How much to water 5 gallon pots?

Back again with another silly question.

So I transplanted my girls into 5 gallon pots about 3-4 day's ago, I fed them for the second time yesterday (~2L each) and today, only 12 hours later they are pretty dry already.

I don't want to start overwatering but I also don't get why they would dry out so fast (maybe just really REALLY thirsty girls?) and don't want to underwater them too if they really drink this much.

I can't be watering them twice a day throughout the grow (they arent even in flowering yet).

They are in 70/30 coco/perlite. They came from 1gallon pots that were same 70/30 coco perlite and those only needed watering every 2-3 days. I am confused ....

guitarguy10 said:

Back again with another silly question.

So I transplanted my girls into 5 gallon pots about 3-4 day's ago, I fed them for the second time yesterday (~2L each) and today, only 12 hours later they are pretty dry already.

I don't want to start overwatering but I also don't get why they would dry out so fast (maybe just really REALLY thirsty girls?) and don't want to underwater them too if they really drink this much.

I can't be watering them twice a day throughout the grow (they arent even in flowering yet).

They are in 70/30 coco/perlite. They came from 1gallon pots that were same 70/30 coco perlite and those only needed watering every 2-3 days. I am confused ....

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Check the weight of the plant and container dry. Do this when you transplant. Get a decent feel for the weight. When it starts getting close to that weight and the plant is showing it’s thirsty water slowly covering the entire surface allowing it to penetrate. If you don’t get some runoff then give it more until you do. Then leave it alone. Check the weight in a day. Use long skewers regularly to penetrate all the way to the bottom for aeration and better water penetration. Coco doesn’t retain fluids and neither does perlite. The perlite is for aeration.

Are you using fabric pots, because those dry out twice as fast.

Another idea is your not giving them enough water when you water. 2 liters isn't much in a 5 gal pot. I agree with hotrodharley to give it enough till you see a little runoff.

5 gallon pot with soil should get about 1.25 gallons per watering to get 15 - 20 percent runoff. How often depends on plant size, temp, humidity and lighting strength. Coco is probably close, maybe a little less water before runoff, and you can water sooner because you don't need to let it dry out as much as soil.

Yes they are fabric pots. I have been trying to feed them just enough to runoff right now because I don't really have a good way of dealing with removing run-off atm but I am trying to come up with something maybe just the lid of a square plastic tote bin as a tray with a hole drilled in it. I don't know but dealing with run-off in my small closet tent is an issue im still trying to figure out how to deal with

You can grab some plastic saucers from the grow store, those work ok. You can empty them with a shop vac lol. A trick for future grows, use two 5 gallon buckets for a plant site. The bottom bucket gets a grommet and a barbed fitting, connect a hose and run this to a drain, larger hose is better so it won't clog but if you use 1/2" hose you can always blow the clog out. The top bucket gets a bunch of 3/8" holes in the bottom to allow water to drain from the soil, maybe toss some expanded clay pellets in first for drainage but I just go straight to the soil and it works good for me. Set the top bucket in the bottom bucket. Now it's water tight so you don't have open standing water for fungus gnats to breed in. This works great if you have a floor drain or if you are on a second story and can just drill a hole in the floor and run the drain line down to a lower level drain. You can also just suck the water out of the hose with a shop vac about 20 minutes after watering if no drain is available.

Thats a pretty good idea with the pots inside of each other, will try that next time.

I guess it's time to invest in a shop-vac, when I get some money that is .. challenging growing weed for my disability but better then paying big pharma companies.

Im not sure where the idea of coco not retaining water came from because coco can hold 1000% times its weight in water.
Its incredible at retaining water and nutrients.

You need to water slowly in cloth pots.
It takes me between 3 and 6 litre to water a 5gal cloth pot.

You will end up with a salt build up if you don't water to run off unless you are using really low ec.

Your tent should have a water proof drip tray with it, just prop your pots on something like a saucer upside down and sling a big towel down to soak up the run off. Then rinse the towel and let it dry.

guitarguy10 said:

Thats a pretty good idea with the pots inside of each other, will try that next time.

I guess it's time to invest in a shop-vac, when I get some money that is .. challenging growing weed for my disability but better then paying big pharma companies.

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You can just buy a hand pump or very very large syringe to suck it up.
Or if you can fit in a tomato tray you can use a tiny aquarium pump.

guitarguy10 said:

Back again with another silly question.

So I transplanted my girls into 5 gallon pots about 3-4 day's ago, I fed them for the second time yesterday (~2L each) and today, only 12 hours later they are pretty dry already.

I don't want to start overwatering but I also don't get why they would dry out so fast (maybe just really REALLY thirsty girls?) and don't want to underwater them too if they really drink this much.

I can't be watering them twice a day throughout the grow (they arent even in flowering yet).

They are in 70/30 coco/perlite. They came from 1gallon pots that were same 70/30 coco perlite and those only needed watering every 2-3 days. I am confused ....

Click to expand...

I have 10 gal and water every third day with 2 gal to each 10. Please like and sub my yt and I b glad to help u on there anytime

guitarguy10 said:

Back again with another silly question.

So I transplanted my girls into 5 gallon pots about 3-4 day's ago, I fed them for the second time yesterday (~2L each) and today, only 12 hours later they are pretty dry already.

I don't want to start overwatering but I also don't get why they would dry out so fast (maybe just really REALLY thirsty girls?) and don't want to underwater them too if they really drink this much.

I can't be watering them twice a day throughout the grow (they arent even in flowering yet).

They are in 70/30 coco/perlite. They came from 1gallon pots that were same 70/30 coco perlite and those only needed watering every 2-3 days. I am confused ....

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My name on yt is same as here minus the _

Retardid_greenthumb said:

My name on yt is same as here minus the _

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Uh, I don't care what your youtube username is.

I know it's a pain in the ass, but I use my Ridgid shop vac to suck my runoff water off. Then I have to take it outside to drain it, but it try to pour it on my outside garden area. And I was really impressed with the fabric pots I was using, but I think they dry out even faster being in a low humidity environment like CO, and I don't want to water that much. Right now I have to water every 3 days even though I'm using 15 gal plastic pots, but my Rh is usually around 10-20% in my closet.

guitarguy10 said:

Uh, I don't care what your youtube username is.

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So what someone else might

PadawanWarrior said:

I know it's a pain in the ass, but I use my Ridgid shop vac to suck my runoff water off. Then I have to take it outside to drain it, but it try to pour it on my outside garden area. And I was really impressed with the fabric pots I was using, but I think they dry out even faster being in a low humidity environment like CO, and I don't want to water that much. Right now I have to water every 3 days even though I'm using 15 gal plastic pots, but my Rh is usually around 10-20% in my closet.

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Ur not a pain bro u tryin to learn...watch out for the douche bags on here that just talk trash

PadawanWarrior said:

I know it's a pain in the ass, but I use my Ridgid shop vac to suck my runoff water off. Then I have to take it outside to drain it, but it try to pour it on my outside garden area. And I was really impressed with the fabric pots I was using, but I think they dry out even faster being in a low humidity environment like CO, and I don't want to water that much. Right now I have to water every 3 days even though I'm using 15 gal plastic pots, but my Rh is usually around 10-20% in my closet.

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There are some cheap portable/automobile shop vacs like this one, I might just invest in one: https://www.amazon.ca/Cleaner-Automotive-Portable-Handheld-8-2Feet/dp/B07FCHRBWX/ref=sr_1_38?keywords=shop+vac&qid=1558423819&rnid=5264023011&s=hi&sr=1-38

Maybe I'll just put some trays upside down with some holes drilled in them with the pots on top so that they are elevated and then just try and remove the runoff from the the tents drip tray (which is waterproof but it's not rigid which I don't like).

@Retardid_greenthumb why not make your own thread then? Why hijack my thread to advertise yourself?

What the f are you talking about Retardid? Did you not read what the f I just said. I didn't say guitarguy is a pain in the ass. I said that having to get out the shop vac and suck out water, then take it outside and dump it is a pain in the ass. I'm trying to help him out her. So who's the Douche Bag?

guitarguy10 said:

There are some cheap portable/automobile shop vacs like this one, I might just invest in one: https://www.amazon.ca/Cleaner-Automotive-Portable-Handheld-8-2Feet/dp/B07FCHRBWX/ref=sr_1_38?keywords=shop+vac&qid=1558423819&rnid=5264023011&s=hi&sr=1-38

Maybe I'll just put some trays upside down with some holes drilled in them with the pots on top so that they are elevated and then just try and remove the runoff from the the tents drip tray (which is waterproof but it's not rigid which I don't like).

@Retardid_greenthumb why not make your own thread then? Why hijack my thread to advertise yourself?

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Shit im just tryin get u on my yt. I'm on there much more than on here. Plus yt is much better place to learn. At least for me. Great channels.

PadawanWarrior said:

What the f are you talking about Retardid? Did you not read what the f I just said. I didn't say guitarguy is a pain in the ass. I said that having to get out the shop vac and suck out water, then take it outside and dump it is a pain in the ass. I'm trying to help him out her. So who's the Douche Bag?

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I misunderstood homie lol... sorry guys