Using a digital scale to know when to water?

[Madbud]

water weighs about 8.3 pounds

A pints a pound

 

[XxHammer]

I think the scale thing is too much extra work. I am trying to figure out a good watering pattern myself but I think it all comes down to just feeling out the pots since conditions vary so much. Putting a scale under each one and recording all the weights just seems like overkill to me. As you probably know, I just transplanted my ladies in 3.8gal pots yesterday and started their Veg, my plants have responded amazingly to the FFOF soil. They are all perky as fuck. I gave them a full watering tonight where each pot had runoff (probably a little too much actually), I am having trouble finding a good watering can that doesnt make a mess in my tent. So far I am 0/2. who woulda thought something as simple as a good watering can would be so difficult to find. I am going to try using this 2gal sprayer thing again. I think that may do the job.

For this stage, my light, my size pots, my size plants, and the FFOF soil... I am reckoning to have to water every 36-48 hours. In an ideal world, I would water every other night. That is what I am going to shoot for as long as my plants dont complain or seem too dry.

Is that moisture meter for the soil accurate at all?

 

[Madbud]

Ok so you want it to go past the original dry weight before watering again? I figured you would wait till it gets close to the original dry weight...

Most fresh bags of loose soil are pretty moist (with the exception of compact bales) so going beyond the original moisture content is ok and the plant weight is negligible for the first month, at least my first month

 

[Madbud]

I think the scale thing is too much extra work. I am trying to figure out a good watering pattern myself but I think it all comes down to just feeling out the pots since conditions vary so much. Putting a scale under each one and recording all the weights just seems like overkill to me. As you probably know, I just transplanted my ladies in 3.8gal pots yesterday and started their Veg, my plants have responded amazingly to the FFOF soil. They are all perky as fuck. I gave them a full watering tonight where each pot had runoff (probably a little too much actually), I am having trouble finding a good watering can that doesnt make a mess in my tent. So far I am 0/2. who woulda thought something as simple as a good watering can would be so difficult to find. I am going to try using this 2gal sprayer thing again. I think that may do the job.

For this stage, my light, my size pots, my size plants, and the FFOF soil... I am reckoning to have to water every 36-48 hours. In an ideal world, I would water every other night. That is what I am going to shoot for as long as my plants dont complain or seem too dry.

Is that moisture meter for the soil accurate at all?

The moisture probe has a scale, when the soils dry the needle points to a low number, when its wet the needle goes higher.

 

[XxHammer]

Yeah, I get the general concept of how a moisture meter works. I am just wondering if they are actually accurate and reliable or a waste of 20$

 

[Madbud]

Yeah, I get the general concept of how a moisture meter works. I am just wondering if they are actually accurate and reliable or a waste of 20$

More accurate than your second knuckle. The 3-way works ok for moisture at depth, light meter works but the pH scale is useless imo.

 

[quirk]

Yeah, I get the general concept of how a moisture meter works. I am just wondering if they are actually accurate and reliable or a waste of 20$

Meters are a great way to check moisture levels at various depths and I find them to be an accurate double check on the weight method. As far as watering, I epoxied an extendable spout on my 1.6 gal Bloem watering can that is very functional for hard to reach spots. All items purchased at Home Depot, including epoxy for under $35.

 

[PipeCarver]

water weighs about 8.3 pounds

not in Canada it doesn't....10lbs here.......160 oz /gal ....not your measly 128 oz lol we've got bigger & badder gallons ......we're # 1...lol

 

[707finisher]

Just get your dirt, spread it out to dry, then fill your pot. Weigh it. Your plant will weigh a little as it grows but that’s how you get your base line.

 

[Edinburgh]

Lift your pots, if there light water.

 

[ImpulsiveGrower]

Just get your dirt, spread it out to dry, then fill your pot. Weigh it. Your plant will weigh a little as it grows but that’s how you get your base line.

Ya I filled a pot yesterday and weighed it. I didn’t spread it out to dry tho.

 

[Variety719]

Let’s not take the fun out of growing by calculating everything we do. I think a lot of you are trying to skip the steps that make people into real growers.

 

[707finisher]

I wait till the plants start drooping a little, the lower leaves will drop first, I try to get it then, within 6-8 hours from there it will hit full droopy and takes time for it to recover.

 

[PipeCarver]

I wait till the plants start drooping a little, the lower leaves will drop first, I try to get it then, within 6-8 hours from there it will hit full droopy and takes time for it to recover.

Sketchy for a new grower, too much stress in veg and as they get bigger the leaves that droop don't recover turn yellow and die. I get what you're saying it's a goods sign they need water but I'd rather not see them hang too much.

 

[luiz9733]

As an absolute beginner and growing organic I found the use of a digital scale to be the most useful tool so far, after so many experienced growers telling me to lift the pot and feel the weight I figured a digital scale does a much better job than my two arms when it comes to figuring out if the pot is heavy or light. Anyways, every time I water my plant (yes I grow a single plant at a time) all I have to do is to scale the pot before and after watering till runoff. Then after a few days I scale it again and only water it if the weight is within 10% of the previous initial scaling meaning 90% of all water has already been used or evaporated. No guess work, no over watering and no relying on unreliable moist meters. Since I do repeat the process every time I water the plant the new initial weigh is automatically corrected for the plant growth keeping the process consistent. It just works for beginners.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

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[Madbud]

As an absolute beginner and growing organic I found the use of a digital scale to be the most useful tool so far, after so many experienced growers telling me to lift the pot and feel the weight I figured a digital scale does a much better job than my two arms when it comes to figuring out if the pot is heavy or light. Anyways, every time I water my plant (yes I grow a single plant at a time) all I have to do is to scale the pot before and after watering till runoff. Then after a few days I scale it again and only water it if the weight is within 10% of the previous initial scaling meaning 90% of all water has already been used or evaporated. No guess work, no over watering and no relying on unreliable moist meters. Since I do repeat the process every time I water the plant the new initial weigh is automatically corrected for the plant growth keeping the process consistent. It just works for beginners.

Keep your scale handy when you harvest. I’m finding a 25-30% weight loss the first few days of drying. When the daily weight loss falls below 10% of the previous day its time to jar.

 

[JimiSmoth]

There`s a factor of humidity, light, temperature and the presence of draughts, it all needs to be taken into account when watering. Measuring on scale by itself won't fix your situation, although it's a good help, too.

 

[lvstealth]

where watering is concerned, weighing it seems overkill. water weighs about 8.3 pounds a gallon, even if you only water a quarter of a gallon, that is a two pound change in a small area. you, even if you are totally nuts, can feel the weight change.

the weight thing, dont get too carried away. the dirt changes throughout the grow, the good stuff gets eaten and the dirt loses weight. that throws a wrench in any calculation.

since the shoulder surgery i havent been able to get to the plants in back, i just wait till they look like they are needing water. droopy and limp. that is probably the best measurement, watch the plants. they will tell you easier than you going to all that trouble of weighing.

 

[Pushrod Monkey]

Scale? Lol. Transplant. Pick up the container. Water an adequate volume with at least 20% of container volume. Then pick it up. Do this enough times and you’ll be able to tell about how much water has been retained. No scale.