Repotting issue

[Radagast97]

I've only seen this in one pot, but it was surprising. I repotted a seedling from a solo cup to a one gal pot and it kept growing well.

Later, I was going to increase the pot size, given the plant was getting up about 12 inches. When I depotted the plant, most of the soil fell off, leaving a root ball in the approximate shape of the original solo cup.

I use a moderate amount of perlite in my mix, usually coat the outside of the root ball with mycorrhizal fungal powder, and water well.

I usually wait until the soil is dry to at least an inch down before watering, but had noticed this plant did show water stress earlier than others between watering.

Any idea what could have gone wrong to cause this? For the future?

Thanks,
Rad

 

[Marzbadrock]

Gently using your fingers, scratch the surface of the rootball making the roots loose. This will help them spread into the new soil instead of being coiled into itself

 

[AdaminCO]

I uppot when the wet/dry cycle is 1 day, not by the size of the plant.

 

[Radagast97]

Gently using your fingers, scratch the surface of the rootball making the roots loose. This will help them spread into the new soil instead of being coiled into itself

I usually do that. I may not have this time, though.

 

[AdaminCO]

I usually do that. I may not have this time, though.

I also put mica in the transplant hole to help the roots.
I have a good write up in my sig. for transplanting.

 

[bobrown14]

Well maybe you just tried to up pot too soon. Generally it takes a month or so for the roots to start growing bigger. Could be just the plant and not your technique.

Generally I like to water the day before I up-pot so the soil is still moist and it will stay together better when its moist that it will when its dry.

Leave the roots alone when you up pot the less disturbance the better. "fluffing" the roots isn't something you should do to a small annual. Just take the solo cup root ball and put it in a larger container and leave the root ball as undisturbed as possible.

Annuals like cannabis will grow roots larger than the plant specifically in early VEG. Give them room to spread out, air movement around the plant so she can transpire and keep the soil moist, not overly wet or dry.

 

[Emilya Green]

I've only seen this in one pot, but it was surprising. I repotted a seedling from a solo cup to a one gal pot and it kept growing well.

Later, I was going to increase the pot size, given the plant was getting up about 12 inches. When I depotted the plant, most of the soil fell off, leaving a root ball in the approximate shape of the original solo cup.

I use a moderate amount of perlite in my mix, usually coat the outside of the root ball with mycorrhizal fungal powder, and water well.

I usually wait until the soil is dry to at least an inch down before watering, but had noticed this plant did show water stress earlier than others between watering.

Any idea what could have gone wrong to cause this? For the future?

Thanks,
Rad

Several things are wrong Rad, and please don't let me chase you off when I explain... I really am trying to help you. First of all, let me welcome you to the forum!

Given your description, you obviously uppotted way too soon... you didnt have a root ball... you had barely the wisp of a root system that couldn't even hold the soil around it together. By uppotting too early, you failed to develop a strong root system in that cup, so you will also have a weak root system in the next container. By destroying the soil matrix around the roots in the process, you have stressed the plant, totally unnecessarily. '

Second, you are watering a weed like a tomato. This is not the way to water a weed, and it is no wonder you are having problems getting your root system going. Checking the soil an inch down is how to kill a weed, not how to properly water it. It is absolutely imperative to let the soil dry out all the way to the bottom of the container between waterings, or the lower roots will not be able to get oxygen pulled down to them, and they will shut down as a result of being constantly under water. Once you learn to use the lift method to determine when to water, and learn how to properly water when you do and monitor the length of your wet/dry cycle, then you will have this figured out and these problems you have been having will go away.

I invite you to read my article on watering; the link is down below. Thousands of people have read my thoughts and changed their watering habits, and as a result they now have a much better time in early veg. I hope it helps you too.

 

[cannanewb]

Radagast97 welcome to the best growers forum. Sounds like Emilya is bang on. Watering can be a problem for many but fixable. Let it get completely dry before watering and you should see an improvement. Just out of curiosity are the leaves drooping?