How to make make watering & feeding easier?

[Latte89]

Under 400 watt

under 600 watt,

I am an older woman working on my first grow with low stress training. The most difficult thing is carrying in, as well as, removing water. I wondered if anyone had any ideas about making it easier. I started flowering hours yesterday & I put a large tote underneath my plants so that I can suck the water out with the a wet/dry vac but I will still need to take it out. I have had many injuries so it is really tough now that my plants are so large. I am using a light mix of Fox Farm soil, coco coir, some composted manure, and lots of perlite. I now realize why The Grateful grower uses coco coir!
Also I finally realized that when in flower I have to lower my pH for phosphorus uptake but initially you still need a little nitrogen so do you have your pH about 6 when you're beginning flowering and then go down to 5.5? I read that you are supposed to slowly decrease your pH when beginning the flowering stage but am unsure as to what rate. Then do you stay at that PH throughout since the plant will be sucking nitrogen from the leaves? What should your water pH be in the last two weeks of flowering when giving only water/sugar water? Thank you.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

First photo did not show, this is under an air cooled 600 watt and much easier to control the temperature than the open 400 watt!

 

[Suntana]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

Under 400 watt

I am an older woman working on my first grow with low stress training. The most difficult thing is carrying in, as well as, removing water. I wondered if anyone had any ideas about making it easier. I started flowering hours yesterday & I put a large tote underneath my plants so that I can suck the water out with the a wet/dry vac but I will still need to take it out. I have had many injuries so it is really tough now that my plants are so large. I am using a light mix of Fox Farm soil, coco coir, some composted manure, and lots of perlite. I now realize why The Grateful grower uses coco coir!
Also I finally realized that when in flower I have to lower my pH for phosphorus uptake but initially you still need a little nitrogen so do you have your pH about 6 when you're beginning flowering and then go down to 5.5? I read that you are supposed to slowly decrease your pH when beginning the flowering stage but am unsure as to what rate. Then do you stay at that PH throughout since the plant will be sucking nitrogen from the leaves? What should your water pH be in the last two weeks of flowering when giving only water/sugar water? Thank you.

In your case you do not want to lower your ph or you will lose your P all together, your growing in more of a soil medium although it's a mix of soil/coir. I would stick to using a chart like this one. If you are referring to the flush in the final 2 weeks there is no need to ph at all, but if you are referring to your last 2 weeks of packing on weight of the bud stage PH at 6.5.

 

[Suntana]

How to make make watering/feeding easier?

I'm not sure how often you have to water but what I use is an rv water pump connected to a length of hose with 4 foot water wand. Its what I had for parts already on the farm, lol. Maybe later I'll shoot you a photo of how it works. I have MS so I made it as easy I could.
Happy growing .

 

[Grow Bro]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

This is the 1st time i hear of lowering ph when flowering!! Normally an increase in ph from young plant to flowering is the norm. But hey. I could be wrong..

all the best with your grow.

 

[Grow Bro]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

I will show u how i make watering easy and removing the excess water too.

 

[Grow Bro]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

Ok so i took some pics for you. First of all i use a 1.5 l tough plastic bottle with holes drilled in top for watering and removing water.

this way i find easy to get under the scrog. I battle with a watering can. My pots stand in plastic bases that catch the water. Then i suck up the excess water by turning the bottle upside down and squeezing it .. sucking up water back into bottle. Empty bottle repeat!!

easy enough i think.
Hope this helps you.

 

[Grow Bro]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

watering with same bottle

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

I like your idea watering with the bottle/cap with holes because it is tough to get under scrog! I do have tubs under mine to collect runoff. I tore my rotator cuff and so would my right Achilles then after my surgery for my rotator my mom had a stroke and so messed it up again. I also had a broken left tibia with Rod and screws , last year I had to have a left wrist Carpectomy. So I am like "Sally" in "The Nightmare Before Christmas", just sewn together. I guess I will use a shop vac to suck water out. I had been using a large dropper- from the hospital- to suck out water but it aggravates my arthritis & carpal tunnel. Not complaining, in horse terms "I have been rode hard and put up wet!".
I enjoy gardening but lugging water in and out of the grow room is tough for me. I set up an old cooler in one room so that I can have ready access to water, as well as, keep putting rain water or filtered water in it so I don't have to bring in all at once. RE: PH lowering, I think The Grateful Grower said it. It make sense because eventually you want the plant to use existing nitrogen in the leaves and you need a lower PH for Phosphorus uptake. I believe he said you would start with a pH of 6 going into flower and end with a pH of 5.8 or 5.5. Thanks for your help!

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

I figured out how to water my scrogged plant by using a long Dollar Tree funnel with a large diameter opening in order to put water in different areas of the scrog.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

. Watering your scrog with a long funnel.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

RV pump sounds good.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

Two people said to PH down slowly and by week 5 you should be at 5.8. I believe it was The Grateful Grower and in the book "Cultivating Cannabis" by CJ Watson. This is my first time, I just didn't want to screw it up royally since I had put in time since February. The base is a little over 2" around. They are over 4 months old- not counting seedling stage and in ten gallon Maui Mike soft pot. One is under 600 watts and theother 400 watt (getting a new bulb this week). Another thing CK Watson said was to pick four to six fan leaves each week but to stop by week 5. What do you think of that? I have been tucking leaves. I am in the 2nd week of flowering/since light change. The scrog has 3" x2" squares. Approximate area covered is 19 squares across and 12 deep. I'm afraid to feed very heavy but I use Foxfarm soil and nutrients with some other fertilizers along with unsulphured molasses and alternate with raw honey. Any suggestions for the next 6-7 weeks I would appreciate ideas. Thank you.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

. 4 month old plant, 2nd week of flower in a 3x2 grow tent. 600 watt air cooled light.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

4 month old in scrog 2nd week flowering, under 400 watt HPS (needs new bulb, should have in one day) open winged hood.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

Watering through scrog using a long funnel.

 

[Latte89]

Re: How to make make watering/feeding easier?

Watering through scrog using a long funnel from Dollar Tree.

I figured out how to water my scrogged plant by using a long Dollar Tree funnel with a large diameter opening in order to put water in different areas of the scrog.