I would like to know too... I have seedlings I watered just around them then watered a few more time letting water drain so root will chase the water down in there big pots. I also under stand that soil isn't really activated until it gest some water.. What do I know tho.. just running on commonsense trying not to kill them.
I have pondered over this a lot too
and I have come to think that it is not so straightforward as simply waiting for the top couple of inches to be bone dry. Although that seems correct and it works great in 'normal' circumstances.
I think the thought is that by not allowing to dry out leaving the area in the middle always is soaked will rot those roots in the middle.I have pondered over this a lot too
My plants are growing in plastic containers that have mostly been heavily drilled with holes in walls and bottom too (as home made 'air pots'!), and also they sit on stone tiles that give off radiant heat that gets into into the high 30's Celsius (high 90's in Fahrenheit) on a summer days, and the wind is blowing on them too. So with that in mind I changed from waiting for the top layer to dry out, because I felt with all the drilled out holes in my pots, that I was concerned at my living organic soil becoming far more dried out than normal undrilled pots would be, so therefore I felt I was following the wrong advice for my circumstances. In the summer heat I find I have to water them fully, mostly twice a day which I do so as soon as I notice them wilt and collapse, which I find with the exceptional heat coming off the balcony tiles can be quite dramatic and sudden.
In later flowering I have experimented with draught stressing for greater potency but that's off on a tangent from the watering topic. But generally for me, I am favouring an approach of keeping the soil moist because I know my case my pots dry out very quickly so there is still a changing moisture cycle constantly going on, it is just more rapid. Last year I put a mulch layer of pea straw which causing the top layer to retain moisture really nicely and the plant which seemed to previously have next to no roots in the top layer (presumably due to the harsh drying cycle that I was using), but after having this damp layer of mulch the plant grew hundreds of roots all through it, so I couldn't help thinking that was a good thing, there was even worms living in my pots.
So there there are a range of approaches, I think just depends on what the overall environment is that the plants are being given and for how well they can adapt and use it. But I'm always open to changing in order to refine/optimise my grow, it is very rewarding to try a change and have an improvement! But there is a concern every time a change it done that it will instead screw it up. But hopefully not haha.
That is indeed a concern, as is probably so many applications of so many things, is it too much or too little or too often etc. At the end of day, it needs to be tested out, and that is where one person's grow environment may not support it while another's grow does, that's the conundrum facing us when it comes to choosing what amongst all the very good advice will best work for our own individual circumstances. I am certainly not fixed on this, altho weighing up I feel my plants do grow better when soil is more frequently watered. I tell myself that my drilled out pots on hot tiles in the wind would surely dry out more than the soil of plants in ground. I tend to think if the plants are appropriately well nourished and their needs are being met that perhaps their vigor overcomes a 'wet soil centre' where more stressed/deficient plants cause the rot worry to be true perhaps... But I'm waffling, mine seem fine with generously watering once or twice a day in the heat, and after the last harvest I found no signs of root rot.
I felt guilt letting my girls dry up while it was in full flower. It just didn't seem right! I did it anyway. I just followed everything I read. Commonsense did tell me not to. I felt like I was denying them...
I know what you mean, but you can really only follow your intuition as to what is best.
I like that.... Sounds reasonable. I just haven't been growing long enough to know. I'm sure after a couple more grows I will be able to form my own opinion. May be I should try that on this experimental grow I'm doing now. I'm gonna have to buy a scale but it something I'd like to try. I do know I got a few gnats and I started drying the medium out completely and no more gnats... I'm high... I think I will just think now...
... Mind Blown
Shouldn't the medium have enough organic nutes ? Seems so early to be have issues with Deficiencies. I'm learning.This is one of my issues with my peat base. If its dries out i gets water repellant, almost. This soil/peat is on its 4th year of organic use and is a great soil; way better than I could buy.
Weekly update:
The AC/DC is showing odd coloring on some leaves. Nothing detrimental.
Looks like a touch of Magnesium deficiency. The yellowing is starting between the veins. I may add some to the AC/DC next time i water. The new growth on her looks good.
After 1 week, the growth is looking promising for low temps and RH.
She also had to shake off the transplant shock. Leaves are up, even after the molasses drench yesterday.
Mulch was added as well, to keep moisture longer and protect any microbial life at the surface. I am going for the little amounts of daily watering and see if the plant responds nicely. I am not so much concerned of it as I am about ensuring the soil has what it needs. The plant's success will be a by product of tending the soil.
All the clones in solo cups started showing this Mag def. This AC/DC was one of those. I watered all the clones and Bonsai's with Epsom Salt and the greened back up. However the damage was done. New growth looks good on all.
Here is the Harle-Tsu. Still light green but her leaves tell me that we are headed in the right direction.
Next I am going to research how to add those LABS to the soil and as I mentioned, I am going to start doing little waterings daily to keep the outside ring moist and not drenched.
