Nutrients - I am not trying to start an argument - But I know people will differ

[Bacondoggy]

Dunno - still skeptical.
I agree with a lot of the article but there is plenty that doesn't sound right to me and there is no evidence or data to back up the claims made.

They mention teas are brewed and have a very limited shelf life. This is while they are being bubbled in near ideal conditions. No mention is made of what happens to the bacteria when it is blasted by the sun and is bone dry. "You envelope the plant with living organisms". True, but for how long? Seconds?

I've been taking brix readings for more than a year. Anyone who does it will tell you the numbers can vary tremendously. I think the theory is correct, but when you cover the plant with sprays, the brix readings are contaminated. You aren't able to read the minerals and sugars dissolved in the sap alone. All the crud on the surface gets included in the sample which always raises the numbers artificially. I've not seen any proof that ties brix to potency or flavor and that's about all I care about.

The article also mentions you need to use low concentrations for foliar sprays. That means you can't apply much in the way of nutrients with this method unless you spray daily. If you spray a lot, I'm convinced you clog up stomata and cause more harm than good.

I guess I stand by my previous post. It works - especially for a quick treatment for a mild deficiency. I still think it is a "vitamin supplement" good for about 10% of what a plant needs. In the end, I don't care for it much. I've done a lot of foliar feeding and it is usually feels like too much work for the return I see. It does make it more difficult to spot problems early that appear on leaves. I'll leave my spraying for bugs.

BTW, my highest brix plants (18-19) also had some of the worst mite infestations, so I call "BS" on brix stopping pests. The way to higher brix is through the soil. Highly mineralized - lots of rocks, and the necessary bacteria to eat those rocks, turning them into plant food. That's the whole idea behind the high brix grows I've been a part of.

Like AK said, if it works for you, do it!

Thanks for that! Now I'm struggling with whether I should fim, top, pinch the top off, or none and do lst. Lst I want to try no matter what but still.... is it ready to top, and if so, should I and what method??

 

[Major PITA]

Looks ready to me. I top and supercrop but any of the methods work and each one has benefits and drawbacks, IMO. If it was mine I'd top it, but...

 

[Racer1921]

Perfect time to top. Listen to major pita. From what im reading hes on to it.
Supercrop is what id do.

Sent from my SM-J110F using 420 Magazine Mobile App

 

[Racer1921]

But supercropping can be scary if new to the game.

Sent from my SM-J110F using 420 Magazine Mobile App

 

[Lazarus13]

Take it nice and easy with the supercropping at first and in no time it'll be second nature and you'll figure out how rough or gentle you need to be. It can do amazing things for a plant when done right. I was in awe the first time (and every time after for that matter) i supercropped. They recovered in a blink and the growth really took off and i ended up with an absolute bush of a plant. Awesome stuff.

 

[Bacondoggy]

Is supercropping like fim? I read up on fim, regular cropping, lst, and pinching the stems but also pinching off the top. Pinching sounded the best. I never heard of supercropping. Have to look into it. Hey is the yellow at the bottom a sign of burn? Could they be getting too close to the lights? The cfl is only 13w. The led is 28, 1 watt leds all spectrums, not sure what it outputs though. Should I take the cfl bulb out and put the second led light in instead? Oh, and is the yellowish bottom leaf bad? I may have let it get too dried one day maybe? Or nutes burn from the foliar spray and then drench (used way low strength)? The fake leaves should get like that? I can't stand not knowing what the ph is!!! Oh well... should I cut the top at night or in the morning?

 

[AKgramma]

Pretty little babies you have there!

 

[Lazarus13]

The yellowing of the cotyledons happens sometimes but the yellowing of the larger leaves may mean she's hungry for some N.
Supercropping is when you slightly damage the tissue of the stem so that it bends at a 45° angle. The stems will lay on their side for a short while then usually start coming back up when they begin to heal. The plant forms a "knuckle" at the damage point which acts as a small storage area for food. When done correctly it not only levels your canopy out beautifully but it can also help to accelerate growth of that particular branch/stem. Im trying a scrog this time but last time all i did was fim and supercrop and i ended up with a bushy beast that filled my whole area. Read up on it man. Good stuff

 

[Major PITA]

No pinching or topping with supercropping. Like ^^^ said, you sort of lightly crush a stem or branch and bend it downward. It very temporarily slows the growth at that tip but redistributes those growth hormones to other spots. When used correctly, you can create a nice even broad canopy.

It appears to me, your plant is yellowing and getting a little droopy 'cuz it needs a transplant into more soil.

 

[Racer1921]

I totally agree with major. But to me it looks over watered.
You need to water when leaves are droopy. But if you over water and flood your roots your leaves will droop the same as if it needed a drink. Then the bottom leaves start dying off. Roots dont develop and groth stops.
I could be wrong but it looks like that to me mate.

THE GREEN RACER.

 

[AKgramma]

I totally agree with major. But to me it looks over watered.
You need to water when leaves are droopy. But if you over water and flood your roots your leaves will droop the same as if it needed a drink. Then the bottom leaves start dying off. Roots dont develop and groth stops.
I could be wrong but it looks like that to me mate.

THE GREEN RACER.

If there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, there wont be an issue with roots remaining too wet. The accepted procedure is to let the soil dry out to droopy leaves, or the pot is very light, compared to a wet one, then to water well until there is runoff. If the soil is properly mixed, there will be air left for the roots after the excess water has drained out.

EDIT: And you don't leave the runoff water in the saucer. THAT will cause root rot, as Racer described.

 

[Racer1921]

Akgramma. Is it ok to always keep soil wet. Can they breath if not left to dryout properly.
If im understanding u right the run off is sufficient enough to keep roots airated.

THE GREEN RACER.

 

[AKgramma]

Akgramma. Is it ok to always keep soil wet. Can they breath if not left to dryout properly.
If im understanding u right the run off is sufficient enough to keep roots airated.

THE GREEN RACER.

In my experience of growing vegetables, flowers, aquatic plants, and cannibus, only aquatic or swamp plants like their roots wet all the time. Land-based plans need some dry time to force their roots to grow and look for more water. Plants grown outdoors in rainy climates don't normally get waterlogged if the soil drains well, and the roots can grow into suitable soils far from the plants. (nearby trees send roots under your house, for example. And it's usually very dry there).

Now this applies to soil, NOT to hydroponics. Hydro works because oxygen is forced into clean water, with the correct nutes to keep the plants fed. You don't have soggy soil growing bacteria and algae that smother the roots, if you do proper maintenance on the system.

Indoor plants don't have the freedom to seek out drier soils. They must live with what you give them.

 

[Major PITA]

I agree, it looks over-watered. Since I say that all the time, I'm glad someone else brought it up.

 

[Bacondoggy]

I agree, it looks over-watered. Since I say that all the time, I'm glad someone else brought it up.

I wonder if it's over watering or n deficiency. Neither seem to be the culprit maybe it needs transplanted... bc as far as overwatering, I don't have a saucer for it, I usually water every other day and it is ewc, peat, perlite, and organic soil so I don't think drainage is an issue. I also have been taking it outside everyday so it gets sun and gets dried out also. It has rained a lot the past few days so maybe that could be why also, but I didn't water it when it rained obviously. I fed it 1/2 strength both sns root veg booster (humic acid kelp, etc.) and fish emulsion. It was probably less then 1/2 strength as I did not want to risk burning. Ugh I need to top it I never did this before, I guess I should do it in the am before I take it out and water it. I want to make a ewc, fish and kelp + humic acid tea for it sorta like this: Worm Castings & Soils

 

[Major PITA]

In high porosity soil (ProMix HP) and Solo cups, I water seedlings about once per week, or less. Yours is bigger than a seedling and I can't tell how much soil she has, so IDK.

In a slightly larger pot (28 oz. size), my most recent went 18 days between waterings and they seemed to be loving it. That was with 2 plants in each planter.

 

[Bacondoggy]

I'm not sure how much water it has been getting as we have had a lot of sporadic raining throughout the last week, but generally I only water when the cup is dried out and you can feel the lack of weight due to the dry soil. I have a huge clay pot I was going to put it in, and I probably will, but it will be harder to do the "weight test" for watering. Just have to use a different method. Should I too then transplant or transplant then too? I don't want to do them at the same time, as they can both be stressful to the plant...

 

[AKgramma]

Being totally rootbound is more stressful, IMO, than transplanting to a pot where the roots have room to grow. Root mass has a direct relationship to yield. Transplant!

You have fingers. They make very good moisture meters. Stick your finger as far as it will go into the soil. Or you can feel the soil through your drainage holes, which will tell you how dry the soil is at the bottom of the pot. Terra-cotta pots have one large hole in the bottom, plenty of room to stick the tip of your finger in.

 

[Major PITA]

Transplants are much easier when the soil has dried out. It pulls away from the sides of the pot a little and holds together well. Since it is light, it is also easier on the roots. Take a good look at the roots when you do the up-potting. You can sometimes learn a lot from them.

I don't care for clay pots: They break. They wick heat and moisture into and out of the soil. They are heavy.

 

[Bacondoggy]

But should I transplant at any particular time? I was looking at the organic soil my mom got from Kmart of all places. But with more knowledge of soil and growth that I now have, I see some nice things in the soik, the only thing I did not like about it is it has wood in that fungus can grow on (that's the only thing I would take out of it). Looking at the ingredients in was surprised at what all was in it:

I was going to use this stuff to brew a tea for a day...

Probably can't see but the bigger plant container is 3.5 gallons, that enough? So transplant whenever, then let it recover then top/supercrop? Maybe wait a day between the 2? So instead of cutting the top, pinch it and bend at a 45 degree angle? And I'm confused... I was also told from my mom to always keep roots wet, but on here I have learned cannabis likes a wet/dry cycle. How long should it really be "dry" for? I might repost this as I am interested in the various potential answers...