I am growing autoflowering Super Skunk and White Widow plants in Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil. They are about 45 days old, and about 10 days ago I started drenching them with water. I noticed the soil level has dropped about 2 inches, presumably being compacted by the increased water.
Should I add more soil to bring the level back up, or just leave them as is?
I don’t know if adding soil on top would help much from a root mass perspective. I would consider perhaps repotting it in the same pot and get more soil at the bottom so roots expand downward and laterally. Experts may have other thoughts.
i was in a similar scenario. i added more soil, it helped feed my girl and she did put out small roots into it
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If you add soil roots will form out of the stem that is buried. I would probably just leave it being it’s an auto. Size is limited anyway on autos so your not really gonna need the extra. Assuming it is in 5 gallon pots
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They are actually 3 gallon pots.
When I originally started, I didn’t add Perlite because the Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil already had some in it. Should I have actually added some extra anyway? Would that have helped prevent the soil from compressing?
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I would repot them as well, curious to see what more experienced growers would do.
By the way, I did them in 3 gallon pots because somewhere in the exhaustive research I did before starting, I read that 3 gallon pots were sufficient for autoflowering plants.
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I use 7gal pots for autos. My thought is the biggest pot i can fit in my grow space the better.
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at some point a larger pot won’t provide any additional benefit. my research also showed 3 gallon is best for autos. but for the grow off in Jan im getting 5 gallon pots. i may stick to autos, but maybe photos idk
im leaning toward ilgm gold leaf
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Did you fill that pot with soil at the beginning? Has it really lost several inches from compression?
If yes to both, next time you’ll want to fill your pot slowly & make sure the soil is settled nicely. Don’t tamp it down hard or anything, but you definitely want to make it so adding water doesn’t immediately make your soil sink in. If you compress it too much, the roots won’t be happy & your drainage will suffer; if it’s too loose, watering will collapse the soil & can stunt your plant/cause root issues.
Usually by the end of 3-4 months, my medium has “gone down” by about an inch.
I’m currently using 5 gallon smart pots for my autos. I had used 3 gallon pots in the past, but this year decided to try to get a bigger root system…and hopefully bigger plants.
The pots weren’t completely filled at the beginning. I filled them 2 inches from the top, and it wasn’t tamped down or anything. It wasn’t until I started the heavy watering 2 weeks ago that the soil level started to drop. It has dropped about 2 inches since then.
Do you think I should add Perlite to my soil next time, or is the amount of Perlite that comes with the Ocean Forest soil sufficient?
I guess it’s time to start thinking about nutrients now that it is flowering.
I want to use something that is easy and simple for the beginner like me. My reading makes me think that the Advanced Nutrients pH Perfect line would be good for me. I _think _ what I should be using is the pH Perfect Sensi Bloom. What do others think?
Argh…
It turns out that the Quantum digital ballast that I bought is not very compatible with all the HPS bulbs out there. I already returned the Ultra Sun bulb it came with in exchange for a Genesis bulb, which turns out to also be incompatible (won’t fire at all). Now I am being asked to return it in exchange for either a AgroSun or Hortilux bulb.
I’m torn whether to keep running my Metal Halide bulb until the replacement arrives, or go to my local hydroponics store and spend money on another bulb so I can switch right away.
Oops - I posted the above comment in the wrong section. I meant to put that in my grow journal…
You can add soil when in flowering then all water goes through newly added full of nutes soil. But thats for exp growers theme,b/c you need to know your exact feeding schedule and how much that add. I cant see no more beneficial effects. Maybe when you go with photos and plants are long veg, then soil lvl are reduce bc watering and plant go bendy then add soil to reduce movement and bury some main stem then shes rooting and get better nutes absorbation. Pff. Only in my head.
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I have a 5 foot gsc in a 2 gallon pot all the hype on pot size is BS because it’s my smallest pot and it’s my biggest plant
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All get the same treatment
Now I think about I forgot I chopped a for off the top on accident way back which was the main shoot so probally woulda been to big for grow room
all the others in back ground are 3 gal with no problems amend the top of the soil there’s even directions on ocean forest bag to top a garden off with it…
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