Watering schedule

[Budgrower123howitbe]

Hello folks
I found this watering schedule online

I’m using an organic amended soil, would this be a good watering schedule? She’s about a week old now, so I’d say early vegetative still.
I’m using the 5 gallon smart pots but with only 4 gallons of soil in each (underestimated how far the soil would compact may add more later in plant life)

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

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.

 

[Budgrower123howitbe]

Woops

 

[Budgrower123howitbe]

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.

unfortunately I’m using an amended soil, and watering until runoff would cause nutrient loss in the soil, there is also the biological side where I don’t want to mess with the microbiome being started.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

unfortunately I’m using an amended soil, and watering until runoff would cause nutrient loss in the soil, there is also the biological side where I don’t want to mess with the microbiome being started.

I am not suggesting watering to run-off with a plant in the pot! you need to learn how to judge when to water again and a clock or calendar are not going to tell you that. You can learn that by weighing or hefting your pot.

Letting dry spots form in your pot are way more detrimental to the bio-sphere than a little run-off. And you will not lose nutrients that you need in the pot by fertigating to a little run-off in fact I highly recommend fertigating to 10% - 15% run-off every time you fertigate.

 

[Budgrower123howitbe]

I am not suggesting watering to run-off with a plant in the pot! you need to learn how to judge when to water again and a clock or calendar are not going to tell you that. You can learn that by weighing or hefting your pot.

I usually stick my finger in the pot, go down until the soil feels moist, when i feel if its wet at about an inch down, And dry above, I water it, I just want to know how much to water at a time, I make sure that the top layer is at least moist after watering but I don’t water it until an inch of soil feels dry.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Remember that Air-pots are drying from all sides and may dry way faster than the old wet knuckle suggests. Most growers find hefting the pots as a more reliable method.

 

[Budgrower123howitbe]

Remember that Air-pots are drying from all sides and may dry way faster than the old wet knuckle suggests. Most growers find hefting the pots as a more reliable method.

So how will I know if I’m under watering my plant? It looks pretty good so far.

 

[Budgrower123howitbe]

So how will I know if I’m under watering my plant? It looks pretty good so far.

Never mind I already know, but how long will it take to show

 

[Proph]

Woops

This is a super generic "watering" schedule. There are sooo many variables involved that aren't mentioned in that schedule. 1st thing to understand is the difference between "feeding" and "watering".. I don't believe there is a set schedule for either. That's just my opinion. I believe in reading/listening to the plant. It will tell you exactly when to water and when to feed. If you are wondering "how much" to water, then I suggest using the 10% rule.. Which is, 1 gallon of water for every 10 gallons of soil, every other day or so for a teen/adult plant. So a 5 gallon pot would be a half a gallon. But again, there are so many variables.. The plant could be a heavy drinker, or a heavy feeder, and light drinker.. The soil may be cut too much with perlite and not retain water well.. Or, It may not have enough drainage, and retains water for days.. Then there are all the environmental factors.. So there are no set answers with watering/feeding.

At the age your plant is, a cupful every day is fine.. Just water directly underneath the plant in a circle, while making it look like the plant is in the middle of that circle. That way, once the leaves are touching the edges of the pot, you'll be watering the entire pot as well.