Winging It In Winter By The Window: Soil Auto Grow

[InTheShed]

I just use a scissors to cut some of the bottom edge off my clear cups:

If your cups won't cut, then hold a screwdriver over a lighter and melt holes in the bottom.

 

[BooWho2]

Next time maybe try melting some holes with a lighter. she is a beauty and because of that I wouldn't expect that she'll start flowering right at 21 days. Keep an eye on her. I don't see pistils in the pic above. Just watch her especially from 21 days and forward. If you recall my Wedding Cake, it started showing pistils on the second node down from the top and then they started showing higher and higher as each day passed. That is something I haven't taken the time to notice before so I'm assuming it always happened that way. She is gorgeous!

 

[Carmen Ray]

screwdriver over a lighter and melt holes in the bottom

Good point!

Next time maybe try melting some holes with a lighter.

Great minds!
I've just gone back to have another look at your young ones and I noticed that you up-potted the PUD to 1 Gal. That is equivalent to 3.785 L, and my up-pot was to 4 L, so similar. I looked for pistil pics of your Wedding Cake and didn't find them. Am I looking in the right place? Thank you for saying she is a beauty

 

[BooWho2]

Good point!

Great minds!

Hopefully @InTheShed and other mentors here would call me a good student.

I noticed that you up-potted the PUD to 1 Gal.

PUD is a photoperiod and I’m taking my sweet time with her. She’s just gorgeous. Let me see if I can find a good pic. It was very hard to see and I don’t think there was a super goo one. Gimme a few mins, I’m in the middle of canning.

 

[InTheShed]

Hopefully @InTheShed and other mentors here would call me a good student.

You're an even better teacher.

 

[Trala]

Hi Tra, I'm glad your shift was with a fun bunch. I hate the hairdressers... worse than dentist! I went through an entire summer with shit hair. I last had my short hair cut in September and the woman did such a terrible job. She was a new (to me) stylist and she clearly was horribly under-skilled. She gave me short back and sides with a feathered top... It will take several more months before it gets to anything that can be shaped by someone with skills! I hope you get a good sleep in after your long day zzzzzz
PS I have a wide mirror opposite my bed so I get the shock of my life every time I look in that direction

I love my hairdresser, he has amazing skills, top shelf gossip, these individually wrapped delicious bikkies, and omg he does that head massage thing for 2 whole songs. I was actually so relaxed yesterday I could have mouth dribbled. Side story, to my horror I am a relaxed mouth dribbler from waaaaay back. Carmen my advice, not that you asked… you need to find a male gay hairdresser.

I don’t meant to stereotype, because I’m sure it’s not “all”, but put it this way, I’ve never met a gay man who didn’t have a) an eye for fashion and b) have the ability to hide flaws through styling tricks.

I would find a way to travel to the sun if my hairdresser set up a salon there.

I don’t have one mirror in my bedroom, and that’s the way I want to keep it! Lolllll

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hopefully @InTheShed and other mentors here would call me a good student.

PUD is a photoperiod and I’m taking my sweet time with her. She’s just gorgeous. Let me see if I can find a good pic. It was very hard to see and I don’t think there was a super goo one. Gimme a few mins, I’m in the middle of canning.

Oh you know what, I remember reading that PUD was a photo... silly me. I saw your post about your Wedding Cake and you've done a great job of showing the topping process, thank you for sharing Boo. Now we can look forward to her flowering

You're an even better teacher.

You are two great mentors among a group of amazing mentors and I thank you all

I love my hairdresser, he has amazing skills, top shelf gossip, these individually wrapped delicious bikkies, and omg he does that head massage thing for 2 whole songs.

This sounds like bliss Tra. I do have a regular hairdresser. I was being cheap. He put his price up and I had to travel for an hour to get to him when I moved hoods, so I thought I'd give the local people a try lol.... bad idea. He's forgiven me and I will see him in a couple of months I reckon, soon as my hair has grown a bit.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hi folks. I have just bought this plant bending wire, but am afraid it is the wrong thing. It looks too thick. I am going to post a link to a different kind of wire and would be grateful if someone can tell me which one I must use. Or, can I twist pipe cleaners around the bbq sticks? I searched for plant wire and all I could find is this one.

 

[Stunger]

Hi folks. I have just bought this plant bending wire, but am afraid it is the wrong thing. It looks too thick. I am going to post a link to a different kind of wire and would be grateful if someone can tell me which one I must use. Or, can I twist pipe cleaners around the bbq sticks? I searched for plant wire and all I could find is this one.

I have found some of the thin plastic coated wire to be nasty on the plants by cutting into them. In future I will use something like what you are showing, where the wire has a thicker soft coating around it, whether as hooks or loops directly on the plant and the cheaper stuff connecting them to the pot rim. Looks fine to me.

 

[Azimuth]

Yep, that's the stuff. As long as you can bend it around the stake you'll be able to bend it into a hook for larger plant stems. And, as Stunger says, the narrower stuff can bite into your stems creating some damage.

I've used pipe cleaners and they work fine, but mine have sharp bits of metal sticking out which I assume is meant for cleaning out the gunk from a pipe stem, but those can stab into the plant stems as well.

 

[Jon]

Yup, a lot of folks use that exact stuff, you'll be fine with it. It does look a bit weird when the plant is small and just starting to get trained and you have these big loops all over the place, but it works like a dream. Personally I use the thinner stuff and mitigate the cutting aspect by making loops with lots of space around any stem they are hooked to, and making sure the plastic sits flat against the stem vs. on the sharper sides. I haven't ever had an issue, but these guys are right, it's better in this case to not do as Jon does.

 

[Melville Hobbes]

There are two kinds. One is thinner, but both work. The stuff you have there is the same as what I got yesterday. The difference is in how thick the rubber coating is, and for the plants thicker is better.

 

[Carmen Ray]

I have found some of the thin plastic coated wire to be nasty on the plants by cutting into them. In future I will use something like what you are showing, where the wire has a thicker soft coating around it, whether as hooks or loops directly on the plant and the cheaper stuff connecting them to the pot rim. Looks fine to me.

Yep, that's the stuff. As long as you can bend it around the stake you'll be able to bend it into a hook for larger plant stems. And, as Stunger says, the narrower stuff can bite into your stems creating some damage.

I've used pipe cleaners and they work fine, but mine have sharp bits of metal sticking out which I assume is meant for cleaning out the gunk from a pipe stem, but those can stab into the plant stems as well.

Thank you Stunger and Azi. I remember you saying you had trouble with wire cutting into your plants Stunger. I didn't even think about the sharp bits on the pipe cleaners, you are so right Azi.

Yup, a lot of folks use that exact stuff, you'll be fine with it. It does look a bit weird when the plant is small and just starting to get trained and you have these big loops all over the place, but it works like a dream. Personally I use the thinner stuff and mitigate the cutting aspect by making loops with lots of space around any stem they are hooked to, and making sure the plastic sits flat against the stem vs. on the sharper sides. I haven't ever had an issue, but these guys are right, it's better in this case to not do as Jon does.

Thanks Jon. I have a terrible tremor so delicate plant work is difficult for me unfortunately. I'm glad you raised the point of it looking weird next to the tiny little plant lol, and that you agree it is the right wire.

There are two kinds. One is thinner, but both work. The stuff you have there is the same as what I got yesterday. The difference is in how thick the rubber coating is, and for the plants thicker is better.

Awesome! Thank you for the confirmation Mel. I am finding that the bbq stick slips out of this thicker wire, and I wondered if the plant will pull free from the hook as a result, but you guys have allayed my concerns

 

[Melville Hobbes]

Thank you Stunger and Azi. I remember you saying you had trouble with wire cutting into your plants Stunger. I didn't even think about the sharp bits on the pipe cleaners, you are so right Azi.

Thanks Jon. I have a terrible tremor so delicate plant work is difficult for me unfortunately. I'm glad you raised the point of it looking weird next to the tiny little plant lol, and that you agree it is the right wire.

Awesome! Thank you for the confirmation Mel. I am finding that the bbq stick slips out of this thicker wire, and I wondered if the plant will pull free from the hook as a result, but you guys have allayed my concerns

It's just a matter of wrapping it as tightly as you can, although being able to adjust its position on the skewer can be useful.

 

[Azimuth]

If you find that the wire is too thick to grab the narrower stick, you could tie a prusik loop around the stake and hook into that.

The Prusik Loop is a climbing knot used to climb verticle ropes, but it will work on sticks like you have as long as the string or cord you use is thinner in diameter than the stick.

All you do is cut a short section of string or cord, tie the ends together, and then lay it flat against your stick. Then you wrap the loop around the stick and through the knot end a few times . Finally, you pull the loop itself to tighten the wrap down and now when you pull against the loop, either up or down, it tightens the wraps going around the rope or stick in your case, making for a pretty simple, but effective, sturdy connection point. When you release tension on the loop you'll be able to easily slide the whole thing up and down the stick making it completely adjustable.

So, how about that? Working a little bit of rope climbing into a grow thread and keeping it topical. Don't see that every day.

 

[Jon]

Thank you Stunger and Azi. I remember you saying you had trouble with wire cutting into your plants Stunger. I didn't even think about the sharp bits on the pipe cleaners, you are so right Azi.

Thanks Jon. I have a terrible tremor so delicate plant work is difficult for me unfortunately. I'm glad you raised the point of it looking weird next to the tiny little plant lol, and that you agree it is the right wire.

Awesome! Thank you for the confirmation Mel. I am finding that the bbq stick slips out of this thicker wire, and I wondered if the plant will pull free from the hook as a result, but you guys have allayed my concerns

As Mel said, you wrap it as tightly as possible around the stick. But save your self some hassle and do what I do and simply use a small piece of duct tape and wrap it around where you wrap the wire to the stick. It'll stay forever.
*Just a suggestion!!*

 

[Azimuth]

As Mel said, you wrap it as tightly as possible around the stick. But save your self some hassle and do what I do and simply use a small piece of duct tape and wrap it around where you wrap the wire to the stick. It'll stay forever.
*Just a suggestion!!*

Or that...

 

[Jon]

Or that...

I do like your climbing rope knot technique Azi, I was just offering a slightly easier method. Were/are you a climber by chance? Ever mount El Capitan?

 

[Azimuth]

I do like your climbing rope knot technique Azi, I was just offering a slightly easier method. Were/are you a climber by chance? Ever mount El Capitan?

Well, easier, but certainly less fun.

But, no. Not a climber. I do like to tie knots though. I've got a few GoTo's that I use alot.

 

[Carmen Ray]

duct tape

Excellent suggestion. I love the ease of duct tape solutions.

If you find that the wire is too thick to grab the narrower stick, you could tie a prusik loop around the stake and hook into that.

The Prusik Loop is a climbing knot used to climb verticle ropes, but it will work on sticks like you have as long as the string or cord you use is thinner in diameter than the stick.

All you do is cut a short section of string or cord, tie the ends together, and then lay it flat against your stick. Then you wrap the loop around the stick and through the knot end a few times . Finally, you pull the loop itself to tighten the wrap down and now when you pull against the loop, either up or down, it tightens the wraps going around the rope or stick in your case, making for a pretty simply but effective sturdy connection point. When you release tension on the loop you'll be able to easily slide the whole thing up and down the stick making it completely adjustable.

So, how about that? Working a little bit of rope climbing into a grow thread and keeping it topical. Don't see that every day.

I love this idea too! I'm a visual learner so I found a Youtube video showing how it's done I will attempt this. I like that is creates a movable hooking point.

Thanks guys