Tahoe's doing it - stepping up to the plate....we're ready.....

well....here we are....and checking back these are day 6 not the ones before (they would have been day 4)....still looking healthy and happy....and seem to be picking up speed .... but then I am the king of wishful thinking too so.....

Nice looking babies you got there, they are very vibrant green eh? Keep on growin,

Very very nice there tahoe. They look vibrant and beautiful. Plus I like they way they are starting low. Mine got stretched. I knida forgot about them.
I like your new avatar.

thanks Chiceh...they will be taken care of with all the tender loving care I can muster..... ok whatever....I'm gonna water them, give them light, and protect them from muggers!

Chiceh said:

Nice looking babies you got there, they are very vibrant green eh? Keep on growin,

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hey lacy...yes I am quite pleased with this aspect to say the least....i want them to be very short and bushy...and I seem to be getting my wish on this one.....so far.....hehehehe....this is going to be VERY nerve wracking! especially with no smoke to chill with! that's the "cavallino rampante".....will be in my garage before the end of 2008!....

Lacy said:

Very very nice there tahoe. They look vibrant and beautiful. Plus I like they way they are starting low. Mine got stretched. I knida forgot about them.
I like your new avatar.

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Looking good Tahoe.

Me thinks the rocks work.

has anyone ever thought that black attracts rather than absorbs it. Yes im very stoned (unless your a cop reading this) but i dunno, something to ponder. In this case, covering up the black would deter light? im 100% positive im wrong, but i wouldnt mind doing an experiment to see if there are any noticable differences. again, very stoned

granitestate said:

has anyone ever thought that black attracts rather than absorbs it. Yes im very stoned (unless your a cop reading this) but i dunno, something to ponder. In this case, covering up the black would deter light? im 100% positive im wrong, but i wouldnt mind doing an experiment to see if there are any noticable differences. again, very stoned

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Only thing that can attract light is a black hole.

Colors don't really absorb light_rather, some reflect light better than others.

The darker the color the more heat it will absorb. Just touch the hood of a dark car versus the hood of a light car. The amount of available sunlight is the same but the temperatures are substantially different.

true, like i said tho, very stoned haha

I was in another thread and got carried away....we had been talking about how to prevent stretching....etc. and the topic turned to nutes and timing and stuff.....so here is what I said there.....

well....I need to come clean....I put them under the lights like right away as sprouts....then I started feeding them right away too.....I test the moisture...and I am watering every 2-3 day.....but from the bottom up....the soil wicks the water up from the trays below the pots. I expect that I have got things a little mixed up here....on the otherhand...the plants seem to be doing very well? the plants are 7 days old today, are barely 2" tall and working on their third node...virtually no space between them?

Clear your conscious

Free your mind

thks man....yes...that is totally what I should do....chill.....

Okay.... I've had a few minutes to think about wicking the water up versus letting it filter down.

If we agree the object of the exercise is to fill the available space with a vibrant root system then, I am of the opinion that allowing the water to filter down thru the medium promotes a better root system. My reasoning is that the water, will_if applied properly_a more even spread of the moisture throughout the medium, which will result in roots everywhere, with a concentration of them_nowhere.

If, on the other hand, we rely on the hydrophilic_technical word for wicking of moisture_this requires a supply (pool) of water and, IMHO, offers the best opportunity to incur root rot. Also, since the water has to travel up, there is less chance the upper regions of the medium will achieve proper moisture levels.

All this being said. If you are achieving acceptable results - forget the above.

Phew....see what happens when I take a bong hit.

hahahaha...thanks Grandfather....interesting analysis. and I expect also has some technical verification potential. The main reason why I did it that way was because I felt uncomfortable with splashing water on the surface, in what appeared to me to create an really uneven watering result.....but I am still thinking about ur root rot scenario.....what I need to find is a little appropriately sized small watering can that allows for a more even watering....so far, the "wicking" seems to result in a very even moisture level at surface and say....3-4" down, as tested with my finger.....guess we'll see. thanks again!!

hey Grandfather....and I had another thought....I working at 25-35% humidity....so I expect that might have something to do with the amount of water I'm using too as I expect there is a reasonable amount going into the air as well.....just another thought....you got me all worred out the root rot thing now....hehehehe...I know I know....free my mind....free my mind.....

Ok... Did some research and have definitive answer. Start to water from the top. Give the plants 'sips'_don't waterboard them....roflamo

Here is the quote from the reference: Marijuana must have a well-drained medium for healthy growth. Soilz that ld too much water or hold it unevenly can drown the roots, leading to poor growth or death of the plant. It prefers a medium that is high in nitrogen, and mid-range in phosphorus and potassium
totse.com | The Marijuana Grower's Guide - the last paragraph under Part II

I use a turkey baster to control the flow, direction and amount of water. I make my water & nutes in old 1 gal milk containers. I have a few old gatorade bottles. When I'm ready to water, I transfer to the gatorade bottles and then work the bulb of the baster a few times to produce air bubbles in the water. Seems to work well for me.

*Of course, this is my opinion, and I'm probably wrong.

a turkey baster....that's right....I had heard that before and had forgotten...excellent choice....thanks for the background....cheers!

Ya know, one of the beauties of doing research is what I call the "Tang Effect". Remember Tang? The 'Tang Effect' is any kewl spin off technology which results from the pursuit of another technology.

In the case of Tang, America_when it was a great place_was trying to put a man on the moon ~ 'primary pursuit'. Tang_a breakfast food and probably the first energy drink_came about as a spin off of that effort.

Therefore the 'Tang Effect'.

I digress, if you read Part II, there are some very big statements there vs. conventional thinking_which I hate, how last century_on roots. The one that really piqued my interest is "in its natural state, marijuana may grow an extensive root system. In dry areas, the tap root can grow more than six feet deep in its seafch for water. In moist areas with fertile soil (such as in potting mixtures), the lateral root remains small, often only three or four inches long on a seven-foot-tall mature plant. The purpose of the growing medium is to provide adequate water and nutrients in addition to anchoring the roots, which hold the plant upright. By watering and fertilizing as needed, you could grow a six-foot plant in a four-inch pot" WHAT!

Yikes, I just bought a bunch of clay pots yesterday. grrrr

More research needed on this. LOL

I know I put up some pics yesterday but they are just so darn purdy......at least I think so...hehehehe...these are now 7 days from sprouting.....

thanks man. take a look at the Root Development vs Plant Growth and the newer Root Development V Plant Growth (seed version) ....these are GR8

In a way...my thought with the bottom watering was that this would naturally limit the growth development to only the area where it receives sufficient moisture from - it has no need to go further because it is already receiveing enough moisture. As long as the majority of the growth medium remains appropriately moist and continues to support the roots and therefore the stem/plant, then the potential for problems should dimisnish. And to be clear, there is NEVER standing water in the bottom try for any period of time more than a couple of hours, the water is wicked up into the pot quite actively.
Oh well. this continues to be a good point of debate for me for now.

Your Grandfather said:

I digress, if you read Part II, there are some very big statements there vs. conventional thinking_which I hate, how last century_on roots. The one that really piqued my interest is "in its natural state, marijuana may grow an extensive root system. In dry areas, the tap root can grow more than six feet deep in its seafch for water. In moist areas with fertile soil (such as in potting mixtures), the lateral root remains small, often only three or four inches long on a seven-foot-tall mature plant. The purpose of the growing medium is to provide adequate water and nutrients in addition to anchoring the roots, which hold the plant upright. By watering and fertilizing as needed, you could grow a six-foot plant in a four-inch pot" WHAT!

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