Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

growing mainly around the sides and along the bottom. This plant is ready to be transplanted.
    Transplant into the same type or similar growing medium; otherwise, a water pressure differential could develop between the different mediums, which slows water movement and causes slow root growth. Starting seeds and clones in root cubes or peat pots makes them easy to transplant. Set the cube or peat pot in a hole in the growing medium, and make sure growing medium is in firm contact. Remember to keep root cubes and substrates evenly moist after transplanting.
    Transplanting is the second most traumatic experience after cloning. It requires special attention and manual dexterity. Tiny root hairs are very delicate and may easily be destroyed by light, air, or clumsy hands. Roots grow in darkness, in a rigid, secure environment. When roots are taken out of contact with the soil for long, they dry up and die.
    Transplanting should involve as little disturbance to the root system as possible. Water helps the soil pack around roots and keeps them from drying out. Roots need to be in constant contact with moist soil in order to supply water and food to the plant.
    After transplanting, photosynthesis and chlorophyll production are slowed, as are water and nutrient absorption via roots. Transplant late in the day so transplanted plants will have all night to recover. Transplants need subdued light, so foliage can grow at the rate roots are able to supply water and nutrients. Give new transplants filtered, less-intense light for a couple of days. If there is a fluorescent lamp handy, move transplants under it for a couple of days before moving them back under the HID or outdoors to harden-off.
    Ideally, plants should be as healthy as possible before being traumatized by transplanting. But, transplanting a sick, root-bound plant to a bigger container has cured more than one ailing plant. Once transplanted, cannabis requires low levels of nitrogen and potassium and increased quantities of phosphorus. Any product containing Trichoderma bacteria or Vitamin B 1 will help ease transplant shock. Plants need a few days to settle in and re-establish a solid flow of fluids from the roots throughout the plant. When transplanted carefully and disturbed little, there will be no signs of transplant shock or wilt.

Roots showing through a rooting cube means cuttings are ready to transplant.
    Double potting is a simple transplanting technique that disturbs roots very little. To double pot a plant, cut the bottom out of a root-bound pot, and set on top of another bigger pot of soil. Roots grow down into second pot.

Transplanting Step-by-Step
    Step One: Water clone with half-strength Trichoderma bacteria or Vitamin B 1 , two days before transplanting.
    Step Two: Fill the three-gallon (11 L) container with rich potting soil or soilless mix towithin two inches (5 cm) of the top.
    Step Three: Water growing medium with a mild, quarter-strength hydroponic fertilizer solution until saturated and solution drains freely out the bottom.
    Step Four: Carefully remove the root ball from the container. Place your hand over top of container with the stem between your fingers; turn it upside down, and let root ball slip out of pot into your hand. Take special care at this point to keep the root ball in one integral piece.

Carefully remove seedlings from containers. These seedlings were kept moist and moved quickly to minimize exposure to air and light Growers used Vitamin B 1 solution to ease transplant shock.

Transplanting this clone grown in rockwool into soil or soilless mix is simple and easy. Remove the rockwool’s plastic covering before setting the clone in a pre-made hole in substrate.
    Step Five: Carefully place the root ball in the prepared hole in the three-gallon (11 L) container. Make sure all roots are growing down.
    Step Six: Backfill around the root ball. Gently, but firmly, place soil into contact with root ball.
    Step Seven: Water with half-strength fertilizer containing Trichoderma bacteria or Vitamin B 1 . Soil should be saturated–not waterlogged–and drain freely. If rooting cube and new substrate are not identical, pay special attention to moisture levels. Let rock-wool dry out enough so that roots penetrate new growing medium in search of moisture.
    Step Eight: Place new transplants on the perimeter of the HID garden or under a screen to subdue sunlight for a couple of days. Once transplants look strong, move them under full