Pre-soaking soil

[Cannabiskollektivet]

Hey AFN.

I'm starting another grow, this time in an 20L Airpot. I just started the germination process by soaking the seed in water and will let it sit for 18-24 hours. Then i'll use the papertowel method until the taproots are long enough to be planted in their final pot directly. This time im trying a 80/20 mix of LightMix and Perelite.

My question tho is when should I start pre-soaking the pot? Its a 20L pot and im quiet unsure how much water I should soak it with? Also when I place the seedling into the soil, should I just keep the small area around the seedling moist since and let the pre-soak do the rest?

As always im placing my trust in you my fellow growers! <3

Peace and Love!

 

[Cannabiskollektivet]

Bump! Any autoheros out there with knowledge about this?

 

[Duceduck]

Good luck to you! I just started as well so i'm no pro, i'm also asking a lot of questions myself but here's what i just did. I watered my medium the same day i soaked the beans. They were ready 2 days after and planted into the medium (it was still moist). I watered it slightly the next day and just did again 3 days after. It's not drying out very fast since it's only a seedling so i'm guessing it will be 3-4 more days until i water again. I've read that others have soaked their medium a few hours before planting. I just happen to test the water level for run off and the bean just happened to be ready so it didn't matter to me. Good luck though!

 

[Capt.Quirk]

My method is to get my container dry weight. Then water to a slight runoff and get that weight. Then I put the pot in the grow environment.
I add water when my pot gets to 1kg above dry weight and keep 1kg below wet weight. This way I never water too often and always have plenty of oxygen for root growth and transpiration. I keep a digital bathroom scale in my grow room for this purpose. After awhile you get used to the feel and don't require the scale.
Organic soil auto grower.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Hey AFN.

I'm starting another grow, this time in an 20L Airpot. I just started the germination process by soaking the seed in water and will let it sit for 18-24 hours. Then i'll use the papertowel method until the taproots are long enough to be planted in their final pot directly. This time im trying a 80/20 mix of LightMix and Perelite.

My question tho is when should I start pre-soaking the pot? Its a 20L pot and im quiet unsure how much water I should soak it with? Also when I place the seedling into the soil, should I just keep the small area around the seedling moist since and let the pre-soak do the rest?

As always im placing my trust in you my fellow growers! <3

Peace and Love!

What you need to learn about watering will come with practice. Here are the basic rules: Never let the soil dry out. Soil and or coco can become hydrophobic if allowed to dry. This means it repels water. This in turn will create dry pockets in the soil and roots there will die. If your soil - coco have accidentally dried out use a surfactant to help re-wet it. I like yucca powder. Don't let soil remain soggy by watering too much too often. Root rot, damping off, molds, fungus gnats and other problems start in soggy soil. When you do water water the entire pot. How to learn when to water starts before you plant the seed. Fill your container with fresh soil/coco and weigh it (heft it) this is the lightest weight and consider it a dry pot. Now slowly water until the soil/coco will no longer absorb the water and run-off begins; weigh the pot (heft it) this is the maximum water, the wettest the pot can get. The difference between wettest and driest is the maximum water weight, for ease of explanation lets just say the water weighs 20 pounds. When the pot loses 10 pounds (half of the water weight) it is time to water again. There is an art to watering. Coco can be fertigate many times a day if you want to continually present fresh balanced nutrients to the roots. Begin fertigation 2 hours after lights on and end it 2 hours before lights out.

 

[Cannabiskollektivet]

Good luck to you! I just started as well so i'm no pro, i'm also asking a lot of questions myself but here's what i just did. I watered my medium the same day i soaked the beans. They were ready 2 days after and planted into the medium (it was still moist). I watered it slightly the next day and just did again 3 days after. It's not drying out very fast since it's only a seedling so i'm guessing it will be 3-4 more days until i water again. I've read that others have soaked their medium a few hours before planting. I just happen to test the water level for run off and the bean just happened to be ready so it didn't matter to me. Good luck though!

Thanks for the reply mate, i'll take all advise I can get. Good luck on the grow! How fun it is to be a first time grower eh? New passion found right here! =)

 

[Cannabiskollektivet]

My method is to get my container dry weight. Then water to a slight runoff and get that weight. Then I put the pot in the grow environment.
I add water when my pot gets to 1kg above dry weight and keep 1kg below wet weight. This way I never water too often and always have plenty of oxygen for root growth and transpiration. I keep a digital bathroom scale in my grow room for this purpose. After awhile you get used to the feel and don't require the scale.
Organic soil auto grower.

Thats an really good way to go about it. Gonna do it the same way, big thanks for the reply mate. Goodluck on your grows! =)

 

[Cannabiskollektivet]

What you need to learn about watering will come with practice. Here are the basic rules: Never let the soil dry out. Soil and or coco can become hydrophobic if allowed to dry. This means it repels water. This in turn will create dry pockets in the soil and roots there will die. If your soil - coco have accidentally dried out use a surfactant to help re-wet it. I like yucca powder. Don't let soil remain soggy by watering too much too often. Root rot, damping off, molds, fungus gnats and other problems start in soggy soil. When you do water water the entire pot. How to learn when to water starts before you plant the seed. Fill your container with fresh soil/coco and weigh it (heft it) this is the lightest weight and consider it a dry pot. Now slowly water until the soil/coco will no longer absorb the water and run-off begins; weigh the pot (heft it) this is the maximum water, the wettest the pot can get. The difference between wettest and driest is the maximum water weight, for ease of explanation lets just say the water weighs 20 pounds. When the pot loses 10 pounds (half of the water weight) it is time to water again. There is an art to watering. Coco can be fertigate many times a day if you want to continually present fresh balanced nutrients to the roots. Begin fertigation 2 hours after lights on and end it 2 hours before lights out.

Very big thank you for the easy and informative explanation. I'll get a bathroom scale and get right on it! Thank you! <3

 

[Cannabiskollektivet]

My method is to get my container dry weight. Then water to a slight runoff and get that weight. Then I put the pot in the grow environment.
I add water when my pot gets to 1kg above dry weight and keep 1kg below wet weight. This way I never water too often and always have plenty of oxygen for root growth and transpiration. I keep a digital bathroom scale in my grow room for this purpose. After awhile you get used to the feel and don't require the scale.
Organic soil auto grower.

Btw.. your plant looks EPIC! Hopefully I can produce that kind of quality one day. :smoking::smoking:

 

[Capt.Quirk]

Btw.. your plant looks EPIC! Hopefully I can produce that kind of quality one day. :smoking::smoking:

Thank you and you certainly can.