Grow Room Super Cheapie Sneaky Freebie Beanie Ninja PC Grow 1st Auto!

[Aku]

So I guess the consensus is to lower the Ph of the water to fix the soil, at least that's what I'm getting back when searching. I've begun to do this to the soil La Diva will eventually be moved to.
Now something that has plagued me since I began my photo girl... mud. I tried the flood and drain method of watering and no matter how much gravel at bottom and no matter how much perlite I use... I get mud and then soil compaction. I don't know how my photo girl is still alive, I've transplanted her 3 times (twice because of wet soil or mud) Her little root ball is DENSE. I really want to avoid that with my auto. So far as a seedling I am spot watering her. Just a few fl. oz.'s at a time right down the stem so that she is sure to dry out between watering. This is the only solution I have thus far to the soil problem.
I bought some herbs to try out my new custom soil (which is super light per PD's mix) mixture before I move La Diva and I'll be damned they are doing the same thing, just mud that doesn't seem to want to ever dry out!
I really need help with this, I'm at wits end... I guess I'll just be spot watering until I figure it out

 

[oldster]

Hi Aku, the soil issue you are having is why most folks choose a peat based mix (soilless). I use Pro-mix which is pretty much peat, perlite and some limestone to bring up the pH as peat is naturally acid. I don't think there is really anything you can do to change the nature of what you are using. Having said that it does not mean what you have won't work. I have a bunch of plants in my vegetable garden growing in that soil.

In my opinion I think you just need to adjust your watering to accommodate what you have. Don't water until run-off except maybe once a month to flush excess salts. I think if you keep repotting you will do more damage than just leaving things as they are.

 

[Aku]

Thanks, I really needed a nudge in the right direction there. So, just kind of "spot watering" her then. A few oz.'s down the stem, maybe some around the perimeter to promote root stretch. It has to be better than a mud root ball.

Just to be clear- I had re-potted my original photo girl (bagseed I ran as an experiment to see if I could, would be a decent grower).
La Diva (sheesh, she needs a new name, Help!) is still in seedling stage. I plan to transplant her once into soil I am preparing now (Ph'ing, final amendments and temp acclimation). There should be no reason to move her after that as long as I keep a grasp on the soil.
Thanks again.

 

[oldster]

Sounds like a good plan, just make sure there is some moisture throughout the soil so the roots can spread

 

[Aku]

4 days old!

 

[Aku]

Just about have all of the soil amendments. Man, thats a process just getting all that together. Still need the blood meal and baby food. I added the egg shells and epsom salt today. By the time La Diva is ready to transplant this is going to be some super-Ferrari soil man.
I also really liked PD's idea of the 2 tiered pot. I get that this was mainly for transplant purposes but this is essentially exactly what I was looking at for my PC grow. Something skinny but not too short...
A few more days and she goes to her permanent home under the big boy lights with my flowering bagseed. I hate to give my auto only 12 hrs of light but thats what my flowering photo is getting now. I may have to split up my LED lamps. Any suggestions here?
How awful would it be (as in what exactly would suffer, growth, yield, flavor, strength?) if I short my auto some 8hrs of light and put her on a 12/12 with my photo? She would get alot MORE light but for less hours?

 

[oldster]

4 days old!

She is looking happy, good luck with your soil

 

[Aku]

Holy shmoly. 7 days in and I went to transplant her figuring she was close to hitting bottom of the small pot I had her in. Umm, ya there was better than a foot of root system, holy shiite man! There was only an inch and a half above ground and wow I felt bad I well firstly didnt do this sooner and second I couldnt get the whole root, some of it got pinched off as I had no idea it was that long. I hope I didn't kill her by doing this. I did get her moved to what I think will be her permanent home but at what cost? Guess we'll find out in the next few days. I am using PD's super soil his oxygenated water and nutes. Thus begins week 2

 

[Aku]

Just a little crossover, I snipped some of the low on the hog flowers from my runt bagseed grow. Since they are my first ever and I am proud they are going up everywhere:

 

[Aku]

Bad News! I got some serious nute burn after transplant to new soil. What a bummer I had such high hopes for PD's super soil mix, didn't seem like anything I put in could do this but...

I have since flushed with Ph'd water twice, nothing else to do I guess unless she continues to burn. Then I guess I'll have to re-re-plant her, hope not.