Plants are rootbound, need help with transplant. +rep for help

I just started flushing my plants for the first time (1 at a time). They're in 5 gallon pots and between 14" and 17", so I didn't expect them to be root bound, boy that Mycorrhiza is really the shit.

I'm flushing 1 at a time, the first was the NY Diesel that had the worst nute burns.

After the flush I noticed some exposed root tips at the drain holes, so I'm gonna have to transplant. Here are my questions.

1 - Are the exposed root tips going to be a problem or will they be ok for a day or two?

2 - I don't think I can dunk it in a bigger container filled with water, turn it upside down, and take it out in one piece, so how the heck do you transplant from a 5 gallon pot? (can't find info anywhere - also I have a 1/3 perlite 2/3 soil mix)

3 - Since they're 6 weeks old I'm guessing I'm gonna need 10 gallon planters. Is that right, or should I go bigger/smaller?

+rep for any help.

I don't think they're root bound. those plants would be HUGE if they root bound in 5 gallon pot imo. i have roots poke out of my grow bags it's not a problem for me.

guitarzan420 said:

I don't think they're root bound. those plants would be HUGE if they root bound in 5 gallon pot imo. i have roots poke out of my grow bags it's not a problem for me.

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The green healthy leaves are curling downward for some reason. I've already ruled out overwatering, heat, and light stress. I don't see any other possible reason for it.

Plus, it's 10 weeks till harvest. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to transplant sooner or later. Don't you think?

its not a good idea to let anyone in real life know your growing but do you have any friends or family you could have you help w/the transplant that you really really trust? I wouldnt even try to do it by myself, way too easy to go from a rootbound plant to a nearly rootless plant imo.

darkdestruction420 said:

its not a good idea to let anyone in real life know your growing but do you have any friends or family you could have you help w/the transplant that you really really trust? I wouldnt even try to do it by myself, way too easy to go from a rootbound plant to a nearly rootless plant imo.

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Thanks for the help +rep

I'm new to the area. The only person I can semi trust is a guy who owns a dispensory that sold me some of the clones.

Has to be a 2 person job? No way to wrap it in newspaper or cloth or something?

you could cut the bottom out of the current pot and fill up another one and put the first one on top of it.

darkdestruction420 said:

you could cut the bottom out of the current pot and fill up another one and put the first one on top of it.

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That would keep the roots from growing to the edge of the new pot, but I think you gave me an idea. How does this sound......

Cut the bottom out of this pot & put soil in the bottom of the new pot. Cut the sides of the old pot in 2 places across from one another, then wrap it in a towel so noting falls out the bottom while I'm placing it in the new pot.

Once it's in the new pot I pull the towel out, then put dirt around the side leaving as little space between the dirt and the old pot as possible. Then pull out the old pot 1 piece at a time.

Does that sound like a good plan, or a major fuck up waiting happen?

I wouldnt worry about anything falling out of the bottom, if its still got the sides it should all stay togther pretty good, maybe just hold the bottom with your hand if your worried. as long as your careful you've got a good game plan imo.

sounds like it would work, i just can't believe they'd be root bound in 5 gal pots. i use 3 gal bags and haven't ever had root bound problems and i even use root excelerator and they roots balls are huge when they're done.

Cool, thanks for the help. Now all I have to do is figure out how to cut the 5 gallon planted, I don't think I razor knife is gonna do the job. lol I'll figure something out, maybe a grinder bit for my drill. Thanks again.

if you can't grab it by the main stalk and pull it all out in one big ball then it doesn't need to be transplanted.

lay it on it's side and squeeze the pot a little as you roll it on a hard surface. it should pop right out. grab it by it's neck and drop it into the new pot. spreading the roots a little if needed. fill with dirt and water.

done.

guitarzan420 said:

sounds like it would work, i just can't believe they'd be root bound in 5 gal pots. i use 3 gal bags and haven't ever had root bound problems and i even use root excelerator and they roots balls are huge when they're done.

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I agree. I have grown 5 ft tall plus plants in 3 gal. pots. And always have roots poking from the holes in the bottom of the pots, usually within a few weeks of transplanting to them and have yet to have one get rootbound. Those roots coming out will light prune themselves.

guitarzan420 said:

sounds like it would work, i just can't believe they'd be root bound in 5 gal pots. i use 3 gal bags and haven't ever had root bound problems and i even use root excelerator and they roots balls are huge when they're done.

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Does your accelerator have Mycorrhiza? I treated clones with 1" roots and 3 days later they were almost 4". The stuff is the bomb.

3 weeks ago this plant was looking pretty scrawny because of nute burns from hot soil (took some bad advice) and 3 weeks later, bam. Roots grew so fast that the nute burns started again which is why I flushed. Also the watering went from every 5 days to every 3 days, and I think I was still underwatering.

This is the one I bought at the advice of the horticulturist at the nursery. http://www.premiertech.com/myke/mycorise/ Also this stuff is a lot cheaper at the nurseries then at the grow stores.

fdd2blk said:

if you can't grab it by the main stalk and pull it all out in one big ball then it doesn't need to be transplanted.

lay it on it's side and squeeze the pot a little as you roll it on a hard surface. it should pop right out. grab it by it's neck and drop it into the new pot. spreading the roots a little if needed. fill with dirt and water.

done.

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Thanks for the help, +rep

Before the flush I might have tried that, but the flush really loosened everything up, probably because of all the perlite. The whole thing basically turned to mud as I was pouring water. Maybe I poured too fast, this was my first flush so I'm really not sure.

sounds like you are over watered.

Does your accelerator have Mycorrhiza? It says potassium and ammonium nitrate

cowboylogic said:

I agree. I have grown 5 ft tall plus plants in 3 gal. pots. And always have roots poking from the holes in the bottom of the pots, usually within a few weeks of transplanting to them and have yet to have one get rootbound. Those roots coming out will light prune themselves.

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If they're not root bound yet, they will be before harvest in 10 weeks (I think). If the roots are at the bottom of the sides of the pot, then they're at the bottom of the middle too.

I'm sure the plant hasn't caught up with the roots yet. I've had some problems (nute burns, 3 infestations, bad pH, pH fluctuations, etc...) A lot of stuff to prohibit growth.

And the nute burns that happened for the first 3 weeks should have created small & underdeveloped roots. Since I treated her with the Mycorrhiza 3 weeks ago, the roots have really taken off and the plant too. This is a pic of her 3 weeks ago and a pic of her now, and that's with everything that's been happening.

It may also have something to do with the FIM that I did at the same time, not sure what FIMing does to the roots.

fdd2blk said:

sounds like you are over watered.

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Well yeah, when I flushed I used 15 gallons of water for my 5 gallon pot. I wasn't really watering, just flushing out the nutes & salts.

guitarzan420 said:

Does your accelerator have Mycorrhiza? It says potassium and ammonium nitrate

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Potassium is one of the major nutes which your plants need, and I think ammonium nitrate is Nitrogen, not sure though.

Mycorrhiza isn't a nute, check it out man, it's the shit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza

It's the same stuff that Fox Farm puts in their stuff (micro organisms), but MYKES is a higher concentrate made for transplanting trees. I wish I took pics of the roots of the clones, you'd freak.

DannyGreenEyes said:

Well yeah, when I flushed I used 15 gallons of water for my 5 gallon pot. I wasn't really watering, just flushing out the nutes & salts.

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O_O 15 fucking gallons of water......