Marijuana Transplanting: Make it Safe & Effective for Higher Yields

Most of our marijuana plants live outdoors and are planted in pots full of neutral soil, and they get liquid feeding.

We use Iguana Juice and Mother Earth Super Tea as our main fertilizers.

We start with marijuana clones or seedlings in cubes, and upgrade them to larger pots at least twice before harvest. As you probably know, the larger the root zone, the bigger the marijuana plants, and the higher the yields.

One of the biggest problems novice marijuana growers have is that they transplant sloppy and harshly.

Most of this article is about growing cannabis in soil, but pay attention to the strategies here, because they can help you no matter what type of grow system you transplant in.

One thing for sure: you want to maximize the entire volume of the pots you’re using, but you don’t want the stems of your marijuana plants to be above the top edge of the pot or sticking out from on top of the soil.

Press the dirt firmly around the base of the plant, but not so tight that roots have to struggle to break through the soil or whatever root zone media you’re using.

Loose soil will settle into empty spaces and become compacted during the first watering, and should be filled in with some extra soil later on.

Keep the soil level with the base of plant or top of root cube.

If the cube is left poking a quarter inch or so above the root zone media, it’s easier to rinse clear when you water.

Piling the dirt high doesn’t make the plant better rooted or more stable, and can lead to mold and rot underground where you can’t see it.

Clear the dirt and perlite that washes up onto the stem when you give the plant its first watering, and keep the stem clear of debris after each watering.

Even as the plant gets big and the stem becomes more substantial it can still get soft or moldy spots from material that gets stuck to the main stalk.

The first transplant we do goes to a three or five gallon container. The next one is to a 10-gallon pot or a larger smartpot.

During transplanting,  always examine each marijuana plant’s roots.

If they’re not white, thick, shiny, and reaching the bottom of each pot that you’re transplanting out of, they’re not healthy.

If your marijuana roots are bound up very tightly, break the bottom of the rootball apart just a little at the bottom to encourage the roots to reach out more.

Be gentle, as too much breaking apart of the roots can shock the plant.

Keep your hands, tools, and work surfaces clean to prevent the spread of mildew and other diseases. Being gentle and meticulous with your plants in all stages, but especially during crucial moments like transplanting will always pay off.

Always feed your roots using beneficial microbes products: Voodoo Juice, Tarantula, and Piranha.

Be aware that almost all commercial soil mixes lack adequate aeration so you want to add coarse, WASHED perlite.

Don’t let your root zones get hot. If you’re growing your plants in sun, paint the pots white or otherwise avoid black pots that absorb sunlight and fry your marijuana roots.

Transplanting can be a shock for your marijuana plants, so strengthen them with B-52 vitamin booster before and after transplanting.

You should never let your marijuana plants get rootbound, so plan ahead to match your grow space with the size of the pots you want your plants to finish in.

Transplanting is an art and a science, so take your time, treat your marijuana roots with respect, and look forward to a big fat harvest!