Long Term Mother Care ?

[Cannaken]

I have yet been able to keep a mother healthy for more than a year or so.I usually loose them to root rot.but have killed em in other ways as well.

Now that Im confident that my root zone temps can be handled with a cheap n easy fix I can move on to " long term care of healthy moms".

I have a choice of either DWC or drip n drain over hydroton.( both on a recirculating 40 gal res). Now my 3 moms are in 2 gal bubble buckets that get circulation every 2 hrs.3" net cups are 1/2" above water line. DWC makes trimming roots occasionaly easy! But want suggestions as keeping roots trimmed back using either system.
My other thought is, I have to keep them on a 18"x48" shelf in the hall way.
How much light am I gonna need concidering i wwant to keep them within a 24" tall x 18" footprint? I like the idea of the t-5s....but will they penatrate thru a 12-18" canopy? I dont like using HIDs here cause of heat issues in the root zone.
I appreciate all who reply.
Thanx,
ken

[nuggdigger]

how many cuts do you really need?
i take mine off of vegging plants before flipping them,
so, i don't have any mums in any care...err..no care,..as in no worries;)
peace

[disciple]

In the photo there are 15 bonsai mom plants. each is in a 5 1/2 square pot.

Promix, extra perlite and a bit of sea soil.

the leaves have some fringe discoloration from heavy thrip/mite spraying. The plants also just got cleaned up (light pruning) and foliared so a bit droopy.

I pull 5 good cuts off each plant every 2-3 weeks. these plants are only about 2 months old. Once the plants are 6-9 months old (and once I know what the F I'm doing), I hope to get 10-30 cuts per plant with each plant taking up an 8" by 8" square.

You can root prune these little bonsai once or twice per year. Super easy to manage them.

Supposedly the originators of this technique keep plants for over 8 years (!)

So... these plants are less than a foot tall and spend part of their lives under T5's. No way to grow tall bushy plants without using HID lighting if you want good cuts all the way down.

this cab has a shelf above with more cuttings on it. So I threw a couple of 42W CFL in there. When the shelf is out, or the ma plants are on the shelf, there is T5 40W above and on the sides. You really want to be able to either move the lights down closer to the plants after cuts taken or the plants up closer to the lights.

Works well for this plant size. 2-3 ft. tall ma's in 3 Gallon pails did not thrive as much in here. I found with big containers of mix, which you need or the plant stretches tall (not what you want), it seemed like the container never really dried out. EC/PPM issues super easy to have. The floro lighting doesn't seem to have the punch to drive big pots of media.

These little guys are 6 inches taller before cuttings are taken. After the haircut they are small enough to be moved outside in the spring for a few months and rejuvenated. (and be tucked nicely out of sight)

[hypnotoad]

http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f20/oldtimer1-all-about-bonzai-moms-6336/

Bonsai Moms. This is a good read for long term mothers.

HT

[disciple]

http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f20/oldtimer1-all-about-bonzai-moms-6336/

Bonsai Moms. This is a good read for long term mothers.


I was working from a rooted cutting on a 2010 version of that article (but from icmag) to post here along with oldtimer1's work. i was going to show my work along side his so that any interested parties could ask questions. I always find it more relevant when the author has actually tried it, but full credit for the technique must go to oldtimer1.

guess you beat me to it.

[hypnotoad]

I think you should still do that. You obviously know your shit, and the tutorials you give are well written. Plus, coincidently, I read your thread about putting a light right over the plant and then training the branches around it for 2lbs a light?....fucking genius! I wonder what I could get with my CMH 400's?

Sorry, off topic toward the end there.


Peace,
HT

[disciple]

coincidently, I read your thread about putting a light right over the plant and then training the branches around it for 2lbs a light?.

not my thread. cool idea though

you may want to read as much as you can about vertical gardens. i'm working with something now... may flip it soon... but just from veg off 1600W (600W HPS, 400W MH, 600W HPS) I can tell it's going to be so stupid.

[hypnotoad]

you make me jealous sir. If i could find a way, Id make it so my closet was literally wall to wall weed. But, enthusiasm aside, I need my base line grow.

HT