Watering: After lights on or before lights out

[CanaGrow]

Hello fellow growers!
I must be one of the newest members here (joined a couple weeks ago) and have quietly been sitting reading and absorbing all this knowledge your writing in your journals.
QUESTION IS when do you prefer to water your ladies? Shortly after you wake them up or right before bedtime as a snack? Why do you prefer which?
Thank you all, starting to interact here more now.

 

[Bonsaiweed]

Hello fellow growers!
I must be one of the newest members here (joined a couple weeks ago) and have quietly been sitting reading and absorbing all this knowledge your writing in your journals.
QUESTION IS when do you prefer to water your ladies? Shortly after you wake them up or right before bedtime as a snack? Why do you prefer which?
Thank you all, starting to interact here more now.

I'm not a pro. In fact, I have yet to finish a grow. But with you knowing that.

I like to water when I tend the girls. But I'm indoor. I don't think it makes a huge difference.

I'm sure others with more experience will jump in and give their opinions.

 

[incorrigible420]

I prefer to water mine right before lights out just so it doesn’t evaporate as much. Also I’m not certain but I think if the roots get warmed up they can get cooked and stunt growth especially when vegging babies

 

[CanaGrow]

I'm not a pro. In fact, I have yet to finish a grow. But with you knowing that.

I like to water when I tend the girls. But I'm indoor. I don't think it makes a huge difference.

I'm sure others with more experience will jump in and give their opinions.

Thanks for your truthfulness! I should have mentioned above that I am also growing indoors under a 300w led in soil. I too have been watering when I tend to mine in the mornings. Was just curious if there was a benifit to either time period

 

[CanaGrow]

I prefer to water mine right before lights out just so it doesn’t evaporate as much. Also I’m not certain but I think if the roots get warmed up they can get cooked and stunt growth especially when vegging babies

Where I am growing I have the luxury of a perfect even 72-74 degree temps 24 hours a day and mine are in a 3 gal pot so I am not so much worried about cooking the roots but was more curious if the plants utilize the water and nutes better at one time versus the later? Oh I forgot to mention earlier I am an indoor grower Thank you for your response

 

[incorrigible420]

Ahh ok I’m in 20L of coco using 1000w hps so temps can get high for me. Not too sure about it on that side of things, pretty sure uptake could well be different during different photoperiods though

 

[CanaGrow]

One would think uptake would be stronger during photosynthesis but I am no biology major. Lol

 

[Mayne]

They like to be watered within 1 hour of lights ON, Sooner the better. If you cant do it in the morning, then right before lights out. and they like to be watered the same time every time.

 

[Mike Wright]

I water when they wake up in the morning.

 

[urban farmer]

They like to be watered within 1 hour of lights ON, Sooner the better. If you cant do it in the morning, then right before lights out. and they like to be watered the same time every time.

I agree with first part - when the lights go on so water isn't sitting around their roots, not being drawn up for photosynthesis as the optimum time, but I think we have a little more flexibility on when to water - I prefer to water when the pot is light and the top inch is almost dry. I don't have a set schedule but prefer first thing lights on.

 

[Mayne]

yeah, should of been more specific. coco daily, same exact time daily. But agree on the set scheadule if your waiting on soil dryness. ALTHOUGH, keep in mind, microbes dont like to dry out, they die. ( to others, as too why its best to go the inch deep method.

 

[Bonsaiweed]

yeah, should of been more specific. coco daily, same exact time daily. But agree on the set scheadule if your waiting on soil dryness. ALTHOUGH, keep in mind, microbes dont like to dry out, they die. ( to others, as too why its best to go the inch deep method.

I don't believe this is true. I'm not a biologist, but soil dries out a lot, and the microbes are still there. In fact, they are delivered dry. It was explained on this forum (by @Doc Bud ), that when the soil gets dry, the plant helps the microbes out by providing moisture, which does make sense. It's a symbiotic relationship, so the plant would keep the microbes alive, for them to help the plant out when water returns.

I'm not really debating, but more relaying what I've read.

 

[urban farmer]

yeah, should of been more specific. coco daily, same exact time daily. But agree on the set scheadule if your waiting on soil dryness. ALTHOUGH, keep in mind, microbes dont like to dry out, they die. ( to others, as too why its best to go the inch deep method.

ok agreed that's a different ballgame - coco is pretty much hydro and you can't really overwater. So a schedule of once per day seems perfectly ok. fair point about microbes also.

 

[CanaGrow]

@Bonsaiweed that's DEEP! This is turning into a good topic post

 

[PurpleGunRack]

In soil, water @ dawn or dusk (indoors, an hour before lights on or when the lights turn off) to reduce the evaporation done by the sun/grow lights.

But it's a marginal difference, so if your plants need water, don't wait for a specific time, just give them water.

We all want to do what's best for our plants, but it has to fit into our daily lives too, as long as you don't over/under water, it'll be just fine.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

I would tend to agree with PurpleGunRack on this matter...

But on the other hand it is all about timing & knowing your grow environment as to when to apply.


Myself i'm a water/nutrients guy when the lights come on, in general i run my lights during said real life night time when the temps are cooler as not to effect my grow environment to much during summer months sadly for me house's in my neck of woods don't have AC... total bummer dude, but hey i don't want that on my electric bill !

Also you tend to learn when to water & feed with experience... you know a pot of this size etc only holds so much water in the soil/compost or what ever then you have temp, humidity to deal with effecting evaporation rate etc etc etc... kind of sounds long winded but really it is a simple case of watch 'n' learn, mate !

 

[Advocate420]

I just water when they need it and I am not working I know it’s not ideal. But I started using warmed water instead of very cold and I think I noticed improvement. That or it just made me feel better.

 

[CanaGrow]

My water that I use for both watering and nutes is room temperature and starting next week will be bubbled with an air stone

 

[DrDoob]

I have cameras in my tent and I’ve noticed that my plants grow more at night then during the day. Makes me want to water right before lights out, but I don’t have a lot of time so I actually water at totally random times.

 

[CanaGrow]

Oooohhhh camera system!!! Damn it now I must have that too!!