Did you know that water makes up 80% of an autoflower plant’s weight? It’s incredibly important to give your plants the right amount of water. Overwatering or underwatering can damage them.
These guidelines are primarily for growing indoors. If you’re growing outdoors, especially in a hot climate like Australia, you’ll need to adjust your watering schedule.
How to Water & Flush Marijuana Plants
Autoflowering cannabis plants need different amounts of water during different growing stages. As your autoflowers get bigger, they need more frequent watering and larger quantities.
- During the germination and seedling stages, give each plant 3-7 ounces every 4-7 days.
- During the vegetative stage (when your autoflowers are growing leaves and branches), give each plant 10-20 ounces every 2-4 days.
- During the flowering stage, give each plant 24-50 ounces every 2-3 days.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that influence how much water a plant needs, including the temperature, humidity, pot size, and soil type. One general rule is to water your autoflowers enough so that it comes out the pot’s drainage holes.
Here’s how to tell if your autoflower needs to be watered:
- Check if the leaves are drooping or wilted.
- Check the weight of the pot by tilting it or lifting it. If it feels lighter in weight, it needs to be watered. You can check how heavy the pot is after watering for comparison.
- Stick your finger 1-2 inches into the soil. If it feels dry, it needs water.
- A soil moisture meter can tell you exactly when your autoflower needs watering.
If you’re growing outdoors, you’ll need to account for weather conditions like rain, sun, and temperature. Your plants will need more water in a hot, sunny location like Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia, or Australia. A more moderate climate like South California or the West Coast won’t need as much.
What Is Flushing?
Many experts suggest “flushing” cannabis during the last part of the flowering cycle. This means giving your autoflowers plain water with no nutrients. Flushing gets rid of extra nutrients, giving you a smoother smoke.
You should flush your autoflowers at the end of the flowering stage for one week before you plan to harvest. This is usually when the trichomes start turning milky white. Use the same amount of water, but don’t add any nutrients. You don’t need to flush cannabis that’s growing in organic soil.
Top Five Tips for Watering Your Marijuana Plants
1. Be Careful When Watering Seedlings
Autoflower seedlings are extremely fragile when they first sprout, so be careful not to damage them by watering with too much pressure. We recommend using a spray bottle to mist them.
2. Don’t Overwater Autoflowers
Many first-time growers make the mistake of overwatering their marijuana. But how do you know if you’re overwatering an autoflower since you can’t see the roots?
It’s unlikely to overwater your plants in one watering, but overwatering can happen when you water the plant too often without allowing it to use all the water. This can lead to rot and fungus.
If the leaves turn yellow, this means you’ve overwatered. Allow the plant to soak up all the water and don’t water again until the soil is dry.
3. Feed Your Plants the Correct Amount of Nutrients
Autoflowers need nutrients to flourish, but they need less nutrients than photoperiod varieties due to their smaller size and hardy genetics. You can still use nutrients every time you water, but try using half (or less) of the recommended amount for photoperiod strains. We recommend starting small and adding more nutrients if needed.
When plants get too many nutrients, they won’t be able to use the excess. If this happens, you might notice the tips of the leaves become burnt.
4. Let the Soil Dry out Between Watering
It may sound counterintuitive, but cannabis plants thrive when the soil is allowed to dry out between watering. Marijuana can survive periods of drought, so underwatering is less of a concern than overwatering. But if you notice your plants wilting, it’s time for them to be watered.
5. Use the Right pH
Marijuana plants prefer water with a pH of 6.5-7.0. Some tap water falls outside of this range, but you can check the pH with test strips or a pH meter, which you can order online for less than $10.
Your Source for 420 – Fast Buds
With these watering tips, you’re on your way to a great harvest! If you want to grow your own 420, Fast Buds has the best autoflowering cannabis seeds, and USA customers can order them online from Seedsplug. We offer fast, discreet shipping from our headquarters in South California all across the USA, including Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, and the West Coast.
