Day 18 is it time yet?

[Dan42nepa]

I am on day 18 in one quart pots.. They are due for a watering tommorow. Is it time to hit them with a feeding
of molasses and liquid seaweed? Should i wait until after the transplant? They are growing well but my rule was that I would wait until the plant length exceeded the pot length for transplant. Is that a good rule to follow? So far they are using just nutrients supplied by my organic soil.

Also, I belong to multiple sites and forums but this is the only one I trust as far as knowlege although Grass city isnt bad either.. There is lots of mis information or conflicting info floating around.

Sorry for all the questions but this is my first grow and dont want to mess it up.

Dan

 

[3BM]

Hey Dan:

Listen to the plants. If they maintain vigorous growth, green color, and good posture then no worries. Dont feed until the plants tell you they need it. Look for purpling stems and yellowing lower leaves. These are signs of deficiencies, and the solution is to fertilize. Otherwise, less is more in my opinion. If you have nutrients in the soil, trust them.

From the photo it appears that the plants are a little over watered. Be sure to allow the soil to dry out thoroughly before watering again. I see a "drooping" posture in the plants, where I would rather see a upward "reaching" posture. This distinction is about turgor pressure within the leaves. Lower leaves will droop first if the plant is wilting due to under watering, but upper leaves will lose posture and growth will slow due to overwatering. Lift the pots, do they feel heavy? Dont know what heavy feels like? Hold off on watering until you see definitive wilting, then lift the pot and mark that as "light". Now water that pot thoroughly, and lift it again marking that as "heavy". Now just water 1-2 days before the light pot weight which caused wilting, but avoid watering when the pots feel heavy like the freshly watered pot. During veg growth plants can go 4 days or more without water. This wet and dry cycle mimics the natural periods of rain and drought, and will encourage good root growth. A good rule of thumb is: dont over water in veg, dont under water in bloom. I hope this isnt too off topic. Good luck with this grow, and let us know if we can help further.

3BM

 

[Dan42nepa]

Well, the pots feel light.. They were watered thursday morning and are 1 qt pots. What about the transplaning size thing? Would it be correct to wait until the height of the plant exceeds to height of the pot? I'll wait on watering as long as i can.

 

[3BM]

Hey Dan:

Thursday watering, and not watered again until when? Sunday would make 3 days, and in 1qt pots thats probably about perfect. So if that's the watering schedule then no worries. In a 1qt pot I look for 2-3 nodes of growth before transplanting. The best way to tell is to watch their posture. If they are growing well, and then start to lose posture and yellow for no reason its time to transplant. Test one pot by watering it lightly and then pulling the root ball out to check. If the roots have begun to form the shape of the pot, its time to transplant. I prefer to transplant just before the roots wrap around the pot. Another great way to perk up vegging plants is to foliar with liquid seaweed. Just add 1tsp/gal of water and spray the leaves thoroughly (surface and underside) until water drips freely from the leaves. Hope that helps.

3BM

 

[Dan42nepa]

ok thanks... i have some neptune organic harvest seaweed fert 0-0-1 which i havent used yet.. I will wait until after the transplant and foiler feed. My soil has been cooking in the new pots for a few weeks now.

 

[Guest]

what does foliar feeding with the liquid seaweed do? how do i tell if i need to do it?

 

[3BM]

Hey curtis:

Foliar feeding uses plant pores to deliver nutes directly into developing tissue. Kelp has N, K, and many trace minerals. In addition it contains a potent growth stimulant. Noticeable growth increases can be seen after foliar feeding with the species of kelp known as Ascophyllum Nodosum. I use it all through veg and into the first few weeks of flowering, before any bud tissue appear. Let the plants tell you when they need feeding. If plants slow down in growth or lose posture, foliar to perk them up. If they still show difficulties look for more serious problems. Hope that helps.

3BM

 

[Guest]

ok i think il look into that tomorrow...


how much liquid seaweed should i use per 500ml? thats 1/7 of a gallon i believe cause a gallon is 3700 ish ml

 

[3BM]

1ml/L is a good rate, so .5ml/500ml. I just eye it usually, for containers less than 1 gal just add a few drops. It should tinge light brown, but retain some transparency. About the color of tea.

 

[Guest]

ok, i am going to add 1/8th of a tsp to 500ml of water...

so all i do is spray it on the top and bottom of the leaves? when should i start seeing it do its magic?

 

[Guest]

http://www.advancednutrients.com/tech_info/seaweed_extract_tech_info.html

thats the kind of seaweed i have... will my plants benefit from it?

 

[3BM]

Hey Curtis:

Yeah that kelp should work great. Spray with a standard spray bottle, cover top and bottom surfaces of all leaves. Spray until water drips freely from leaves. Maintain air circulation in the room and wait until the leaves dry completely. Spray down the leaves with clean water after every foliar, or at least after every other foliar feed. Plants can become overfed by this method as with root dreches so use as necessary. When plants need "perking up", this works well. Generally, results are seen overnight. Just Watch for new growth. Hope that helps.

3BM

 

[Guest]

i have a question, will my lights burn the leaves because of the water on them?


so this is what i do. i spray them top and bottom until water drips off freely. let it dry then spray it down with pure clean water until it drips freely?

 

[3BM]

Exactly! Its easy, but a bit labor intensive with large plant numbers. I swear by it. Its also an excellent method for curing deficiencies until the cause can be determined and eliminated. Beads of water under high intensity light can act like a magnifiying glass. Burned spots may result, but only in isolated areas. I remove the plants from under the light just a bit while I spray. Also, be careful not get get cold water onto hot bulbs, as they can explode. Air cooled lights with a glass plate will shield a bulb from contact, but this glass should be touched for heat (and if excess heat is detected, avoid spraying it as well). Hope that helps.

Good Luck Curtis
3BM

 

[Guest]

if i spray them down and take them out from under the light for a couple hours, is this ample time for it to be absorbed through the plants pores, then dry it off and spray it with clean water?

also, im using CFL's i dont believe that is high intensity so should it be alright to just leave it under the lights?

 

[Guest]

3BM, im wondering if i was to fim my plants, then spray them down could this cause any harm to my plants?

 

[Ganico]

Hey curtis:

Foliar feeding uses plant pores to deliver nutes directly into developing tissue. Kelp has N, K, and many trace minerals. In addition it contains a potent growth stimulant. Noticeable growth increases can be seen after foliar feeding with the species of kelp known as Ascophyllum Nodosum. I use it all through veg and into the first few weeks of flowering, before any bud tissue appear. Let the plants tell you when they need feeding. If plants slow down in growth or lose posture, foliar to perk them up. If they still show difficulties look for more serious problems. Hope that helps.

3BM

Gibberillic acid was found in a lot of seaweed, and I've heard reports of maxicrop,nitrzyme,etc turning plants hermi, I'd be worried about foliar feeding seaweed onto plants during flower, but then again I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about for real.

 

[Papalaptic]

yes

yes

a transplant would probabaly be good at this time. it will only make it grow bigger.