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HELP! Watering Smart Pots

J

Jennykush

New member
Hello there! I am using 5 gal smart pots in a 5x5 tent and I was wondering what the best way to water them would be? And how much run off do they need?
 
Using your vessel of choice - add pH balanced water between 5.5 - 6.5 preferably 6.0 to your pot.
Runoff should be about 10%.
Personally, I water my plants in my kitchen sink.
 
I agree with Canuck for the most part,I would add,water smart pots slowly so that u don’t miss any dry spots and I always water to 20% runoff. Lol
 
I’ve been debating on going to watering just barely to run off on the nutrient waterings and doing 20% on the plain ph’d water in soil. If the idea of the run off is to wash out the extra salts, I’d think that would work.
 
If your Coco is mixed with a good amount of perlite, I recommend that you water everyday until about 20% run off. You do not need to wait for the coco to dry, this is the main advantage of using coco. Water every day alternating nutes with plain+Cal/Mag. Always pH adjust all your water to about 6.0 (5.8 is ideal).
 
Locrian99 I agree with your theory and basically practice it. Run-off is more important on non-nute waterings, but I always make sure there is a least a trickle with nutes.
 
Well, that depends on a lot of other factors. But I can give you an idea
I have 7 gallon bags with about 5.5 gallons of Coco/Perlite. I give each about 1 quart per daily watering in Veg and about 25-50% more in Flower.
The biggest factors that would affect this are Relative Humidity, lights, and the size/age/phase of the plants. When I am able to get my RH down in the 30s I need to add even more water and do a secondary daily watering. Never did that during Veg when I was keeping RH close to 50. The most I have had to give a plant in a day is 1/2 gallon across two waterings, and it was probably more than needed.
 
Add all your nutes and then ph. You should add cal mag first then your nutes. Then adjust. Sometimes you get lucky and your nutes will put you in range.
 
Do you use armor si 99? I usually add that first then my calmag. I'm in seven gallon pots waterings are taking up to 2 gallons or more to achieve 10-20 percent run off. Which comes out to about 2 quarts. In flower now so about every 2-3 days is when I do the lift test and knuckle test. I need to make a better run off system maybe a pump to take run off out of the drip pan or just water in my tub lol. Just don't want to take plants in and out they're too big. And getting rid of waste water is one of my biggest pains.
 
I take mine out every watering too in five gallon pots I need 6-7 quarts to get the desired run off. It’s kind of a pain, I don’t really see a better way for my set up I might go back to 3 gallon pots for future grows as with 4-6 plants I’m already going to end up with way more than the wife and I can go through between harvests. Just the pots being lighter would make it easier.
 
Locrian99 my plants are just way too big to be moving around a whole lot. I have small metal baskets and an old Pepsi crate that they sit on and saucers under the crates to catch run off then just dump that in my waste bucket seems easier then moving them around risking breaking a branch or dropping them or something stupid.
 
Chefbjy yep I’m wondering how I’m going to be doing this when they are done with the stretch I still have 2 more weeks of veg been thinking of so ideas so I can water them in place better. I like taking them out for LST and scoping them out under a regular light. And what camp said on the silica even my raw silica I’m using says to add it first from what I’ve seen fox farms doesn’t have a silica nutrient.
 
Locrian99 Just M2c, Plants really don't like being moved around too much, so if you can find a way to water in place that would probably be best - and in the long run easier.
 
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