Does everyone agree that when the leaves grow out of the cup rim diameter its time to transplant? It actually sounds very reasonable rule of thumb to me. I have a spot and they are due to transplant tomorrow!! Then they my dads babies .
When I have to water everyday that's my sign to transplant. U can have 18" plants in small 4"by4" pots. They get topped twice and then I swap it in for a bigger 3 gal pot and that's where it is till harvest. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Been growing in soil for many seasons...roots need air as much as they need water...try lighter soil mix. NO FERTILIZER NEEDED with quality soil and use good water source with slightly acidic PH...use nutes sparingly (I use about a third or quarter recommended dose every third watering or so only after plants are well established) Good Luck to you...
Let me add one more thing...it is so tempting to water and feed unnecessarily (I still do it sometimes and I know better) It takes a plant much longer to recover from over feeding and over watering than it does from under watering etc. It's hard but plants in soil actually do best when the soil is dried out then thoroughly watered. You may need to water a bit then wait a few minutes and water again to prevent all he water from running out the drain holes though. JUST BE SURE TO LET THEM DRY OUT BETWEEN WATERINGS...
He's right, I've only done one soil grow but that was also my largest. 60+ plants. My watering schedule was all fucked up, and sometimes id find a plant basically laying over and all wilted to shit. Give it a little fresh water and in 15 min, back to normal. Nute burn is a bitch though. So basically what im saying is, old tymer is right.
Dig 12x12x12 inch or bigger holes in yard.. fill with Fox Farms Ocean Forest.. insert plant.. done deal.. check back in 30 days for additional advice.. A good well draining soil like FFOF will drain well enough that even Id10T's like us find it hard to over water.. It's rich enough on it's own that you won't need to add anything for about the 1st month.. some quality bat guano teas after that will be most of what you need.. or FFs line or GH or.. the list is long.. avoid evil Dr. Monsanto and most Miracle Grow Products as being a little to strong for what we are growing.. It's really hard to undo a nute burn.. no do overs with plants..
This is very true! I notice the most growth when I let them get really dry and then water. The next day they they would look so much different - bigger! You have other problems though I think. Mag def in one of the pics.. My plants leaves looked the same and salt fixed this. Im not positive if this is a result of overwatering? But im assuming your drowning those roots and they cant take up nutrients. You may have some root rot starting.
Should keep an eye on when you see roots at the drain holes... Then wait a week or so... Some root restriction is good. To much up potting will stunt growth!!! Look it up. Very few articles on this though, but they make sense.
Here is a quote from another grower on another forum!!! Not taking any credit of any kind here - "There are a number of reasons up-pot. For starters, properly timing transplants maximizes canopy development. The roots will grow until the reach a boundary. At this point the <span>plant</span> will focus root growth inward filling the voids as it seeks out nutrients and more water. At the same time the <span>plant</span> turns its attention to building the canopy above ground. That is why your <span>plants</span> appear to stall when you put them in a <span>bigger</span> pot. The roots grow out first and then the canopy follows - roots support canopy growth not the other way around. Another important reason to up-pot is to provide fresh pH buffer (and nutes if you are using per-fertilized soil like FFOF). As the roots fill the pot the pH buffer is depleted leading to pH problems. Up-potting too often or into pots that are too big and the roots will just stretch and stretch at the expense of the canopy (not our goal to grow big roots...). Your <span>plants</span> will still grow but you will not be maximizing canopy development. In fact, at each stage of development you want to restrict root growth at just the right time so that the plant focuses energy above ground. Yield is not just about lumens / light intensity. That is why a scrog will out perform and regular grow every time, everything else being equal. It's about maximizing the canopy." A small write up about this - http://boards.cannabis.com/basic-growing/151941-importance-continuous-canopy-its-all-about-efficiency-baby.html
The author makes some valid points...recently I was trying out some seeds I bred and hurried them into flowering...ended up with 8"-10" plants in 2 gallon bags...root balls never got any bigger than tennis balls, could have saved space and put them into 2 liter soda bottles...that being said, I'd rather give the plants plenty of room to spread out which requires plenty of root space and the time necessary to veg out