Chewberto's Secret Garden....

Bubbagineer

Bubbagineer

Well-Known Member
chewberto said:
I can't wait to get them. I take it you don't re use them? So an extra expenditure? I don't mind! I assume the root system benefits mainly from air permeating through the fabric, Could aerating the water prior to feeding and watering help oxygenate the root zone as well to equate, Any thoughts or experience? I tried aerating with a pump a while back but I noticed a ph change afterward, I was thinking of trying it again! Maybe it was my pen!
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Supposedly they are reusable for a few grows... I use a small pump in my reservoir to keep the water stirred, it is my belief this adds O2 to the water, but I have not tested this.
 
eyecandi

eyecandi

Well-Known Member
chewberto said:
I can't wait to get them. I take it you don't re use them? So an extra expenditure? I don't mind! I assume the root system benefits mainly from air permeating through the fabric, Could aerating the water prior to feeding and watering help oxygenate the root zone as well to equate, Any thoughts or experience? I tried aerating with a pump a while back but I noticed a ph change afterward, I was thinking of trying it again! Maybe it was my pen!
Click to expand...
my wife sewed up our original batch of @120 pots, using pond liner fabric (geo fabric for the engineers out there) that we bought in a roll at home depot. (it was cheaper to go this route than to buy em for the warehouse - worked out to @ 2-3$ per pot). we re-use ours (haven't bought a new one in @3yrs) by washing them 2x - 1st run in a 20% bleach solution, then a 2nd wash in clean H20. this kills any badies that might hang out and gives me a sterile start each time. You are correct on the other front - roots love oxygen and the fabric provides an ideal air exchange zone. the real meat of the deal though, is that when a root hits the sidewall in a plastic pot, it spirals around and around and doesn't create much sidebranching; in a fabric pot, the root grows into the fabric and when it hits the air it gets 'pruned' automatically and the back 3-5" of that root will now explode in extra side branches, filling the pot with explosive rootgrowth - bigger roots = bigger up top - better air exchange = better processing of nutes and exchange of gases at the rootzone. you can also use a smaller fabric pot vs a plastic and get the same or better yield (eg: a 3gal airpot yields like a 5+gal) If you make no other changes than switching to fabric pots, I'll guarantee an increase in yield of a min 20% - this alone makes the initial investment more then worth it

aerating the water prior to watering a fabric pot doesn't really do much for the plant, as it already has heavy access to oxygen
 
TruenoAE86coupe

TruenoAE86coupe

Moderator
I am still using some of those original set of homemade pots too. Even smartpots which are the lowest quality of soft pots in my mind, still last forever. I have tossed more plastic pots because i stepped on them and broke them (not with plants in them of course).
Plus last night when i took a tumble in to the plants, the soft pots didn't hurt me!!! LoL.
 
chewberto

chewberto

Well-Known Member
TruenoAE86coupe said:
I am still using some of those original set of homemade pots too. Even smartpots which are the lowest quality of soft pots in my mind, still last forever. I have tossed more plastic pots because i stepped on them and broke them (not with plants in them of course).
Plus last night when i took a tumble in to the plants, the soft pots didn't hurt me!!! LoL.
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I dread the day i fall into my plants! massacre from 6,5 300lbs!
 
chewberto

chewberto

Well-Known Member
Beautiful explanation and suggestions! 'air pruning" i was unaware of that benefit, this is splendid! I think 7 gallon smartpots from 10gal plastic is where i am headed! Thanks buddy!
eyecandi said:
my wife sewed up our original batch of @120 pots, using pond liner fabric (geo fabric for the engineers out there) that we bought in a roll at home depot. (it was cheaper to go this route than to buy em for the warehouse - worked out to @ 2-3$ per pot). we re-use ours (haven't bought a new one in @3yrs) by washing them 2x - 1st run in a 20% bleach solution, then a 2nd wash in clean H20. this kills any badies that might hang out and gives me a sterile start each time. You are correct on the other front - roots love oxygen and the fabric provides an ideal air exchange zone. the real meat of the deal though, is that when a root hits the sidewall in a plastic pot, it spirals around and around and doesn't create much sidebranching; in a fabric pot, the root grows into the fabric and when it hits the air it gets 'pruned' automatically and the back 3-5" of that root will now explode in extra side branches, filling the pot with explosive rootgrowth - bigger roots = bigger up top - better air exchange = better processing of nutes and exchange of gases at the rootzone. you can also use a smaller fabric pot vs a plastic and get the same or better yield (eg: a 3gal airpot yields like a 5+gal) If you make no other changes than switching to fabric pots, I'll guarantee an increase in yield of a min 20% - this alone makes the initial investment more then worth it

aerating the water prior to watering a fabric pot doesn't really do much for the plant, as it already has heavy access to oxygen
Click to expand...
 
TruenoAE86coupe

TruenoAE86coupe

Moderator
Luckily i am a little guy, 6' 160 lbs, managed to fall backwards into 3 plants, and only broke 1 branch. Hell at your size i wouldn't even fit in my room right now. Last time i grow fuckin trees though i tell you that, its a headache compared to smaller 3-4 foot plants.
 
chewberto

chewberto

Well-Known Member
TruenoAE86coupe said:
Luckily i am a little guy, 6' 160 lbs, managed to fall backwards into 3 plants, and only broke 1 branch. Hell at your size i wouldn't even fit in my room right now. Last time i grow fuckin trees though i tell you that, its a headache compared to smaller 3-4 foot plants.
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I am starting to think the same thing, I want to maximize my yields, but don't want monster 7 footers anymore! I am Thinking scrog but how can I do a perpetual with Scrog in a single bloom room? That's my problem!
 
eyecandi

eyecandi

Well-Known Member
i do 3gal and 5gal fabric pots (sometimes, I'll veg heavily in the 3gal and then place that pot buried 1/2 way into a 5gal right before or at flowering - this way it has a new area for root growth with 1/2 still above ground for fast growth/exchange as the bottom 1/2 catches up) with finishing @30-45" and yields between 2-5oz each (environment, strain and technique dependent) in a perpetual cycle (one going in every 2-3 weeks is optimal for my space @2.5'x6', but doesn't really work out that way it seems, lol)
 
chewberto

chewberto

Well-Known Member
eyecandi said:
i do 3gal and 5gal fabric pots (sometimes, I'll veg heavily in the 3gal and then place that pot buried 1/2 way into a 5gal right before or at flowering - this way it has a new area for root growth with 1/2 still above ground for fast growth/exchange as the bottom 1/2 catches up) with finishing @30-45" and yields between 2-5oz each (environment, strain and technique dependent) in a perpetual cycle (one going in every 2-3 weeks is optimal for my space @2.5'x6', but doesn't really work out that way it seems, lol)
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I generally germ in a rapid rooter then into a 6 inch pot then into the 10 gal! It seemed about 7 days in the rooter, 14 days in the 6 inch pots, then 2-3 weeks veg in the 10 gal! 5-6 weeks from seed! Then into flower! Usually depending upon strain 48-72" at harvest! How are they for transplant? Is it hard to separate from the pot? Should I just finish in smart pots?
 
TruenoAE86coupe

TruenoAE86coupe

Moderator
chewberto said:
I generally germ in a rapid rooter then into a 6 inch pot then into the 10 gal! It seemed about 7 days in the rooter, 14 days in the 6 inch pots, then 2-3 weeks veg in the 10 gal! 5-6 weeks from seed! Then into flower! Usually depending upon strain 48-72" at harvest! How are they for transplant? Is it hard to separate from the pot? Should I just finish in smart pots?
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Yeah that is the one downfall, it is very tough to remove the plants from the soft pots. Rolling it off like a sock works best. But that short of time its probably worth just finishing in the smart pots.
 
chewberto

chewberto

Well-Known Member
Something to look at! Lavender getting her first harvest trim! I will Dry these girls up a bit and final trim before jarring(my fave time)lavender and blu cheese
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We have my DNA/Reserva Privada Kush cycle (sour, kandy, cannalope) left to right... a few weeks into flower with nice buds forming, I will take pics when they get more exciting! But here is the structure shots!

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Plus new room set up shot! Threw the co2 on, and now I'm without anything in veg :( FIreHouse is gonna make an appearance in the next round! Enjoy!
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eyecandi

eyecandi

Well-Known Member
i use plastic up to the 1/2gal because it can be a PITA .... but i'm looking at a new design for 1/2 and 1gal smarties that eliminates the transplant issue - instead of a sewn edge, it overlaps 1/2 way around the pot so you just open er up and transplant
 
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