Does soilless dry quicker then soil?

[growingforfun]

yes i water less often primarily cause i have tendency to over water thats how majority of my first grow died. plants seem to do well but yea i know i need to work on watering thus why im trying to tone my watering skills further each grow.

how much are you watering? i literally water the entire pots 2 5gals about 1gal of water. i also live in Hawaii so we have high humidity all year round.


yes that is what they carry only here. never seen any sunshine in the stores. lots of miracle grow, ffof in a select few stores, roots organics, and coco.

I water until heavy runoff... fully saturate the soil.

If your plant is in the right size container it shouldn't take long at all to drink it up.

 

[OldMedUser]

i have a question about feeding as well. with Pro mix i'd want to feed like coco every watering yes? or would i treat it like soil as well. in soil i feed, water, feed, water. flushing every time i water. usually 10-15% run off regardless feeding or watering.

I use AN 3-part nutes and used to do the feed-water-feed thing too but as we have very low humidity I was getting nute burn easily after a big feed so trying out feeding every watering with less than half the nutes I'd use normally. Seems to be working out OK.

I use RO water only with my plants so don't deliberately water to runoff. When I take the time to do a real good soak there may be a little left in the pans that I suck out with a turkey baster after after they've soaked in it for a while.

The HP in ProMix HP stands for High Porosity. Much more porous than soil so does tend to hold less water and dry out faster than real soil which is a good thing as long as they get watered regularly. I often forget to water on time and find one or more plants drooping when I get around to it. Doesn't seem to hurt them none tho they drop a few leaves which is why I don't go in for defoliating. The older, weaker leaves are the ones that get dropped so no real harm done. I try not to let them get that dry tho.

 

[Lethidox]

I water until heavy runoff... fully saturate the soil.

If your plant is in the right size container it shouldn't take long at all to drink it up.

they are not but i understand why i want them in proper sized pots. my intentions are to just pot up into bigger sizes so less transplant stress. im trying much more supplements as well as medium compared to what i normally grow with and so far i've been seeing amazing results for my skill level but due to the new medium watering feel different to me now along with the bigger pots taking longer to dry out.

this is why i run fabric pots as well as keep my fans on 24/7 though to help it the fan is on blast as well surprisingly my RH is lower then normal. 66% right now. typically it is in the 80's all year round 90's even during the summer. temps are also low as well. 77F right now typically low 80's mid 80's.

im still learning as i grow and appreciate every comment to help me learn better and get the best plants as i can. i still have a lot more products/equipment i have to invest in slowly like a dehumidifier for summer time/flowering. and more fans or an AC to drop the temps more.

 

[Lethidox]

I use AN 3-part nutes and used to do the feed-water-feed thing too but as we have very low humidity I was getting nute burn easily after a big feed so trying out feeding every watering with less than half the nutes I'd use normally. Seems to be working out OK.

I use RO water only with my plants so don't deliberately water to runoff. When I take the time to do a real good soak there may be a little left in the pans that I suck out with a turkey baster after after they've soaked in it for a while.

The HP in ProMix HP stands for High Porosity. Much more porous than soil so does tend to hold less water and dry out faster than real soil which is a good thing as long as they get watered regularly. I often forget to water on time and find one or more plants drooping when I get around to it. Doesn't seem to hurt them none tho they drop a few leaves which is why I don't go in for defoliating. The older, weaker leaves are the ones that get dropped so no real harm done. I try not to let them get that dry tho.

thanks yea i was going to try out feeding every water at 1/4th the strength on the nutes alone then with everything else full dose depending what it is or half the dose. usually i feed water feed at half dose nutes but my plants last grow got nute toxicity and lock out. i was trying to figure out watering but i was googling "peat moss" everything comes up saying it held more water then soil since i mean it is a peat moss base. not much other info i could find on it though besides growers experience.

i didn't feed today i was actually planning to but the medium feels too moist and i don't want to intentionally get root rot. pots are way to big for the plants size so i will probably be feeding/watering every 2-3 days see how that turns out

 

[Lethidox]

lol i just felt the top of the soil yea it is drying out pretty damn fast still too moist for my liking though will try half a gallon maybe this time due to plants current size

 

[OldMedUser]

You should always have a fan running 24/7 to keep air circulating around the grow space.

i didn't feed today i was actually planning to but the medium feels too moist and i don't want to intentionally get root rot. pots are way to big for the plants size so i will probably be feeding/watering every 2-3 days see how that turns out

When your pot is bigger than needed for the plant size you should water less often as there will be lots of water yet in the lower regions of the pot even tho the top few inches will be dry. That water will go stagnant if it's not given time to be used up by the plants and that leads to root rot. A 6" plant will have 12" of roots so don't worry about them going without.

I repot a few times from sprout and saw the bottom off the rootball each time to get rid of long roots if present which causes the rest to branch out with lots more feeder roots. Once a pot need watering every two days I move to a bigger pot. The biggest I use are #5 nursery pots that hold about 4USG and go about 4-5 days between waterings with bigger plants.

lol i just felt the top of the soil yea it is drying out pretty damn fast still too moist for my liking though will try half a gallon maybe this time due to plants current size

Don't do that. Wait until the pots feel light and soak them good. Watering smaller amounts to keep them wet on top is what leads to root rot.

I found a great spot to download FREE POT BOOKS. I downloaded a grow bible first and got lots more. Books look great and complete like the real ones I have here. No web site but just a page of links. Just right click on what you want and then "Save Link As" to download so they don't open first as some are 50+ megs. They got lots. Enjoy.

 

[growingforfun]

they are not but i understand why i want them in proper sized pots. my intentions are to just pot up into bigger sizes so less transplant stress. im trying much more supplements as well as medium compared to what i normally grow with and so far i've been seeing amazing results for my skill level but due to the new medium watering feel different to me now along with the bigger pots taking longer to dry out.

this is why i run fabric pots as well as keep my fans on 24/7 though to help it the fan is on blast as well surprisingly my RH is lower then normal. 66% right now. typically it is in the 80's all year round 90's even during the summer. temps are also low as well. 77F right now typically low 80's mid 80's.

im still learning as i grow and appreciate every comment to help me learn better and get the best plants as i can. i still have a lot more products/equipment i have to invest in slowly like a dehumidifier for summer time/flowering. and more fans or an AC to drop the temps more.

Check it out... you said your watering 1 time per 4 days in flower, that means your plants wernt ready to go I to flower. That's all I'm saying. It doesn't matter if you went from clone into 5 gallon pots or whatever without uppotting, in flower you should really be watering more often than that or else it means your root zone hasnt developed properly. Sometimes you'll get away with just lower yield, other times real problems come up like root rot or nutrient imbalance that's really hard to fix when it takes so long for your plant to drink what it was given.

 

[OldMedUser]

Check it out... you said your watering 1 time per 4 days in flower, that means your plants wernt ready to go I to flower. That's all I'm saying. It doesn't matter if you went from clone into 5 gallon pots or whatever without uppotting, in flower you should really be watering more often than that or else it means your root zone hasnt developed properly. Sometimes you'll get away with just lower yield, other times real problems come up like root rot or nutrient imbalance that's really hard to fix when it takes so long for your plant to drink what it was given.

I'm at 4 weeks flower today and only water every 4 or 5 days. A few days ago I added some promix to the bottom of a couple pots to raise the level up and had to saw off the bottom inch of the rootball to get rid of all the long roots around the base so I'm not convinced that going few days between waterings means there isn't enough root development. At harvest the rootball is full of fine feeder roots from top to bottom from cutting off the long roots each time I repot.

I consider that totally wrong.

 

[growingforfun]

I'm at 4 weeks flower today and only water every 4 or 5 days. A few days ago I added some promix to the bottom of a couple pots to raise the level up and had to saw off the bottom inch of the rootball to get rid of all the long roots around the base so I'm not convinced that going few days between waterings means there isn't enough root development. At harvest the rootball is full of fine feeder roots from top to bottom from cutting off the long roots each time I repot.

I consider that totally wrong.

Honestly that's because you have a lot of issues and frankly if you thought it was totally correct I'd worry and question myself.

 

[thumper60]

I water until heavy runoff... fully saturate the soil.

If your plant is in the right size container it shouldn't take long at all to drink it up.

if u are watering until heavy runoff in promix your wasting water an nutes.flush once every couple weeks always give weak nutes I never give plants straight water in promix unless over fed.a lot like hydro

 

[Lethidox]

if u are watering until heavy runoff in promix your wasting water an nutes.flush once every couple weeks always give weak nutes I never give plants straight water in promix unless over fed.a lot like hydro

so far i didn't do this surprised they took the full gallon with no run off. i am trying to avoid this but reading different stuff saying you want run off due to salt build up and not to let your soil dry out as well.

Check it out... you said your watering 1 time per 4 days in flower, that means your plants wernt ready to go I to flower. That's all I'm saying. It doesn't matter if you went from clone into 5 gallon pots or whatever without uppotting, in flower you should really be watering more often than that or else it means your root zone hasnt developed properly. Sometimes you'll get away with just lower yield, other times real problems come up like root rot or nutrient imbalance that's really hard to fix when it takes so long for your plant to drink what it was given.

yea i couldn't agree more with you im trying to break that cycle think i am just mentally concerned i won't be giving enough water so i water heavily in the big pots with small plants which isn't the best idea. the flowering plants are now on 3 day watering. checked this morning been 4 days i believe 5 maybe but they were dry as shit. thought it was going to storm today and yesterday but it didn't thus i held off watering.

i invested in some pot elevators just got back from the store. to help me air out the pots even more and get more air flow in general. i use them outside if we have any to spare they work amazing.

 

[growingforfun]

so far i didn't do this surprised they took the full gallon with no run off. i am trying to avoid this but reading different stuff saying you want run off due to salt build up and not to let your soil dry out as well.



yea i couldn't agree more with you im trying to break that cycle think i am just mentally concerned i won't be giving enough water so i water heavily in the big pots with small plants which isn't the best idea. the flowering plants are now on 3 day watering. checked this morning been 4 days i believe 5 maybe but they were dry as shit. thought it was going to storm today and yesterday but it didn't thus i held off watering.

i invested in some pot elevators just got back from the store. to help me air out the pots even more and get more air flow in general. i use them outside if we have any to spare they work amazing.

When you have undersized plants in bigger pots it is a little harder, for myself I typically add 1 gallon to small plants and 2-3 gallons to full size plants in 5 gallon containers. Hope that helps.
I will fully saturate the soil for small plants as well but not every time.. I want the roots reaching and not centered so the dirt need to all get wet, but I dont want the smaller root mass to be choki g on the water if that makes sence.
Right now my plants in 5 gallon containers drink 2 gallons per day like clockwork and in peak flower I'll be watering in the morning and again at night for a total of 4 gallons per day per plant.

When I do my "leaching" I do 3 gallons plain water then 2 gallons nutrient feed. I do that whenever I feel like it basically. Some cycles I do it a few times a week and other cycles only a couple times. Also depends if I'm feeding extra heavy or if i have extra time or whatever..

 

[Lethidox]

When you have undersized plants in bigger pots it is a little harder, for myself I typically add 1 gallon to small plants and 2-3 gallons to full size plants in 5 gallon containers. Hope that helps.
I will fully saturate the soil for small plants as well but not every time.. I want the roots reaching and not centered so the dirt need to all get wet, but I dont want the smaller root mass to be choki g on the water if that makes sence.
Right now my plants in 5 gallon containers drink 2 gallons per day like clockwork and in peak flower I'll be watering in the morning and again at night for a total of 4 gallons per day per plant.

2gals per day jfc thats a lot. yea the ones in the root organic soil can't even take 1 full gallon. i get HEAVY run off it seems better to stick with pro mix i don't see as much run off so im not wasting nutrients and watering. im going to try and water half a gallon next time but i going to see tonight how saturated the soil is. so far it's drying up pretty nicely from what i was expecting. so far it's been a full day given i watered around this time after transplanting yesterday and just after 1 day it's nice kinda looking like i will be on a 2-3 day watering cycle with this stuff.

i don't use an oscilating fan either im using an air purifier as a fan since it's the most i got so i will eventually be investing in another fan so my plants are getting better air movement. i did invest in Co2 bag to test out and see if it will help my grow i don't have high hopes it will but won't know until i try for myself.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/390404674219409410/535950840280776705/JPEG_20190118_123427.jpg

it's directly above the lights and plants so hopefully it's in an okay position

 

[growingforfun]

2gals per day jfc thats a lot. yea the ones in the root organic soil can't even take 1 full gallon. i get HEAVY run off it seems better to stick with pro mix i don't see as much run off so im not wasting nutrients and watering. im going to try and water half a gallon next time but i going to see tonight how saturated the soil is. so far it's drying up pretty nicely from what i was expecting. so far it's been a full day given i watered around this time after transplanting yesterday and just after 1 day it's nice kinda looking like i will be on a 2-3 day watering cycle with this stuff.

i don't use an oscilating fan either im using an air purifier as a fan since it's the most i got so i will eventually be investing in another fan so my plants are getting better air movement. i did invest in Co2 bag to test out and see if it will help my grow i don't have high hopes it will but won't know until i try for myself.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/390404674219409410/535950840280776705/JPEG_20190118_123427.jpg

it's directly above the lights and plants so hopefully it's in an okay position

I've heard the co2 bags are a waste of money but havent tried them myself.

I use granular mycoriza that really helps add root mass and they suck up the water quickly. If your not using that I'd say that's the cheapest and quickest way to increase yields and plant health. I just add a pinch at transplant. I generally clone in solo cups and transplant into half gallon or straight into 5 gallon buckets depending on the flow. A pinch every transplant.

 

[Lethidox]

I've heard the co2 bags are a waste of money but havent tried them myself.

I use granular mycoriza that really helps add root mass and they suck up the water quickly. If your not using that I'd say that's the cheapest and quickest way to increase yields and plant health. I just add a pinch at transplant. I generally clone in solo cups and transplant into half gallon or straight into 5 gallon buckets depending on the flow. A pinch every transplant.

yea i had to try it out for myself i dont know many people that run co2 in their grows here as most people grow outdoors here due to the climate we can get year round season no frost only downside is have to supplement lighting for 18/6 alone.

i do have microrhizae. i add in the form of myko's added it to my solo cups before adding the seeds, then again before transplanting into the 3gals with the pro mix HP which contains even more microrhizae. it's some really good shit. i've grown without it but i see the difference in root mass. i add a LOT. take the big ass scoop and am generous with it. in the hole, on the sides of the hole, around the roots on the plants, around the middle of the soil as well.

 

[Lethidox]

apparently i bought the wrong bag XD. this one is meant for flowering plants guess due to the lower shelf life and higher PPM's i guess how they measure it? company states 60 day shelf life and 1200 ppm per 4x4. should be interesting to see results. $40 per bag about 3 bags per grow from start to finish.

 

[promedz]

Sunshine 4 and promix are not even close
To same imo.. used sunshine one time and would never again compared to promix hp!

 

[Lethidox]

Sunshine 4 and promix are not even close
To same imo.. used sunshine one time and would never again compared to promix hp!

huh? you mean u use sunshine but don't like it? weird a lot of people say the opposite XD i can't get sunshine locally shipping cost will be a bitch if i bought some though. so far i've only tried FFOF; it's alright i just hate the fact it has nutrients already in it i like to add my own stuff. Roots Organic Original; seems alright if you can get past the fungus gnat issue at the start. everytime i use it i got fungus gnats. it doesn't seem to retain a lot of water though i get a shit load of run off using it.

i like the pro mix so far because even though i just started using it literally yesterday it took 1gal of water for 3 seedlings in 3 gal pots. mfers need a watering REAL soon, it feels airy as fuck like piece of sponge cake in the other soils i used over time or even after 1 watering i can already dig my finger in and feel how compacted it gets. i don't add perlite to any of it as well i know i should but i don't. the pro mix HP seems to have the most base perlite in their mix as well compared to the rest.

these are just my opinions of course still gotta learn basic shit when it comes to growing and doesn't mean i really swear by the products over grows i will be testing all 3 and eventually coco as well to see which one i personally like. my dad swears by roots organic though but i look at his grows and how the soil becomes because he lets his plants get bone dry literally and that stuff is like a fucking cement brick. gotta whack it on the ground or walls to break that shit up lmfao

 

[promedz]

huh? you mean u use sunshine but don't like it? weird a lot of people say the opposite XD i can't get sunshine locally shipping cost will be a bitch if i bought some though. so far i've only tried FFOF; it's alright i just hate the fact it has nutrients already in it i like to add my own stuff. Roots Organic Original; seems alright if you can get past the fungus gnat issue at the start. everytime i use it i got fungus gnats. it doesn't seem to retain a lot of water though i get a shit load of run off using it.

i like the pro mix so far because even though i just started using it literally yesterday it took 1gal of water for 3 seedlings in 3 gal pots. mfers need a watering REAL soon, it feels airy as fuck like piece of sponge cake in the other soils i used over time or even after 1 watering i can already dig my finger in and feel how compacted it gets. i don't add perlite to any of it as well i know i should but i don't. the pro mix HP seems to have the most base perlite in their mix as well compared to the rest.

these are just my opinions of course still gotta learn basic shit when it comes to growing and doesn't mean i really swear by the products over grows i will be testing all 3 and eventually coco as well to see which one i personally like. my dad swears by roots organic though but i look at his grows and how the soil becomes because he lets his plants get bone dry literally and that stuff is like a fucking cement brick. gotta whack it on the ground or walls to break that shit up lmfao

tried roots and fox farm don’t like for your same reasons. I’m not sure why ppl like sunshine I know I don’t at all! Promix in a 5 gallon pot I can water 1 gallon in it with no runoff it’s the max point of water without runoff! And in 2-3 days they get fed! Now with sunshine in a 5 gallon I watered 3 cups and it was coming out the bottom.. if you soak it you will have one gallon on floor before you get it wet.. then takes forever to dry:. All set with that.. I wouldn’t even soak the whole pot I would just give it a few cups and it still took long to dry out! Promix is always on time!

 

[Lethidox]

im basically looking for something that dries out fairly quickly because with my humidity so far it takes my roots organic around 5 days max to dry out if the plants and pots are about the same size as what im currently running with is small ass seedlings in big ass pots. even for an outdoor grow it takes that long which is surprising because it takes less water and is outdoors which has more air circulation then what i can provide in my home with more intense lighting via the sun.

my plants are looking healthier though and seem to be growing more vigorously sucks that i couldn't actually test out in straight pro mix. in the solo cups i used what i could which was left over roots organic. didn't even know the store i went to carries pro mix until i went one day last week and saw the big pallet of it. i think they bought 2 pallets 1 of them is already gone!