man... for everything in life mas o menos...
Know your work, attend to your work, and love your work...
Mark Twain??? anywho
As you transplant (or dont depending) and the plants fill out with roots some times they will take longer to penetrate the spidery mass... AND use it faster so its reflexive...
Experience and weight are what I mainly go off of
You want to make sure you flush them briefly all the way through to avoid any dry spots or no grow zones
Soil grows need water less often then coco coir or expanded clay etc..
Best words of advice is read read read man... for everything in life mas o menos...
Know your work, attend to your work, and love your work...
Mark Twain??? anywho
GROWFAQ.
I use and recommend the single probe Rapidtest moisture meter. It is available from most of the major garden centers for under $20. This meter reads consistently without using batteries. It is invaluable for determining watering schedules, which vary tremendously from plant to plant, overwatered conditions, and uneven moisture distribution within the container. Rapidtest also sells a shorter, two probe model which should be avoided. Make this investment, monitor conditions regularly, and reap the rewards at harvest.
Growers that allow their medium to dry out to the point at which the leaves "droop" are reducing their final yields and quality. The medium contains a certain amount of salts that dramatically increase in concentration as the water dissipates. The roots can be repeatedly stressed going through this technique called "wet/dry cycle". The plant is being deprived of moisture that would be available to fuel additional growth and suffers.
The moisture meter's probe should be inserted to various depths to accurately assess conditions. The Rapidtest has a 1-4 scale on the meter, but what is imporatant is relative moisture. The lower potion of the medium in the container should not be so consistently and constantly moist as to "bury the needle" at the top of the scale. The middle depths of the container should be kept in the upper half section of the meter's range and the top should be allowed to dry out to the lower half of the range before rewatering.
This is far more accurate to the lifting and guessing game played by many. The weight of the container does not indicate where the moisture is inside. A grower would never really know if things at the bottom were oversaturated without a probe to tell them. If the bottom is soaked and never dries out, the container feels "heavy" even though other areas may be quite dry. Many grower use large, tight grids of 3-5 gallon containers which can amount to 40-100+ containers. How could they use the lift and guess method, if they can hardly reach some of my plants just to water and prune them. It would be impossible and bad for their backs to use anything except a moisture meter. In other situations the plants are attached to fixed supports, such as SCROG or simply tied up prohibiting movement. There is no more accurate or versatile way to determine your watering schedule.
Added by ~shabang~:
I am one of those that plays the "lifting and guessing game" and I will always recommend that you use your sense to judge and understand your plants rather than trusting in a $8 Wal-mart toy.
If a grower has 40-100+ large containers then they are likely experienced and likely growing mostly the same crop. When you know your plant and your system you don't use a moisture meter. No serious grower that I've met personally does.
Moisture meters are fine for beginners IF you use multiple sample points in each pot. It's too easy to hit a pocket of perlite or just rub the sensor the wrong way. I'd rather judge by visual and tactile response rather than entrusting a wavering needle on an inaccurate meter. You know that when you lift up your container, is it wet? or is it dry?
LUDACRIS.
I use and recommend the single probe Rapidtest moisture meter. It is available from most of the major garden centers for under $20. This meter reads consistently without using batteries. It is invaluable for determining watering schedules, which vary tremendously from plant to plant, overwatered conditions, and uneven moisture distribution within the container. Rapidtest also sells a shorter, two probe model which should be avoided. Make this investment, monitor conditions regularly, and reap the rewards at harvest.
Growers that allow their medium to dry out to the point at which the leaves "droop" are reducing their final yields and quality. The medium contains a certain amount of salts that dramatically increase in concentration as the water dissipates. The roots can be repeatedly stressed going through this technique called "wet/dry cycle". The plant is being deprived of moisture that would be available to fuel additional growth and suffers.
The moisture meter's probe should be inserted to various depths to accurately assess conditions. The Rapidtest has a 1-4 scale on the meter, but what is imporatant is relative moisture. The lower potion of the medium in the container should not be so consistently and constantly moist as to "bury the needle" at the top of the scale. The middle depths of the container should be kept in the upper half section of the meter's range and the top should be allowed to dry out to the lower half of the range before rewatering.
This is far more accurate to the lifting and guessing game played by many. The weight of the container does not indicate where the moisture is inside. A grower would never really know if things at the bottom were oversaturated without a probe to tell them. If the bottom is soaked and never dries out, the container feels "heavy" even though other areas may be quite dry. Many grower use large, tight grids of 3-5 gallon containers which can amount to 40-100+ containers. How could they use the lift and guess method, if they can hardly reach some of my plants just to water and prune them. It would be impossible and bad for their backs to use anything except a moisture meter. In other situations the plants are attached to fixed supports, such as SCROG or simply tied up prohibiting movement. There is no more accurate or versatile way to determine your watering schedule.
Added by ~shabang~:
I am one of those that plays the "lifting and guessing game" and I will always recommend that you use your sense to judge and understand your plants rather than trusting in a $8 Wal-mart toy.
If a grower has 40-100+ large containers then they are likely experienced and likely growing mostly the same crop. When you know your plant and your system you don't use a moisture meter. No serious grower that I've met personally does.
Moisture meters are fine for beginners IF you use multiple sample points in each pot. It's too easy to hit a pocket of perlite or just rub the sensor the wrong way. I'd rather judge by visual and tactile response rather than entrusting a wavering needle on an inaccurate meter. You know that when you lift up your container, is it wet? or is it dry?
LUDACRIS.
GROWFAQ.
While I am a proponent of wet/dry cycling, I do not suggest waiting until leaves begin to droop or wilt. As Mr.Ito stated, this causes unnecessary stress.
Beginners should definitely rely on judging by the weight of the container, or a moisture meter... although one must test several areas in the containers to get an accurate idea of total moisture.
It is important to the growth of a healthly and strong root system to let plants dry out quite a bit between waterings. It can take several years to understand your plants and their needs enough to feel safe drying containers longer than a few days. However, with gained knowledge and a moisture meter you can easily push your girls to their limits without fear of stress.
LUDACRIS.
While I am a proponent of wet/dry cycling, I do not suggest waiting until leaves begin to droop or wilt. As Mr.Ito stated, this causes unnecessary stress.
Beginners should definitely rely on judging by the weight of the container, or a moisture meter... although one must test several areas in the containers to get an accurate idea of total moisture.
It is important to the growth of a healthly and strong root system to let plants dry out quite a bit between waterings. It can take several years to understand your plants and their needs enough to feel safe drying containers longer than a few days. However, with gained knowledge and a moisture meter you can easily push your girls to their limits without fear of stress.
LUDACRIS.
