How A Plant Works / Grows? (with Link To The Answer :d )

[Coronel]

This is a compilation of good reads for those who want to make more of their plants, by understanding them.


This Bonsay article on reducing leave size contains excellent information on how the plant works and helps begginers understand better how and why TOPing / FIMing, basically, for cannabis we need to do the oposite he does to his bonsay :P


Also has some good information on controlling the internodal space on seedlings.


https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/leafsize.htm
The size of leaves, the length of internodes, and the thickness of twigs are related to the:

• 
  
  • Balance of the canopy to the root mass,
  • Age and density of the roots,
  • Level of fertility,
  • Presence or absence of hormones,
  • Level of light.

Of these five factors the first and second have the greatest importance for bonsai, but the other three also play a role.


This one tells some basic information on leave morphology.
https://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/everything-you-ever-needed-to-know-about-cannabis-leaves/


Here a good read on how a leaf grows.
https://phys.org/news/2012-03-scientists-buds.html

And here how a plant creates a leaf from the grow tip...
https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2016/02/01/how-do-leaves-make-themselves/


This text about plant competition (which doesn't mention radical detection or when the roots sense via the presence of hormones and some fungi that there is other plant nearby and both plants avoid each other at root level) but which matters a lot in a grow room/tent ? or maybe not... :

One feature that affects this is whether the plant is growing near other green plants.

If a plant finds itself in competition with others, it will direct growth into leaf growth and away from reproductive growth (flowers, fruits, tubers or other storage organs). The plant can detect the presence of other plants within a metre of it by the spectrum of the light landing on its leaves. When its near neighbours are further away, it can afford to put more of its resources into reproduction.


I will add more as i find them.

 

[Coronel]

Why pH in soil needs to be adjusted in a controlled, progressive, slow way....

pH is a measure of acidity.

pH is reported as a number between 0 and 14. Anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline.

A value of 7 is neutral, ie it is neither acidic or alkaline. This is fairly common knowledge, but what most people don’t know is that pH is measured on a logarithmic scale.

What this means is that a pH of 5 is 10 times more acidic that a pH of 6.

Worded slightly differently, a pH change of 1 unit is actually a change of X 10 times (more acidic or alkaline). A change of 2 numbers, example 5 to 7, is a change of X100 times, which is a huge change.

The pH drifts relatively slowly because of this and the plants have some time to adapt, correcting the soil pH abruptly will potentially stress the plants.

 

[Coronel]

Neem oil & Azamax are both: Azadirachtin


Neem oil
Neem deserves a special mention because of it’s active ingredient, Azadirachtin. Azadirachtin acts as both a repellant and an antifeedant. A dunk can be prepared for small plants, and a root drench or foliar spray for larger plants Several applications will be necessary to treat the adult populations as they hatch. However, if too many adults survive treatment and are able to reproduce, spider mites can become resistant over time.

Azadirachtin Concentrates
These are extracted from neem so that there can be better control over formulation and dosing. Azamax is a popular brand. It can be applied as a foliar spray or root drench. This allows Azadirachtin to act as a systemic pesticide. Although it’s not very toxic to humans, always follow the manufacturers instructions carefully when applying any pesticide, organic or not.