Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #179 - Sunday, September 20, 2015 Dear Fellow
Grower, In today's issue... - A few weeks ago, we showed you how to make sure your seeds sprout. Now we're going to
show you how to avoid their biggest killer... overwatering!
- I don't know why Nebula and I have purchased so many seeds (optimism?), but we definitely have a seed problem...
- Speaking of seedlings, check out some great filtered photos of some very
happy seedlings at 1 and 2 weeks old.
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com) "Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity."
~Og Mandino
Common Seedling Problems: Overwatering! Sirius Fourside |
|
|
Before we take a look at cannabis seedling problems, let's show you what healthy cannabis seedlings and young plants look like! If your plants look like this, you're
golden!
Healthy Cannabis Seedlings Look Like This!
Examples of healthy cannabis seedlings: Cannabis seedlings start with two round leaves known as "cotyledons." These leaves are already formed inside the seed and simply open up once the seed has sprouted. After the cotyledons emerge, the "true" (serrated) cannabis leaves will
start to grow from the center. As they get older, the leaves start looking more like the cannabis leaf you are probably most familiar with. Here's what those seedlings look like as they start growing into healthy young
cannabis plants... Now that you know what healthy young cannabis plants look like; let's take a look at some common seedling problems to avoid so your plants grow as fast and healthy as
possible! Common Cannabis Seedling Problems
1.) Overwatering
Symptoms: seedling is droopy, growing
medium is moist, damping off
When a cannabis plant is "overwatered" it has less to do with the water and more to do with oxygen. Plants can even grow directly in water (hydroponics) but in order to thrive, roots need oxygen. In hydroponics, that's accomplished by dissolving oxygen into the water. But when plants are grown in a container, too much water = not enough oxygen.
When a plant's
roots are sitting in water, they quickly use up all the oxygen until the growing medium starts to dry out. Without enough oxygen at the roots, the plant will start showing symptoms of oxygen deprivation. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to prevent overwatering your cannabis plants.
While overwatering can display many different symptoms, most overwatered cannabis plants look droopy, like this...
Despite what seems like an obvious cause, several different scenarios can end in overwatering. Here are some of the most common trouble-makers:
Big Pot, Small Seedling When you have a small plant in a very big pot, it’s easy to overwater because the roots aren’t drinking much yet, and the big container takes a long time to dry out.
How to fix: - (Recommended) Start seedlings in smaller container until they’re growing vigorously, then transfer to a larger container
- If seedling is already in a big container, there's still hope! When watering, give just a little water at a time in a small circle around the seedling. Then allow the top inch of your medium to mostly dry before watering again. Once the
plant is growing vigorously, start watering as normal (with extra runoff water coming out the bottom every time)
These small cannabis plants (below) were put in big pots, and were given enough water to support a much larger plant. The plants
couldn’t drink all the water that was given to them and as a result, their roots weren’t able to get the oxygen they needed and started "drowning." Once the roots are out of commission, the leaves start drooping. One way to prevent this from happening is to make
sure your plants are in an appropriately sized container for each stage of their life; this is done with transplanting.
First, you need to get a general idea of the final container size which will be based on how big you want your plants to grow. The less often you
transplant, the bigger the final size pot you'll need because the roots will tend to grow out and cover the whole container if left too long. You can help avoid problems with roots getting rootbound by using a fabric pot (also known as a "Smart Pot") or an air pot.
Final Container for Desired Plant Size - General guide
(the less often you transplant, the bigger final size you'll need)
- 12" ~ 1-2 gallon
container
- 24" ~ 2-4 gallon container
- 36" ~ 3-6 gallon container
- 48" ~ 4-8 gallon container
- 60" ~ 5-10 gallon container
But what size pot should
you use for your seedlings?
For fastest growth rates, it's better to plant young seedlings or clones in a very small container, like a disposable plastic solo cup.
For new seedlings and clones, use a small container if possible Easy transplant guide - some popular transplant guideline: - Solo cup -> 1 gal -> 3 gal
- Solo cup -> 1 gal -> 5 gal
- Solo cup -> 2 gal -> 5 gal
- Solo cup -> 1.5 gal -> 3 gal -> 5+ gal
There is no perfect
transplant guide, but the one above should give you a general idea of where to start.
Why don’t you want to go from a solo cup to a 5 gallon pot? Or why not just start in a 5 gallon pot?
Young plants won't be growing very fast yet, so they also won't be using much water. When you completely
saturate a big container that slow speed means that the plant won’t be able to drink all the water. Since so much of the water is contained in the middle without access to air, it won’t be able to dry out by evaporation. This means you’re left with a huge container full of wet potting mix.
The young cannabis plant roots will quickly use up all the available oxygen that's been dissolved in the water,
and then the roots will sit in water until the water slowly evaporates on its own. Some containers such as smart pots and air pots allow air in from the sides, which can help dry the growing medium faster, but it’s better to use proper technique from the beginning.
Overpotting Cannabis
Planting
in too big a container is sometimes called “overpotting.” It’s possible to get around this with special watering techniques (for example by giving plants just a little bit of water until they start “growing into” their containers) but starting plants in small containers and transplanting as needed can be a more straightforward way for some growers. Overpotting plants is also a waste of growing medium and nutrients, especially if the plants never get big enough to fully use their
containers.
Example
This OG Tahoe Kush seedling was overpotted, though this can be overcome by the grower just giving a little bit of water at a time until the plant starts growing vigorously. At that point, the grower can provide more and more water until they’re finally watering
normally.
Seedlings are happy in a small container like a solo cup for
a while, but as they get bigger, their roots need more room. The roots tend to wrap around the outsides of the container, encasing the middle part so that water can't get out. This is known as the plant being "root bound."
If the seedling isn't transferred to a bigger container in time, it can cause symptoms of overwatering, nutrient deficiencies, wilting, and sometimes very strange and unpredictable
symptoms.
These plants were left in a too-small container for too long. Because they were drinking so fast, the grower watered them frequently - too frequently! This combination of being root bound and overwatering caused the plants to suffer.
A too small container, combined with
overwatering - these conditions can cause some strange symptoms that often look like a nutrient deficiency
Pink leaves, red discoloration, rusty spots and edges... While it make look like these cannabis seedlings are experiencing nutrient deficiencies, all these symptoms are actually caused by a combination of
overwatering plus a too-small pot.
When the roots aren't happy, the plant isn't able to uptake nutrients properly and cannabis seedlings can show a wide variety of strange problems.
It's usually not a good sign when cannabis leaves start "crossing their fingers" like this (instead of having all the leaf tips spread out). While this can happen naturally every once in a while, you know
for sure that you're having a problem if the crossed fingers are combined with discoloration of the leaves. Also notice how the stems are bright red/pink. The following cannabis plant was also overwatered and had no drainage. Notice how dark the soil is and the green algae growing all along the top of the soil - these are more signs the plant has been
overwatered for quite a while. You should never water your plant when the soil on top is still wet, and if you notice lots of algae growing on top of your soil, it may be a sign that you're overwatering on a regular basis. Leaving the top of the soil wet is also the number one reason growers get fungus gnats. No Drainage (or poor drainage) Cannabis roots need oxygen to thrive, and therefore they will have trouble if the roots are “drowned.” If water cannot run out the bottom of the container, it will pool at the roots, which causes overwatered plants.
How to fix: - Always start with a good growing medium that drains well - never use a clay based soil which holds onto way too much water. A high quality potting mix (especially mixed with some perlite) provides great drainage
- Start with a smaller container to reduce the chances of overwatering
seedlings
- Make sure there are plenty of drainage holes to let water out the bottom of the container
- If water runs through growing medium slowly, you can mix perlite into the potting mix to increase oxygen and quicken drainage
- Water less often and less at a time until plant is drinking more
- Get a container that helps the growing medium dry out from the sides (such as “Smart Pots” - highly recommended; or air pots).
- Don't allow plants to sit in a tray that has been collecting runoff water
This seedling started "damping off" (dying) due to terrible drainage from bad soil. Never use soil that looks like it contains clay!
Seedling is "damping off" due to bad soil with no drainage Here's another example of a seedling damping off due to too much water (drowning roots), whis time combined with not enough light. After a few days of these conditions, this seedling just fell over and
started dying. The following plant was grown in an unsuitable growing medium with no drainage and started showing signs of overwatering. Always start with a quality potting mix that has good drainage, and never allow the top of your growing medium to look this wet! This “soil” is more like mud. The plant roots are drowning from lack of oxygen, causing severe wilting. Watering too often
While oxygen is available to the roots immediately after watering, the roots use up all the oxygen quickly if they are sitting in
water. If all the oxygen is gone, roots are not able to get what they need to help power growth, at least not until the growing medium begins to dry out and create new air spaces in the growing medium.
Keep roots happy for fast-growing plants
Each air spot in the potting mix provides roots with precious oxygen, but if there’s no air spots, roots start to “drown.” By watering seedlings less often, growers can ensure that roots are getting
access to plenty of oxygen at all times.
Of course you should never allow roots to actually dry out - roots need moisture at all times. But for new growers who want to do everything possible for their new seedlings, it can seem like more water = better. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.
Roots work best when
they get as much oxygen as possible while also staying completely moist at all times.
How to Fix:
- Wait until top inch is dry. Make sure that the top bit of potting mix has started to dry before you water seedlings again. Sometimes it can take a few days,
depending on your growing medium, your environment and how much water you provided during the last watering.
- Increase the number of air pockets in the growing medium by mixing in a "lighter" amendment like perlite to the potting mix. Perlite will allow the mix to hold onto more oxygen when mixed with heavy soil. Many cannabis soil growers will mix 30-40% perlite
into their potting mix to make sure there's lots of drainage and plenty of air available for the roots.
- Provide air from the sides. Transplant to a container which allows air in from the sides like fabric pots (“Smart Pots” - highly recommended) or air
pots.
- Start in a smaller container until plant gets bigger so there’s less water in the potting mix that needs to dry. You’ll be able to water your plants more often while
ensuring they get plenty of oxygen.
- Water less when it's cold. Plant processes tend to slow down when temps get cooler. This means that plants usually need water less often than normal after a cold snap.
This plant went through a few cool days but the grower
continued to water as normal. As a result, the plants roots were surrounded by too much water and the plant started showing signs of overwatering. The plant was watered the right amount each time, but too often. As a result, it shows some slight drooping. While this won’t kill the plant, the plant will definitely grow faster when the mix is allowed
to dry out a bit so the roots are getting plenty of oxygen.
I have a seed-buying problem... |
Seriously...we need to stop buying seeds.
This collection is officially out of hand and there's no one to blame but ourselves*! |
|
[From our friend, Tika]
Good morning,
Thank you for a great sequence in Trophy Pics! I am delighted and totally gloating!!!!
This article [the Flowering Stretch] is - as always-"right on the money" as my Jock Horror ( first purchase from Nirvana) is doing the flowering
stretch seriously.
I hope someone makes you smile as big as I am smiling today
VBG,
Tika
|
Trophy Pictures of the Week |
"Hello, Just wanting some advice on how I'm going as I'm a first time grower. Any tips or things I should do to grow better :) Cheers"
-Daniel
"Tips? Keep doing what you're doing! Happy plants can't be wrong!"
-Sirius |
We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
Medical cannabis is important to me personally, and I'm dedicated to showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of
cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. |
|
Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
|
|
GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they
accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning
strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs. Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades
and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry. In our complete seed sources list you'll discover... - Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur, High-CBD & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
Get Seeds!
|
Copyright (c) 2015 GrowWeedEasy.com NOTE: If links aren't working or if pictures are not showing up properly, please view the full newsletter here: http://archive.aweber.com/gwe-updates
Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know
and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission.
Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or
worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular
investment or legal situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized
Health Care or Medical Advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Adviser. How Did I Sign Up For This Newsletter?
Our records indicate that requested to be added to the GrowWeedEasy.com weekly newsletter at .
Date:
To unsubscribe: |
|
