Going away and don't know how to keep plants watered!

[Biohazard703]

So I will be leaving for christmas break soon and I'm not sure what to do with my plants. I will be gone for about 2 weeks maybe a few days longer. I have a closet grow going on with just 3 plants and i don't know how to keep them watered while I'm gone. I'm low on cash so I can't go spend mass amounts of money to create some automated watering machine. The drive is over an hour away and it would be a lot to drive back 2 or 3 times each week to water (it would get expensive). So is there anything I can rig up to where I could make one trip a week or any other solution? My other options are taking them to my house and having to worry about keeping it hidden from my dad (which I don't think is a good idea because a cord leading to my closet would be pretty obvious) or take them to a friends a few hours away and leave them there for the time I'm gone (keep in mind i would be traveling with plants in my vehicle for over 2 hours of a drive and my friend isn't the most reliable when it comes to taking care of things). And I have been pulled already because my area is high for gangs and stuff, so I'm really worried about putting plants in my vehicle to travel with. One is budding a few weeks from harvest and the other two a re just beginning flowering. So any ideas of what I could do? Could i fill up a tote with water and set the plants in it? I have no idea what to do and really need some help in this situation. Thanks all.

 

[Kreyonic]

Look around at hydro stores for water pumps. Put it in a very large container filled with water. Get a 7 day timer and set your times for the pump to turn on. You can use a fish tank pump as well. Just have it regulated for the times you usually water and you should be good to go. Just have the pump feeding to the top of your plants or down to the run-off area. Water less than normal so you dont run out of water too soon.

I dont know if this helps but it could work

 

[dbo24242]

Hey man, don't panic! I ran into this situation also, but for a shorter time.

here is your cheap solution.. it is not 100% but it works most of the time.

Assuming your plants are in proper pots with soil this will work.

https://www.rollitup.org/2245896-post1.html

fill the basin with water a few inches high and maybe a little nutrients depending, 2 weeks is pretty long so nothing crazy, and voila. When you get back expect to find the biggest plants a little dried out maybe kinda angry but they'll be ok, maybe if you cover the pots in plastic they will not dry out, but don't suffocate them.

one thing to note - make sure your wiring is secure and remember plants don't need to be at 80 deg all the tiem

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Get bigger pots. Larger pots retain more moisture and require less frequent watering. You shouldn't have to water more than once ever 5 or 6 days.

Or the pump is a good idea.

Can you have someone else come water them at your house? Definitely don't need to be driving them ANYWHERE.

Or you can try getting a plastic pot holder to put beneath each plant. Water your plant thoroughly before you go and make sure the pot holder is full. As your plant gets thirsty it will suck it up from the bottom. It can at least stretch out your inter-watering time so you don't have to come back so often.

Really though, an hour+ drive isn't all that bad. Your plants are worth the time and money!

 

[Biohazard703]

I don't have any hydro stores in my area or any garden supply stores. Closest I have would be Lowe's/Walmart/Pet's Mart. So any oter ideas?

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Assuming your plants are in proper pots with soil this will work.


fill the basin with water a few inches high and maybe a little nutrients depending, 2 weeks is pretty long so nothing crazy, and voila. When you get back expect to find the biggest plants a little dried out maybe kinda angry but they'll be ok, maybe if you cover the pots in plastic they will not dry out, but don't suffocate them.

Yeah! That's what I was getting at.

Also make sure your light is sufficiently raised to allow for vertical growth while you're away.

 

[dbo24242]

like jerry said. dollar store or wal mart.

 

[Jerry Garcia]

I don't have any hydro stores in my area or any garden supply stores. Closest I have would be Lowe's/Walmart/Pet's Mart. So any oter ideas?

Just do what dbo24242 did in his pic! You don't need to go to a hydro store to get a pot holder...

 

[Biohazard703]

Get bigger pots. Larger pots retain more moisture and require less frequent watering. You shouldn't have to water more than once ever 5 or 6 days.

Or the pump is a good idea.

Can you have someone else come water them at your house? Definitely don't need to be driving them ANYWHERE.

Or you can try getting a plastic pot holder to put beneath each plant. Water your plant thoroughly before you go and make sure the pot holder is full. As your plant gets thirsty it will suck it up from the bottom. It can at least stretch out your inter-watering time so you don't have to come back so often.

Really though, an hour+ drive isn't all that bad. Your plants are worth the time and money!

Yeah my pots are only gallon sizes (I made them from deer park water jugs ). I do have two totes that I can fill with water if that would work. But also the drive is pretty rough because I don't have that much money to supply myself with gas, I only get 13 miles to the gallon in my truck, and only way to fill the tank is with dad's card and he would wonder why I'm filling up 2-3 times a week. (It cost about $65 to fill up my truck). So it would be pretty expensive. I am in college so everyone I know goes home for the break so there's not really anyone I could get to water them.

 

[Biohazard703]

Get bigger pots. Larger pots retain more moisture and require less frequent watering. You shouldn't have to water more than once ever 5 or 6 days.

Or the pump is a good idea.

Can you have someone else come water them at your house? Definitely don't need to be driving them ANYWHERE.

Or you can try getting a plastic pot holder to put beneath each plant. Water your plant thoroughly before you go and make sure the pot holder is full. As your plant gets thirsty it will suck it up from the bottom. It can at least stretch out your inter-watering time so you don't have to come back so often.

Really though, an hour+ drive isn't all that bad. Your plants are worth the time and money!

Yeah my pots are only gallon sizes (I made them from deer park water jugs ). I do have two totes that I can fill with water if that would work. But also the drive is pretty rough because I don't have that much money to supply myself with gas, I only get 13 miles to the gallon in my truck, and only way to fill the tank is with dad's card and he would wonder why I'm filling up 2-3 times a week. (It cost about $65 to fill up my truck). So it would be pretty expensive. I am in college so everyone I know goes home for the break so there's not really anyone I could get to water them.

 

[dbo24242]

So it would be pretty expensive. I am in college so everyone I know goes home for the break so there's not really anyone I could get to water them.

ah ya me too thats what prompted my situation haha... don't think any of them died from that... there was 1 if any casualties for the 2 week break... but I think I cut it down to 10 or 12 days. Better safe than sorry! If you're soil has nutes in it already don't use any fertilizer or it will be bad... and if you're grow room si really dry and hot you have to cover the res so it won't all evaporate in the first 2 days

 

[racerboy71]

that pot holder idea looks pretty sweet, although i am not sure how long that would last for.. in two weeks a plant can suck up quite a bit of water.. i would say fill a big tot up with some water like the first person said and go to petsmart and get a pump and some hose.. should cost you no more than twenty or thirty dollars, and plumb the hose to your plants and set the pump on a timer so that the plants get sufficient water.. it may take a lil tweaking before you leave to figure out how long to keep the timer on and what not, but once you get it dialed, you should be golden..

 

[Biohazard703]

Nice another college grower! Glad I'm not alone. I'll probably have to do this idea because I really can't be spending money and I can make one trip a week to check on them, I don't think one trip would be a problem for me as long as I don't drive too many places back home so I can save gas for my 1 trip. I do have a big tote I can put two of them in (I was using these totes to keep humidity up, so they are always filled with water anyway). And I have a smaller tote that would be more than enough for one so that would should have plenty of water. I'll put the budding plant in the smaller tote and the two that are in their first 2 weeks of flowering in the big tote together. Can you over water this way though? And should I water the plants the day I leave so they have that water to retain as well or would that be too much to water that day and soak in their water bath for the 2 weeks? I have MG soil, which has burnt the shit out of my plants so I probably wont add any nuts to the tote water. I need to change soils, I just haven't gotten up the money for it yet. My temps stay in the mid 80's because I have no ventilation system (college room so I can't be blowing holes in the wall lol) But hey, descent bud is better than no bud. But yeah, it stays pretty hot and dry in the closet but I do have a tower fan blowing around in there constantly a low speed.

 

[NickNasty]

I was gone for a week and what I did was put my pots in extra large trash bags and then filled them up with about 3 inches of water the wider the bags the better because they will be able to hold more water at a lower level. You can loosely put the top the bag around the base of your plants to help keep the soil from letting water evaporate. If you can stick them in bigger pots first too this will also help a ton the bigger the better. When I got back they still had some water left and all looked healthy as can be. You also want to raise your light too so they stay a little cooler and the leaves dont evaporate water as quickly and with two weeks gone they will grow quite a bit so you want them high enough that they don't burn the tops.

 

[Biohazard703]

I don't really understand the trash bag idea, but I'm going to fill
plastic totes up and I could put that setup in a bag and pull up around the base of the pot to cover soil and hold in water. I will move the lights up about 6 inches or so, I assume that would be enough. I will probably try to come back within a weeks time after I leave to check on them so they won't be left alone for a whole 2 weeks.

 

[Biohazard703]

I don't really understand the trash bag idea, but I'm going to fill
plastic totes up and I could put that setup in a bag and pull up around the base of the pot to cover soil and hold in water. I will move the lights up about 6 inches or so, I assume that would be enough. I will probably try to come back within a weeks time after I leave to check on them so they won't be left alone for a whole 2 weeks.

 

[NickNasty]

Its the same idea as a pot holder just with a wider base and a covered top. The idea is to have as wide of base as possible so you can put more water in but its still at a low level so your not drowning your plants. But the tote should work fine for a week. Good luck and have a Merry Christmas!

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Can you over water this way though? And should I water the plants the day I leave so they have that water to retain as well or would that be too much to water that day and soak in their water bath for the 2 weeks?

I don't think you'll overwater this way, but you're just trying to keep the plant alive. Overwatering once won't kill it.

I would water the day you leave...as close as you can get to the moment you walk out the door.

The tote and trash bag ideas would both work fine I reckon.

If you can make one trip home in the middle to check on them it would be for the best. 13mpg sucks though, as does $65 to fill the tank. Maybe drive back with a friend who has a small car?

 

[dbo24242]

I don't think you'll overwater this way, but you're just trying to keep the plant alive. Overwatering once won't kill it.

I would water the day you leave...as close as you can get to the moment you walk out the door.

The tote and trash bag ideas would both work fine I reckon.

If you can make one trip home in the middle to check on them it would be for the best. 13mpg sucks though, as does $65 to fill the tank. Maybe drive back with a friend who has a small car?

truth be told! just fill to the bottom 1/3rd or 1/4 of the pot's height

 

[DaveCoulier]

You could try setting up a wick watering system. Pretty simple to do so. Here is a link to give you an idea how to do it:

http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/hydroponics-growing-systems.html#wick

Ive also read you can just run the nylon thread up through the bottom of a drainage hole, and out another hole so that it lies flat on the inside and the ends dangle out of the bottom of the pot into your reservoir.