3-5 gallons of water for one plant? Cmon now
Heres how we water our plants with 4 gallons of water, every 3.5 days, in 20 gallons of Promix BX. We also feed at 10%-40% strength feedings every watering, depending on stage of growth.
It will only require this amount of water for about 3.5-4 weeks. Max. Its not like they use that much from seedling on.
Also this is at 80f-84f, with fans blowing 24/7 regardless if the lights are on, or off. A good Breeze is always blowing. This also makes stronger stems. I also Shake my plants pretty good on to stimulate them, and create stress. Makes bigger, and stronger Stalk, and side branching. I also bend around on the side branching, but again, dont muck with the tip
#1 you have to find a strain that is capable of becoming a large plant, that grows fast, uses all the Water, Food, Grow Medium, and LIGHT possible, and you have to find a phenotype that meets a criteria for production, and potency. Not all plants from the same strain can succeed either.
For us, we wont use a strain that wont produce at LEAST 1lb per 1000w Hortilux HPS in a 4 x 4 area, and that is minimum. And it is also based on a Maximum Seedling/Clone veg time to flowering time. Most any plant can be vegged, and traind enough to produce a good bit, but doing so in a certain time period is another animal. Thats why I dont pay attention to grams per watt. More to it than that. IMO anyway.
#2 the strain must be able to grow fast enough from seed, or rooted clone-70 days veg under 1000w Hortilux, and no less than 5 gallons Promix BX. I will often just put straight into a 20 gallon container. If vegged in 5 gallon, Ill use grow bags, and cut them off into the 20 gallon container at flowering time. The plants roots will totally fill out the 20 gallons of soil in 60-70 days after flip. IF it is a good plant.
#3 The plant strain also needs to show strong side branching in its natural genetic structure, and it also needs to stretch alot 4-6 times in flowering. then it is taken advantage of by??
No Topping, and the plants are trained/bent over to encourage large side branching. Turned into a huge bush. The only time the growing tip would be messed with is to slow down lateral growth. Plant is bent over from about 80% from the top as to encourage forward growth. No mucking with tip unless I have to.
By week 3.5 in a 70 days flowering plant they will need 3 gallons water every 3 days, and by the 4th week will need to be watered 4-5 gallons every 3.4-4 days, which is on average 1 gallon a day.
Also consider the plants never get bone dry either.
I use a Moisture Meter, and I never let the Moisture get below Low Moist. NEVER to the Dry Line. EVER. Always slightly above the Dry line. I measure the container in 8 different places. 4 on top, and 4 on the lower sides of the container.
If one lets plants get to dry, it concentrates the dissolved solids, and when watered will burn the plants, and is made worse if fed again at that time.
But if one grows trees, in a good amount of soil, with a strain that is capable of large production, using 4-55 gallons of water every 3-4 days seems normal to me. That5s all we do because of plant limits, in an uncool state. Ive got as much as 28oz from 1 plant with this method, but usually best yield is in late Fall, and winter as we dont have the best climate control, though we do have great air flow.
Mr Nice Super Silver Haze is a good place to start looking for a plant that will meet this criteria.
How about you?
