Hey guys, I've read the faqs but I can't find a water guide :/ How much should I be feeding plants during their different stages( seedlings, veg, flower) and with what intervals (12 hrs, 24hrs, 36 hrs, 48 hrs, etc) ? One more question, at which point in time should I begin feeding plants vegging nutes diluted in water? EDIT** I'm growing in soil, indoor, not sure on the pot size but they are big enough, vegging under 400w mercury then will be switching to 400w sodium for flowering! Thanks in advance guys
basic info I have a "system" of watering/feeding. If I think the plant needs watering or fed, I wait at least 12 hours, then check again before I water/ feed. When people mess up waqtering their herbs, the mistake is watering too frequently. When u mix nutrients into ur water, dont use the amount on the bottle. Use a quarter of the bottles recommended concentrations. Then theres a chance that at some poimt youll be able to begin to increase the amount of nutirients u put in the water. With some nutrients, u can go all the way up to a full dose, but u will only figure that out through experience. When u water, use plain water occasionally; water with no mixed nutrients. I dont necessarily know about a particular watering "schedule". The plants will let u know. Also, pic a coule places on the inner and outer soil, stick ur pinky finger down into the soil. If u feel moisture in the soil, dont water. Also get familiar with how heavy the plant pots feel when theyve just been watered ande how light they are when they need water. Maybe u already knew all that, but if not it could get u started somewhere. Oh yeah, a lot of people wait untill the plant is around 30days old before they begin to introduce nutrients to the plants water. Make sure ur water is PH balanced. Sometimes strait from the tap water is too alkaline or acidic. Distilled water from the store isw no guarantee either. Check the PH of whatever water you use.
Thats great advice scotty, thanks. I'm def gonna implement those. My only doubt now is how much do u guys normally water them? quantitywise.
Im going to assume your growing in soil. Water the plant until there is runoff. Overwatering is not about how much water you use but rather how often you water. If you have a good soil mixture then there should be no worries about using 'too much' water when your watering. Peace
I bought one of those light,ph,moisture meters for like $3 on ebay the only thing that works on it is the moisture meter. The bigger your plant the more she will drink and the hotter your closet the more she will drink. Try lifting your pot before and after your water this will give you an idea of weight change. Use pots that have holes in the bottom and use drip plates, this is what I use, they love it when you feed from the bottom you can not over water because they only soak up what they need. I keep my PH between 6.6-6.8. I wait till my plants get three sets of leaves before I give nutes, unless its a clone then I start feeding it as soon as it has roots. Hope this helps. assit:
watering quantity I personally water until I start to get some dripping runoff through the drain holes at the bottom of the pot. I do this especially when Im using plain water between feedings.
I use a turkey baster to water my plants (4 baster full per plant )I water every time she dries out completely, but before she wilts. Depending on the temp of my box which is regulated by the temp of my basement. My box is between 74 and 78 deg. I water every 24-36 hrs. Hope this helps assit:
feed water water feed i dont feed till i see a little deficietcy on the lower leaves then i start but usualy thats about when i start flowering ..as for the contaners 1 gallon per month the plant is in the pot...veg 30 days flower8 weeks=3 gallons ... i use 4.7 gallon square 12 x 12 inch pots ...i let the soil almost dry out to the point of just before wilt i feel the soil through the drain holes if its moist i wait
DO you know how long it takes for the nutes to react? I thought about your method and said it would be to late if I waited. SO how is it working for you? Mine usually lacks in Phosphorus. I think I am going to give a bigger dose of Tiger Bloom next time.
My technique is.....in my veg I give em 2 cups of water as needed, like every 4-5-6 days, whenever the dirt is pulling away from the pot edges or it feels light when I pick it up......... In my flower I water every 2 days or so........I water a consistant 40 oz. of water everytime! Rule of thumb is just pick up the pots and if they feel light then its nearing time to water or it is time to water! Good luck! And I use 2.5 gal square pots.....I transplant 1 time.......from a 16oz. cup to the 2.5 gal pot!
soil quality that all depends on your soil and wats in it & how big the cpntainer is & how hungery the strain is .. i bont buy bag dirt i have a coustom mix that the guy at the local grow shop mixes up in a cemet mixer its an organic mix that complements the fish ferts & other nutes i use.. however most soils can go at least 2 weeks & you said u have a phosphorus def? i add to soil mix peice of mind bat guano from fox farm ..its one of my soil ingredients its got all kinds of benificials & its NPK is 0-5-0. also potash i use black strap molassas itsNPK is1-0-5 and has mag,sulfur,iron and is a good chelater of other trace elements:thumbsup:
I thought about that cause the top layer was dry and pulling away from the pot but then I stuck my finger in the soil and it was moist, so Idk wouldn't it be best for it to be completely dry(when u stick ur finger in there)?
Well, if your plants were babies...I'd drown them bitches like that Yates lady and say a black guy stole em.
Imo You want the top to become crusty, and it need to be relatively dry all the way, one inch down...then it it time to water...there is pretty much always moisture locked in the bottom of a pot (enough to keep a plant living), so if there is ever a question, just wait until she starts to droop, then give her water and she will pop rioght back up...IMO thats the best way to truely learn exactly when your plant needs it...let her droop, fed her, and in less than 20 hrs, she will have perked back up fully! (should anyways, if she doesn't, wunderwatering is not your problem.
That's how I do it too. I know I ought to try to water just before it starts to droop but it's hard to know for sure. Once you get experience you can predict, but variations in humidity, plant size, and so on still makes it mostly guesswork. If there's any slowing of growth from letting them droop a little before you water I've never seen it. And as you say, it's better to underwater than overwater.
