Questions about watering outdoors

[Mickies]

Wow, it's in the 90's here in NY and it will be for the next 7 days.... I have a Skunk#1 plant (1/2 sativa 1/2 Indica) shown here) she is huge and growing exclusively outdoors (white dust on plant is diatomaceous earth, saw a few aphids earlier)...

She just took 2 gallons of water yesterday around 7:30am like a champ....
Today at noon, top three inches of soil is dry!!!!

should i give hew two more gallons??? should i be be watering dally now because of her size and the heat????

 

[TorturedSoul]

This thread:

The Proper Way To Water A Potted Plant

The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant Also covered: the importance of pH and why we successively up-pot How to Water Over the last several years I have put a lot of study into this, and I feel that I can now define the proper way to water a potted plant. Keep in mind that this discussion...

www.420magazine.com

...likely explains it. But, basically, give it a sufficient amount of water if/when it needs it. When the soil is pretty dry and the pot is light again, repeat. Don't follow a schedule, water the plant when it needs it. YES, that means you'll be giving it more when it's hot (wind also plays a part) and the plant must transpire moisture via the stomata in its leaves at a greater rate in order to self-cool. If/when in doubt, pick the container up and judge whether it has become dry across more than merely the top section. If your level of doubt is extreme, lol, you won't kill a plant by allowing its leaves to begin to look droopy/wilted as it begins to be stressed due to lack of water (a healthy plant will perk up quite soon after a thorough watering).

@Emilya may elaborate, if she sees this thread, and feels it likely to be necessary.

 

[garybo]

Wow, it's in the 90'2 here in NY and it will be for the next 7 days.... I have a Sunk#1 plant (shown here) she is huge and growign exclusively outdoors (white dust on plant is diatomaceous earth, saw a few aphids earlier)...

She just took 2 gallons of water yesterday around 7:30am like a champ....
Today at noon, top three inches of soil is dry!!!!

should i give hew two more gallons??? should i be be watering dally now because of her size and the heat????

I assume you are growing in buckets, which I do, I grow in 5 gal fabric pots.

When I water, I give about 3/4 gal of food/water mixture. I do this two days in a role. I then let the ladies dry out for a couple of days, until the bucket is light in weight, then give her food/water again. Every 3rd watering, I give the ladies a water/NPK mixture.

Being a little thirsty is ok, there are 2 things I look for before feeding; the first is to read the leaves, if they start to droop then they are thirsty (assuming the plant is healthy and does not need any NPK).

The second test (besides the finger test as you did) is to lift the bucket. When the plant needs water, the bucket will be at it's lightest weight at this stage, then after giving it a good drink, lift the bucket again, it will be considerably heaver.

And yes, during this heat and age, she will intake more water.

On a side note, I always put my plants under cover if rain is present and at night with a shop fan blowing on them. Rain water has never touched my plants.

Stay safe.

 

[skirk]

We're at 105° in South Texas. I leave my 32 day old auto out in full sun, saturating to runoff when I put it out in the AM and invariably have to do the same when I bring it inside in the evening. But not because of the top being dry, but because it's light as a feather. Early in the young plants life, I'll double check moisture levels to avoid watering too often. On a side note I have to provide shade for my tomato's or they shrivel up to nothing.