IlovePlants
Well-Known Member
I agree and disagree with a lot of things on this thread.
I agree that placing the roots at the top of the pot will create the largest root mass when dealing with a transplant.
I agree that roots shouldn't be intentionally exposed.
I disagree with anyone saying air-roots are counter productive once established, in my opinion it provides a larger surface area for sturdy vascular roots/gallon.
Water birthing, and I'm not sure if that was the technique discussed in high times, is one of my favorite techniques for advanced up-potting. Most likely high times did a story on someone doing something very similar. A while back there were a few threads that touched on this in the hydro section, but ultimately they never went anywhere because they didn't need a larger root surface area.
Essentially you wash away the soil from the roots and place the root-mass 1-1.5" below the surface of the soil. Air roots are a side effect, and they help to prevent root rot and increase total root surface area, which ultimately increases the water exchange rate.
I have been doing this for the last few years and I didn't realize it wasn't common practice. I could whip up a simple pictorial by tonight, but I'm working on a compendium of growing information that should be done in a few days that will include all the info. Your original story makes me wonder, because a few years back I picked this up from an article somewhere. It was all about how Air-roots did wonders for plant vigor. I don't like placing pots or root mass above soil, so I started washing out the soil before I transplanted the roots. That technique I got from the hydro section of RIU for soil growers who wanted to go hydro.
Anyway, cannabis is in no way related to tomatoes, my cannabis is a much more woody plant regardless. I personally prefer water birthing to stem-rooting because it grows new roots faster. What makes more sense, roots taking a week to grow from a stem, or transplanting all the roots to the top of the pot so they can grow down again?
I agree that placing the roots at the top of the pot will create the largest root mass when dealing with a transplant.
I agree that roots shouldn't be intentionally exposed.
I disagree with anyone saying air-roots are counter productive once established, in my opinion it provides a larger surface area for sturdy vascular roots/gallon.
Water birthing, and I'm not sure if that was the technique discussed in high times, is one of my favorite techniques for advanced up-potting. Most likely high times did a story on someone doing something very similar. A while back there were a few threads that touched on this in the hydro section, but ultimately they never went anywhere because they didn't need a larger root surface area.
Essentially you wash away the soil from the roots and place the root-mass 1-1.5" below the surface of the soil. Air roots are a side effect, and they help to prevent root rot and increase total root surface area, which ultimately increases the water exchange rate.
I have been doing this for the last few years and I didn't realize it wasn't common practice. I could whip up a simple pictorial by tonight, but I'm working on a compendium of growing information that should be done in a few days that will include all the info. Your original story makes me wonder, because a few years back I picked this up from an article somewhere. It was all about how Air-roots did wonders for plant vigor. I don't like placing pots or root mass above soil, so I started washing out the soil before I transplanted the roots. That technique I got from the hydro section of RIU for soil growers who wanted to go hydro.
Anyway, cannabis is in no way related to tomatoes, my cannabis is a much more woody plant regardless. I personally prefer water birthing to stem-rooting because it grows new roots faster. What makes more sense, roots taking a week to grow from a stem, or transplanting all the roots to the top of the pot so they can grow down again?