The soilfoodweb or the microbial nutrient loop indoors

[mad librettist]

Can you see who it is when you get a negative rep?

nah, can't tell. probably the mods set it that way on account of my temper.

it's just as well.

 

[GoneRooty]

As far as the up-potting idea, plants of any kind don't like being transplanted. No matter how gentle and safe you are, there is damage and stress. While this can be minimized, it can't be entirely eliminated. Remember, you are pulling the roots up and exposing them to light, this is stressful to the plants. I'm a big believer in planting in the biggest pot you can depending on the space you have. The less stress you cause a plant, the better and healthier it will grow.

 

[vonforne]

nah, can't tell. probably the mods set it that way on account of my temper.

it's just as well.

We cannot do that. I know it was Rizze baby. He also hit me for a bad post. He is so low on the pole nobody notices. Thats all.

V

 

[CC_2U]

As far as the up-potting idea, plants of any kind don't like being transplanted. No matter how gentle and safe you are, there is damage and stress. While this can be minimized, it can't be entirely eliminated. Remember, you are pulling the roots up and exposing them to light, this is stressful to the plants. I'm a big believer in planting in the biggest pot you can depending on the space you have. The less stress you cause a plant, the better and healthier it will grow.

GoneRooty

A few months back I bought a soil blocker and this particular model gives you 4 ea. 1/2" cubes of whatever medium you choose to go with.

Because this soil block is not surrounded by plastic they behave much like the auto-pruning containers. Once the cutting is rooted and sends out roots, once it hits the sides of the block they begin to send out lateral roots.

By using the same soil (or at least one close) for rooting, from what I've observed that when you plant the rooted cutting there is very little, if any, transplant shock and rapid growth rates follow quickly.

Next up is rooting directly into the #7 pots using the large clear plastic cups as a cloche. Root directly into the soil - with some obvious differences this method is widely used for growing annuals commercially.

CC

 

[mad librettist]

I imagine the cloche on living soil would be a nightmare...

I have never had success rooting without using an inert medium.



I think soil blocks are great, but there is simply nothing better than the root having all the room they want. Although I'm pretty sure in my case I am getting lots of lateral root growth because it is bumping into other plants.


but my impression from using #15 and #1 smart pots is that bigger means faster (provided you have water under control)

 

[CC_2U]

Mac

This video was the reason I decided to test 'real soil' for rooting cuttings. The video is from Cornell University's Horticulture School.

At the very least it's another way to look at warm castings aside from the benefits that are usually discussed ("nutes")

CC

 

[CC_2U]

I think soil blocks are great, but there is simply nothing better than the root having all the room they want.

You're missing the point - having cuttings sitting in cell trays is a good way to guarantee transplant shock unless the gardener is very observant and plants them quickly. How many times have you seen photos online where the grower is showing a mass of roots shooting out of the aeration slots in the cells?

Makes no sense to me.

CC

 

[mad librettist]

You're missing the point - having cuttings sitting in cell trays is a good way to guarantee transplant shock unless the gardener is very observant and plants them quickly. How many times have you seen photos online where the grower is showing a mass of roots shooting out of the aeration slots in the cells?

Makes no sense to me.

CC

well I do even worse than that - I yank the plant out bare -root from the tray, and transplant into soil. after week they just take off.

they seem to get wider sooner, rather than growing tall and skinny.

I think some credit goes to my rooting medium, which is very coarse and causes branching, and some credit goes to the clover mulch, which seems to act as a mother weed.


If you can figure out how to root in soil, please share! right now, my soil eats anything that falls. Cuttings are treated like buried mulch.

 

[CC_2U]

Mad

The only thing I add to the potting soil is a couple of tablespoons of the endo product from Mycorrhizal Applications to about 4 gallons of potting soil and mix well.

I wet the rooting soil with aloe vera, kelp meal tea and a humic acid product with chelated minerals (the Big 7 that are in every one around here anyway).

That's it.

CC

 

[mad librettist]

Mad

The only thing I add to the potting soil is a couple of tablespoons of the endo product from Mycorrhizal Applications to about 4 gallons of potting soil and mix well.

I wet the rooting soil with aloe vera, kelp meal tea and a humic acid product with chelated minerals (the Big 7 that are in every one around here anyway).

That's it.

CC

I think you are in a strange land where PM rules and plants root anywhere.

Over here it takes maybe 2 days before those white mites that you see in worm bins are munching on the stems. I'll try shortly with aloe straight from the plant, since I will have many cuttings.

 

[CC_2U]

Mad

Rooting cuttings is a normal and standard process for nursery stock growers around here and some orchardists. It has nothing to do with what goes on in the world of rooting cannabis cuttings.

Not even close.

CC

 

[Truthbesaid]

Mad it was me! I did t it on accident I'm using an iPhone to view this website because I don't have a computer an pushed the wrong button. SORRY haha didn't mean to start ruckus I ment to give you a positive not a negative point. My bad

 

[mad librettist]

Mad

Rooting cuttings is a normal and standard process for nursery stock growers around here and some orchardists. It has nothing to do with what goes on in the world of rooting cannabis cuttings.

Not even close.

CC

ok CC you have shamed me into giving it a real go!

 

[guest2012y]

On the subject of if the indoor potted living soil eats or not......my soil eats big time. The plants are in 3 to 5 gallon pots and all do well.
Since I'm constantly trimming suckers and fan leaves I constantly use that material as a mulch/topdress,and it's not just a little bit. I have done this through entire cycles and witnessed the breakdown of material by soil organisms happening very rapidly.
It eats,you can almost watch it happen.

 

[Microbeman]

On the subject of if the indoor potted living soil eats or not......my soil eats big time. The plants are in 3 to 5 gallon pots and all do well.
Since I'm constantly trimming suckers and fan leaves I constantly use that material as a mulch/topdress,and it's not just a little bit. I have done this through entire cycles and witnessed the breakdown of material by soil organisms happening very rapidly.
It eats,you can almost watch it happen.

cool Swami K. Don't you just love it when that happens?

 

[h.h.]

Mad

Rooting cuttings is a normal and standard process for nursery stock growers around here and some orchardists. It has nothing to do with what goes on in the world of rooting cannabis cuttings.

Not even close.

CC

We planted my buddies pomegranate orchard by simply planting sticks with a drip. Depending on where the cutting came from we achieved close to 90%. This stuff is all common knowledge, isn't it? Some plants are much easier and some are more susceptible to damage,
Tender MJ seedlings don't do well in low pH soil while established plants will. A little starter pocket of peat gives it a better chance and prevents the need to transplant up. Can't say about mj cuttings.
My main rational for uppotting is that the roots will find the edge of the pot and concentrate growth there. In a large pot they will do so immediately while a smaller pot will condense the initial growth to branch out in transplant. Smart pots probably prevents this. An inside ring around the pot will help send roots back to the middle.
Often when repotting, I remove the bottom of the original pot and plant pot and all into a larger container. I've mentioned several times planting 3 of these into a 32 gallon trash can with a common lower root area.
I forget the reasoning behind the common roots, some relationship between the plants.
I ended up with a terraced planting where I think someone has convinced me to grow clover in the lower terrace the next time.around or maybe perhaps green beans.
I really believe the "extra" soil gave me a buffer as well as a moisture wick. The movement of moisture into different zones encouraging root growth as well as providing a diverse environment..

 

[vonforne]

This has turned into an excellent thread!!

Good job everyone. Great info.

V

 

[GoneRooty]

GoneRooty

A few months back I bought a soil blocker and this particular model gives you 4 ea. 1/2" cubes of whatever medium you choose to go with.

Because this soil block is not surrounded by plastic they behave much like the auto-pruning containers. Once the cutting is rooted and sends out roots, once it hits the sides of the block they begin to send out lateral roots.

By using the same soil (or at least one close) for rooting, from what I've observed that when you plant the rooted cutting there is very little, if any, transplant shock and rapid growth rates follow quickly.

Next up is rooting directly into the #7 pots using the large clear plastic cups as a cloche. Root directly into the soil - with some obvious differences this method is widely used for growing annuals commercially.

CC

Mmmmm soil blocker, that could be very nice.

And yeah I totally believe that there are ways to transplant without causing much stress at all. I was commenting on the idea of going from cups to 1gal to 5gal to whatever. I just meant that the fewer times you pull a plant out of a pot the better.

CC, why not just go with the indoor raised bed, and root straight into those? I'm sure you could figure out some sort of cloche for one. Imagine the root growth if it had say 50gal of soil to move through.

 

[mad librettist]

My main rational for uppotting is that the roots will find the edge of the pot and concentrate growth there. In a large pot they will do so immediately while a smaller pot will condense the initial growth to branch out in transplant.

have you ever broken up the rootball? growing tips are not "concentrated" on the outside wall. You should have branching everywhere.

 

[CC_2U]

Instead of 'cooking the soil mix' for several weeks or whatever is recommended, you planted clover in the pots and let them grow out for 4 or 5 weeks and then turn it under and let the plant and root material decompose?

Would this accomplish something close (perhaps better) than letting it sit?

CC