Underwatered?

[Glimmbo]

Is this just underwatered? Do I need to start nutrients? I'm new, thanks.

 

[Glimmbo]

Oh, nevermind, looks like textbook OVERwatering. My bad. This is an example of a plant overwatered from a post in another forum.

 

[o.sparkles]

Bingo.

 

[FinestKind]

Do you have drain holes in the bottom of those containers? That's a biggy.

 

[Glimmbo]

I do have holes, just not sure if they're doing their job well enough. I've let it dry out enough to recover from overwatering I think, and since I could do it, I took a look at the roots.

Is this potbound? Rotted roots? I know it's a crappy camera, but it's all I got.

 

[StrayToaster]

the terra cotta pot its in seems to be ok for now (mind you i cant see how deep it is)...put some hydroton pebbles in your pot to help with drainage too and re-pot to a bigger size when she picks up...get to know the feel of your pots and weight when dry and wet or get a soil mositure meter what strain you doing? one of my sourbubbles looked similar in veg for an absolute age but shes still in there 50 days later..good luck with it get some more on the go!!

 

[asstastic]

yep over watering for sure and possibly ph but i think its just the crazy surrations look great though what strain

 

[bigtopsfinn]

I transplant when the roots look like that and the plant gets droopy. They pop right back up within a day of transplant.

 

[Glimmbo]

That one in the terra cotta isn't my plant, it's a picture from a post about overwatering. I keep mine in a beer cup. It's a Jock Horror (Haze, NL, Skunk), and I'm trying to make it into a bonsai mother in a bonsai pot...don't really know what to do. I'm growing in a pc so I can't really pot up much bigger.

-edit- Should I try to put it in the bonsai container, see what happens? This is the pot and the healthy plant a few days ago. Prune something maybe? Root trim?

 

[xmobotx]

if you want to experiment go ahead and do the bonsai thing

but it will distress the plant and your yield will be abysmal

BTW from your pic that is NOT root bound but it is due for a transplant (just about right actually)

 

[Glimmbo]

I'm not trying to harvest anything from this plant other than cuttings, from which I'll clone and flower (at some later date). Right now I'm just trying to get a nice little bonsai mother going. I think I'm going to try to repot to the bonsai container I have. I'm not sure if I should keep with the current soil or how it's going to grow in the shallow bonsai pot, but I'll give er a go.

Thanks for all the tips people, you're lifesavers.

 

[bigtopsfinn]

Why not just use a regular pot that you can easily transplant into?

 

[Glimmbo]

I'm growing in a PC, my space is limited for bigger pots. Plus part of keeping plants small (bonsai) is keeping their root system small in a smaller pot, isn't it?

 

[bigtopsfinn]

I'm growing in a PC, my space is limited for bigger pots. Plus part of keeping plants small (bonsai) is keeping their root system small in a smaller pot, isn't it?

Is the bonsai tray you're talking about the one under the beer cup? I think that's gonna take up much more room than a regular pot. I'm just saying that pots come in all shapes and sizes, surely you can find something a little bigger that doesn't require you to break up the rootball. I've never bonsai'd so can't really comment anymore than that.

 

[o.sparkles]

That plant is not root bound or even unhealthy. Just let it dry out between waterings. You have a couple weeks in that cup before transplant IMO. Wait till the roots circle a few times and get dense in the bottom.

 

[TexasToker]

That bonsai pot is good for a bonsai mother. The only thing is since you did not start her in there it is going to suck to get her situated in it. How tall is the bonsai pot? 2"?

My first ever mom(not really since I never took cuttings from her) was put in almost an exact same pot. I trimmed the roots a lot though until the entire root mass was bigger longways than in depth.

I had wished I started her in a more similar shaped bonsai pot rather than a cup though. It stresses em out bad.

 

[Glimmbo]

Wow really sparkles? How long would say it'd take to dry out and recover? I've let it dry for 2 days now, but I gave a few drops (literally) today just in case it wasn't overwatering.

 

[Glimmbo]

Thanks for the info Texas. I wanted to start in the bonsai, but I didn't buy the pot until recently. So you trimmed mostly the tap roots? Would it work if I tried laying these roots out length ways in the pot? Probably stressful I know. Also what medium did you use in there? I'm currently using a potting soil with minimal nutrients (.08-.12-.08 I think), but I think I'll have to switch to something with a LOT more drainage. What do you think?

-edit- and ya, it's about 2''

 

[TexasToker]

Thanks for the info Texas. I wanted to start in the bonsai, but I didn't buy the pot until recently. So you trimmed mostly the tap roots? Would it work if I tried laying these roots out length ways in the pot? Probably stressful I know. Also what medium did you use in there? I'm currently using a potting soil with minimal nutrients (.08-.12-.08 I think), but I think I'll have to switch to something with a LOT more drainage. What do you think?

-edit- and ya, it's about 2''

I used my own soil I make, could not even almost tell you what it is made of (A LOT of old root balls though). It is a perpetual compost/worm bin/add stuff when I think it needs it type of soil. Made all day everyday.

Honestly for your first bonsai I would rather play with lesser genetics than you have, but...at your own risk you can literally get a really sharp knife ( I use a carving or filet knife) split the roots right down the middle. Avoid any large root you can. It will kind of make a little pedestal or feet out of the roots.

Lay that down on about 1" of soil (with vermiculite or perlite ~30%) (try using a good organic soil) and top the roots with more soil, you can actually compact it very well if you have the right amount of verm or perlite.

I then topped mine with pine needles if I remember right as a mulch. The top of my soil was about 1" higher than the rim of the pot it was in. I think mine was about 3-4" deep.

I have always fed my mothers very weak ferts if any. My soil is pretty good and even on my normal grows I have to use a very tiny bit of nutes when I do. So depending on your soil you want to just watch and try to dial in her diet.

I hope I answered your questions. I just had a bag and am about to head to the couch.

 

[Glimmbo]

Word. Thanks Tex. Rep.