Best ways to keep soil moist for longer and less troublesome watering

mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
I am a guerilla grower and watering every second day really sucks and risky when u are growing mj outdoors.. I heard peat moss, mulch, sponges, water crystals, stones helps to keep soil moist.. Do you guys have any other tricks to keep soil moist for longer..?
Its tym to open ur secrets ;-)
 
RockstarEnergy

RockstarEnergy

Well-Known Member
mr.india said:
What type of mulch is best for keeping soil moist ? Anyone ?
Click to expand...
i would use cedar mulch because its also got natural insect repelling properties. you could try those aqua globe things, i've been thinking about getting a couple for each plant and spray painting them brown or something.

i have also read that if you drive a stake into the ground near the root system and water throught the hole, the water gets to the roots faster and stays moist longer. instead on watering on top and having it seep down into the soil, it goes straight to the roots. i've never done it tho.
 
C

Chromey

Member
My wife uses Diapers in here Flower pots... They Break down(enviro peeps) But retain water for longer times...
With that said, Ive never tryed so your resaults may vary.
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
RockstarEnergy said:
i would use cedar mulch because its also got natural insect repelling properties. you could try those aqua globe things, i've been thinking about getting a couple for each plant and spray painting them brown or something.
Click to expand...
i am planning to use handful of polymer water crystals and 30% manure in soil. Another thing i will place 2-3 pages of newspaper on the soil and then dump 3 inches of mulch on it and then some small stones on the mulch.. I ll tell u how dis worked in few days..
 
norm666420

norm666420

Member
hey bro i live in arizona and its dry as hell and i learned a trick from the creator of the blueberry strain he used silica crystals the same stuff thats in diapers and it works excellent they also hold nutrients so they will gradually release the nutes. hope i was some help!
 
tigerblowztreez

tigerblowztreez

Active Member
interesting, i also live in az and was thinking about doin 1 outdoor plant. what do you do for yours as far as when to plant or move outside and watering schedules?
 
S

shizz

Well-Known Member
baby plants i water all the time for the first few weeks. iv been thinking about doing a video on this just havent had to do it my spot are done already. i do a few differnt things. one of the easiest is to dig 5 inchs down. 3 feet around ur plant so you have a big bowl. i fill this with saw dust and then turn it under. i then place a old towel or carpet over the area. i like to fill back in with dirt i took out then. i also will place rocks around them to shade the ground even more. also plant ur plant as deep as you can. very important. you have 3 5 inches of soil above towel. it will hold heat in. if the sun gets to hot. i also like to make tepees out of sticks and cover them with burlap. just one layer to shade them for a few days. with bigger plants. i dig large holes as deep as i can. u can use anything pet bedding for hamsters, lint from drier, diapers, cat liter, old pillows. all in moderation. fill the hole and mix in some nice soil. fill the top of the hole top 5 inchs. with anything that will trap moister in. but breathable. like carpet towels weed barrier rocks mulch. you take five gallon bucket drill one hole in it on the bottom off to one side. quarter inch. get four litter soda bottels drill or get a small finish nail the smaller the better or even a safty pin. heat it up witha lighter and push it threw the cap makeing a very small hole. fill them with water put them in the bucket upside down. four off them will just about fill the bucket i like to use a smaller soda bottel and place it in the middle to snug them up. they will gush water out at first but they will slow down. place the bucket next to ur plant hole as close as you can get it. on eastern side of ur plant. this will give it some shade in the after noon sun. place lid on bucket or the sun will heat up the water. i drill holes in the lid to let heat out. the hotter it gets the faster the water comes out. i always put one at my house in the yard. when its empty then you now its empty in the field. you can aslo get a drip for a bucket. but im poor
 
veggiegardener

veggiegardener

Well-Known Member
The only real secret is to mulch HEAVILY. Any organic matter will do, but the best is grass clippings because it arrives with enough Nitrogen to help bacteria break it down. If you use dead leaves or grass gathered near your grow, be aware that they consume more Nitrogen, and feed accordingly. I place a minimum of six inches of mulch in all my garden beds, whether Cannabis or veggies.

Sawdust holds moisture but can be difficult to use, because it takes a LOT of Nitrogen to break it down, and will rob your plants of needed nutrients.
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
norm666420 said:
hey bro i live in arizona and its dry as hell and i learned a trick from the creator of the blueberry strain he used silica crystals the same stuff thats in diapers and it works excellent they also hold nutrients so they will gradually release the nutes. hope i was some help!
Click to expand...
silica crystals better than polymer crystals?
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
tigerblowztreez said:
interesting, i also live in az and was thinking about doin 1 outdoor plant. what do you do for yours as far as when to plant or move outside and watering schedules?
Click to expand...
don't move ur baby plants till 20-25 days cos seedling needs regular watering and are very delicate.. Start hardening off ur plant when they are 10days old till 25th day and don't use fertilizer when u are transplanting till 5days.. Hope this help!
 
veggiegardener

veggiegardener

Well-Known Member
mr.india said:
silica crystals better than polymer crystals?
Click to expand...

I think we're talking about the same thing.

I tried those when first marketed(over 25 years ago). In reality, they hold water about as long as the dirt around them. Organic matter(compost, etc) will do a much better job.
 
veggiegardener

veggiegardener

Well-Known Member
Please take a look on page #38 of my grow journal for a killer transplanting method.

Trauma free and the plants usually get a growth spurt soon after.
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
shizz said:
baby plants i water all the time for the first few weeks. iv been thinking about doing a video on this just havent had to do it my spot are done already. i do a few differnt things. one of the easiest is to dig 5 inchs down. 3 feet around ur plant so you have a big bowl. i fill this with saw dust and then turn it under. i then place a old towel or carpet over the area. i like to fill back in with dirt i took out then. i also will place rocks around them to shade the ground even more. also plant ur plant as deep as you can. very important. you have 3 5 inches of soil above towel. it will hold heat in. if the sun gets to hot. i also like to make tepees out of sticks and cover them with burlap. just one layer to shade them for a few days. with bigger plants. i dig large holes as deep as i can. u can use anything pet bedding for hamsters, lint from drier, diapers, cat liter, old pillows. all in moderation. fill the hole and mix in some nice soil. fill the top of the hole top 5 inchs. with anything that will trap moister in. but breathable. like carpet towels weed barrier rocks mulch. you take five gallon bucket drill one hole in it on the bottom off to one side. quarter inch. get four litter soda bottels drill or get a small finish nail the smaller the better or even a safty pin. heat it up witha lighter and push it threw the cap makeing a very small hole. fill them with water put them in the bucket upside down. four off them will just about fill the bucket i like to use a smaller soda bottel and place it in the middle to snug them up. they will gush water out at first but they will slow down. place the bucket next to ur plant hole as close as you can get it. on eastern side of ur plant. this will give it some shade in the after noon sun. place lid on bucket or the sun will heat up the water. i drill holes in the lid to let heat out. the hotter it gets the faster the water comes out. i always put one at my house in the yard. when its empty then you now its empty in the field. you can aslo get a drip for a bucket. but im poor
Click to expand...
i like ur tip " dig it large " it will really help..
But won't napkins and diapers will make plants suffocate?
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
veggiegardener said:
The only real secret is to mulch HEAVILY. Any organic matter will do, but the best is grass clippings because it arrives with enough Nitrogen to help bacteria break it down. If you use dead leaves or grass gathered near your grow, be aware that they consume more Nitrogen, and feed accordingly. I place a minimum of six inches of mulch in all my garden beds, whether Cannabis or veggies.

Sawdust holds moisture but can be difficult to use, because it takes a LOT of Nitrogen to break it down, and will rob your plants of needed nutrients.
Click to expand...
do u use dry grass clippings or fresh one ? Can i use small weed plants as mulch ? as there are many wild weeds around my place
 
mr.india

mr.india

Active Member
veggiegardener said:
I think we're talking about the same thing.

I tried those when first marketed(over 25 years ago). In reality, they hold water about as long as the dirt around them. Organic matter(compost, etc) will do a much better job.
Click to expand...
i m planning to use both.. because i m a guerilla grower.. Thnx alot bro
 
stickyikkigreen

stickyikkigreen

Active Member
I also grow and live in Arizona, where is nice and dry all the time. i usually buy a big bail of straw and it makes perfect multching. water it and no matter how hot the sun is or windy it is. the straw says nice and moist for 3-4 days :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top