Watering once a week??? +rep and pics

Happy Friday RIU! I just got a quick question about watering. I have searched the boards and couldn't find a good answer to my particular situation, so any help will be much appreciated with some +rep

So i have two females in 4-gallon pots under a 6 hour sun/ 8 hour cfl rotation, never moving from the spot they're in using a timer. They are about 35 days from sprout (veg stage) and i am using lava rock as a mulch to slow soil water evaporation. Because of this i have only been having to water about once a week, getting them pretty dry before i give them a big drink. I use a 3 way meter to check soil moisture/pH/lumens and yesterday was my usual watering day. However my meter said they were still fairly moist, even when i checked again today?? I assume it was bc humidity was pretty high in my area all week

So my question is 2 part

a. Is it normal to only have to water about once a week given my pot size and plant age? I am in FF Ocean Forest soil with smaller bits of lava rock for drainage, about 7:1 soil/rock ratio

b. Should i water every Thursday, at least to get them where i like it on my moisture meter, or can i just wait til the meter tells me it is dry??

as of now i am gong to wait til tmrw early in the morning to water bc i got home too late today and it was already dark (dont wanna promote fungus), but it will be 9 days from my prev watering instead of the usual 7 days...thanks again RIU!! Here are the pics i took today for your enjoyment!

Yes it is normal it is a bigger pot. U should know if your pot is light when u pick it up. It will be a lot heaver when u water it takes a lil time to learn. U can also scratch the surface of the soil an inch or so and see if it is dry hope this helps u some

I always wait until it is dry before I water again

Lifting the pot is the best and easiest method I think. It isn't really all that difficult after a few times you'll get the feel for it. The plant is still pretty small once it gets bigger and when the weather gets warmer you will need to water more frequently. The plants looks very healthy so and don't show any obvious signs of over or under watering.

Chemdog1989:7420129 said:

I always wait until it is dry before I water again

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So then it is not necessary to keep a strict watering schedule in your experience? I just read that inconsistent watering attracts pest and weakens plants...but I think it means letting them dry up too much, like for days (happened to a sunflower I forgot about lol)

Thanks for the response definitely helped me out

sonar said:

Lifting the pot is the best and easiest method I think. It isn't really all that difficult after a few times you'll get the feel for it. The plant is still pretty small once it gets bigger and when the weather gets warmer you will need to water more frequently. The plants looks very healthy so and don't show any obvious signs of over or under watering.

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Yea I read about that too...I lift em every day to inspect for bugs and mist them. It is lighter when dry...I just gotta get a feel for it ....I'm learning tho

Don't let it dry out till the point where it wilts but yes it dry out roots breath and if u always water them the roots don't have a chance to get some air ur roots will rot

the rain gods are inconsistant. as the plant gets bigger it will have more of a demand. you are doing the right thing and not over watering

So no +rep