You need a lot water to grow cannabis plants. No matter what setup you use, it is important to ensure you have enough water when watering them. Water is a carrier for minerals and dissolved nutrients. It’s absorbed by the roots, then spread throughout the plant. Water is also necessary for photosynthesis. It cools plants, helps to maintain structural integrity, and fills cells.
All plants, including cannabis contain around 80% water. It is therefore understandable that problems with water management could result in cannabis plants being damaged. A cannabis plant outdoors will usually have enough water from the soil and nature. It can help regulate the amount and quality of the soil depending on its structure. It is easy to give your plants too much or too little water when you grow indoors with pots.
How to determine if your cannabis plant needs water.
There are no set rules for watering cannabis plants. The amount of water you need will depend on where it is growing. Your soil should be moistened but not saturated. The environment can be very hot and the cannabis plant will need more water. However, it should not receive more water than it can absorb.
Don’t worry if your plants seem to be getting too much water. Although marijuana plants can consume large amounts of water, a significant amount of it is also expelled from the plants by evaporation. A small amount of water is left behind, and it can be used to build blocks. Water is also essential for the absorption and transport of nutrient salts, and carbohydrates. This allows life to flourish.
Watering correctly can make all the difference in your harvest. This guide will show you how to identify, schedule, and deliver this essential ingredient for your growing cannabis plant.
Which water for cannabis irrigation?
It is important to give your cannabis plants good quality water. You should use either reverse osmosis or filtered water. However, it is possible to find reverse osmosis systems at many hydroponics and garden supply shops depending on your location. Most growers use tap water. Some areas are blessed with clean tap water from wells or municipal systems. Most places in Europe and North America are likely to have some impurities, particularly in large cities.
No matter where your tap water comes from, tap water will have extra minerals. The types of minerals you get will depend on where you live, but the most common are Calcium, Sodium and Magnesium. There are many potential minerals in your water. The harder your water is, it will have more minerals. While some water companies have information about the minerals in their water, they may not be able to tell you. Although the severity of these impurities may vary, growers often want precision and tap water can sometimes contain too many unknown variables.
You should test the water you use if it is not reverse osmosis or filtered.
Tap water can have an EC of 0.2 to 0.8 or higher depending on its ability to transport nutrients (EC). You can have different pH levels. However, water for the irrigation should be between 6.8 and 6.5.
This is because even if you measure accurately, you don’t know the exact amount of any element in your water. All the money you spent on expensive, meticulously measured nutrients will be wasted as the mixture is immediately unbalanced with an unknown quantity other nutrients. This can lead to nutrient lock-outs, nutrient burns, and even inhibit your plants’ growth.
Rainwater can also be used, but it is not always as good as tap water. To prevent airborne contaminants from entering your rainwater supply, you should store it in food-grade plastic containers if you are collecting rainwater for watering your cannabis plants.
It is important to maintain the right water temperature. Water should be at room temperature around 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit). The roots may experience thermic shock if the water is too hot or too cold.
When to Water Cannabis Plants
Water balance must be maintained from the beginning, before any seed can germinate into a seedling. The seeds do not have roots and will die if they get too dry. However, they can drown if they have too much water.
There are a few factors that will affect how often and how much you water your cannabis plants. These factors include the height of your cannabis plants, their container size, how big it is, what kind of humidity you have, the stage of your plant’s growth, and the temperature in the grow room. It is a good idea to wait until the soil has dried (but not completely dried) before watering it.
Watering Cannabis Seedlings
It is a good idea to spray or mist young sprouts with water to keep them hydrated. This will ensure that you don’t overwater them. After the seedlings are established, you can water them with a watering can.
Already developed cannabis plants
You can allow the soil to dry for a short time as the seedlings grow and root. This will limit the risk of soil becoming moldy or fungal, which could cause illness and even death to seedlings. It is important to water your plant frequently, but not too often or too dry. You can water your plant every other day if you grow in coco coir.
Morning is the best time to water your plants. This will give your plants a full day of sunlight and chemical reactions that they can use water for. You will be more likely to have to deal with mold or fungus if you water in the evening.
To encourage runoff and prevent nutrient accumulation, add nutrients to your water. Your marijuana plants’ roots could become dry or rot if you don’t water them properly. The effects can be very detrimental to your plants’ health.
How much water should you give the cannabis plants?
The amount of water that you should give your plants can also vary. It depends on the size and composition of your plant, temperature, soil, substrate, water properties, and capacity of your air filter systems.
As your plants age, their environment becomes more humid and warmer. Your plants will require more water and airflow. Evaporation is more likely to occur if there are large leaves. Heat activates the metabolic process and transpired water is blown away. Plants transpire more. Larger plants require more water than smaller ones.
Keep in mind, however, that larger containers don’t require as much watering and that plants at the end of their flowering stage will need less water. You should water your plants more in hot weather. However, you shouldn’t water as much if there is high humidity.
Growers sometimes just lift the pot that their plant is in to check if it feels light. If the pot feels light, it is likely that most of the moisture has evaporated and the time to water their plants is now.
This may seem difficult at first for those new to the method. You can compare your pot with another one that is filled with the same growing medium, but do not water it. This will allow you to feel the weight of a light pot. This will allow you to lift the actual pot and plant inside it to check if it weighs the same as the dummy.
Once you have some experience, the dummy container should no longer be necessary to tell your plants if they need watering.
No matter how much water your plants receive, it is important to do this slowly. You can cause your plants to form small channels if you give them too much water. These channels drain water quickly and the water won’t get absorbed by roots. To ensure proper nutrition and hydration, water your plants slowly.
The Important Part of Drainage for your Cannabis Plants
Pots must allow water to flow freely from the bottom when growing marijuana. This will prevent the plants from getting waterlogged or developing symptoms such as overwatering. Check that water drains from the bottom when you water your plants. Your growing medium might not be optimal if it isn’t.
What do you do with the drainage water? Many pots come with little trays to hold the water, but it’s better to just dump it out. Allowing the water to sit for too long is a recipe for bacteria growth.
Common problems when watering cannabis
You will notice a difference in the plants if you don’t water correctly. Watering problems can manifest in the leaves, stems, and roots. Even if your plants were grown hydroponically you might notice problems with the root system. A root problem can often be the source of other problems, such as wilting and drooping. The root issue is usually watering.
Watering Problem Symptoms
Cannabis Leaf Symptoms:
- Brown leaves
- Burnt leaves
- Lower leaves and newer growth are affected
- Lower growth and older leaves are affected
- All leaves affected
- The tips of the leaves are burned
- Spots are available
- Slow growth
- Leaves curling under
The symptoms of the cannabis plant:
- Stems that are weak
- Slow growth
- Wilting of plants
- Plant drooping
- Root Systems
- Brown
- Smell
- Mushy
- Slow growth
It can take a while for your plant to heal from damage to its roots. There are many other things that could go wrong before the root damage is healed. Damaged roots can cause plants to lose their vitality, which makes them more vulnerable to diseases and pests and overwatering can cause damage to the roots and could lead to plant death.
Overwatering of the cannabis plants
Overwatering is the number one problem with hydrating plants and is a grave mistake made by new growers of marijuana. The assumption is that too much water is good for the plants.
This is a mistake that you should not make. Overwatering plants can cause the roots to become swollen and eventually stop growing. This is due to an anaerobic state that can develop from overwatering your plants.
Too much water can cause the oxygen-rich air pockets to become moistened, making it less available for roots to absorb. Roots will then fail to function properly, may lose strength and be susceptible to pathogens.
It is unlikely that your plants will overwater if they are in the ground. The excess water will be absorbed into the soil. However, it can happen in areas of poor soil.
Clay-based soils and soil that has seen heavy rainfall won’t drain well. Sandy soils may have too high drainage rates. Make sure you know the soil so that your watering schedule can be adjusted accordingly. To combat overwatering problems, the best way to do it is to increase the time between each watering. This will allow your plant to absorb less water until it becomes happy and healthy again.
It is easy to overwater marijuana plants if they are in pots. Poor drainage can cause water to build up and drown the roots. If the water is not being used regularly, even with proper drainage, it could cause root rot. Avoid overwatering, especially in containers. This can lead to root rot and eventually death.
Overwatering begins at the roots so you might not notice any discoloration. The leaves will begin to droop and your plants will look tired and unhealthy.
Sometimes, chlorosis and yellowing can occur in the leaves. However, you should not assume that you are okay just because they aren’t yellow. Drooping and wilting are two different things. Drooping leaves are when the whole leaf curls under or hangs in a way that makes it look sad. This is not only the tips. Even healthy leaves can start to fall. This is a bad sign.
It can also prevent plants from absorbing the necessary nutrients. Water is literally washing away vital nutrients before a plant can absorb them. There is also a high risk of mold and fungal growth if the soil is constantly wet.
Counteract overwatering of cannabis plants
Human error is often responsible for overwatering. Your marijuana plants only require water twice or three times per week unless they are in an extremely dry environment. Overwatering can be avoided by not watering your plants as frequently as you would like. It is easy to overwater small plants when they are in large containers. Make sure you choose carefully.
You can prevent this from happening if you follow a schedule. A ruler can be inserted a few inches into soil. If the soil is dry and no soil adheres, it’s time for water. Because the topsoil does not indicate the soil’s moisture, the ruler can be used to help you determine how moist the soil is.
Check the soil’s moisture level between watering. Check that your substrate is not constantly wet. You will need to adjust if it is. Stop overwatering the plants and only give them small amounts of water until they become healthy and green again. You will need to adjust the flow or distance of the irrigation system.
Drainage issues can sometimes lead to excess watering. It could also be the soil or the container. The soil for marijuana should be well-aerated and coarse. You should ensure that 20% of water drains from the bottom when watering marijuana plants. This will prevent you from overwatering. If soil remains damp for an extended period of time, it is likely that drainage has to be improved or that your watering rate needs to change.
You can make drainage holes if there aren’t any. Drainage holes are essential for your plant’s root health. Poking holes in the soil with a pencil or pen can be used to aerate it. This will help decrease moisture and increase oxygen retention.
It is difficult to water properly if you have a drainage issue. It is important to inspect the drainage holes. You might find that the drainage holes are blocked. Perhaps the soil particles are too small. This means that they are more compacted and don’t allow water to flow through as easily.
You can check if the problem is in the soil or mix by watering it and observing if the water runs freely. It is possible that the soil particles or the mix are causing the water to drain slowly or not at all. If it takes longer than 30 seconds for water to come out of the bottom, it is draining too slowly.
You will need to water your plants less frequently if you have a drainage issue.
Treat root rot due to poor watering
Root rot can be caused by overwatering. This is when the roots become dehydrated and could lead to death. Hydroponics can also cause root rot. This isn’t due to overwatering but poor aeration. This could indicate that root rot occurs when the roots are not allowed to absorb enough oxygen or the water is too salty.
Root rot can also be treated. You can quickly treat root rot by adding small amounts (about a tablespoon) of hydrogen peroxide. Because the chemical compound is oxygen-rich, it can nourish the roots. Hydrogen peroxide has another benefit: it kills bacteria that have adapted to the soil. The other option is to remove the plant and inspect the roots. This problem can be solved by hydro growers using an air pump or air stone.
Underwatering of the Cannabis Plants
Although it is less dangerous than overwatering, it can still pose a danger to your plants. The effects of underwatering will be similar except that you will notice leaves falling off and the plants will appear shriveled and decimated.
A plant can decay if it is not watered regularly enough. It will begin to wither and sacrifice its leaves first as it uses all available resources. This means that marijuana plants will cease producing new leaves and branches during their vegetative phase. Although you can fix the problem by adding water, the effects will still be felt. Your harvest might be smaller because the plant was not growing as it should have, and your smoke may be stronger than you expected. A plant that doesn’t receive enough water will not grow properly.
Lack of water can cause many problems. Lack of water can cause photosynthesis to be reduced. To manage water efficiently, the plant will close its stomata. The plant absorbs less water and less water evaporates. It also means that the plant cannot absorb any CO2.
A lack of water supply can also cause stagnation in the ground’s nutrient supply. Insufficient nutrients can lead to a decrease in the production of protein. In no time, the marijuana plant will display signs of nutritional deficiency. The plant won’t be able to absorb fertilizer if it isn’t getting enough water. The symptoms of a nutritional deficit are secondary. It is important to determine the root cause of a sick cannabis plant. If not, it will only get worse.
Plants that are underwatered also breathe more quickly. The reason is that the plant has to work harder to remove any remaining water from the ground. This requires a lot energy from the plant, energy that cannot be used for growth or flowering.
Water the cannabis plants enough
Most underwatering can be attributed to grower errors, but plants grown outside may also suffer from drought and feel the effects.
Many growers don’t realize that they are underwatering until it is too late. It’s difficult to tell if your plants are getting enough water. Sometimes slow growth can be hard to spot. There may be some symptoms in your leaves but they won’t look the same if you give it too much water. The unique characteristics of underwatering include:
- Brighter leaves
- Leaves that suddenly shrivel
- Leaves that wither
Wilting is more common than drooping. Most likely, weak plants don’t get enough water. You can give your plant more water if you suspect it isn’t getting enough. If your plant doesn’t get enough water, you might notice a rapid increase in growth.
The treatment of a cannabis plant that is getting too little water
It is simple to get rid of underwatering. Just give your plant some water. Prolonged cases can do significant damage to you cannabis plant. It can be difficult for a plant to recover and bounce back after it is close to collapse. You should not use fertilizer-enriched water to bring a plant back to health. To rehydrate your plants, you should use neutral, pH-balanced waters. After they stop wilting, and look normal and upright, you can re-use fertilizer.
The influence of pH on cannabis irrigation
Many people ask us questions about how to water marijuana plants. There are many things that could go wrong with growing marijuana. You can see everything from missing leaves or damaged plants to fungus with your eyes. Although there are many causes of pH problems, it can sometimes be due to the pH level in the actual drinking water.
Even if water over- and underwatering is not something you think of, it’s worth looking at the pH of your water. Before you give the water to your plants, test it with a pH tester. The electronic ones with digital displays can be easier but more costly.
Liquid pH testers are also available. They can be quite complicated but do a great job. You can use pH strips, but they are not reliable and should not be relied upon. The tester could be the problem if your readings do not match what the soil or plant looks like.
Sometimes, pH can indicate a problem. You might notice that your soil is lacking in nutrients. So you try to fix it by adding Epsom salts and worm castings. Or, you add a balanced organic nutrition mix to your watering schedule. The soil pH levels start to rise after about a week. This means that the soil is becoming less acidic. However, the problem remains. You can add more nutrients to the soil or to a tea, but the problem seems to only get worse (the pH drops).
This is a case where the water is most likely the problem. Major cities chlorinate water to kill harmful bacteria. You should not use this water if you are growing marijuana seeds or flowering them. If you do need to use it, it should be left for between 24 and 48 hours so the chlorine can evaporate. The pH of soils can be affected by chlorine. Once it is added, it can cause soil pH to drop, preventing any nutrients or supplements from being absorbed.
Your marijuana plant needs water. Your plant will not survive without the right amount of water. The wrong type of water can cause your plant to become dehydrated. Before your marijuana plants get sick, make sure you check the water.
