Should I remove runoff from water tray if I’m growing organic?

Staretz44

Well-Known Member
I’ve been letting them sit and reabsorb the runoff but I read this morning that that’s bad for bottled nutes. Is it bad when you’re growing 100% organic?
 

JustBlazin

Well-Known Member
I’ve been letting them sit and reabsorb the runoff but I read this morning that that’s bad for bottled nutes. Is it bad when you’re growing 100% organic?
If your growing in organic soil you don't want any runoff, a couple drops if anything. If your using living soil the run off is taking some of the food away from your soil.
You feed to run off using bottles nutes to wash off any built up salts in your medium I think.
 

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
How long does it take to suck up the runoff? I usually give like 10-15 minutes and anything still left in the tray after that I get rid of, or use to water a houseplant...
 

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
You also might want to consider bottom-watering, like putting the water in the tray first and letting the plants suck up what they need. Then remove excess water after 10-15 mins
 

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
You always want to get rid of runoff unless you're growing hydroponically. It can attract and breed bugs, disease etc..
By runoff I am assuming you mean water that has drained out of pots into a suspended tray.. If the plant is sitting IN the runoff as long as its not flooded out you can let the plant drink it back up no problem in Soil.
 

Gumdrawp

Well-Known Member
I try not to water to runoff in organic, you're spending the time to let your nutrients be mineralized by your microbes seems like a waste to dump them down the drain.

I have my pots in large saucers and water 10% by volume per day rarely do I ever see runoff in the saucers but if there is I let them reabsorb it. To combat getting dry spots deep in my medium I water once a week with 20% by volume, and with fresh soil I'll water 2-3 weeks in a row with thermx/q powder or whatever your choice of wetting agent is then once a month afterwards.

Watering a large bed style grow is a bit less of a structured approach for me but I still generally try to follow the 10% rule but I go a little more by feel.

Tldr; a small amount of runoff is no big deal but you definitely don't want to treat watering in an organic setup like it's a dtw hydro system.
 

Staretz44

Well-Known Member
So what I understand is if you’re growing organic you just want to water and feed without much runoff but if there is a lot of runoff it’s ok to let it reabsorb into the plant.

Thanks to all who responded.
 

Staretz44

Well-Known Member
How long does it take to suck up the runoff? I usually give like 10-15 minutes and anything still left in the tray after that I get rid of, or use to water a houseplant...
I’m in three gallon pots and when watering with 8 to 10 cups of water there is about a half inch to an inch of water which reabsorbs within 30 to 90 minutes.
 
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calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
So what I understand is if you’re growing organic you just want to water and feed without much runoff but if there is a lot of runoff it’s ok to let it reabsorb into the plant.

Thanks to all who responded.
Exactly. If you don't plan to add food to the plants later you do not want the nutrients leaching out of the pot through irrigation. If you planned to fertilize it later or add more nutrition then this is less of a concern. There are many variables.
 

Staretz44

Well-Known Member
If you feed once a week with organic nutes at 1100 ppm with no runoff or very little runoff, watering with plain water once in between feedings, also with no runoff, will the nutes build up in the soil and cause a toxic environment?
 

Milky Weed

Well-Known Member
If you feed once a week with organic nutes at 1100 ppm with no runoff or very little runoff, watering with plain water once in between feedings, also with no runoff, will the nutes build up in the soil and cause a toxic environment?
Technically, you could manage to find the perfect balance where your essentially using your media as a rez. But this would be very difficult and would likely result in failure.
 
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