Smart pot drying question

[StickyGig]

Growing a Sweet seeds mix of autos. Total of seven under a mars 2 1200. I'm growing in 5 gallon smart pots and geopots. Im using ffof and ff happy frog and perlite at a ratio of 50/50/20. Im in a tent 4x4x7 that ranges in temperatures from 75-87 degrees fahrenheit. RH runs between 40-50%. I have a fan pulling warm air out the top and a fan in the floor to keep the air moving around the pots.

My problem is that even after 4-5 days I cant water because the bottom of the pots are still damp/wet. I put them in trays and that didn't work. After some reading I realized that I should have put a layer of garden rock or perlite in the bottom under my soil. Live and learn. What about filling my trays with dry perlite and setting the fabric pots on that? Will enough air get under there and will the perlite soak up extra and mold or will it wick and dry? Ive read the thread on a home made wicking system and thats not what I want to do. So what does everyone think? Can I just use perlite in trays or should I go buy an alternative like racks or use a layer of clean gravel under them? I cant lose them to root rot and a couple are smelling funky underneath already. Thanks for any input.

 

[MassMedMan]

If they're not dry they're not dry. I've used smart pots for a couple years now and go seven days sometimes if i get them good and soaked. Sometimes it'll feel moist, but i don't usually feel under, and i never smell under them. That's too much in their business for me. I water/feed based on three things; I pick it up and judge by the weight, how the plant looks, and how many days it's been since i watered last. One thing you could try is get them off the ground, if they are. I don't know if i helped, but, the bottom line is when they're dry, they're dry.

 

[StickyGig]

Too much in their business lmao. Thanks for bringing me back to earth bro. One of these years ill learn to just relax and let them grow.