How often do you water during flowering?

I'm 17 days in to flowering and have been watering a gallon every 2 to 3 days. I'll water every time I notice it starting to droop. It's an indica/sativa mix from bagseed, 20" tall.

I'm curious as to how much other people water during flowering? I know it depends on strain, mediu, etc. But just to get an idea....Anyone?

sounds like you have the right idea, there is no rule of thumb for watering, it depends on your soil, some retain water better then others. too much water ecourages root rot and disease marijuana is rather drought resistant

If the plants are drooping when you water you've waited a little too long. In a nutshell, you should wait until the soil dries out completely, but before the plant starts drooping, to water them. In other words, once the soil is dry, water them as soon as you are able to; try not to let them stay dry too long. A little while won't hurt, but too long and they start drooping ... after a day of totally dry soil they start to die (depending on strain and other variables and this is approximate.) Usually the bottom leaves droop first.

I prefer what I call the 'soak and dry' method; it gives me consistently healthy plants and very high yields. The method is simple: When watering, pour until the water comes out the drain holes in the bottom of the container; this ensures that all of the soil is thoroughly soaked. Then, you simply wait until the soil dries out completely - completely - before watering again. You just repeat this process over and over. If you do so, you will never have to worry about under or over watering and your plants will give you a big thank you for treating them right by offering up some choice bud.

yeah it surprises me when she takes a whole gallon. It is a rather bushy plant though. I'll post some pics later today when I get home from work.

Isn't there truth to the idea that marijuana plants like to be a little starved for water? I've read lots of places that if you let them go a day or two extra that they really perk up when you do water them. Or is that just to promote good root growth, say when you still have a seedling? hmm.

You let them dry for a variety of reasons ... promoting healthy root structure is one, to assist in oxygenation of the soil is another (again, for the roots) ... I don't know that they like to be starved for water because they start to wilt relatively quickly (meaning they no longer have adequate water for normal processes) but, I do know that keeping the soil moist at all times is a mistake. I suppose it depends on your definition of 'starved.'

Personally, once I'm pretty sure the soil is completely dry I leave them anyway - assuming that the soil has recently dried out that is. Over the years I've learned to read my plants very well and I can tell when they're getting to the point where wilting is in their near future. Wilting I don't want, so I water them then, filling the containers until water comes out the drain holes, i.e., thoroughly 'soaked' soil. That works well if you can check on your plants often, but if not, I water them as soon as the soil dries out. When I do leave them, 12 hours is about the max I'm comfortable with anyway. I really hate to see precious energy wasted on wilting etc. and I don't think it is at all good for the plants. The bottom line comes back to 'soak and dry.' As long as you water thoroughly at watering time and wait 'till the soil dries out completely before watering again, you will no longer need to worry about over or under watering your plants again. If your plants develop a problem, it's not a watering issue ... now, about those nutrients ... LOL

a gallon? man, how big is the plant?

She's 20" tall, 2 ft across. 2-3 weeks into flowering. Bagseed grown in soil with 3 42 watt bulbs, 3 23 watters, and 2 4ft tubes.

How are we doing? Any input or suggestions?

I usually water once every 5 days or so (im current at mid flower with this grow; https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/329568-3rd-grow-unknown-strain-soil.html). When i water, i run enough through so that i get a decent amount of water coming out the bottom of the pots. The soil gets saturated. I also drill heaps of extra holes at the bottom of my pots, and 2 layers or "rings" of holes up the sides of the pots for extra aeration so this method may not be a good idea for all pots (i.e deep ones with shitty little holes at the bottom).

I don't wait till they droop, i know when they need watering based solely on the weight of the pots.

i water every 3 to 4 days, but im in a 12 gallon pot.

isnt the rule of thumb when the soil is dry 2" down then water?

immaking3 said:

isnt the rule of thumb when the soil is dry 2" down then water?

Click to expand...

I think it depends on how big/deep your pots are. If your pots are pretty small then that way would work fine.

While i was getting used to the pot weights i'd use a moisture meter (like this one; http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/593009/5572739/0/1207287830/Soil_Moisture_Meter.jpg) to double check. They are cheap as and seem to be quite reliable. What i found is that even though the top 2 or 3 inches are dry, the soil in the middle of the pot was still surprisingly wet.

Unless you have a moisture meter, then going by the weight of the pots is the most reliable way to judge in my opinion.

I like the 'pick up and feel' technique. Just on the picture alone, I'd say that 1 gallon is too much for a pot that size and you're watering too frequently. Then again, your plant looks fine so if it's working, keep at it.

I heard tha during flowering you want to keep them kindnof lousy not to let them dry as much

blower said:

I heard tha during flowering you want to keep them kindnof lousy not to let them dry as much

Click to expand...

Keep them kind of lousy? I dont want lousy plants!

daisy2687 said:

I'm 17 days in to flowering and have been watering a gallon every 2 to 3 days. I'll water every time I notice it starting to droop. It's an indica/sativa mix from bagseed, 20" tall.

I'm curious as to how much other people water during flowering? I know it depends on strain, mediu, etc. But just to get an idea....Anyone?

Click to expand...

Hello, may i join your query? It sounds like you are growing indoors..i am growing outdoors on a balcony 3 stories above in the heart of Amsterdam...we have a few weather issues lol... but for the most part my plants are pretty amazing...they think they are princesses... i have 3 , skywalker og, chemdawg, and cinderella 99....maybe one is og kush we'll see at the end of the flower period..it's my first grow . i have not been able to find the icon for uploading my photos... maybe later i'll try again

anyway i have mine in 65 liter pots which is 17 gallons approx. and i give them 10 liters or 2 gallons and a bit of water with bio bloom every 4 days ..3 if it's hot they are each over 2 meters/6ft high... no bugs yet and no yellow leaves but a few water leaves are showing signes of fade... it's early... but i'm not worried yet...

Ive heard in flower you want to keep them a little more moister than normal because you dont have to promote rooth growth as much as you would in veg.

It all depends on the type of area your growing in with the temps, medium, air circulation and the stage the plant is actually in. Since ive learnt the "lifting method" ive never looked back....you can just tell when the girls need watering without even putting your finger 2 inches down. Just feel the weight of it straight after you have waterd, then keep checking everyday and if it feels around 50% lighter than when you last waterd then you know your good to go again!

My girls are 4 weeks into veg under 400W HPS in 11L pots and there drinking around 1500ml every two days now... Im in coco so they can be waterd more frequently because unlike soil coco can still allow a lot of oxygen flow to the roots after a heavy watering and is very hard to overwater! I didnt think id get the hang of the lifting method at first but after a couple of weeks of doing it everyday i got it. Hope this helps!

DeeJay, told you it wouldn't be long and you'd be giving advice... Good to see... I go with the weight indoors and outdoors unless the plants are in the ground. It's a pain in the ass lifting dozens of large containers with 5'+ plants in them but it's pretty accurate and has worked for me for years.

W.C.C.

Pretty hot in so cal so I water and feed 4 times a day in flower
and my skywalker og's are thriving big time.