Watering in soil

Can i treat soil like coco safely?
Meaning, instead of watering the soil completely, i jus water enugh so there's barely drainage and the soil in the bottom of the pot doesnt get wet, it jus stays moist..

My thought being that plants like being dry and wenever i water fully, the bottom of the bottom doesnt dry like the rest. So if i water only enugh to keep it a lil moist, i shud be good?

Honestly ive already started doing it and have seen a growth spurt. But my results are fairly biased since i have no control plant lol.

Sir KK

Kush Killington said:

instead of watering the soil completely, i jus water enugh so there's barely drainage and the soil in the bottom of the pot doesnt get wet, it jus stays moist..

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You could get salt build-up that way. It depends on what you're feeding (synthetic nutes?), how strong, whether you have periodic water-only feedings.

Since you're comparing to coco, I assume it's synthetic nutes. I would water for 10-20% runoff. Otherwise you're going to have stuff accumulate at the bottom. If you use expensive nutes it might make sense to water as you say, then flush going into flower. Wouldn't waste nutes on runoff.

Sorry. Im growing organically. 100% roots organic soil fed with bubbled teas. I have no need to flush.

Sir KK

U need to water till the pot piss out water from all holes and let it dry 80% completetly, then repeat.

Agreed with @cassinfo in dirt it's really important that you let it dry otherwise you won't get good roots.. Over watering is a hudge mistake a lot of dirt growers make

cassinfo said:

U need to water till the pot piss out water from all holes and let it dry 80% completetly, then repeat.

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I guess my point is that, dry soil kills my bennies and to much water kills my plants. The soil dries very unevenly. I feel there may be some perfect amount i cud water since i dont need runoff, that wud keep the soil at the bottom moist while the rest of the pot wet/dries.
Hmm..after typing it out it seems like more work then it may be worth.

Sir KK

What kind of soil are you using ?

AKHUNTER said:

What kind of soil are you using ?

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Pure roots organic soil.

Sir KK

You can get salt build up organic or not. And you are correct it is not a good habit to let the medium dry out too much. Just water until you get some runoff and do not water again till the pots feel light. It's not rocket science, no need to over think it.

Did you add any perlite or anything to help with airation? That's usually the cause of uneven water usage

@ALEX
Huh, i was under the impression that since the ferts on salt based, it wudnt build up. Perhaps ill jus make a habit of a good full watering every other week or so.
I agree thou, jus over thinkin

@akhun
There was perlite already in the mix. And by unevenly, i meant that the top layer dries out long before the bottom

Sir KK

Kush Killington said:

I guess my point is that, dry soil kills my bennies and to much water kills my plants.

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I assume you don't mean dry as a bone. Soil has a capillary action. In the book "Teaming With Microbes"[1] the author describes hydroscopic water in the soil and that, "even when conditions are dry, the soil particulate surface holds some hydroscopic water; it is impossible to remove it from the soil without applying lots of heat and actually boiling it out."

What I do is wait for the leaves to droop from being too dry, lift the container, and now I have an idea of what is "too dry." From then on I can lift the container to determine how close it is to needing water. (No need to worry about that stress. The leaves bounce back in 30 minutes after watering. I wouldn't do it much. But, once or twice to get that "feel" is a tradeoff between stressing once versus overwatering all the time because you don't know when to water.).

[1] A free download: http://ge.tt/9LYCbnC/v/1

Depends on age of plan I water my seedling fck all to help roots develope so the seach for water once they have 3 or 4 nodes I step up the watering to once a day 1 litre to start if the pots light after a few hours I step up more just learn how much water they drink

Kush Killington said:

I guess my point is that, dry soil kills my bennies and to much water kills my plants. The soil dries very unevenly. I feel there may be some perfect amount i cud water since i dont need runoff, that wud keep the soil at the bottom moist while the rest of the pot wet/dries.
Hmm..after typing it out it seems like more work then it may be worth.

Sir KK

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Ive got a 10g pot and i had the same contemplation as to just wanting the soil to moist and not more wetter at the bottom and my reason was because i didnt want sledge and over water stress on the girls. So when i would run off in my 5g id just water or feed with 1g/5g using my dawn dishliquid squirter evenly across the top instead of pouring out of the gallon messing up the soil or pouring more water on one side. My point though is i use a litte under 2g to water my 10g just so it good and moist and not too watery. Just my thought. GL hope you work it out

Kush Killington said:

Pure roots organic soil.

Sir KK

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The Roots Ower gan nick!

@az
Good to kno yo.
Yeah i didnt mean death dry thou the top inch or 2 gets rreeaally dry.


@garden
Dude duh, i need to get some kind of heavy sprayer/watering can so i can pour evening better. I jus slowly trickle then rotate the pots for now. Once the get into the screen thou thatll be a no go lol

Sir KK

Kush Killington said:

@az
Good to kno yo.
Yeah i didnt mean death dry thou the top inch or 2 gets rreeaally dry.


@garden
Dude duh, i need to get some kind of heavy sprayer/watering can so i can pour evening better. I jus slowly trickle then rotate the pots for now. Once the get into the screen thou thatll be a no go lol

Sir KK

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Sometimes im slow...lol

gardengardian7 said:

Ive got a 10g pot and i had the same contemplation as to just wanting the soil to moist and not more wetter at the bottom and my reason was because i didnt want sledge and over water stress on the girls. So when i would run off in my 5g id just water or feed with 1g/5g using my dawn dishliquid squirter evenly across the top instead of pouring out of the gallon messing up the soil or pouring more water on one side. My point though is i use a litte under 2g to water my 10g just so it good and moist and not too watery. Just my thought. GL hope you work it out

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2g in a 10g pot seems a bit stingy. My 3g poly bags would hold 1.25g and still need watering in 4 days.

bravedave said:

2g in a 10g pot seems a bit stingy. My 3g poly bags would hold 1.25g and still need watering in 4 days.

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Just want make sure i dont over water. I started off being a water boy. I watered my seedling for a week straight and was looking at my wife like whats wrong my plant? It looked lika spaceship and a spider.So eversince then ive been reeeaaal careful. You dig.

With true organics there is NO salt build up. Water till it seeps out the bottom. 10 to 20% run out is a selling point for nute companies. I water full nutes every watering. Never ph organics. The soil will do that. Get used to picking up your plants to feel the weight. Remember they are growing every day so their plant weight goes up a little every day. Water just less then you think and wait ten minutes. Is not seeping pick up and judge again. Then add some more then wait. Once a little seepage around bottom your done. If soil too dry it will run out faster then absorbing so don't be fooled by runout early. Pick up and recheck.
If not using silicone yet in water add it now and forever. 2 to 3 ml per gallon and add it first. If you under water and get leaf drooping it keeps it from shocking it. Also helps plant store more water for those times. Which makes stems larger for bigger yields.