Hydro to soil transplant?

[Guest]

I have some plants vegging on an ebb and flow tray right now... Their in 6" cocotek cubes, sitting on a 1/4" coco root mat.

There is something wrong... Not sure if it's PH or something else.

I'd like to try to put them in soil... I'm out of hydro nutes and would need to buy more calmag, PH stuff, and calibration solution... Figure it'll cost as much or less to simply buy some good soil and move them. (This is my last hydro grow for a while regardless of how this grow turns out)

My question(s) are...

Is it too late to put these plants in soil? The roots obviously are grown through the mat at this point, so I would need to cut the mat apart and lift each cube out with a chunk of the mat still attached. Probably would end up chopping SOME roots in this process.

Will the plants tolerate this move, or will it cause too much stress?? Or am I better off starting new clones? and just putting them in soil?

Any tips for transplanting them?

I need to flower/harvest ASAP since I'm almost out of smoke and I'm my only connection ...

Advice appreciated! Thanks!
--GryphN

PS - I've included a few pics of how the plants currently look (sad, I know )

 

[Sinfuldreams]

It can be done.
I would just cut the mat with out cutting the roots if possible.
Unwrap that plastic around the RW, put em in a good soiless mix...no nutes for a while. Let it get use to the new enviroment. Perhaps soak in a slight mix of Superthrive before hand. Very light on the ST that stuff can kill em PDQ.

They should do ok with the transplant.Just try and keep as much of the root struture as you can.

Good Luck

Sin

 

[Guest]

Right on...

Why soilless? I was planning on using Foxfarm Ocean Forest as i've had good results with that in the past.

Any reason that would be a problem?

Thanks!
--GryphN

 

[Sinfuldreams]

Ooooppps

Ooooppps

Right on...

Why soilless? I was planning on using Foxfarm Ocean Forest as i've had good results with that in the past.

Any reason that would be a problem?

Thanks!
--GryphN

No problem at all.
Ocean Forest is soiless... it's compost from forest and sea. Looks like soil acts like soil, but not soil, there fore called soiless.
But thats good stuff to use
Happy Growing.

Sin

 

[Guest]

ahh, right on... I thought you were referring to something like 100% perlite or something.

Thanks...
--GryphN

 

[Guest]

Soil and soiless and their corresponding optimum PH levels lol,what a point of total discrepancy and confusion.Ocean forest is soiless now?Does this mean a PH of 5.6 to 5.8 is optimum?I'll keep mine at above 6 thanks you lol.This one subject is probably the only one that years of OG and other forums have not seemed to be able to come to a consensus about lol,I can tell you perlite is soiless because it contains zero soil lol,other than that the whole subject is a clusterfuck of different opinions.Think I google soiless and put and end to this nonsense in my own mind.

 

[Guest]

Well now after reading a few article I think I understand,seems like you were correct sinful thanks for that,I never would have thought.Ocean forest "potting soil" as its called isnt a soil at all,forest humus and peat are not soils,there are many other ingredients of course but none of them contain any topsoil.I just cant swallow the ph thing though.whenever my soil ph dropped below 6 whether in promix which I used years ago or ocean forest,I'd definately have problems.I've used 2 tbls dolomite with promix and 1 with ocean forest just to keep ph above 6 during flower,and the optimum range for soiless is 5.6-5.8?You know,now that I thnik about it was sproutco saying all that crap I beleieve anyway,so what am I talking about?I dunno.

 

[GirlWonderGrows]

If you need top soil to make something soil, then there are virtualy no growers doing indoor 'soil'. I've thought for a long time that most 'soil' growing is infact a form of hydroponics, but this is a big flimsy grey area.

To address the question, I'd say you shouldn't have any problems moving to 'soil' but expect a long delay in flowering, as the plants will need a while to recover.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.