When you embark on your growing journey, one of your initial concerns may be how to water your cannabis plants so that they start and stay strong and healthy. Whether you plan to take marijuana to ease pain or to enjoy its recreational benefits, we can all agree that having a high-quality marijuana plant is hugely important. Let’s take a closer look at how to keep your cannabis plants hydrated and happy.

When to water your cannabis plants

Hand-watering your marijuana plants will lend you the most control over your cannabis watering, and it will also be much more convenient if you are planning to grow your cannabis indoors. You’ll want to give your marijuana plant water whenever the top of the soil that it is planted in starts to feel parched and dry. As a test, you could stick a finger in the soil and see how far down the dryness permeates. If the dirt feels dry up to one knuckle, or, about an inch, it is probably time to give that plant some water.

Checking the pot for signs

Some people who consider themselves expert marijuana growers subscribe to what is known as the “lift the pot” method to determine when it is time to water their cannabis. This involves lifting up the pot and sensing if it feels light (the theory being that if it is light, the plants will have used up all of the water that you previously added).

Tools to use when watering marijuana plants

Some people like to use a traditional watering can for watering cannabis plants, but, depending on how many plants you are growing at a time, you may find that you need to refill a receptacle that small a few times to get all of your plants all of the water that they need. Other options for more watering coverage include either a one-gallon or a five-gallon jug (you could clean out an old milk jug for the former).

What to do with the runoff water

The water that pools at the bottom of your pot after you water is called the runoff. You don’t want your cannabis plants to sit in a bunch of runoff water that is never going to be absorbed by the roots, so after your plants have been watered, you could wait a few minutes and dump it out, or, if that’s not possible, you could try to soak it up with some towels. Or, if you have a wet vac or shop vac, you could use one of those nifty products to suck it right up.

Ensuring your plants have good drainage

One of the key aspects of keeping your marijuana plants happy and healthy is making sure that they drain well when watered. If this important step isn’t taken, the cannabis plant can get waterlogged and become very quickly overwatered. This can lead to droopiness, which, let’s be honest, no one wants when it comes to growing your own marijuana.

Drainage holes at the bottom of the pot that your marijuana plant is growing in are critical, but it’s also vital to make sure that the drainage is happening freely. The next time that you water your cannabis plant, observe it for a few minutes. If it takes more than a few minutes for the water to make its way out of your pot, it means you don’t have quite enough drainage going on there to properly maintain your marijuana plant.

What’s the best kind of soil to use?

It might go without saying, but we’ll say it here anyway—don’t plant your cannabis seedlings in the dirt that you’ve found outside. That’s just not the best way to set your marijuana growing endeavor up for success. We would also refrain from recommending the use of wood chips or bark for growing marijuana plants. The best soil to use for growing cannabis plants is composted, rich, and drains well

Timing your watering

When your cannabis plants first start growing, you might find that you need to water them every two days or so. And, indeed, when plants are young, it is ideal to have a watering schedule that has them receiving hydration every two to three days. If you find that it is taking too long for the plant to dry between waterings, you may need to slow it down for a bit until your plant growth speeds up. And, on the flip side, if you feel like you need to water more frequently than that, you may need to start providing larger amounts of water at each watering session.

Avoiding underwatering cannabis

If you check in on your marijuana plants and notice any wilting, be prepared to change up your watering schedule. Wilting is the initial warning that cannabis plants display when they are underwatered. Their leaves might look lifeless and dry, or, at worst—crunchy. If this watering issue is not corrected right away, it could lead to the death of your cannabis plant.

No matter if you are a seasoned marijuana grower or a novice just getting started, a great resource for high-quality, premium marijuana seeds (backed by an incredible Germination Guarantee), and answers to any questions or concerns that you might have about growing cannabis, is Growers Choice Seeds. Now it’s time to water your cannabis plants to keep them as healthy as possible!