Should I repot these little green beings!!

[Hemp-o Kitty]

Ok! No more tears....here comes a smile that is not going to stay for too long on my face if my plants don't get better!!!
This is my first grow and what you see in the pictures are my first plants....never had any plants flowering (I whish I had!!)....
About water....I water them every 2 days when I can see the soil is dry and usually I put a good amount of water but not always comes out the holes at the bottom of the pot....am I putting to little or to much? Should the soil be always humid? Should i go back to water them every day?
I'm going to water them now and I'll post a picture to show how much water i put.

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

here is the picture. I put the water that you can see in the glass (200 ml) every 2 days in each pot. Should I put more? Or everyday?

 

[KADE]

It really depends on how dry the soil is... if you stick your finger in the soil and it isn't damp to touch... then it needs to be watered.

 

[Stoney Bud]

Hey Kitty, I always try to get people to get used to using the weight method of watering.

Let your plants go until they show the very first signs of droop from lack of water. This won't stress them. Plants do this in nature all the time.

When they are nice and dry like that, carefully lift the pot just enough to feel the weight of the entire container. It should feel light.

Then, water slowly, about half as much as you show in your picture at a time, waiting a minute between adding, until you see a return from the bottom of the pot. Not much, just a little coming from the bottom holes.

Let that set for about an hour.

Then, gently lift the pot again and feel the weight of it while full of water.

Lift the containers each day and "weigh" them in your hands. When the pot feels like it's getting nice and light, but not quite as light as when drooping, add water just like I described above.

I know people who buy cheap bathroom scales to set their plants on for this very reason. Even if you set only one plant on a scale, you'll start getting a "feel" for when watering is due.

More plants die from over and under watering then for any other reason.

The next time you're at Wally World, snatch up an inexpensive bathroom scale and set one of your plants on it for the rest of it's life. Note the weight each day and watch it go up and down like clockwork.

Make sure you have a catch basin of some kind under the pot so you don't ruin the scale. I use the cheap plastic ones from Wally World that cost about $1.50 .

The "fingering" method that Kade describes, can sometimes cause problems with inexperienced growers. If the soil mix is denser at the bottom of the pot, sometimes the bottom 4 inches or so will stay soggy while the top is good and dry. I've seen this cause root rot on more than one grow. The water will be depleted from the top down, and the plants roots will grow denser from the bottom up for this reason. Nature has built this in for the plants to be able to search out water in a more efficient way. If the bottom remains wet most of the time, the plant is much more likely to develop root problems and/or pest problems.

That's the entire reason I suggest that everyone get used to the "weight" method of determining when their plants should be watered.

Experienced growers are so used to the wet/dry cycle, that we sometimes forget how alien it is to a new grower. We also tend to make better soil mixes from experience.

You'll be experienced soon. A few crops and you'll be growing with your eyes closed!

Good luck to you Kitty!

 

[Shibumi]

Judging from the size of your pots, I'd say you're overwatering. Let it go 3 or 4 days and see how the soil is. Get your finger deeper into the soil by sticking it down the side of the pot to avoid the root growth or purchase a moisture meter. They work excellent to get to the bottom of the pot where you probably have an abundance of water. I would also suggest getting some holes on the bottom side of your pots to help in lower aeration. Drainage holes on the bottom are great but do not allow air to pass thru.

Too damp all the time is not good. You'll start to get mold and algae growth on the top layer of soil and you'll eventually drown and rot your roots. Just because the top looks dry does not mean the whole pot is dried out. Roots have a way of traveling to reach the water and you should let it do so.

Your babies look great. Don't succumb to being impatient and play too much with them. They actually do much better with less care, provided the lesser care is done correctly. Over the past 11 days your babies have shown excellent growth. Keep up the good work. You'll be enjoying soon enough.

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

I was doing as you guys, K and S, said but in this way you wouldn't notice if the bottom is wet as SB said.

If the soil mix is denser at the bottom of the pot, sometimes the bottom 4 inches or so will stay soggy while the top is good and dry. I've seen this cause root rot on more than one grow......... If the bottom remains wet most of the time, the plant is much more likely to develop root problems and/or pest problems....

Some transparent pots would be the best but I've never seen any around ....the scale method is interesting (I'm curious now!....) but as you said, SB, I think it can be quite tricky for first timers! But not impossible!! So I might try that...

I also don't play with them a lot. I just look at them once a day, back from work, and check if they are ok and growing. I look at every small little leave that is growing and I move up the lights if they are reaching them and that's it. Before building the set up, it was a continuos moving them around. Now there is no need really...just when I water them.
I'll put less water and I hope those yellow points will stop yellowing!!

 

[Stoney Bud]

Some transparent pots would be the best but I've never seen any around ....

Light and roots don't go well together. Light hitting the wet nutrients would make instant algae, which would eat the nutrients that are for the plants. That's why you'll never find a clear plant container...

 

[Tonto]

H-o-K, kee in mind that your plants are not that bad off! They actually look quite good. The only thing I have to contribute to what the other guys have said about watering is to not take it to far the other way, and under water. I see that you have a good amount of the 'white' soil. While is does a good job helping with moisture retention in certain amounts, I have seen it also be conducive to drying out quickly. So much in fact that a friend of mine had a plant in a 6 gallon container, and the plants would begin wilting about 40 hours after a watering!

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

SB you always amaze me....is there anything you don't know?? I'm eager for knowledge.....Fed me of it and I'll be happy to be fat!!!

What about seeds? Do you keep them in the dark or in the light? I've read different opinions on this one. I kept mine in the dark, in a plastic box, on top of wet cotton pads in a cupboard and some of them came out from the first day. I rembember this method from an assignment in my elementary school where we had to make different beans sprout and this was the method used...that worked all the time

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

H-o-K, kee in mind that your plants are not that bad off! They actually look quite good.......

Hi F! :ciao: If I look at them, I actually think the same...they are not too bad but I'm just afraid that something worse might happen... In the last 4 days I put a little bit more water, so now I'll use a bit less of it and see what happens. I might try the weighing method also and maybe make more holes in my pots. What do you think? Would it better?

 

[Tonto]

I think that you shouldn't predetermine an amount of water to give to the plant. You water it slowly and evenly, taking time and breaks if necessary. Continue until you see some water coming out of the holes in the bottom of your pots. It should not be pouring out of the holes though, that means that it was poured onto the soil too fast. :cool2:

 

[Stoney Bud]

SB you always amaze me....is there anything you don't know??

You've only seen the little bit of things I do know. I have 99.999999% yet to learn. Look at it this way; what kind of a nut would choose to advise someone about something they know nothing of? I picked one thing I do know and searched until I found someone who wanted to know it. I'm not very complicated. I love pot and I'm too cheap to go buy it, so I had to learn how to grow it!

If you want to see the extent of my *lack* of knowledge, just ask me what makes a women think the way she does. I'll start babbling just like every other man on the planet!

What about seeds? Do you keep them in the dark or in the light? I've read different opinions on this one. I kept mine in the dark, in a plastic box, on top of wet cotton pads in a cupboard and some of them came out from the first day. I remember this method from an assignment in my elementary school where we had to make different beans sprout and this was the method used...that worked all the time

Your method is almost exactly what I use. I use Ziploc baggies instead of a box, 12 layers of moist paper towels with the seeds directly in the middle, in a cupboard at the top of my kitchen in the dark.

3 days without looking and they are ready to plant.

It seems we went to different schools together! Hhahaahahaa

 

[Tonto]

What about seeds?

I have an extremely high germ rate using two pieces of paper towel, folded 4 times, seeds placed in there, fold once more, soak the towel with water and place it in a ramakin (very small bowl). Wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil and place on top of the oven about 20 minutes after baking something. The heat gets the little suckers going, along with the dark and the moisture. Two days later I open it and the seeds have the little taproots. There's millions of ways to germ, and many are the right way!

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

....You water it slowly and evenly, taking time and breaks if necessary......

I have to say.....I wasn't taking my time watering them and maybe I wasn't putting it slowly enough either....this could be why the leaves wilted... Let's see what happens now....

You've only seen the little bit of things I do know.....

Oooohhhh....I have no doubt about it!!! You are kind of like a walking encyclopedia....

If you want to see the extent of my *lack* of knowledge, just ask me what makes a women think the way she does. I'll start babbling just like every other man on the planet!

I'll guess women don't lack on that subject!!

About the seeds...I'm sure there are hundreds of way of germinating them...
I'm going to post a few more pictures before I'll go back to my home country for holidays. I will have to leave my babies and won't see them for 2 weeks....Upon my return it will be a surprise to see the difference in growth (...I really hope so...) for me and I hope for you all!!
The bottom leaves are still drooping ibut they are growing lots of new leaves between the nodes....lets see what happens!

 

[Stoney Bud]

I'm going to post a few more pictures before I'll go back to my home country for holidays. I will have to leave my babies and won't see them for 2 weeks...

Do you have someone to take care of your plants for you while you're gone? I hope you have a great time with old friends and family while you're on vacation!

Good luck!

 

[Tonto]

Your plants look very healthy at this point, lots of secondary growth, and a rich green in the leaves and stems. Who's going to be taking care of your babies when you're away? Teach them well. Last grow I had a friend come over and he nearly killed my girls.

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

Hey guys!! Now, honestly.... do you really think that there could be a chance that I'm going to go away leaving my babies to die? NO! NO! NO! NO! I also have other furry babies at home...2 cats, exactly and they will need some company, to eat and drink water too...So they are in good hands!!....

Last grow I had a friend come over and he nearly killed my girls.

...at least....I hope so!!

....I hope you have a great time with old friends and family while you're on vacation!

Thanks a lot for that and yes, as every year...I'm sure I will have a great time "at home"....as it is said: "There is no place like home".....this year though, because of my plants, it is kind of difficoult to go....talk to you all soon

 

[Sin inc]

hey kitty your doing a lot better then when i started your asking all the right q's and doing your homework. your babys are looking good keep it up

 

[Hemp-o Kitty]

Hey everybody! I'm back and finally I had the time to take some pictures.
Overall the plants are ok, except one (which you will see in the pictures) that, I was told, was too close to the lights and got burnt. It has, also, some kind of rusty stains on the bottom leaves. How can I see if she is getting better? She won't repair the damage done, will she? But the damage shouldn't get worse if the plant is better, should it? What is going to happen? Or what can I do to make the plant better?

I was amazed in seeing how big they got....
Thanks Stoney Bud for your advice on the weight method of watering...Since I'm back I'm using it and I didn't think you could feel such big difference of weight between the pot being full or empty of water. And they don't dry all at the same speed. Some need water before others.
And to be sure, sometimes, I'm also putting a wooden stick into the soil, to confirm the bottom of the pot is dry or not.

Thanks guys to be here and help me and thanks SI, T (F1) and every bodyelse, for your support!

Pictures: in the last 3, there is the only plant that doesn't look good because of the burns and a shot of the bottom leaves with the rusty stains.

 

[KADE]

Definately looks like heat burn to me!! They are lookin good! No, the leaves won't fix themselves. But all the new stuff should be lookin good!