Switching to 7 gallon bags

[Cave Dirt Cody]

It’s all about water pressure when it comes to the wicking ability of your medium. All it is peat moss wants to have equal water pressure throughout the entire pot. Wet peat has a high water pressure and dry has a low water pressure. Your plant also has a water pressure. Saturated and over saturated peat will give up the water to the dry peat moss until the pressure becomes equal. The plant has a lower pressure then saturated peat and can easily take the water from it. When the pressures between the plant and peat becomes equal the plant can’t take water from it. That’s the point in witch the water becomes “ locked. If the peats pressure becomes lower then the plant it will start taking water from the plant. It’s really never a good idea to let the peat “dry out”.
If you don’t put more water in the bottom then it takes to saturate it can’t get over watered.

This is most likely an over simplification and not the actual science. I read this stuff 10 to sixteen years ago and haven’t used it in 10.

And I’m not reading it again!

 

[Cave Dirt Cody]

Thanks for the info. I seen somewhere, they put like an inch of perlite in the bottom of the bag for the wicking. Should I be doing that too?

Their was some discussion in the live stoner chat about this very thing just the other night. Some people do some people don’t. @Mañ'O'Green had the best argument against. A build up of salts on the layer of aggregate while you are hand watering at the beginning.

I put hydroton in the bottom of my pots.

Only because I use air pots and they have holes in the bottom

I also use ropes as wicks. If you want to find out more about that. You can go to my half ass thread.
Gorilla glue first leagal grow.

 

[TheFerret]

I use rain science bags and have used fabric pots with straight soil (no inch on bottom of anything else) . I do like to incorporate bottom watering into my normal watering routine to help ensure I get the whole pot saturated. Mine still directly in a tray, nothing between. You can definitely still over water in fabric pots, I've done it. Its easier to do when the they are just sprouted/seedlings but you should get the feel for the correct amount as they grow and respond.

 

[paulg]

I’m using bottom watering when I’m away for any length of time. Seems like a good option for periodic use.