A GENIUS (stupid?)idea to check bottom of pots for moisture?

kreikrei

kreikrei

Active Member
Hi.
know you can buy cheaper (under 20 usd( moisture meters, but they are unrealiable.
More reliable one cost much more (80 usd+)

What if I dont want to spend money? Correct me, if I am wrong (most likely) I am 1st time grower.

So my idea:

What about drilling one of the holes at the bottom a bit bigger? Big enough, so you can stick you middle finger through?

If the hole is big enough, you can just lift the pot (on 2 parallel chairs for example, with some space in between), lean under and stick your finger through that bottom hole.
Thats how you will see if bottom is dry or wet. This can ork together with lift the pot method.

Obviously much harder to do with flowering plants in scrog (probably useless in this case)

Is this idea stupid?
 
Billy the Mountain

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
kreikrei said:
Hi.
know you can buy cheaper (under 20 usd( moisture meters, but they are unrealiable.
More reliable one cost much more (80 usd+)

What if I dont want to spend money? Correct me, if I am wrong (most likely) I am 1st time grower.

So my idea:

What about drilling one of the holes at the bottom a bit bigger? Big enough, so you can stick you middle finger through?

If the hole is big enough, you can just lift the pot (on 2 parallel chairs for example, with some space in between), lean under and stick your finger through that bottom hole.
Thats how you will see if bottom is dry or wet. This can ork together with lift the pot method.

Obviously much harder to do with flowering plants in scrog (probably useless in this case)

Is this idea stupid?
Click to expand...
Probably

Just use weight
 
kreikrei

kreikrei

Active Member
Billy the Mountain said:
Probably

Just use weight
Click to expand...
I thought of a mor specific use case - checking if bottom part is not too dry and become hydrophobic (I have peat moss in my mix, it can become hydrophobic pretty fast) It would help to find out if you need to soak the pot in bath of whatever with some water and surfacant.

For example, if you bottom of pot has become hydrophobic.
1) You water the plant till runoff
2) Stick finger in bottom - it is dry.
3)Pot is just watered but bottom is dry. Conslusion - it has become hydropohobic and needs a surfacant
 
C

ComfortCreator

Well-Known Member
I like the concept but think its overkill. I probe 2 moisture meters in each pot to the bottom and average it out, 2 readings per probe. Works great for me. 4 readings, an average, and a plan to water whenever they get below 5 at the bottom. My style.

My pots are too heavy to lift (10 gal soil).
 
Billy the Mountain

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
kreikrei said:
I thought of a mor specific use case - checking if bottom part is not too dry and become hydrophobic (I have peat moss in my mix, it can become hydrophobic pretty fast) It would help to find out if you need to soak the pot in bath of whatever with some water and surfacant.

For example, if you bottom of pot has become hydrophobic.
1) You water the plant till runoff
2) Stick finger in bottom - it is dry.
3)Pot is just watered but bottom is dry. Conslusion - it has become hydropohobic and needs a surfacant
Click to expand...
Try coco next time
You can easily determine the moisture level by weight
You'll quickly get the knack, and correlate weight and moisture levels to prevent the scenario you described
 
kreikrei

kreikrei

Active Member
ComfortCreator said:
I like the concept but think its overkill. I probe 2 moisture meters in each pot to the bottom and average it out, 2 readings per probe. Works great for me. 4 readings, an average, and a plan to water whenever they get below 5 at the bottom. My style.

My pots are too heavy to lift (10 gal soil).
Click to expand...
Drop the meters and become a jacked grower.
"What exercises you do for those arms dude?"
"I lift pots"
 
Marq1340

Marq1340

Well-Known Member
kreikrei said:
Hi.
know you can buy cheaper (under 20 usd( moisture meters, but they are unrealiable.
More reliable one cost much more (80 usd+)

What if I dont want to spend money? Correct me, if I am wrong (most likely) I am 1st time grower.

So my idea:

What about drilling one of the holes at the bottom a bit bigger? Big enough, so you can stick you middle finger through?

If the hole is big enough, you can just lift the pot (on 2 parallel chairs for example, with some space in between), lean under and stick your finger through that bottom hole.
Thats how you will see if bottom is dry or wet. This can ork together with lift the pot method.

Obviously much harder to do with flowering plants in scrog (probably useless in this case)

Is this idea stupid?
Click to expand...
Be careful the stress may cause it to herm.


Stick with just lifting the pot, sounds like it could be complicated but it isn't.
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Not sure why all the drama about a wet pot vs. dry ( ing ) pot - sticking fingers or peckers into it.

Gauge a container with soil alone , then wet .. poof done …… and finger doesn’t look like it has shit on it.

Hydrophobic soil happens but resolve is ridiculously easy upfront….. add couple drops of dish soap/ aloe at watering. Or water slowly and completely to saturate.

Just say no to Shit Fingers

521959A6-2DA8-4C34-9947-EBD9E559DFE9.gif
 
PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
Not sure why all the drama about a wet pot vs. dry ( ing ) pot - sticking fingers or peckers into it.

Gauge a container with soil alone , then wet .. poof done …… and finger doesn’t look like it has shit on it.

Hydrophobic soil happens but resolve is ridiculously easy upfront….. add couple drops of dish soap/ aloe at watering. Or water slowly and completely to saturate.

Just say no to Shit Fingers
Click to expand...
Ya, if you have some common sense, its pretty simple. I don't own any moisture meters.
 
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