Very First Grow - One Small Step

WEEK 8 (04/18/2021 - 04/24/2021) Day 59: 04/18/2021 Defoliated some growth from each plant before I installed my custom-built SCRoG net made of: pvc piping, drywall screws, and jute twine for the netting. It’s slightly smaller than the tent, 41”x41” with a second level for another net. It fits perfectly, leaving plenty of room to work around the edges and move the fan around if needed. Immediately after defoliation and installing the net, I watered using ½ strength Botanicare Hydroguard. Watering was different. I used a battery-powered liquid transfer pump to help water the plants a little faster and more efficiently. Also helps to reach the plants I can’t access as easily in the corner. I am unable to test/collect any of the runoff at the moment since installing the net, which wouldn’t be an issue by itself, but my saucers are just barely large enough to fit the base of the 5 gallon pots into. I have no way of sticking a pH pen or TDS meter in the runoff. They simply won't fit between the pot and the saucer. This is extremely unfortunate, as I am now unable to monitor the ppm of the soil with each watering. Will have to pick up some larger saucers soon or think of another solution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 61: 04/20/2021 ‘Tis the season to be medicated. Happy Holidaze! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 62: 04/21/2021 Upping the amount of water going into the pots this watering. Previously I was doing 1 gallon of water per 5 gallon pot. I’m increasing the amount of water to 1.5 gallons. Hopefully that will produce enough runoff for taking measurements. It’s going to be a painfully difficult task to take readings but I really need to know what the condition of the soil is right now. Will not be using any nutrients this time considering the runoff was kind of high when I fed on 4/10. This seems a little risky though since it has been 11 days since a nutrient feed, but I’d rather not burn the plants by blindly adding nutrients. Will return. Hopefully with measurements. (some amount of time later) Tap water: 245ppm, 6.1 pH (9 gallons) pH Down: 30ml JB#1 - 2730ppm, 7.0 pH JB#2 - 2290ppm, (pH pen died again on this plant) AP#1 - 2380ppm, 6.9 pH AP#2 - 3610ppm (seems extremely high), 7.0 pH GC#1 - 2320ppm, 6.9 pH GC#2 - 2340ppm, 7.1 pH I don’t know what was up with the measurements on the AP#2. The saucers the pots are sitting in are a little small so I think the ppm might have been reading high because the bottom of the fabric pot was sitting in the runoff. Maybe I’m just saying that to reassure myself. Either way, the 3000+ ppm seemed very off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 66: 04/24/2021 Defoliation + weaving/securing branches through SCRoG. I'm not 100% sure that the SCRoG was the most optimal technique of choice given the very limited space within the grow tent. Also, I almost feel like I installed the screen a little late. Maybe not? Either way, I have read about them and the potential of increased yields, which got me excited enough to build one to try out for myself. I was aware going into it that there would be some difficulties using a SCRoG. I can no longer move my pots around is the main thing. Not being able to move the pots around has increased the difficulty factor of watering/feeding. I now have to access 3 different sides of the tent to get all 6 plants. I've clipped all the ties holding the branches down from previous LST sessions. There was just no way I was going to spend hours weaving in and out of all the ties trying to water each plant while also dealing with the difficulties of a SCRoG obstructing the work space. That would also wreck my poor back. From here, things are going to get real exciting. Tomorrow (04/25) I am rescheduling the light cycle to 12/12 to initiate flowering. Another 60-70 days to go, growing buds and packing on trichomes. With that said, I'm excited to have made it through my very first full vegetative cycle. I've definitely made my fair share of mistakes, as expected, but as long as I keep learning from them future harvest will only continue to increase in quality and yield. Thank you for stopping by and checking out the diary this week! All your kind words and encouragement are fuel. Until next time! 🙏