Question about soil drying

[driel]

I was trying to find some info out there about soil drying between watering. A few of my plants, as they progressed further along into flower (week 6+), start to take longer and longer before the top of the soil dries even with proper air flow and temperatures. Do the roots not consume as much in the late stages or is it some kind of anomaly to my growing conditions?

My soils are a promix mx which in my veg plants seems to dry in 2-3 days. My plants in flower will maintain that time as well until around week 6 where it takes 4,5, or 6 days to dry. The soil is pretty well aerated so it's not like it's water logged. I am stuck using plastic buckets atm but have read that moving on to more breathable containers may be the way to go if I continue with soils. It feels like this slowdown in drying may be causing my plants to take longer to mature but I'm not sure. So if anyone has advice or info, I'd appreciate it.

 

[kiwipaulie]

Your plants should be drinking more and more as the grow progresses. What size pots are you using. At a hunch without seeing any photos and a big guess.

Something is fucking with your roots. Probably gnats.

Some photos will help people, help you.

 

[kiwipaulie]

I was trying to find some info out there about soil drying between watering. A few of my plants, as they progressed further along into flower (week 6+), start to take longer and longer before the top of the soil dries even with proper air flow and temperatures. Do the roots not consume as much in the late stages or is it some kind of anomaly to my growing conditions?

My soils are a promix mx which in my veg plants seems to dry in 2-3 days. My plants in flower will maintain that time as well until around week 6 where it takes 4,5, or 6 days to dry. The soil is pretty well aerated so it's not like it's water logged. I am stuck using plastic buckets atm but have read that moving on to more breathable containers may be the way to go if I continue with soils. It feels like this slowdown in drying may be causing my plants to take longer to mature but I'm not sure. So if anyone has advice or info, I'd appreciate it.

Also nothing wrong with plastic pots indoors. Our hid lamps cant even begin to replicate the sun and all its glory.

Out doors, I wouldn't plant anything in plastic down these ways. Summer time cooks them.

 

[Cobnobuler]

OP never mentions how his soil is amended. I assume this is indoors and if so, is there any perlite added to the Pro-Mix ?

 

[thumper60]

6-7weeks into flower plants will start to use less water,just back off little go by the weight of pot all the air pots do is make u water more in promix means more nutes u r fine ride it out almost there

 

[ryan1918]

Let's see some pictures, I wouldn't even worry too much unless it looks like they are having issues, just don't water as much and let them ripen

 

[thumper60]

yes; no pics from me bud to much to lose,i don't really grow pot just pretend

 

[DesertGrow89]

What size pots are you using? Soil shouldn't dry out in between waterings, ideally you want to keep the medium moist. Drying creates pockets and channels, causing water to form virtual streams and it doesn't get delivered to roots effectively.

 

[driel]

OP never mentions how his soil is amended. I assume this is indoors and if so, is there any perlite added to the Pro-Mix ?

It's just promix mx mixed with manure fertilizer. I grow in 3 gallon, 5 gallon and 10 gallon plastic pots indoors. There's perlite in the mix and it really has no issues drying while I veg but late flower it's as if the plants stop drinking as much.

 

[driel]

Let's see some pictures, I wouldn't even worry too much unless it looks like they are having issues, just don't water as much and let them ripen

Yea the plants aren't dying or anything, I'm just confused as to why it stays so wet for so long late flower. Some of the bigger fan leaves and lower leaves start dying. I started aerating the top of the soil every few weeks and thought maybe cooler temperatures were to blame as the top of the soil felt cool to touch but not as wet as it would be within a day or two of watering. But I had this issue in the summer when it's another 10F warmer in the grow space but I'm still around 70-73f.

 

[ryan1918]

have you checked to make sure the holes aren't clogged?

 

[driel]

yea, water drains out normally

 

[noysy]

If your really concerned about it, get a drill and go crazy around the pot.

I do this anyway for aeration + boredem....