Fert and drainage question

[sicnarf]

I use miracle grow potting soil and miracle 15-30-15 plant food. Should this be sufficient nutrients for the flowering stage? Or if not, or if better ways can someone link me a web-site to better stuff? (i.e. flowering nuts, veg nuts etc..)<SPAN style="COLOR: black">Also, I bought a pot that only has 4 little holes at the bottom. I never noticed water being drained. I know that the soil can get icky at the bottom if not drained. But could it also just be that my plant is absorbing all the plant food/water? Right now I don't notice any signs of deficiencies. The plant is about 2months old and just started on the 12/12 hr schedule (15inches high), has only been in the current pot for 3 weeks, and uses 12,000 lumens of warm light floro's. I water it well once at the start of light and a small mist in the middle of light (my distilled water is mixed with plant food).

[Bubonic Chronic]

dont mess with your plants in the middle of the night....they like the dark

[sicnarf]

thx for the help...

[Mutt]

You need to get fertilizer that is designed for the stage in which your plant is in. Miracle Grow is junk. There is another post the the person is having difficulty due to Miracle Grow. Some people use schultz products. I never tried it though.

They make special fertilizers for Vegatative state which is high in nitrogen. They also make a bloom fert which is designed for flower stage which is almost 0 for nitrogen. Miracle grow will casue a build-up of nitrogen during flower which will cause problems and make your smoke harsh (with other crap you don't want to smoke).

Drainage is a must. Keep an eye on those pots. If it is really wet at those bottom holes put more in. Remember it is easier to fix

Here is a link for to give you an idea of what ferts. you can get most hydro ferts can be mixed for soil grow. Much more suited for what you need.

http://americangardensupply.ewdcheckout.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=23&zenid=d5bcc826e4d601c0da205b8ec9d431b6

[sicnarf]

Thanks, mutt. This is my first plant ever and I think I'll just pray that this plant food will bud for me. I do have a 250watt HPS light on its way :) As for the holes, I going to add more to the bottom once the lights turn on in a few hours. I have rocks at the bottom of my pot, with soil on top. Does that help?

[skunk]

you need atleast 10 quarter inch holes in a 5 gallon bucket to be suffiecient drainage . if hole are smaller they could easily cake up and hold water .

[sicnarf]

thx, skunk. Im going to somehow cut more holes in bit. ALso, I think my pot is too small (its about 10" high) should I transplant into a bigger pot? THis is the first day of flowering for me.

[Mutt]

you need atleast 10 quarter inch holes in a 5 gallon bucket to be suffiecient drainage . if hole are smaller they could easily cake up and hold water .

Amen. I go crazy with my drill. Perlite or rocks will work. I use river rokcs then throw some perlite on top of that. then soil. 5 gallon bucket.

[skunk]

you had youre post in right as i sent my reply rocks will help your drainage and areation . but in soil you better have a large enough container where you wont have to transplant again because it can be a mess trying to untangle roots intagled with rocks .

[skunk]

yes mutt hit it on the spot 5gallon bucket for your last stage . i transplant several times during veg . but when all is said and done 5 to 10 gallon buckets are best . you can give mutt a rep point for that 1 .

[sicnarf]

props to both you dudes for helping me. I' leaving to buy a 5 gal pot right now, I figure a fresh transplant won't hurt. I'll buy some pertile too and lay it on the top of the thin layer of rocks...then soil. I will have pics of my first baby too.

[Mutt]

Skunk has corrected me in a PM out a respect. He siad not to use much if any prelite on top of the rocks. I agree with what he told me. Perlite does absorb water and can create a drainage blockage. Better to stick with rocks alone as skunk told me.

Thanks for the correction Skunk.

[sicnarf]

OK, ill hold on the pertile on the bottom. How about just mixing like 1/3 of the soil with pertile, will this be a help?

[sicnarf]

Oh , and I'm getting rid of the miricale grow plant food (15-30-15). I switched to schultz 10-15-10 plant food. Is this better?

[Insane]

Perlite isn't only for helping drainage, it retains water and other nutrients as well and greatly helps root growth.

I like that idea of putting rocks in the bottom of the pots tho, I'll try that on my next grow.

[sicnarf]

Thx, Insane. I jsut mixed a good amount of pertile into my new soil. It's about 1/3 pertile to soil ratio. I added 9 1/2 inch holes on the bottom of my pot for extra drainage. There are 14 total. This should solve the no-drain problem
GL insane with the rock idea.

[Stoney Bud]

Thx, Insane. I jsut mixed a good amount of pertile into my new soil. It's about 1/3 pertile to soil ratio. I added 9 1/2 inch holes on the bottom of my pot for extra drainage. There are 14 total. This should solve the no-drain problem
GL insane with the rock idea.
Hey, whats up sicnarf? Hey man, growing in soil is pretty easy if you just follow a few simple rules.

1. Use a brandname potting soil that has NO added nutrients.
2. Check the bag and make sure that it's a mix of peat and whatever. Very few of them are pure dirt. You don't need perilite, vermiculite, or anything else. The potting soil has retainers in it. Peat is an excellant retainer. You don't need rocks, stones or that stuff. That's for outside use. It helps improve drainage outdoors. In a pot, you don't need it.
3. Make sure you use an oversized plastic base for the one and only 5 gallon container that's put on something to keep an inch between it and the base.
4. Feed only through the base. You should be able to pour at least one gallon of nutrient solution into the base without overflowing it. The wicking action of the dirt, and later the roots, will pull any water needed, up into the plants roots. Never, never, never, never, never water from the top. Let the plant wick what it needs. It will, I promise. My largest Mother is in a 5 gallon pot of mix and she sucks up two gallons every day. She gives me a constant supply of clones. She's up to six clones every week. She's Big Bud.
5. Use a 1/2 strengh Hydroponic nutrient that is appropriate to the stage of growth your plants are in. "General Hydroponics" has all you'll ever need, and I've found them to be fairly priced and they deliver pretty fast. No plug. Just good service.
6. If growing Mothers, then prune the plant all the way up to mature. If your growing a crop, then use LST and later, pruning until two weeks before flowering.
7. For veggin, flo's work if you use high output. If you want good smoke, you gotta give them nutes and lights out the ***. Don't be cheap on this.
8. Don't need to transplant. Put it into a 5 gallon container the first time. Transplanting is not something a plant likes to do.
9. Don't forget to water. That's why you need the large base. My Mothers are all in soil. I water them once each day with a gallon of nutes.
10. Don't get lazy and "forget" to prune or water. Treat them like babies and they'll give you lots of bud.

[sicnarf]

"3. Make sure you use an oversized plastic base for the one and only 5 gallon container that's put on something to keep an inch between it and the base.
4. Feed only through the base. You should be able to pour at least one gallon of nutrient solution into the base without overflowing it. The wicking action of the dirt, and later the roots, will pull any water needed, up into the plants roots. Never, never, never, never, never water from the top. Let the plant wick what it needs." __I'm not to sure what you mean, can you explain this process in more detail so a newbie can understand?

oh and I already put nut potting soil in agian for the transplant....If I had of known I would of used regular non-nut soil. Well, thanks Stoney Bud.

[Stoney Bud]

"3. Make sure you use an oversized plastic base for the one and only 5 gallon container that's put on something to keep an inch between it and the base.
4. Feed only through the base. You should be able to pour at least one gallon of nutrient solution into the base without overflowing it. The wicking action of the dirt, and later the roots, will pull any water needed, up into the plants roots. Never, never, never, never, never water from the top. Let the plant wick what it needs." __I'm not to sure what you mean, can you explain this process in more detail so a newbie can understand?

oh and I already put nut potting soil in agian for the transplant....If I had of known I would of used regular non-nut soil. Well, thanks Stoney Bud.
When I say a plant is "wicking" I mean it like an oil lamp works. The water is there if the soil in the pot becomes dry enough. As the soil becomes drier, it will "soak" up the water and deliver it to the roots.

Whe the plant is fed this way, it's less likely to get any algea, moss or fungus problems in the soil.

Hey man, since you used the nutrient potting soil, don't use any nutrients in the water until the plant is at least 4 to 6 weeks old. Just use water. This will let the plant use the ferts in the soil until they are at least lessened. Then, start using 1/2 strength hydro nutrients until the plant is put into flower. When you cut your lights back, adjust your nutrients to a full strength flowering mix.

As you get further along in your grow, ask a lot of questions here. Ask before you do something and you might save some time or money.

Good luck man.

[sicnarf]

My plant is about 20 inches high and already on it's 2nd day of Flowering. I'll take your advice and water with just reg water (distilled) for a frew weeks to break up the soil nuts some.

So you mean that I should put my plant pot in a bigger pot? So it's like cups stacked on top of each other? then pour the nut-water down the side of the base (bigger outter pot, leaving an inch around so water can go down) ?

can somebody post a pic of this! Thanks agian guyz and galz. cheers :D

[sicnarf]

___my grow looks like this: in the flower stage___ (sry no pics yet)
1. Two hudge compact flors @ 45watts each. Total of 5,800 lumens in warm red color.
2. Two 4ft floros running vertically on the wall (the plant grows up lights :D) @40watts each. Total of 6,400 lumens in warm color.
3. Soil grown. in 5gal pot. USE nut-soil and plant-food.
4. medium fan hung in the air blowing down on grow conner. __Ionic__air__purifier in closet.
5. 12/12 timer
6. soda water in spray bottle for cO2 (sodium free, sprayed daily +plus me talking to her:)
7.THe soil is mixed with 1/3 perlite.

I hope this plant kicks with 12,200 lumens (for just one plant :/ )

[skunk]

6000 lumens per sq ft you you be fine as long as it doesnt get much bigger than 2 sq feet .

[sicnarf]

OK, guys. Day 3 of flowering. Lastnight when the lights went on I took a cut of a branch for a clone. I cut a small branch (it measured 1inch) I gave my clone a "hair cut" dipped it in root treatment and planted it in a small 2inch high pot. THis moringing when I wook up it looked weak and dead. The top of the clone was touching the soil, like it had no life. I flushed it down the toliet. My question is, how long must the cutting be to take root? How many leaves should it have. I read the post on cloning, reaally helped too. But I don't kknow how many inches it must be...

[Stoney Bud]

how long must the cutting be to take root? How many leaves should it have.
For optimum results, you should choose a stem that is at least 2 inches, but best at 4 inches long. The clipping should have at least 2 leaves on it and it's better if it has 4 or even 6. Cut the stem with a sharp pair of manicure sissors. Then, get your clone pot ready for it. Just before you stick it into the pot, take a razor blade and put a new cut at 45 degrees on the end of the clone and immediatly dip it in your hormone. Brush it lightly with a piece of tissue while it's in the hormone. This will prevent an air blockage on the cut. It's weird, but that really does happen. Then, put the clone into it's pot and lightly but firmly tamp the dirt around it so that it has good support. You don't want the clone to move even a fraction during it's rooting. No touchy, no feely. Keep the soil moist by watering from the bottom using a base pan. Don't drown it.

After about 10-15 days, you should start noticing new growth. That's good. It means the plant is starting to use it's new starter roots. All it takes to screw up a starter clone is one touch. I've seen this happen countless times. I always ask and I'm told, "well I just wiggled it a little".

If you buy a cloning machine, it makes it much faster, (10 days), and much more fool proof. Very very much worth the money.

[Mutt]

All it takes to screw up a starter clone is one touch.

No doubt. I don't even touch the container. I have screwed up plenty in my past by just moving it in my cab, not even touching the plant itself. Don't expect great results cloning your first time around. It took me 3 attempts to get it right.


This will prevent an air blockage on the cut


I make my last cut in the cup of water. I found this helps prevent an air bubble.

[Stoney Bud]

My plant is about 20 inches high and already on it's 2nd day of Flowering. I'll take your advice and water with just reg water (distilled) for a frew weeks to break up the soil nuts some. So you mean that I should put my plant pot in a bigger pot? So it's like cups stacked on top of each other? then pour the nut-water down the side of the base (bigger outter pot, leaving an inch around so water can go down)? can somebody post a pic of this!
Using soil, I'd go with nothing smaller than a 3 gallon pot for the size plant your talking. You'll see in the picture below what I mean about the watering base. Put your plant on one inch spacers in the base. Roots will actually grow out the bottom into the nutrient solution.

The pot I'm showig in the picture is too small for the size plant your talking about, but you see the setup. Since you used the added nutrient potting soil, only use water in the base for most of your flowering. When the plant is in full flower, you should add a hydroponic nutrient to the water that is mixed for flowering. This will push the flowering.

On your next grow, maybe I'll talk you into a hydroponic grow.

[sicnarf]

Hydro is someting ill try once I get soil growing down, can't wait. Thanks for the pics, makes perfect sense.

[sicnarf]

3rd day of flowering, 2nd clone idea:

I notice 3 lil roots shooting up next to my mother plants stem base. They each have top leaves on them and are coated with cyrstals. I see white roots when I pulled one up. Could I snip it and clone it?...what's the deal with the white resin on them anyways?