Extended season starting trees indoors

[cmeg1]

After you pull the trees up out of their containers and the roots are exposed, is there a thought process with how you place the roots when you put them in their next container? Are you spreading them out flat?

I opt for density of roots at this stage in a Rootpouch rather than get critical since they grow out and trunk will change alot and morphs into something totally different really.

 

[cmeg1]

thanks everyone for update photos!!!

Here are loads of cuttings photos from today
My new thing is cutting these really low now and I am pleased with the results I’m getting.

 

[cmeg1]

Having fun...could not resist this


This one attracted me .....and with the arrival of warmer days and higher sun with Spring in the air.....Goin’ to see how a mini comes along......why not really? They develop so fast.
Straight into a glazed pot.

 

[cmeg1]

Light recipe’s/pine seedling cuttings

So have been tinkering with light intensity and increasing blue light especially.
I have banked down the white light(full spectrum)to motherplant strength of about 200-300 ppfd.Where growth crawls ,but plants photosynthesize.I then banked up the blue to about 250-300 ppfd and the total sensor reading is between 500-650 ppfd.You would think the full spectrum white light governs the intensity the most(as far as guaging goes for different plant stages)......so,that is my method for now to keep these in motherplant stage and gain energy and essentially be young photosynthestic machines without much growth.Also an EC @ .4(very mild seedling strength).
I like this approach so as to restrict the initial growth period to a later time ,while for now just building low buds from the kelp foliar feeding and really increasing chlorophyl production to the max......and hopefully rooting.
When I put them outside I would like to see an abundance of lower shoots grow out......hopefully more.

CHECK THIS.....3/4” tall and setting a terminal bud already.

Seems the only way to experiment is to do it.

The light seems really blue with an iphone......next photo I will turn the supplimental lighting off.
Using 8 of these deep blue lights for a total of 200watts......not bad really.

THESE ARE ONLY GROWING IN TENT 3 weeks!!! So about 7weeks from seedling cutting stem.

 

[cmeg1]

EXPERIMENTS IN ROCKWOOL


I had to see what this was about.Actually for reduced watering possibilities/ease.Apparently can get by with just misting the tops of these blocks for a couple days or more...wahooooo!!!
The stonewool will hardly be a problem to remove once these are grown out to 1” thick trunks or more ........status.
Ph’d in 5.5 water then flushed with nutrient.3” blocks air prune out the bottom.I uprooted a few seedling cuttings from the tray and potted up.Also did my mini pine.

I often find that under-watering is WAAYYYY more detrimental than overwatering in a hydroponic media.Completely f*^cks up the growth.

 

[JeffS73]

Wow Curtis, I love how far you've taken this, results are singing now!

 

[win320]

This is great Curtis, You have taken a very scientific approach with trying all the parameters with great results. truly inspiring to achieve perfect healthy seedlings indoor. thanks for sharing

 

[cmeg1]

Thanks @JeffS73 @win320
I am considering rooting in the Grodan 2x2 mini cubes since I get 100% rooting all the time.And just grow in them to good stature.I can see the tops of the cutting to make sure they are full rooted all around.

Just sewn 6 trays of seed(about 300-400 cuttings respectively).

 

[cmeg1]

The young plants looking vibrant

Everything getting dialed in pretty good.Nice slow growth for the moment.Leaves have nice,vibrant appearence.Buds poppin’ on 3” plants (chaenomeles).Need to source some wholesale chaenomeles seed.
I kind of dig this approach .......something to be said for slower growth sometimes.

These pines are remarkably different than I have ever produced. Very dwarf aspect,but healthy non-the-less.We will see how lower branching goes as they get older.
.4 EC on everything with lots of fulvic acid for ion absorption.Low salt/more water since the fulvic acid and RO (pure) water combination.Some great stuff.

 

[Lumaca]

EXPERIMENTS IN ROCKWOOL


I had to see what this was about.Actually for reduced watering possibilities/ease.Apparently can get by with just misting the tops of these blocks for a couple days or more...wahooooo!!!
The stonewool will hardly be a problem to remove once these are grown out to 1” thick trunks or more ........status.
Ph’d in 5.5 water then flushed with nutrient.3” blocks air prune out the bottom.I uprooted a few seedling cuttings from the tray and potted up.Also did my mini pine.

I often find that under-watering is WAAYYYY more detrimental than overwatering in a hydroponic media.Completely f*^cks up the growth.
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May I know how you plan to remove the rockwool from the roots? I've tried rockwool with some hydroponic herbs and when I decided I wanted to move them to soil, I had to shred the rockwool and even then I lost a lot of roots.

 

[cmeg1]

May I know how you plan to remove the rockwool from the roots? I've tried rockwool with some hydroponic herbs and when I decided I wanted to move them to soil, I had to shred the rockwool and even then I lost a lot of roots.

More of a long term growth option for me.The 3” blocks ar not good for making smaller bonsai.The 1.5” or 2” mini cubes though are suddenly more appealing to me.I may start using them for all seedling cutting starts.I do not see a 2” stonewool cube getting in the way of an ultimately grown out 2” or larger truck.....just pluck it out with tweezers I guess.

The 3” blocks could be remarkable in colanders.
Water conservation!!!
The trunk will eventually get at least 2/3 size of block.Would a bit of stonewool be a problem?
I did wonder about that too and concluded not so.Although I have deduced the 2” mini blocks are best for my purpose.I get 100% rooting of JBP seedling cuttings,why not root them in 2” Rockwool mini blocks.

As a grower I am in love with the water consevation fact($$$$$ also).
One deep watering and then about 2-3 days of lite misting of the top of the block
I will say the blocks are quite cool inside and the roots are extremely aerated and seem to be loving it.
Growing these out to supersede the stonewool block is the way to go it seems.
These cuttings stay quite happy in a 2” block and even air-prune out of the bottoms........it is just too good.
These are experiments.And also I would have to say no soil in these plants future.
I will conduct a 3” block into colander experiment.Water conservation is quite the issue in colanders.Can even be two steps back.
Seems a stonewool block would help consideralbly.

 

[cmeg1]

KOREAN HORNBEAM ( coreana).

Forgo’d any air-layering in hopes for just some good initial rooting at the start.I am pleased with these.If I take my time I should get some good rootballs since the tray is lined in rooting fabric.I removed the tap-roots.
I am utilizing the Grodan Cubes 1/4” for media.
I must say I am liking this approach.WATER EVERY THREE DAYS!!! Lol

Just a lite misting once a day otherwise.I’m in hydro vacation mode now.
Must admit the media seems great for roots.Almost the aeration of a root that grows out the bottom of a bonsai pot and they always seem so happy.Stays cool and shady-moist too under the cubes.Definately want good rooting ,so will continue the slow growing method.

Overall a nice planting.Will add the Chaenomeles to the tray tomorrow or next day.68 Korean Hornbeams from 10 yrs old seed I might add!!!
Used the whole tray.

 

[cmeg1]

Chaenomeles Japonica from seed

I added the Quince seedlings to the grow tray.I need to get a wholesale supply for this seed.They look great and root very abundantly.

 

[Carol 83]

Chaenomeles Japonica from seed

I added the Quince seedlings to the grow tray.I need to get a wholesale supply for this seed.They look great and root very abundantly.
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Are you going to be selling these?

 

[cmeg1]

Are you going to be selling these?

Yes! Thanks
Do you want on notification list,Carol?
Just seedlings.Should be short and stocky though.

 

[Carol 83]

Yes! Thanks
Do you want on notification list,Carol?
Just seedlings.Should be short and stocky though.

Yep, thanks.

 

[cmeg1]

seedling cuttings looking right/mikawa’s too

These are only about 7 weeks the small cuttings,so half their age to sellable....should look mighty nice by then.Starting to show signs of lower branching....we’ll see.
Definately of a more dwarf status and quite thick leaves too.Blue light definately leaves a mark on these for sure.
Mikawa’s getting quite big.I cannot wait to set outside at least a few weeks before sale.
I was feeding Mikawa’s quite heavily,but decided to ease down to a maintanance feed and let them take in the water.I will increase maybe in Spring.

 

[kale]

Nice! Been meaning to ask, is mikawa a different variety than what I got from you last spring?

 

[cmeg1]

Nice! Been meaning to ask, is mikawa a different variety than what I got from you last spring?

Slightly different in some ways....here is what Peter had to say:

Mikawa Black Pines?

One of my blog readers emailed me a question: “I’d like to learn the difference between regular JBP and Mikawa JBP?” I thought it was a really good question because I didn’…

www.google.com

 

[cmeg1]

FULVIC ACID ROCKS!!! FOR NUTRIENT UPTAKE!!!!

Using RO water at about 10 ppm.
I reduced my fertilizer down to 1.0 EC *** only***(500 ppm)!! Omitted the Humic Acid for all Fulvic Acid ( used to go 50/50) and also increased to maximum dosage at 1/4 tsp pr/gl.
Hence increased the kelp also to maintain the 5:2 ratio of humic acid/kelp.HAVE TO PROVIDE A POTASSIUM SUPPLIMENT WHEN PLANTS ARE BUDDING IN INTENSE GROWTH(co2,led’s) when using little base npk like this for such mature plants.
I also add 1/4 tsp of B1 crystals w/ magnesium sulphate.Puts plants on high alert to repair damage as soon as it happens.
Fulvic acid is an organic chelator.....much more complete and efficient than the EDTA’s and the like as the Organic Fulvic Chelate enters the plant ion channel in whole ....along with the mineral ion it carries.And Fulvic Acid alone is a storehouse of mineral( see the paper below).

Anyway the plant can drink water much more efficiently with lower salts,but still maintain proper health.
The plants instantly greened up and look quite hydrated too.
Along with the kelp there is lots of minerals like calcium and iron(see papers in picture).

https://www.gchydro.com/pdf/GreenCoast%20Hydroponics-IS-NUT-0413-The%20Science%20Behind%20Chelates.pdf