Soil aeration - How much is too much?

[LoVeSeNsI]

I'm moving on to an indoor grow since my outside grow is coming to an end. already got the grow cupboard (closet) planned down to the last detail, but am now thinking about methods.

Soil aeration is one of those I would like to explore, but how much is too much?

 

[gangjababy]

If you use over 50% perlite then I would consider it a hydroponic mix. You will just have to water more frequently with increased aeration. I use 30 to 40% perlite in my mix.

 

[LoVeSeNsI]

If you use over 50% perlite then I would consider it a hydroponic mix. You will just have to water more frequently with increased aeration. I use 30 to 40% perlite in my mix.

I've got a bag of that in the shed. Didn't want to use it on the first grow, just in case it was contaminated.

I was thinking more along the lines of a physical air injection into the soil? is there any such method?

 

[gangjababy]

just add some perlite, you don't want to grow in mud!

 

[T.H.Cammo]

I was thinking more along the lines of a physical air injection into the soil? is there any such method?

Yeah! It's called "Occasional Watering". It works like this:

1. Wait untill the soil is almost completly dry. You have to acquire the knack for this, you can judge it something like this: wait till the pot feels "very light" (but not so light that the plant starts to wilt). Go ahead and let it wilt "a little" the first time - so you will know how dry is too dry! Get to know the "heft" of your pots - as long as they are carrying some "weight" they are not dried out!

2. Then slowly add water, a little bit at a time (let it soak in, in between squirts) untill it wont take any more and a small amount has leaked out of the drain holes. I usually "mist" the soil surface first with water to get a more even penetration. The whole idea is to get all the water soaking down though the soil evenly, without any "channeling" or dry spots.

3. This way, the water acts like a piston. It fills up all the airspaces in the soil and pushes the old air out through the drain holes. As the water soaks it's way down, it pulls fresh "new" air in behind it. This is where the Oxygen comes from. As the water evaporates and is absorbed, it is replaced by more "fresh" air untill the whole process repeats itself.

 

[LoVeSeNsI]

Yeah! It's called "Occasional Watering". It works like this:

1. Wait untill the soil is almost completly dry. You have to acquire the knack for this, you can judge it something like this: wait till the pot feels "very light" (but not so light that the plant starts to wilt). Go ahead and let it wilt "a little" the first time - so you will know how dry is too dry! Get to know the "heft" of your pots - as long as they are carrying some "weight" they are not dried out!

2. Then slowly add water, a little bit at a time (let it soak in, in between squirts) untill it wont take any more and a small amount has leaked out of the drain holes. I usually "mist" the soil surface first with water to get a more even penetration. The whole idea is to get all the water soaking down though the soil evenly, without any "channeling" or dry spots.

3. This way, the water acts like a piston. It fills up all the airspaces in the soil and pushes the old air out through the drain holes. As the water soaks it's way down, it pulls fresh "new" air in behind it. This is where the Oxygen comes from. As the water evaporates and is absorbed, it is replaced by more "fresh" air untill the whole process repeats itself.

Cool, very informative. I know exactly what you mean about the drying out. You have to leave it to a point where it gets a waxy coating on the surface which stops the water soaking in straight away.

 

[CaliMedicated]

Yeah! It's called "Occasional Watering". It works like this:

1. Wait untill the soil is almost completly dry. You have to acquire the knack for this, you can judge it something like this: wait till the pot feels "very light" (but not so light that the plant starts to wilt). Go ahead and let it wilt "a little" the first time - so you will know how dry is too dry! Get to know the "heft" of your pots - as long as they are carrying some "weight" they are not dried out!

2. Then slowly add water, a little bit at a time (let it soak in, in between squirts) untill it wont take any more and a small amount has leaked out of the drain holes. I usually "mist" the soil surface first with water to get a more even penetration. The whole idea is to get all the water soaking down though the soil evenly, without any "channeling" or dry spots.

3. This way, the water acts like a piston. It fills up all the airspaces in the soil and pushes the old air out through the drain holes. As the water soaks it's way down, it pulls fresh "new" air in behind it. This is where the Oxygen comes from. As the water evaporates and is absorbed, it is replaced by more "fresh" air untill the whole process repeats itself.

this is my technique for the most part. sometimes ill let it dry out longer than other times. if its close to being all dried up an dits times for nutes ill add a little so it gets its nutes, but its not over watered. in between feeding ill let it dry out, like above