Diary PCBuds mini-grow

[PCBuds]

Great find with those charts!

I always knew about the charts, but I still don't know exactly what I'm growing in?

The top of the planter where the plant and most of its roots are,.. is in "soil" and the bottom of the planter is coco/perlite so it's hydroponic.
But my coco is full of old roots and bugs and may count as something more like soil?

How are you supposed to provide plants with both manganese and magnesium? By fluctuating the pH?

Yeah, a lot of Hydro growers do that, and I kinda do it too.

My PH kept climbing really high with my last plant, so I poured the solution in really low thinking the PH was probably correct somewhere between the top and bottom of the planter.

 

[exploziv]

Ph fluctuates naturally as roots absorb nutrients. But.. yeah, that's the ideea.

 

[goingrey]

I always knew about the charts, but I still don't know exactly what I'm growing in?

The top of the planter where the plant and most of its roots are,.. is in "soil" and the bottom of the planter is coco/perlite so it's hydroponic.
But my coco is full of old roots and bugs and may count as something more like soil?

Never grew in peat but always thought it would fall under hydro, like coco.

Old roots and bugs... don't know about them.

 

[exploziv]

One thing for sure, it's something in the middle that you're not sure how to treat. Shitty situation to be in. Maybe not mix stuff next time? I had a grow like that when I bought a soiless mix (hoping to be mostly coco) that turned out to be about half compost. (It was soiless as they only considered peat containing mixes as soil.. go figure) and I can tell you from all my heart I hated it!!

 

[f-e]

As far as I understand it, both Mg and N are mobile but Zn isn't,.. so I figure if the affected leaves turn back to normal color, then it was probably a Mg deficiency, and if the discoloration stays, then it was Zn.

And if my plant never gets better and all future leaves are affected, then I have no zinc in my nutes.

Mobile elements can be used somewhere, and later moved. So a tip wants N from the feed, but if it can't get it, the N will move from elsewhere. If the tip wants something immobile, it can come from the feed, but not elsewhere. This is why the immobile element problems appear at the point of use, while mobile elements are seen leaving elsewhere. Supporting new growth.

Immobile things come from the root, and can enter once bad areas and make them look a bit better again. They have to come in at the root though, not get moved out from the older growth.



Your feed works. It's a well known one. It's unlikely the problem lies with the feed. We really look at what's wrong, as a clue to how we proceed. Generally it's a hint at a pH problem, and which way to shift it.
It seems to be evolving. Light coloured boarders are also associated with the more commonly seen calcium disorder. As is some mild chevron like patterning. It's immobile to. Distortion in the leaves emerging, with possible stunting is on the list.

 

[PCBuds]

One thing for sure, it's something in the middle that you're not sure how to treat. Shitty situation to be in. Maybe not mix stuff next time?

I'll do that next time.
I had the choice of using the seedling starting mix or using coco/perlite.

I thought that the seedling starting mix would be a better choice for a seedling but it creates confusion with the PH.

And the planter will probably evolve into more of a Hydroponic grow and need a lower PH once the roots fill the planter?

I'll see what happens with the plant now and keep an eye on the PH in the reservoir.

 

[PCBuds]

Generally it's a hint at a pH problem, and which way to shift it.
It seems to be evolving. Light coloured boarders are also associated with the more commonly seen calcium disorder...

Calcium is confusing to me because it is absorbed at 6.5 and above in soil, and 5.8 and below in hydro.

So there is a dead zone between 5.8 and 6.5 where calcium can't be absorbed?

And where does my planter fit into that?
Will the roots grow into the coco then the plant will suddenly need a PH of 5.8 or lower?
Is there a smooth transition or a spontaneous flip?


I'm going to go with 6.5 for now and see what happens.

 

[dlxtpnuo]

Hi PCBuds If cannabis didn't have height gain, watering wouldn't be an issue. Heres a parody of David Latimer's renewable garden that's never been watered in 47 years. From the Mail's article https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html

 

[PCBuds]

Hi PCBuds If cannabis didn't have height gain, watering wouldn't be an issue. Heres a parody of David Latimer's renewable garden that's never been watered in 47 years. From the Mail's article https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html

Cool !!

Is that my plant in the bottle?
It sure looks like my

I like the concept of growing in a bottle.
Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse.

 

[exploziv]

Oh man this thread will sure go wild again!

 

[PCBuds]

Oh man this thread will sure go wild again!

Yeah, I've still got my aquarium idea brewing in the background.
Maybe just a small aquarium to fit on the window sill, with a plant and a couple fish?

 

[PCBuds]

I checked the PH in the reservoir and it was at 5.8 so I drained it out, PH'ed it up to 6.5 and poured it back in at the stalk.

 

[ReikoX]

6.5 is too high for a soiless medium like you have IMO. I water soiless mixes at about 6.0. I think that's the source of your issues. Lots if micros are less available as the pH drifts up.

 

[PCBuds]

6.5 is too high for a soiless medium like you have IMO. I water soiless mixes at about 6.0. I think that's the source of your issues. Lots if micros are less available as the pH drifts up.

Aww crap!!
That's where I was at. I had been watering at 6.0 from the start until yesterday when I switched to 6.5

The plant itself and it's roots, (depending on how deep they've grown), are in the seedling starting mix which is in a hole at the top of the planter, which is about 6 inches across and 6 inches deep.

I was figuring that she was locked out in the seedling starting mix?

Maybe I'll leave her at 6.5 for a couple days, then switch back to 6.0?

She seems to look a little better?
It's subtle but she appears to be greener?
The new growth looks good to me?
It always looks a little pale and weird until it is established.

Maybe the only problem was just not having enough nutes from when I was feeding her at ¼ strength nutes, and she just needed more.
Perhaps it just took a couple days to get back on track and PH had nothing to do with it?

I've done everything the same as the other times, including the seedling starting mix in a hole.
Perhaps the only thing I did wrong was to wait too long before giving her full strength nutes?


This was her 2 days ago...

So she is looking better, but now I don't know why. Lol

I think that I'll assume that she just needed more nutes and the PH was OK.

I'll let her sit for a day, then go back to 6.0

 

[exploziv]

I wouldn't fear giving her a 1/3 to 1/2 strenght spray with nutes to make sure she gets proper nutrition while you play with the ph in the ground.

 

[PCBuds]

I wouldn't fear giving her a 1/3 to 1/2 strenght spray with nutes to make sure she gets proper nutrition while you play with the ph in the ground.

OK

I've only ever done a foliar once, but I think that I can manage to do it without messing it up.

 

[PCBuds]

This is her this morning just after the lights came on...

She is looking good and is responding well to her new environment.
She is starting to grow and will hopefully be on her way towards filling the closet.

She started to flake out a bit about 1½ hours before lights out yesterday, so I think she's getting the perfect amount of light,.. just a bit more than what she wants.

 

[PCBuds]

Hi PCBuds If cannabis didn't have height gain, watering wouldn't be an issue. Heres a parody of David Latimer's renewable garden that's never been watered in 47 years. From the Mail's article https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html

I'm thinking about that plant in a bottle again...


David Latimer used a tradescantia cutting for his terrarium, and I wonder how cannabis would compare to that plant?

Cannibis is a weed, and so it is pretty tough and may be able to stabilize its growth, respiration, transpiration, nutrient and water uptake to live in a sealed container?

I'm not going to bother trying to find out, especially if I have to wait 47 years before I have to break the bottle, harvest the plant, and roll it up to find out. Lol


I remember talking to my cousin and he told me of a science experiment using a Stickleback fish .

You put a Stickleback in a sealed jar with a specific aquatic plant and some water and seal it up.

You may need to try a few times (and kill a few fish) but eventually the system will reach a balance point where the fish eats some of the plant and its roots, then poops to feed the plant fertilizer.
The plant takes in CO2 and gives off O2 so the fish can breathe, and everything stabilizes indefinitely.


I find the whole idea quite interesting and inspiring.
To grow a cannabis plant in a contained environment where you only add what is necessary to harvest a plant in the end, with no waste of water, nutrients, CO2, Oxygen, or energy in the forms of heat and light, I find intriguing.

No waste, just good weed to smoke in the end.

 

[PCBuds]

 

[exploziv]

I am pretty sure an aquaponics system would qualify as almost no waste, and I don't think better than that can be achieved. But it's so hard and costly to set it up for small scale, it only makes sense when you have a big system. Free sun also helps! Future of cannabis farms might be with aquaponics, but homegardens not so much.