How to water properly.????

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DiverDown

DiverDown

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New grower here. I have issues watering. I have 5 plants. Between 5-6ft each. Went outdoors in June in 10 gallon pots, and one directly in the ground. (Space restrictions). The one in the ground has always been perfect. The ones in the pots have had issues. I could not figure out why the potted ones have discolored and shriveling leaves and not growing as well. I had to do something, afraid to lose them.
So I took the worst one and planted it in the ground. I sliced the pot in half and the middle layer of the soil was dry like sand and came pouring out. ...........The bottom and tops of the soil was moist. Thus the watering is the issue........ I had been watering, getting plenty of water in the pots, letting it soak as I watered the others one at a time. ThenI would go back and do it again., 3 times. Obviously the fox farm soil does not evenly soak up the water. I used a small pot for a seedling and I had to constantly water and stir the soil to get it fully wet, took a few hours for a 5” pot.
Thus, what is the best way to fix this. .......... someone said use a milk or soda container and make a slow drip system. If I do this. Say with one gallon milk jugs, how much water do you think would be sufficient.????????. Ten gallon pots, how many gallons of water would be sufficient.???
 
visajoe1

visajoe1

807
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how are you watering the pots? what kind of pot, plenty of drainage in it? you say fox farms soil, which one exactly? what are you feeding, and how much (ec/ppm)? pics?
 
oldskol4evr

oldskol4evr

12,306
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New grower here. I have issues watering. I have 5 plants. Between 5-6ft each. Went outdoors in June in 10 gallon pots, and one directly in the ground. (Space restrictions). The one in the ground has always been perfect. The ones in the pots have had issues. I could not figure out why the potted ones have discolored and shriveling leaves and not growing as well. I had to do something, afraid to lose them.
So I took the worst one and planted it in the ground. I sliced the pot in half and the middle layer of the soil was dry like sand and came pouring out. ...........The bottom and tops of the soil was moist. Thus the watering is the issue........ I had been watering, getting plenty of water in the pots, letting it soak as I watered the others one at a time. ThenI would go back and do it again., 3 times. Obviously the fox farm soil does not evenly soak up the water. I used a small pot for a seedling and I had to constantly water and stir the soil to get it fully wet, took a few hours for a 5” pot.
Thus, what is the best way to fix this. .......... someone said use a milk or soda container and make a slow drip system. If I do this. Say with one gallon milk jugs, how much water do you think would be sufficient.????????. Ten gallon pots, how many gallons of water would be sufficient.???
like i said other day,turn your water hose on were it just barely has water coming out,put the hose right beside the stalk,let it soak for a while,all it takes is something to hold the hose still and in place,just like setting a fence post,let it sit there a while and soak the water up,anyway you must not have liked my idea,for all others that wont to cure this issue here it is,soak the pot and when it has a good soaking,then take your mixed nutes and pour in what you do normaly as the final end of feed problem solved
 
Jimster

Jimster

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Fox Farms is pretty hot in general. If you are getting dry areas in the soil, it could be causing a buildup of salts in the plant in the container. I would try to determine the PPM of the outflow f the plant that is having troubles and see if you have elevated nutrient salt levels. I would be careful adding too many nutrients to plants that are already planted in FF, as I have seen it burn some strains while others seem OK with it. A simple solution might be to stick a broom stick into the soil in a few spots, making a channel for the water to follow.
 
oldskol4evr

oldskol4evr

12,306
438
by the way those growing indoors,same process with gravity feed ,5 gal bucket with a hole drilled into bottom of bucket,1/4 in air tube from fish tank,lay it next to stalk and let er go gravity does the work,come back and vacum out your drip trays
 
Wolfe

Wolfe

491
143
I’ve used fox farm and done fine with it but found it more difficult keeping a healthy plant than when I make my own soil mix. The base soil I use is promix and then I build on it with a recipe.
From my own personal experience it’s hard to mess up with super soil once you get it down. It is a medium you only use straight water after that and that makes things really easy for me anyhow. People here are going to tell you that if you can feel moisture under the first inch of soil even if it’s dry on top you’re good. Look for signs the plant gives. It will droop when it needs water. If it does this from time to time it’s not going to kill your plant unless you let it go to long, but you’ll see when it needs water and when to give it water before it starts to droop next time. The how much factor depends on the size of the plant. Obviously increasing water as the plant grows. As for how much. Seedlings don’t need a ton of water. Just enough to not dry out. It’s important at that time to keep the soil moist but not drenched. Then as it develops more roots you slowly increase water. And using a filter to remove chlorine helps. I use hydrologic purification systems. You don’t want to over saturate the soil a lot of the time because it can cause problems to your roots and also cause mold. Find a nice happy medium if you have control. From indoor and outdoor experience. Sometimes with outdoor you might get a ton of rain. Depending upon the time of year rain can be a problem. Late season rain outdoor. If it rains I shake off the rain the best I can from the plant. I’ll inspect the bud also and remove a few buds or spread out colas some if I have to let it breathe. And the soil can get saturated also. That’s why I like the super soil. I just let nature do it’s thing. The plants take what they need from the soil and even if my stuff gets heavily rained on outside in the super soil it has no problems with that. I’m also in Colorado and things dry out here faster.
Climate has a lot to do with it if it’s outdoor. If it’s indoor you have more control over water. I use the super soil inside also and it’s super forgiving. Not everyone likes using that method. That’s just what is easiest and cheapest while producing the best possible product for myself.
 
oldskol4evr

oldskol4evr

12,306
438
Fox Farms is pretty hot in general. If you are getting dry areas in the soil, it could be causing a buildup of salts in the plant in the container. I would try to determine the PPM of the outflow f the plant that is having troubles and see if you have elevated nutrient salt levels. I would be careful adding too many nutrients to plants that are already planted in FF, as I have seen it burn some strains while others seem OK with it. A simple solution might be to stick a broom stick into the soil in a few spots, making a channel for the water to follow.
i hear you say this all the time and been waiting for you to prove the fox soil is too hot,really i am ,i pop seeds in the stuff,do a NPK and PH test on the stuff,compare to your pro mix then lets see the results,you want hot soil you subcools recipe,that shit is hot,and growers are mis directed if its use,it goes in bottom 2 or 3 in of your pots and is designed for flower stage,i have done test on ocean ,happy and it is the same ,every bag,every bag,i dont use any bag soil without testing,a cheap 12 buck NPK test kit is the best insurance for soil no doubt. just to make a point,plant one seed a green bean they will pop ground in a matter of a day and be 6in tall in 3 days,if that bean pops and grows,no way i n hell the soil is to hot,define hot for me because im dumb fonded of this too hot shit
 
Wolfe

Wolfe

491
143
i hear you say this all the time and been waiting for you to prove the fox soil is too hot,really i am ,i pop seeds in the stuff,do a NPK and PH test on the stuff,compare to your pro mix then lets see the results,you want hot soil you subcools recipe,that shit is hot,and growers are mis directed if its use,it goes in bottom 2 or 3 in of your pots and is designed for flower stage,i have done test on ocean ,happy and it is the same ,every bag,every bag,i dont use any bag soil without testing,a cheap 12 buck NPK test kit is the best insurance for soil no doubt. just to make a point,plant one seed a green bean they will pop ground in a matter of a day and be 6in tall in 3 days,if that bean pops and grows,no way i n hell the soil is to hot,define hot for me because im dumb fonded of this too hot shit
I’ve used subcools recipe not even cooked and put clones right in it with no burn. Just saying. I don’t use that recipe any more. But I’ve never burnt a plant once using any super soil in over seven years. Fox farm was just finicky for me and came with nats. To each their own though. I used fox farm for a few years.
 
oldskol4evr

oldskol4evr

12,306
438
I’ve used fox farm and done fine with it but found it more difficult keeping a healthy plant than when I make my own soil mix. The base soil I use is promix and then I build on it with a recipe.
From my own personal experience it’s hard to mess up with super soil once you get it down. It is a medium you only use straight water after that and that makes things really easy for me anyhow. People here are going to tell you that if you can feel moisture under the first inch of soil even if it’s dry on top you’re good. Look for signs the plant gives. It will droop when it needs water. If it does this from time to time it’s not going to kill your plant unless you let it go to long, but you’ll see when it needs water and when to give it water before it starts to droop next time. The how much factor depends on the size of the plant. Obviously increasing water as the plant grows. As for how much. Seedlings don’t need a ton of water. Just enough to not dry out. It’s important at that time to keep the soil moist but not drenched. Then as it develops more roots you slowly increase water. And using a filter to remove chlorine helps. I use hydrologic purification systems. You don’t want to over saturate the soil a lot of the time because it can cause problems to your roots and also cause mold. Find a nice happy medium if you have control. From indoor and outdoor experience. Sometimes with outdoor you might get a ton of rain. Depending upon the time of year rain can be a problem. Late season rain outdoor. If it rains I shake off the rain the best I can from the plant. I’ll inspect the bud also and remove a few buds or spread out colas some if I have to let it breathe. And the soil can get saturated also. That’s why I like the super soil. I just let nature do it’s thing. The plants take what they need from the soil and even if my stuff gets heavily rained on outside in the super soil it has no problems with that. I’m also in Colorado and things dry out here faster.
Climate has a lot to do with it if it’s outdoor. If it’s indoor you have more control over water. I use the super soil inside also and it’s super forgiving. Not everyone likes using that method. That’s just what is easiest and cheapest while producing the best possible product for myself.
there it is,when you grow several gardens there no time for mixing nutes at all,there are slow,med,fast amends you add to make your perfect for you soil mix,plan ahead of what your gonna grow,amend,if you see no real improvements first season dont be discouraged,these amends ,salts whatever you choice take time to get settled in,when i build soil i get bag stuff to hold me over for first year,i dont expect much first season at all reason for bag soil ,while im waiting for that too happen i plant any kind of nitrogen fixs to that soil while i wait,beans peas cover crops,cut at soil level when there done,this builds organic matter ,rotate them also ,by rotation more time than not you dont even need N when yo get ready to roll,you can put all kind stuff for water only gardening but until it reach it destiny,well you know it there right,give time,im not a force feeder,more problems come from that alone,jacking with bulky buds and frosted flakes does more harm than good,cation exchange is were it at,keep it happy and your medicine is happy,if the frost and bulk is there in that strain it happens with out force feeding,brother your on track with your post,build it and they will come,throw some water at it when the plant says so,just because one plant needs water doesnt mean the others do,plant take what they need and only then force feeds interupt that cycle and cause tons of issues,just my opinion and only mine
 
oldskol4evr

oldskol4evr

12,306
438
I’ve used subcools recipe not even cooked and put clones right in it with no burn. Just saying. I don’t use that recipe any more. But I’ve never burnt a plant once using any super soil in over seven years. Fox farm was just finicky for me and came with nats. To each their own though. I used fox farm for a few years.
ive never have had the knats,must just be were you live,if them knat can live in a bag of soil around here,patent them bitchs hahaah,that kinda of the point i was getting at,folk be saying hot this and that,then down the line mention how we breeders are disrupting the plants threw cross breeding and stuff that give hermies,i dont believe that,i have grown seeds from friends that were straight up hermies,and didnt have that issue,envoriment ,technic,methods are all difrent,guess it no how i presume,roots organic is the only one i havent tried but here same thing,to hot,knats,with fence wide open those things exsist if you make it happen in my opinion,like i said in another post,dont blame a soil manufacture if you havent tested it with soil health testing,how do you know what the problem is if you have no clue what you have if you dig,i test every bag i buy,in my own opinion miricle grow is the so called hottest,no shit,fox and kellogs and other no name brands all come out of bag with very very high N the P&k is right were it needs to be,the high N is fine for vegging plants so no big deal,MG is off the charts and i think it is from the urea used,the time release stuff,ive grown with it and great gardens only because they get nothing but water and or shit tea,so again comes down to methods of your gardening skills,leaves dont lie and as you mentioned if it drys and you watch your plants,the next time you know when to water just before it happens next time
 
Jimster

Jimster

Supporter
2,770
263
i hear you say this all the time and been waiting for you to prove the fox soil is too hot,really i am ,i pop seeds in the stuff,do a NPK and PH test on the stuff,compare to your pro mix then lets see the results,you want hot soil you subcools recipe,that shit is hot,and growers are mis directed if its use,it goes in bottom 2 or 3 in of your pots and is designed for flower stage,i have done test on ocean ,happy and it is the same ,every bag,every bag,i dont use any bag soil without testing,a cheap 12 buck NPK test kit is the best insurance for soil no doubt. just to make a point,plant one seed a green bean they will pop ground in a matter of a day and be 6in tall in 3 days,if that bean pops and grows,no way i n hell the soil is to hot,define hot for me because im dumb fonded of this too hot shit
I've never used Fox Farms, just using Promix and a few amendments. I don't have any problems with it myself, but I constantly see newer growers get in a mess by using it along with other nutrients and end up getting either Ph issues, nute lock, or nutrient burn. I am basing my observations by the zillions of posts that I, and you, have answered when someone is using FF and is having issues with overfeeding. Some strains seem OK with it, some don't. I have no problem with folks using it, but inevitably, when someone posts a "What is wrong" post, it is often related to overfeeding, overwatering, or both. Growers who use FF and then add nutrients to it seem to have a lot of problems. I'm sure it is a good medium, but in my experience with newer growers, it isn't the best option until they get a little experience and get away from feeding a 6 inch plant like a small Oak tree.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
like i said other day,turn your water hose on were it just barely has water coming out,put the hose right beside the stalk,let it soak for a while,all it takes is something to hold the hose still and in place,just like setting a fence post,let it sit there a while and soak the water up,anyway you must not have liked my idea,for all others that wont to cure this issue here it is,soak the pot and when it has a good soaking,then take your mixed nutes and pour in what you do normaly as the final end of feed problem solved
That would be exactly what I would do, but I don't have the time. Plus I will be away for a week and I need someone else to take over while I recuperate from back surgery. I need a way for this person to just fill the water jugs then go. Has anyone ever had to do this?
 
Last edited:
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
I've never used Fox Farms, just using Promix and a few amendments. I don't have any problems with it myself, but I constantly see newer growers get in a mess by using it along with other nutrients and end up getting either Ph issues, nute lock, or nutrient burn. I am basing my observations by the zillions of posts that I, and you, have answered when someone is using FF and is having issues with overfeeding. Some strains seem OK with it, some don't. I have no problem with folks using it, but inevitably, when someone posts a "What is wrong" post, it is often related to overfeeding, overwatering, or both. Growers who use FF and then add nutrients to it seem to have a lot of problems. I'm sure it is a good medium, but in my experience with newer growers, it isn't the best option until they get a little experience and get away from feeding a 6 inch plant like a small Oak tree.
It is not the FF product, because the only issues are those that are in the cloth pots and not the one in the ground.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
ive never have had the knats,must just be were you live,if them knat can live in a bag of soil around here,patent them bitchs hahaah,that kinda of the point i was getting at,folk be saying hot this and that,then down the line mention how we breeders are disrupting the plants threw cross breeding and stuff that give hermies,i dont believe that,i have grown seeds from friends that were straight up hermies,and didnt have that issue,envoriment ,technic,methods are all difrent,guess it no how i presume,roots organic is the only one i havent tried but here same thing,to hot,knats,with fence wide open those things exsist if you make it happen in my opinion,like i said in another post,dont blame a soil manufacture if you havent tested it with soil health testing,how do you know what the problem is if you have no clue what you have if you dig,i test every bag i buy,in my own opinion miricle grow is the so called hottest,no shit,fox and kellogs and other no name brands all come out of bag with very very high N the P&k is right were it needs to be,the high N is fine for vegging plants so no big deal,MG is off the charts and i think it is from the urea used,the time release stuff,ive grown with it and great gardens only because they get nothing but water and or shit tea,so again comes down to methods of your gardening skills,leaves dont lie and as you mentioned if it drys and you watch your plants,the next time you know when to water just before it happens next time
I have the best green thumb I know. I can grow anything as if my life depended on it. This is how I figured out that the watering is my issues. I figured it out before the plants really suffered. My issue is I need to be able to have someone else take care of them for me for a week. The best way is to leave the hose running slowly on them. But someone else doesn't have the time. I can set up a system with milk jugs. I just need to figure out how much many jugs to use per pot. 10 gallon cloth pots. This soil disperses water to the edges of the pot and down the sides. I am losing the nutrients too this way. I won’t be using this soil next time.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
how are you watering the pots? what kind of pot, plenty of drainage in it? you say fox farms soil, which one exactly? what are you feeding, and how much (ec/ppm)? pics?
I usually use the well water and a hose. I gently water the top til it needs to sit and soak. Then I go to the next pot and on down the line. Then I start over and do this 3 times. I feed with the 3 fox farms nutrients. Following that schedule. I don't know the ppm's. As I said, the one in the ground is perfect. I need to set up a system so someone else can care for them for a week for me while I am away.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
like i said other day,turn your water hose on were it just barely has water coming out,put the hose right beside the stalk,let it soak for a while,all it takes is something to hold the hose still and in place,just like setting a fence post,let it sit there a while and soak the water up,anyway you must not have liked my idea,for all others that wont to cure this issue here it is,soak the pot and when it has a good soaking,then take your mixed nutes and pour in what you do normaly as the final end of feed problem solved
Your description is exactly the way it should be done. But I have to come up with a system so someone else can take over this duty while I am away for a week. I will be having spinal surgery and won't be able to do it properly for quite a while. I am thinking of using gallon milk jugs with holes. I need to figure out how many jugs to use, and if there is someone out there that has had to do this before.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
like i said other day,turn your water hose on were it just barely has water coming out,put the hose right beside the stalk,let it soak for a while,all it takes is something to hold the hose still and in place,just like setting a fence post,let it sit there a while and soak the water up,anyway you must not have liked my idea,for all others that wont to cure this issue here it is,soak the pot and when it has a good soaking,then take your mixed nutes and pour in what you do normaly as the final end of feed problem solved
I need to set up a system for someone else to take over this duty while I am in the hospital for spinal surgery. Plus I won't be bending either. The milk jugs should work, but I need to set it up properly. How many milk jugs? Is there a better way. Pretend your can't bend over or get down on the ground. What would you do?
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
I've never used Fox Farms, just using Promix and a few amendments. I don't have any problems with it myself, but I constantly see newer growers get in a mess by using it along with other nutrients and end up getting either Ph issues, nute lock, or nutrient burn. I am basing my observations by the zillions of posts that I, and you, have answered when someone is using FF and is having issues with overfeeding. Some strains seem OK with it, some don't. I have no problem with folks using it, but inevitably, when someone posts a "What is wrong" post, it is often related to overfeeding, overwatering, or both. Growers who use FF and then add nutrients to it seem to have a lot of problems. I'm sure it is a good medium, but in my experience with newer growers, it isn't the best option until they get a little experience and get away from feeding a 6 inch plant like a small Oak tree.
The plant in the ground is perfect!!!!! It is definitely not getting water to the center of the pots unless I can make a slow drip system. I will be recuperating from spinal surgery. I need to make a self watering system with the milk jugs, the only way I can think of doing it. Someone else will be caring for them while I am gone, and when I return I won't be getting on the ground or bending for sometime.
 
DiverDown

DiverDown

127
43
I've never used Fox Farms, just using Promix and a few amendments. I don't have any problems with it myself, but I constantly see newer growers get in a mess by using it along with other nutrients and end up getting either Ph issues, nute lock, or nutrient burn. I am basing my observations by the zillions of posts that I, and you, have answered when someone is using FF and is having issues with overfeeding. Some strains seem OK with it, some don't. I have no problem with folks using it, but inevitably, when someone posts a "What is wrong" post, it is often related to overfeeding, overwatering, or both. Growers who use FF and then add nutrients to it seem to have a lot of problems. I'm sure it is a good medium, but in my experience with newer growers, it isn't the best option until they get a little experience and get away from feeding a 6 inch plant like a small Oak tree.
I need to make a self watering, slow drip system. I will be having spinal surgery and someone else will be taking over. Then when I am home, it will be a while before I can get on the ground or bend. The milk jugs is the only thing I can think of. What would you do?
 

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