SubGirl’s Garden

[oldfogey8]

PERLITE WICKS

John Wicks too

 

[user 60570]

So the roots won't dry out from a seedling before it gets to the water?

the key is to always keep the roots near the bottom of the container

i punch small holes in the 20 oz beer cups and then place my baby plants which were rooted in root plugs with visible roots coming out of the plug , then I place the rooted plant in the beer cup , which only has enough Perlite to just barely cover the holes at the bottom of the cup , so the roots are right near the reservoir and then I fill up the rest of the cup wit more Perlite

i repeat the same process when I up pot from a beer cup to a 1 gallon bucket

do the same thing as up potting from the beer cup

then the final up pot is from the one gallon buckets into the 5 gallon buckets

when I pull the plant out of the 1 gallon bucket , the roots are visible and hanging down when I place them in the 5 gallon bucket which has a couple inches of Perlite which barley cover the drain holes , so the roots are near the bottom of the nutrient reservoir

then just fill up the bucket to the top with more Perlite

the only function of the remaining Perlite is just to hold the plant in place , it will remain upright and stable in a 5 gallon bucket of Perlite , it only needs a few bamboo stakes to hold it up , just like in dirt

i hope this makes sense


here is a modified version but shows the gist of it all

 

[user 60570]

PERLITE WICKS

How Much Water Does Perlite Hold?
Perlite can hold 20 to 50% water by volume, making this horticultural substance extremely absorbent and moisture-wicking. In general, smaller perlite particles will retain more moisture than coarser ones.

Perlite’s natural size and structure make it a suitable foundation for holding water. It stores water in three places:

• Between individual grains
• In channels leading to the grains’ centers
• On the uneven surfaces of each particle

These three water-storage surfaces allow each piece of perlite to absorb a significant amount of water.

Sometimes, perlite is used to retain water or other liquids to keep other things such as plants moist. However, you can also use it to wick away moisture.

Perlite can absorb and wick away a wide range of materials, although most practical uses include containing liquids such as water.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

How Much Water Does Perlite Hold?
Perlite can hold 20 to 50% water by volume, making this horticultural substance extremely absorbent and moisture-wicking. In general, smaller perlite particles will retain more moisture than coarser ones.

Perlite’s natural size and structure make it a suitable foundation for holding water. It stores water in three places:

• Between individual grains
• In channels leading to the grains’ centers
• On the uneven surfaces of each particle

These three water-storage surfaces allow each piece of perlite to absorb a significant amount of water.

Sometimes, perlite is used to retain water or other liquids to keep other things such as plants moist. However, you can also use it to wick away moisture.

Perlite can absorb and wick away a wide range of materials, although most practical uses include containing liquids such as water.

Never knew perlite could hold water. It floats so I just assumed it was some kind of styrofoam material…

 

[user 60570]

Never knew perlite could hold water. It floats so I just assumed it was some kind of styrofoam material…

don’t forget the pop quiz today at noon

 

[user 60570]

and just wait until we get into vermiculite

 

[SubmarineGirl]

don’t forget the pop quiz today at noon

I have a note this time

 

[WeedHopper]

Okay I got it. Thanks Big for explaining that.

 

[oldfogey8]

I think quite a few of us would love to have a laboratory to explore the Wonderful World of Growing. The science is fascinating to me. I know I am only scratching the surface of dirt…

 

[WeedHopper]

It's kinda like an ebb and flow.

 

[RosterMan]

 

[Hippie420]

and just wait until we get into vermiculite

That's what I've always used. My clones go from the spray cloner into little Dixie cups whit holes punched around the very bottom, and then filled up with vermiculite that I buy in 25 pound bags at the local lumber yard. Those cups go into my home made tank that has a remote reservoir with a pump and air stone until they're big enough to either sell or transfer into my grow room into pots full of expanded clay pellets. The vermiculate is easy to wash off the roots to put into the pellets or soil.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Garden update. Thrips day three treating them in the flower tent. Gonna have to continue spanking them with lostcoast/Spinasod probably every day for at least another week. Catching a few at the soil level with yellow and blue sticky traps but need to wait for at least one full cycle of new adults. I haven’t found any adults or larva on the leaves since my first spray. Have been defoliating those leaves effected each time I open the tent. The buds are still fattening up and haven’t seemed to mind the thrips at all.

 

[boo]

That's what I've always used. My clones go from the spray cloner into little Dixie cups whit holes punched around the very bottom, and then filled up with vermiculite that I buy in 25 pound bags at the local lumber yard. Those cups go into my home made tank that has a remote reservoir with a pump and air stone until they're big enough to either sell or transfer into my grow room into pots full of expanded clay pellets. The vermiculate is easy to wash off the roots to put into the pellets or soil.

I'd like to try growing in water, seems interesting...I've got a bubble bucket around here somewhere...

 

[RosterMan]

Sub Thrips are not that bad
As long as you can control the soil ones your buds should be fine.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Outside all four plants are in reveg and I’m just riding the reveg wagon till I feel I need to do something. All plants are a bit different but are getting good air flow. Hoping that I will see some 5 and 7 leaf fans start to come back hopefully meaning they have caught up vegging and will be ready to flower again come mid Aug. Maybe this won’t happen but I’m willing to take the ride with them. Have good notes already for next outdoor grow.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

transplanted the two little freakshow plants into some bigger pots after @oldfogey8 and @crash mentioned heat and taking on water. There were not many roots yet but I did want to give them a bit more perlite in their soil and get them out of those tiny pots in case they were to hot. I gave them a sip of reduced nutes too. Hopefully I will notice them growing a bit faster but these plants for sure are slow growing.

 

[RosterMan]

Good call

 

[SubmarineGirl]

inside the veg tent, I kept three of the clones from my Josie plant outside. Big sent me the seeds for her and she has a really delightfully stinky smell already. I thought she was gonna have potential as her entire growth from seed thru veg has overpowered all my other plants in healthiness. One as you can see is light and appears to need nutes. It was planted in a pot with and auto drain bottom which apparently was the cause of it. I planted them in 5 gallon bags and also did spinosad on them since I have that problem in my other tent and didn’t want the same action in the veg tent

 

[SubmarineGirl]

I'd like to try growing in water, seems interesting...I've got a bubble bucket around here somewhere...

Yes it does boo I may give it a try one day…