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AliasAO
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What is an ideal size container or pot?
Should the MOTHERS be watered with NUTES every watering?
How many times should a MOTHER be topped if any?
The bigger the better...smart pots prevent root bound plants.
Depends on your nutes and how rich your soil mix is. Lower nutes before cutting clones.
To make a mother nice & bushy top new growth at least a couple of times.
:harvest:
I'm torn on container size, but I prefer smaller and gradually work to larger until the mom is ridiculous and I need to start a new one. Generally (with coco) I start in 1g and keep in there until they are drinking their water daily and are HUGE (literally 3'-4' bushes in 1g). At that point I uppot to 2g or root prune.
Root pruning is a great option to keep moms in check- when they get too rootbound- I pull out the plant and shave off a good 1-1 1/2" of roots all around a repot with fresh coco. Smartpots like HL said are great, i just prefer to root prune which is not as possible in smart pots, some of which ya dont need- but those who use em know how GIANT of a plant you can grow in 3/5g smart pot. Now that Im happy with a hanful of moms, Im considering just dropping them in 7g soil pots so i only have to water once a week or so...who knows. Easier to maintain.
And most def top- if not taking cuts I still pull 5-10 cuts per plant regularly to train a nice bush full of tops for cuts.
I'm torn on container size, but I prefer smaller and gradually work to larger until the mom is ridiculous and I need to start a new one.
That's cheating! lol
(Actually, it was the story of my life until I started the root-pruning, like you suggest)
I like to keep moms from seedlings if at all possible, for they're easier to train into small fat bushes.
Here's a nice link:
They don't have to be MONSTERS, but keeping them small AND healthy takes a little practice.
If they a dark green due to high Nitrogen content, they will take forever to root. (not ALWAYS the case, but a general rule). Take cuts after you've watered your girls, not after feeding them.
Feed-water-water-feed-water-water is the pattern that works well for me, but occasionally I have to feed-water-feed.
I really prefer organic nutrients to help avoid salt buildup in the medium over long periods of time. The occasional flush with an actual flushing agent is good for them, and I follow it up with a very mild fert solution.
I would not hesitate to use chemical warfare on bugs or fungus if organic methods did not work; by the time cuts from these moms reach maturity and flower completely, the traces of chemical will be so minute that they will not affect the consumer's health. I may get crucified for that statement, but if it comes down to saving an elite cut or a favorite strain, I am not going to f#%$ around with disease or pests any more. Lost a couple great cuts while I was in mamby-pamby land, looking for some self-confidence for me, the JACKWAGON! haha
Hope this helps. Peace.
GreenCure = awesome non-toxic control of PM. DON'T overdo it!!!
Eagle20 = Deadly POISON that will rid your plant systemically of PM forever. Use it on moms only, and wait at least 30 days before taking cuts for production.
Azamax (organic) has been an effective pest prevention for me so far, so I don't know much about poison for bugs, except the Dr Doom bug bombs don't do much against mites or thrips except piss them off for a bit.
I have used a lot of shit on my plants to kill PM the best cheapest cure I found that works for long periods of time is a microbe tea spray I have yet to get reinfected.
I spay my plants once a month and they are rocking PM free.
Great White makes for an excellent PM prevention! DO you know if it actually destroys the PM, or just makes it impossibly for it to manifest itself on the plant surface?
hey alias here is something always nice to try,its what i do as well..don't really keep the big mothers!! unless you need to take 20 clones a pop i simply take clones and always have them in veg growing..they never get bigger that my size before flip,then before flip take some clones and keep it going!! saves space and the need for those big ole momma's!! this doesn't work for everyone,but i love it and rarely have big moms around..except like nowish right before the great outdoors..big moms are key ;)
I have used a lot of shit on my plants to kill PM the best cheapest cure I found that works for long periods of time is a microbe tea spray I have yet to get reinfected.
I spay my plants once a month and they are rocking PM free.
Great call Froggy I was going to ask myself.Hey altitudefarmer, would you mind sharing your feeding schedule for your mothers?
thanks
Sure, Froggy.
I almost never go above a 1 EC (500ppm using the .5 ratio) with my mothers, and I try to keep the lights close enough to keep 'em from stretching, but far enough to slow growth a little. If your moms are smaller than mine (24-30"), I'd keep the EC even lower than that. You'll get a feel for them after a while; the idea is just enough food to keep 'em healthy, but not enough to invigorate their growth.
I am back to brewing organic teas for my girls.
I fill a 5-gal bucket with tapwater that's been allowed to sit out 24-36 hours to evaporate off the chlorine. I usually bubble it for a few hours, also, by adding an air stone and pump.
I add 6 tbsp of Fox Farm Peace of Mind Starter dry fertilizer (3-4-3), 2 tsp molasses, 2 tsp Age Old water-soluble Mycorrizhae, 1 tps epsom salt, and sometimes I also add an enzyme (at about 5ml/gal).
This mix will bubble-brew for at least 24 hours, but no longer than 48. When it's had enough time, the EC is usually around 1.8-2 (900-1000ppm), with a pH of about 7.6. The mix should be a little frothy after 24 hours, and there should also be brown fungal growth on the airstone/hose/bucket sides- that is GOOD stuff, do not panic. I dilute it with RO or chlorine-free tapwater until it is around 500 ppm (1 EC), and set the pH between 6.5-6.8. I also top-dress the Roots Organic soil once every 6 weeks or so with a tbsp of dolomite lime, to insure there's enough cal/mag, and to keep the pH stable.
Every 6-8 weeks, I also like to use a flushing agent on my moms, to prevent toxic salt buildup. Watering twice between feedings really helps. I also use humic/fulvic acids on watering (not feeding) days.
So, the regimen goes like this.
1. Roots organic soil and plain water (or a light humic/fulvic/molasses mix) until the RO begins to run out of nutrients. This usually takes 3-6 weeks, depending on strain and container size.
2. Organic tea- as described
3. plain water
4. Water with humic/fulvic/molasses
5. repeat steps 2-5 indefinitely.
You may bump up the nutrients for your moms, or lower them, depending on what strains you're running. I keep an eye out daily for deficiencies, pests, and disease on all my plants. Sometimes I do throw in an extra feed, but never twice in a row. I also try to clone a day or two after step 4 or 5, so the plants are a little hungry and the cuts root faster.
If it seems my mamas need a pretty potent dose of nutrients, I will also occasionally add some Age Old Grow (12-6-6) to the mix. I still do not go above 1.2 EC when I do this, and only that high on a big mama.
Hope this helps; holler if you have any other questions.
Use eagle20 as per mfg's instructions and wear hazmat gear :)
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