Watering, a day early or a day late?

[Canachris]

My plants are in 15 gallon containers, they are to heavy to lift to check how dry they are. I use a long bamboo skewer like a dip stick. they seem dry after 3 days, at least the top3/4 of the container does. but the bottom 3 or 4 inches above the drainage feels wet, not real wet but not as dry As the top. if I wait another day it might dry it out a bit more. but is it better to be a day early, or wait. I don't want to get them too dry. I don't see any sign of being over watered.

 

[VetSmoke85]

Personally I'd go with a day late. They recover better from being a little dry than having constant soggy feet.

 

[Jypsydog]

Wait until you see some droop, cop a feel of the pot weight. Letting your soil dry to droop won't hurt soil like coco. You don't mention how mature the plant is.

 

[N420]

Are they in Veg or flower? If Veg you can let them dry out a bit more, you want the roots to search for water so the roots spread out and make a bigger root structure. If they are in flower you want them to not dry out as much, the roots have are established and the plant is putting it’s energy into growing flowers.

 

[Sueet]

That is your hint - a fifteen gallon pot of dry soil is very light, if it is still too heavy to lift, it has plenty of water. You really don't have to actually 'lift' the container, even just tipping it up on one edge can give you an indication of its' weight. I even just 'lift' the edge and I can tell.

 

[Canachris]

The plants are 5 weeks flowering . the container without a very large plant in it I might be able to lift. But with the plant, 40 lbs of soil and 15 lbs of gravel for drainage it's too heavy to try an lift, well at least for my old broken down butt. i try hold off as long as I can but I have let past grows dry too much and at this point in the grow that could be a big set back. I don't think the bottom 6 inches will ever dry out like the top 12 inches.

 

[Emilya Green]

I just want to note that the 15 lbs of gravel in the bottom of your container is not doing a lot to help with your drainage, and as you are seeing, it stays wet down there, the roots not being able to get down there to get rid of that water. Soil is designed with a water retention rate and a flow through rate and there is no need for a special layer of rock to help it along. Contrary to popular belief, that layer of gravel is actually hurting your drainage, not helping it. Soil drains just fine without a layer of gravel that artificially perches your water table above the drainage holes. Next time, try it out without the gravel.

That being said, in veg, dryer is better than watering when still wet. In bloom, pushing water at the plants and watering when still moist at the bottom is preferable most of the time, but the roots can still get a good spurt of activity when you let them dry out once in a while in bloom too.... I do it about every 4th watering by going one extra day.

 

[Canachris]

didn't know that, being old school I was taught that 3 or 4 inches of drainage kept the roots from getting waterlogged. in the past after harvest and letting the stump and bucket dry completely I can lift the whole rootball gravel and all out of the container and the roots have grown into the gravel . just trying to avoid a soggy bottom

 

[Emilya Green]

didn't know that, being old school I was taught that 3 or 4 inches of drainage kept the roots from getting waterlogged. in the past after harvest and letting the stump and bucket dry completely I can lift the whole rootball gravel and all out of the container and the roots have grown into the gravel . just trying to avoid a soggy bottom

The truth of the matter is that it is you who keeps the roots from getting waterlogged, by not watering too often and letting the plant use all of the water before you water again. Drainage only happens immediately after watering when any water that exceeds the soil's water retention rate falls out... for a majority of the time, the concept of drainage in soil is not a factor.

 

[Canachris]

yeah... in a plastic container I want 3 inches of drainage. after 4 months of watering the soil gets very compacted, every time you water the smaller particles of soil get washed down to the bottom. compacted soil drains slower. with gravel I get good drainage until the end of the grow. but that's just how I was taught by my grandfather, maybe things have changed since 1860

 

[Emilya Green]

yeah... in a plastic container I want 3 inches of drainage. after 4 months of watering the soil gets very compacted, every time you water the smaller particles of soil get washed down to the bottom. compacted soil drains slower. with gravel I get good drainage until the end of the grow. but that's just how I was taught by my grandfather, maybe things have changed since 1860

yes, many things have changed drastically since 1860. I was also taught by my grandfather who was an arborist by profession, and he taught me the way I am doing things. Whatever works for you is best, but I am not willing to give up part of my valuable container space for anything other than more soil or nutrients and a little perlite to battle the compression you mentioned. You asked a question about your drainage, described a perched water table, and I gave you my best answer only trying to help, and I am sorry you don't agree with what I had to say. When we are seeing a problem that we can't solve, I think in most things it is good to be open to a challenge of our preconceptions. Doing the same thing in the same old way will always lead to the same results. Good luck and I hope you solve your mystery.