Water is the source of life. In order to thrive, grow and form flowers, the hemp plant needs to receive enough water. With indor grovelling, the grower has complete control over the plantation, and it is clear that no one but the grower will take care of the moisture in the soil. With an outdoorsman it is somewhat different. Some growers are convinced that once they have planted cannabis seeds in the open ground they can forget about watering, shifting all the responsibilities to Mother Nature. Some of them periodically read like get a medical marijuana card online ohio https://dr-weedy.com/ohio/.
Although cannabis is considered a hardy plant, able to adapt to all climatic conditions, if the ultimate goal is a decent crop, it will still be necessary to take care of the plants. For those living in northern latitudes, the question of additional watering in the outdoors is not too acute, but southerners have to water the plants almost every day.
In general, the frequency of watering and the amount of water used at a time depends on several factors, which can include:
Climatic characteristics of the area – humidity, frequency and amount of rainfall, the amount of solar radiation.
Remoteness from a body of water – the closer the body of water, the higher the natural moisture content of the soil.
Features of the landscape – the places where the plants are grown: in ravines and depressions water is retained in the soil much longer than in the uplands and hills.
Soil features – water-holding capacity, water permeability, moisture capacity, etc.
Characteristics of the cannabis variety – there are varieties that need moderate irrigation, and on the contrary, there are very water-loving ones, such as pure sativa.
The stage of development of the plants – during the growing season watering is plentiful and during flowering watering moderate.
Growing method – in a pot or growbag, you need to water more often than in the open ground.
In this article we will show you how often you should water your growberries outdoors, how much water you should use per grow, and what water you should use for watering.
Watering frequency depending on the stage of development
At each stage of development, the water requirements of cannabis are different. The amount of moisture received will determine the growth rate and overall health of the planting. The grower should adhere to generally accepted norms and provide the necessary watering from the time the seed germinates to the harvester.
Watering during the growing season
While the plant is actively growing its leaves and stems, and developing its root system, it is especially in need of moisture. Once the seed germinates and the next few weeks, the soil should contain enough water. The root system is not yet well developed and is not able to extract moisture from deep in the ground. Therefore, it is necessary to water frequently during the growing season, but little by little.
The intensity of irrigation depends on the climatic conditions of the area where hemp grows, on the ambient air temperature and other factors. The exact amount of water is determined based on the size of the plant. If the next day the topsoil is still wet, watering can be delayed for another day.
The main thing for the grower is not to overdo it. Lack of moisture can easily be compensated by abundant watering, but to eliminate the consequences of overwatering is much more difficult. If the soil is too wet, the roots begin to rot and die. If the soil does not have time to dry out between waterings, the flow of oxygen to the roots stops and the plant begins to suffocate.
Watering during flowering
By the time it transitions to flowering, the cannabis root system is already developed enough to absorb moisture from the lower layers of soil. It can draw water from a great depth (up to a meter and a half or two meters), but extra energy is required which would otherwise be used for the formation of the racemes.
Water the cannabis during the flowering stage once every 3-4 days. The amount of water should be 3 to 7 liters, depending on the size of the plants. Huge sativa plants need a lot more water than compact indica plants. This is not only due to their size but also to their genetic and natural habitat.
To understand whether you need to moisten the soil additionally, all you have to do is dip your finger into it. If the soil is still wet at a depth of 2-3 centimeters, watering can be postponed for a few days, and if the soil is completely dry, it is better not to delay with watering the grower.
Watering before harvesting
So that the inflorescences will have as little water in them by the time the harvest comes around, watering is reduced a few weeks before the planned harvest date. This way the hemp uses all the available reserves and produces more resin. Also reducing the frequency and amount of watering before harvest reduces the risk of mildew and fungus on the inflorescences.
What water to choose for irrigation in the outdoors
All outdoors grovelling can be divided into two categories: growing close to home and wild out. In the first case, everything is very simple. A grower can easily open a faucet and draw water into watering cans or buckets. If tap water is used, it is allowed to stand for twenty-four hours so that all the chlorine compounds can volatilize. Also, when cultivating cannabis on a plot near the house, it is easy for the grower to measure the acidity of the water and adjust it if necessary.
With wild outdoors, on the other hand, things are much more complicated. Of course, many people try to immediately choose a site for cultivation somewhere near a body of water. There and the soil itself is more moist due to underground sources, and to get water for irrigation is not difficult. You can bring water for irrigation with ordinary buckets or spouts. To avoid carrying them from home every time, the equipment is simply hidden in the bushes closest to the plantation, well covered with leaves, grass or branches on top.
If there is no river or lake near the plantation, one has to bring water from home. In this case, try not to plant too many bushes at once, because then it will be difficult to provide them with the necessary watering. Water is brought in 5-10-liter bottles or canisters.
The main criterion in choosing water for irrigation is its chemical composition. It is desirable to control the pH of water with special devices, or at least the simplest tests. Normal acidity is 6.0-6.5. Water from a spring, reservoir or tap may be slightly more alkaline, and a small amount of citric acid can be used to normalize it. If there is a factory, farm, or mining operation near the pond, it is likely that some of the waste is discharged into the water and it becomes unusable because of possible toxic substances.
When choosing water for irrigation, growers adhere to the following rules:
tap water should be allowed to stand for at least 24 hours before use;
the temperature should be equal to the street temperature or 3-5 degrees higher;
water must meet the norm of acidity;
those who draw water from a reservoir should make sure that there are no dirty industrial plants in the neighborhood.
Some growers use rainwater for watering cannabis. It is usually clean enough and at the right temperature, but it almost always has to be acidified before it can be used. Rainwater is collected in barrels or plastic tanks placed near the plantation. The main thing is that this container should be inconspicuous, if it is a wild out in the woods or in the wasteland.