Is letting leaves droop a little before watering bad?

hawse

hawse

Well-Known Member
So basically, I like to wait till the last minute to water my girls, because that's better than over watering right?

But sometimes I can't tell when that's going to be until the leaves start to droop lower instead of pointing either up, or straight out. Should I quit worrying about the leaves and just feel the soil or the pot weight?

Basically my real question is though, if I accidentally let the plants start to droop too much before watering, say once or twice during the grow, is that harming anything long term? Everything looks a-ok now, just some of the older leaves got curled in all the way, not like "the claw", and definitely not over-fert... I assume that was from getting too dry and maybe a little too hot. New growth looks good and no more temp problems, so I hope they will be ok...
 
hawse

hawse

Well-Known Member
Cool thanks, yeah I agree it seems to slow things down a little in flower... Yeah i avoid it if at all possible anyway, but was curious just how bad it is... I mean everything I've read says just lift the pot to see how heavy it is, but these girls seem to be drinking a lot faster than I'm used to I think. I just bought some new brighter lights so maybe that's part of the problem too. Seems like I'm watering every day and a half or so in 3 gal smart pots... If it goes to a full second morning they are starting to droop, and by that afternoon would look terrible... I just am not always of top of it like I should be! :)
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
It's better to water lightly and more often than waiting until they are bone dry and drenching them. Droopy plants are not a big problem but they are trying to tell you to water them more often. Overwatering is bad but letting the roots dry out is just as bad. When roots tips dry they die and need time to recover; they branch out to find moisture. Lifting up on the pots is the best way to decide if they need water or not. In the warmer months I might water daily if needed. Go light; don't let the water run through if you can help it. Place a tray under fabric pots if you use them to catch excess water and retain it.
 
U

upnsmoke13

Well-Known Member
Just fill a extra pot with your grow media & leave it to the side. Now you have something to compare others to, you KNOW that is too light! Doesn't take long to get the feel. Proper wet/dry cycle is a lot more important in soil than coco! What media are you using and how much drainage you got?
 
nl5xsk1

nl5xsk1

Well-Known Member
It is difficult to lift my Pots due to being under a scrog net, I use Blumat Digital Pro Plus, works fanastic
 
INF Flux

INF Flux

Well-Known Member
nl5xsk1 said:
It is difficult to lift my Pots due to being under a scrog net, I use Blumat Digital Pro Plus, works fanastic
Click to expand...
Don't the blumats negate the wet dry cycle in favor of a more constant sweet spot moisture level? I was introduced to those by Joshua Steesland's YT grows. They look ideal. I've heard they are fussy to dial in, any issues or tips for doing that? I may be getting some soon.
 
kkt3

kkt3

Well-Known Member
When I go to water my plants I bring my moisture meter to check the soil at the bottom of the planters as well as the top.

The smaller planters I lift to see if they need watering. But the 20 gallon planters cannot be picked up.

With the meter I check the top in 4 places as well as the bottom of the planter thru the drain holes.

I have experienced many times where the reading from the top says it’s dry, yet the reading thru the bottom drain holes says it still has lots of moisture present. It’s not good to let roots sit in water. So do you water to get the top section moist, there by putting more moisture around the bottom roots, or do you wait until the bottom reading indicates dry as well??

Is there a proper way to remedy this?

I have been watering in such cases with a smaller volume of water to make sure the top root zone is moist as well.
 
*BUDS

*BUDS

Well-Known Member
hawse said:
So basically, I like to wait till the last minute to water my girls, because that's better than over watering right?

But sometimes I can't tell when that's going to be until the leaves start to droop lower instead of pointing either up, or straight out. Should I quit worrying about the leaves and just feel the soil or the pot weight?

Basically my real question is though, if I accidentally let the plants start to droop too much before watering, say once or twice during the grow, is that harming anything long term? Everything looks a-ok now, just some of the older leaves got curled in all the way, not like "the claw", and definitely not over-fert... I assume that was from getting too dry and maybe a little too hot. New growth looks good and no more temp problems, so I hope they will be ok...
Click to expand...
No its not good to let them wilt. Salt builds up and burns the plant with too dry too often medium.
Under watering is more stressful to a plant than over watering. If your plant is healthy ,green and vigorous its almost impossible to over water. Big healthy plants indoor can drink 10-20 litres a day.
 
hawse

hawse

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the advice. Seems maybe I'm a little too close to the under-watering side of things then.
 
Chunky Stool

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member
Consistently over watering can cause PH problems, lockout, root rot, and eventually kill the plant.
It also attracts pests and is the biggest mistake new growers make.
Do it and you will pay.

Under watering is also bad -- especially in flower.
It can wipe out beneficial microbes in the soil, decrease yield, and make plants herm.
 
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