Soil Drainage

Hey it’s my first grow and I think I’m having drainage issues. I made my own medium from just organic potting mix and a few amendments and my plants were showing signs of what I thought was maybe a hot mix. So I flushed them and four days later the medium is still very wet (moisture meter even reads wet 6 inches down).

I knew it would take longer for the soil to dry after flushing but I didn’t think it would be this long ‍ It’s just normal potting mix with perilite in it in 5 gal fabric pots. I know my Inline fan has been struggling to keep up with the humidity and I even added a bucket of damprid just to get it down to 60% RH. IS 4 days okay or do I have a drainage issue? Thanks!!

@bobthebricklayer said:

Hey it’s my first grow and I think I’m having drainage issues. I made my own medium from just organic potting mix and a few amendments and my plants were showing signs of what I thought was maybe a hot mix. So I flushed them and four days later the medium is still very wet (moisture meter even reads wet 6 inches down).

I knew it would take longer for the soil to dry after flushing but I didn’t think it would be this long ‍ It’s just normal potting mix with perilite in it in 5 gal fabric pots. I know my Inline fan has been struggling to keep up with the humidity and I even added a bucket of damprid just to get it down to 60% RH. IS 4 days okay or do I have a drainage issue? Thanks!!

Click to expand...

Theyre if they look fine I wouldnt worry too much. If you want to, just run a fan across the pots. Them being air pots, they'll dry out pretty quickly. A good homemade mix ratio is 40% high quality compost, or worm castings, and 40% peat moss, or coir. 10% bio-char. And whatever amendments you like.

Shit, good to know! I didn’t do much research into anything until after I already transplanted them. I literally just took a a bag of “natures care” organic potting mix and added 2 lbs of earthworm castings, 2 tablespoons of blood meal and 2 tablespoons of bone meal.
You’re probably laughing at the mix lol but does that sound too hot or not rich enough?

@bobthebricklayer said:

Shit, good to know! I didn’t do much research into anything until after I already transplanted them. I literally just took a a bag of “natures care” organic potting mix and added 2 lbs of earthworm castings, 2 tablespoons of blood meal and 2 tablespoons of bone meal.
You’re probably laughing at the mix lol but does that sound too hot or not rich enough?

Click to expand...

They look slightyly overwatered. The mix should be fine. Especially for the size of the plants The soil you used might have slow release nitrogen, so I would check that, but it'll work for a grow. For future reference, you cant flush out dry amendments. What you put in, is in. After time it will break down, so its best to go lightly at first, which you did. For some more reference, I used to use ff Ocean forest, and in a 5 gallon pot, mix 1.5 cups of seabird guano, and 1.5 cups of Jamaican bat guano. So thats super hot, but once they get established, they can take it. Ive done this with other ammendments as well. Later learned that its a waste of nutrients, and went with livingsoil.

Just get em dry ish, and water as normal.

Keep in mind that the soil you're using is coco coir and poultry manure as a base.

@bobthebricklayer said:

Hey it’s my first grow and I think I’m having drainage issues. I made my own medium from just organic potting mix and a few amendments and my plants were showing signs of what I thought was maybe a hot mix. So I flushed them and four days later the medium is still very wet (moisture meter even reads wet 6 inches down).

I knew it would take longer for the soil to dry after flushing but I didn’t think it would be this long ‍ It’s just normal potting mix with perilite in it in 5 gal fabric pots. I know my Inline fan has been struggling to keep up with the humidity and I even added a bucket of damprid just to get it down to 60% RH. IS 4 days okay or do I have a drainage issue? Thanks!!

Click to expand...

The medium , I'm assuming is sphagnum based . That shit will retain water very well , plus whatever moisture retaining amendments ( vermiculite perhaps) . Doesn't surprise me it's still soaking wet. I'm not a " Flusher " I never totally saturate by grow mix. If overwatered or saturated , I've slipped the plants out of the plastic bucket and let them sit out for a while. You have cloth pots. Ya could blow a fan directly on pot . (By the way...5gal pots , great choice !). I use to use a moisture meter....then I tried to gauge water needs by lifting pot to check weight...now I just lift . No worries , they will dry out . All of my plants seem to look their best when mix is on the " dryside ".
I f'ing love beautiful brickwork, it's a true art form......it's a great medium !

Thanks for the tips!