Root health - checking roots at harvest: how should they look?

[CharlesBukowksi]

Hi all, I'm a new grower with three grows under my belt. I have noticed that when I plant my seeds in a Pete Pellet, the roots are thick and bright white. I transplant the pete pellet into fox farm Happy Frog (with great white) and don't get a chance to look at the roots again until harvest.

So, after harvest, I like to take a good look at the roots searching for mites and discoloration to learn from. All of my grows have thin, lightly brown roots and I'm wondering if this is normal or signs that I have a problem? Should the roots stay bright white the entire grow? I've read that nutrients can color the roots brown a bit, but I thought I'd double check.

Side note: I will not be using pete pellets for my next grow (although they seem to work great). I've read that they can stunt growth drastically and will try germinating my seeds without pete pellets next grow.

 

[Roy Growin]

I'm not 100% certain, but lack of oxygen (too wet) can cause brown roots
Maybe a little less water or longer intervals in the wet/dry cycle might help

 

[Skunksta]

Nutes staining and root roit would be my first thoughts or lack of oxygen
By any chance do you make up feed and leave it.?
Have to agree in soil with above.
I now make sure i have a healthy root ball/root mass before the flip.
At the chop if the roots dont look as good i know i been doing something wrong in flower.

PS. they should look like a mass of white pasta.

 

[SmokingWings]

All of my grows have thin, lightly brown roots and I'm wondering if this is normal or signs that I have a problem? Should the roots stay bright white the entire grow? I've read that nutrients can color the roots brown a bit, but I thought I'd double check.

Brown roots are a sign of soil roots. Thick white roots are one of the signs of water roots. Just because roots of plants grown in water turn brown because of "root rot" does not necessarily mean that the brown roots in soil is because of rot.

When you have the seedling in the peat pellets the compressed peat moss absorbs a lot of the water and stays wet so the roots are often white. Once the plant is in the soil the roots have that brown color you are seeing and it is normal. Go outside and dig up weeds in the garden and you will find that most of them with be brown on the surface and maybe the main tap root will be less brown and sometimes almost white.

One of the reasons you are seeing thin roots is those are the feeder roots, sometimes called hair roots, that the plant sends out to absorb moisture and soluble nutrients. They are very thin but if somehow we could scrape just the surface off we would notice that many of them are white on the inside.

If the gardener follows the "how to water a potted plant" guide and if they use enough water they will have a soil that borders on hydroponic. It is the best of both worlds or methods and when done successfully the results are healthy fast growing plants which leads to better harvests.

Do a google search, or use your favorite search engine, and use 'water roots' as the key words. You should end up with a long list of gardening and botany articles on the differences. Even articles with suggestions for those who want switch their plant grown in water over to being grown in soil.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Probably depends on numerous things.
I grow in Living Organic Soil, worms, mycorrhazae, water pretty much everyday with super oxygenated water and more often than not my roots are bright white at harvest.

 

[Mountainman80]

Hi all, I'm a new grower with three grows under my belt. I have noticed that when I plant my seeds in a Pete Pellet, the roots are thick and bright white. I transplant the pete pellet into fox farm Happy Frog (with great white) and don't get a chance to look at the roots again until harvest.

So, after harvest, I like to take a good look at the roots searching for mites and discoloration to learn from. All of my grows have thin, lightly brown roots and I'm wondering if this is normal or signs that I have a problem? Should the roots stay bright white the entire grow? I've read that nutrients can color the roots brown a bit, but I thought I'd double check.

Side note: I will not be using pete pellets for my next grow (although they seem to work great). I've read that they can stunt growth drastically and will try germinating my seeds without pete pellets next grow.

Wet a paper towel put ur seed in side it wrap.them.up.stuff it in a ziploc bag they will sprout over night give you a head start works awesome never fails just plsnt the sprouts your set to go ✌

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

I'm not 100% certain, but lack of oxygen (too wet) can cause brown roots
Maybe a little less water or longer intervals in the wet/dry cycle might help

This is very possible, I've had problems with fox farm soil compacting a bit late in the grow. (with added perlite)

I'm working on soil solutions now for my next grow, that's another topic. But I will be doing something to get more air to the roots and to prevent compacting soil.

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Nutes staining and root roit would be my first thoughts or lack of oxygen
By any chance do you make up feed and leave it.?
Have to agree in soil with above.
I now make sure i have a healthy root ball/root mass before the flip.
At the chop if the roots dont look as good i know i been doing something wrong in flower.

PS. they should look like a mass of white pasta.

OK, sounds like I have work to do! No white pasta roots here. I did have a drop in PH to around 5.0 mid flower this has happened in all of my grows. Everything is beautiful until week 5 of flower (give or take) I'm thinking the roots are taking a beating due to salt buildup or compacting soil. (or both --- the variables really add up quick trying to troubleshoot as a newbie !)

I am using Dynagrow, FoliagePro, Bloom, and Protekt 1/2 strength the feed chart recommended dosage once a week or so.) I mix this together per the instructions (one at a time) and PH test to around 6.2 PH to feed. I've tried all watering tricks but lean towards underwatering-- I also use a scale to weigh my pot, this lets me know when she is dry. I do use molasses in mid flower and great white when transplanting (once).

 

[Mountainman80]

This is very possible, I've had problems with fox farm soil compacting a bit late in the grow. (with added perlite)

I'm working on soil solutions now for my next grow, that's another topic. But I will be doing something to get more air to the roots and to prevent compacting soil.

I found w solution for getting more air to the roots it works gteat .get a drill drill.your pot.full.of holes all way up to the rim.they make smart pots that are made the same way I figured why not make my own.smart pots my.root.systems fill.my pots.

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Probably depends on numerous things.
I grow in Living Organic Soil, worms, mycorrhazae, water pretty much everyday with super oxygenated water and more often than not my roots are bright white at harvest.

thanks, my roots looked nothing like this. They were light brown thin and very crowded, no mush or bad smell. I really wish I had taken a picture of the roots!

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

I found w solution for getting more air to the roots it works gteat .get a drill drill.your pot.full.of holes all way up to the rim.they make smart pots that are made the same way I figured why not make my own.smart pots my.root.systems fill.my pots.

I used 5 gallon cloth pots with Fox Farm Happy Frog+perlite.

I just purchased one of these 7-gallon pots for my next grow, we'll see if it beats cloth pots. I didn't like the discoloration on the cloth I was using.

I'll be trying to get more air to the roots by adding something to the fox farm soil--- rice hulls, more perlite, maybe more coco? Even in cloth pots, the soil gets rock hard like cement towards the end of the grow. I'm thinking the roots are choking badly... Hell, I've considered adding a tube with hole right into the middle of my pot to get air there.

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Here is a picture of my last grow before all hell broke loose. You can see a possible Cal/Mag deficiency starting here and it got much worse later. I tested PH and run off was around 5.0, I flushed and got her back to 6.5 or so and she finished OK. I wound up with 2.7 ounces of dry bud from one plant under 100 watts of LED. If I can get the roots figured out, maybe I can get 4 ounces next grow. Mid flower is killing me !!!!

Nirvana Durban Poison --- I just smoked half a bowl after 1 month cure (a bit early) and am wired. This Durban Poison is good stuff!

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Wet a paper towel put ur seed in side it wrap.them.up.stuff it in a ziploc bag they will sprout over night give you a head start works awesome never fails just plsnt the sprouts your set to go ✌

Thanks, I've done this before (with a drop of bleach) and it worked great. I'll give it a try.

 

[Roy Growin]

Thanks, I've done this before (with a drop of bleach) and it worked great. I'll give it a try.

1% H2O2 is better

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

1% H2O2 is better

I'm looking at some of your grows as I am considering green crack. Any chance it was low (or lower) odor?

Looking at your first pic, I'm seeing some skill with a camera. (nice Bokeh). Nikon? Canon? Mirrorless? Very nice pictures !

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Brown roots are a sign of soil roots. Thick white roots are one of the signs of water roots. Just because roots of plants grown in water turn brown because of "root rot" does not necessarily mean that the brown roots in soil is because of rot.

When you have the seedling in the peat pellets the compressed peat moss absorbs a lot of the water and stays wet so the roots are often white. Once the plant is in the soil the roots have that brown color you are seeing and it is normal. Go outside and dig up weeds in the garden and you will find that most of them with be brown on the surface and maybe the main tap root will be less brown and sometimes almost white.

One of the reasons you are seeing thin roots is those are the feeder roots, sometimes called hair roots, that the plant sends out to absorb moisture and soluble nutrients. They are very thin but if somehow we could scrape just the surface off we would notice that many of them are white on the inside.

If the gardener follows the "how to water a potted plant" guide and if they use enough water they will have a soil that borders on hydroponic. It is the best of both worlds or methods and when done successfully the results are healthy fast growing plants which leads to better harvests.

Do a google search, or use your favorite search engine, and use 'water roots' as the key words. You should end up with a long list of gardening and botany articles on the differences. Even articles with suggestions for those who want switch their plant grown in water over to being grown in soil.

Thank you so much, this is really well said and very helpful. I'll be reading deeply all about "water roots" to learn all I can!

This forum is amazing, thanks again all for the tips.

 

[Roy Growin]

I'm looking at some of your grows as I am considering green crack. Any chance it was low (or lower) odor?

Looking at your first pic, I'm seeing some skill with a camera. (nice Bokeh). Nikon? Canon? Mirrorless? Very nice pictures !

Cool, cheers
It smells more in cure, got a jar in the cupboard that still whiffs lol
I would recommend Green Crack as an easy grow of top shelf bud, I'm loving it

Using a Nikon D40, mostly on Programmable Auto [EV -0.3 Flash Comp -1 ISO 800 F 5.6 - 8
Close up bud pics F 3.2- 4 Manual focus set to closest minus a fraction, then sway slightly to find the best focal point
So I take a base shot and look at the histogram
Then adjust either speed or aperture accordingly

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

Cool, cheers
It smells more in cure, got a jar in the cupboard that still whiffs lol
I would recommend Green Crack as an easy grow of top shelf bud, I'm loving it

Using a Nikon D40, mostly on Programmable Auto [EV -0.3 Flash Comp -1 ISO 800 F 5.6 - 8
Close up bud pics F 3.2- 4 Manual focus set to closest minus a fraction, then sway slightly to find the best focal point
So I take a base shot and look at the histogram
Then adjust either speed or aperture accordingly

Thanks, my Northern Lights and Durban Poison were both low odor until they went to cure. Opening a jar releases a cloud of delicious pine lemon and slight skunk. This is perfect for me, they can stink in the jars, just not in my hidden grow cabinet! Green Crack is also listed by many breeders as low odor thats why I have an eye on it.

Northern Lights Fem: ( 2nd grow) great stuff! perfect for late night relaxation. (first pic many weeks from harvest--it got ugly the last few weeks.)

Cool, a fellow Nikon Dslr user. I'm using a Nikon D610 and an old micro lens with manual adjustments. I'm on the search for a better lens for tricome shots... Maybe the 105 macro. Sadly most of my pictures are from my iphone for convenience.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I used 5 gallon cloth pots with Fox Farm Happy Frog+perlite.

I just purchased one of these 7-gallon pots for my next grow, we'll see if it beats cloth pots. I didn't like the discoloration on the cloth I was using.

I'll be trying to get more air to the roots by adding something to the fox farm soil--- rice hulls, more perlite, maybe more coco? Even in cloth pots, the soil gets rock hard like cement towards the end of the grow. I'm thinking the roots are choking badly... Hell, I've considered adding a tube with hole right into the middle of my pot to get air there.

In general the smaller the pot the harder it gets, its a massive root mass in a tiny pot, a blivet.
In my 25 gallon fabric pots my soil is still like butter at harvest.

 

[CharlesBukowksi]

In general the smaller the pot the harder it gets, its a massive root mass in a tiny pot, a blivet.
In my 25 gallon fabric pots my soil is still like butter at harvest.

Good news ! I'm moving up to 7 gallons, the Air Pot plastic thing. We'll see how it works.

I'm planning to do anything I can to get more air to the roots. Anyone try rice hulls? I may also try Fox Farm light warrior mixed in with Happy Frog.

I'm planning to try some rice hulls, perlite, dolomite lime, light warrior (or any light soil) and a larger container for my next grow. Happy Frog right out of the bag seems to need a little work to get it right. (I've tried Ocean Forest two times, two different bags, a complete nightmare. I won't touch it again.) Happy Frog keeps my plants much happier-- I just think it needs a little "tweak".