I need a more precise guideline for watering than "feel the weight, duderino".

[bombastic1337]

There are two ways to arrive at a reference value.
1) (and a good place to start) Read the instructions that come with the instrument. It should include a guideline in re best soil moisture reading range.

2) (and it will come down to this) Grow something. Observe when you kill plants by overwatering and underwatering. record the instrument values. Assign the recorded values as your upper and lower extrema. Iterate. Refine.

You cannot expect to have a reliable presupplied value because every grow is different ... strains, environment, grower expectations etc.

Finally, the "weight of pots" method is easily made informative by having two reference pots of the correct size using the same soil as the working pots. keep one wet and one dry. Your hands will develop a quite useful intuitive feel for what's watered right. There is no universal substitute for experience. ( ... in my experience.) cn

Thanks, man.

 

[tip top toker]

How is helping me to tell me to use a method that I explicitely said that is not working for me because of my lack of experience?

Then get some experience. Everyone else seems capable of this but you. I just can't grasp how you are unable to tell the difference between a pot full of water and a pot that doesn't have water in it. 2 litres odd of water is a pretty substantial weight

You wasted an hour on that? In that hour you could have quite easily learnt what a dry pot feels like. Easily. As everyone else somehow manages to do. But your right, it's a science, it can't possibly be as simple as "hmmm, feels light"

 

[bombastic1337]

Then get some experience. Everyone else seems capable of this but you. I just can't grasp how you are unable to tell the difference between a pot full of water and a pot that doesn't have water in it. 2 litres odd of water is a pretty substantial weight

You wasted an hour on that? In that hour you could have quite easily learnt what a dry pot feels like. Easily. As everyone else somehow manages to do. But your right, it's a science, it can't possibly be as simple as "hmmm, feels light"

I can feel the difference between a light pot and a heavy pot, but there are different levels of lightness between totally moist and totally dry. Due to my lack of experience I don't know yet what is the right level, that's why I am asking for a more precise method I can understand. I can understand the right temperature is 22-24 ºC. 22-24 ºC is warm. 19 and 27 is also warm, but it's not optimal, so I have a thermometer for that, so I don't have to feel if it's warm. Do you see my point?

I did not want to talk about this and I should not have to, but I'm growing medical cannabis to try and ease the strong pain of a chronic disease, so it's not like I want it to smoke it with some friends while I watch Friday. So no, I cannot afford this to go wrong and be happy because I gained the experience while my crop died... If it does go wrong (due to pests and whatnot), I'll accept it. But I won't accept that I didn't try to have all the parameters in place. And you and the other people shouldn't push so hard a person you don't know without knowing their situation... I just asked for help. Nothing else.

 

[Grumpy']

It's kind of hard to help someone when they refuse the help they are being offered. A plant will need, as said many times, to go through differing stages of moisture in the soil. From wet to near dry. You will end up haveing more issue than they are worth if you try to keep it at a certain level of dampness. Each time the soil drys out a bit, it help with airation, and encourages root growth by having them seek out the water. My thinking is if you over complicate things it will hurt your medicine even more. You will end up over analyzing issues, and basically love them to death. They can take alot of differing issues that they go through, and no one person can avoid them all.

 

[0calli]

listen here buddy if it werent for this site i wouldnt be the grower i am today i was first like you wouldnt shut my mouth thought i knew it all then i actually listened started READING !!!!!!!!!!!! SO I CAN LEARN !!!!!!!!!!! and the answers i got that i didnt understand i either nicely asked for clarification or i would take the info i didnt nderstand break it down internet search it and in no time i taught myself instead of asking the same question 20 times in different ways pissing the experienced growers off but now that i am 1 i understand their points .......................you say you want to learn the new ways not the old ways well my friend you are growing indoors so we have to mimic nature to do so so we are mimicing a "life function" and ill tell you what you go ahead and do it all scientificly and watch how common sense growing kicks your i want it my way growing ass .............yes there is science involved but way more of your own insight than anything ..............plus your first grow you are not going to be doing insane dank chronic its your learning experience ................dont want to fuck your $$$$$$$ seeds get some cheap bag seed and practice .............one of the biggest things with growing is patience and the ability to adapt and change to your plants needs by learning to read your plants signs when they give it to you

Growing is a science involving many parameters. I don't know why you can have answers for temperature, relative humidity, airflow and not have it for soil humidity, even when there are soil humidity meters. As I said in my thread, you old growers need to change your paradigm and start giving some better answers to newbies. Otherwise, it's like when science started and people thought that the earth was flat and went on withouth much thinking. There's a perfectly normal and good explanation about soil humidity. If you don't know it, that's fine, you do fine with your method. But don't tell me I shouldn't try to get better and precise, like it's a bad thing. Cause it is not. Advancements in science are achieved by people who questioned the stablished paradigmas and who are very thorough in their fields. I don't intend to be the person leading any advancement, I am just trying my plants not to have droopy leaves. And if on my way I can help thousands of other newbies in my own situation with some method they can grasp to and never be wrong, that is fine by me. That's what numbers and thought do for you. They help you not to make mistakes.

 

[0calli]

its the de-meaner you responded to the post of help they did nothing but go out of their way to respond to you

I can feel the difference between a light pot and a heavy pot, but there are different levels of lightness between totally moist and totally dry. Due to my lack of experience I don't know yet what is the right level, that's why I am asking for a more precise method I can understand. I can understand the right temperature is 22-24 ºC. 22-24 ºC is warm. 19 and 27 is also warm, but it's not optimal, so I have a thermometer for that, so I don't have to feel if it's warm. Do you see my point?

I did not want to talk about this and I should not have to, but I'm growing medical cannabis to try and ease the strong pain of a chronic disease, so it's not like I want it to smoke it with some friends while I watch Friday. So no, I cannot afford this to go wrong and be happy because I gained the experience while my crop died... If it does go wrong (due to pests and whatnot), I'll accept it. But I won't accept that I didn't try to have all the parameters in place. And you and the other people shouldn't push so hard a person you don't know without knowing their situation... I just asked for help. Nothing else.

 

[chickengutz]

If your doing a DWC in a tote, the lifting the plant container method won't work. I hope this helps.

 

[jonblaze420]

In soil cannabis plants should get water every 3 days. If you can't count days on a calendar you're kind of a lost cause.

Yes, they feel lighter and ready for water after 3 days.

 

[Clonex]

This thread is stupid , the Op wants a little man inside his soil to send him a text!!

What people are trying to tell you is this, ITS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE , there are only guidelines for you to follow,
your flogging a dead horse Umbre.....

 

[Beansly]

Ok. I think he gets it. Welcome to RIU!

 

[Beansly]

thread re-opened

 

[bombastic1337]

As I told you by private message, the new pH/humidity meter did fix all of my problems. My plants were dehydrating. All but one. The weights varied significantly between the different pots even though they had the same humidity level...

 

[lime73]

As I told you by private message, the new pH/humidity meter did fix all of my problems. My plants were dehydrating. All but one. The weights varied significantly between the different pots even though they had the same humidity level...

see a meter can not tell you when to water your girls...you just have to know, from experience, trail and error which should not kill em. when is the perfect time to water as you can see the tools only give us an idea, gauges don't always work for everything. they are just a tool to help us. the meter doesn't to tell us when to water. the plant does. peace

 

[cowboylogic]

It may just be me but I am sure he said the meter did help with his problem.......

 

[lime73]

and that is great! but i would not rely on a meter to say when to water. when and if it craps out, then what?... still have to know how to read the girls.

good to have a tool, but cannot always rely on it. it's just a tool. long as he learns from it great! im not saying don't use it, just not to depend on it is all?

 

[ML75]

Hi guys,

.

2. Second commonly accepted method: "Stick your finger in the soil. If the first 3 inches are dry, it's time to water". (Hmmm, sticking fingers, checking wetness... you know how to start me up, baby!).





that was funny but I pretty much stopped reading after that. I just kind of stick my fingers in the dirt, if it feels dry I take my plant to the tub and water the hell out of it. about every 3-4 days. (I dont water with tub water)

 

[bombastic1337]

and that is great! but i would not rely on a meter to say when to water. when and if it craps out, then what?... still have to know how to read the girls.

good to have a tool, but cannot always rely on it. it's just a tool. long as he learns from it great! im not saying don't use it, just not to depend on it is all?

It's pretty easy to check regularly if the device works. Just have a pot with dry soil and another one watered 15 minutes ago. Probe both and see where the needle goes. Pretty basic. This way I don't have to rely on my finger.

 

[mysunnyboy]

beansly you rock brother

 

[Beansly]

beansly you rock brother

Just because I rock doesn't mean I'm made of stone **inexplicable wind blows through my hair....

lol jk
thanks

 

[bombastic1337]

I found this yesterday, when trying to learn more about this stuff:

"Moisture meters take most of the guesswork out of irrigating. They can be purchased for less than $30 and are well worth the money. The meter measures exactly how much water the soil contains at any level or point. Often the soil will not hold the water evenly, and it develops dry pockets. Checking the moisture with a finger provides an educated guess but disturbs the root system. A moisture meter will give an exact moisture reading without disturbing the roots."
Source: The Indoor-Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible by Jorge Cervantes, page 265.

I just wanted this, to be able to take out the guesswork and use an exact method. For that I was called pompous, an ass and that I was just wrong, that it was not that simple. I was even advised to forget about growing. And Jorge Cervantes RECOMMENDS this method.

I want all those people to tell me now that me that Jorge Cervantes, the father of marijuana growing books, is also wrong... How does this information make you look now?

I would like to to reference all those people who either treated me like shit for wanting to be precise in my work or encouraged me to forget about finding a precise method. Thanks to all of you for your worthless contributions.

If you can't figure out when to water your fucking plants then you should stop growing! [...] Fix your problem yourself if you don't like the advice given here by experianced growers! " Not saying that I am experianced "

Jorge Cervantes has more experience than all of you and he agrees this is a good method. So instead of advising me to stop growing, you should start reading the good books.

OP, you're beginning to act like a pompous child. [...]Calm down, take your panties out of your ass, and show some respect.

I knew I was right. I knew serious growers would have also an exact method even if they don't need to use it anymore.

you're right its the most difficult thing in the world. you may as well give up

Thanks to you too for not being able to give me a precise answer and for trying me to quit growing. You are a very well informed and nice person.

Just do yourself a favor and stop posting and start reading! You are really making yourself look like an ass.

I listened to you and started reading. And Jorge Cervantes gave me the precise answer I wanted. Now who looks like an ...? I know who.

Lol , this is something you have to get a feel for . It comes with experiance . You don't instantly know when is the right time to water ..

It seems like you instantly CAN know when it is the right time to weather... Withouth any experience!

As suggested by others, maybe give up on the idea of growing pot.

As I told you at that time I'd rather give up on you and your imprecise information

Ok bro your right we are wrong! Sorry for telling you shit you already know!

I didn't want to be right, I just wanted for someone to give me ANY method that would be exact and did not require experience. It existed and not only you were not able to provide it for me but also you mocked me. That's just lame.

Then get some experience. Everyone else seems capable of this but you. I just can't grasp how you are unable to tell the difference between a pot full of water and a pot that doesn't have water in it. 2 litres odd of water is a pretty substantial weight

2 litres odd in one pot are easy to weigh, but with 2 litres I water my 7 seedlings, so that makes it much less weight per pot (28 cl per pot) and it is difficult for a first time grower to distinguish it. That is why there are thousands of watering problems for newbies in the forums. You should have known that a lot of people have problems with it if you are all the time in this forum. You should have known that the humidity meter was a precise method that worked even for beginners. And you should have manners if you are an experienced grower. And you showed none of this.

This thread is stupid , the Op wants a little man inside his soil to send him a text!! What people are trying to tell you is this, ITS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE , there are only guidelines for you to follow, your flogging a dead horse Umbre.....

This thread was not stupid and it seems that watering can be an exact science. But if you know better than Jorge Cervantes, let me know. I will email him so he can use your knowledge in his next book release...

see a meter can not tell you when to water your girls...you just have to know, from experience, trail and error which should not kill em. when is the perfect time to water as you can see the tools only give us an idea, gauges don't always work for everything. they are just a tool to help us. the meter doesn't to tell us when to water. the plant does. peace

According to Jorge Cervantes:
Yes, a meter can tell you when to water.
No, you don't need experience, trail and error. You just need a $20 meter.
I don't know if gauges don't work for everything, but they work for this.




I would also like to thank the people that truly helped me nicely and with precise information, unlike others. These are cowell, stonerman, VanishingToaster, cannabineer and chickengutz. Thanks for being helpful and for replying nicely.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Van Patten (as Jorge Cervantes) first published the book Indoor Marijuana Horticulture in 1983. That first edition was 96 pages, bound by staples, and printed in black and white. Now in its fifth edition, with 512 full-color pages and 1120 full-color photographs and illustrations.[SUP][3][/SUP] Marijuana Horticulture sold over 600,000 copies printed in Dutch, English, French and German. Marijuana Horticulture has just been released in Spanish, Italian, and in Russian. The book's credits list more than three hundred contributors including Rob Clarke and Ed Rosenthal.
Jorge's most sold book is the "Marijuana horticulture - the indoor/outdoor medical grower's Bible". With 512 full-color pages and 1120 full-color photographs and illustrations, Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible is the most complete cultivation book available. The Fifth Edition of the former Indoor Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor Bible was originally published in 1983, when it immediately became a best-seller. More than 500,000 copies of The Indoor Bible are in print in Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish.