Bottom of Buckets retaining too much water!!!

Ok i need some tips on what i should do. Im using 3 gallon buckets and my plants are about 6 weeks old in the veg stage. My problem is that my soil dries out real easily towards the top of the buckets and towards the bottom they are retaining too much water and the soil is still super moist. I want to feed them but im afraid of getting root rot. What should i do!!?

ive had this same issue..what i did, was took a hacksaw, you can use a box cutter or whatever you need to get through the plastic, then you go around the bottom rim of the pots and cut out 4-1 inch slots like this..
Now keep im mind my soil looks wet because i just watered yesterday.

i wish i could tell you this is the perfect solution but i highly doubt it is. But having 4 of these on each side of my pot along with my drain holes have helped the bottom lose moisture at a better rate none the less

THanks brotha man i will definitly try this out today for sure

Before you hack away at your buckets, you have other options.
In future, when you fill your buckets, put 1" or 2" of stones or clay pellets in the bottom, they help with drainage. For the time being, go buy a few of those "baking cooling racks" and sit your buckets on them with the drip trays underneath. This will allow air into the bottom of the buckets better than a drip tray. Works for me perfectly and I dont need to hack away at perfectly good buckets.
Peace W

i have drilled 4 1inch holes in the base of mine, i get the same problem, i just underwater , so that i dont get ANY run off.

To underwater is to have small yield. Not a good idea. Durring veg, in a three gallon bucket, a two liter every other day is good 'nuff.

agesbuds said:

To underwater is to have small yield. Not a good idea. Durring veg, in a three gallon bucket, a two liter every other day is good 'nuff.

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i dont underwater.

i shoulda said, i water daily to compensate for not watering to the point of flooding the pot and getting run off.

it works for me.