Uncle Ben's Gardening Tweeks and Pointers

That was hilarious and of course true (the bullshit). It does get deep, waders are mandatory to help keep your roots clean. You'll appreciate this one too. https://www.rollitup.org/t/planting-seed-above-dirt.864097/page-2#post-11419042

Happy to see you found your way with a little coaching from some of us.

Uncle Ben

thanks for the pointers UB i have a question though about light power in veg vs flower . And I'm glad your post got bumped back up to remind me
i was wondering the other day should you intensify the light at the end of flowering or not I've seen that alot of people use there max wattage plus a little boost or whatever you call that button on some of the ballast but wondered how correct that was seeing as MJ veges during the summer (when the sun is the brightest ) and finish in the fall as the sun slowly moves further away and becomes less intense .. Sooo what would you recommend for those with a dimmable ballast 50% 75% 100% .. Maybe the last couple weeks of flowering turn it down a notch per week . Would this increase any crystal production ? Same as some believe tricking the plant in the last couple days with complete dark periods does
thanks for any response and sorry if this has been asked I did not have time to go through 123 pages

Uncle Ben,

Excuse the ignorance if I have overlooked this (or call me a dick for it, either way, its ALL TRUE), I've seen posts on your soil mix (i.e. substrate comp.) and have had a look at: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1375349/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xviii

(i think i picked that link up in some of the posts somewhere)

From memory I think you had about a 25/25% vermiculite/perlite 'soil-ammendment' (hahahah, getting technical) + other elements, and have read many times you do not use coir or coco peat, but this is not necessarily a direct coco peat question.

Now, reading the post: "If you start with a water-retentive medium, you cannot effectively amend it to improve aeration or drainage characteristics by adding larger particulates. Sand, perlite, Turface, calcined DE ...... none of them will work effectively." & "You cannot add coarse material to fine material and improve drainage or the ht of the PWT."

I am not questioning your soil mix, it is just that currently I am still working with coco peat, and have recently done a perlite mix with it (~40% perlite, 60% coco peat perhaps bordering on 50/50%) and would like either some clarification or advice as to my next step (i am still stuck with coco peat for a bit....long story)

So, it seems from the quoted comments this idea of adding perlite to the coco peat "All perlite does in heavy soils is occupy space that would otherwise be full of water. Perlite simply reduces the amount of water a soil is capable of holding because it is not internally porous. IOW - all it does is take up space."

I am assuming that because of fine nature of coco peat, this also applies? Or does it not? I.e. The coco peat is more porous enough compared to heavy soil mixes?

Thus far, watering my new mix (i.e. 40/60) compared to the previous 100% coco peat pots (yes, rapturous laughter from the crowd, take a bow) more frequently and half the previous volume of watering when using 100% coco peat - so, if I am following things here; the new 40/60 mix now holds less water, hence less volume required for drainage, and frequency of watering to prevent drying increases - please pull me up if I am going way of track here.

Reading his post further then shows that he introduces pine bark something somethings (i.e. : a coarser base material compared to the finer coco peat base)

Small batch:
3 gallons pine bark fines
1/2 gallon peat
1/2 gallon perlite
4 tbsp lime (or gypsum in some cases)
1/4 cup CRF (if preferred)

Instead of chemical root prooning, I've inadvertently ended up in 'air prooning' territory via use of perforated inserts and 'substrate bag' - all a bit excessive I know but you use whats available, but at the time I started this I just felt I needed to get better aeration of the coco peat because 100% coco peat in ~3-3.5 gallon pots (hahahaha, gallons, to the converter everytime - to me, ~11-13L) just seemed to stay 'soaked' forever and felt it was slowing down plant growth, and initially I thought that this 'water-logging' for a prolonged period would slow down the root growth - looking at the root ball after harvest showed that virtually a lot of the coco peat remained un-innervated and occurred mainly around the pot edge. So i ended up with that insert and bag and think ive kinda stumbled upon air prooning in the process - the root balls looked like the uploaded picture (which is not mine).

Currently thinking of getting a few of these rocket pots http://www.rocketpot.com.au/index.html

They recommend to 'use a lower porosity medium' in these pots.

So after a lengthy load of backstory, I would just like some advice on:

1. If I was to fill these pots, I am assuming that coco peat could be considered a lower porosity medium, would it be beneficial or not to further ammend the coco peat with perlite, or vermiculite, or in your case, a 25% mix of each (and what about grades? Super Coarse, Coarse, fine? - I see people sprouting super coarse everywhere as ammendment for the coco peat, but then reading Gardenweb discussion, this might not be a good idea?)

or

2. Just leave it 100% coco peat, don't bother ammending any further (i.e. taking into account the comments from the Gardenweb post and the recommendation from RocketPot)

or

3. Any suggestions you have at this point, I like the idea of air prooning and am kinda excited about pots that look like they came out of Super Mario, and prefer it over chemical root prooning (and that is not because of the 'chemical' - i am not an 'organic fanboy' - its more a matter of convenience and the fact that I am the laziest fuck on the planet - contenders beware, I won't even initiate a competition to prove the point, thats HOW LAZY)

And, if we were to take the 'coarser' mix as described on Gardenweb post, would such a coarse mixture be considered 'a higher porosity medium' maybe not suitable for this RocketPot design?

Again, I know its a lenghty post, and apologise ahead of time for stating or asking the obvious, just trying to show I havn't been a total lazy dick about this so far....the story crawls on....

Thanks UB and other contributors to these threads of glory!

As for the Poozers....well.....
"Me, Me, Me, Me, Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~~"

semajkroy said:

thanks for the pointers UB i have a question though about light power in veg vs flower . And I'm glad your post got bumped back up to remind me
i was wondering the other day should you intensify the light at the end of flowering or not I've seen that alot of people use there max wattage plus a little boost or whatever you call that button on some of the ballast but wondered how correct that was seeing as MJ veges during the summer (when the sun is the brightest ) and finish in the fall as the sun slowly moves further away and becomes less intense .. Sooo what would you recommend for those with a dimmable ballast 50% 75% 100% .. Maybe the last couple weeks of flowering turn it down a notch per week . Would this increase any crystal production ? Same as some believe tricking the plant in the last couple days with complete dark periods does
thanks for any response and sorry if this has been asked I did not have time to go through 123 pages

Click to expand...

You do whatever it takes to reach the plant's light saturation point but not go over it i.e. bleaching out chlorophyll. Timing has nothing to do with it and speaking of time..... Isn't it rather selfish to assume it's OK for me to answer the same lame questions over and over again, but you don't have time to lurk and read the posts in this and other threads or read a book on botany?

UB

DillWang, I don't use coir peat so you're on your own. I also think you're doing too many what-if's which is probably based on inexperience and anxiety. That will pass.

Mix up a batch and try it out. IOW, you're just going to have to find your own program, what works best for you. For cannabis, indoors or out, I like a tight mix that drains slowly, but that's just my style of gardening. I used to have to water 3 gallon pots twice a day, a quart each time while indoor growing. There's been many a time when I started with a coarse mix and over time sifted powdered clay over the top of the pot to help tighten up the structure.

This is what a solid mass of roots looks like come harvest. I took a garden hose and blasted off all soil in the pot to show off the root mass.



This balance is all about root mass and foliage mass. The more you have of both, the more you're gonna have to water. Look at week two's growth in this thread. I guaranty there is NO CHANCE of root rot even with heavy watering because by then, and certainly by week 3, that pot is full of roots which are rapidly wicking off excess soil moisture. https://www.rollitup.org/t/spin-out-for-chemical-root-pruning.9114/

Good luck

Hey Uncle Ben,

Yeah, spot on, currently going through the phase of "Hmmm, well, better sit down and have a proper re-think before the next sets" and am indeed inexperienced and anxious to get to a more comfortable point of understanding.

"I used to have to water 3 gallon pots twice a day, a quart each time while indoor growing." - yeh, currently, and previously, these are still just 100% coir peat pots, have had the same experience, and currently (they are about ~65" tall including pot) again at that same rate.

So thanks for the heads up and the pointers, I see im not fucking so far gone to the point of idiocy (i had a mate who recommended 50L pots for the short 10-12 week cycle including veg.......not my kinda thing...same old, more more is best best)

And for the chemical root pruning link, I must have previously entered the thread at a different discussion point and missed your beginning post.

Great picture, and thanks for the taking the time to help us out

All the best!

As a quick follow up to my previous coco/soil-mix paranoia post:

contacted the rocketpot / airpot manufacturer, whom recommended a soil potting mix with similar characteristics as described by UB:

"a tight mix that drains slowly" and recommends the packing of substrate fairly tightly into the container as to fill the 'air-cones' that line the pot.

so I suppose (and having seen a few examples) that would make the peat fine for the job and have since realised that the 'soil-ammendments' i.e. perlite / vermiculite etc. as discussed by http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii

that provided the perlite/vermiculite is of similar size grade to the peat, then it should be more useful in its function as opposed to just taking up space while not effectively altering drainage or aeration at all.

I.e. at the nursery they are happy to sell me Super Coarse Perlite to be mixed with coco, but something tells me after reading these posts and advice that you would only really benefit from this mixing if you used perlite that was of similar particle size as your coco peat.

any comments welcome, particularly if all of this is bullshit...

Thanks again for all the help, let the relaxation, re-commence....

Well I'm using soilless. First of all, I'm more K.I.S.S. It make my life easier.

My soilless recipe is

Miracle Gro peat

Miracle Gro Perlite

Espoma's Garden Lime

I would mix 50/50 peat/perlite. I amended soilless with lime, one or two tablespoon per gallon of dirt.

I use TAP water,

There ya go.

I used coco in past, too hassle with cal mag IMHO.

Happy gardening.

Uncle Ben said:

It's nature's way.

Click to expand...

Hey ben I was just curious I was recommended to use Jacks citrus classic for my grow. I am in promix hp I throw in a little extra perlite with it. At what rate would you recommend adding lime?I am a younger guy trying to learn and I am fairly new to gardening. I have done about 6 grows so far. Most have went well until I get into midflowering. Thank you for any knowledge you can share with me.

This was an interesting thread.

Hello everyone,

would bloom fertilizer with NPK of 4-5-6 be a good choice for flowering?

I figured a nice endcap for this excellent old thread would be this: an interview I just stumbled onto with the head of Dyna Gro. He pretty much verifies everything Uncle Ben says about N in flower and that Foliage Pro should be used from seedling to harvest; their bloom formula was only made because consumers were asking for it, but it is not recommended, and more...

UB, I don't know who has more patience the dali lama or you. Seems answering the same question 10,000 times doesn't bother you at all. I suppose in this day we are not being taught to read and comprehend the words in front of us. With all that aside, Im looking at your threads and responses using search and finding your trail of knowledge based on what appears to be common texan sense.
I appreciate all that you do and know.

Thanks to you my first grow will succeed!!!
4 colas, double harvests and using the my eyes and tools made available at the local hardware store!
Im so thankful to have a game plan and feel I owe you a mountain of debt or maybe I can send you some of my mustard plant seeds as a token.

I hope thats enough ass kissing if not I can spread the jam on a little thicker but, my question is... fringe gardening as in human Urea. I read some really good things on this resource and understand the N is sufficient to sustain plant life. Have you read about this resource? What are your thoughts about the values of human Urea? I know it also contains trace minerals that plants use. I know this is disgusting to most and understand the downfalls such as health affecting urea.

Im not using it but if I had to its good to know there are options nearby. LOL!

Firstgrow1969 said:

UB, I don't know who has more patience the dali lama or you. Seems answering the same question 10,000 times doesn't bother you at all. I suppose in this day we are not being taught to read and comprehend the words in front of us. With all that aside, Im looking at your threads and responses using search and finding your trail of knowledge based on what appears to be common texan sense.
I appreciate all that you do and know.

Thanks to you my first grow will succeed!!!
4 colas, double harvests and using the my eyes and tools made available at the local hardware store!
Im so thankful to have a game plan and feel I owe you a mountain of debt or maybe I can send you some of my mustard plant seeds as a token.

I hope thats enough ass kissing if not I can spread the jam on a little thicker but, my question is... fringe gardening as in human Urea. I read some really good things on this resource and understand the N is sufficient to sustain plant life. Have you read about this resource? What are your thoughts about the values of human Urea? I know it also contains trace minerals that plants use. I know this is disgusting to most and understand the downfalls such as health affecting urea.

Im not using it but if I had to its good to know there are options nearby. LOL!

Click to expand...

UB or Ben. Does not post here anymore. Not going into why.

He is still with us (alive) and I see him from time to time in/on a pvt site.

Some of his treatment here was pretty bad. He has a longer and more deeper history in this growing thing, then many here understand.

Urea, both animal and human can work just fine.
The trick is to let it work into a tea over several days of ,, shall we say brewing?
Ratio of urine to water
1:20

The best source of good info on just what ratio's to use and how to "brew" it...

Mother Earth News! They have a great piece on home brewing nutrient tea's for gardening use. Plant materials, Urine, etc are discussed and formula's given!
The things available in M.E.N. on growing are quite good!

Last I looked the whole set of magazine content. 1st to last season's complete.... $45.00 on a set of disk's. I have broken down and bought that for ease of looking up the article I want to re-read.... I am the hoarder of all the magazines back to #1. Just too damn hard to look for the odd article you seek.

Here is a simple article that covers urine and 2 other sources to make usable fert teas from other sources..It also contains links to other articles on the subject in M.E.N.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/gardening-techniques/liquid-fertilizers-zm0z11zhun

Dr. Who said:

UB or Ben. Does not post here anymore. Not going into why.

He is still with us (alive) and I see him from time to time in/on a pvt site.

Some of his treatment here was pretty bad. He has a longer and more deeper history in this growing thing, then many here understand.

Urea, both animal and human can work just fine.
The trick is to let it work into a tea over several days of ,, shall we say brewing?
Ratio of urine to water
1:20

The best source of good info on just what ratio's to use and how to "brew" it...

Mother Earth News! They have a great piece on home brewing nutrient tea's for gardening use. Plant materials, Urine, etc are discussed and formula's given!
The things available in M.E.N. on growing are quite good!

Last I looked the whole set of magazine content. 1st to last season's complete.... $45.00 on a set of disk's. I have broken down and bought that for ease of looking up the article I want to re-read.... I am the hoarder of all the magazines back to #1. Just too damn hard to look for the odd article you seek.

Here is a simple article that covers urine and 2 other sources to make usable fert teas from other sources..It also contains links to other articles on the subject in M.E.N.

Click to expand...

I can see why the profiteers would see UB as a threat. Thank you for the info and let UB know HES MY DADDY!!!

Firstgrow1969 said:

UB, I don't know who has more patience the dali lama or you. Seems answering the same question 10,000 times doesn't bother you at all. I suppose in this day we are not being taught to read and comprehend the words in front of us. With all that aside, Im looking at your threads and responses using search and finding your trail of knowledge based on what appears to be common texan sense.
I appreciate all that you do and know.

Thanks to you my first grow will succeed!!!
4 colas, double harvests and using the my eyes and tools made available at the local hardware store!
Im so thankful to have a game plan and feel I owe you a mountain of debt or maybe I can send you some of my mustard plant seeds as a token.

I hope thats enough ass kissing if not I can spread the jam on a little thicker but, my question is... fringe gardening as in human Urea. I read some really good things on this resource and understand the N is sufficient to sustain plant life. Have you read about this resource? What are your thoughts about the values of human Urea? I know it also contains trace minerals that plants use. I know this is disgusting to most and understand the downfalls such as health affecting urea.

Im not using it but if I had to its good to know there are options nearby. LOL!

Click to expand...

Id be suprised if he answers, not been here since i was a wee member

Firstgrow1969 said:

I can see why the profiteers would see UB as a threat. Thank you for the info and let UB know HES MY DADDY!!!

Click to expand...

Kingrow1 said:

Id be suprised if he answers, not been here since i was a wee member

Click to expand...

I'll pass along the thought!
BEN is, still Ben. Doing well. His gardens have been fruitful. Cannabis ones too.

Dr. Who said:

I'll pass along the thought!
BEN is, still Ben. Doing well. His gardens have been fruitful. Cannabis ones too.

Click to expand...

Did they archive your grow journal? I checked it out but it was unavailable.

Firstgrow1969 said:

Did they archive your grow journal? I checked it out but it was unavailable.

Click to expand...

Likely lost in the last server crash.....

I should start a new one. Maybe track an up coming breeding project. Building "Heavy Metal Monkey" Platinum Gorilla X Copper Chem, Then a possible backing to the PG dad. I want to tighten up the PG buds and hold the basic buzz structure but, add a tad of Indica side back to her. I figure the CC to be a good one to work towards the goal. Should help control plant size and bring some more yield back for the size.

I got to the part where you crossed a banana with a pot plant.

Dr. Who said:

Likely lost in the last server crash.....

I should start a new one. Maybe track an up coming breeding project. Building "Heavy Metal Monkey" Platinum Gorilla X Copper Chem, Then a possible backing to the PG dad. I want to tighten up the PG buds and hold the basic buzz structure but, add a tad of Indica side back to her. I figure the CC to be a good one to work towards the goal. Should help control plant size and bring some more yield back for the size.

Click to expand...