Does Water Demand increase in Flower Stage?

[akisunni]

Hey Guys,

Here is my story, any and all comments welcome. Total Nube here. My indoor plant is at 2 weeks of Flower stage now. It has started to consume massive amounts of water, or at least I think it is. My digital soil moisture sensor says yesterday it drank a gallon water and it wanted more today.

Is it common for the dark cycle to consume that kind of water? I hadn't noticed before but it seems to be saying it wants more water. The grow space is 2'2'x4' with the plant in a 15 gallon container with 9 gallons of dirt in it.

I gave it the first dose of 0-10-10 today, with its second watering in two days. The nutes are fish emulsions based. How much water is common at this stage? How often would you add the nutrients to the watering? I am using my digital soil moisture sensor for reading the state of the roots vs how long its been.

Any and all comments welcome, I am learning how to do this from these forums. Feedback is welcomed.

 

[Dutty Panty]

What's you light wattage? Do you have ac and proper ventilation?

9 times out of 10 yes cause they are utilizing it much quicker and conditions are typically less humid. I recommend not using meters. Feel the soil is it still damp if you push a finger in the soil. If so wait till its a little dryer

 

[maxinmaine]

Yes. The lights are stronger than veg lights, and the plants are bigger. But, still no need to over water/feed. You'll notice each plant will call for different amounts of water too, depending on their size, and demand. Keep the top of soil moist, you should let them get dry once or twice per week also.

 

[akisunni]

Thank you for the comments, after two large days of drinking, it has stabilized. The digital soil moisture probe is surprisingly accurate of the dirt conditions. The plant is now starting to grow small buds all over the place. Its appears to be in happy flower mode. I havent watered it since the last post, and currently there is no sign it needs anymore.

The plant sits in a 15 gallon moving container, with holes in it, sitting inside another 15 gal shipping container.

The plant has 300 watts of CFL currently: 1x 105 watt 5500, 1 x 65 watt 6500, 2 x 65 watt 2700 is the current setup. The plant is currently getting about 17,000 lumes of light in a small space.

Its down a bit of the 5500 temp types, as I had to grab the second 105 watt 5500 for a second flower space. We also have our first wet humid conditions in a while, so its possible the plant isnt needing as much as it was.

 

[Dutty Panty]

What's your rh and temp with those lights? You may want to increase temp if it's below 70 degrees. Cfls have attendancy as well as Leds to require heat added to room especially this time of year.

 

[akisunni]

What's your rh and temp with those lights? You may want to increase temp if it's below 70 degrees. Cfls have attendancy as well as Leds to require heat added to room especially this time of year.

Time GMT: 2014-11-20 1744
Temperature: 17 °C / 62.6 °F / 290.2 K
Soil: 830
Humidity: 24 %
Dew: -3.7 °C / 25.4 °F / 269.5 K

That temp is below canopy level. Its closer to 80ish at the small cola zone.

 

[akisunni]

Here is the view from Grow Control:

 

[maxinmaine]

This sounds crazy, but I give nutes(fox farm only)and I flush them until the water that runs through is clear. I do this 2 days before my cycle week end. Then the last two days I let them dry right out. Some plants will require water/feed sooner or later, but flushing during the grow cycle a couple times will reinvigorate your roots, and maximize efficiency.

 

[Dutty Panty]

I used to use FF nutes have you tried house and garden?

 

[akisunni]

I am currently using Alaska Moar Bloom 0 - 10 -10 and Fish Emulsion 5 - 1 - 1, when I feed the plants. The large plant hasn't needed watering since the double watering earlier. The other plants have received a small dose of plain water every other day.

 

[Dutty Panty]

Just email house and garden they will send you a sample pack to run a plant or two all the way through for the price of postage. Trust me once you use it you will be hooked.

 

[akisunni]

Dutty,

Hmm, ok, will put that on the To Do List. I like to try new stuff all the time. I haven't settled on anything yet. Lights, Nutrients, type of plant, you name it. In fact, I am sitting pondering what type of seed I want to grow from scratch, knowing what I am getting... ie my first planned grow.

I also want to hunt down some real LED tech, and build my own DYI besides the funky one one in my pictures. It will be years before anyone sponsors me, so I will have to get creative with my own designs until then I guess.

In time, I will replace the CFL's with all LED, even in a small space like that for 24/0 veg.

To be clear, you are suggesting Home & Garden for my nutrients I take it? The water demands stopped after the double dosage it hasn't wanted water since. Almost a week. It has a reservoir where the water can drain too, and the plant can send roots too it.

 

[Dutty Panty]

House and garden
Full line except amino treatment that was expensive long term swapped it with pro tekt silica additive