Washington Water Watch: How to Adjust Your Feed for Rainy Weeks
If you’re growing cannabis outdoors in Washington, rain is just part of the deal. From spring drizzle to fall downpours, the wet weeks can soak your soil, stress your plants, and totally mess up your feeding schedule.
But don’t panic just yet.
With the right tools and timing, you can adjust your nutrient strategy to survive the storm—and even thrive in it. Whether you’re in rainy Redmond, misty Mount Vernon, or soggy Shelton, this article will help you fine-tune your feed to fit Washington’s wettest weeks.
The Problem With Rain: It's Not Just Water
Rain may seem pure and harmless, but it brings a complex mix of challenges for cannabis cultivators, especially in outdoor residential setups:
-
Soil dilution: Rain flushes nutrients away before your plant can absorb them.
-
Waterlogging: Saturated soil means oxygen-starved roots and risk of rot.
-
pH swings: Rainwater is slightly acidic, which can mess with nutrient uptake.
-
Inconsistent feeding: Your carefully measured feed schedule gets wrecked by nature’s hose.
The trick? Work with the rain, not against it.
Step 1: Know When It’s Coming
Don’t feed blind—forecast wisely.
-
Use hyper-local weather apps like Windy, AccuWeather, or RadarScope to monitor rain timing.
-
If rain is expected within 6–12 hours, skip the water-based feed.
-
Track soil saturation before and after storms with a moisture meter.
Pro tip: Install a $10 rain gauge in your yard. It tells you how much water actually landed on your plants—not just what the forecast said.
Step 2: Adjust Your Feeding Schedule (Rain Edition)
Before the Rain
If you’ve got a window of dry weather:
-
Feed with low-volume, high-nutrient mix 12–24 hours before the storm.
-
Use root drench additives like silica or fulvic acid to help nutrient uptake.
-
Topdress dry amendments like worm castings or compost to buffer runoff.
During the Rain
If your plants are getting soaked:
-
Do not feed liquid nutrients. You’re just wasting them.
-
Monitor runoff—if you see leaching (yellowing leaves), consider foliar feeding when the rain lets up.
-
Cover sensitive plants with a tarp or rain canopy if possible.
After the Rain
Once things dry out:
-
Resume feeding with lower concentrations—your soil may still be soggy.
-
Add a beneficial bacteria tea or mycorrhizae to support recovery and improve nutrient cycling.
-
Re-check soil pH and EC to correct for any washout or imbalance.
Step 3: Switch Up the Delivery Method
Rainy weeks call for creative feeding techniques that bypass the flooded root zone.
Foliar Feeding
Apply diluted nutrients directly to the leaves when there’s a break in the rain and wind. Use:
-
Seaweed extract
-
Cal-mag spray
-
Silica for strengthening cell walls
Only foliar feed early morning or late afternoon to avoid leaf burn or mold.
Dry Topdressing
Blend dry amendments into the top few inches of soil (before or after rain):
-
Bone meal, kelp meal, worm castings, bat guano
-
These slowly release nutrients and resist leaching better than liquid feeds
Step 4: Add Rain-Resilient Soil Boosters
Washington growers should amend soil in advance to handle wet weeks like a champ.
Mix in:
-
Perlite or pumice for better drainage
-
Coco coir to retain air in wet conditions
-
Biochar to lock in nutrients and promote beneficial microbes
-
Mycorrhizae fungi to improve root resilience and nutrient uptake
Common Mistakes to Avoid
-
Feeding during heavy rain: The nutrients won’t stick around.
-
Overcompensating afterward: Dumping more food after the rain can lead to burn when soil finally dries.
-
Ignoring root health: Wet roots need oxygen. Skip feeds and focus on airflow and soil aeration.
-
Forgetting runoff: Even slight slopes can funnel water (and nutrients) away from your plant.
Advanced Rainy Week Feed Strategies
If you're committed to the craft, try these pro tips:
-
Set up rain collection barrels and use the water for later feedings—just filter and pH it first.
-
Install drip line irrigation under a cover to control water input precisely—even on wet days.
-
Use compost tea during light drizzle—it soaks in gently and helps replenish beneficial biology.
Adapt and Overcome
In Washington, the wet season isn’t a surprise—it’s a reliable feature of the calendar. The key to outdoor cannabis success here is adaptability. By learning how to read the weather, tweak your feed, and keep your root zone healthy during downpours, you can grow thriving plants even when the skies won’t quit crying.
Remember, cannabis is resilient. So are you.
Comments
Post a Comment