Is transplanting necessary?

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by Proclus, May 30, 2015.

  1. Disregarding soils that are too nutrient rich for seedlings to sprout in, is transplanting a necessary technique and does it result in tangible benefits to the grower? Additionally, at what point should a sprouted seedling be transplanted from its seedling pot to its final container?
     
    I hope you'll forgive the mundanity of my questions; I've simply read too much contradictory information and I would like nothing more than a clear and definitive answer to my questions.

     
  2. #2 The_Real_OG_Kush, May 30, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 30, 2015
    is transplanting a necessary technique? No
    and does it result in tangible benefits to the grower? Yes but at a loss for others
    at what point should a sprouted seedling be transplanted from its seedling pot to its final container? When its first two leaves appear. Or never.
     
    If you transplant into bigger buckets or in "stages"
     
    PROS: Visual inspection on roots, Portability of plants(Moving them indoor for storms), new soil mixes for flowering, bottom roots get feed well.
     
    Cons: Risk of disease during transplant, Shock, Stunted root growth, soil temps get high in small pots.
     
    If you straight to the biggest bucket
     
    PROS: Giant tap root going straight down, Great soil atmosphere, Vigor easy achieved, no chance of root bound(causing it to flower early).
     
    Cons: Cant peek at roots, top dressing only since we cant get soil to the bottom, low portability. Lots of water and medium to control.
     
  3. I'm still trying to determine if I even need to make a special soil for seedlings and clones. I've read varying info on the subject.. some say it's not necessary, some say to plant right into your final cooked soil. Not sure what I am going to do... my plan as of now is to put seeds and clones into red solo cups filled with a basic soil mix (compost/ewc, SPM and perlite, maybe some lime) and transplant them into their final 5 gallon smart pots. Was thinking of actually getting red solo cups and clear solo cups, plant into the clear cups and put that cup into the red solo cup to block light, then you can check out the roots by pulling out the clear cup.
    Still undecided on what to do, though. It's tempting to just plant directly into my final cooked soil in their 5 gallon containers. Still need to read up on that.
     
  4. Great Idea brother. Hope you dont mind if i steal this teq.(Clearcups into solo) Genius.
     
  5. A couple of thoughts to share with your fellows.
     
    One, the easy one, is to germ/plant your seedlings in clear solo cups. You'll have no harm or foul to you plants and you'll be able to witness what happens below the soil line, such as how energy first goes to establishing a healthy and proper roots system and once complete more energy goes to the above soil canopy. It's fun.
     
    Two, and this is a bit more complicated because transplanting is done for a host of reasons; phenotype selection, sexing of plants, plants being root bound, and I'm sure some more. Here is one technique I empathically urge you to consider if you go to a one-transplant protocol. When you transplant your plant, "plant" being properly identified as having a minimum of 3 sets of branching leaves, place it in the soil all the way up to 1/2" of the lowest set of leaves. Doing this will help promote a short squat plant being more round versus being real stretchy.
     
    Most folks transplant for a variety of reasons and many times. Off the top of my noodle from germination to final resting place I'll transplant 4 times.
     
    HTH's and good luck....
     
  6. One good reason I know of is for watering. It's generally easier to keep track of smaller plants water needs when they are in smaller pots. If your final port was some sort of SIP setup, then it might be different. I haven't personally tried that, yet... might not be a bad idea though.
     
  7.  
    Fantastic input - thank you.
     
  8. #8 Atmo, May 31, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 31, 2015
    Oh nice! Will the buried stem grow roots out of it once it's under the soil? I never realized or thought of doing this, but with my limited veg box height this is a wonderful tip, thanks! I will transplant using this method and I think with some malted barley my height issues will be much less of a worry! 
     
  9. #9 norcalgrower415, Jun 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 2, 2015
    Hey can anyone tell me what they think of my plants, I believe its a nitrogen deficiency but id like a second opinion.
     
  10. Not sure what type you're growing, auto/photo, but my understanding is a person shouldn't transplant autos.
     
  11. probably ok until its start to flower.
     
  12. Theirs no reason to really do any transplanting at all. As long as you cycled "cooked" your soil properly. Germinate seeds, plant in final container. When you transplant you're disturbing the micro organisms in your soil. 
     
  13.   I'll take my rooted 1 inch rock wool clones and plant in 3x3x3 square cups as I believe square promotes better branching and limits root circling found in round containers.. They'll stay in the 3 inch pots till roughly 12 inches in height when they go to a 5x5x7 deep for the next stage to 24 inches.. At that point I'm done vegging and they hit the ground outside or 5 to  20 gallon SIPs on the patio.. I get the best most rapid growth in each stage as the plants near root bound and need watered nearly every day.. At transplant time simply holding the plant upside down will slide the plant out with zero root disturbance..Just how I get things done..
               BNW
    Edit:: While out I take the opportunity to inoculate the roots with Mykos as well..
     
    [​IMG]
     
    [​IMG]
    3 and 5 inch
     
  14.  I had often wondered about using the rockwool. Do you simply plant in soil and everything comes out alright? Sure looks that way  [​IMG]
     
  15. Yes direct to a soil cup.. I keep a small area of used and yet to be re-amended soil for this stage to keep from cooking still tender rootlets with my stronger mix.. The one pictured is a bit longer then I like as I had to suspend it while filling the cup and shaking gently to get some soil under the cube to support it
     
  16.  
    While on the subject of rockwool I have to ask as I do not know the answer; What's the process you use to  pretreat/presoak the wool plugs prior to use?
     
    I'm not adverse to using them I've just never been told the correct way to do so.
     
  17. #17 BrassNwood, Jun 6, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 6, 2015
    Possuum
      Directions are on the package and the Grodan website.. PH my 8.5 tap water down to 5.5 using about a 1/2 eyedropper of vinegar.. About that much Protek silica and an full eyedropper shot of liquid plant food in a quart of city tap water that stinks of chlorine.. I've tried using both distilled and dechlored water but plain tap worked best and it's enough chlorine content it kept the algae on the cube surface down to a minimum..
      I don't scrape the stem, razor the cut on an angle or soak the cutting an hour to overnight or a whole lot of steps I tried and used originally.. I still use a bit of cloning gel and I do pack some scraps of rock wool along side the stem as that seems to promote rooting..
      I take the lowest branches off a fully vegged clone and section them into a 3 finger of stem with a thumb sized portion of a good fan leaf..
    Domed tray with a thermostat controlled seedling heat mat.. Three weeks is my normal time frame to get most of the tray to root..
      Wild swings of temp in my garage keep me on my toes trying to keep temps on the stable side using a cardboard house to enclose the tray and the 4 CFLs over it to keep it warm enough in even our not so cold So Cal winters..
     
    [​IMG]
     
    Just took this set a couple of days ago..
     
  18. Awesome response man. I could regurge a story about a time in michigan when i was propagating clones and selling them as fast as a party reveler throwing beads at mardi gras. I was using rapid rooters, ran out, bought the wool blocks, and not hardly a soil grower would buy them. But in retelling it would take up too much white space.

    I have never have had an issue with rock wool cubes, rather perhaps just not understanding best how to use them with great success.

    Nice succinct respone B&W. Tanks mahn....
     

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