Anyone Know What To Do About Roots From Pulled Males Entangled with Remaining Girl??

Just pulled my three males with gratefulness that I got ONE GIRL, YAHOO!!! But, I cut the roots off just below the pots so am now expecting major amounts of rotting roots that are entangled with the roots of my remaining girl.

What can you do about removing the dying males roots? Should I carefully try to remove them or will I do more damage and stress to my girl than the rotting roots would?

I'm sure others have encountered this problem in the past and wondering what the trick recommendations are from you experienced growers. This is all such an interesting adventure for this newbie!!

Thanks for your help!

Get some hygrozime and use plenty of it. It will brak down the rotting roots.
Good Luck

Thanks for your help Budsworth.

Wondered what everyone did at this point, but then the experienced growers seem to use clones so don't deal with the sexing issue and getting rid of the boys. The roots are so massive but didn't want to kill my only girl by trying to get roots out before they rotted and caused problems. Thanks for the info!!

remember plants can regenerate very well, if u cut of half of the plant rootmass and replant it, you can see some growth within a few days.

Thanks Waffles! I'm assuming that would work as well with hydroponics too.

The girl was of course the smallest and the only one still here out of 9 seeds. Of the 3 males I removed, 2 were over 3.5 ft and had large root systems, so she's floating in the middle of a huge root mass in my hydro set up. When I cut the boys up, inside the little hairy roots were some rather large tough roots hidden in the middle which surprised me. Thought about trying to untangle her, little hair by little hair, but realized I'd probably put her into shock and end up with a hermie. Your info was reassuring as I'd be totally bummed if I lost her!

There's a big difference in root systems of cuttings and seed plants. A seed will put down a taproot, that is one main root, with some other big roots off of it. A cutting will root sideways and down with a diffuse pattern of roots. So that is why seed plants would be difficult to separate.

HTH

potroast said:

There's a big difference in root systems of cuttings and seed plants. A seed will put down a taproot, that is one main root, with some other big roots off of it. A cutting will root sideways and down with a diffuse pattern of roots. So that is why seed plants would be difficult to separate.

HTH

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Hi Potroast, that's very interesting info and now that you've stated that, I realize digging in dirt I always run into roots fanning out close to the surface where in my tank everything hangs down and gets unbelievably massive!! I know you don't deal with male plants, but do you think the hygrozime would do the trick or do you know of anything else you would recommend (before I spend $40 on the hygrozime.) Thanks my favorite guardian angel!

P/S I got an allergy related respritory illness and had to cancel my trip to Burning Man the morning my stuff was being picked up. Sitting around in a smokey cloud feeling blue surrounded. Can't tell you how bummed I am after waiting and preping all year, new bike and all. Finding the positive though, guess I can get my shit together now to attempt my first flowering stage instead of waiting.

in my hydro unit I cut the roots on the female side of the tangle(if that makes sense) it did not seem to phase the one bit.(they were 30 days veg, ten days flower, 2 ft tall) this kept me free of dead roots entangled in my females

grobudd said:

in my hydro unit I cut the roots on the female side of the tangle(if that makes sense) it did not seem to phase the one bit.(they were 30 days veg, ten days flower, 2 ft tall) this kept me free of dead roots entangled in my females

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Thanks for your help, and it did make sense to me. Mine was, of course, in the middle of the 3 males, so I have massive male roots on all sides and they're a bigger mass than the female roots which are looking pretty scrawny in comparison. I'm afraid if I try to cut anything I'll kill her and of 9 seeds, 4 of which actually made it and grew, 3 being males, she's my last plant left and the only girl that made it. I'm hoping there's another way to go. Planning on tryng the Hydrozime, but waiting to see if I get any better suggestions for my particular situation, and also Potroast's reply, before I spend the $40. Sure appreciate your taking the time to respond and thanks!! May resort to your technique eventually. Not sure how damaging the rotting roots will actually be, but know it can't be good.

The Hygrozyme or any enzyme supplement should help. But if you want to remove the males roots then why don't you? Flood the roots well, and gently separate. If you're careful, you won't do much damage, and your plant will be happier.

HTH

potroast said:

The Hygrozyme or any enzyme supplement should help. But if you want to remove the males roots then why don't you? Flood the roots well, and gently separate. If you're careful, you won't do much damage, and your plant will be happier.

HTH

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I knew I could count on you. I'll give that a try. I was just probably overly cautious because the roots from my girl are about a scraggley inch across and the males were about 4 inches across, so I'm petrified I'll put her in shock and either kill her or end up with a hermie. I'll attempt the flooding process as soon as I'm home for a bit. Thanks Potroast

Yeah Potroast, Spent about 2 hrs on my knees, ick, but got all the roots from the 3 males separated from my one girl and out of my tank.

Started combing with my fingers (kind of like combing a little girls hair with snarls) through the outside edge of the bundle of dead roots from the 3 males, working my way through gradually. Kind of wiggled them in the deep water while combing as I gently pulled with my other hand and little by little, bits of the disconnected male root sections came out. Took the 2 hrs, but my girl's roots are spread out nicely in the tank now.

There was all sorts of 2-5 inch pieces of broken decomposing roots floating all over, even before I started. After I got all the mass out, I took a little fish net I got for capturing hydrokorrels that dropped into the tank. Scooped up many times to remove the major bits and pieces. My pump was totally clogged with the intake areas plugged and had to open it up to get all the mess out. Will change the tank as soons as I have a block of free time and then read up and start on the flowering process. She went into a tinsy bit of shock with barely drooping leaves, but now, an hour later, she looks great. Know she'll be so much happier now, just as you said, and thanks so much AGAIN for your help!!! Itwas such a simple remedy and I wouldn't have thought of it myself as the roots were soooo thick and knotted together. Thanks to you I'm a happy grower!!

or u coulda just cloned your girl and waited the xtra 7 to 14 days for her to root and had another 6 women for your trouble

herballuvmonkey said:

or u coulda just cloned your girl and waited the xtra 7 to 14 days for her to root and had another 6 women for your trouble

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You know, I could STILL do that! In fact I think I remember reading that you "should" take clones before you start the flowering process.....so, I'm right in the zone. That way, if something does happen to #1, I'll have my ass covered! Ah, the life of the newbie obsessed with that first grow! Thanks Herbaluvmonkey!!! (Hmmm, interesting ID???)