Watering while on vacation, I could use some advice again please....

TheRuiner

TheRuiner

Well-Known Member
Here the deal RIT'ers:
Going on a trip that will leave my away from my plants for 4 days - morning to night, a full 4 days. I've been watering my plants everyday lately. I think that they could go two days and be just fine but I know on the third day that the dirt they are in is going to get bone dry and they are going to start suffering. If this was only a three day trip I would just let them suffer for a few hours and come strait home and water them, but this being one more day then that I'm going to have to come up with a way to water them on the third day. They are still babies (2 that are 3 weeks old, and one that just germed) so they aren't going to be as forgiving as a more established plant. If they were in 5 gallon pots already I'd just soak the hell out of them and let them go 4 days but it's just not gonna work the way they are now. I know there must be a automated solution, I'll by a new timer (down to the minute) and a pump if I have too, I just need to know what advice all you MacGyver potheads have for me? I'm all ears, or eyes, i guess....
 
Little Tommy

Little Tommy

Well-Known Member
There is a company that makes a piece that you fill with water and poke into the soil and it releases water gradually as needed. I have seen them on this site and they are not much money. They look like a ball with a point at one end that goes in the soil.
 
TheRuiner

TheRuiner

Well-Known Member
Little Tommy said:
There is a company that makes a piece that you fill with water and poke into the soil and it releases water gradually as needed. I have seen them on this site and they are not much money. They look like a ball with a point at one end that goes in the soil.
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I think I've heard of this thing... will it do the trick without causing me another issues besides needing to water the gals? It doesn't over water them by chance does it?
 
N

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
Dude, your plants are only 3 weeks old and you water them every day? A proper grow should not need more than one watering a week at this early of a stage. Its either too hot or too dry or your pots are far too small. Either that or this is all kinda new to you and you are over watering them.
 
TheRuiner

TheRuiner

Well-Known Member
NoDrama said:
Dude, your plants are only 3 weeks old and you water them every day? A proper grow should not need more than one watering a week at this early of a stage. Its either too hot or too dry or your pots are far too small. Either that or this is all kinda new to you and you are over watering them.
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Well I'm in a very hot place (even with some climate control), so that dries the dirt out, the pots aren't the pots they are going to flower in so they aren't that big - yet, and yes, growing indoors is new to me but I am not over watering them, just watering based on the plants and the dirt... giving them what they want.... (though maybe watering too often, perhaps I need to water more at one time, less often)

This is what I found though so I will take your flaming/advice (j/k) and re-pot them before I leave and also use this in case I end up gone longer than I thought, or if any other trips longer than that come up.... thx
 
TheRuiner

TheRuiner

Well-Known Member
TheRuiner said:
Well I'm in a very hot place (even with some climate control), so that dries the dirt out, the pots aren't the pots they are going to flower in so they aren't that big - yet, and yes, growing indoors is new to me but I am not over watering them, just watering based on the plants and the dirt... giving them what they want.... (though maybe watering too often, perhaps I need to water more at one time, less often)

This is what I found though so I will take your flaming/advice (j/k) and re-pot them before I leave and also use this in case I end up gone longer than I thought, or if any other trips longer than that come up.... thx
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Not sure why the link in my last post is not going to the product so I'll just fix it HERE. this is what I used and it worked great, I even left the things stuck in the dirt in case I'd need them again. I used 20oz bottles.
 
Little Tommy

Little Tommy

Well-Known Member
Watering well goes a long way towards healthy plants. I usually water until the water is running out the bottom of the container and then wait until the pots are light before watering/feeding again.
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
TheRuiner said:
Not sure why the link in my last post is not going to the product so I'll just fix it HERE. this is what I used and it worked great, I even left the things stuck in the dirt in case I'd need them again. I used 20oz bottles.
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I've used those too but honestly you should be able to go four days without watering. How about transplanting early?
 
purplehazin

purplehazin

Well-Known Member
RastaMonsta said:
my temps are high, i think a lil water for them everyday is needed
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It's better for the roots if the soil gets mostly dry before you water again. Daily watering can actually harm the roots by not allowing them proper air circulation. I water every other day when the soil is dry 3 inches down and the pot feel light. My plants are growing in 90F and 3 Gal pots.
 
TheRuiner

TheRuiner

Well-Known Member
Little Tommy said:
I am still not seeing the link to the product you used.
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wtf? It's called a plant nanny, and it is basically a way to stick a bottle (12oz up to a liter) into the dirt and the plant draws water from it as the dirt around the insert dries out. The package said it was the best way to water, go figure :)
Uncle Ben said once not to let your dirt get totally dry before watering, and since the plant is getting watered when it is basically asking for more with these things, it just makes me wonder how well these might do over a whole grow. Bad thing is all you can do is strait water, I splashed some nutes on/in this thing and it frosted over once it dried with all salts from it.

desertrat said:
I've used those too but honestly you should be able to go four days without watering. How about transplanting early?
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Your right, I should've been able too. The answer to my problem was to just go ahead and up pot them and give them a good watering, they would've been fine 4 days. (the plant nannies were just over kill) Thanks for the help, I'm just getting the hang of watering indoors... it's working out to be every 3-4 days and every other one is a feed/water, my last plain water I put molasses in...

purplehazin said:
Yeah I have the same problem coming up; leaving for 9 days. As of now the plants can go 3 days before they need water. So I found this: http://www.smarthome.com/31102W/14-Plant-Watering-System-White-MM41425-White-Blue/p.aspx

Would that work? I wish the resevoir was bigger...
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Now that's pretty cool! I think I ran across that too, i just went the slightly cheaper and also usable outside route. :)
 
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