J.W.
Well-Known Member
Although I'm fairly new to RIU, I've noticed that there are plenty of people on here that share the same passion for growing that I do. While I'm no expert, I constantly try to learn more and improve my own approach to growing Cannabis. In saying that, I've noticed a trend where sometimes people tend to overthink the little stuff and overlook the more important fundamentals that go with growing plants in general. Growing Cannabis has brought many people to horticulture that may not have otherwise been interested, but much of what applies to all plants is also important to growing dank, especially to organic soil growers. I've decided to write some threads that get back to basics and share some important info that helps me, and hopefully helps some of you as well.
In organic soil growing, many people focus on individual N-P-K values of their amendments, as well as how much "stuff" they can do directly to their plants. However, one thing that I think is often overlooked is the care of the soil itself. Cultivating the soil and ensuring that the soil is breaking down and aerating correctly is crucial to the plant's nutrient uptake. When mixing your soil mixes, be sure to mix the soil and amendments EXTREMELY well, leaving no clods or clumps and making sure that all the ingredients are mixed throughout. Also, many organic amendments such as dolomite lime(for pH), cottonseed meal, oyster shell, and others take time to break down before they even affect the soil or can be absorbed by the roots. Don't be impatient or lazy, or you will notice a difference in the end.
When water goes through the soil and carries nutrients through the plant, this is called the "transpiration stream". This is when the water passes through the soil, and a small percentage is used for nutrients and photosynthesis; much of the rest carries waste out of the leaves through evaporation via the stomata, i.e. "transpiration". If your soil is clumpy or doesn't aerate well, water will not be absorbed evenly throughout the root ball and soil, and you will get dry spots, which cause oodles of problems. This can especially be a problem with organic soils, which have worm castings and other things that need to be cut to aerate well. Poorly broken-down soil also causes much of the water to drain through cracks in the soil, preventing the soil from even absorbing water, and basically just causing runoff. This can also lead to higher humidity, and the most common rookie mistake with soil growers -- overwatering! Don't water your plants until the soil is fairly dry and your plants are actually in need of water, when the stems are flexible just before the leaves start to droop a little. This may sound hard to do, but trust me. It's the actual draining of the water and the transpiration over the course of a couple days after watering that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the roots, not the actual wetting of the water itself. Once you get a good feel for it, you can actually tell a lot about the plants' water needs just by lifting the pot. If you water too often, this can also cause high humidity -- if the plants cannot absorb and transpire the water, then the soggy water has to go somewhere. If you have poor ventilation, watch out. Mold, root rot, and oxygen deprivation are all possibilities with overwatering.
To make sure your soil drains well and will not cause air pockets, use a fork or other cultivation tool to break up as much of the topsoil as possible before watering, making sure NOT to damage or expose roots. When you water, water slowly around the entire topsoil until you just start to see water drain out all around the bottom, and then stop watering. Watch to make sure the top is uniformly damp and that the water drained well throughout the medium. Dry pockets can stunt a plant's growth, cause uneven root development and kill dried-out roots, and fool you into overwatering. Root development as well as humidity play a huge role during flowering especially. The humidity will close stomata and possibly cause moldy buds; roots that dry out from dry spots will miss out on that water that returns those sugars and carbs that the plant produced, which makes those molasses and sugar teas you gave almost useless.
The point of this long post is that the medium is just as important as the plant, so put in the work and treat that soil right. Also, I posted a thread on water quality on the forum a while back, which kind of relates. If you'd like, you can check that out here:
https://www.rollitup.org/organics/311863-largely-underestimated-variable.html
Hopes this helps,
Peacev
,
J Dubs
In organic soil growing, many people focus on individual N-P-K values of their amendments, as well as how much "stuff" they can do directly to their plants. However, one thing that I think is often overlooked is the care of the soil itself. Cultivating the soil and ensuring that the soil is breaking down and aerating correctly is crucial to the plant's nutrient uptake. When mixing your soil mixes, be sure to mix the soil and amendments EXTREMELY well, leaving no clods or clumps and making sure that all the ingredients are mixed throughout. Also, many organic amendments such as dolomite lime(for pH), cottonseed meal, oyster shell, and others take time to break down before they even affect the soil or can be absorbed by the roots. Don't be impatient or lazy, or you will notice a difference in the end.
When water goes through the soil and carries nutrients through the plant, this is called the "transpiration stream". This is when the water passes through the soil, and a small percentage is used for nutrients and photosynthesis; much of the rest carries waste out of the leaves through evaporation via the stomata, i.e. "transpiration". If your soil is clumpy or doesn't aerate well, water will not be absorbed evenly throughout the root ball and soil, and you will get dry spots, which cause oodles of problems. This can especially be a problem with organic soils, which have worm castings and other things that need to be cut to aerate well. Poorly broken-down soil also causes much of the water to drain through cracks in the soil, preventing the soil from even absorbing water, and basically just causing runoff. This can also lead to higher humidity, and the most common rookie mistake with soil growers -- overwatering! Don't water your plants until the soil is fairly dry and your plants are actually in need of water, when the stems are flexible just before the leaves start to droop a little. This may sound hard to do, but trust me. It's the actual draining of the water and the transpiration over the course of a couple days after watering that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the roots, not the actual wetting of the water itself. Once you get a good feel for it, you can actually tell a lot about the plants' water needs just by lifting the pot. If you water too often, this can also cause high humidity -- if the plants cannot absorb and transpire the water, then the soggy water has to go somewhere. If you have poor ventilation, watch out. Mold, root rot, and oxygen deprivation are all possibilities with overwatering.
To make sure your soil drains well and will not cause air pockets, use a fork or other cultivation tool to break up as much of the topsoil as possible before watering, making sure NOT to damage or expose roots. When you water, water slowly around the entire topsoil until you just start to see water drain out all around the bottom, and then stop watering. Watch to make sure the top is uniformly damp and that the water drained well throughout the medium. Dry pockets can stunt a plant's growth, cause uneven root development and kill dried-out roots, and fool you into overwatering. Root development as well as humidity play a huge role during flowering especially. The humidity will close stomata and possibly cause moldy buds; roots that dry out from dry spots will miss out on that water that returns those sugars and carbs that the plant produced, which makes those molasses and sugar teas you gave almost useless.
The point of this long post is that the medium is just as important as the plant, so put in the work and treat that soil right. Also, I posted a thread on water quality on the forum a while back, which kind of relates. If you'd like, you can check that out here:
https://www.rollitup.org/organics/311863-largely-underestimated-variable.html
Hopes this helps,
Peacev
,J Dubs
