Water From The Top, Or Let The Plant Suck It Up From The Tray?
- Thread starter GodSlave
- Start date
1. If your primary concern is just about wetting the soil, it doesn't really make much difference!
2. As has, already, been mentioned (quite correctly); watering from the top, literally "pumps" air down to the root system. That's a good thing!
3. Perhaps the most important reason to water from the top is the perpetual flushing action. Each time you water, allow a healthy amount of "run-off" (about 15-20% of the amount you put in). This keeps your nutrient salts build-up at a minimum, all the time!
On the other hand; soaking from the bottom will re-absorb and re-distribute the salts (and other nasties) to the whole pot. That's a bad thing!
Here's a tip for anyone that grows "in close", or otherwise, finds it difficult to freely move things around: invest a couple of bucks and get yourself a cheap "Turkey Baster" to remove the excess water/nutrients.
2. As has, already, been mentioned (quite correctly); watering from the top, literally "pumps" air down to the root system. That's a good thing!
3. Perhaps the most important reason to water from the top is the perpetual flushing action. Each time you water, allow a healthy amount of "run-off" (about 15-20% of the amount you put in). This keeps your nutrient salts build-up at a minimum, all the time!
On the other hand; soaking from the bottom will re-absorb and re-distribute the salts (and other nasties) to the whole pot. That's a bad thing!
Here's a tip for anyone that grows "in close", or otherwise, finds it difficult to freely move things around: invest a couple of bucks and get yourself a cheap "Turkey Baster" to remove the excess water/nutrients.
I was having the same basic problem of only being able to reach one side of my scrog & my solution is I have a bucket w/ ball valve & hose. I fill the bucket (hangs on a bracket on my door) & just place the hose on the top of the soil in each bucket - and since I'm a "Counter" I begin a countdown as I open the valve on each one. All my buckets sit in tupperware tubs - upon completion of the watering evolution and after letting them sit for an hour or so (to ensure complete saturation) I take my shop vac & suck out the run off from the tubs.
Viola - no muss, no fuss.
Make sense?
GodSlave
Active Member
Thanks for that info. It does make sense about the salts and what not, which is why I was asking, because I had concerns. But what about the folks that have already come forward and said they have done it with no problems? And here is another bit of info I didn't bring up, the plants I am talking about are SOG's that are only in the pots for flower. Do you still think it could lead to problems? And while the O2 being added with watering is true on a small level, the soil actually draws in it's own O2 as it dries out. How do trees in the forest that never get watered by hand, or live in a dry climate, get O2 to the roots? I live where it hardly rains at all, but yet, the trees and vegetation live on. How do you explain that in the context of the roots get O2 when you water them? And, as mentioned below, how do you explain the results from AutoPot systems?
Makes total sense, I may incorporate your idea! Thanks!
Actually I have my mama's in Auto's. Which is where I actually got the idea that I could water from the bottom. Only thing is, that is a soil-less medium you use in the Autopot, but does that really matter in what we are talking about? As for O2 at the root zone, that is the whole concept behind Autopot, the valve lets the plant dry out a bit, thus taking in O2, before refilling with water.
Thanks everyone for the input!
GS
LT1RX7 Drifter
Active Member
boy for a ex hydro grower your a idiot, and if you have to ask why then thats all the proof anyone needs.
RawBudzski
Well-Known Member
Water from the Top.
Watering from the bottom should only be for shits and giggles caused by boredom.
Keep it simple.
Watering from the bottom should only be for shits and giggles caused by boredom.
Keep it simple.
laserbrn
Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone even knows who you are referring to.
GodSlave
Active Member
Yeah, I know hydro feeds from the bottom, fuck you! Soil and hydro are 2 separate beasts dumb fuck! Get off my thread moron bitch.
GodSlave
Active Member
Dude, seriously? Thanks for the input, but keeping it simple IS the reason why I started this thread...
LT1RX7 Drifter
Active Member
the OP not you laser
spoken like a true "idiot" lol you dumbshits crack me up you get a little flaming and get all hell bent, fyi i know hydro and soil are different beast i grow in both, i know more about aqua culture/hydroponics then you can imagine, and for someone who thinks im so dumb i gave really the only logical and educated anwser to your retarded question, hell my wife kills all plants and knows to water from the top
RawBudzski
Well-Known Member
Keeping it simple would be to use common sense and feed from top. Making things more complicated would be searching & looking for reasons / info on if feeding from the bottom could possibly be equal/more beneficial than/to feeding from the top.
Seriously. <3
Seriously. <3
LT1RX7 Drifter
Active Member
how is it simple trying to argue that watering from the bottom is any simpler then watering from the top, if anything you just messed with a persons routine and complicated it, lets say they water from the top normally then they see your "watering from the bottom thread" and try it and space out they watered a few plants and then over water because the have a few plants that dont have moist top soil because it was wicked from the bottom, explain to me how having water stresses plants is more simple, ever hear " if its not broke dont fix it" well that applies here as well, next time you have a question go read a few books on botony and horticulture science, instead of asking a forum of people who may or may not have the right anwsers
GodSlave
Active Member
Whatever man. You may grow hydro, you may be the most educated pot grower in the world, but what do you do with people who have had PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with bottom watering and had no problems? What do you do with AutoPot systems that feed from the bottom? And speaking hydro, are you watering them from the top?
How about you don't start calling people names, and then people wouldn't get all "hell bent". If you have something to say, say it in a respectful way. Did I not treat you with respect on my first response to you? I told you I wasn't being smart, I really did value what you had to say. But then you come on and start calling me an idiot for some reason, but whatever I couldn't care less...
And before you start calling people idiots, how about you go back to school and learn how to punctuate and spell correctly. Your whole last response was a paragraph long run on sentence separated by a few commas. But I'm not the grammar police, you just might need to look in the mirror when talking about idiots...
PeyoteReligion
Well-Known Member
Woah dudes what crawled up your asses? My advice was good and sound. Clearly you don't know how to take constructive advice so I'll leave you immature cats to yourself. I never attacked either of you. If dude won't even take his plants out to water them, the. He is cutting corners. Sorry you got so pissy you attacked me. Lol good luck with your grows smart guys.
GodSlave
Active Member
OMGosh, come on guys!! Have you even read my post? Do you understand the reason why I am asking? I have a crowded tent with 65 plants in smaller pots for SOG. It's very hard to get to each pot, and to do so I would mean I have to either: 1. take out every single fucking plant, every single other fucking day or, 2. Pull all the plants aside, rub up against them, possibly break them, etc, etc, to water each pot individually or, 3. Water from the bottom in the trays the pots are in. Do you see how it might be just a tad bit more simple to water in the tray?
As for screwing up a noob that runs across my thread... if the person would READ, they would know WHY I am asking. It's not to be lazy or just figure out some new way to water. I'm trying to accommodate my needs in the best way possible.
RawBudzski
Well-Known Member
Since when does the grower Water his own hydro plants? But yes, in Hydro you water/fill your reservoir from the top, that is correct.. than depending on which system of hydro ^_^ it does the rest, no need to water the plant yourself.
I made a funny.
GodSlave
Active Member
I got "pissy" with you because of the condescending tone you took with me on your very first post.