Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #340 - Sunday, October 21, 2018
Dear Fellow
Grower,
In today's issue... - How important are the roots of your plant? They're super important, all-important! But they're just too humble to brag about it...
- We just finished off a gargantuan 1.1lb,
5-strain grow in a relatively small tent. Find out which strain we think is the best of the lot!
- Two growers have graced us with their presence this week. One grower is showing some love from South Africa, and the other is someone who woke up one day and decided "let's grow some weed".
- We're helping out a grower with a plant in peril. We'll give some tips to save a plant that looks like it's lived a hard-knock life.
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com) "All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost."
~J. R. R. Tolkien
Roots: The Most Important
Part of Your Plant! by Sirius Fourside |
We all know that buds grow on the top side of a cannabis plant. That’s enough reason for many of us to think that the top part of the plant is ‘the important part’.
But the roots of your plant are the real workforce behind
your plant’s success. They might not be directly responsible for growing buds, but they are responsible for many processes that allow bud growth to happen!
If the buds of a cannabis plant are movie stars (let’s be honest, buds are the star of the show), then the roots of your cannabis plant would be all the hard working people behind the scenes who do the editing, cinematography, sound, effects, etc. In fact, a plant with a healthy root
system can lose its leaves and still recover to an extent. But a plant with a healthy leaf system has no chance if it loses its roots.
Here’s what healthy roots look like without soil/coco coir on them – cream colored or white, with no brown or sliminess
(Click the picture below to see an animated version [3Mb .gif])
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Today we’re going to show you how to protect your plant’s lovely roots, and your plant will pay you back in sticky home-grown bud!
Note: This is a simplified version of how a
plant’s roots work; they actually do some crazy stuff!
What Roots Do for Your Cannabis Plant
Roots are the base of your plant's wicking system
In a cannabis plant, the path from a root-to-leaf is much like a straw. Water is transpired from leaves which creates suction and this helps pull water through the
roots, up through the stem and back into leaves. This is a super efficient, low-energy way for plants to get moisture without having to take in as much water through its leaves. However, as plants get larger, their demands for water become more than the leaves can handle by themselves. Additionally, your plants will need water to form their first leaves, and that water comes from the plants first root.
Roots Are Needed to Uptake Nutrients
The roots of a cannabis plant are the main site where nutrient uptake occurs. This means that your roots are the gatekeeper for the nutrients your plant gets, and the health of your roots determines how much (if any) of your nutrients are being used.
The leaves of a cannabis plant can also take in nutrients; growers
can do this through a method called ‘foliar feeding’, where a nutrient solution is applied directly to the leaves.
The Roots Are the Most Important Part of Your Cannabis Plant What is a ‘vital organ’? It’s an organ that’s absolutely necessary in order for life to continue for the organism it belongs to. To a cannabis plant, the roots are its vital ‘organ’.
When a cannabis plant isn’t getting enough nutrients, it’s leaves/stems get damaged but the roots are left alone. When a plant gets too much nutrients, the leaves get nutrient burn but the roots are left alone. When a cannabis plant gets overwatered…you guessed it, the leaves/stems are what suffer.
In essence, the leaves of
a cannabis plant are used as the first line of defense against less-than-perfect conditions. The leaves can also act like backup systems for a few of the functions roots perform, such as nutrient/water uptake. But since cannabis plants already have a primary method of water/nutrient delivery (that has better protection by being underground), the leaves become expendable in hard times.
How to Protect Your Roots:
Most problems that people encounter with the roots of their cannabis plant can be boiled down to one of only a handful of causes. These include:
Rootbound (Not Enough Space for Roots to
Grow)
The size of a plant is determined in part by the amount of space the roots have to grow. Once the roots run out of space – known as being ‘rootbound’ – the growth of the plant will grind to a halt unless conditions change. Although this won’t necessarily degrade the health of the roots directly, the rest of the plant will directly suffer in the form of stunted growth.
What You Can Do: Make sure you’re planning to use an appropriately sized pot for your grow. I know that’s harder than it sounds, but luckily we’ve got all the info you need right here! Also, remember that while your plant is in the vegetative stage, you have
the option to replant it in a different container if necessary.
Overwatering or Underwatering (Too Much or Not Enough Water)
Overwatering is the term used to describe when there isn’t enough oxygen at the roots of a plant. This pretty much only happens when there is an excess of water in the medium (not counting DWC), so we call it overwatering. That being said, plants grown in
DWC can also show signs of being overwatered if there isn’t enough oxygen in the reservoir water.
Underwatering is exactly what it sounds like. If a plant isn’t getting enough water it starts to suffer in a way that looks just like overwatering. In both cases, the plant will droop which can make it confusing for those who aren’t familiar with the problem. Thinking back to your recent history with plant can help. If you watered right before
the problem started and the soil still feels wet to the touch while the plant is drooping, it was likely overwatered. If you haven’t watered in 2+ days, it’s probably underwatered.
pH (Acidity or
Alkalinity)
The pH of the medium (soil/coco coir/water) your roots are resting in determines what nutrients they can uptake at that time. For example: if you’re growing hydroponically and the pH of your medium is 5.0, your plant will be unable to uptake calcium even if your nutrient water has a lot of it.
The range of pH in which nutrients become available is pretty small; only a 1.0
variance for the entire acceptable range if you want to get the essential minerals. In soil, this range is 6.0 – 7.0, while in hydroponics it’s 5.5 – 6.5. That being said, it’s still best to avoid getting close to the minimum or maximum for either of those two ranges. The charts below illustrate the pH needed for specific nutrients to become available. What You Can Do: If you’re using properly amended soil, you’re most likely good to go. Lucky! Everyone else should make a point to check the pH of their root zone often to
ensure proper nutrient uptake. Bad pH equates to bad nutrient uptake which equates to damaged-looking leaves and plants. Root Rot (Pythium)
Although Root Rot is a larger problem for hydroponic growers (such as those doing DWC), it can affect any grow where the roots are sitting in stagnating water. That includes the saucers some growers use underneath those old-style pots. This
is far less likely to happen in outdoor grows in soil since water can go further underground. Root Rot is especially dangerous because it kills the roots first. In some cases, a cannabis plant can look totally fine until the roots have been totally demolished. Luckily, Root Rot has a tell-tale smell that is absolutely awful. Checking
for this smell only takes a second, and it can help you ensure you won’t get surprised by a plant that’s suddenly dying! Of course, this check should be paired with preventive measures (i.e., beneficial organisms) so you’re not just waiting for a problem to show up.
What You Can Do: A proper watering regimen (How Often to Water?) will prevent most root rot issues. It’s also a good idea to add beneficial organisms to your root zone. This way, if pythium does show up, it will quickly be outcompeted by the resident organisms. I suggest Hydroguard as such a product, but Subculture and Great White have also personally given me good results.
Fungus Gnats Of all the pests that can infest a cannabis plant, the Fungus Gnat isn’t the worst. However, they’re uniquely annoying in that they infest your medium and directly attack the roots of your plant. A fungus gnat infestation is actually a sign
of a different problem: overwatered topsoil!
Fungus Gnats need a wet environment to be able to successfully reproduce. Although there are products like diatomaceous earth that directly attack the gnats, and gravel to block them from the surface, making sure to not overwater the medium will make it so they don’t even get the chance. Of course, an especially cautious grower could combine methods for an even more effective means of getting rid
of this pest!
What You Can Do: I hate to say it again, but this is another problem that doesn’t exist unless you overwater. Fungus Gnats need water to procreate, and a semi-dry medium spells their doom. That being said, adding diatomaceous earth as additional protection is completely safe and won’t even let them land to try living with your plants!
DinaFem Sour Diesel Auto - It's Freaking Great!
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Reserva Privadas Sour Diesel is easily my favorite photoperiod strain to grow and smoke.
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"This is the very best website bar none. I come here all the time for info. magic site thank you 😊😊😊"
~Terry
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Trophy Pictures of the Week! |
"All the way from South Africa 🇿🇦 🌿" -Kivi |
"This was my first time growing weed and it's been a blast. It finished 6 feet tall with plenty of bud sites. Christmas in October my buddies said when showed them my prize.
I had a container of seeds I saved when I was in college and as an adult with no kids or a wife, I said fuck it let's grow some weed.
Satisfied with my unidentified strain of weed. Next time I'm ordering strains."
-Mich
Ric
What's Wrong With My Plant? |
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"How can I can fix this" ~Rubert
I won't lie, I see a bunch of problems here. But I think you can make two changes and see a big difference in your plant! - Make sure you have your plant on a 12/12 light schedule and avoid light leaks. That should fix the re-vegging you see on top of the colas.
- Make sure you're feeding the right amount of nutrients and pH'ing the water. That will stop the burn (though it won't fix it) and you should stop seeing deficiencies on the leaves.
Good luck! ~Sirius
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Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
I'll be honest with you, when I first started growing, I struggled. Now, it is my
mission to make it easier for new growers to get started as well as help advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. We are updating and adding articles every single week and our goal is to eventually build a comprehensive growing resource so anyone and everyone can grow if they want to! If we all share the knowledge there's more buds in the world for everyone :) |
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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 can be 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!"
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