The Church another up date- 24/4/10

[Guest guest]

I nipped this Plant about 1 week ago; it is less than one month old. The leaves are showing the first signs of over watering; I cut back on the water, and now she is really greening up, as the top picture shows, where I nipped her last week.

These are updated pictures(3 weeks later from the first pictures I posted) of my Church plants, taken on the 17.4.2010, which includes 3 Church plants and a white rhino. The large Church plant is 5 weeks old and the youngest is a few days short of 4 weeks old. I have them in a new hydro medium called Fytocell, and the plants are loving it. It is made in Australia, and with this new medium I do not need a pump. I feed my plants a mixture of chemical and organic fertilizers, with a EC of around 1.7(depending on how they look, I mix the fertilizers accounding to what minerals they need and adjust the E.C. accordingly) and ph at 5.5. With this new medium I only need to water every 2 days or so, even if using a pump. I also use benificial bacteria. Here is some more information on fytocell:

Is Fytocell for Hydroponics?

Fytocell has been developed to be used as 100% hydroponic growing media on its own, but can be mixed with perlite, rockwool, coir and even clay balls.

What systems can I use Fytocell in?

Fytocell will work well in a dripper or hand watered run to waste system.

Will Fytocell work in a recirculating system?

Absolutely. Either in a dripper, or flood & drain recirculating system.

Do I need to prepare Fytocell for planting?

Ideally yes. It does not matter whether you are running to waste or recirculating, it is best to run just water through the system for 24 hours. At the end of this period dump this water and start with a 1/4 or 1/2 strength nutrient solution.

Should I saturate Fytocell before starting?

If you are not going to flush the system as above, you will need to saturate the Fytocell with water in the bag for 24 hours. This also stops Fytocell being too fluffy.

Do I need to pH adjust Fytocell?

No. Fytocell comes already pH adjusted between, 5.5 – 7.0

Does Fytocell have any nutritional value?

No

When using a recirculating system, do I need to do anything different?

Fytocell has a combination of particle sizes. It is best to place a pot sock or a stocking in your pot to stop these fines. In addition, it is better if you can place a filter over your pump intake. With recirculating for 24 hours you will greatly reduce the amount of fines.

How do I plant the advanced plant into a pot of Fytocell?

Most advanced plants are grown in rockwool cubes / blocks or FytoClone. With rockwool it is very important that you place the cube/block on top of the Fytocell or only slightly into it, ie 5 mm.

Why sit the advanced plant rockwool block on top?

If the top of the rockwool block is planted flush with the top of the Fytocell, it can not self regulate its water / air content. As Fytocell holds up to 60% water and after that releases excess water, it gives this excess to the rockwool. The root environment of the young plant becomes too wet with very little air. Creating an anaerobic situation and the young plant will die quickly.

What irrigation regime do I use in the first 0-14 days after planting the advanced plant?

Much depends on your environment, but because Fytocell holds a large amount of water you are better to water slightly less for this period. If the Fytocell starts to dry out you can slowly increase the amount of water either by volume per cycle or the number cycles.

What irrigation regime should I use in a dripper system after 14 days?

Fytocell is very flexible because it holds a lot of water and air, but still flushes and drains well.

Anyone switching from rockwool should not have to change a thing. The old adage little and often works well.

Switching from coir. After the initial 14 day period and as the roots get down into the Fytocell, Fytocell is far more tolerant to greater amounts of water than coir.

Switching from clay balls and perlite is a bit more dramatic. They both hold less water and so they are watered more often.

In summary Fytocell can be watered a range of ways from once every 1-2 days to a number of small waterings throughout the day. Fytocell does not require a large volume of water 3 - 4 or more times a day, all things being equal regarding, environment, pot and plant size.

What irrigation regime should I use in a flood & drain system after 14 days?

Fytocell is a denser product than either clay balls or rockwool. This means Fytocell relies on capillary action to move the water upwards. You may have to initially flood the tray for longer and to a higher level. However you will probably only have to do this once per day. Always pull back on the watering initially. You can always increase it if necessary.

How can I expect plants to grow and look in Fytocell?

The initial 0-14 days the plant may look like it is sitting still. In this time the plant is furiously putting roots down into the Fytocell. You then see the plant explode in growth.

Fytocell Qualities

Physical

The air / water ratio in Fytocell is unique with approximately 37- 40% being air and 57- 60% water. The remaining 3% is dry / solid matter and unpenetrable. This means there is almost no barrier to root growth in a physical sense.

Temperature Heat/Cool

Many substrates / medias hold either an excessive amount of air or water, but not reasonable quantities of both. As Fytocell holds this 57% water it acts as a great insulator under warm conditions, slower to heat up during the day and once warm offering some heat in the evening. Air is very quick to either heat up or cool down.

This is also why when using Fytocell and FytoClone under cool conditions that you must provide some kind of artificial heat. Due to the fact that moisture content is good at approx 60%, if the air temperature is very cold the water will become cool over time and therefore is also slower to warm up.

Moisture

The ability of Fytocell to hold water is very good. Due to this fact Fytocell can be watered slightly differently than many media. This can be done in either small irrigations, at a regular interval, or a larger irrigation perhaps as little as once per day or even 2-3 days.

Plant Available Water

Fytocell while containing good ratios of air and water has no problem in giving what water it does have, to the roots’ as they require it. For example a 10L or 2.3 gal pot saturated, holds approximately 5L or 1.2gal of water. In experiments, plants have been able to stay green and grow in these pots even to the point where there is not even a drop of water left in the Fytocell. There is of course some stress, but there is no other media that does this.

The plant available water abilities of Fytocell are amazing.

Capillary Action

Fytocell has excellent capillary action. It takes up water both vertically and horizontally. A pot with holes in the bottom, filled with Fytocell, will draw water upwards approximately 15cm or 6 inches. This water will move at an even level up through the pot. It will not saturate to a percentage higher than approximately 60% by volume when drawing water from below.

Drainage

Fytocell drains by gravity. As long as the water/nutrient solution has some where to drain to, it will never hold more that approximately 60% moisture by volume.

If Fytocell is watered too much, and too often, you may not allow enough time for Fytocell to gravity drain.

Cation Exchange

Fytocell has a low cation exchange ability, which means it flushes salt build up easily.

Fytocell Flakes

Part of the success of Fytocell is it’s large air component. Therefore when placing the saturated Flakes in the pot do not compress these down. This does mean over time there may be some natural slumpage, but this will have no effect on the established plant. If you want to you can top up the pot.

Fytocell Slabs

These are not as robust as some other media types, however this has absolutely no bearing on Fytocells’ great performance. If the slabs break, just manually push them back together. Due to the way Fytocell holds air/water and it’s great capillary action

These cracks/breaks do NOT cause a problem.

FytoClone

Do not over water and keep in a warm position. Preferably on a heat pad

Update the 21/4/2010,

Enclosed is some updated pictures of my Church plants. I have enclose a ruler to show the size of these plants. The large plant is averaging a growth rate of around 2 inches a day.

happy growing,

Re: . The Church - updated 24/4/

I have enclosed some more pictures of my Church plants so you can see the amazing rate of growth I am getting.

See photos as a rely at te bottom of this post.

happy growng.

[Guest superbluehaze]

My boast is that I do not grow plants, I grow trees. Only time will tell if I can live up to that boast.

[Guest superbluehaze]

thanks for having a look, my friend.

Happy growing

[Guest superbluehaze]

I have enclosed some more pictures of my Church plants so you can see the amazing rate of growth I am getting.

The main reasons for this rapid growth, which is near 2 inches a day are: firstly, the plants have passed the early seedling stage and are starting to enter rapid vegetative growth; secondly, the medium I use is ideal for hydroponics, Thirdly, each pot(which is 52 liters or around 13 gallons) has an air stone in it connected to an air pump, which pumps air to the root zone. Just as a flowers should not be picked before their time, a plant should not be sent into flower too early, as it takes the seedling time to build up a root system and branches and to show its phenotype, which these plants are standing to show. With the chance to express their phenotype, the plants are now showing their true potential. I will flower them when they are around 8 to 9 weeks old. Moreover, potency is genetically determined, but the older a plant is, the best change it has to truly express its genotype and reach its full genetic potential, which included flavor and potency.

I use a mixture of organic and chemical fertilizers. I use the full range of Cyco nutrients; plus Organix, Harvest which is totally organic, and contains fish, seaweed and Fulvic acid. I also use Rhizotonic and superthrive

. My ph ranges from 5,6 to 6.4 depending on whether te plans need nitrogen or at the higher end of the scale phosphorus and potassium. Depending on what the plants need I either mix the organic and chemical fertilizers or else use them alone, and alternate between them. I use chemicals for rapid growth and organics for flavor and smell. Also I feel the plants like a variety of nutrients.

The 4 plants are under a 600 watt halide, with a digital ballast. here are the pictures,

this is my oldest Church plant which is now 5 weeks old,

you will notice that the bottom branches have been pruned, and the plant opened up at the top :

Another view of her, from the top with a 12 inch rule for scale:

and another of her:

This is my second oldest Church plant(4 weeks old):

and last my 3rd Church plant, which is just over 21 days old:

and here is a couple of my 4 plants together:

well that is it for now, but will update in a day or two;

happy growing

[Guest superbluehaze]

I will veg them until the youngest plant is around 8 weeks old

. I am aiming at a yield from each plant in the range from 4 to 8 ounces, so each plant must have time to build a strong root system and stem as well as branches, and be physiologically mature. Each plant will have to be well into the rapid veg cycle. It takes a seedling around 5 weeks to enter the first stage of rapid vegetative growth. happy growing, and many bountiful harvests