Indoor Beds For Flowering

[kindfolk]

I have recently been introduced to flowering in "hot mix" beds

I know a couple of guys that are using them with good results

also I hook my pops up with my used soil mix and build 4'x 20'beds for his vegetable gardens

I'm also a fan of Mel Barthalamew's(sp?) square foot gardening so I'm interested

not being one to "jump on the bandwagon" I thought I would give them a shot right along side of my traditional 16" 5 gallon potsto give them a fair shot

instead of one big bed like my friends I am doing 5'x4'x1' beds and trying different strains in them

so far they are doing well but not necessarily better than my proven method

has anyone tried growing in beds?

KF

[trichcycler]

I did, liked the end result, but the growing style didnt suit me. shallow wide worked surprisingly well . I used some 3x3 plastic tray, maybe 6 inches of soil, 2/3/4/5 plants worked very well. bushy and tall.

[kindfolk]

hey grass

did you plant all the same strain in the beds?

if not, did they all play well together?

I personally dont like not having the girls in individual pots

I can see it as a lazy hippie method but I'm too hands on and want to have more control of individuals

KF

[t-pain]

i remember dirt growing the rule is bigger pot equals bigger plant.

 

so yeah a tub or raised bed will be LARGE!

 

add in earthworms, shredded leaves, biochar, rock dust, myco, companion plants... you're set.

[Indigro]

hey grass

did you plant all the same strain in the beds?

if not, did they all play well together?

I personally dont like not having the girls in individual pots

I can see it as a lazy hippie method but I'm too hands on and want to have more control of individuals

KF

Iv got a buddy that did/does this... Well its been a while since iv seen him but am guessing hes still doing it.

 

From the two times iv been there it seems that some plants are stunted while others r doing well, it never appears to be a full canopy if u will.

 

I remember seeing something on a nature or sci show several years ago where they found that plants compete w one another in the root zone, but found that plants of the same genetic stock (think they were talking cuttings?) would respect eachother's need for root area. Dont know if this factored into his canopy issues, or if that it was an issue w fixed plants to fixed areas, where some just grew faster/more robust in general.

[trichcycler]

hey grass

did you plant all the same strain in the beds?

if not, did they all play well together?

I personally dont like not having the girls in individual pots

I can see it as a lazy hippie method but I'm too hands on and want to have more control of individuals

KF

I did both, same and differing strains, no difference,

too much dirt, harvest times, weight of tray, ergonomics, perpetual harvesting.....all reasons I did not continue, was just an experiment.

I've put five plants in the same five pail with no issues, except smaller yield.

[t-pain]

think about it this way... do plants live alone , all by themselves in nature? yes/no?

 

plants do live together , share dirt, intermingle roots. heck they can even share food/supply using roots only! thats what mycorhyzza does!

 

i dont know who started the "plants must be kept in separate pots" thing, but it sure has taken hold.

 

root gardening is a trick i dont think anyone really has studied very far.

sure we have instructions on perlite, vermiculite, fluffyness / air and water absorption of soil, even aerating the soil and underground watering systems.

 

companion plants are part of the soil web.

beneficial microbes (and compost tea) are another part of the soil web.

fungi (myco) are another part.

earthworms are also good for the soil web.

 

 

 

we have only scratched the surface of learning about soils at this point.

if we knew more about soil we wouldnt be pouring synthetic salt NPK over crops and letting that bunny muffin drain into the lakes.

[trichcycler]

aint no "synthetic salts" yet are there?

 

chelators are suspect in my book

 

1 problem I had was harvesting one plant while its roots were wrapped around another plants roots. I dont like to leave root balls in a pot I'm growing in.

[t-pain]

why not root balls, grass? you think a rotting plant will harm a healthy plant?

 

just ask the healthy plants growing in your compost piles if they mind rotting material

[trichcycler]

well rotting material, or rotted material as it is in my compost piles, is different than living material. I dont thiink it harms the new plant.

I've done the whole "scoop the root and plant again" thing. it seemed to work, long enough , like for someone to post on youtube.

Eventually I took issue. For one, that root ball is alive, it consumes, and does not get enough time to compost in the indoor grow room.

It rots, when it cant photosynthesize like any daily watered vegetable material. Rotting plant material under ground molds before it composts. I pick green plant material out of my pots too, they can mold, and pests love the color of dying plant material.

The day I smelled a rotting rootball was the last day I played with the nonsense. Every plant gets fresh new dirt amended specifically for the task. That dirt here is taken immediately to the outdoor gardens and greenhouse. I do use some of it though in my fruit composting, manipulating terpene profiles.

 

I was excited at first to think I could perpetually use the same bucket/placement in the flower room and just change out the strain...good luck with that.

[kindfolk]

I'm a bit concerned about the girls getting along in the bed

while I have had great luck with companion planting and mel Bartholomews square foot gardening techniques, I have seen vine type plants take over a garden/yard and choke out other plants

I have 2 beds with single strains and 1 bed with multiple so I will see here in the next couple of months how they get along :-)

[pergamum362]

The stronger plants will take over weaker ones, my buddy ran raised beds in his garden for a long time. Seeing as the weaker plants are weak anyway..it never really effected the outcome. I had an idea to place plastic dividers in the beds, but he never followed througj with the idea. It was a very pretty site tho.

[Wild Bill]

I'm trying straw bale gardening for my vegetables this year. If it works out I might try it inside. It would lend itself to beds.

[trichcycler]

straw bale gardening is convenient and fun.

Indoors, not doesnt seem so much. I'd expect a disaster of rotting straw, pests and a huge heavy mess.

[kindfolk]

I am finding that the girls in the beds are lagging behind the ones in the 16" 5 gal containers

same strain, soil, food and room

I'm hoping its because they are putting their efforts into the root production in such a large container

but we will see it's still to early to be certain

I also have a multistrain bed in the same room and conditions to see how they get along together

I love doing these comparisons first hand rather than to just talk theory :-)

if I wasn't limited to numbers it would be more fun but I would likely get so absorbed that I would neglect other responsibilities LOL

KF

[Wild Bill]

straw bale gardening is convenient and fun.

Indoors, not doesnt seem so much. I'd expect a disaster of rotting straw, pests and a huge heavy mess.

 

I'd thought of that too. Maybe put them in a Tupper Ware tub with drainage.

 

Trying the straw bales because they built the dirt in my garden too close to the ground and I can't bend down that far anymore.

[t-pain]

water, whats your water schedule in the bed vs pots? whats the soil moisture at ?

 

i'd guess probably over/under watering in the beds

[suneday11]

Some strains really like to reach the bottom of the pot before they take off. Could be that. I've also found that I can plant the same strain in a 5 gallon bucket and one in a #7 nursery pot. The 5 gallon bucket grows taller for a few strains.

[kindfolk]

water, whats your water schedule in the bed vs pots? whats the soil moisture at ?

 

i'd guess probably over/under watering in the beds

my watering schedule is the same for both the beds and the pots

I use the old school method of watering untill runoff (not as much as I would like due to no floor drain)

and then let them go until the top 3 or 4 inches of soiless mix is dry then repeat

I also incorporate an organic tea soil drench every 3rd watering

the frequency depending on factors such as humidity level, stage of development, seasonal outdoor temperature, size of container and strain etc.

I'm a very hands on grower and I pay attention to what the girls tell me they need as much as adhering to a daily regiment

but I'm kinda out there like that :-)

KF

[trichcycler]

I'd thought of that too. Maybe put them in a Tupper Ware tub with drainage.

 

Trying the straw bales because they built the dirt in my garden too close to the ground and I can't bend down that far anymore.

yep, wait till you feel how heavy they made the dirt too, and how a mass of wet rotting straw smells after stuck indoors with 80 degree weather for a few months.

take pics please.......the bales grow giant plants......