[OutdoorGrowGuy]

I water about every other day. Thats usually when the soil looks dry. I just watered her yesterday and she's in a 3 gallon grow bag. Gave her probably about 3 or 4 cups of water if my guess is right.

As in every 2 days?
I can almost guarantee it's too frequently for the plant and pot size. I'd give it at least a day or two longer.
Overwatering is super easy to do.

When I water her I just pour it around the base of the plant. I was thinking thats what I was supposed to do with a seedling. Is that a bad move by me? The outer part of the pot is definitely bone dry.

I'll be honest, this is usually how people overwater. They give small but frequent amounts of water, keeping the roots damp for too long and too often.

You're much better off wetting all the soil and waiting longer between.
This also encourages the plant's roots to search for water. (you get better root development)

 

[DevinA95]

 

[OutdoorGrowGuy]

Tough lesson we all learn my friend. You needn't have watered at all yesterday / today. Soil was already plenty wet and looked soggy. You had several more days until needing to water again. Very likely you have rot and have for a little while.

View attachment 1178931

View attachment 1179036

Nothing you can do now but wait and let it dry. Could probably leave it a week until watering again. (easily imo)

Aeration and drainage is equally important in preventing overwatering / rot as well. Wise to always add some. Especially if it's a large pot for the plant's size.
Doesn't look as though you've added any?

Water needs to freely flow through the soil and drain quickly once saturated. So the soil and roots can replenish oxygen.
Oxygen is also why it's so important to let the soil dry sufficiently between watering.
It's important to encourage an aerobic environment, not an anaerobic one. Anaerobic conditions encourage pathogens and disease like rot. Anaerobic conditions also attracts pests and can acidify soil.

See how things are in several days.
Hope things turn around mate.
Good luck.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

Tough lesson we all learn my friend. You needn't have watered at all yesterday / today. Soil was already plenty wet and looked soggy. You had several more days until needing to water again. Very likely you have rot and have for a little while.


Nothing you can do now but wait and let it dry. Could probably leave it a week until watering again. (easily imo)

Aeration and drainage is equally important in preventing overwatering / rot as well. Wise to always add some. Especially if it's a large pot for the plant's size.
Doesn't look as though you've added any?

Water needs to freely flow through the soil and drain quickly once saturated. So the soil and roots can replenish oxygen.
Oxygen is also why it's so important to let the soil dry sufficiently between watering.
It's important to encourage an aerobic environment, not an anaerobic one. Anaerobic conditions encourage pathogens and disease like rot. Anaerobic conditions also attracts pests and can acidify soil.

See how things are in several days.
Hope things turn around mate.
Good luck.

I disagree, the only moist part of that soil was the center under the plant. The soil on the sides was so dry it was pulling back from the edges. If it's pulling back from the edges up top that means the entire diameter was really dry and there wasn't enough moisture.

Plant roots won't seek out dry soil. By @DevinA95 rewatering the entire substrate they set themselves up for future containment. Soil should always be wet when watered and damp when re watering. Never should the soil be allowed to dry out until it is pulling back on it's self unless your growing hot climate peppers.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

They just need to put some fans on the bucket and let it do it's thing IMO.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Tough lesson we all learn my friend. You needn't have watered at all yesterday / today. Soil was already plenty wet and looked soggy. You had several more days until needing to water again. Very likely you have rot and have for a little while.


Nothing you can do now but wait and let it dry. Could probably leave it a week until watering again. (easily imo)

Aeration and drainage is equally important in preventing overwatering / rot as well. Wise to always add some. Especially if it's a large pot for the plant's size.
Doesn't look as though you've added any?

Water needs to freely flow through the soil and drain quickly once saturated. So the soil and roots can replenish oxygen.
Oxygen is also why it's so important to let the soil dry sufficiently between watering.
It's important to encourage an aerobic environment, not an anaerobic one. Anaerobic conditions encourage pathogens and disease like rot. Anaerobic conditions also attracts pests and can acidify soil.

See how things are in several days.
Hope things turn around mate.
Good luck.

I'm sure most of us have had this problem when first starting out. Here's where I'm going to circle back and suggest the moisture meter again. It's a critical tool for the new grower. It's also a critical tool for the experienced grower too. After some years of experience, I can easily read my plants and know when it is time to water ... but my wife is a home-maker and does the majority of their care. She uses the meter religiously, and her plants look beautiful!

I think his plant will survive. Yes, the situation does slow the grow down. With photo period plants, once the soil ecosystem is stabilized, the plant can still thrive with a longer veg period to make up for the lost time. Autos aren't very forgiving and a setback will result in a smaller plant and a smaller yield.

Course perlite does wonders for added drainage. It also helps trap the air. I add it to my soil mix every grow. Course perlite + proper watering practice and you will be well on your way. Expect a few more bumps in the road. You can read everything you can get your hands and that certainly helps a lot! But ... experience will always be the best teacher.

I'd keep going @DevinA95. Lesson learned. Your plant is very likely to survive. It's a weed and they are hard to kill.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

This plant will survive. I work in the horticulture industry and I can tell you that a plant in drought will wilt when given adequate water when in drought just as a plant that is well watered will wilt when put in drought.

Either way it is a shock to the plant as expected. Keep your dome off it, it really doesn't need it at this point. Make sure you have a fan blowing on the pot for aeration. For sure buy a moisture meter as @MIGrampaUSA suggested and also, lift the pot right now to get a feel for when it is fully saturated. In a few days, lift it again and feel the difference, there will be one. This is also a great way to monitor moisture containment.

 

[DevinA95]

I do have a 120mm pc fan built into the side of my spacebucket. I'm thinking I may need a more powerful one. Apparently by using growbags it makes it difficult to overwater. I've never had an issue with over watering while using these, Even outdoors when it would down pour for days. The roots never rotted on me. Did find out a few things about budrot though but still the roots were fine. This wasn't the ideal grow from what I've had to work with. Next time I'm going to get different soil.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

I have a few of these and a 48" tower fan in my tent:

Comfort Zone CZ6C 6-Inch 2-Speed Clip-On Fan (Black, 2 Fans) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUOGDS...abc_43ET4NRQ279B537TAC3A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Saul.Goodman]

The 48" tower fan is the best air mover. I use the three 6" fans just to help push heat out as my blurple light gets pretty hot.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

The 48" tower fan is the best air mover. I use the three 6" fans just to help push heat out as my blurple light gets pretty hot.

Add the fans as suggested, but also consider a plant elevator. Something like this - https://www.growgeneration.com/products/hydroponics/gro-pro-nx-level-pot-elevator-13-in-50-cs.html

The air flow under the pot is important.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

Yeah @MIGrampaUSA I keep my pot elevated after every watering for at least 24 hours. Good call!

 

[OutdoorGrowGuy]

I'm sure most of us have had this problem when first starting out. Here's where I'm going to circle back and suggest the moisture meter again. It's a critical tool for the new grower. It's also a critical tool for the experienced grower too. After some years of experience, I can easily read my plants and know when it is time to water ... but my wife is a home-maker and does the majority of their care. She uses the meter religiously, and her plants look beautiful!

I think his plant will survive. Yes, the situation does slow the grow down. With photo period plants, once the soil ecosystem is stabilized, the plant can still thrive with a longer veg period to make up for the lost time. Autos aren't very forgiving and a setback will result in a smaller plant and a smaller yield.

Course perlite does wonders for added drainage. It also helps trap the air. I add it to my soil mix every grow. Course perlite + proper watering practice and you will be well on your way. Expect a few more bumps in the road. You can read everything you can get your hands and that certainly helps a lot! But ... experience will always be the best teacher.

I'd keep going @DevinA95. Lesson learned. Your plant is very likely to survive. It's a weed and they are hard to kill.

I wholeheartedly agree 100%

I disagree, the only moist part of that soil was the center under the plant. The soil on the sides was so dry it was pulling back from the edges. If it's pulling back from the edges up top that means the entire diameter was really dry and there wasn't enough moisture.

You might be misinterpretating what I'm suggesting?

The outer soil has never been watered if I read correctly. The plant's been getting watered around it's base every other day. In a fairly large pot with heavy looking soil.
I don't think that's a good thing. And imo likely why the plant's unhappy.

Well aerated and draining soil, sure, you can wing it like that in a large pot and get away with it. But heavy, slow draining, poorly aerated soil is a different story.

I kindly disagree.

This wasn't the ideal grow from what I've had to work with. Next time I'm going to get different soil.

Totally agree man. Need a better / different soil, it looks too heavy and poorly aerated.

Apparently by using growbags it makes it difficult to overwater. I've never had an issue with over watering while using these, Even outdoors when it would down pour for days. The roots never rotted on me.

I've run into problems using bags with heavy soil. The centre stayed too wet and the edges would become too dry before I needed to water again. It was really difficult to water properly and thoroughly.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

I wholeheartedly agree 100%

You might be misinterpretating what I'm suggesting?

The outer soil has never been watered if I read correctly. The plant's been getting watered around it's base every other day. In a fairly large pot with heavy looking soil.
I don't think that's a good thing. And imo likely why the plant's unhappy.

Well aerated and draining soil, sure, you can wing it like that in a large pot and get away with it. But heavy, slow draining, poorly aerated soil is a different story.

I kindly disagree.

Fair enough. Typical soils used for growing will contain a very fair or over excessive amount of peat (Not dirt). Peat is a tricky bastard to play with.

Peat when saturated will hold moisture for extended periods of times and it typically has a neutral PH which is why it's a great medium. When peat dries out it will actually consume moisture from anything around it though.

If you have a pot filled with a substrate (let's talk planting soil) where the majority consists of peat and you only water one specific area, your essentially not watering at all. The dry peat will soak up 80% of the moisture and continue until the peat has soaked up 100% of the fluids. This trend will continue throughout the pot until the center is dry.

This is very important to note because peat will actually suck the moisture out of roots if it's allowed to dry out. This is why keeping the soil 100% damp is important. Not wet but you get the point...

 

[Saul.Goodman]

This is what I grow in:

For me it works great. I understand the medium too though. No added nutes either!

 

[OutdoorGrowGuy]

Fair enough. Typical soils used for growing will contain a very fair or over excessive amount of peat (Not dirt). Peat is a tricky bastard to play with.
Peat when saturated will hold moisture for extended periods of times and it typically has a neutral PH which is why it's a great medium. When peat dries out it will actually consume moisture from anything around it though.

Just to generalize here, you'll never see me disregard the importance of a high watering capacity. Ever.
I understand you don't want overly dry, or worst case hydrophobic soil media. That material's supplying a lifesource for both the plant and soil. It's housing microbes, nutrient, water and carbon for new organic life.

But just as important are the air pockets and spaces between these organic materials. And that's why I think aeration and drainage is so important.

If you have a pot filled with a substrate (let's talk planting soil) , your essentially not watering at all.

I'm glad we agree here and that's essentially what's going on imo. Outer soil hasn't been getting watered at all, and the inner soil is getting watered too often.
I don't feel confident the soil is adequately aerated, it's too heavy. Looks more suited to something you'd put in a raised bed or large container.
My point is it should be draining quickly and drying more evenly. A well aerated mix generally does both.

keeping the soil damp is important. Not wet but you get the point...

Yes sir I do.

 

[Saul.Goodman]

Here is my raise, I just use a Tupperware container..

Sorry for the blurple, I just didn't feel like messing with the lights.