How much water and how often for soil in 3 gallon fabric pots

The123321

The123321

Well-Known Member
I am used to growing in coco on there. I am planning to have auto plants in 3 gallon fabric pots with 50% 50% soil perlite. The soil will have organic dry amendments in it for the nutrients. I was watering the coco every day. I plan to have the plants on autopots after 3 weeks but want to know how often and how much water to give the plants for the first 3 weeks to make sure I do not overwater the plants. I plan to water with tap water only for it.

I am not looking for the water when it needs it or when it is dry answer for it. I had problems with my first 2 grows and I want to minimize problems on this 1 so I am looking for the average amount you do to use as a guide for it. How much water and how often would you water the plants if you had 50% 50% soil perlite in 3 gallon fabric pots in week 1 and week 2 and week 3 on there? I was thinking water it 1 time every 2 days with like 4 - 8 ounces of water for week 1 then 1/4 gallon 1 time every 2 days for week 2 and 3. What do you think of that for it on there?
 
You just have to know pot dry weight and water when it feels dry. 50/50 is heavy perlite, normally 25-33% perlite so you may have to water often.

I know that's not the answer you are looking for but it's the correct answer. The wrong answer you are looking for is 1/2 gallon a day for a veg.

If it's a seedling then 8-12 ounces in a circle around the plant. Gets to week 3 run like 16 ounces.

There is no "exactly this much" answer, it depends on temperature, humidity, ventilation and how much light.
 
Thanks. The biotabs guide I am following details to do 50% 50% soil perlite though I am planning to do like 50% soil 40% perlite 10% biochar on there. I am sure how much and how often to water is depending on lots of things I was just trying to get a general guide to give me an idea of what people do on average when they water it. I mainly want to know about the first week as after the first week I would think it would be easier to figure out for it. I thought you would not want to water the whole pot the first week and only water a few ounces around the seedling in the pot. Then after 1 week do more water around the whole pot on there.
 
Yes week one I run 8 ounces in circles as wide as the plant, water morning and check before bed in case it needs a couple ounces. Week two run 12 ounces, week 3 run 16 always in a circle the width of the leaves.

When the leaves reach the edge water slow until you get a little runoff but at that point once every other day or every 3rd day.
 
Thanks. Then for the first 3 weeks you do that much water every day on there? I only need to know to week 3 as then I would turn on the autopots watering system for it on there.
 
For my seedlings, Day 0-5, I’m usually watering about 5ml twice a day, no nutrients. Then Day 6-12ish I’m running about 20-30ml once a day at starting at 1/2 the recommended dosage of my nutrients, by Day 12 I’m running full strength. Full send as they say. :rofl:

Like Apoc mentions, when I start watering Day 0-3 I’m watering right where the seedling has sprouted, picture a filled in circle, starting around the size of a dime and growing to a quarter/half dollar size as the days progress. Day 4 is now where I go from a circle to a ring, no longer watering directly where the seedlings has sprouted. Each day progressively getting larger until around Day 10-12 where she then gets up potted, a full watering, and full strength nutrients.

The key to little ones, specifically the first week, is to water less but frequently. You want moist soil, never wet or dry, which is why some people choose to use mist the first few days until some roots have been established.
 
Hey 123,

It would be cool if you ran 4 identical clones to settle the matter in your head. Run 2 plants with your way of watering, run 2 the way most soil growers who exploit the wet dry cycle and see which group outperforms.

But what this boils down to is soil grow mixed with hydro components and the whole weed with wet feet thing. Yes these types of grows can work a little but are very problematic. My understanding is that roots develop differently depending on whether they are soil / soilless roots versus water / hydro roots. Soil roots extract oxygen from soil, water roots extract oxygen from water, Doc explained in his lab threads they are very different types of roots.

Soil or Soilless simply means peat based, peat is inert but we put other stuff in for a soil grow. Soil is not to be watered each day, it’s perfectly ok to dry out. A plant in continuously wet soil can’t breathe properly.

Coco is inert too but coco, perlite, hempy, dwc, nft & drain to waste are all hydro formats. They must be fed daily and coco or hydro cannot dry out.

Ever try to switch a plant from soil to hydro? Or flip the script take a hydro grown plant and put in soil? Even a young well rooted cutting will stall out after switching formats but a bigger plant gets really pissed off when you jerk the rug out by doing this. Bamboo or water hayacinth may thrive when doing this but it appears that cannabis plants do not like this at all.

A container soil grow is not meant for continuous automatic watering. You are completely ignoring the fact that soil doesn’t need watering every day or every 3 days. My garden & fruit trees produce great even with very dry summers and weeks of no rain. So yes even tho it’s a 50/50 soil to perlite or any other ratio by using peat you are doing soil in hydro.

Skip the peat & biochar and just use perlite & dry amendments in your hydro buckets. Or skip the hydro buckets and just do soil, biochar & your dry amendments. You are complicating things needlessly. Plus have you ever ran recirculating water with soil before? I’m guessing not because the pumps, filters and sediment thing, soon the pump burns out and the plants go apeshit.

If you want your problems to continue then keep doing your own thing. However if you want to minimize problems and grow good plants then pick a stable, well known growing method and don’t deviate from it.

Just my 2 cents - hope it helps man, best of luck!
 
What does the autopot site tell you to do in the first 3 weeks? That’smwhat I would follow. (Hint: they tell you, I've read it.)

I don’t recall them recommending soil or dry mix nutrients, either.
 
Thanks. That is interesting. I did not find any information on the autopots website on how often to water the first 2-3 weeks and how much water to use. I have a plan for what to do for it on there.
 
The Phantom said:
For my seedlings, Day 0-5, I’m usually watering about 5ml twice a day, no nutrients. Then Day 6-12ish I’m running about 20-30ml once a day at starting at 1/2 the recommended dosage of my nutrients, by Day 12 I’m running full strength. Full send as they say. :rofl:

Like Apoc mentions, when I start watering Day 0-3 I’m watering right where the seedling has sprouted, picture a filled in circle, starting around the size of a dime and growing to a quarter/half dollar size as the days progress. Day 4 is now where I go from a circle to a ring, no longer watering directly where the seedlings has sprouted. Each day progressively getting larger until around Day 10-12 where she then gets up potted, a full watering, and full strength nutrients.

The key to little ones, specifically the first week, is to water less but frequently. You want moist soil, never wet or dry, which is why some people choose to use mist the first few days until some roots have been established.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for this info.... I have been struggling with my seedlings and this could be my answer :)
 
Are fabric bags not the answer? Can a mold grow in them if one doesn’t let them dry out between waterings? Saw some plastic containers with holes in the sides. Like they had little cones with the holes in the tips. Better idea?
 
The123321 said:
I am not looking for the water when it needs it or when it is dry answer for it.
Click to expand...

A little "thirsty droop" isn't going to hurt anything, and will help you learn how often YOU need to water with YOUR medium / container / size / environmental condtions / etc. Plants will let you know when they need water, and - unlike coco coir - you won't have issues from allowing your medium to dry out. Just... no "tumbleweed" situation, lol.
 
None of that long winded post invalidates what I said. OP asked about soil in 3 gal pots. Torturedsoul has the correct answer.

I encourage you to do your 4 plant experiment. I look forward to seeing your results
 
From everything I understand these plants will drown. Root rot would be a fear. I dont think you can treat soil like coco.

Id like to see pictures. Wonder how much curling and clawing we would see. If any
 

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