What happens when you go on vacation?

Z

zeenon53

Well-Known Member
So everyone starting grows now are most likely going to have to go somewhere for the holidays. How do you water your plants if your gone for a week? This is my dilemma...

I thought of rigging up a pump with some tubing on a timer...
 
R

razoredge

Well-Known Member
I never leave home when I am in the middle of a crop, its just better that way from my own experience with trying to micro manage my shit.. haha, my babys know when my hand aren't around them
 
superdave5

superdave5

Active Member
It would work but MAKE SURE ITS FULL PROOF or you may have some problems on your hands when you get home. OR if your going out of town for 3-4 days and your using soil. Just feed a bit more. As long as you let them dry out afterwards and dont keep soaking the roots youll be fine
 
mustang519

mustang519

Well-Known Member
Well it depends on what stage your plants are in. For short term 2-4 days you can use a product called "plantastic" from lowes. Longer periods you can use a product called
Oasis® Automatic Houseplant Watering System from a web site called mrdrip.com

good luck
mustang
 
O

oldgoalie

Member
I use soil and I only water once per week.
If u use the Professor's method like i do, there should be no worries.

Happy growing
 
S

SickSadLittleWorld

Well-Known Member
I made a DIY auto drip system on a timer set to run every other day for 5 minutes. The reservoir is a 5 gallon bucket, so I can be away from my cabinet for a while. The whole system cost less than $40 to put together with the most expensive part being an $18 digital timer.
 
Z

zeenon53

Well-Known Member
SickSadLittleWorld said:
I made a DIY auto drip system on a timer set to run every other day for 5 minutes. The reservoir is a 5 gallon bucket, so I can be away from my cabinet for a while. The whole system cost less than $40 to put together with the most expensive part being an $18 digital timer.
Click to expand...
Do you have any pics of this? A DIY would be awesome!
 
S

SickSadLittleWorld

Well-Known Member
It's really easy but it takes a little bit of creativity.

Here are the parts you will need:
H20 pump >100GPH
Digital timer with ability to set on/off by minute and day
Bucket or reservoir
Drippers from hardware store
Bigger hose to reducer to 1/4"
1/4" hose
Irrigation Manifold (optional depending on how many drippers)
Y-splitters (if not using manifold)

Basically, work from the drippers backwards. Insert drippers into pot, insert 1/4" to each dripper, then run 1/4" line to splitters or the irrigation manifold. Run the larger hose from the reducer or manifold to the pump. Put the pump assembly in the bucket and you're done. As for timing, you'll have to determine the proper schedule but my buckets are leaking after 5 minutes with 3 drippers, so I figure run the pump every other day for 2 minutes and my ladies should stay hydrated.

I've got an 8 port manifold I found at the hydro shop running to two plants. I will post pictures tomorrow when my girls aren't sleeping.
 
solodolo

solodolo

Member
I left my plant a week with no light and just watered before i left and it was fine, grew alot in the time i was gone too..dont over think it, you dont want to come home to a fire...
 
zovoel

zovoel

Active Member
Very true, leaving them for a couple days or a week at most isn't unheard of, and won't do any damage if watered right beforehand.
 
Priest

Priest

Active Member
zeenon53 said:
So everyone starting grows now are most likely going to have to go somewhere for the holidays. How do you water your plants if your gone for a week? This is my dilemma...

I thought of rigging up a pump with some tubing on a timer...
Click to expand...
Check this out I did just that got my lights on a timer and the watering is done by a pump and timer. I've been gone 7 WEEKS and the plants look great :bigjoint:
 
T

topspin

Well-Known Member
it's one of the reasons I use soil vs hydro. My timer is set, soak the ladies and they will be fine for a week.
 
golddog

golddog

Well-Known Member
oldgoalie said:
I use soil and I only water once per week.
If u use the Professor's method like i do, there should be no worries.

Happy growing
Click to expand...
If I foresee that I may need to be gone for a week during my grow, I plan ahead and use 30% Perlite in my soil. It holds a lot of water. Then the ladies only need water once a week.

I also raise my lights a few inches, depending on the phase of the grow.

Did it last month, no worries :bigjoint:
 
doc111

doc111

Well-Known Member
golddog said:
If I foresee that I may need to be gone for a week during my grow, I plan ahead and use 30% Perlite in my soil. It holds a lot of water. Then the ladies only need water once a week.

I also raise my lights a few inches, depending on the phase of the grow.

Did it last month, no worries :bigjoint:
Click to expand...
Um, I don't want to argue but perlite doesn't hold water, in fact it aerates the soil and usually more perlite in the soil means you need to water more. Vermiculite, on the other hand, does hold water.:weed:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top