dwc without media?

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rkymtnman
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dwc without media?

Post by rkymtnman »

i've always used hydroton in 5 inch netpots.

what would happen if i used a 5 inch neoprene collar in the top of the netpot without any hydroton? it would seem like the clone's roots would have better access to the nutes. wouldn't it take a shorter time for the roots to grow if they didn't have to wind there way thru the hydroton to outside the netpot?

would i run into any issues as far as plant stability without the media?

any advice? pros and cons of each method?

thanks,RKY
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SisterMaryElephant
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

You might be able to do it but it would be less stable. I doubt the roots would grow faster and, if they did, it wouldn't be by much since the roots should be close to the bottom of the netpot before they're filled with hydroton anyway.
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by rkymtnman »

could you explain what you mean by the roots being close to the bottom before being filled with hydroton?
with the clones i get (maybe 4 inches tall?), to get the majority of the plant above the top of the netpot, the root mass is usually halfway down into the netpot. so it still has a good 2 or 3 inches to hit the bottom of the netpot.
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

How do you get your clones? (rockwool/rapid rooter? peat pot/coco? aero/bubbler cloner/perlite/hempy type with open roots?)

Even with that example, depending on node placement, you can bury part of the stem (try not to bury nodes unless you have multiple) under the hydroton too, this makes your 4" tall plant 3" tall and gets the bottom of the roots 1" from the bottom. If you left 1" off the top (to be filled in later as the plant grows) the roots would be at the bottom and the top of the plant would be 2" above the top of the netpot. :D
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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rkymtnman
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by rkymtnman »

i try to avoid clones in rockwool. my usual place has them in 2x2 plastic pots in hydroton. so they come out really easily and into my pots

i always tried to get as much of the plant above the netpot. but what you say makes sense. so just don't cover the bottom node and i should be good? that should easily give me another inch or maybe 2 closer to the bottom.

i'll give it a shot next go round.
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

You get a 2x2 pot full of hydroton with a fully rooted clone in it? How much each? How does your clone source root and transplant them? Are they top feeding them? Ebb and flow maybe? The better question is, why not do it yourself? It does require more space and not everyone has spare rooms.

Yeah, since you're trying to keep them short go lower in the pot and cover part of the stem with hydroton. Don't cover the bottom node if you want/need the bottom node or if you only have one growth node. If you decide to bury the bottom node trim off the growth first and then you have a taller bottom node that you can lower. ;)

You could also let them root longer in the 2" pots they came in if the roots are reaching down not out.
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by rkymtnman »

i think there is some type of reg about how big clones can be and the container size too. but $10 per clone. they usually keep in store at least 10 to 15. i think they do 6 strains now. i'm not sure how they do it but i haven't had any bug issues yet from them and they are one of the bigger clone sellers in the area.

i like variety which is why i haven't gone the mother to clone route. i bet i can find at least 30 different strains of clones when i go down to colorado springs that are on the shelf ready to go out the door.

i also have a few seeds but i can't find agood enough reason yet to give up buying clones and try a seed grow
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by SisterMaryElephant »

At 10 bucks that's not bad since you're not SOGing but eventually that would pay for a light and a tent, etc. That assumes that you've sampled enough to find something that you're happy with for a while too. That's one reason I want to start up a breeding program once it's legal here too. GT Seeds....or something. ;)
I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by rkymtnman »

that's the problem. the sample size is growing exponentially here!! there are too many strains to even begin to try them all.

do you have a top 5 strain list that you've smoked or grown or both?

i haven't tried these guys yet but they are colorado local. 303seeds.com check out the strains they have come up with. the pix are unbelievable. centerfold stuff!
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Re: dwc without media?

Post by GrowTutor »

The naming of everything didn't start until more recently; we had mauie wowie, acapulco gold, thai, panama red, and everything else was more generic "red bud," "skunk," "home grown" and stuff like that. As far as more recent things I've tried, I liked "blue crack" a lot, mostly for smell and taste than potency. I haven't found seeds or clones nearby so I might grow my own, it's blue dream X green crack. It was just very nice over all. I'm very fond of Thai genetics but it is a sativa so I used to avoid growing it. I love skunks, the skunk-ier the better but they're not the best for odor control, indoors, in a city. ;)

I'd love to find a monster 40+% THC strain. The best thing I ever grew was a hybrid I made back in the 90s; I called it silly putty because it smelled like silly putty in veg. Not the biggest yielder, not the most potent but at 8 weeks I could harvest her and have exactly the kind of high I liked. I could smoke a little and do stuff or smoke a little more and drool on the couch. Never heard complaints about it. :D
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