Just like all other plants, marijuana plants have the requirement of water for performing their basic functions. Water assists plants in absorbing nutrients from the soil and then moving the plant up and into the leaves. The plants are not capable of surviving without it. But it might be more complex to serve a marijuana plant with an abundant amount of water than you think.
This is not the exact science to give water to a weed plant. In most cases, you can’t do the observation that the roots of your plant have a requirement of water. The plant is also constantly growing and the climate in which it is will also fluctuate. So, the amount of water which it requires will also constantly change.
Given below are some tried-and-true tips for keeping your weed plants properly hydrated & healthy.
How often should you give water to your marijuana plants?
A common mistake that first-time growers usually make is they give overwater to their marijuana plant. A cycle of dry & wet is healthy. And it is also necessary for the roots of a plant for growing out and for reaching deeper into the soil.
In addition to this, roots pull in oxygen when the soil dries and when the soil is extremely wet. The plants are not capable of pulling the oxygen efficiently and they can’t even breathe.
| Plant stage | Water every # of days |
|---|---|
| Germination | 4-7 |
| Seeding | 3-7 |
| Vegetative | 2-4 |
| Flowering | 2-3 |
How to tell if a marijuana plant has a requirement of water?
The best ways for telling if a marijuana plant has the requirement of water is to:
Stick a finger 1-2 inches into the soil. If the soil appears wet, then you have to hold it off. If the soil becomes dry then it is time for you to dry it.
You also have another way to pick up a pot and fee the weight of it for determining if it has the requirement of water. This will take some experience. So, you have to ensure to lift up your pots after giving water to them. It is for getting a feeling of how heavy they appear when they are full of water. It will also serve you with a sense of what a dry, and light plant feels like.
A plant that is under-watered appears weak and droopy with brown or yellow leaves. The leaves appear lifeless and there is no strength in these.
The look of an over-watered plant is quite similar in that they droop. Except for the leaves of the plant will appear dark green and the tips of the leaves will have curls.
You have to note down that how often you give water to your plants. And you also have to write it down in a log. You have the necessity of taking your marijuana plant on a watering schedule. There is a requirement of giving water to your plant every two to three days which is ideal. It is the case when they grow out of the seedling stage.
You must keep this thing in your mind that as plants become bigger in size. You have to give more water to them or you can say it frequently.
When you are growing your weed outdoors. You will have to serve them with more water when the weather gets hotter in comparison to when it is cool.
Your plant will flourish when you find the sweet spot between too dry and too wet.
How much water should you give to your marijuana plant?
The amount of water that your marijuana plant requires is dependent on a few factors:
- Size of plant
- Outside temperature
- Overall health
- State of growth
You have to give water to your marijuana plant in a sufficient amount. It should be enough to soak all the soil in the pot. When you are giving water, it should pool up on the surface of the soil. After a couple of seconds, it should also come out of the drainage holes that are in the bottom of the pot. If the water has sat on the surface of the soil. It signifies that it is extremely wet and does not have the requirement of more water.
If your marijuana plant is extremely dry, then the water will run straight through the pot and soil. It will also quickly come out of the drainage holes.
If this thing happens, then you have to give a little bit of water to your plant. After that, you have to come back to it after 15-20 minutes and then give again water to it. It might be even a third time. It facilitates the soil to slowly absorb the water until all of this has become thoroughly wet.
Roots of the plant are constantly on the hunt for water when they grow & stretch out. When your plants get bigger, then you should also enhance their watering radius.
What is meant by flushing?
Flushing is an extremely crucial part of the growing process of marijuana. You have to start to give straight water to your plants when you stop to serve your plant with nutrients. It is for flushing out nutrients that might have built upon a plant during its life cycle.
You have to perform flushing for about a week before harvesting. It happens when the buds are almost ready for cutting down at the end of the flowering stage of a plant.
You can also do flushing for clearing all the nutrients of the plant. It is the condition when your plants are having nutrient imbalance, for instance, nutrient lockout. Nutrient lockout refers to the situation when your plants are overloaded with nutrients and are not capable of absorbing new ones.
How to do flushing of your weed plants?
Flushing of marijuana plants before harvesting
The final flush should occur for a week. You have to do so before cutting down your weed plants for harvesting. You have to give water to your plants in a similar amount as you would normally do. But, it should only be with water. It will force your plants to make use of the nutrients stored within them. If the nutrient reserves of it have not broken down. It could affect the quality of the buds which you have harvested.
If you will look at the trichomes on your marijuana plant. Then you will be capable of telling when your plant will become ready for a flush. You can start with your flushing when they begin to turn milky.
Different growing mediums have requirements of different kinds of flushing timeframes before harvesting:
- Soil: 7-10 days
- Rockwool and coco: 7 days
- Hydroponics: 5-7 days
If you are growing in amended organic soil, then we don’t recommend you to flush plants. The reason is that the soil is already holding all the nutrients which the plant requires for thriving. And by flooding your soil, you can wash it away. And you can also damage the complex ecosystem for which you have worked hard to develop.
When you can stop watering before harvesting?
When your marijuana plants are in the flushing phase, then you can give water to them as normal. You must let your plants become excessively dry or wet. You have to ensure that you don’t harvest your wilting or dry weed plants. When you are going to cut down your plants, these should be nice and healthy.
Flushing Cannabis Plants for Lockout or Nutrient Imbalance
Weed plants which are having improper pH levels, numerous nutrients, or other kinds of stresses might result in a lockout or nutrient imbalance. Nutrient lockouts may turn from a buildup of salt or nutrients present in the soil. These are responsible for preventing these from absorption of new nutrients.
Flushing plants will do the removal of this excess buildup. And it will assist in restoring the pH level of the soil. It will facilitate plants in resuming the absorption of nutrients. These are for growing at a healthy, and success rate.
You have to give water to your plants in excessive amounts at a pH level that is between 6.0-6.8 got soil. On the other hand, it is 5.5-6.5 for hydroponics. These are for performing this type of flush.
Ensure to saturate your plants completely, and repeat this process after 15 minutes. The flush must be capable of clearing any kind of blockage and it should make room for new nutrients.
