Always check the root-mass!
After lots of pondering staring at plants trying to decode the holy grail of growing techniques for that extra terp or extra yield as seems to be the main drive. . but how many stare at the end product of flower scratching their heads pondering what went wrong with the plant, where could i have done better?
Well it it an area many miss and probably the moat important as it gives a great amount of knowledge upon closer inspection. Roots are a time line of a plants growth, following from stem down we can see the growth during both small/medium veg pots through to the bigger final pot.
Looking from the top the root-mass had a great amount of growth and this I put down to pruning the roots on all cuttings 3 times before transplanting into pots. this stimulates quick fine root growth.
The plan was then transplanted to a bigger pot and the substrate was loosened allowing more quick root growth before making its way into a larger pot.. at this time the plant was under stress training and you can see the roots spent the energy to pile down to the bottom of the substrate in search of water/feed.
between both layers there is clearly a large gap of substrate left not used up by the root growth. this poses a problem with salts building up and potentially causing a lockout in availability for the plant to uptake minerals needed resulting in sick plants and often lower yields.
So how can we encourage the correct even growth of roots and what caused the roots to bypass the virgin substrate? The plants are top fed and the drainage was at the correct amount so what was causing it?
Well.. timing and volume are key words.. when i see the roots bypass the good soil to toe bottom it shows the plant rushed to the bottom before flower took hold. a plants chemistry changes and hormones are released to signal change in the growth of the plant including the roots. once flower is set the hormones that promote growth move from the base of the plant into the stem and then the flower and fan/sugar leaves.
You may notice the stem will swell at this stage and thos is a sign that your plants hormones have started to shift up the plant. . at this stage the plant will have slowed significantly in growing roots to now produce its flowers ready for pollination.
So what does the plant tell me that i can translate into root growth. . well, the plant its self will grow bushy in harmony with roots growing.. when ypu get the stratch start then the roots will start to slow.. having transplanted the week prior with minimal root shock should see the plant recover and still have time to veg into its bigger environment before slowing the plant with flowing light times.
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