Extended season starting trees indoors

[cmeg1]

why you are not growing trees hydroponically? I mean, what do you need with media? Why do you want to use media?

Yea...media is DTW hydro(drain to waste).
No that’s cool.I mean Pot growers are growers too in my vision.Black market sucks....Growing marijuana would have to be legal and pay extremely good AND be very little time involved if I were to grow it for income.........I tell myself frequently “will stick with the bonsai business because it makes me happier”
I just like Dutch Hydro.....my trees always died before✌
thanks for the compliment....This is certainly interesting science.....I for one totally enjoy this plant sciences
Definition of hydroponics

: the growing of plants in nutrient solutions with or without an inert medium (such as soil) to provide mechanical support

 

[cmeg1]

All I have learned was time invested by German scientists and in Holland or Dutch government about 20 years ago....I paid for my instruction.....This is Dutch Hydroponics.......the savior of all strawberry and cucumber crops from grey mold and downey mildew simply by increasing calcium intake with amino acids...then the humic acids...kelp....biostimulants.....then incorperated from annual and perenial crops to deciduous trees and evergreens by CMBONSAI

 

[cmeg1]

You seem to be on a bent of pot grower turns to the nursery/bonsai trade

Or nursery trade goes to pot grower

Scotts to buy hydroponic distributor for $450M, boosting cannabis reach

Scotts Miracle-Gro said it agreed to buy the nation’s largest hydroponic distributor for $450 million, a deal that will bolster the U.S. lawn and garden care giant’s position in the ancillary cannabis business. Scotts said the purchase of Vancouver, Washington-based Sunlight Supply will boost...

mjbizdaily.com

 

[cmeg1]

Sometimes I wonder about all this.....Scotts Miracle Grow or hawthorne supply or whatever they are need to sell a ph kit or tds meters or something and show they give a hoot ...instead they own manzanto or whatever.....ortho? Pesticide...fungicide.....oh and one of the most prestigous hydro brands around Botanicare( plant growth science excellance) they just care for $$$$$$$ it seems.
I guess you can dump blue juice on your veggies.......grow so fast they are disgusting.Extremely low suger content....watery....pest and disease magnets.

I just try not to see this.

I am all about Dutch hydroponics and will keep posting the experiments.

 

[cmeg1]

New media update

Ok lowered portion of course vermiculite down to 25% vermiculite/ 75% #2 perlite.
I just potted a couple Chinese Elm into it this morning

This seems about perfect as it actually bonds the media a bit more together. Any more than this could be overkill in a hydro environment.
I like it!!
A bit more CEC for nutrient availability.

I noticed trees I mixed in some stonewool cubes actually seem more robust and green outdoors.
With bigger plants there is really no reason I could not add more vermiculite.

 

[cmeg1]

will be supplimenting UV light in a few days

Seems can benefit sun loving plants.Got to be careful with pure uv bulbs though.

AgroMax Pure UV T5 Bulb – AgroMax

www.growagromax.com

 

[cmeg1]

will be potting the winter Big Mikawa crop of JBP seedling cuttings.

I checked about 25 of them a few days ago and 80-90% had good rooting.So I fertilized along with bio-stimulants and here we are 4 days later.They are all anchored in the media,,so must be rooting.I put some domes on and opened the vents and into the tent off to the side.Takes about 7 days to acclimate to humidity and temperature and stronger light.I will give root starter whilst in the trays in the meen time.
These will grow all winter and be huge in spring for sale.

While rooting I gave 1/4 strength doses of 5:2 fulvic/kelp foliar and also into media every 4 days when there was callusing.Looks they have exploded in roots and have very nice color!!!
Seems when you get most rooting it is very beneficial to fertilize lightly with clonex at least....gets them green and rooting strong with no deficiencies.
Over 200 of them in the trays!!!

 

[cmeg1]

Cryptomeria Japonica seedling cuttings update!!!

29days!!!
Not bad considering no bottom heat.Same time as my JBP.
Some of these are tiny tiny and some are good size.
What is cool is that they send roots right from bottom of needles!!!!! More so than my pines even.
Will be potted into better soil in about a week...either singly or in another tray since they grow slowly.

 

[cmeg1]

My PURE UV t5 arrived today

I am being super cautious.These can kill plants.
So the mid 4 hrs of my 18 hr light cycle @3 minutes per/hr.One of these does a 6x6 area I have been told.And really should be 3’ away from plants.
Mimics uv of high sun and can slowly increase to maybe @ 5-10 minutes per/hr of middle 4-8 hrs of my cycle.
These have been shown to increase photosynthesis and all brix related mechanisms if used properly and not overdone.
Will totally off your plants if used incorrectly and overdone....... very dangerous to work with!!!!!!
Never ever have on when looking into tent.Pure uv light ....75% uvb 25% uva.

This really is most economical way to introduce uv to your indoor grow.Any more expensive and it is really not worth the trouble as they do fine without till’ they get outside.

 

[0soyoung]

And you can use them in your tanning bed when the plants aren't - how cool!

 

[cmeg1]

And you can use them in your tanning bed when the plants aren't - how cool!

Not sure though......UVB !!!
I hear it rearranges dna or something

 

[cmeg1]

This crop of JBP SEEDLING CUTTINGS lookin’ especially good!

Perhaps it is the massive roots on these from the start.I try to give best conditions for optimal rooting at a very early stage.Like nutrients before uprooting out of the propogater and during the week of settling into light and conditions I start extra phospherous....all before being potted out of tray.....makes huge differance!!
Get roots like these.....over 80% success!!
Then the 3 weeks of low nitrogen /extra mono ammonium phosphate.To get roots taking the lead in growth!

 

[cmeg1]

Here they are this evening

Will be shipping October 5th.
These have literally bursted into growth in two days.
Another week will improve them for sure.
The first picture is an all time record of 10 shoots
on this little start.Awesome stuff!
I am also VERY CAUTIOUSLY supplimenting UVB/UVA light....already see a change in the deciduous.......can maybe detect in pines too at just 3 days use @4 min per/hr for 5 hrs of mid lighting cycle.......extremely powerful pure uv t5!!!

 

[cmeg1]

The pure uv results already showing on the deciduous.Maybe pines too

This is good.Many indoor growers use these lights to harden up their plants befor putting outside by just giving 5 minutes of this particular brand uv light only TWICE!!!!!
Leaves are getting the look of outside growth you see on elm their 2nd season.Only @4 min per/hr for only 5 hrs in mid cycle.

Also unrelated to the light is this trunk is already starting to thicken and all the bare bottom branches are budding out strong.....Will have to keep at least one of these growing through winter.
Had massive roots too when potted.

 

[cmeg1]

Mikawa’s lookin’ right.

100% success with these.Was able to pot about 40 last night.Every last one was a nice keeper.
About 20 more in the tray...will do in the morning.Then another 120 or so in a couple more trays!!!
Whatever I have no room for in a few mnths when I up-pot these will get packed in a refridgerater till’ I do have room.Should have big Mikawa’s several times throughout next season.
These are my pride and joy this whole Winter season!!!
The secret to rooting these is go a bit overboard with the fulvic/kelp foliar feeding.every 3-5 days in pre-cutting stage with a half strength 5:2 ratio.....1/16tsp fulvic acid powder:::::1/32tsp kelp powder. + 1/64tsp yucca powder surfectant & use an atomizing hairdresser type spray bottle.Foliar ph is 6.2-7.0 whereas media solution ph is 5.8-6.4
What it takes to get the foliar feed to adhere to young needles like dew in the morning.
Every 3-5 days on a deciduous leaf would scortch for sure,but the young pine can handle more only pre-cutting stage..........every 7-10 days after or will burn slightly and make yellow needles.

And of course a 1:1 nitrogen to potassium ratio fertilizer at about .4 EC. with good veg light to get pumped quickly during pre-cut stage.Also take cuttings at end of light cycle and 2 hrs after a saturating watering.Will be way more photosynthetically pumped after a day of light and be a much stronger cutting in general(excellent tip)!!!

bottom heat set at 78f. And water in the fulvic acid/kelp starting when you see callous forming not before.
That is the secret too.....makes that callous pop serious roots.Also keep callous tissue moist and do not let dry from bottom heat....like moisture every 3-5 days on that callous(fulvic/kelp).
Dipp& grow @ 10x strength for 5 minutes dip to make cuttings initially.
Into grade #2 perlite in a low dome with some water in bottom tray for super humidity...also shredded orchid moss in top 1” @. 50/50 with the perlite. Then a single t5 right down the middle very close to the low dome like an inch away.
There you have it.

 

[cmeg1]

Aeroponic chinese elm coming along....wire time I guess.

So what do you think? Classic S shape?
Honestly considering it!
These are nice looking indoors.Good to see some low branches taking over and extending.After enough branches stretch out they thicken the trunk without gaining heighth that much....good ole co2.

 

[MrWunderful]

Cut back to first branch for another few years for shohin sumo informal upright

 

[cmeg1]

Shaped the aeroponic Chinese Elms!!!

Must admit,this is quite fun.Its cool shaping a tree that grows particularly fast anyways and then put it on co2 fertilization
Made a kind of informal S shape on one.
Then made a couple Raft type shapes.Or perhaps a semi-cascade.Pretty awesome if you ask me!
Wonder how big they’ll be by Spring.Will have to put in a box by then and hopefully 6 foot tall sacrifice leaders to start the grow season outdoors!!!!!!
Or maybe inside if there is room

 

[cmeg1]

Agromax pure uv t5 update.
I have increased duration to 5 minutes per hour @ the middle 8 hrs of my light cycle(18 on/6 off).
2-3 feet away from plants.
So I read that plastic coated reflectors like the mylar reflector on my fixture actually absorb the uvb a lot.I read that the best uv reflection is from good ole’ tin foil...even crinkled up a tad.So I put a piece on the lights( one in each tent).
Instantly seeing effects in the Chinese Elm leaves.
Getting a nice purple hugh to the leaf edges such as outdoor elms seedlings in full sun I see all the time.
Definitelty looking higher brix too.I am totally into this kind of stuff!
Increased calcium,photosynthesis and all other important plant functions.
Chinese Elm are extra nice in a grow tent...seem to totally enjoy the long light cycle.
Betcha’ these will be super compact eventually.
That is actually the highest brix elm leaf I’ve ever seen in my life and this only just begun.This is the plant form of suntan from uvb......scientists agree this is the effect of uvb on plants......more terps,lipids,essential oils and hardiness and carbs in the plant....awesome!

 

[cmeg1]

100% succes with Mikawa seedling cuttings

I’m getting good at these seedling cuttings.
My first attempt yeilded 30% at best.
This first tray of 63 seedlings all had abundant rooting....two more trays to go....that means about 180 seedling cuttings.I am expecting the high success rate to continue.Gotta’ love it.

Also this crop of standard JBP that are complete looks nice...may be the uv....not sure.
Growing at very high rate now as far as maturing.
Besides a few yellow tips they are great branching.
Too much co2 in the early stages yellowed a few needles.I have deduced that 1000 ppm is perfect.
No need for 1300-1500 really....as there will be unessesary spikes at times and burn a bit of green.
Some of the best branching yet on this crop!!

Will store the excess mikawa in a small refridgerator ,so to have a steady supply of bigger ones next season.At least three nice size crops.
Only 50 or so will fit in the grow when they get beyond 3 mnths.Will cram 130 or so little ones in a fridge for later