Container sizes for autos

[PuravidaC]

Got some relatively minor issue going on and trying to figure out problem. It appears to be either over watering or wind burn. I have adjusted fans and keeping an eye on soil before watering. Tutorials mention small plants in large containers are susceptible to over watering. I am growing autos in 5 gal fabric pots and have been watering to run off every other day. Pots seem light and top of soil has been dry before watering. I know some here use 5 gal fabric pots for autos and others use 3 gal fabric pots. I would think it would be difficult to over water with a fabric pot but could 5 gal be too big for autos?

[Canuck147]

Probably watering every other day would be the reason they are overwatered.
When your pot is light as a feather dry - then it is time to water.
Drowned plants will not produce any buds.

[PuravidaC]

Got new grow space, new 315 LEC and first time using fabric pots and growing autos. Thought I had this shit figured out but... I was anticipating around 2 oz per plant (Gorilla Glue auto), but may have to lower that expectation after stressing these girls.

[Locrian99]

Watering every other day in a 5 gallon pot seems like a lot to me, I’m in 3 gallon fabric pots and I can go 4 days between watering with photos week 4 of flower. Are you lifting your pots to see if they feel light? Pics of the plants could help.

[PuravidaC]

Yea, I have been lifting pots and thought they were lite enough but I think photo below speaks for itself. Grow and learn...

[Californiakid]

I use 5gal fabric pots to grow autos. But it's usually a few days between watering, it's varies.

When in doubt I use a moister meter.

[PuravidaC]

I have asked Santa for a Lux meter for Christmas. May have to add moisture meter to list!

[Californiakid]

The moister meter helps when the plants get too big to drag out or pick up. But not used regularly, a good tool to have.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Hey PuravidaC, yeah ,I'm with what 147,an 99, said . That's way to soon to be watering in a 5 gallon pot, that's been watered to runoff, 1 time or 2 times a week at the most. It takes a while for a 5 gallon pot to dry out where I live. Pick up your pot when it's bone dry an feel how lite weight it is, pick it up again after you water to runoff, it's alot heavier, then don't water again till it's light weight again. To much watering will slow them down to where they aren't even growing anymore, that's when bad problems start.Let it get bone dry before watering again, at least that's what I would do, lots of people do it differently I reckon.

[PuravidaC]

I thought they were lite when lifted but not feather lite. I have about a half of bag of soil left over and will feel the weight of the bag for a reference. Have new grow space dialed in perfectly and then this!

[Sockfilter]

PVC, you mention soil and you mean soil correct? Not coco? Just making sure, I have been using little 7" plastic square pots that hold about 1.5 gals of coco/perlite and I use 1qt of nutes in each one every 24hrs, that gives me runoff as well, I run about 1pt in between the 24hr full feed (just for flower), but again this is coco and small pot. I just got 5 of the 3 gallon smartpots and am already thinking that due to the water retention and size, I will probably only need to feed every few days, which will be nice for a change..haha

Good Luck..

[PuravidaC]

Yea, Socks. I using FFOF soil. I'm a simple man with simple pleasures so I use soil. Hydro or even coco seems labor intensive compared to soil. I know everyone praises hydro and coco but obviously I have a ways to go just learning growing in soil!! 😁

[Sockfilter]

Nothing wrong with soil or any medium for that matter, as long as it works for you and the girls, that is ALL that matters..

[Tika]

Are you in real soil? Any perlite in it? Or other assistance for draining / oxygen?
i feed every other day in the last weeks of flower. I don’t agree with really dry light weight bit yea..light in weight.
i believe Green75 uses 5 gals for his autos

[PuravidaC]

Yep, FFOF. I have perlite but didn't add any as FFOF has perlite and I thought using fabric pots would provide plenty of drainage. Really jacked about new grow area, able to control environment perfectly and new 315 LEC light, then I make a simple mistake... everytime I think I got this shit figured out I get another helping of humble pie!

[Dutchman1]

I hear ya Pura, I had one picture perfect grow after another and thought I had it all down. Changed my soil a little and all hell breaks loose. Its very humbling but hey, thats how we all learn and get better.

[BlueBudz]

This sounds like too much water to me. Unless your plants are huge or very dry and ventilated. Do you have pics? Info?

[PuravidaC]

I think you guys are right... over watering! I always watered every 2 or 3 days with 5 gal plastic pots and thought top 1 inch of soil (FFOF) was dry enough to water this grow but... again, thought fabric pots would dry faster than a plactic pots. They were growing great until a week ago, then flower started and now they have stopped stretching and are droopy. They are 4 1/2 weeks old now. I'll diffently let them get thirsty before watering again.

[PuravidaC]

Thanks for your help, everyone. When I took photo above, I added a fan to blow directly on fabric pots to help dry. Even though I watered this morning, the bottom of the pots are still soaking wet (pots are on stands) and water drains out easily from bottom of pot when pressed with finger. Feeling like a rookie! 😁

[Locrian99]

I like to lift my plants out of the tent when I water. Gives me a good idea on weight and I can check them out in natural light. Then I empty my saucer before replacing. I’ve found doing this makes me pay more attention to the weight of when they need watered, and I can more easily check them out. If for no other reason just to look lol. Just whatcworks for me. I’m sure they’ll bounce back nicely.

[Tika]

I like SmartPot brand. as I think they are thinner than other brands..maybe poke some holes around the bottom. They are wet indeed.
if you are growing inside/ indoors. I recommend coco/ perlite..my same recommendations as boring as it is
and for outside. With coco/perlite maybe air pots.
Your sausers look wet and shouldn’t be even in coco. Drain totally and remove all drain from environment unless you need humidity
feel free to pm me with any questions
your plants are good the save is on

[PuravidaC]

Thanks Tika. I have my humidity dialed in and have my pots on stands like yours. I didn't think a little water in pan would hurt as pot is not sitting in it but will poke some holes in fabric and keep dry as you recommend. Was trying to figure out how to accelerate drying soil and get back on track asap so thanks again for the tip.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Your gonna be fine, just slowed em down a week or two. I'd much rather have mine wilting, from lack of water which ain't gonna hurt nothin, if you catch it quickly, to overwatering, which is a problem, an can cause even more problems. Everyone overwaters, every now an then, even if they say they don't. Your gonna be fine ,just let em dry first PuravidaC, good luck.

[PuravidaC]

Thanks DAAS. I have never over watered before but I guess I needed a refresher! Makes sense that underwatering is quicker to fix than overwatering! Just hate that it happened just when they were starting to stretch...

[D.A.A.S.69]

It's easy as hell to overwater, it doesn't hurt for them to wilt a little bit, I used to an still grow outdoors in buckets, an most every time I checked on them in the late evening they would be wilting, we could water them an before we would leave they would be looking great again, that quick.
I know it's aggregating as hell, to slow them down, when they are growing so good but, I bet you want do it again, no time soon.
Yours are going to be fine.HappyHolidays

[PuravidaC]

I have seen the instant response when plants are dry and get watered. That is what got me started wondering if I was overwatering. They were droopy last time I watered but didn't respond at all! DUH! Happy Holidays back at you and yours!

[PuravidaC]

The girls continue to limp along... I know you can see almost instant rejuvenation from a plant that has been underwatered but how long should I expect to wait to see improvement from over watering? Going into third day with no water and top inch or two of soil is dry but I will not water yet. Going out today to get a moisture meter. Some have mentioned that overwatering can lead to other problems. Could I have some root rot going on even though I'm growing in soil? Run off is tinted light brown, but with soil I assumed that was normal. Tutorials say that is more common in DWC but can happen in soil. Am I getting too jumpy? If so, just hold my hand a little longer... 😭 I did see some new stretch on one of the girls yesterday and had to raise the other one to keep equal distance to light.

[PuravidaC]

Yea, DAAS. I felt a partial left over bag of my soil to try and gauge what dry weight feels like. I'm just anxious to get girls back on track. Thanks for all your help and support!

[D.A.A.S.69]

Your welcome, it want be long, that they will be growing like a bat out of hell again, autos blow my mind how fast they grow.

[Tika]

Agree with D too and left you a return dissertation in VM

[PuravidaC]

Glad I bought a moisture meter yesterday. Going into 4th day without water I thought for sure they would be thirsty, but meter shows soil on low side of moist. I like getting a hard number on moisture and this will give me a good reference on pot weight when dry, as you guys have suggested. They still haven't returned to vigorous grow yet but I plan to let them dry out at least another 12 to 24 hours before watering. After waterboarding them their whole life I figure they need some air!!!

[D.A.A.S.69]

That sounds like a winner, when you do finally water them when it's dry, just watch how fast they grow again, then don't water again till your pot is lite weight.
You got this, PuravidaC, have fun watching them grow.

[PuravidaC]

Thanks DAAS. I have been giving them 1 gal each, in 5 gal fabric pots, to get about 10%, or so, runoff. Thinking about giving them 1/2 or 3/4 gal for next watering, with a little blackstrap molasses (it's Christmas!)... I don't think I should soak them next watering after what they've been through!!

[BlueBudz]

That’s the ticket! Let’s see how they look!📸

[PuravidaC]

For what it's worth.... watered girls this morning. 4 days+ since last time. Man was I ever giving them too much! Added blackstrap molasses and a little silica I had laying around. Silica is supposed to be good for cell structure development and stress. Figured girls could use a little bump. They are still looking puny but hope to see a little pick-me-up after watering. Will post photos when they get a little color in their cheeks...

[Cronk]

I did the same thing for the first 2.5 weeks. I thought I'd screwed them up for good. they came back strong and fast. DAAS told me the same thing and was right. bone dry and light. It;s tempting to jump the gun and water again to get nutes in there. I have to stop myself. I water about every 5 days to once a week now.

[PuravidaC]

I hear ya on the nutrients. Have only given them one dose, 1/2 strength Big Bloom, their whole life. Hoping FFOF will hold them over a little longer. My overwatering didn't show any signs until week 4, right when they began stretch. I'm fairly certain it will effect yield but we will see. Dying to give them some BB and TB, but trying to be patient!

[PuravidaC]

I don't know, gang. The girls don't appear to be making a strong come back yet, at least they aren't showing the same vigor as past grows. Let containers dry out good before watering yesterday. Maybe I'm expecting too much too soon but leaves are still droopy... Have only fed once and that was 1/2 strength big bloom only. Could they be hungry (FFOF soil)? Had lights at 18" but just raised to 20" tonight to see if that makes a difference. I asked Santa for a LUX meter so in a few more days I hope to be able to measure light levels on new 315.

[BlueBudz]

I have left a plant I thought needed water for days just trying to see it wilt or “ask”for water but in my conditions 17°-20°c night 20°-26°c day and 40-50%rh it didn’t happen. I have a ton of air movement through exhaust fan and a 6” in the tent. Can’t keep RH above 50% even with humidifier. Just trying to give you some insight on my setup and how hard it is for me to underwater. I would almost have to try to underwater.

[PuravidaC]

Thanks DAAS, this is my first grow with 315 and trying to get everything figured out with new grow space. I have yielded 6 oz per photo plant with CFL grows so my expectations for 315 may have been overly optimistic. Otherwise I'm really pleased with how I can control environment in grow space, if I can just figure out watering these smart pots!

[PuravidaC]

No worries, Blue! I appreciate your input. I know I'm splitting hairs but I watered the morning of the 14th and didn't water again until the evening of the 18th, so about 4 1/2 days between watering. I did get a moisture meter and it showed soil "dry" in several areas before I watered on the 18th. Growing autos for the first time and all I have read is don't stress them because of short grow period. Well... 😅