Watering Autoflowers

[joemarley777]

Thanks everybody for sharing knowledge. I love this forum"

My question is about soil moisture and watering schedules.

Some people recommend keeping the soil relatively dry to force the roots to go deep in search of water. But my stems seem weak.

I want strong stems to develop. Im receiving a lot of sun so I am afraid that too much sun and soil that is too dry could kill my plants. They are about a week old.

I really I have looked hard for watering advice but havent found it.

Is it better to water in the morning, afternoon or night?

How many milliliters for the first week, second week, etc.

All my autoflowers are supposed to be ready im 60-70 days.

Thanks.

 

[paulo73]

Water until you can see runoff from the bottom of the pots.
Then wait until the pots are light again. If the Sun is too strong you can put some kind of plate under the pots in order to keep the runoff. That gives you another couple of hours between waterings.
Please empty your pm box because i want to send you a pm
Take it easy and all the best luck

 

[joemarley777]

That wont drown the little guys?

Should the whole pot of soil be moist.

Did I plant the germinated seeds incorrectly, too early?

Should I have prepared the pots better before planting the germinated seeds?

When I touch the soil, it feels very dry. Is that bad?

I dont have really any runoff water yet. Ive been so afraid to overwater.

Thx for the help.

I tried to delete the inbox. I hope it worked.

 

[mitch_connor]

You've got to keep them moist when they are small, no point trying to be too clever and have them being dry.

For example, it'd water a 4.5L pot with about a litre of water before putting a germinated seed in there.

Depending on environment, that could last them 7 days before you need to add some more moisture.

It takes some care and effort but i like to moisten the soil surface by misting it daily with a spray bottle whilst they are very young.

(all indoor by the way)

 

[joemarley777]

Thanks for trying to advise.

The problem is I didnt pour water into the pots of soil, let them drain, then dry BEFORE planting the germinated seeds.

The soil was kinda moist from the bag though. For the first week, I watered them a little. Like Drops of water. Real light. And they grew well and green.

But I think its better to transplant them and moisten up the soil and transplant them back.


So, I transplanted 4 of them into another pot, then did the "pre-planting soaking of the pots." i let them sit for 6 hours, then re-transplanted back into the moist, nice original 11 Liter pots.

I hope that the transplanting process wont do too much stress to them.

I know people say not to transplant autos, but I felt I had no choice because I started them wrong.

They look great after a week.

Seeds in case you wanna know are Spanish Autos. And all opened beautifully with nice tails.

Kannabia-Bruce Lee
Sensimilla-Magnum, Critical Mass, Half Stone 2.2, Half Stone 3.0, AK-47

 

[-~Wind Walker~-]

Joe,

When the plants are small you want the soil moist or damp not soaked. Do not let the soil dry out completely. Also regardin the time of day for watering, I would say night or early morning, or early evening if you are outdoor, for the only reason being that the water will evaporate less or more slowly.

I would suggest rotating your watering schedule and adjusting the frequency based on the amount of water you used as they get bigger.

What works for me is shifting the volume of water and frequency.

For example:

Heavy water, wait approximately a week maybe a week and a half, light water, wait a few days (three) do a moderate watering. Or a heavy soak, let the soil dry out well and then water a small amount wait a day, water again with a normal or above normal amount.

Watching the run off water, specifically how fast the plant uses the water and how fast the soil dries has been key to my success.

Also realize that if you are using pots, as the plants root system gets bigger there will be less room in the pot for moist soil and the uptake will increase as the plant gets bigger.

No lie, my last run of Green-O-Matic, 3 gallon pots, plants approximately a 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 foot high, towards last third of flowering, there were times I was watering every three to four days without issue. But again, did I do it like clockwork, no. I would water with a moderate amount or heavy amount every 3 or 4 days a few times and then let the plant go maybe 6 days and then water again.

Relative Humidity,temps,elevation & wind can play a huge role in watering as well. Hot all day sun with low RH and wind can make the plant transpire much faster than a controlled environment.

If the plants are just a week old you could be very well over exposing them to heat and light if they are outdoor in the hot summer sun all day.

I would suggest getting the plants in an area where they get indirect light until they get bigger, like you said "stronger stems". wait a week or two and then give the plants direct light for a few days and see how they respond. If the plant does not stress, leave it out.

Think how a plant grows in nature. In the spring it is cooler, less strong light, moister, higher RH when they are smaller.


-~WW~-

 

[mitch_connor]

Great post ^^

Again i can only speak for indoor where everything is very regulated,

But it can be a piece of cake there.

I basically water when potting, then after 7 days I water lightly, again about day day 11 i water lightly.

Then they get a decent watering around day 14 when they are sexed and transplanted.

Literally once they are established, they get watered once every 3-4 days until harvest

 

[-~Wind Walker~-]

Great post ^^



Literally once they are established, they get watered once every 3-4 days until harvest

Thanks Mitch,

Yeah it seems with the hemp genetics, once the plant establishes it's roots, autos will suck down the water faster than regular cannabis.

-~WW~-

 

[joemarley777]

Thank you so much. Awesome advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[joemarley777]

After transplanting back and forth, they seem to be cool after the 1st day.

But I guess after the next 3 days I will know if the growth was stunted or not. Because the first 5 days were healthy. But I got worried about the dry soil.

I hope I didnt stress them too much while moving them. Time will tell.

This is my first grow. I was so so happy to have seeds and in such a hurry to get them in the ground while I still have about 2-3 months of Mediteranean sunshine, that I didnt prep the pots well. Live and learn.

From 8-12 in the morning, they are getting indirect light. Then from 12-7 pretty good direct sunlight.

Light breezes occasionally. Relatively high humidity.

First grow. All autos for ease and learning. Really excited to have this hobby.

Thanks for all the love.

Peace.

Joe

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Transplanting autos is a mistake. For the first week they need about a shot glass of water per day. I would then water till I see runoff. Then I would wait an hour and water again until runoff. The next time they get watered is when the pots feel light....could be a few days or even a week.

 

[joemarley777]

Water til you see runoff with week-old plants? Wont that drown them?

A shot glass pf water per day with totally dry soil? Then pour water until you see runoff?

Or prep the pots first until u see runoff water?

I saved half my seeds in case I made a mistake with my first batch.

Im goung to do this again with my last 5 seeds.

Whats the best way to start them off after germinating them?

With soaked soil or very dry soil?

Should I always do the runoff technique before planting the germinated seeds?

Thx!

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Obviously, you don't want to put freshly germinated seeds into very dry soil. I would plant them into soil that is about as moist as when you first open a bag of good potting soil...then I would pour a shot glass of water each and every day for a week or so. Yes, once you have a few sets of leaves it is time to water the soil really well. After a few days it's time to start lifting the pots to feel how heavy they are. If they feel light it is time to water again...wet/dry cycles are what you want. If your plants start to droop then you waited tooo long to water. No, I would not do the runoff technique before planting germinated seeds...I'm sure you could...but I don't. If you did a shot glass of water per day would probably not be required for a couple few days.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It doesn't matter when you water. Just makes sure the soil is getting dry enough. The roots needs the oxygen to remain healthy. Basic rule of thumb is not to water until the container feels kind of light, then wait a day.

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

^^^^^^
It doesnt matter when you water??? Hell, I'll just put some freshly germinated seeds in the dirt and go on vacation.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Wow. No wonder this world is going to hell. It doesn't matter when you water, meaning, morning, afternoon, or night. I can't believe I would have to explain what I meant by that. I now know why I haven't been on here in months. Too many dumb mother fuckers trying to grow weed not medicine.

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Hey Smokey, Thanks for the neg rep! It hurts a little bit that you think I should have been aborted though. Smokey, it actually does matter whether it's morning, noon or night. Watering your plants right before the lights go off greatly increases the risk of powdery mildew and unnecessarily raises the humidity. A dumb mother fucker like me shouldn't know that.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Hey Smokey, Thanks for the neg rep! It hurts a little bit that you think I should have been aborted though. Smokey, it actually does matter whether it's morning, noon or night.

No, it doesn't.

 

[stinkhairs]

If your stems are fairly thin, add a fan to your grow. Not only will it circulate the air but the movement will make the stems thick. If you can't do this, give them a gentle shake with your fingers every day.

 

[Anders89]

How much you water is much more important than when you water