Over or under watering

Radmax

Active Member
Bone dry needs watering lol I need to learn how to type faster ^ beat me to it
Also looks like your lights to close
How far away is it and is it set to 100% or ?
 

warble

Well-Known Member
At first glance, I did not notice the tip burn on the plants in the background. Maybe running a little hot on the nutes. So I take back the low on nitrogen analysis.
I don't type fast, I only type thirtyfive words per minute. I just caught the post after it was a minute old. Lucky more than typing speed.
 

Tetsuo

Member
Hey! Thanks for the answers. Just put them in a pan of water. Also, my light is at ~85%, 20inch from the canopy.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Do Not Let Containers Get Bone Dry.

If one lets containers get bone dry, this will concentrate dissolved solids, and when watered again, will release the now concentrated nutrients. Which can burn them. PLUS, if you now Feed them, you will be doubly up a shit creek. You also run a great risk of leaf drop, if they get too dry.

Try and learn to master the lifting of the container to establish if its dry, or not.
Another thing I would do, and Ive done since the late 70s is buy a cheap moisture meter, at Lowes/Walmart ect. NEVER let the Needle get past Low Moist. I like to keep it a HAIR above the Low Moist Line. Also take readings from several different places. Especially in large containers. I drill holes in the sides of 20 gallon totes, near the bottom, and about halfway up, on the sides. Then I take readings from the top of the soil. Often this is the only feasible way to see if they need water, if they are large, hard to get to, and cant be moved.
But learn the lift method, use the moisture meter, and then notice the weight of the container by hand, combined with what the meter is telling you.

What are you feeding them, if anything?? How often do you water? What is temperature? What is the Medium?

Ive been using a 1000w HID for seedlings since they came out in 1977-78,,,. I start them at 24 inches, and let the plants grow towards the bulb(s). Ive never had a problem with light burn ect. My theory is that seedlings, in lets say Equador, Columbia, Peru, and 6000ft-8000ft altitude, get huge amounts of Sunlight, and UV, from start to finish. I think when peole have trouble with light, it is because of the fresh air exchange. The more light you have, the more need for constant fresh air exchange.

Before the Industrial Revolution the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere was about 185ppm. NOW, it is 421PPM.
Now add in the SUN, is 2100umol, a and probably has been for a really long time, I find it curious that plants grow fine at 2100umol, and 421ppm CO2, yet indoors, try and run 2100umol at canopy level, and see what happens.. Only thing I can think of is the constant availability, and never ending supply of fresh air/CO2 outside, vs most indoor grows, and most indoor grows are greatly deficient in available CO2., and constant fresh air exchange.
 
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RookieHaze

Member
Easiest method is looking at the stems. And overwatered plant won’t have droopy stems. An overwatered plant will have stems that is straight but droopy leaves. And underwatered plant will have both droopy leaves and stems. You will also notice that the leaves will becomes crispy and simply just die!
 

RookieHaze

Member
Easiest method is looking at the stems. And overwatered plant won’t have droopy stems. An overwatered plant will have stems that is straight but droopy leaves. And underwatered plant will have both droopy leaves and stems. You will also notice that the leaves will becomes crispy and simply just die if its underwatered! Small containers like in your pics dries out faster than larger ones, and needs to be watered more frequently
 

Tetsuo

Member
Wow thank you all for the great tips. I have a great deal of difficulties when it comes to watering… your answers definitely helped me. Watered from the bottom and let them suck in water until the top soil was wet, then I weighted the dry vs wet pots to make sure I knew the difference.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Wow thank you all for the great tips. I have a great deal of difficulties when it comes to watering… your answers definitely helped me. Watered from the bottom and let them suck in water until the top soil was wet, then I weighted the dry vs wet pots to make sure I knew the difference.
Not really a big fan of watering from the bottom, until the top is wet. Especially with plants that dont have a good, established root system. Thats a good way to overwater them. Especially initially when first transplanted, from a smaller container into a larger one. I wouldnt thoroughly soak all of the medium. You have to soak all of the medium, in order to get the top wet. At a MAXIMUM, when my plants are in full bloom, using the most food and water, I dont use and more than 20% water vs soil. If I have 20 gallons of soil Ill use, at a Maximum 4 Gallons of water for a large, fast growing plant, in full flowering mode, in a 20 gallon container. And I build up to this amount of water. The root system, especially initially, wont efficiently support all the water, and the soil with no roots, will stay wet longer, inhibiting oxygen transfer to the roots.
We grow in Promix BX, large plants, in large containers. 20 gallon, 1-2 plants, 1 plant per container, if using large Sativa dominant strains, per 1000w HID. Plus the plants get bent over, and grown like a Forsythia Bush. Started in 32oz Uline Deli Containers. Transplanted into 5 gallon container, and vegged 45-60 days, transplanted into a 20 gallon container, vegged one more week, and then flipped. But they/India/Low Stretch, slow growing, arent topped. Sativa dominant are allowed to stretch, to decrease veg time. Smaller Indica type plants, with little to no stretch, will get no more than 7-10 gallons of soil. 6 plants per 1000w HID. Sometimes DE Gavita, so then 8 plants, and 3 for Sativa leaning, in 20 gallons. Most Indicas are also not bent. Slow growing/low stretch strains are generally left alone. Some strains will revolt, and it may stunt them.

That Soil...At
  • Total Nitrogen (N)…..………….…….….0.40
  • Available Phosphoric Acid (P₂O₅) ………….0.20%
  • Soluble Potash (K₂O) …….…….….….0.20%
This isnt very much food. I also see on their bag, they recommend Step 2, after 1 Week? Whats Step 2?? More FOOD?? If Step 2 is more food, youre waiting 2 weeks longer than their recommendation, to start a feeding program. I myself at such a low rate of fert in the soil, wouldnt give it longer than a week with that soil/fertilizer strength.
 

Tetsuo

Member
Not really a big fan of watering from the bottom, until the top is wet. Especially with plants that dont have a good, established root system. Thats a good way to overwater them. Especially initially when first transplanted, from a smaller container into a larger one. I wouldnt thoroughly soak all of the medium. You have to soak all of the medium, in order to get the top wet. At a MAXIMUM, when my plants are in full bloom, using the most food and water, I dont use and more than 20% water vs soil. If I have 20 gallons of soil Ill use, at a Maximum 4 Gallons of water for a large, fast growing plant, in full flowering mode, in a 20 gallon container. And I build up to this amount of water. The root system, especially initially, wont efficiently support all the water, and the soil with no roots, will stay wet longer, inhibiting oxygen transfer to the roots.
We grow in Promix BX, large plants, in large containers. 20 gallon, 1-2 plants, 1 plant per container, if using large Sativa dominant strains, per 1000w HID. Plus the plants get bent over, and grown like a Forsythia Bush. Started in 32oz Uline Deli Containers. Transplanted into 5 gallon container, and vegged 45-60 days, transplanted into a 20 gallon container, vegged one more week, and then flipped. But they/India/Low Stretch, slow growing, arent topped. Sativa dominant are allowed to stretch, to decrease veg time. Smaller Indica type plants, with little to no stretch, will get no more than 7-10 gallons of soil. 6 plants per 1000w HID. Sometimes DE Gavita, so then 8 plants, and 3 for Sativa leaning, in 20 gallons. Most Indicas are also not bent. Slow growing/low stretch strains are generally left alone. Some strains will revolt, and it may stunt them.

That Soil...At
  • Total Nitrogen (N)…..………….…….….0.40
  • Available Phosphoric Acid (P₂O₅) ………….0.20%
  • Soluble Potash (K₂O) …….…….….….0.20%
This isnt very much food. I also see on their bag, they recommend Step 2, after 1 Week? Whats Step 2?? More FOOD?? If Step 2 is more food, youre waiting 2 weeks longer than their recommendation, to start a feeding program. I myself at such a low rate of fert in the soil, wouldnt give it longer than a week with that soil/fertilizer strength.
Thanks a lot for the thorough answer. People recommended the watering from under method in other posts, first time I actually try it, I’ll see if it works but I appreciate the remark. I have been giving my bigger plants 10-20% water/soil with regular watering can. It’s also my first time growing with this soil, I usually use their regular living soil. I was a bit lost since there is not a lot of information about it online. I’ll top dress a bit of 444 next watering.
 

Agonixx

Well-Known Member
Looks dry to me and someone else said something about the burnt tips which is interesting.... but I would say they are deficient in something at the least !
 

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
My guess.... both. From the pics, the stems don't look limp, and the leaves look more curled, than limp. Imo, it looks like you overwatered, then to compensate, you let it get too dry.

When growing in soil, without using bottled nutes, and for plants that size, you only need to water in 5% water to soil volume. Once it gets bigger, and there's an established root system, raise it to 10%. You shouldn't get much runoff, if any.

Get a feel for the weight of the container, after watering. Pay attention to the weight. Wait until it feels considerably lighter (usually a few days until they get big), then water again. It's pretty simple, you just need to get used to it.
 
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