How often do i water a 5 gallon pot outdoors, after 3 months of veg??
- Thread starter Pumert
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RockstarEnergy
Well-Known Member
depends what your medium is and what the climate is.
veggiegardener
Well-Known Member
Every other day, unless temps start going over 85 degrees.
I have a daughter living over there.
A fifteen gallon pot, shaded from the sun would require water two or three times a week.
If you want more than a qp per plant, I'd go bigger once the plants are 18 inches tall.
The more soil mass, the larger the plant.
I have a daughter living over there.
A fifteen gallon pot, shaded from the sun would require water two or three times a week.
If you want more than a qp per plant, I'd go bigger once the plants are 18 inches tall.
The more soil mass, the larger the plant.
veggiegardener
Well-Known Member
You're probably going, "WTF?"
Starting this early might allow the plants to get too large for a five gallon pot, forcing you to water more than once a day.
I've grown very large plants in small pots, but beyond a certain point, they need constant attention.
A bigger pot is insurance against a bunch of bad stuff.
A fifteen gallon pot full of wet soil can weigh 70 pounds. A thief would have a hard time carrying it away.
Starting this early might allow the plants to get too large for a five gallon pot, forcing you to water more than once a day.
I've grown very large plants in small pots, but beyond a certain point, they need constant attention.
A bigger pot is insurance against a bunch of bad stuff.
A fifteen gallon pot full of wet soil can weigh 70 pounds. A thief would have a hard time carrying it away.
darkdestruction420
Well-Known Member
bigger is better, i agree, but anyway, when do you water a plant in 5 gallon buckets? When they need it, i know that sounds like a dumbass answer but bear with me here, lift the pot up, if it feels really light you should water it, if not wait. the good old lift method wont do you wrong.
veggiegardener
Well-Known Member
If you intend to keep them in five gallon pots, just stay on top of things.
On hot days you may need to water both morning and evening.
Watering that often will wash away a lot of nutes, so you'll need to feed more frequently, as well.
I agree with DD420. Lifting the pot is the most accurate way of gauging water needs there is.
It takes a little practice, but you'll get it, very quickly.
On hot days you may need to water both morning and evening.
Watering that often will wash away a lot of nutes, so you'll need to feed more frequently, as well.
I agree with DD420. Lifting the pot is the most accurate way of gauging water needs there is.
It takes a little practice, but you'll get it, very quickly.
Vindicated
Well-Known Member
Geez, it sounds like you go though lots of water. In my 4'x4' raised bed I water once a week. My plants are a foot away from a water spout and every Saturday morning I flood the entire bed with 1"-2" of water. I'm also using Kellogg Patio Plus, but I mixed it in with a few other brands and also added some extra perlite.
If your worried about the plants drying out, you can run over to Orchard Supply Hardware and pickup some gel water crystals.
If your worried about the plants drying out, you can run over to Orchard Supply Hardware and pickup some gel water crystals.
pabloesqobar
Well-Known Member
I don't see how a 3 month old plant, in a 5 gallon pot, could possibly require water twice a day.
veggiegardener
Well-Known Member
Black pots can lose moisture very quickly. Especially if exposed to direct sunlight.
I live in the Central Valley where we can get temperatures of 110+ degrees.
I use raised beds throughout my garden.
I ascribe to the idea that continuously moist(not wet) soil is best for most things.(Tomatoes are an exception.)
Pots and raised beds can be watered daily, with no ill effects, in my climate.
I live in the Central Valley where we can get temperatures of 110+ degrees.
I use raised beds throughout my garden.
I ascribe to the idea that continuously moist(not wet) soil is best for most things.(Tomatoes are an exception.)
Pots and raised beds can be watered daily, with no ill effects, in my climate.
veggiegardener
Well-Known Member
Have you lived in the Central Valley?
We sometimes get heavy North winds coupled with low humidity and temperatures above 110.
I'm not saying this would be needed daily, but according to current conditions.
In my back yard, 90 days of veg is a seven foot plant.
3 months of veg in a 12" deep raised bed.
Just making the point that in ideal conditions, a plant can get very large in three months. It is just more difficult to keep conditions ideal in a five gallon pot.
darkdestruction420
Well-Known Member
I will agree it sounds like alot, but they have a more extreme climate apparently. I've seen what veggiegardener can do and what he has done and if he says he needs to water his monsters that often I'm inclined to believe him.
Vindicated
Well-Known Member
We are still in the middle of spring. How are you going to manage when summer comes? If I had to water twice or even once a day, everyday... I'd reconsider my growing strategy. I bet the water is being wasted through evaporation or runoff. I'm sure if you get creative, like by adopting a mixture of drip irrigation, water crystals, and schedule waterings at night, you can save a lot water and money. You can even take it a step further by capturing rain runoff.
pabloesqobar
Well-Known Member
Growing in raised beds in the Central Valley is completely different. That's cool you have very large, successful grows. The person asking the question lives in the SF Bay area, and is growing in a 5 gallon pot. I grow in pots in San Diego, which is a better comparison and upon which I based my advice.
Grizzdude
Well-Known Member
last year had to water at night, then again around 2 or 3pm due to lots of heat causing evaperation. This year I'm going to put a hydroton layer on top of all my pots. Should promote less evap and keep the soil evenly moist.
pinkjackyle
Well-Known Member
hydroton will not help much ,mulch is what needs 2 b dressed on top . watering those 5 gal pots with big plants in them will require a soaking for about 30 min . when u water/feed set the 5 gal in a slightly larger bucket to catch run off so it can sit in it and soak it up like a sponge then pour the run off that it doesn't soak up back into the 5 gal and let it drain like normal , if u dont the water just rushes thru and only a partial amount of soil gets wet resulting in watering more often .
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