Helping hand: Small, low maintenance moms. How would you do it?

I am in need of guidance and I am looking towards you, my RIU brethren and sistren for some sage advice.

Below are some pretty specific goals in mind and I don't know if they are realistic.

1) Small foot print
2) small plants - little bonsais
3) Small containers
4) use cfl for lights
5) Slow growing - need to determine minimal nutes to facilitate slow groth. (I won't need frequent cuts as I only grow my personal meds)
6) determine minimal light schedule - this is also to help with slow growth

Basically I want to establish a very small, slow growing, mother room. One that will grow slower than normal and need less waterings and feelings as a result of the slow growth, short light on hours. I do not need to produce frequent cuts.

can anyone help a guy out?

thanks in advance!

Google "All about bonsai Moms/Mums"

It is very doable. You can get tons of cuts every 20 day from a shop light. Look up gas lantern routine as well.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It [/FONT]

just remember lower 'lumens'=slower growth---short fat bushy

--biggest mistake ive seen lots doing around here.....vegging w 1000s lol

slumdogg-millionaire is right ....google is ur friend

heres a couple good ones....theres many more- GL!


http://endo.tv/3259/growing-marijuana-indoors-video/how-to-make-bonsai-marijuana-plants


http://www.dailysmoker.com/quick-fruit-ac-genetics-bonsai-plant-small-pot


smart format for moms if you have limited space--i knew someone kept a purple haze mom in a closet grow for over 20yrs!
(he commited suicide many years ago because of his eX)


EDIT: ...use LEDs if you can afford them....or build sum

Big containers that hold lots of soil will retain more water and reduce the frequency which you need to water. Lower lumens will make the plants require less water too as Buckaroo said. Constant pruning will help slow the growth as well, less leaves = less photosynthesis = less food for the plants to grow.

But keep in mind, cutting from a slow growing mother will root slower than cuttings from a mother with vigorous growth.

No slumdog millionaire, just slumdog here Buck. (before he won the game show)

I used to use a 600 per 2/4 moms and feel like an idiot now.
Such a waste of energy. I am vegging with a 1k and a 6ft
light rail right now and loving it.

Take an extra clone every time you take cuts and use one of them for your mother plant. Take cuts from that mom for your next round, and discard the mom (use it to juice with) once your new set of cuts have rooted. That way you'll have a small mom each round to work with, and it will grow out adequately while your other plants are flowering, then take cuts from her when ready. Rinse, repeat.

There is no drop in potency or vigor from successive generations of cuts like some people suggest. I would think this would be the best way to keep a small mother plant around, and not intentionally stress it with small containers, tons of pruning, under/over-watering, etc to try and stunt the growth of your mother plant ..... which could result in unhealthy clones.

I use a wall of T11's, old school fat 4 foots type, at 6500k. Very low lumens and heat with a rather large foot print.

i've been keeping small mommies for a while now. i keep them in a 2.5 gallon pot and lst them so they are about 2ft x 2ft bushes. gets about 20-30 nodes to cut every couple weeks. i feel the lst is key for small moms.

st0wandgrow said:

Take an extra clone every time you take cuts and use one of them for your mother plant. Take cuts from that mom for your next round, and discard the mom (use it to juice with) once your new set of cuts have rooted. That way you'll have a small mom each round to work with, and it will grow out adequately while your other plants are flowering, then take cuts from her when ready. Rinse, repeat.

There is no drop in potency or vigor from successive generations of cuts like some people suggest. I would think this would be the best way to keep a small mother plant around, and not intentionally stress it with small containers, tons of pruning, under/over-watering, etc to try and stunt the growth of your mother plant ..... which could result in unhealthy clones.

Click to expand...

This is what I do, I've kept the same AK-47 pheno around for about 6 years so far by doing this.

slumdog80 said:

Google "All about bonsai Moms/Mums"

It is very doable. You can get tons of cuts every 20 day from a shop light. Look up gas lantern routine as well.

It

Click to expand...

thats exactly what I was envisioning, thanks man!

buckaroo bonzai said:

just remember lower 'lumens'=slower growth---short fat bushy

--biggest mistake ive seen lots doing around here.....vegging w 1000s lol

slumdogg-millionaire is right ....google is ur friend

heres a couple good ones....theres many more- GL!


http://endo.tv/3259/growing-marijuana-indoors-video/how-to-make-bonsai-marijuana-plants


http://www.dailysmoker.com/quick-fruit-ac-genetics-bonsai-plant-small-pot


smart format for moms if you have limited space--i knew someone kept a purple haze mom in a closet grow for over 20yrs!
(he commited suicide many years ago because of his eX)


EDIT: ...use LEDs if you can afford them....or build sum

Click to expand...

Hey Bb,

i dig the air pruning concept and have some 1 gal similar pots to consider.

I need to do some led research as I have an industrial strip laying around that I've been looking to put to use.

thanks

Huel Perkins said:

Big containers that hold lots of soil will retain more water and reduce the frequency which you need to water. Lower lumens will make the plants require less water too as Buckaroo said. Constant pruning will help slow the growth as well, less leaves = less photosynthesis = less food for the plants to grow.

But keep in mind, cutting from a slow growing mother will root slower than cuttings from a mother with vigorous growth.

Click to expand...

Huel,

Thanks man.... Guess I will have to determine the sweet spot of small containers and watering needs

i wont be in too much of a hurry to root so that won't be a big deal for me

st0wandgrow said:

Take an extra clone every time you take cuts and use one of them for your mother plant. Take cuts from that mom for your next round, and discard the mom (use it to juice with) once your new set of cuts have rooted. That way you'll have a small mom each round to work with, and it will grow out adequately while your other plants are flowering, then take cuts from her when ready. Rinse, repeat.

There is no drop in potency or vigor from successive generations of cuts like some people suggest. I would think this would be the best way to keep a small mother plant around, and not intentionally stress it with small containers, tons of pruning, under/over-watering, etc to try and stunt the growth of your mother plant ..... which could result in unhealthy clones.

Click to expand...

hey stow,

That could work but I would have to frequently clip the current mother to keep her size in check. I want small moms up until I decide to either pull a cut to flower or flip to flower and then pull a cut to save like you're saying.

TheMan13 said:

I use a wall of T11's, old school fat 4 foots type, at 6500k. Very low lumens and heat with a rather large foot print.

Click to expand...

sounds just right

Im thinking a combo of what slum shared and some of this with some of what I currently have in stock of cfl's may be my route

slumdog80 said:

Look up gas lantern routine as well.

It

Click to expand...

f00k
homeless was just telling me about this a couple weeks ago and I totally spaced

thanks man

I take cuts from clones as long as you have a healthy environment this shouldn't be a problem. You can also keep a plant fairly small just by keeping it in a small container I have kept clones in party cups for months before when I needed too < I don't necessarily suggest it, something slightly bigger like a one gallon is better but that is plenty to keep a small mom that you only need to take a few cuts every once in awhile.

Huel Perkins said:

This is what I do, I've kept the same AK-47 pheno around for about 6 years so far by doing this.

Click to expand...

Badass pheno too!

NickNasty said:

something slightly bigger like a one gallon is better but that is plenty to keep a small mom that you only need to take a few cuts every once in awhile.

Click to expand...

mr Nasty: thanks man and 1 gallon air pots is just what I was hoping to use!

I've used party cups for up to a 1-1.5 feet before

sugerdaddy11 said:

I've used party cups for up to a 1-1.5 feet before

Click to expand...

The only problem with party cups is that they require daily watering and when the plants get big enough to suck the cups dry in a day the fan blows them over from being top heavy once a day when they need water. I speak from experience lol...