I'm starting to worry about my babies . I have 5 female Lowryder #2's which are starting to bud . I am starting to think they are root bound . I started all of the plants off in 2 gallon pots . The other day when I looked at the drainage holes on the bottom of the pots I noticed that there were roots coming out of almost every hole (about an 1/8 inch of root from the holes) . This was kind of suprising for me because from what I've read , it's recommended that LR2's stay in 1-2 gallon pots from start to finish . How could it be possible that my dwarf plants are already root bound at only the 3rd week ? I still have atleast 5 weeks left , so this is starting to bother me . There's something else that I noticed though . I am keeping the light on for 18 hours a day , about 3 hours before the light turns off the leaves start to droop . Then , during the 6 dark hours , the leaves return to normal . I did a search to find out what could be causing that and I found an answer from Ed Rosenthal . He said that means that my pots are not big enough , so that's the other reason why I believe that my plants are root bound . Here's a link for that ... http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3337.html . So does anybody else have any experience with LR2's or just root bound plants in general ? Is seeing roots from the drainage holes a definite sign of the roots being bound ? Any help would be greatly apreciated , because right now I'm a little worried . I'm kind of tight on cash right now so I'm hoping that I will not need to transplant .
Personally I don't think you have anything to worry about on those. I've run a couple of LR2 grows out, mainly as breeding experiments. I finished most in 1gal pots believe it or not...though I would recommend a 2gal for additional weight. What I believe you're seeing is simply the roots growing where it's dark and moist. If the pots sit on something moisture will collect at the very bottom. It's not a big deal and not, IMHO, a sign of being root bound. I usually put my pots on a couple of small pieces of wood, just to get em off the ground and allow them to dry out at the bottom quicker (I use a dense mix and try to avoid root rot at all costs). Now when you have to water her every day, her growth has slowed and digging down 1/2inch reveals roots everywhere - then it's time to seriously worry about being rootbound. Just my .02 Edit: One thing I forgot to mention - sounds like your ladies have an absolutely fantastic root system! Filling a 2gal pot and spreading out below...that's a good sign!
Ok , well I feel better now . I'm hoping that you're right , and I'm starting to think that you might be since they are growing incredibly fast with no signs of slowing . I have all my pots set on a towel to absorb moisture , so that might be keeping them really moist on the bottom . Maybe I will try setting them on pieces of wood to get better air flow like you do , just to avoid root rot . Also , do you have any idea why the leaves droop after the light has been on for a while ? I'm using a 400 watt HPS at about 8-12 inches away with a temp of 73F-82F (while on) . Is there another cause for drooping like that (only after the light have been on for a while) other than being root bound ? Thanks for your help , very much apreciated .
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong, but after lots of discovery channel time lapse watching, most plants reach there hands up (leaves) when the sun rises, then lower back down at night.... remember were creating an outside environment inside!
Yes that's true , but my issue was the exact opposite . My leaves were lowering while the lights had been on for a while , and then rising up when the lights were off . That's why I was confused .
Your leaves are drooping when the lights are on and perking up when they go off because the lights are too close. The heat from the lights is causing the water in the leaves to disapate and when its off, the moisture is allowed to return. Move your lights up about six inches and see if your problem goes away. If it doesn't, move it a little more. And I have grown many LR2 in 1 gal pots with no problem. Don't sweat it.
Thanks for the reply man , and you're right . Actually , about a week ago I raised the light up a bit , and the problem was solved . I made a mistake when I had my light as close as it was ... I was not checking the temp at canopy level , but a few inches under . So it was a lot hotter than I thought . I have not experiencd that problem since I raised the lights .