Plant Moisture Stress - Symptoms and Solutions

Hi Uncle Ben ,

i ve read that you use and recomend air pots. By your eperience with them , is there any specific advise you would give on using them (about watering, handling , dry channels... or anything) or it is more or less like using common pots? And as a rule of thumb, you would say that it needs to be about 2/3 of the volume of an ordinary pot ?

i searched about the thread you mention that the subject of air pots is "etensivly discused" but i couldnt find it.
 
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Sagethisplanet

Active Member
I. Use smart pots and get great results. Stops. Root circulation and provides air to the roots easier. U an see the roots one out the side I you do a good job. Unlike UB, I don't slow feed as of yet, would Iike to, Sri ok working a recipe up. Air pots oje in all shapes and forms, some have bigger holes or channels, etc... There is a lot in this rum about them. Unle Ben, what do you think slow feed provides the plant that is most benificial? I was thinking that they get to eat when they want, not when given food in water....using water feed now, love the results, I just know that a slow release food of water only has tobe the best way to get denser flowers. Any suggestions? Ising 5 gallon smart pots and indoor, environment is perfect, 8th grow and getting better each time, just getting low on food and time to move on, wanna Scrog next and see what happens. Ever do that, any tips?
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Hi Uncle Ben ,

i ve read that you use and recomend air pots. By your eperience with them , is there any specific advise you would give on using them (about watering, handling , dry channels... or anything) or it is more or less like using common pots? And as a rule of thumb, you would say that it needs to be about 2/3 of the volume of an ordinary pot ?

i searched about the thread you mention that the subject of air pots is "etensivly discused" but i couldnt find it.
Strange, I wrote a response a couple of days ago and it never posted. Anyway....the most foolproof system is copper hydroxide additives to latex paint. MicroKote is such a product.

I use Rootbuilder. Only thing I don't like about it is the tendency of water to run outside of the pot rather than thru it. You do have to be careful of dry channels, water well.

I use encapsulated foods mainly because of the maintenance thingie and yes, plants do like some nutrition all the time, witness hydro.
 

Sagethisplanet

Active Member
Strange, I wrote a response a couple of days ago and it never posted. Anyway....the most foolproof system is copper hydroxide additives to latex paint. MicroKote is such a product.

I use Rootbuilder. Only thing I don't like about it is the tendency of water to run outside of the pot rather than thru it. You do have to be careful of dry channels, water well.

I use encapsulated foods mainly because of the maintenance thingie and yes, plants do like some nutrition all the time, witness hydro.
UB,

Have you tried smart pots? Did you find something about them that you don't like? Think the roobuilders are better for a 5 gallon? And the slow feed, what do you use, jacks or something simple like that? I was thinking going veganic using guano and all that just have to dial it into coco somehow. Blood meal, bone meal, and guano when necessary, for flower, think that would do well? Do you use any root stims? Just wondering, always want to improve and nothing like hearing from good ole Unle Ben!
 

easton 007

New Member
Hey Uncle Ben you think you might be able to help me out with this?
On week two of flushing and I noticed the buds closer to the top of the plant feel like they are drying out as well as the stems all over the plant are brittle. The bud feels a lot denser/harder toward the top on two of my plants but the other two are soft and less dense feeling. The rest of the leaves are a dark green and the plant looks healthy other than this concern. Flushing with water filtered with an RO filter and pH'd correctly. The humidity in the room is 22% right now. Wondering if anyone knows what could be causing this issue? Or if this is a normal process when flushing at the end stage of flowering? Any help will be great! Thanks
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
UB,

Have you tried smart pots? Did you find something about them that you don't like? Think the roobuilders are better for a 5 gallon? And the slow feed, what do you use, jacks or something simple like that? I was thinking going veganic using guano and all that just have to dial it into coco somehow. Blood meal, bone meal, and guano when necessary, for flower, think that would do well? Do you use any root stims? Just wondering, always want to improve and nothing like hearing from good ole Unle Ben!
Never tried SmartPots. Aren't they a bit expensive compared to RootMaker? I grow tropical fruit trees in a greenhouse, reason why I make/use very large bottomless RootBuilder pots.

Used plenty of organics. Just try to understand what the nutrient charge will be.

I use a custom blend of Polyon or you can use Osmocote or one of the other products.

No flushing, it's another dumb cannabis forum myth that will never die.
 

avnewb

Well-Known Member
Some of my plants are having some issues and im trying to tack them down...
Not sure if my hard water is an issue (212mg/L) or sodium (350mg/L) is too high.
water.jpg

I think it may be lack of water and nutes but wondering if I should mix my water with distilled 50/50 for now.


EDIT:
There is a softner system that could be the main issue. All I know so far is all my well water goes thru it and it flushes itself too often.
I have been trying to figure out what it is but plan is to bypass it and get water tested again and go from there.
Not sure how it work but I have added no salt or anything to it.

Figured I would install a RO in kitchen but be nice to have good water out of the sharkbit T I installed in the grow room.


My issues may just be lack of nutes or water or too much water IDK. I have them in 17g pots with lots of holes drilled in bottom.

Each pot as 1.5cuft of FFOF mixed with 2 gallons of large perlite and 1 cup dolimite lime.

I am under eight DIY Cree CXA3070 LEDs about 1ft or more above canopy. Not ideal light for veg but swiching things up soon.

Temps go to 77 and drop to 65. I have it on 18/6 now but was on 24/0 (I realize 24/0 was not ideal and wish I had not done it as its now a list of issues/possible issues.

Been veging for 11 weeks, been in the FFOF for 7 weeks and am just starting to use nutes this week (FF trio for now). I prob should have started earlier as had issues for a while but wonder if was just not giving enough water or what...

I have not over watered but because pot size takes 1+ gallons to saturate the soil so it takes a very long time for them to dry out. I have gone a week without watering but again maybe let get too dry or maybe there not drying fast enough and getting root rot. IDK.

But seems some are not taking in the water as fast as they should as if wet for that long could have root rot so plan to use less water from now on.

ANyways, you can see all have burn on tips.

One is sad.
20150123_174129.jpg

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I have too many pics but here is first of the others (rest in next post):

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this one started later and is different seed:

20150123_172613.jpg
 

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Sagethisplanet

Active Member
Never tried SmartPots. Aren't they a bit expensive compared to RootMaker? I grow tropical fruit trees in a greenhouse, reason why I make/use very large bottomless RootBuilder pots.

Used plenty of organics. Just try to understand what the nutrient charge will be.

I use a custom blend of Polyon or you can use Osmocote or one of the other products.

No flushing, it's another dumb cannabis forum myth that will never die.

Same never tried the root maker. The smart pot may be a lil pricey. But I've had nothing but amazing results, might get more air in the rootbuilder. Dunno....

Yea got what is needed plus Amazite and all so once dialed in be awesome. Slow feed on real food. Should work out with the homework And plenty of that has been done.

Running coco now and love it. Have a 600 blue hort and 400 hort, have the Lumex on the way.

Gonna replace that w e start mh then to 1000w shps.

The 2 light setup is rad tho can move to where needed most.

I'll try the rootbuilder as need to get small for clones then go to 5 gal. Just seems to stunt the growth at first. Seems a smaller starter would be best.


Thanks again and any advice would rule. N dude got P def looks like but can't. Just can't. Rust and the dark coloration. Any idea why that could happen to one nine others?

Happy and be easy
 

Sagethisplanet

Active Member
Did you have any problems to solve about transportation with the smarts ? How do you manage not to destroy the roots?

Or are they stable and it not so much of a problem ?


Thank you
Never had any issues at all with them other than using the black ones. Get the tan ones. I use 5 gal. Put rooted clones right in there with great white and water at 5.8-6 ph. The roots don't get hurt, how do you mean transportation? I don't drive around with them... They get rotated daily and just fill most the way up to keep sturdy. If you want di from seedling in a solo cup to a 1 gal then after established roots go to the5 gal or bigger. They are awesome. No root circulation more air to the roots, easy to tell when to water by the weight Def remember that. U can even feed to runoff even and just remember to dry the bottom so they don't sit in water. That would be no good.

What do you mean by transporting and how would the roots get ruined? I guess I'm just a little confused as to what you mean. I've never had any issues.
 
I meant every day you pick them up to throw the runoff , or the three-four times someone puts them in a larger container for sublingual watering (eliminating dry channels) or leaching (decrease salt content in the rootzone). Ok, you say its not a problem :-)
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
I meant every day you pick them up to throw the runoff , or the three-four times someone puts them in a larger container for sublingual watering (eliminating dry channels) or leaching (decrease salt content in the rootzone). Ok, you say its not a problem :-)
It is a problem, at least to me if you're moving them because every time you pick up those pliable pots you're taking the chance of damaging fragile root hairs.
 

Sagethisplanet

Active Member
Never tried SmartPots. Aren't they a bit expensive compared to RootMaker? I grow tropical fruit trees in a greenhouse, reason why I make/use very large bottomless RootBuilder pots.

Used plenty of organics. Just try to understand what the nutrient charge will be.

I use a custom blend of Polyon or you can use Osmocote or one of the other products.

No flushing, it's another dumb cannabis forum myth that will never die.
No flushing? Don't you want to get all the nutrients out for taste and burn?
 

Sagethisplanet

Active Member
I meant every day you pick them up to throw the runoff , or the three-four times someone puts them in a larger container for sublingual watering (eliminating dry channels) or leaching (decrease salt content in the rootzone). Ok, you say its not a problem :-)
I don't go to run off. Too much water imo. Just enough is enough. When the leaves are happy the plant is as well. I read each plant, so I ant really say what exactly I do, each one has its own feed. May seem like more work, but that's ok. It's really not cause you know there will be no issues down the road.

Having issues now only cause I got some ready to go into flower and some that need more veg, have to make a room for each, got jacky white, Hawaiian snow and C13 going, all take diff feed. The Hawaiian snow is Maui waui x snow cap, the c13 is Cindy99 z. G13 and the jacks white is jack herrer and white widow, from what I can tell. Tough to get going, the Cindy are topped and really stressed her out.

But never do I water to runoff as I think that's too much Aqua and a waste of feed if using a liquid feed, although going veganic when liquids are gone. Plus the roots must suck IFG can't even pick up the container, I rotate a quarter circle everyday to mimic the movement of the sun, to a degree, I never even thought that the roots would get effected, and I have em coming out the container, it's 5 gal,

The root builder was more monies I think, unless that was somethng different, I forget.

What is the benefit of water to runoff? Use coco and perlite with some peat moss.
I think that going to runoff would promote root rot.... Too much water and drown them. I like to make the roots work to the water and what they need so they grow strong and durable.

Only tranfer once, maybe 2 times, pending on what's going on.


So no probs with that.... What are benefits of runoff UB? There not so pliable when full of medium, actually sturdy! And if have to lift do so carefully that's all...
Might "amend" them next time around, putting more holes in bottom, bigger ones, have a soil oh tester so that helps. And just keep it at 5.8-6.2 It depends on what the plant needs and I change the ph accordingly,

Any advise from the UB is advise worth trying as he's ha some good yeilds. From pics seen,,,,

The runoff thing really has me, just don't understand why to do that....?
 
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