Hi guys!
No long ago I started out with my first SOG attempt. Im using 6"x6" pots. I chose to prepare my own medium, for which I used basic flower soil (ph 5.5 - 6.5), mixed with perlite (1 part for every 3 parts of soil), dolomite (1 table spoon per 1 liter of soil), and keramsite, with which I filled the botton of the pots (a small layer), and a small layer also went on top. I used the keramsite on the bottom and top to prevent fast evaporation, as the pots used for SOG are rather small. At first I thought of watering every two days. Its been over 8 days now since the seedlings came out, and they seem to be doing ok (though today I noticed they are getting more "light green" than they were a few days ago), but the mail problem is with clones that I received - they are about 5 weeks now, and had a pretty rough time (uneven light period, clones taken from them etc). They are also in the 6"x6" pots. After about 3 days I noticed that the leaves are getting yellow from the tips, and are drying out. Unfortunatley I didnt have my camera with me, so I took the leaves, and made the photos below:
Looks like over watered, doesn't it? Or could this be somthing else (but I'm wondering, why are the seedlings ok - for now). After watering the plants, I left them for 2 days, came back - watered them again (I guess that wasnt a good idea, but I was paranoid that because of the small pots they will dry out fast), came back after 3 days, put my finger in and the soil was still very moist!! So, my question is - are two layers (bottom and top) of keramsite too much and they totally prevent any evaporation at all, or should I (keeping in mind that even after 3 days the soil looked like just watered) spread the watering time out to lets say once a week or longer?
What I'm most worried about is root rot - if the water didnt evaporate at all in 3 days, there is a chance it won't in 7 as well, keeping the soil wet and causing root rot. Has any one tried using keramsite on the bottoms and tops of the pots? Is this a good idea - maybe I'm just panicing and after lets say 6 days the soil will dry out (is it even possible that two layers of keramsite would totally or very efficently prevent evaporation?)? Or should I remove some of the top layer of the keramsite to make sure that soil dries our quicker?
Sorry for the long story, but I had to describe it all, just to make sure you'll know exactly how my problem looks. The light is 1 400W MH (hanging pretty high above the 5 week old clones, to also reach some of the seedlings, and 2 double 36W T8 CFL's for the rest of the seedlings, which if my problem doesn't get solved will soon catch up with the clones..).
Every opinion / suggestion and tought is more then welcome - thanks for any help!
Take care,
ericsson
No long ago I started out with my first SOG attempt. Im using 6"x6" pots. I chose to prepare my own medium, for which I used basic flower soil (ph 5.5 - 6.5), mixed with perlite (1 part for every 3 parts of soil), dolomite (1 table spoon per 1 liter of soil), and keramsite, with which I filled the botton of the pots (a small layer), and a small layer also went on top. I used the keramsite on the bottom and top to prevent fast evaporation, as the pots used for SOG are rather small. At first I thought of watering every two days. Its been over 8 days now since the seedlings came out, and they seem to be doing ok (though today I noticed they are getting more "light green" than they were a few days ago), but the mail problem is with clones that I received - they are about 5 weeks now, and had a pretty rough time (uneven light period, clones taken from them etc). They are also in the 6"x6" pots. After about 3 days I noticed that the leaves are getting yellow from the tips, and are drying out. Unfortunatley I didnt have my camera with me, so I took the leaves, and made the photos below:
Looks like over watered, doesn't it? Or could this be somthing else (but I'm wondering, why are the seedlings ok - for now). After watering the plants, I left them for 2 days, came back - watered them again (I guess that wasnt a good idea, but I was paranoid that because of the small pots they will dry out fast), came back after 3 days, put my finger in and the soil was still very moist!! So, my question is - are two layers (bottom and top) of keramsite too much and they totally prevent any evaporation at all, or should I (keeping in mind that even after 3 days the soil looked like just watered) spread the watering time out to lets say once a week or longer?
What I'm most worried about is root rot - if the water didnt evaporate at all in 3 days, there is a chance it won't in 7 as well, keeping the soil wet and causing root rot. Has any one tried using keramsite on the bottoms and tops of the pots? Is this a good idea - maybe I'm just panicing and after lets say 6 days the soil will dry out (is it even possible that two layers of keramsite would totally or very efficently prevent evaporation?)? Or should I remove some of the top layer of the keramsite to make sure that soil dries our quicker?
Sorry for the long story, but I had to describe it all, just to make sure you'll know exactly how my problem looks. The light is 1 400W MH (hanging pretty high above the 5 week old clones, to also reach some of the seedlings, and 2 double 36W T8 CFL's for the rest of the seedlings, which if my problem doesn't get solved will soon catch up with the clones..).
Every opinion / suggestion and tought is more then welcome - thanks for any help!
Take care,
ericsson
