In The Lab

[Neiko]

Re: "In the Lab" with Doc Bud

Root Drenches for Young Plants

As stated a page or two ago, the goal for vegetative growth is primarily roots. We want a huge root ball with lots of pent-up growth energy when we transplant.

This is accomplished by letting them dry out in veg and watering them at the last minute before they really start wilting.

Another technique that will really produce nice plants is a root drench. I usually do this twice during veg, the second time being a day or two before transplanting.

Here's how I do it:

Fill 5 gallon bucket with water/tea/food....whatever it is you're doing. In the case of my kit I make the bucket like this:

1 ounce of Energy
2 mils Tea
1 ounce Transplant

Then, I let each plant soak in the bucket so that it is drenched, through and through. Pouring water in from the top can help them float a little lower so the plant doesn't tip over.

This is the important part:

After the drench, you want to drain as much water out of the pot as possible. Tilt the pot this way and that until it stops dripping.

the drench ratio posted, is that for 1 plant or do you keep dunking plants until the mixture is gone?

 

[Doc Bud]

Re: "In the Lab" with Doc Bud

the drench ratio posted, is that for 1 plant or do you keep dunking plants until the mixture is gone?

Keep dunking until it's gone.

 

[PakaloloHawaii]

What?! Supposed to put 50/50 energy/transplant for veg plants?! Shit I've been doing it wrong for years! Only energy! #facepalm

 

[BudTester420]

What?! Supposed to put 50/50 energy/transplant for veg plants?! Shit I've been doing it wrong for years! Only energy! #facepalm

Lol, idk how wrong it was look at your plants.

 

[DrZiggy]

Yeah tavosvo, wrong????

 

[Shawnee]

Ok, I'm with Tavo....Transplant goes with tea, but after that, when in doubt, it's energy with tea. Please advise.

 

[Doc Bud]

What?! Supposed to put 50/50 energy/transplant for veg plants?! Shit I've been doing it wrong for years! Only energy! #facepalm

I'm not sure where this is coming from, but let's just clear it up! See below.

Ok, I'm with Tavo....Transplant goes with tea, but after that, when in doubt, it's energy with tea. Please advise.

Tea is used with each and every drench. Period.

Transplant is added at 1/4 oz for all waterings now....we've talked about this before. The exception is when we actually transplant, at which time we use Transplant like a normal drench.

In veg, there's nothing at all wrong with using Growth Energy the whole way through, but if you get root bound (and I'm always root bound) I find that a good soaking with transplant once in a while helps.

When in doubt, use Growth Energy.

No one is doing it wrong! There are principles and actions to these products and once we understand that, we can basically make up our own feeding schedules, assuming the products are being used intelligently and not in some whacky way.

The current instructions are right on.

 

[Shawnee]

Thanks for the speedy update, Doc, impressive timing......okay, I'm back on board then. Just flipped to flower but will certainly incorporate that for next time.

Don't know how the Sam Hill I missed that but I sure did....the devil is in the details; I was asleep at the wheel.

 

[PakaloloHawaii]

Doc please check your quoted post #1001, on the previous page.

Seems strange that I never noticed that before, just wanted to clarify.
Here's the important part:

Here's how I do it:
Fill 5 gallon bucket with water/tea/food....whatever it is you're doing. In the case of my kit I make the bucket like this:
1 ounce of Energy
2 mils Tea
1 ounce Transplant

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc please check your quoted post #1001, on the previous page.

Seems strange that I never noticed that before, just wanted to clarify.
Here's the important part:

Here's how I do it:
Fill 5 gallon bucket with water/tea/food....whatever it is you're doing. In the case of my kit I make the bucket like this:
1 ounce of Energy
2 mils Tea
1 ounce Transplant

Yep. When I do a deep root soaking that's what I do! That's not for every watering, usually only when they're quite root bound.

As things progress and we collectively understand how all this works, we'll no doubt have other new things we do. If you don't let the plants go rootbound so much, this is unnecessary.

 

[BudTester420]

Hey guys when using cat drench is it drench two days in a row or just two waterings in a row?

 

[Doc Bud]

Hey guys when using cat drench is it drench two days in a row or just two waterings in a row?

Two waterings in a row.

 

[BudTester420]

Hey guys when using cat drench is it drench two days in a row or just two waterings in a row?

Thanks, just going to add my recharge as well for that second watering, everything Is looking amazing.

 

[PakaloloHawaii]

Yep. When I do a deep root soaking that's what I do! That's not for every watering, usually only when they're quite root bound.

As things progress and we collectively understand how all this works, we'll no doubt have other new things we do. If you don't let the plants go rootbound so much, this is unnecessary.

I am the master of root bound plants in veg! I'm so glad that post came up. That drench was meant for my garden!!!! LOL

 

[medmanmike]

Yep. When I do a deep root soaking that's what I do! That's not for every watering, usually only when they're quite root bound.

As things progress and we collectively understand how all this works, we'll no doubt have other new things we do. If you don't let the plants go rootbound so much, this is unnecessary.

Doc, while we're clearing up confusion.... I'm still confused when a nute is based on a specific ratio, i.e. 1 oz to 1 gal; vs based on - can't think of the correct term, but it's something along the line of the nute being "present" regardless of the quantity of h20, i.e. your "drench" formula above. So, 1 oz in 5 gal. will obviously be very "diluted" vs 1 oz in 1 gal., so I'm thinking the "drench" formula is based on the nuts being "present". Yes?

If so, then what would you recommend for the poster with 1 plant or me with 2 or 3? Is the amount of water unimportant as it relates to the nutes in the formula? It seems very wasteful to me to fill up a 5 gal bucket w/nutes to soak only one plant (which still might be in a 1 gal pot.)

To make a reduced quantity for the 1-planters among us, should the water just be reduced or does one have to mess with the quantity of the nutes?

 

[PakaloloHawaii]

Doc, while we're clearing up confusion.... I'm still confused when a nute is based on a specific ratio, i.e. 1 oz to 1 gal; vs based on - can't think of the correct term, but it's something along the line of the nute being "present" regardless of the quantity of h20, i.e. your "drench" formula above. So, 1 oz in 5 gal. will obviously be very "diluted" vs 1 oz in 1 gal., so I'm thinking the "drench" formula is based on the nuts being "present". Yes?

If so, then what would you recommend for the poster with 1 plant or me with 2 or 3? Is the amount of water unimportant as it relates to the nutes in the formula? It seems very wasteful to me to fill up a 5 gal bucket w/nutes to soak only one plant (which still might be in a 1 gal pot.)

To make a reduced quantity for the 1-planters among us, should the water just be reduced or does one have to mess with the quantity of the nutes?

Just scale it down. Plants in 7g pots usually get 3ml drench. Plants in 10s get 5ml. That's what I and a few other do, I believe.

 

[BudTester420]

Doc, while we're clearing up confusion.... I'm still confused when a nute is based on a specific ratio, i.e. 1 oz to 1 gal; vs based on - can't think of the correct term, but it's something along the line of the nute being "present" regardless of the quantity of h20, i.e. your "drench" formula above. So, 1 oz in 5 gal. will obviously be very "diluted" vs 1 oz in 1 gal., so I'm thinking the "drench" formula is based on the nuts being "present". Yes?

If so, then what would you recommend for the poster with 1 plant or me with 2 or 3? Is the amount of water unimportant as it relates to the nutes in the formula? It seems very wasteful to me to fill up a 5 gal bucket w/nutes to soak only one plant (which still might be in a 1 gal pot.)

To make a reduced quantity for the 1-planters among us, should the water just be reduced or does one have to mess with the quantity of the nutes?

Each plant should get half a gal and 5ml of drench. I do mine at a gallon and 5ml cause they need more water then just half a gal when top watering.
,

 

[PakaloloHawaii]

Yes ^ the amount of water doesn't really matter. Water as much as you need, with aforementioned quantities of drench (and tea)

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc, while we're clearing up confusion.... I'm still confused when a nute is based on a specific ratio, i.e. 1 oz to 1 gal; vs based on - can't think of the correct term, but it's something along the line of the nute being "present" regardless of the quantity of h20, i.e. your "drench" formula above. So, 1 oz in 5 gal. will obviously be very "diluted" vs 1 oz in 1 gal., so I'm thinking the "drench" formula is based on the nuts being "present". Yes?

If so, then what would you recommend for the poster with 1 plant or me with 2 or 3? Is the amount of water unimportant as it relates to the nutes in the formula? It seems very wasteful to me to fill up a 5 gal bucket w/nutes to soak only one plant (which still might be in a 1 gal pot.)

To make a reduced quantity for the 1-planters among us, should the water just be reduced or does one have to mess with the quantity of the nutes?

It gets confusing because we always want to think PPM or EC or "Mils per gallon."
My gear is usually based per acre, or per 1000 sq feet.....and containers are different anyways.

Soooo......look at it like 1oz per 6 plants. It doesn't matter how much water....although I'd recommend no more than 3 gallons per plant for a feeding, and I often feed with just one gallon.

If you're doing one plant.....5 mils, because 30mill (1 oz) divided by 6 is 5.

 

[medmanmike]

Just scale it down. Plants in 7g pots usually get 3ml drench. Plants in 10s get 5ml. That's what I and a few other do, I believe.

Don't mean to be obtuse, but when you say 3ml drench, exactly what do you mean? Scale down the nutes from 1 oz to 3 ml? For which nutes?

And, just to be clear, I'm referring specifically to Doc's "drench" formula
Here's how I do it:
Fill 5 gallon bucket with water/tea/food....whatever it is you're doing. In the case of my kit I make the bucket like this:
1 ounce of Energy
2 mils Tea
1 ounce Transplant