h2o newbee

[cbgb]

plants are in 5 gal buckets w/ drainage holes .............they are about 6 inches high and look healthy . my question is about h2o , how much ? how little ? do i water near the bean sprout or the outer part of the pot and let it draw in ? dont want to over/under water ...thanks for any help........cbgb

 

[daTenshi]

Just look at the soil and the pot, you can use your finger and test how dry the soil is, and/or lift the pot and you can notice a difference in weight between a dry pot and a wet one. Water near the stalk, you can mist the rest if you are uncomfortable with leaving the rest of the soil dry. Always leave a small dry period, this depends on every grower, you will eventually find yours.

 

[labexperiment]

As far as the watering goes, when you water make sure the medium is thoroughly watered so run off comes out the bottom, then do not water again until the medium is mostly dry, the top of the soil will appear dry when the time to water is close. The pot will be very light and if the leaves start to wilt you may have waited about 12 hours too long, but it is ok, they will bounce back about an hour and a half after getting water and you will know for next time how light the pot is when they need water. After a few months you will know when they need water based on how long between waterings it has been. Just a side note, as the roots and plant grow the time between waterings shortens a little every time.