Underwatered autos, now what?

1trkmind

New Member
I have 4 indoor autos placed in 5 gallon smart pots filled with happy frog soil.
They get water every 3.5 days with just ph'd water between 6.0 - 6.5.
Because the seedlings are in the 5 gallon pot, I've been watering just around the plant and giving about 2 liters to each lady.
The water is well water and pretty hard. I'm using the outdoor spigot which is untreated and naturally comes out at 200ppm. I have not been giving calmag in hopes the water minerals are already there.

The girls received their first and only feed 4 days ago with a light dose of micro, gro, bloom, great white mychro. The total ppm was 300 (200 was natural from the water), ph was 6.3 and each girl got 2 liters.

Yesterday, the last day of week 2 from sprout I self diagnosed them as being underwatered. the leaves were droopy (they have always been a little droopy) but the leaves felt fragile, dry and paper like to the touch. It was a watering day anyway so I gave them each 1 gallon of water ph'd at 6.2 and added a little great white for the roots.

I hoped after getting a large watering they would look better. But, 24 hours later, they look the same or even a little bit worse.

Where should I go from here?

As a side note: they seem to have tight node stackings and are barely taller than the side of the pot. they're still late seedling/early veg. I have a mars FC E3000 light at around 70% and 21" away from the canopy. Would you raise it to cause some stretching? Or, will they handle that themselves in veg and flower?
 

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Nixs

Well-Known Member
I read it underware autos :eyesmoke: damn tab screen.

I would start by slowing down on the watering, and maybe raise the light to 24", I read 18/6 light schedule is the best for autos.
 

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
I have 4 indoor autos placed in 5 gallon smart pots filled with happy frog soil.
They get water every 3.5 days with just ph'd water between 6.0 - 6.5.
Because the seedlings are in the 5 gallon pot, I've been watering just around the plant and giving about 2 liters to each lady.
The water is well water and pretty hard. I'm using the outdoor spigot which is untreated and naturally comes out at 200ppm. I have not been giving calmag in hopes the water minerals are already there.

The girls received their first and only feed 4 days ago with a light dose of micro, gro, bloom, great white mychro. The total ppm was 300 (200 was natural from the water), ph was 6.3 and each girl got 2 liters.

Yesterday, the last day of week 2 from sprout I self diagnosed them as being underwatered. the leaves were droopy (they have always been a little droopy) but the leaves felt fragile, dry and paper like to the touch. It was a watering day anyway so I gave them each 1 gallon of water ph'd at 6.2 and added a little great white for the roots.

I hoped after getting a large watering they would look better. But, 24 hours later, they look the same or even a little bit worse.

Where should I go from here?

As a side note: they seem to have tight node stackings and are barely taller than the side of the pot. they're still late seedling/early veg. I have a mars FC E3000 light at around 70% and 21" away from the canopy. Would you raise it to cause some stretching? Or, will they handle that themselves in veg and flower?
Well now you’ve over watered them let them dry. 2l of water is a fair amount for an established plant. Not something that small. Then u added insult to injury by watering again...

So let them dry - lift the pot now and do it every day. In about a week-10 days give it a good drink again.
 

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
@Nutty sKunK - once they're dried out, how much water would you give a plant this size in a 5gal fabric pot?
Depends on how big she is. 5 gal is a lot of soil to fill.

Post some pics here in 7-10 days time. Keep lifting that pot! It may surprise you how light it can feel without any visual signs of stress.

But if she is growing well I would give it 1 and a half gallons of a mild feed after 7-10 days.

Bear in mind to water in stages so 1/3 then another 1/3 and so on.. Also before watering get a BBQ skewer and stab loads of holes down to the bottom. This will help the water penetrate the soil
 

bam0813

Well-Known Member
"Also before watering get a BBQ skewer and stab loads of holes down to the bottom. This will help the water penetrate the soil"

Imo,I think that's completely unnecessary and the last thing I want to do is sword fight my rootball every time I watered. Much better ways to fix hydrophobic soil
 

1trkmind

New Member
I'll give it a try. The last time I watered them, the pot was super light and bone dry. Soil was folding in around the pot edges.

I think what happened is I overwatered them the first time by watering the entire 5 gal pot while seedlings. Then under watered them the second time trying to correct the first issue and only watering a small area around the plant. Then overwatered them the following time to correct the underwatering issue.

I appreciate the help. I'll post some follow-up status and pictures.
 

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
"Also before watering get a BBQ skewer and stab loads of holes down to the bottom. This will help the water penetrate the soil"

Imo,I think that's completely unnecessary and the last thing I want to do is sword fight my rootball every time I watered. Much better ways to fix hydrophobic soil
A surfactant helps. Not every time you water do you stab the media lol

Plants won’t flinch a bit. You’d be damaging like 1% of the entire root mass.

In fact when we’ll established you can stab right under the base of the plant and hear the roots tear.

The roots then simply die or divide
 

bam0813

Well-Known Member
Ya I'm sure it's not too bad, certainly not once on an established plant but it kills me to screw with my roots . Possibly neurotic lol
 
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