hello puffin and everyone else -my first post here
(it's gonna be long but please bear with me)
i haven't got any grows in yet
i just been lurking a few forums reading FAQ's , journals , and various threads
actually i just signed up her tonight cuz i found a link to this journal you posted in another forum
i just read all 24 pages here and couldn't help but wonder
if you have ever considered "Air Layering" - (atleast thats what they called it in a FAQ i read)
in another FAQ i read that your yield is in proportion to the size of the roots
this method it seems would double the size of roots
and maybe greatly improve your yeilds????????
also i'm not sure how the law would see it but
maybe this would help some growers that are limited to the # of plants they can grow legally - since it would be "1" plant
anyway i saved a pic and the text from it in a folder
here is some text from it and pic will be below
-as not to confuse-
this FAQ was for making clones while still attached to the mother
but it could be used to "strech" a plant out
such as a "grape vine" that someone mentioned in an earlier post
Directions=
1. prep. cut a number of pieces of the plastic sheeting to about 3in. by 4in.
poke small holes it the plastic for air exchange, i use an exacto and place
holes in a 1/4in grid pattern.
Take rapid rooter plugs equal to number of ALs wanted, and, placing the scissors though the top hole of the plug to the bottom of the plug, cut the plug so that there is a open slit up the side.
2. select your greenery. find strong branches that can support weight and
are in good health with plenty of nodes and leaves. i recomend trying smaller(5-6in.) cuts the first time till you get used to the feel.
3. prep the greenery. find a node grouping that is close to the main stalk of the plant, but obviuosly not the closest(if you want the branch to veg again)
and remove the leaves from that section of the branch. you shouldnt remove material from a section larger than the length of 1 of your plugs.
take your fingernail and GENTLY scrape away the thin outer layer of this section of branch, so that you expose the thin layer of slimey green just under the surface. again, don?t expose more than can be covered by your plug. NOTE: for ALs larger than 6in. i use 2 plugs and expose twice as much stem/nodes accordingly. this gives the large ones the root mass they need to transfer w/o complications.
4. using your paint brush or stick coat the exposed plant area with your cloning gel generously. don?t leave any area that you?ve scraped open for contamination, this isn?t common but better safe that sorry.
5. wet your plug completely and, opening it by the slit, wrap it around the exposed branch.
6. wrap a plastic square around the plug so its touching the plug all around, and covers back over itself a lttle(1/2in or so). take two twisties and secure the plastic around the plug at both ends, so the whole thing looks like big tootsie roll suspended on a stick.
take a small piece of tape and place it so that it holds down the plastic where it folds over itself(this prevents too much moisture from being lost at the seam).
7. every 3-4 days you may need to add a little water to your AL (if you poked too many/big holes it your plastic, or have a hot or very dry room-done right no watering is needed for at least week 1)
this is done easily by sticking a blunt-tipped syringe carefully into the ALs plug and squeezing out a little water.
8.this is the good part.
After about 2 weeks(depends on strain) your little AL should be nearly rootbound in it?s little pouch. cut it from the mother just below the pouch and cover the open wound(on the AL) with your cloning gel.
unwrap it, stick it in the dirt, and wait a few days before fertilizing.
thats it. it may look shocked the first couple days after transplant(may need to be in indirect light for this spell, depends on your lights), but by day 3 it should be happy and then.....BOOM......no more turn around, just pure uninhibited growth.
i read in one of your posts you wanted to try DWC
how about some home-made aeroponics
this is the second pic below
seems very simple and will be what i try once i can afford the parts
(should be getting a 600 watt HPS soon) :yay:
looks like you would set up the bucket
cut a hole in the lid to drop in a mesh pot
and put a "rockwooled" clone into the meshpot
hehe - might be an awsome set up
cuz once a person trained a brance over with some "air-layer'd" roots on it they could make another bucket for that set of roots
EDIT:
oops i forgot to ask about the tin foil you have on your light
????????????