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If you are just starting to grow your own marijuana plants for the first time, you probably have some questions that you want to ask.
One very important growth factor when it comes to pot plants is watering, both how much and when. So, how often do you water marijuana plants?
Well, some plants need to be watered every single day, and some only need to be watered every 2 to 4 days. The point here is that there is no exact rule when it comes to how often you need to water your cannabis plants.
There are various factors which will go into determining this, and we are here to look at the most important ones today.
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How Often Should I Water My Indoor Weed Plants?
Something you need to know is that watering your weed plants, especially in terms the quantity and how often to do it, is not an exact science by any means.
Some marijuana plants may need to be watered each and every single day, whereas others may only need to be watered ever 2, 3, or 4 days.
The point here is that there are a variety of factors which can affect how often weed plants need to be watered, so let’s talk about each of these right now.
Factors Which Affect The Marijuana Watering Schedule
Generally speaking, there are 6 main factors which are going to determine how often your marijuana plants need to be watered, so let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.
1. Stage Of Plant Growth & Size
One of the first factors to keep in mind when it comes to deciding how often to water your weed plants has to do with the size of the plant and what stage of growth it is in.
For example, a young seedling does not have a large root system, it is not very large, and its water requirements are not too heft, so watering it every 2 days, or even every 3 days, is probably more than enough.
How often should i water my weed plants in vegetative stage?
However, if we are talking about a large marijuana plant that is well into the vegetative state, and more so, in the flowering state, is going to guzzle down much more water, and therefore probably needs to be watered every single day.
Simply put, the larger the marijuana plant, the more water it is going to consume.
2. The Planting Medium Being Used
One of the other biggest factors that is going to determine how often your weed plants need to be watered is what kind of medium you have the planted in.
There is a bit of a trade off to keep in mind here, because pot plants do like growing mediums which are fairly fluffy and have good drainage.
Having good drainage is important because if the soil holds water for way too long and it never dries out, not even a little bit, then things like fungus, mold, and root rot can occur, all of which can put your weed plants in serious trouble.
However, on the other hand, really airy and fluffy soils and growing mediums do hold water for longer.
It’s a good idea to have a mix of high quality and dense potting soil, together with a bit of pearlite and coco coir for drainage (if you need some good suggestions, then check out this article).
If you have this, chances are that watering your weed plants every 2 days will be more than enough. Just keep in mind, you need a good mix between drainage and water retention.
3. Temperature, Humidity, & Light Intensity
The next set of factors which is going to affect how often your weed plants need to be watered has to do with the temperature and humidity of the grow room, as well as the light intensity too.
The stronger your lights are, the faster the weed plants will grow, and the more water they will need. Moreover, more intense lights usually also lead to higher grow room temperatures.
There are also other factors which can affect grow room temperature, but the point here is that the hotter it is, the more water the weed plants will need.
This is in part because the hotter the air is, the more water will evaporate out of the soil, and therefore the soil will require replenishment more often.
A hot grow room with lots of strong lights will make you have to water the weed plants more often.
4. The Overall Health Of The Weed Plants
Another factor to keep in mind here is the overall health of the marijuana plants. Very healthy plants will grow quickly, and therefore need more water.
An unhealthy plant with slow or stunted growth will require much less water.
5. Ventilation & Airflow
Yet another factor which goes towards determining how often your weed plants need to be watered is how well ventilated the grow room in question is and what kind of airflow you have going on.
Now, this is not always a solid rule or law, but chances are that if you have a very well ventilated grow room with lots of airflow, there is going to be a lot of moisture carried away due to that airflow, and therefore your weed plants will need to be watered more often.
Keep in mind that the overall airflow in your grow room is also going to affect the temperature and humidity levels, which as we covered earlier in this article, also affect how often your weed plants need to be watered.
Telling If Your Marijuana Plants Need Watering
We do have another full article for this topic, telling if your marijuana plants need water or not, but it is important to mention, so let’s just do a quick overview here.
There are a couple of easy ways to tell whether or not your pot plants are thirsty;
Soil
Is the soil bone dry or does it stick to your fingers? Stick your finger in the soil, and if the top inch of the soil is dry, the pot plants probably need some water.
If the soil is very moist, even to the point of sticking to your fingers, then you should wait to water them.
Plant Look
How do the plants themselves look? Most often, brown, dry, and shrivelling leaves are a pretty good indication that your marijuana plants are not getting enough water.
A Soil Monitor Is Your Friend
A very simple way to tell if your weed plants need water is to purchase a soil monitor which can inform you of the moisture content in the water.
What Is The Best Water For Weed Plants?
In terms of the best water for weed plants, you do have a few options at your disposal, and which one is best really depends on your needs.
Now, many people will say that distilled water is best, as it has been cleaned of any and all possible substances. However, this also means that it contains absolutely no nutrients for your plants. That said, this can be a good thing if you are supplementing nutrients and want precise control over what your plants get.
We then have rain water, which you can collect, and is a good option because it is totally free, although you will need to check the pH level of it, as pollution does change the chemical makeup of water. One of the best options however is regular tap water.
Just keep in mind that if you live in a city of have a municipal water supply, you will want to take the proper steps to ensure that it does not contain fluoride or chlorine when you give it to your weed plants.
How To Flush Marijuana Plants Without Overwatering
Flushing marijuana plants is of course necessary, because you need to get rid of those excess nutrients. If you don’t flush your plants for at least 10 days before harvest, those buds will contain tons of nutrients, chemicals, and whatever else you fed your weed plant.
That said, many people have concerns about overwatering their plants and causing issues like root rot during the flushing phase. However, this really shouldn’t be an issue.
This is because when you go to flush your plants, although some people think that excessive amounts of water are required, this really isn’t the case at all.
To prevent overwatering during flushing, simply give your weed plants the same amount of water that you have been the whole time, and don’t change the watering schedule either. The only thing that changes here is that during flushing you use pure water without any added nutrients.
Conclusion: How Often Do You Water Weed Plants Inside
When all is said and done, as, you can see, there are a few different factors which will determine how often your weed plants need to be watered, as well as various ways to tell whether or not they need water.
Just remember, both too little and too much watering can come with some pretty serious consequences, so be careful!
