My plants need too much water

K

kindnug

Well-Known Member
NoobgrowerLbc said:
i need to water them everyday. I water untill I see run off. Then next day they are drooping. I give each pot 5-7 gallons of water. Plants are 6 feet tall topped 3 times and bushy. They are in 30 gallon smart pots. Is this normal? Temps are 90 degrees here always.
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Bury smartpot ~halfway in the ground like some1 else mentioned.
~or~
Buy larger smartpot, fill halfway with soil, lay 30gal inside +pack some soil around the 30gal.

Smartpots keep the roots from circling, but when roots get overpopulated they require more water.
Easiest to just bury it halfway in-ground so the water doesn't run-off immediately + roots can spread through the pot some.


You can find pics of some 12ft tall/12ft wide plants that are in ~150gal pots, for root-space comparison.
More roots > More fruits
 
K

kindnug

Well-Known Member
I think it would be easier to maintain with a few dozen huge plants in really large pots, instead of ~90 in 30gal's.
No need to add perlite to OF for outdoors, but if your going to add perlite again next year> 25% peat is a really good idea.
 
Roger A. Shrubber

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
NoobgrowerLbc said:
i puddled then only once. I’ll try 3 times but dam they will eat my nutrient fast. I feed 5 ml every watering.
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you don't feed them every watering. every other, or even every third watering is the usual practice. you don't need to get run off every time you water with plain water, just when you water with nutes.
you can feed every watering, but you do it at reduced strength, 1/4 to 1/3 strength, and then you would want to get run off at least every other time.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
You may have a dry spot in the center. It happens. Soil can dry to the point it becomes hydrophobic.

Can you get the pots in a pan or something that holds a couple inches of water? If so then put the pots in it and water with plain water several times and let them sit in the water. As the soil sucks up the water add more.

If that is not possible then add a drop of dish soap to your water to break water tension and then water several times.

Regardless, every time you water you need to water more than once. Water at least a couple times about ten minutes apart.

Go to watering twice a day for a bit and make sure to water and wait then water again.

I suspect you either have a dry spot or most of the water is running around the root balls.
 
Thegermling

Thegermling

Well-Known Member
NoobgrowerLbc said:
i need to water them everyday. I water untill I see run off. Then next day they are drooping. I give each pot 5-7 gallons of water. Plants are 6 feet tall topped 3 times and bushy. They are in 30 gallon smart pots. Is this normal? Temps are 90 degrees here always.
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Smart pots outdoors can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you want to water more for increased yield then smart pots outdoors are key (I water mine 6+ times a day). If you dont want to water as much then go with bigger smart pots. Those are big plants you got there. They need ALOT of water . I have 6 ft tall plants too and they are planted in the dirt. I only water them once a day each morning and they dont wilt. Ive never grown in 100 gallon smart pots outside but that about sounds right for your situation.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
I use one of those ceramic stakes with the cup part at the top you put water in, to perculate into the soil
 
Thegermling

Thegermling

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
yeah, I ran coco coir outside in the sun, just by putting my bags in boxes, I'd spray the whole box down with the plant. It keeps the root zone cool as it evaporates and slows down the bags drying out.
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Never heard of this before nice. But would it cause weird issues with pathogens etc. in temps over 100 for weeks on end? Im currently growing with coco outdoors and I chill the water to around 66 degrees to keep the coco cool, plus the leaves create shade as well.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
Naah< I grew grass on top of it. When you mow the lawn just trow the clippings on top, it will sprout seeds by itself.
 
NoTillPhil

NoTillPhil

Well-Known Member
Sounds like overwatering is impossible in your situation to me. Soak them and the ground they sit on. As said above being able to get that much water through them has its perks. The mulch and bury it. sounds like a plan also.
 
Thegermling

Thegermling

Well-Known Member
ANC said:
Naah< I grew grass on top of it. When you mow the lawn just trow the clippings on top, it will sprout seeds by itself.
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Oh you did some sort of lasagna. I thought you put the pot in the box and wet it like that without burying it. Wait im confused now.
 
marcospartida

marcospartida

Well-Known Member
NoobgrowerLbc said:
i need to water them everyday. I water untill I see run off. Then next day they are drooping. I give each pot 5-7 gallons of water. Plants are 6 feet tall topped 3 times and bushy. They are in 30 gallon smart pots. Is this normal? Temps are 90 degrees here always.
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Are you sure you are not overwattering
.Overwatered plants droop to ..idk im sure you know more about them than me
 
N

NoobgrowerLbc

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
Seriously. Dry spot. Water them three or four times in a row. The best would be to get them to wick water up until soaked.

The symptoms will worsen and you will start to see yellow then brown necrotic spots.
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There are dry spots on the near the fabric. That’s becuase they will leak on the side. Temps hit 100 plus every other day. I would love to do get them to wick water but the roots had sinked into the ground. Impossible to lift the pots up now.
 
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