Watering my seedlings

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

so i put my seeds in like 2 days ago and theyve already outgrown the rockwool, then i transplanted into a 1 gallon bag. Im gunna use the ph balanced water that i have right now but it wont be long till i run out, so it is ok if i just use the faucet water and let it sit for 24 hours or is it even that big of a deal? i definately dont want to kill my plants, but if using faucet water is going to keep them alive and growing (maybe not as much as purified water or whatever) then im sticking with that. Ive read up on it and its basically half and half so i just wanted to see what you guys wanted to say. thanks

 

[Urhighness88]

Personally I airate my water for at least 24 hrs. It all depends on how much chlorine is in the faucet water but to be safe I would let it sit it airate it for 24 hours. Good luck tho.

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

alrighty. Is it bad to let water sit for a while? like a few days? because id probly just put a lot of water into a huge bucket and just use that water for a while.

 

[Bakatare666]

I use only tap water that I let sit for a day, but if your water supplier uses Chloramine, not chlorine, don't bother letting it sit.
The chloramine does not evap off.
I would recommend you getting a PH kit to test your tap water, even a cheap pool kit or fish tank kit will suffice if you only plan to do it the once, but if you are really planning on getting serious, spend the money one time on a good pen.
I tested mine once a few plants ago, and it was 7.9, and for a while I was adjusting it down, but then I got lazy, and found that I didn't need to with what I do, so I haven't checked in almost a year now.

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

if i stick with this growing stuff then i probly will buy that, but for nor im just going to do the minimum. ive got a ph tester with me now actually, had to use it for the rockwool water. ill test it in a minute. So if it is a little to high or too low, will i have to go and buy a ph down or up kit and use that everytime i prepare my water?

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

its at around 7.5-8, so pretty high \:

 

[Bakatare666]

its at around 7.5-8, so pretty high \:

Again, mine comes out at 7.9 and I don't have problems, but I cannot promise you won't.
Your PH will drop when you add nutes also, if nobody has mentioned that yet.
You can take a spare pot if you have, or make another solo cup with drainage holes in it and research how to check soil PH, then run some water through it and see where you end up.
PH reading will be higher with wet freshly watered soil than ready to be watered soil though.

 

[socaljoe]

I was watching a Jorge Cervantes video on YouTube, he was talking about water pH and soil buffering. The water from a natural spring tested at 8 with a pH meter, after mixing it into a soil test kit, it was revealed that the soil lowered the pH to around 6.7-6.8.

Just thought that was interesting and worth mentioning.

 

[Bakatare666]

I was watching a Jorge Cervantes video on YouTube, he was talking about water pH and soil buffering. The water from a natural spring tested at 8 with a pH meter, after mixing it into a soil test kit, it was revealed that the soil lowered the pH to around 6.7-6.8.

Just thought that was interesting and worth mentioning.

Good note.
Thanks.

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

Again, mine comes out at 7.9 and I don't have problems, but I cannot promise you won't.
Your PH will drop when you add nutes also, if nobody has mentioned that yet.
You can take a spare pot if you have, or make another solo cup with drainage holes in it and research how to check soil PH, then run some water through it and see where you end up.
PH reading will be higher with wet freshly watered soil than ready to be watered soil though.

this might sound dumb but, i thought you werent supposed to add nutrients until you put it in the ground? thats one thing i dont really understand because i havnt looked into, but wont nutrients kill my young plants or something and im supposed to put it in a nutrient'-ess soil until the plant is put in the ground? which will be whenever it outgrows the 1 gallon bag or if i decide to, the 5 gallon bag

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

I was watching a Jorge Cervantes video on YouTube, he was talking about water pH and soil buffering. The water from a natural spring tested at 8 with a pH meter, after mixing it into a soil test kit, it was revealed that the soil lowered the pH to around 6.7-6.8.

Just thought that was interesting and worth mentioning.

im just probly not gunna mess with ph then lol thanks!

 

[Bakatare666]

im just probly not gunna mess with ph then lol thanks!

Ya, I wouldn't worry about it, but if you call or write your water company, they should be able to tell you about chlorine or chloramine, then you'll know whether or not to bother letting it evap overnight.
I just take a pair of the 2 1/2 gal. buckets from the bakery dept at the grocery store (they give them free) and fill them and let sit overnight.

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

awesome! so if i go to walmart and ask the people in the bakery section for a 2 1/2 gallon bucket, there not going to look at me like im crazy? lol how long should i let the water sit before tossing it? my plants probly wont need much water so just making sure before i use old water or something lol

 

[Bakatare666]

awesome! so if i go to walmart and ask the people in the bakery section for a 2 1/2 gallon bucket, there not going to look at me like im crazy? lol how long should i let the water sit before tossing it? my plants probly wont need much water so just making sure before i use old water or something lol

Yes, they will give to you.
You might have to go in one week and ask them to hold a couple for you, but usually they'll have a clean one that you don't even have to rinse the last of icing out of.
I just let mine sit over night.
Since you're just at cup/ seedling stage right now, you can just use a bowl, or something with open surface area for now.
They also have 5 gal. buckets, and you may as well pick up a couple of those too, to drill drainage holes in and use for a pot.

 

[Fullmetal7777]

Lame, I already bought 5 gallon bags, but that's a great idea! So if I let the water sit to long will it become bad or nah? I shouldn't use nutrients until I put it in the ground right? Man it's exciting to finally be growing this thing, it grows fast as hell lol

 

[Bakatare666]

Lame, I already bought 5 gallon bags, but that's a great idea! So if I let the water sit to long will it become bad or nah? I shouldn't use nutrients until I put it in the ground right? Man it's exciting to finally be growing this thing, it grows fast as hell lol

leave it more than a couple days and you run the risk of airborne bacteria getting in there and making it slimy around the waterline.
From afternoon to afternoon is fine, or 1 day-2 days max.
I let mine sit for about 24 hrs, then put it into gallon milk jugs that I've rinsed, and can save enough that I only have buckets on the counter once a week.
Right.
Best to mix your nutes when you are ready to pour, but I've heard some guys do it up to a couple days before.
I like to mix mine each time, so I can give more or less, depending what the plant looks like THAT day, not what I saw yesterday.
I usually start feeding mine about 22-25 days, but read your plant.
If you still have nice, green, and no lightening of the leaves or discoloration, then it's not hungry yet.
It'll take a while, but you will get the hang of it, and the proper watering time.
Lifting of the cup when it's dry, then watering and lifting again so you can tell the difference, is a very good way to learn your plant's water needs.

 

[RhinoHumpenPanda]

sweet, finally figuring everything out lol so right now its in a base soil basically, no nutrients or anything, just soil and perlite and probly a few other things. Then itl out grow that, ill move it to a 5 gallon and use the same soil, then after that it goes into the ground and after 3-4 weeks (when it looks like it needs it) i start fertilizing it right? did not expect it all to be this detailed when i started haha oh well

 

[Bakatare666]

sweet, finally figuring everything out lol so right now its in a base soil basically, no nutrients or anything, just soil and perlite and probly a few other things. Then itl out grow that, ill move it to a 5 gallon and use the same soil, then after that it goes into the ground and after 3-4 weeks (when it looks like it needs it) i start fertilizing it right? did not expect it all to be this detailed when i started haha oh well

I like to go fromm the cup, to a 1 gallon, or two, then to the 6 to finish.
Makes it easier to control watering, and also has less down time for root growth after each transplant.
You can peep my current grow here if you want.
https://www.rollitup.org/outdoor-growing/632050-2-new-seeds-started-outdoors.html

 

[Urhighness88]

alrighty. Is it bad to let water sit for a while? like a few days? because id probly just put a lot of water into a huge bucket and just use that water for a while.

I have heard that you can but you Gould stir it or shake it every few hours to put new oxygen back in it.

 

[Bakatare666]

I have heard that you can but you Gould stir it or shake it every few hours to put new oxygen back in it.

I believe his purpose if leaving it out was to let the chlorine evap off, like I do, but thanks.
Good note.