Watering - Seedling and Veg - when to start fully watering

[growmbd2]

Hi guys,

I am looking for some advice around when to start fully watering my auto's. I am 1 week in and have been just watering around the stem around once a day and once every 1.5 days - slowly building my way out but have not fully watered the medium/pot yet. By fully watering i mean saturating the medium until there is a little run off.

I am using Biobizz nutrients, Biobizz Light medium and gave the plants root juice and bioheaven for the first time - i am following the BioBizz schedule but one that Biobizz advised me to use for autos - which is essentially use the All Mix schedule but using the Light Mix medium.

What are your thoughts and when do you move from watering around the base to a full watering?

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[PlatinumGrows]

I am not expert or professional you will get way better advice I’m sure but I will say containers can make an impact - it’s easier to overwater unintentionally when the medium retains a lot of moisture - I have been messing with rain science bags , they have teeny holes and are made of mesh - the concept is called air pruning the tip of the roots will actually be growing through those holes eventually - but anyways the bag dries out way faster , so it’s easier for me to keep the medium at the right level of moisture as I prefer to water less more often and I don’t have capabilities of using a drip system - hope that makes sense good luck , also many people water around the edges of the pot when they have seedling or small veg plant because it encourages the roots to grow outwards instead of down - hope that helps

 

[Ganjaholickz]

Im always starting "full" watering when leaves reach sides of container, then Im confident enough they can take it. Airpots or normal square ones, bags.. Im just doing like middle distance circle watering around the plant before they reach the sides of container. Never water "on the stem" from the begining and Youre good to go every time.

 

[Tmonney]

It just depends on the medium and the size of the container for me. If I'm starting seedlings in a cell pot with soil for instance, I saturate the soil. Because it's such a small amount of medium it will dry out fast enough to prevent root rot. But seedlings like high moisture/humidity and I find they grow heartier like this.

If I'm starting them in larger pots I only dampen the surface of the soil. Look at how fast your soil dries, if you are finding your self watering lightly a few times a day and the plant is drinking it quickly, up the amount of water so you are only watering once a day or every other day.

I start "fully watering" around the time I'm ready to start lst.

 

[Capt.Quirk]

You cannot OVER WATER a well draining medium. The problems come in when you WATER TOO OFTEN, replacing oxygen pockets in the medium with water, drowning the roots. Roots must have OXYGEN. Don't allow your pots to dry completely and don't keep them saturated. It's that simple. After I prepare my medium, I get a feel for that dry weight, then slowly saturate entire pot to slight runoff and get a feel for wet weight. Now I've got a baseline. Then I place pot in my grow environment and let dry out for a couple of days before I place my seedlings. I provide air circulation, elevate my pots for air flow and for the first 7-14 days add a few ounces of water with a condiment squeeze bottle when surface gets dry. I know there's enough moisture below because of the weight. When my pots approach dry weight, I'll slowly saturate to runoff again, no matter what the size or age. You don't water on a schedule. Water when the medium needs moisture. Always MOIST not WET. Now I'll get off my soap box.
Organic soil auto grower.

 

[NorthernLights_420]

I'm using biobizz light mix soil. I use 5 gallon grow bags. I feed 1 liter of water per plant (Phd in range) every watering or feeding. I only give water feedings if I overfeed and give my plant nutrient burn. If nutrient burn happens I only feed water the next 3 to 5 waterings then start feeding nutes again at a lower rate. When the plants are small I feed much less water so you dont drown em. Once there about 4 or 5 nodes tall I feed 1 liter of water and nutes per plant the rest of the grow. When the top soil is dry for 2 inches water and feed again. When I first start feeding usually it's about 2 or 3 days til the plant drys the soil up. When they get bigger they drink a liter every morning usually if needed. Pick up your grow bags and feel how light they are when they're dry. Then pick them up and feel the weight when they're watered. You'can do that test method as well for checking your pots. They will be lighter when dry and heavier after watered and the soil is wet.

 

[growmbd2]

Thanks for all the help guys - i am just going to relax a bit i think and slowly increase the watering over the next week - making my way out to the edge of the pot. I figure around week 2 i am going to give the soil a full watering with a little run off. Once past the veg stage i am comfortable with how to water - its just that initial stage that there seems to be many different approaches.

 

[PlatinumGrows]

Thanks for all the help guys - i am just going to relax a bit i think and slowly increase the watering over the next week - making my way out to the edge of the pot. I figure around week 2 i am going to give the soil a full watering with a little run off. Once past the veg stage i am comfortable with how to water - its just that initial stage that there seems to be many different approaches.

I’m basically doing the same thing today is day 7 and it’s almost ready for its first true watering just because soil is almost dry

 

[NorthernLights_420]

That is how I start feeding also when there seeds and small plants. Just a little bit of water to moisten up the soil and seed. As the plants grow bigger I start watering the whole pot. Usually with small plants after a watering there usually good for 3 to 4 days before I water again. Once the plant is established and bigger she will drink a liter every day when I wake up in the morning til the finish. I feed in 5 gallon smart pots (grow bags) so a little water usually drains out but the dehumidifier dries it up. My smallest plant is still good for days at a time after I water her. The biggest 3 plants I got drink it all within a day.