Grrrr! Under/overwatering!

[Nutty sKunK]

3 hours later, no change in the one plant pictured above, everything is evenly wet

Root rot then.

What you see on the surface is a direct gauge of the rootzone health.

Wish I took photos but just recently I saw that my plant in a cup was drooping. Soil was plenty moist so wasn’t water related and it progressed day by day.

on inspecting upon transplanting it there was a section in the cup where no soil was touching the cup. This created an air pocket which was insanely warm and damp, moisture droplets present in the roots and sure enough had about 5-10 brown slimy bits of root.

I pinched them off and transplanted. After a few days it was insanely perky!

What I suspect is happening with you is that the roots at the bottom of the container are rotting due to dense, wet soil. Tip it out and inspect the rootball. Most likely brown roots in wet part of the pot.

I’d cut that shit off and transplant into fresh new potting soil. Good luck!

 

[obijohn]

Root rot then.

What you see on the surface is a direct gauge of the rootzone health.

Wish I took photos but just recently I saw that my plant in a cup was drooping. Soil was plenty moist so wasn’t water related and it progressed day by day.

on inspecting upon transplanting it there was a section in the cup where no soil was touching the cup. This created an air pocket which was insanely warm and damp, moisture droplets present in the roots and sure enough had about 5-10 brown slimy bits of root.

I pinched them off and transplanted. After a few days it was insanely perky!

What I suspect is happening with you is that the roots at the bottom of the container and rotting due to dense, wet soil. Tip it out and inspect the rootball. Most likely brown roots in wet part of the pot.

I’d cut that shit off and transplant into fresh new potting soil. Good luck!

View attachment 5142136

Yeah, That is an option. If it gets worse I'll do that.

 

[Moist.Farms]

Yeah, That is an option. If it gets worse I'll do that.

You should not wait for it to get worse. I would follow these steps asap.

 

[myke]

Not enough aeration in the soil maybe.

 

[obijohn]

Here it is about a month later. Plants doing well, but holy shit, I don't remember watering being difficult. They were transplanted into 7 gallon pots from 2 gallon ones 3 weeks ago. Used to be I'd just soak the pots every few days, roots would end up at or close to the top of the dirt. I just can't get the top half of the soil damp. All the water goes to the bottom. I've put a drop of dishwater soap in, water a little bit, come back 15 minutes later, rinse and repeat, using maybe 2 gallons of water over an hour in the 3 7 gallon containers.

BTW, they didn't appear to have any root rot when I transplanted

Fuck me, why is it aside from the surface, the soil still bone dry halfway down from the top? It's been 100 dg here in the afternoon but It takes over a week before the girls look like they need water. I'm used to watering a lot more often

 

[obijohn]

Plants today

 

[weedstoner420]

You could put down a few inches of straw or mulch on top of the soil, that would at least keep the top half from drying out so fast.

And to make sure the soil is completely hydrated, you could leave them in a tray or something filled with water for like 30 minutes to an hour, to ensure they are completely saturated. Peat takes a loooong time to rehydrate after it dries out. And 2 gallons of water for 21 gallons of soil doesn't sound like all that much actually, especially if they're totally dry...

 

[obijohn]

You could put down a few inches of straw or mulch on top of the soil, that would at least keep the top half from drying out so fast.

And to make sure the soil is completely hydrated, you could leave them in a tray or something filled with water for like 30 minutes to an hour, to ensure they are completely saturated. Peat takes a loooong time to rehydrate after it dries out. And 2 gallons of water for 21 gallons of soil doesn't sound like all that much actually, especially if they're totally dry...

That's the thing, they never get totally dry. Bottom stays damp, although not like mud. Putting them in a tray would just absorb into the bottom which could put me into an overwatering situation again

 

[Herb & Suds]

That's the thing, they never get totally dry. Bottom stays damp, although not like mud. Putting them in a tray would just absorb into the bottom which could put me into an overwatering situation again

It is damn near impossible at this stage to overwater, especially in the outdoors
Still would encourage the wetting agent though

 

[weedstoner420]

That's the thing, they never get totally dry. Bottom stays damp, although not like mud. Putting them in a tray would just absorb into the bottom which could put me into an overwatering situation again

In that case just do it the next time you water. It won't hurt to leave them sitting in water for an hour, and then you can be sure they're fully saturated. You might be surprised how much they drink up.

 

[Synchronicity]

I had similar issues in the past and I ended up overwatering due to lack of drainage............. root rot.

when I changed to cloth and clay pots it seemed to help and then I got a 7 dollar moisture meter. Not a magic bullet but I use it a lot now................... this is under indoor lights though........