Ideas for growing: getting creative & basics

[AussieToker]

Hey, while i've been away i've been busy and doing research on bonsai, permaculture, landscaping, agriculture & watched tons of videos online and gardening australia which is where I found these ideas. You can use these ideas to improve the quality of your plants. 

• Espalier (requires trellis or wire, regular pruning, tree ties)
• Re-potting - (requires removing old soil from existing roots and replacing with fresh soil...over time plant will absorb nutrients and run-off/leaching will occur)
• Wiring plants - (wrap wires about branches and shape the plant to desired shape) benefits include reduced height, stronger branches, better visual aesthetics
• Multiple grafts - requires grafting 2 or more plants onto an existing plant, benefits are save space, better visual aesthetics, more than 1 strain per plant & can shape the plant to your liking.  You could try grafting 2+ plants together into 1 plant, so it has 2+ root systems. 
• Air roots - when re-potting, remove topsoil and raise the existing root level slightly every time you re-pot the plant to create air roots. To be creative try the root over rock bonsai method
• Bending/Tying - Tying a plant down with wire/string or to a frame to shape the plant and to save space. 
• Bonsai - requires wiring, pruning, re-potting, bending/ tying,  etc...to maintain the overall plant appearance, height/size & shape.
• Drip line or soaker hose (preferably the rubber soaker hoses made from recycled tires) - water penetrates soil easier, waters directly to the root zone with minimum run-off, saves water.
• Stakes -  tie plant to stakes to support the plants vertical growth if plant gets top-heavy.
• Raising the plant & planting on slopes - raise the plant higher off the ground to receive more light or plant on slopes, benefits of planting on slopes is better drainage. Other methods include hanging gardens and roof gardens (if well hidden), 
• Bigger pots - bigger the roots can grow without restriction the bigger your plant will be, benefit is you can move the pot around and rotate the plant. 
• Humidity domes / mini greenhouses for seedlings and clones - high humidity allows your clones & seedlings to thrive as they don't have fully developed root systems and rely on the moisture from the air to stop them from dying/drying out. 
• Mulching - better water penetration, retains moisture, reduces unwanted weeds, protection from heat/frost. Some mulches such as green manures break down and release nitrogen into the soil
• Better drainage - the right kid of soil with good drainage will allow the plant roots to grow bigger in search for water, clay soils and sandy soils can either be too wet or too dry (or compact). Pick a soil that holds water and holds together when squeezed but breaks apart with crumbled. Or look for something with a good balance of large to small particles (preferably no large pieces of wood or rocks). For better drainage add composted manures & compost or perlite.
• Water retention - water is necessary for plant growth & all life, it's essential your plant gets water but not too much or too little just enough until water runs out the bottom of pot or when the top inches of soil are drying out. If you aren't sure you can buy a soil testing device from bunnings that tests if the soil is too dry/needs watering or too wet. For better water retention improve the structure of the soil, add compost, manures, coco, vermiculite, or water storage crystals. Also mulch the soil to retain more moisture or fertilize with seaweed extract regularly to improve water penetration which will eventually over time provide more water retention by restoring the soil. Check out an olla pot it's made from un-sealed clay or terracotta which is buried into the soil and the plant roots draw moisture out the pot when needed
• Tilling the soil - get a shovel and turn the top few inches of soil every few months or use no till farming methods, the soil gets compacted from walking on it tilling provides better water penetration, also aerates the soil and decreases unwanted weeds. 
• Pruning - many types of pruning such as topping, fimming, cloud pruning, vertical growth only or unwanted side branches, lollipopping,  etc...benefits are manipulate the size & shape of the tree, maximize yield by removing weaker branches and concentrating nutrients into larger branches, plant cannot grow taller temporarily so the roots & trunk can get bigger.
• PH & Temperatures - Make sure the PH of the soil and water is at the right amount for your medium and the growing environment/room should be at the ideal temperatures. If you want purple plants it's caused by exposure to cold temperatures
• Hash tips - (not sure if legit) LED lights tuned into the right spectrum is said to cause an effect known as hash tips, Chlorophile a. absorption 400-430nm blue with peak absorption at 425nm & Red 650-670nm with peak absorption at 660nm.  Chlorophile b. 420-470nm peak absorption at 450nm blue. Red 620-650nm peak absorption 630nm....benefits frostier buds. 
• Hiding - use others plants or objects to hide your plants, create barriers or even blend weed plants in with other species of plants to camouflage it. Lupins, tomatoes, maples, shrubs, bushes, trees, nettles, mint, parsley, etc...are a few examples of plants you can use. Benefits are - hidden from humans & possibly other pests/other animals. Growing indoors make hidden rooms and don't tell no one.  
• Greenhouses -  can costs a lot of money (negative), can get too humid/hot during summer, insufficient ventilation, may need artificial lighting...benefits are it keeps out pests, provides a warmer environment in colder weather, shelter from rain, reduces chances of contamination from male pollen outside of the greenhouse (or keeps the male pollen in), can control temps & lighting. 
• Micro-climates - if your area is too hot you can provide a micro-climate for the plant using shade from a nearby tree or object or the opposite you can paint walls white or plant near north facing rock walls to increase the radiated heat & light reflected off the wall/rocks.
• Timers & pumps - having timers on your water systems or pumps in buckets of water it will make watering a much easier process and save a lot of effort in the long run.
• Companion plants - these are any kind of plant that will attract beneficial predators/insects, repel pests, nitrogen fixate the soil (such as legumes), green manures, no till plants, plants that will act as a wind break or plants that will hide your plants without harming your plants.
• Organic vs Synthetic - organic is easy and healthier, better for the environment, better taste, better burn, more forgiving and less fussy with ph..while synthetic has the benefits of controlling the amounts of nutrients, providing the right nutrients to cannabis, bigger plants & bigger buds, better suited for hydroponic/aeroponic & coco mediums. Negatives of organic are can often take time to decompose, smaller buds, can't always control the amount of nutrients, pests, can sometimes stink (especially if indoors), can often be harder to import to different countries, etc...negative of synthetic not as healthy, less forgiving, easier to burn plants, more expensive, can kill soil microbial life, so many brands to choose from and only a few good ones, often need more than 1 bottle or to replace the bottle regularly, etc...
• Deep planting - some plants develop weak steams and small root systems, you can fix this problem by planting deep and burying part of the trunk under ground level. The trunk while buried will start to develop roots and the plant will have a better hold in the ground protecting it against wind as well as larger root system. Be careful of collar rot, colloidal silver works well and provide plenty of ventilation underneath the plant.
• Layering - is a method of which part of an aerial stem grows roots while still attached to the parent plant and then detaches as an individual plant. This is a good method for propagating plants, different types of layering such as ground layering & air layering.  
  
  Let me know what you think, hope it helps. Keep smoking...peace 

[-BMX-]

Thanks, mate. Very usefull information

[Yvesn]

This ideas deserving of mention.

[AussieToker]

Thanks, i'll add more techniques & ideas as I learn/ think of them. Hope it helps

Edited October 19, 2015 by AussieToker