Watering with fabric pots and a "water only" medium

Sfrigon 1

Well-Known Member
Right. My concern isn't so much overwatering, per se, it's more that I am stripping the soil of the beneficial nutrients which will in turn require me to amend the soil later down the road. I am not exactly opposed to doing so, I'd just rather not. If I am incorrect in thinking this, I'd love to know.
If you're really that worried about it just use plastic pots with no holes
 

4ftRoots

Well-Known Member
I don't know if anyone mentioned yet. But with fabric pots that small I would take advantage of bottom wantering. It is by far the best way to water. Just get a Rubbermaid container. Fill with maybe 5 gals of water and drop the pot in.

Also, you don't need to have the pots on a raised tray. You won't experience root rot with a fabric container. Get a tray big enough to hold them and you can water them all at once without having to move. Additionally, you don't need to remove the excess water. It will evaporate or get soaked up over time. Either way the plants will benefit.

This is why fabric pots are the best!
 

4ftRoots

Well-Known Member
If you want to get even crazier. Pour a layer of pea gravel(hydrostone even better) first to mimic bedrock. Add a handful of worms as well, they love wet bedrock. This will expand the rooting area when the plants inevitably need it. You can even water kelp teas or liquid organic nutrients if the plants need a supplement later. The clay should guard against huge pH swings and will retain the nutrients you lose from watering. Yes, bottom watering dissolves nutrients too. Again, you shouldn't have root rot issues.

If you add the bedrock be warned. The plants will root into it and you can't move until harvest.
 

LawnXweeds

Active Member
I don't know if anyone mentioned yet. But with fabric pots that small I would take advantage of bottom wantering. It is by far the best way to water. Just get a Rubbermaid container. Fill with maybe 5 gals of water and drop the pot in.

Also, you don't need to have the pots on a raised tray. You won't experience root rot with a fabric container. Get a tray big enough to hold them and you can water them all at once without having to move. Additionally, you don't need to remove the excess water. It will evaporate or get soaked up over time. Either way the plants will benefit.

This is why fabric pots are the best!
Yea, I started watering the trays. Then, I moisten the top with a spray mister just to give myself a visual queue. I am now mainly relying on the weight of the pots since my plants are finally taking full waterings.

Thank you
 

LawnXweeds

Active Member
If you want to get even crazier. Pour a layer of pea gravel(hydrostone even better) first to mimic bedrock. Add a handful of worms as well, they love wet bedrock. This will expand the rooting area when the plants inevitably need it. You can even water kelp teas or liquid organic nutrients if the plants need a supplement later. The clay should guard against huge pH swings and will retain the nutrients you lose from watering. Yes, bottom watering dissolves nutrients too. Again, you shouldn't have root rot issues.

If you add the bedrock be warned. The plants will root into it and you can't move until harvest.
For sure. I've considered adding some hydrotons to the top, mainly because I saw Jorge Cervantes do it once. I've already brewed a compost tea, but I made too much and had to throw it out. I plan on making another one soon. Also, I do amend my watering with kelp "stuff" I repurposed from lawncare as well as molasses.
 

Hydro4life

Well-Known Member
Could you place a clean tray underneath and slowly water, put the tray water that has run straight through back into soil??
 

Hydro4life

Well-Known Member
I personally don't see why not, but I don't know enough to say whether or not it would ok to do so.
I grow in dwc and coco. And the main reason i water till I have a fair amount of runoff is so I know what I’ve put in there is what’s in the pot and to prevent salt build up.
Your simply adding straight water, if you have no nutes in the water then you can’t build up any more salts or change your soil ppm (other than what the plant uses)
My bet would be to reuse your runoff.
Or as Sfrigon said, use pots with no holes?

and if your worried about your beneficials, don’t use chlorinated water. If you have to then let water sit for 2 or 3 days to evaporate the chlorine.

Good luck!
 

LawnXweeds

Active Member
I grow in dwc and coco. And the main reason i water till I have a fair amount of runoff is so I know what I’ve put in there is what’s in the pot and to prevent salt build up.
Your simply adding straight water, if you have no nutes in the water then you can’t build up any more salts or change your soil ppm (other than what the plant uses)
My bet would be to reuse your runoff.
Or as Sfrigon said, use pots with no holes?
Wouldn't a pot with no holes promote root rot? Besides that, I am liking this whole "water the tray, not the pot" idea. It's making this a whole lot easier.

and if your worried about your beneficials, don’t use chlorinated water. If you have to then let water sit for 2 or 3 days to evaporate the chlorine.

Good luck!
I do both: I have some tap water in a bucket with an air pump and a stone as well as jugs of water from the Wally World refill station.
 

OSBuds

Well-Known Member
Also, I currently have them in a raised tray so as to get airflow underneath. However, I do have regular trays if it is suggested to water the trays and let the pot soak up water rather than watering directly into the pot. I just don't want to promote any nastiness due to stagnant water.
Here is the Soil Moisture Sensor Meter description @ Amazon
XLUX T10 Soil Moisture Sensor Meter - Soil Water Monitor, Hydrometer for Gardening, Farming, No Batteries Required. It has helped me not to over water. https://www.amazon.com/XLUX-Soil-Moisture-Sensor-Meter/dp/B014MJ8J2U/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=Mu5l.jkXuzx5Zsl7heN0aw&hsa_cr_id=5208764420401&ref_=sb_s_sparkle_slot
 

4ftRoots

Well-Known Member
For sure. I've considered adding some hydrotons to the top, mainly because I saw Jorge Cervantes do it once. I've already brewed a compost tea, but I made too much and had to throw it out. I plan on making another one soon. Also, I do amend my watering with kelp "stuff" I repurposed from lawncare as well as molasses.
I just want to clarify. Put the hydrostone in the tray. put the plants on top.
 

Couch_Lock

Well-Known Member
My plants are in 3 gallon fabric pots and are finally at the point where they are taking full waterings. however, my medium is Purple Cow Indicanja which is a "water only" medium requiring no additional nutes. It is my understanding that if I water to runoff, I am stripping vital nutrients from the soil. However, I get runoff before I even water half a gallon or so.

How much should I be watering and am I correct in thinking that watering to runoff with this medium is detrimental to its efficacy?
Your plan to just use plain old Ph water to an amended soil "MIGHT" have worked to 12/12. But not in a small 3 gallon fabric pot. In a 7 gallon fabric pot, a lot more possible. Every full watering will strip the soil a bit, as you surmised.
 

Hydro4life

Well-Known Member
Wouldn't a pot with no holes promote root rot? Besides that, I am liking this whole "water the tray, not the pot" idea. It's making this a whole lot easier.



I do both: I have some tap water in a bucket with an air pump and a stone as well as jugs of water from the Wally World refill station.
Never tried it but I imagine it would if you have a larger pot that doesn’t fully dry out between waterings.
Atleast with the tray everything can drain so you haven’t got a pool of water sitting in the bottom of your pot!
 

LawnXweeds

Active Member
Your plan to just use plain old Ph water to an amended soil "MIGHT" have worked to 12/12. But not in a small 3 gallon fabric pot. In a 7 gallon fabric pot, a lot more possible. Every full watering will strip the soil a bit, as you surmised.
I'm not sure I follow. The bag it comes in has listings for how many of a certain size pot you can get out of it and it included 3gal.
 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
If you are “ concerned “ about medium leaching after your waterings ...

The EASY answer is to top dress more of the “ purple cow “ and water in.

NOTE : Purple cow’s claim of scientifically blah blah blah is just marketing hype. Technically you can do “water only “ grows by just top dressing medium with same ammended medium to keep it recharged without any fancy verbiage. FFOF / DR. Earth / HF / EB Stone and others can be done the same way.
 

Rivendell

Well-Known Member
One thing I have found to help immensely with fabric pots is to use mulch, I use coco coir chips. Seems to result in a more even moisture level through out the pot and prevents the top layer from drying out which allows better absorption when you do water.
 
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