Emmies Grow Log - White Widow

[WashougalWonder]

Well DP, I am going to disagree with you. I think the sooner she gets out of the troublesome MG soil she will do much better.

Yes do the knife thing around the edges, support the soil around the stem and turn upside down, might even have to tap on the pot to get it all to release. A little root damage may occur, but I think not. Just sort of let the root ball crumble in your hands and then repot into the OF or whatever.

Maybe do the worst looking plant and see how it does first? These puppies are tough, you have a better chance of getting an ulcer than killing them you worry-wart you. LOL.

Have a good day

[Dutch Pimp]

...I've seen just as many plants die in Fox Farms soil as I have MG soil.

"It's a poor workman that blames his tools"

[Rusty Trichome]

Like Washougal said...Patience comes to mind here. Or a severe lack of it.
-But-
Patience can be gained, by LEAVING THE POOR THINGS ALONE. Keep dicking with 'em, and you are likely to get yourself into an unrecoverable position of stunted or severly stressed plants.

I can appreciate a genuine concern over the kids, and a strong desire to taste the fruits of your labors, but you've got to stop thinking there is something you are doing wrong or not doing right. (that's the impression I've been getting here)

Your plants look fine. :thumbsup:

I did the terra-cotta pots in the past. Nothing like stuck/stretched/torn roots and traumatized rootballs to throw the plants into deep transplant shock. (use care, and let rootball dry-out before the transplant) Been happily in plastic since.

Leave them in the pots they're in till they are ready for transplant. (roots crowding the bottom of the pot) Transplant too early, and you do a few things...
1) You tend to give more water, which in a larger pot, it takes longer to dry. Cannabis needs and prefers a wet-dry cycle. Try to aim twords the dry side, since you have a history of overwatering. Overwatered roots will cease mostly all nutrient and water uptake till the condition is rectified. Consistently wet roots rot. Root rot is generally fatal.
2) On feeding days, you're likely to saturate the pot thinking the roots will grow twords the unused nutrients. What this does is add to the salt build-up. The nutrients tend to congeal and toxify the soil. Roots don't thrive in toxic enviornments.
3) The newfound footroom makes for phenominal root growth, often at the expense of foliar growth. If the soil is still retaining water during feedings, likely there's still enough footroom. Tiz ok (prefered in my garden) to have a little bit of root compaction, but letting 'em get rootbound is also counter-productive.

Cute Dutch, lol. But MG can be a tough soil to learn on. But once you get it down...it's no better or worse than others.
When in a pre-ferted soil, the need for additional nutrients is negligible. I learned to grow in MG 3 month soil about 8 years ago, and it lasts about a month and a half or two before I'd start the light doses of nutrients. Doubtful it's much different with the 6 month, except it lasts for a longer period before running-out. Not too sure about the buffering in the soil lasting that long, so ph will likely take a big hit. But you mention switching to the FF during your next transplant, so ph shouldn't be an issue for ya.

What nutrients are you going to use for flowering?

[Dutch Pimp]

Usually terra-cotta pots have one big hole in the bottom. Transplant when roots are growing out the bottom hole.

[LetsSeeYa]

lol... patience he says. Not my strongest quality for sure. After I know I am not killing my babies I will find more of it I am sure... but for now I worry.

Lets say I get back from my drive today with new 1 gal and 2 gal pottery containers and some fox farms soil and I wanted to transplant these complaining little dears out of the miracle grow. They are in these stupid 8" clay pots now. What would be the best way to extract them? Just do the upside down shake and see what falls away from a root structure that surely isn't nearly as large as this container? Use some kind of large spoon and try to scoop them out from the edges? How much of this miracle grow should I try to bring with them, as little as possible? At 3 weeks and still no more than slightly stressed plantlings, is it too early to put them through the stress of a move, or is the risk worth it to get them in a better soil?

Impatient Emmie

Hey Em looking great:thumbsup:. I use a clay pot sometime and have never had an issue with any re pot, even 5gal re pots. I made a ''how to re pot without stress'' in my Sig if you want to look at it, but it is a plastic pot. I have grown bonsai trees and re potting is just something done a lot if you have lots of trees.

But the main thing is to let the pot dry out, then turn it over and use something to tap around the pot, which should loosen up anything attached to the pot. If it gives you problems still, just turn them, the pots upside down and use a bit of force to pop it out in your other hand. You will use the edge of the pot to hit your palm and with fingers spread, the plant will pop out with all dirt/root ball intact. Then just add soil to new pot, drop the plant with root ball in new pot and fill in around it. In a week or two, the roots should have grown into the fresh medium. If you look at the thread i made you can see how fast my plant recovered.

Do not spoon it out, you have no idea where the roots start and stop and stress will follow. But i grantee my way, there is no stress. Some people think a re pot will always give stress, never in my case.



Great thread:rasta:

[LetsSeeYa]

Usually terra-cotta pots have one big hole in the bottom. Transplant when roots are growing out the bottom hole.

Yep, the only thing i forgot was to let the pot fill its pot before anything. I wish all my seedlings looked that healthy.

But i gotta say, i luv my small clay pot, because of the big whole in the bottom and builds a nice root ball for me. I have never had to go around the pot with a knife, but i fill the pot with roots first:thumbsup:



:rasta:

[emilya]

Well DP, I am going to disagree with you. I think the sooner she gets out of the troublesome MG soil she will do much better.

Yes do the knife thing around the edges, support the soil around the stem and turn upside down, might even have to tap on the pot to get it all to release. A little root damage may occur, but I think not. Just sort of let the root ball crumble in your hands and then repot into the OF or whatever.

Maybe do the worst looking plant and see how it does first? These puppies are tough, you have a better chance of getting an ulcer than killing them you worry-wart you. LOL.

Have a good day

ok guys... you are making me feel better about things for sure. The thing that is troubling me is that i thought I was being smart when I put these pots together with putting that layer of vermiculite at the bottom. I thought it would help with drainage. Now I hear that the stuff traps moisture... and I see that happening in that even when the rest of the soil is mostly dry, I still get some condensation under the pot where the vermiculite seems to be throwing off a bit of that moisture. So, I'm worried about 2 things... first that the root wont be able to get through that layer and start presenting at the bottom hole to tell me when it is time to repot... and 2, if I am retaining moisture down there, am I risking root rot? This beginner mistake along with the miracle grow debacle would be fixed if I repot... but then again, I trust and value the great advice and experience of all of you too. Maybe as WW suggested, I will pick the worse looking one and try a transplant to see what happens and learn from it. The other 3 for now, I will use to practice my patience... at least until I get to examine what is happening at the bottom of the experimental pot... If I find lake Erie under there I am going to have a small panic attack.

Emmie

[Rusty Trichome]

When properly watered, the perlite retains air inside it's tiny pockets, preventing over-saturation of the media.
When overwatered, the perlite displaces the air with water, which will keep the media saturated for longer.

Do not let the pots sit in standing water, even if you do have drainage rocks. (or perlite) It will prevent the air circulation (through the soil) that the plant needs.

[neonzr]

Hey Em,
You put vermiculite or perlite in the bottom? Perlite is the norm for the bottom layer, but in your post you said vermiculite. Just want to get it clear to help sort out whats going on.

[emilya]

Hey Em,
You put vermiculite or perlite in the bottom? Perlite is the norm for the bottom layer, but in your post you said vermiculite. Just want to get it clear to help sort out whats going on.

vermiculite is the bottom layer... i messed up didn't I?