problem with mums

[jaguarrh]

ok, got that tom...

 

i've managed to beg a tds meter from a friend and the ph meter is on the important list

 

i have flushed the mums this evening, i also topped the sick one so it is shorter by 2 nodes (bugger it, i know it's stressfull but i am learning and dont mind too much if they cark it)

 

i am going to let them drain overnight then give them en ec2 vega nute drink at ph6 - 6.5 tomorrow.

 

thanks for your help guys. will let you know how they get on.

[Tom]

If your coco is holding the moisture for too long then mix a higher amount of perlite in with it when you re-pot.

 

[jaguarrh]

sorry if i'm repeating myself guys but this photo shows a 5 year old plant that has been in a one litre pot since it was 3 months old

 

In the picture above from the left:- [one], is the trimmed cutting from above. [two], Has had 2 sets of cuttings taken off and is more than ready to move to a 3 inch pot. As you can see it is a little short of N showing its better to move after only taking one set of cuttings. [three] in a 3 inch pot 12 cuttings have been taken with 2 left on to show where to cut back to. [four] is a five year old Mum that has just had 32 cuttings taken off and could do with some more small twiggy bits removed. She is in a 1 litre pot and has been since she was 3 months old.

 

what do ppl think of that?

[everest]

yea , that pic's great .

 

also it's in a dirt mix , which is probs a point worth mentioning , seen as you having trouble with the hydro , why not keep your mums in the dirt ? well till you pic up some good hydro tools any how ....

 

ev

[Roadblock]

i water until it shows in the tray beneath the pot, then for the next half hour or so continually empty any excess water out of the tray.

 

I would say thats your nute burn problem , how much volume are your running through them ,by the sound of things you have no flow to flush excess salt left after the plants uptake and evaporation , which means being in small pots it will build up very quickly ,, I have grown big plants in 6 inch pots with little problems but they were fed 15 minutes continuess flow in every hr , things can happen real quick in small pots and or small nute tanks , flow not only lowers salt build up , it oxygenates the root zone and also washes away the plants waste products expired by roots .

 

If you dont have gauges you are asking for trouble , you really need to monitor your PH and Salt levels , guessing wont cut it , especially will low flow volumes .

Rod

Edited May 13, 2006 by Roadblock

[jaguarrh]

thanks for your input rod

 

here's whats happening now...

 

i've managed to score a eutech tds meter from a mate so am better armed when it comes to mixing my nutes. and i will be getting a pH meter in a week or so. ( i wouldnt' say i'm guessing my pH, i use a test solution, which i'm sure is not as accurate as a well calibrated digi one but it's gonna be within +or- .5pH i would say.)

 

i've taken thc's advice and made the sick one much smaller. it has been cut back to the third node on the main stem so it will have an initial branch structure much like the photo's of the bonsai mothers i posted earlier. in the process of cutting it back i lost most of the damaged growth too

 

i have then fully bonsai'd it, to open it up into a cup shape.

 

i flushed both of the moms with about ten litres of ph 6.0 water and then gently took the pot off the sick one to see if it was root bound. this showed me that there was plenty of space left in the pot for roots. they were only visible at the exterior of the coco mass in the bottom 2cm of the coco.

 

after flushing and letting it drain, i gave it a feed of canna vega @ an ec of 2 (it is nice having a meter). and to answer your question about volumes rod, i am giving them a hand watering of about 125ml.

 

i think i am going to give them just pH'd water when required during the week and maybe feed them with the ec2 nutes once a week? as well as giving them a good flush every second week.

 

i will grab some pics after dinner and add them to this thread.

 

thanks everyone and lets hope i can get these moms on track cus the plant i have in flower is going off. i gave it a dose of pk13/14 tonight and will also add some pics to my thread in 'strains' later of this stinky bitch.

 

untill the photo's

 

[Roadblock]

rod, i am giving them a hand watering of about 125ml.

 

 

That dont sound good to me but I got to say I havent grown in coco ,, a decent size plant will pull that amount of moisture out real quick and give high salt readings ,, test the run off coming out of the pot and keep pooring untill its coming out the same TDS as it is going in thats the safe way using the lowest volume .

 

good luck with them

 

Rod

[jaguarrh]

pics as promised

[nitram]

Hi jaguarrh,

 

Clones in coco eh !

 

h ....i've managed to score a eutech tds meter from a mate

 

That'll help.

 

j ...i flushed both of the moms with about ten litres of ph 6.0 water and then gently took the pot off the sick one to see if it was root bound .....after flushing and letting it drain, i gave it a feed of canna vega @ an ec of 2 (it is nice having a meter).

 

Not the problem eh (root bound) !

 

Flushed & re- nuted (ec @ 2.0 is high) Half strength is 1.0. I would have done a recovery aqt 1/2 strenth and with coc I'd be using Coco specific nutes. I don't recall what nutes your using ?

 

As tom has said PH should be higher than other medims (ie. Coco PH should be 6.0 - 6.4). ay leastrange thaty coco specific nutes give due to there "buffering" capacity ( 5.2 - 6.3: coco a & .

 

 

j ...i think i am going to give them just pH'd water when required during the week and maybe feed them with the ec2 nutes once a week?

 

Am EC of 2 (2.0 or 1400 ppm) is slightly high for a recovery mission. I'd look at 1/2 strenth of coco specific nutes following a flush like you have done.

I

 

Tom ...if your coco is holding the moisture for too long then mix a higher amount of perlite in with it when you re-pot.

 

Drainage is important - I tend to keep mums in 1/4 strenth nutes, 7 (wide) x7 (long) x9" (deep) seedling pots. I also flower/finish in the same size pots.

 

Coco is tricky to keep mums and raise seedlings + do clones in. The reason for thjiss can be :-

 

1) over water/nute. (inadiquate drainage, &/or too heavy or too less on the

inert medium - coco is a nutrient free medium from day 1)

 

2) Rapid excelleraated root groth.

 

I think your on the right track jaguarrh however, I would look at the ojective (bomzi mum) and what you need to start with. Thats a healthy clone of your finest plant in one small pot & jkept that way.

 

PS/ I distinguish between a "bonzi mum" and a "keeper". The latter is larger and not intended to keep of over 3 - 5 yrs. A bonzi mum on the other hand is one plant kept vert small in a semi stasis mode from wich you can take repeated cuttings from over 5 - 20 yrs or more.

 

All the best of luck with your project and lay off the nutes and the water to give them 3 - 7 days to recover.

 

 

 

[jaguarrh]

wow, thanks nitram, that was a very informative reply...

 

it's gonna take me a while to digest all that info

 

i think u r right on the nute front, i am not using coco specific nutes... oops forgot about that. my bad

 

i like yr distinction between the keeper and the mum, what i want is the mum. 5-20 yrs sounds good.

 

i would be interested to know what medium you keep your mums in? i was trying to stay away from soil, to keep that hydro theme in my gr but if soil iss the absolute best way to go, then i am flexible.

 

and just to let you know she was the most healthy squat looking clone of the twelve or so i took.

 

thanks nitram