Dark Star Diary

04 April 2021 Today is “Day 63” of my grow. As I stated in my previous entry, I have the new light and finally set it up today. I also set up the timer that I purchased and plugged both lights into it after setting everything up. Today I plan to switch to the flowering stage. The timer is set for my light schedule to be 12 on, 12 off starting at 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, then darkness from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am. The plant looks good today after feeding and defoliating most of the larger and some sickly fan leaves. The stem that was pulled and made into a clone is doing well so far, but it’s still way to early. If it roots, I will start a second grow diary for that plant as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for it’s survival. The stalk that was lightly peeled and then taped is looking pretty normal. So far no abnormal effects are seen from the incident. So now I have 2 HLG 100 R-spec quantum LED lights hung to make my buds grow big and fat. At least that’s what I’m hoping for. I will read about switching to flowering nutrients and make that change the next time I feed the plant. So far, so good. 04 April 2021, Grow Day 63 8:00 pm. Lights out. Switch to flowering stage initiated. On another note; I stopped and got a large clear gallon water bottle and emptied the water and cut out the bottom. I replaced the opaque milk jug with the clear water jug in order for more of the CFL light to get through to the clone. The clone is still looking ok on day 2. I hope it roots! 06 April 2021 Today is feeding/watering day, but today is different in a way. Today, I’m using the FloraBloom for the first time. Since starting the flowering stage a couple of days ago, today is the first flowering stage feeding. For the first time, I’m actually using the recommended dose/amount printed on the bottle. Until now I had been using half strength so as not to develop nutrient burn. The nutrient bottles have a part on their graph that states, “transitioning to flower stage”. It calls for equal parts of all 3 nutrients, so I added 2 tsp of each as directed by the bottle. I also added 1 tsp of CALiMAGic to supplement additional calcium and magnesium. Some of the leaves have been showing some signs of a calcium and magnesium deficiency. I’m hoping this will help improve the overall health of the plant. After adding all of the nutrients to the water the pH was low at 5.87. I added about 1.5- 2 tsp of pH Up to the solution in about 4 separate attempts to slowly raise the pH to the desired level. Water and nutrient pH going into the plant is 6.56. Just about perfect. The runoff waters pH was 5.96, which is too low. I’m going to have to make sure that the water in pH is around 6.7-6.8 to make sure that the runoff water, and more importantly, the water at the roots is between 6.2-6.5. I guess I have some problem solving to do in this area. The clone is still alive and looking healthy at day 3-5 (depending on how you look at it’s progress and making up for my mistakes. I’m holding out hope for it to root, so I can start a second plant that’s already mature. I also defoliated some of the smaller leaves near the base of the plant and also on the real main stem cola, hoping it’s stems will continue to grow upwards. The overall height of the plant from soil to upper most branch is 30 inches. Not bad, and there are 4 colas of or near the same height with a few more smaller ones making their way up. I’m hoping everything continues to go well. 08 April 2021 Checked on the plant today and she is looking great. However, I fucked up again! I was going to take a leaf off of a stem that was blocking light and unnecessary. In my haste, I pulled off the leaf expecting it to come off like most of the others, but it didn’t. When I pulled the leaf, the top of the stem, which had a bud spot on one set of leaves and then another set of leaves growing out of the top broke off in my fingers. It is one of the stems branching off from the main stem where I had topped it weeks ago. Now it’s gone, and I have limited myself of another cola. This is the second time this has happened, except the first one was long enough and came off at the base of the larger stalk that it was growing from. This is the stem that I’m using for my clone, so that one wasn’t a loss, but possibly a gain. This one today however is all loss. Nothing could be done with it and I’m terribly disappointed by losing it. 09 April 2021 Feeding time again. Today I went to the General Hydroponics website to check on how to use the nutrients correctly. I still don’t know if I’m doing it right. The charts have levels to add for all 3 solutions, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to use all 3 together or if I need to stop using the FloraGro or stop using it and substitute it for the FloraBloom. I need to talk to someone to get the right information on how to use it. (I figured it out with help) For today, I’m using all 3, and I’m using the medium growth level from the growth chart. I’m using the CALiMAGic too, 1 tsp as directed. Next I added the FloraMicro at 6 ml (1.1 tsp). FloraGro at 5ml (1 tsp)., and then the FloraBloom at 7ml (1.2 tsp). I mixed the solution after adding each nutrient. The initial mix had a pH of 6.06. I added 1 ml (1 full measured dropper) which brought the pH up to 6.46. I added .5 (1/2) dropper of pH up to the mix which raised it to 6.56. Added .5 (1/2) dropper for a total of 2ml or 2 full measured droppers. This raised the pH to 6.69. I measured it twice and it measured the same pH level both times, so the feed/nutrient water going in is: 6.69 pH. The runoff water is: 5.96. Way too low!!