Watering Cans and Mixing Nutrients

[Guy Incognito]

Hi folks. What kind of containers do you use to mix your nutrients? What kind of watering cans do you use? Also, how long can a mixed batch of nutrients sit out before "going bad"

I'm trying to figure out the best way to mix everything and get the right size watering can. I will be watering 3 autos in 5 gal fabric pots of coco. I'll be using GH nutrients.

I was thinking of getting a gallon watering can and some water syringes with measurement lines. Measure the nutrients right from the bottle, then into the watering can, and then into the plant.

Will that work ok? Will the gallon can be big enough or should I go bigger? On the topic, about how much water do you give your 5 gal coco bags? Thanks everyone!

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket and aerate your water overnight. Then mix your nutrients in that bucket following the MFG. instructions explicitly. Then PH it and feed to your plants. If you continue to aerate the mixed nutrients will last a week. Be sure to check the PH prior to every feeding.

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.

 

[NastyN8t]

I like to mix in gallon jugs and then into a small half gallon watering can from wally world. I then use a 5ft long piece of pex as an extension to reach girls in the back of the garden. Ive also used 5 gallon buckets and just dunk the watering can under water to refill. I do this just when using organic nutes otherwise i prefer tropf blumat watering systems to keep the moisure level to a dialed in Consistency with a dead res of plain water but im in organic living soil.

 

[DDubs]

I only run one plant at a time so I store rain water in two, 5 gal buckets. I dip 2 qt containers in and store them in the tent to temper over night. I mix my nutes and pH each qt after. I tried to store pH perfect water but it fluctuated and i had to readjust so i dont touch the water till im ready to use it.

 

[NastyN8t]

I only run one plant at a time so I store rain water in two, 5 gal buckets. I dip 2 qt containers in and store them in the tent to temper over night. I mix my nutes and pH each qt after. I tried to store pH perfect water but it fluctuated and i had to readjust so i dont touch the water till im ready to use it.

U running salt ferts ?

 

[DDubs]

U running salt ferts ?

Yes, General Hydro, Maxigro and Maxibloom for now

 

[NastyN8t]

/\All proven winners

 

[Guy Incognito]

Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket and aerate your water overnight. Then mix your nutrients in that bucket following the MFG. instructions explicitly. Then PH it and feed to your plants. If you continue to aerate the mixed nutrients will last a week. Be sure to check the PH prior to every feeding.

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.

Thanks for all the excellent information! I really appreciate it. I was unfamiliar with aerating water but it sounds like a great idea. I have a few questions if you don't mind:

Where do you put the bucket overnight while it's being aerated, in the grow space? Do you run the aerator nonstop?

Do you have any recommendations for aerators? I was looking at this Vivosun submersible pump. Would that be a good choice to both aerate and pump the water out for feeding?

Pump

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Thanks for all the excellent information! I really appreciate it. I was unfamiliar with aerating water but it sounds like a great idea. I have a few questions if you don't mind:

Where do you put the bucket overnight while it's being aerated, in the grow space? Do you run the aerator nonstop?

Do you have any recommendations for aerators? I was looking at this Vivosun submersible pump. Would that be a good choice to both aerate and pump the water out for feeding?

Pump

A pump will stir a lot and aerate very little. I use an aquarium air pump and stone to aerate. The bucket can be where ever! As long as there is water in the bucket aerate it.

I have a 35 gallon top off tank. I aerate constantly and PH down to about 6.4 so I do not have big fluctuations in the reservoir when the plants are fertigated. The reservoir has a float valve to maintain its volume. The reservoir has a stirring pump.

 

[Bill.de.Cat]

I use a 2 gal trash can from DG to mix in. A spray bottle to get soil surface good and wet ( at least 1/2 to 2/3 gal) if surface is abit dry then a turkey baster to water em over about an hour so it saturates out and doesn't just drain out the bottom. Very rarely any runoff at all in my soil.