watering in flower-how often?

Stormfront

Stormfront

Well-Known Member
My baby has been flowering for 2 weeks now, and i believe the last time i watered was 2 weeks ago....she's still very green and healthy looking but i wondered if i should be watering with more frequency or keeping on with my once every two weeks routine

I only ask because everyone has a decent opinion on here, i am looking for something to smoke in the end and wondered if this would increase yield any... if not i think i'll stick to the every other week plan unless this is detrimental to my plant...

Let me know!

Storm
 
Stormfront

Stormfront

Well-Known Member
cheetah2007 said:
two weeks....man what is the strain NL x Cacti :D
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lol just watered it now, seems i might change the pattern but as i said still all green no yellowing ...nothing, I'm amazed...funny you mentioned the cacti thing, i started growing it in 90% sand 10% wormcastings, i wonder if i inadvertently changed it's genetics to allow more water retention, and thus has changed it to thinking it's still in sand though it is now in 100% wormcastings....interesting theory though I am completely stoned:joint::joint::joint::mrgreen:
 
Ativas

Ativas

Well-Known Member
Stormfront ... this idea of watering every so many days is ridiculous to me. I can't figure out for the life of me why people think this is a good idea? You water when the plants need it - and not before. Do you want healthy plants with the highest yield possible? When you water, pour until it comes out the drain holes in the bottom. Then, DO NOT water again until the soil has dried completely. Keep an eye on them because you don't want them to stay in dry soil for very long, but again, do not water them until the soil has dried out, then repeat the watering process, then let them dry out and so on and so forth. This is based on over 20 years of my own experience and the experience of other excellent growers.

Now, having said that, if it takes your soil 2 weeks to dry out, geeez ... something ain't right there ... in that case I'll have to defer to Cheetah's comment ... NL x Cacti? LOL
 
apasunee

apasunee

Well-Known Member
Finally,, A thread thats upbeat, starting to think no one has a sense of humor with all the bashing that goes on,, But,, I agree that the plant itself will tell you when to water and as for how much,, I usually water till it comes out the drainage hole also.... Sand huh????? Wow, I didnt know it would work as I have a never ending supply,,,, Hmmmmmm..........:peace:............................. Good Luck on your grow and kick us down pix as you go along.................
 
felthustler

felthustler

Active Member
Feel the dryness of your soil about three inches deep if those three inches are dry you should water, different conditions affect watering, therefore not everyones water cycle will be the same. And remember even though its "your baby" it is a weed and weeds grow brotha
 
bundleoffun

bundleoffun

Active Member
Ativis, for what its worth .. I was of the opinion you always water from the bottom, so that the mass bulk roots are getting the best opportunity to feed, I do this once i'm confident the roots have reached the bottom of the bucket, I only water from the top perhaps 4 times during flowering..
 
Ativas

Ativas

Well-Known Member
bundleoffun said:
Ativis, for what its worth .. I was of the opinion you always water from the bottom, so that the mass bulk roots are getting the best opportunity to feed, I do this once i'm confident the roots have reached the bottom of the bucket, I only water from the top perhaps 4 times during flowering..
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If you pour water into the container until it comes out the drain holes, all of the soil will be moistened. There is no need to water from the bottom using this method, in fact, personally, I can't imagine why anyone would do it at all. If you don't have faith in the soak and dry method (as I call it) try it with one plant and water your other plants the way you normally do. If done correctly, I guarantee you will get a higher yield on the 'soak and dry' plant.

Soak and Dry: When watering, pour until it comes out the drain holes then stop. Do not water again until the soil is completely dry. Not the top inch, not the top two inches, not the top three inches ... don't water until ALL of the soil is dry. At that point, you add water again until it comes out the drain holes ... wait 'till it's completely dry ... repeat until harvest.

The only things to watch out for with this method are, 1 - this method is not for very young plants. Young seedlings can't survive in dry soil very long so it's not worth the risk. However, you can start doing it fairly early, say, a couple weeks old. 2 - Don't leave the plants without water for too long once the soil dries out. When you're sure it's dry, water them. If they start to wilt (normally the lower leaves wilt first) you've left it dry too long. (Important Note: Cannabis plants can recover from under-watering that is not overly severe. Over-watering can be disasterous. Another reason the soak and dry method works so well.)

Now, if you're going to try my experiment with one plant, make sure you do it properly, meaning, let that soil dry completely and soak it well come watering time (remember those drain holes?) or it won't be a valid experiment. The other bonus is that your plants will be healthier. No overwatering issues. No underwatering issues. I can't imagine doing it any other way, but hey - there are lots of different methods out there and everyone has there own ideas about what is right. Experience has shown me how well this method works. Good luck to you.
 
apasunee

apasunee

Well-Known Member
Im going to have to agree mostly with ativas,,, as I also do this and as long as you are able to watch your plants daily,, at least once or twice a day,, this is a good method for me, this way you will get the hang of not overwatering your plants as you will know the first couple of times if and when the leaves start to wilt you will know for sure when to water every time you need to instead of overwatering like most do in the beginning of their growing experience... good luck with your girls.....:peace:........................................
 
Stormfront

Stormfront

Well-Known Member
let me shed some light on my theory of why the soil stays moist(not soaked)

I'm not using any soil, well, not really, I'm growing in 100% worm castings, I had started this as an experiment and now it's come so far i figure I'll make it go all the way, i started with all sorts of crazy ideas and 3 females, 2 were eaten by a fan, and this is the sole survivor, which i started in 90%sand/10%worm castings(sand is good for visuals, though it stunts the growth at about 3 weeks) when i switched it to the worm casting i noticed it was moist to begin with, instead of watering immediately after re potting i let the medium settle and let the roots take hold without water, they did, and it seems it was quicker than when i watered in the past.

now let me share with you what im sure most will read and say "No way he's going to kill it!!!"

I have no drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket(AHHHH!!!!), my grow closet remains at a steady 73F with lights on and 68F with them off, humidity is generally between 30% and 40%, I water once every two weeks, and not because it's yellowed but because the leaves begin to sag somewhat, I water quite minimally using about half of a PUR water pitcher, i use filtered tap water, I don't check the water or soil PH, it's not that i'm a complete newbie, I just like trying new/unconventional ways of doing this.

this is merely my hobby, I'm not looking to make new strains(yet), nor am i looking to sell a finished product, i just enjoy the gardening experiments and if i get something to smoke in the end its cool, if not, i try something else.

All that said, my plant is very healthy, very bushy with no yellowed leaves, and since im growing under strictly cfl's i feel like i've already accomplished more than i ever thought was possible....and more importantly I'm still having fun!

will post some pics in a few, going to take some now!

thanks for all the advice and help, when i get pics up you can critique more if you'd like....btw inteded on adding drain holes, but ever got around to it...maybe i will tonight.

Storm
 
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