First grow, pretty tight space, how much veg/training left?
- Thread starter Entusia
- Start date
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Not more necessarily, just the right amount to water.water more = better? I'm on it!
I loooove to water plants
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
If you're doing living soil, water 5-10% water to soil volume. If you're watering in nutes, water to 20% runoff.
Entusia
Well-Known Member
I'm currently watering 1.5/2L every 2/3 days depending on available time and other commitments.
1.5L would be around 10%+ of the total container volume (which is 11L), but it's not all soil, there's:
- a 2-3cm "top cover" of volcanic lapilli
- a 3-4cm "bottom bed" of volcanic lapilli
- in the middle it's soil + 20-30% volcanic lapilli
Lapilli are like 1-2-3cm slightly basic volcanic rocks.
Ph of the water starts at 7.5 - 8.0, i let it sit for 24-48h+ and get it down to 6.0 - 6.2.
It runs off at 6.6 - 6.8 so i think i got that sort of dialed in.
Soil is just a generic organic one they sell here that works great as is for other plants i have outside (sage, peppers, ornamentals, etc), but didn't work great for cannabis in the past (drainage and water retention problems) until now that's been amended... looks like it works now, at least to noob me.
Fertilizers i used/use are Biobizz, very easy to find here in EU:
- Rootjuice (only once first week)
- Biogrow (1-2ml/L once a week)
Will start Biobloom and Topmax soon. Also got Bioheaven and Calmag on their way for future runs.
Just read something about living soil now that you mentioned it, but as i reckon what i'm doing here doesn't qualify as living soil, correct?
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Sounds like your using bottled nutes. Water to 20% runoff.
Entusia
Well-Known Member
Ok, can i ask why?
MustGro
Well-Known Member
Not to take over @Hollatchaboy 's advice to you but since I'm right here and he hasn't jumped in yet....Ok, can i ask why?
Roots are two ways; they give off wastes as well as take up nutrients. Organic grows have beneficial fungi/bacteria in the soil that use up the wastes so they need less flushing. You're adding chemical nutes so you don't have soil microorganisms to eat your plant's wastes. Put fluids on until the soil mass is saturated and then run up to 20% of the pot's volume in fluids through her to wash out the wastes in the rootzone.
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Yes.... that's why! Lol
Entusia
Well-Known Member
Wow, that's totally new for me.
I've never even heard of something like that.
I knew roots gave "carbon/organic" (?) exudates, but i didn't know you needed to flush them!
Thanks thanks thanks you guys @MustGro and @Hollatchaboy
I've never even heard of something like that.
I knew roots gave "carbon/organic" (?) exudates, but i didn't know you needed to flush them!
Thanks thanks thanks you guys @MustGro and @Hollatchaboy
Entusia
Well-Known Member
And another thing: of course it should go without saying that if i water to 20% runoff, then i obviously can't let the girl sit in the runoff collection tray, even if i have 3-4cm of inert bottom bedding, correct?
That's a problem really, albeit mild... gotta raise the whole pot, plant and net to let the runoff through and out every couple of days (and every day later in flower)... since the thing weights like 10kg+ i'm thinking of a smart solution to avoid breaking my back... i could try and build something like this:
That's a problem really, albeit mild... gotta raise the whole pot, plant and net to let the runoff through and out every couple of days (and every day later in flower)... since the thing weights like 10kg+ i'm thinking of a smart solution to avoid breaking my back... i could try and build something like this:
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Our you could just get one of these. Your choice though.
Attachments
Entusia
Well-Known Member
That is exactly what i need, since i really don't want to waste any cm of vertical space. Great recommend homie @Hollatchaboy !
Unfortunately the fabric pot has a square base, and i can't seem to find any square ones around here. Having some tools to cut round holes of any size, also a drill, i think i will definitely just build this myself with the regular square trays i already have.
One question: what are the things attached to the tray that let water through and out? How are they called? I'm just a nerd, as i said really not the crafty type
MustGro
Well-Known Member
Yeah @Entusia they can't sit in the wash. You could keep your current tray and use a turkey baster to get fluid out. A shop-vac is a popular choice. The drain type tray is also nice. If your setup is up off the ground you could syphon the liquid out to a bucket. Use your imagination; it's part of the pot growing experience.
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Just a small bulkhead, or drain fitting.That is exactly what i need, since i really don't want to waste any cm of vertical space. Great recommend homie @Hollatchaboy !
Unfortunately the fabric pot has a square base, and i can't seem to find any square ones around here. Having some tools to cut round holes of any size, also a drill, i think i will definitely just build this myself with the regular square trays i already have.
One question: what are the things attached to the tray that let water through and out? How are they called? I'm just a nerd, as i said really not the crafty type
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Absolutely! Figuring it all out is one of the best parts!
Entusia
Well-Known Member
It IS off the ground, and that's some lateral thinking shit, i like it.
I'm torn between:
1. machining off both the cabinet's wood under panel and the tray into some sort of conduit, then overlayed with aluminum tape
2. making a hole through the tray AND the cabinet, and then seal a hose segment by that hole so that water doesn't infiltrate the wood/carton honeycomb inside
Catch ya later
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Good luck!
That's why I'm in hydro. I just couldn't find the off switch!water more = better? I'm on it!
I loooove to water plants
Get some pvc, cut it into short rounds and sit your pots on that in your saucer, cheap and quick solution.That is exactly what i need, since i really don't want to waste any cm of vertical space. Great recommend homie @Hollatchaboy !
Unfortunately the fabric pot has a square base, and i can't seem to find any square ones around here. Having some tools to cut round holes of any size, also a drill, i think i will definitely just build this myself with the regular square trays i already have.
One question: what are the things attached to the tray that let water through and out? How are they called? I'm just a nerd, as i said really not the crafty type
Hollatchaboy
Well-Known Member
Look into earthboxes.... they take the guesswork out of watering.