How much water do YOU give soil in 5 gallon pots?

instg8ter

Well-Known Member
Let the plant tell you when to water. To much water causes problems just as to little water does too. Pick up your pots,if they feel light give them water. Also it's good to give about a liter of water,let that settle into the medium for 30min then water again till 20-30% run off. Pre watering a little helps the medium absorb water better so you waste less and spend less.


Keep those thumbs green and your minds open

Breeder
Right on the money after you have watered twice you should know exactly how much they take. Run wet to dry cycles. And watch the new growth fan leafs. Praying (one the edge of hot). Just above level (sweet spot, they shouldnt droop until they are too dry. stay with same amount of water and when they get hungrier in flower adjust feeding schedule not amount.

Happy

Water me!
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bigmikey86

Well-Known Member
I run 5 gallon fabric pots and I advise against anyone using synthetic nutes to use less than 6L of water (1.5 Gal). I feed full strength, every watering and do 8-10L per pot while in flower to ensure solid run off. If you use less than 6L, you will have issues if you’re feeding heavy consistently. I know everyone has their methods, what works for some, may not work for other. Works damn well for me tho.

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Jamk911

Active Member
God damn was just perusing the site and saw a guy say he gives his plants 5 gallons a day sometimes

Holy smokes.. how big are they?! Mine are 7 feet tall taking 1.5gal tops a week lol
 

Caliverner

Well-Known Member
I run 5 gallon fabric pots and I advise against anyone using synthetic nutes to use less than 6L of water (1.5 Gal). I feed full strength, every watering and do 8-10L per pot while in flower to ensure solid run off. If you use less than 6L, you will have issues if you’re feeding heavy consistently. I know everyone has their methods, what works for some, may not work for other. Works damn well for me tho.

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Lay off the nutes
 

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jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Depends on the Temperature, MEDIUM, the plant, the stage of the plants growth, and size of the plant. Some use more water than others, though if Im looking for a mother plant, I do look for plants that use the most water, as they are usually the most vigorous.

Generally I if a plant is really using lot of water, and is a 5 gallon container, Ill water it with a gallon, to a gallon, and a half of water every 2.5-3.5 days. Around 20% of the soil volume, though dont forget, most plastic 5 gallon containers only hold 3.8 gallons of soil. I also put as much soil as possible into the container. My medium is Promix BX

To keep it simple I use 2 methods to determine if the plants need water, or not.

I get a cheap Moisture-PH-Light Meter from Lowes, and use the Moisture Function.

Ill take reading from at least 8 points.

4 readings taken from the top of the soil, then 4 points in the drainage holes I have down lower on the sides of the container.

I NEVER let the plant get below really Low Moist on the meter. NEVER EVER to the DRY LINE. Always just a Hair above.
If your plants get to dry, it will concentrate the fertilizer salts, and then when you water again, it will release the concentrated dry solids, and burn the plants, and will be made worse if fertilized at the same time.

I also use the Pick the Pot Up Method, or I use both methods , but really the Meter is fool proof. Ive been using a Meter like this for 40 years.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
3-5 gallons of water for one plant? Cmon now
Heres how we water our plants with 4 gallons of water, every 3.5 days, in 20 gallons of Promix BX. We also feed at 10%-40% strength feedings every watering, depending on stage of growth.

It will only require this amount of water for about 3.5-4 weeks. Max. Its not like they use that much from seedling on.

Also this is at 80f-84f, with fans blowing 24/7 regardless if the lights are on, or off. A good Breeze is always blowing. This also makes stronger stems. I also Shake my plants pretty good on to stimulate them, and create stress. Makes bigger, and stronger Stalk, and side branching. I also bend around on the side branching, but again, dont muck with the tip

#1 you have to find a strain that is capable of becoming a large plant, that grows fast, uses all the Water, Food, Grow Medium, and LIGHT possible, and you have to find a phenotype that meets a criteria for production, and potency. Not all plants from the same strain can succeed either.

For us, we wont use a strain that wont produce at LEAST 1lb per 1000w Hortilux HPS in a 4 x 4 area, and that is minimum. And it is also based on a Maximum Seedling/Clone veg time to flowering time. Most any plant can be vegged, and traind enough to produce a good bit, but doing so in a certain time period is another animal. Thats why I dont pay attention to grams per watt. More to it than that. IMO anyway.

#2 the strain must be able to grow fast enough from seed, or rooted clone-70 days veg under 1000w Hortilux, and no less than 5 gallons Promix BX. I will often just put straight into a 20 gallon container. If vegged in 5 gallon, Ill use grow bags, and cut them off into the 20 gallon container at flowering time. The plants roots will totally fill out the 20 gallons of soil in 60-70 days after flip. IF it is a good plant.

#3 The plant strain also needs to show strong side branching in its natural genetic structure, and it also needs to stretch alot 4-6 times in flowering. then it is taken advantage of by??
No Topping, and the plants are trained/bent over to encourage large side branching. Turned into a huge bush. The only time the growing tip would be messed with is to slow down lateral growth. Plant is bent over from about 80% from the top as to encourage forward growth. No mucking with tip unless I have to.
By week 3.5 in a 70 days flowering plant they will need 3 gallons water every 3 days, and by the 4th week will need to be watered 4-5 gallons every 3.4-4 days, which is on average 1 gallon a day.

Also consider the plants never get bone dry either.
I use a Moisture Meter, and I never let the Moisture get below Low Moist. NEVER to the Dry Line. EVER. Always slightly above the Dry line. I measure the container in 8 different places. 4 on top, and 4 on the lower sides of the container.
If one lets plants get to dry, it concentrates the dissolved solids, and when watered will burn the plants, and is made worse if fed again at that time.

But if one grows trees, in a good amount of soil, with a strain that is capable of large production, using 4-55 gallons of water every 3-4 days seems normal to me. That5s all we do because of plant limits, in an uncool state. Ive got as much as 28oz from 1 plant with this method, but usually best yield is in late Fall, and winter as we dont have the best climate control, though we do have great air flow.

Mr Nice Super Silver Haze is a good place to start looking for a plant that will meet this criteria.
 

HydroKid239

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone, I've been looking around and want your feedback. I grow in 5 gallon buckets and I give my plants about 1 liter each every 2 or 3 days. Seems to keep the soil nice and moist until day 3, then it's time for another drink. They are just starting week 5 of flower today and look pretty happy so far. :) How about you?
At least a gallon... you want decent run off when you water. Even more in bigger containers. My 3 gal fabric pots drank a gallon with maybe a pint of run off after letting her properly dry between waterings. A 5 gal bucket should take almost double.
 

Cvntcrusher

Well-Known Member
My plant is starting wk 4 of flower. I give her around 2 gallons every 3 days. I water until runoff usually end of second gallon. Then let her absorb the runoff. Shes in a 5gal pot. 20200928_185300.jpg
 

ryeguy

Well-Known Member
I always carry 1 gallon jugs into my grow. Easy to fill and handle. I find it allows me to water enough that I can leave for 3-5 days depending on weather and I always come back to happy plants. Water slowly to get deep penetration rather than just dumping the whole bottle on at once. Good luck!
 

Shanepr1313

Member
Hey everyone, I've been looking around and want your feedback. I grow in 5 gallon buckets and I give my plants about 1 liter each every 2 or 3 days. Seems to keep the soil nice and moist until day 3, then it's time for another drink. They are just starting week 5 of flower today and look pretty happy so far. :) How about you?
Do you ever get runoff?
 

piratebug

Well-Known Member
For me... (5 gallon pots, PM/HP, 40% perlite, or FF/OF, 40% perlite)

Flowering... (environment temp 78F lights on, 72F lights off)

light feeding...

2ml/4ml/6ml, 4ml ca/mg+, 1/2 tsp epsom salt per gallon

weeks 1 - 2, 2 gallons of water / feed, every 5th day, runoff ends up being about 28oz to 32oz
weeks 3 - 4, 2 gallons of water / feed, every 4th day, runoff ends up being about 28oz to 32oz

heavy feeding...

2ml/6ml/10ml, 4ml ca/mg+, 1/2 tsp epsom salt per gallon

weeks 5 - 7, 2 1/2 gallons of water / feed, every 3rd day, runoff ends up being about 36oz to 40oz


Notes...

Sometimes I might need to extend the next watering / feed day for a certain plant / pot because the pot is still a little heavy / wet, but in general terms, the above watering / feed schedule reflects the approximate times, and the amount of water / feed my plants are again needing because the pots that they are in have pretty much dried out!
 

Homedog

New Member
Hey everyone, I'm new at growing but my question is I just transplanted mine from 1qt container to a 4.5 gal, do I need the 4.5 gallon wet or just around the plant
 
Hey all,I'm growing an auto in my closet and its my first time. I'm still in the late seedling phase her finger leaves are just getting bigger than the round leaves I have her 30 in under a 600 w led on veg mode(so probly half that rn) and in a 5 gallon pot with detatchable bottom. I just have been feeding her spring water (.5 liter because I couldn't find any info on how much until now) every morning right before lights on and just installed an inline fan venting system to pull the hot air from the top and passively intake through the bottom. The issue I'm having is I am definitely going the nst method when she goes into veg but I'm kind of limited to a 5-10-10 morcrop tomato and veg feed will this be sufficient? Because its literally all I can get rn but if so when should I start feeding it to her? I was gonna go with bat guano but seems that this fertiliser would be potentially safer to ingest and also has a higher npk number. Any advice is greatly appreciated as I'm having trouble finding the resources I need for this. Happy growing! Added a humidifier to help w the humidity it seems to be helping. Shes in the middle if week two and her finger leaves are now bigger than the round ones and two more are beginning to form on top of those
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
What soil/medium are you using?? Are there any nutrients in the medium youre using??

It really needs a bit more Nitrogen. 10-10-10 would be better.

I think I read a post you made on Grasscity about this.

You stated basically organic, is more healthy to ingest than chemicals, which isnt true. In the long run, it all breaks down to the same thing.

I myself would spend $24- $30, and order a 3 parts kit of some Master Blend
4-18-38
15.5-0-0
Epsom salts.

I myself feed my seedlings a small amount of food as soon as they break the soil surface.

The above fertilizer will also supply all the nutrients necessary to carry a plant from Seedling-Harvest. IMHO changing to flowering nutrients is a money grab by companies. The main thing is to have a Balanced fertilizer all through the plants life, and the plant will use what it needs. Bottom line is Balanced.
 
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