Dark Star Diary

This week was spent making sure that it was in a warm room, with plenty of light directly overhead about 6 inches away. During this week I was only using a simple CFL desk lamp that I already had laying around the house. Honestly, I didn’t know if the seed would even germinate, and when it did I was completely shocked! The seed had come from some Dark Star that I had gotten a year earlier and had never thought about. I came across them and thought, “why not?”. In the beginning you’re so ignorant of what it really takes to grow, but don’t be discouraged! It’s my first time and I feel like mine is going great.... so far.

Went out of town for a few days this week, so there are only a couple of pictures. At this point the plant is still in a solo cup with a CFL desk lamp 6-7 inches away in the warmest room in my house. Oh, something I forgot to mention, I cut 4 small drainage holes in the bottom of the solo cup and used a thick rubber band around it to create a friction block and placed it into another solo cup to collect the runoff water so the plant didn’t sit in water and drown or be hindered in its development.

18 February 2021 Transplanted the seedling from its solo cup to a 3 gallon pot. Kept the light with the CFL light 6 inches away and feeding water only. The transplant went well and the plant didn’t seem to be adversely affected by the move. It was beginning to develop the typical leaf patterns that identify it for what it is. Nice!

26 February 2021 Set up final grow area in the orange bedroom upstairs. 48 x 48 x 80 inch fully reflective grow tent with a Horticulture Lighting Group (HLG) 100 Rspec Quantum LED light. 2 small fans for air circulation, and a 4 inch blower with carbon filter for air/odor filtration that is connected to an exhaust port I built into the window of the room. The plant was placed inside the grow tent. With increased light and the size of the plant (4 sets of leaves), I started adding nutrients to the water. I’m using the General Hydroponics Flora Grow Trio (Flora Micro, Flora Gro, and Flora Bloom). I’m only using half the recommended amount as per instructions found online at www.growweedeasy.com.

This week I didn’t make any log entries, but I remember some issues that came up this week and are visible in some of the pics posted. I over watered the plant this week and it was evident by looking at the droopy leaves that developed a sort of fat, heavy look to them. I was extremely worried because it was my first hiccup, and at first I didn’t know what it was or how to deal with it. You all must know that this is my first time ever trying to grow any kind of plant. I was doing lots of research before making any decisions and following known and proven methods of horticulture. BUT, big but there; I knew it was important to have drainage holes in the pot, BUT, I didn’t know that you’re supposed to empty the runoff water (at that time) and I just let it sit with all of that excess water in the drainage basin on the bottom of the plant. Needless to say that once I figured out that you’re supposed to drain the water, the problem cleared up. Thanks to the Weed Gods for the lesson!

08 March 2021 The plant has started growing new branch above the original large leaves. All of the large leaves have red stems, but I don’t believe that means anything. They look healthy, just blocking a lot of light. I decided to remove all of the large leaves in order to provide more light to the new branches. I have also decided to start Low Stress Training (LST) the plant by lightly bending it over to one side and securing it as to not stress or damage it. I lowered the light to 14 inches above the plant for even light distribution. The hope is that it will do what is expected; for the branches/stems to reorient themselves upward toward the light. 09 March 2021 I’m going to keep track of watering, nutrients, and pH of water and run off water. Today fed the plant water with 1/3 of the recommended nutrient amount due to some possible nutrient burn from a previous feeding. The water/nutrient pH was 6.23. The run off water was about 5.9. It took the whole gallon of water for the first time. In 24 hours the branches/stems did exactly what I had hoped. The plant had initially looked like a plant that had been turned on its side. All of the leaves, branches/stems were flattened to one side. Today, all of the leaves, branches/stems have oriented themselves upward and once again provides a canopy. The plant looks great! 13 March 2021 Fed the plant with 1 gallon of water with 2/3 the recommended amount of nutrients because we will be out of town for the next few days and no one will be around to check the plant. The pH of the water +nutrients was adjusted to be 6.5. The run off was tested to be 6.05.

18 March 2021 Got home last night after being gone since the last feeding/watering on the 13th. House was cold, but the grow room was still at 69 degrees and the plant looked fine. A lot more bushy than the other day. Feeding today with 1 full tsp of both Flora Micro and Flora Gro. So far I had been using half the recommended dose, and in actuality, I still am. I’m increasing the amount from 1/3 to 1/2, but also increasing the stage to more aggressive vegetative. I hope it goes well and doesn’t hurt the plant. To the pH of the water and nutrients is 6.45. The runoff was 6.12 (I think). I didn’t remember to Mark it down.

21 March 2021 The plant is looking great! It is growing very well and looks healthy. The soil is very dry, so today is watering day!! I fed it with a gallon of water that had a small amount of runoff water. Today I increased the nutrient level to half the recommended dosage for an aggressive vegetative state vice the normal veg state. I used 1.5 tsp. floraMicro and 2 tsp of FloraGro. I used the pH drop tester today for the first time. It was relatively the same as my digital pH pen, except the pen give decimal points and the drop only gives whole numbers to a color chart. The pH of the water and nutrients were 6.7, and the runoff water was tested to be at 6.13. Hopefully increasing the nutrients don’t have any negative effects. I’ll guess we’ll see in a day or two. 23 March 2021 The plant’s soil is already dry to the first knuckle (maybe deeper), so I am feeding it again today. I’m using the same dosage of the nutrients from the other day. 1.5 tsp of floraMicro and 2 tsp of FloraGro. The pH of the feeding water today leveled out at 6.74. The runoff water was a little more extensive today compared to the last feeding, and the pH of the runoff leveled out at 6.14. According to the data I’ve researched; the best range for pH is between 6.0 - 7.0, with the finer optimum level is between 6.2 - 6.5. I’m hovering right along this area trying to provide the best environment for it to grow healthy and strong. It’s looking good, and I’m starting to wonder if it isn’t time to contemplate the transition to the flowering stage. I’ll need to get another light to aid in bud formation. The more light, the bigger and stronger the buds will be (or so the literature says). We’ll have to see. 26 March 2021 Feeding time again. Earlier today I defoliated the plant by taking off about 10 larger leaves that had grown to block the light from penetrating the plant. It is more open now, but not too much. I believe that I can finally determine the sex, and it appears to be a female, which is what I’m hoping for. I ordered some Cali-Mag nutrient supplement to add to my feeding regimen because it may be needed to make the buds FAT! At least I’m hoping it will at least keep the plant healthy. So far it’s looking great! I’m feeding today with the same nutrient mix of 1.5 tsp of floraMicro, and 2 tsp of FloraGro. pH of the solution is 6.68. The runoff water pH was 6.06. I also bought some trimming shears yesterday and topped the plant today and put the top in a glass of nutrient water I am feeding with today. I have some cloning powder that I’m thinking about using on the top to try and keep it growing into a healthy clone of the plant. I’ve still not decided on whether to try and clone it or not. As soon as the new light shows up I plan on switching to the flowering stage. 27 March 2021 The plant is looking great after removing the extra leaves covering the lower branches. However, my first attempt at cloning had failed. I expected as much because I used the main stem cola that I cut off when I topped the plant. In the process I cut the stem at a flat angle, and not the 45 degree angle that I was supposed to do. It was also rather weak and it would have been a miracle if it rooted. The plant looks like it needs some water already after just 2 days, but I’m going to wait until tomorrow morning to water and feed the plant.

29 March 2021 It’s feeding time again. I’m still using the same nutrient levels to feed the plant; 1.5 tsp of FloraMicro and 2 tsp of FloraGro. The water and nutrient solution pH is 6.7. The runoff water pH was 6.24. It seems that the water and nutrient mix is staying directly in the range needed for optimal growth and performance. Hopefully the Cali-Mag and new light will be here next week and I’ll start the switch to the flowering stage. 01 April 2021 Feeding time again. Today I’m feeding a gallon of h2o with 2 tsp of FloraGro and 1 3/4 tsp of FloraMicro. The pH of the solution is 6.63. Runoff water pH is: 6.2. I peeled off some of the sick looking leaves off the bottom stems and one actually has chew marks! I can’t see anything on the plant and I haven’t seen anything flying or crawling around inside the tent either. I’ll just have to keep an eye out for whatever it is. As a whole, the plant looks great! 03 April 2021 Feeding time in the Grow Room! My CaliMAGic calcium supplement is in and I started adding it to the water today. Instructions call for 1 tsp per gallon added to water before nutrients. I increased the amount of nutrients as well. I added 2.5 tsp of FloraGro, and 2 tsp of FloraMicro. The pH of the water with nutrients was 6.55. The runoff water was 6.02. A little more acidic than I was hoping for. I also defoliated the plant of about 20 leaves or so. Almost all were palm size or larger fan leaves and all appeared in good health. I also pulled off about 10 spotted, smaller leaves from around the bottom. I have the new light now, so I plan to hang it and begin the flowering stage sometime this week. I plan on reading up on transitioning, and if there is a process, or if it’s just changing nutrients and light cycle? I’ll find out. I had a hiccup tonight as well. I thought I was pulling a fan leaf off, but wasn’t sure of my hold and accidentally pulled off a smaller stem. It pulled a small string off the side of the stalk about 2 inches long. I read that if that happens, you should cover it in tape for a few days and it should heal itself. I hope the plant recovers from that along with the other defoliation. I put the stem in water, and then cloned it. It is a better, more correct clone from my first attempt. At least in procedure. I followed the instructions a lot better, but I still don’t have a humidifier or plastic bottle to put over it. I’ll try to make this one survive better than the last one.

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!!

12 April 2021 Feeding time today. I’m not adding the FloraGro to the feeding solution today. Although I have no definitive word or instructions, I’m assuming that the FloraGro is more for the vegetative state, and not needed for the flowering stage. Today I added the CALiMAGic (1 tsp), FloraMicro (6 ml), and the FloraBloom (7 ml). The pH of the solution was 6.12, so I added some pH UP to increase it to: 6.62. Runoff water pH was: 6.01. 14 April 2021 I decided to be a little more proactive today and to feed earlier than usual. I have normally been feeding every 3-4 days, but I’m noticing the soil getting dryer faster. I also believe that this is why my runoff pH is so much lower than the starting pH. I’m assuming that the extra dry soil has some nutrient or salt buildup which may cause the pH to change so much. Today I’m watering a day or 2 early at 2 days since the last feeding to see if it makes any difference. As far as the nutrient levels, I’ve decided to keep using all 3 together at the medium growth levels from the grow chart like the feeding time before last. So, I added the 1 tsp (5ml) of CALiMAGic, 1.1 tsp (6 ml) of FloraMicro, 1 tsp (5 ml) of FloraGro, and 1.2 tsp (7 ml) of FloraBloom. The starting pH was 6.21, I added 1.5 ml of pH UP and it was adjusted to 6.55. The runoff pH was 5.96, which is still too low!! I don’t know if I’m ever going to get this right! 16 April 2021 Today is by far the worst day I have had so far. I was putting in the cargo net with the help of my wife to push the plant down to a single level and spread out all of the branches so that the light can be used to better effect. However, my dumb ass ended up breaking off two, count them 1, 2 of my main stems at the tops! I’m beyond pissed!! I have never felt so horrible trying to do something and trying to be gentle and STILL break off my major bud producers. I had 6, now I only have 4. Hopefully none of the branches below die off. For feeding, I chatted with a fellow grower yesterday who gave me some tips and another nutrient chart which is easier to follow than what I was using. Today I mixed nutrients with the following amounts: CALiMAGic 5ml (1tsp), FloraMicro 7.5ml (1.2 tsp), FloraGro 2.5ml (.5tsp), and FloraBloom 10ml (2tsp). I tried making another clone with a branch I cut off the bottom of the plant, and I just planted one of the tops I pulled off by accident by using cloning powder, into a rapid rooter pod and put into a solo cup with Fox Farm’s Happy Frog potting soil. I’m leaving it in the grow tent under the lights because it has baby buds sprouting and if by ANY chance I can keep it growing I will. The starting pH of my water with all the nutrients added was an even 6.0. I added 2ml of the pH UP which rose the pH to 6.45. That’s what I’m giving the plant today. The runoff pH was 5.97. Today is a very important (make it or break it) day with my baby. Hopefully she adjusts well and we haven’t done any permanent damage. The other clone looks like it’s dying or maybe dead. I’m making another to see if it does any better.

18 April 2021 I’m a little relieved by the response of the plant to installing the cargo net. One of the branches that I broke was not completely severed and I was able to tape it together rather quickly after breaking it. So far, the whole stem seems to be recuperating and the main bud at the end has started to turn upward with all of the other buds on the plant. I had to add a string to the large stem on the back right (from the outer door) in order for it to be given a chance to turn upward better. It is so long that it rests on the other side of the tent wall, so I looped some yarn around it to bring it up a little bit. Not much, just a little so the buds can reach for the light and grow. Feeding, I’m going to add the same amount of nutrients as the other day. I’m still in the second week of the flowering stage, so from now on, as long as the plant seems to handle it, I’m going to follow the feeding chart that Patrick gave me. CALiMAGic 5ml (1tsp), FloraMicro 7.5ml (1.2tsp), FloraGro 2.5ml (.5tsp), and FloraBloom 10ml (2tsp).the starting pH of the water and nutrient solution was 5.97. I added 2ml of pH UP and it was adjusted to 6.49 which is what I’m going to feed it today. The runoff pH was 5.96. Not great, but at least it’s still above 5.5 which is considered the low point a healthy plant. All in all the plant is looking great considering what I’ve done to it the last few days. I’m still very hopeful that all will stay well. 20 April 2021 I’m actually writing this log live now as I have finally caught up and have everything for my grow documented here (so far). I’m about to feed my baby again, and I plan to keep up with the feed chart I’m using now because it is more intuitive and easy to follow. I’m adding CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5 ml, and FloraBloom 10ml. After mixing everything up, the pH was 5.96. I added 2ml of pH UP which adjusted it to 6.46. The runoff was 5.96. The plant is still looking good, and the top I accidentally tore off last Friday seems to still be alive in its solo cup and soil. I’ve been giving it a little of the nutrient solution as well. I don’t know how it is going to end up, but so far so good. I wish I could say the same for the other clones that I have deliberately tried. They are all dead and gone in the trash. Oh well, eventually I’ll get the knack for it. 22 April 2021 Feeding time again and I’m still using the same amount of nutrients as indicated in the Flora Series grow chart I received from another grower. Today I’m infusing CALiMAGic 5ml (1 tsp), FloraMicro 7.5 ml (1.5 tsp), FloraGro 2.5 ml (.5 tsp), and FloraBloom 10 ml (2 tsp) into a gallon of water. The initial pH was 6.10, and I added 1.5 ml of pH UP which adjusted the pH to 6.46. That level is pretty consistent with what I’ve been giving, so that is what will be fed today. The runoff pH was 5.98. Overall, the plant is looking great. I have seen many bud sites forming and getting bigger all over the plant. I think my LST methods are going to pay off with a pretty decent amount of bud in the end. However, I don’t plan to get ahead of myself, and I realize that the way I’ve chosen to grow makes the actual end about 7 weeks away still. Patience is key I guess, and I’m a patient person. Oh, I also actually measured the plant today to see how tall it’s getting. It wasn’t easy seeing how my LST method means that the plant from soil to top is actually only about 19 inches, but the branches coming off the base are between 44-50 inches. I’ve learned valuable lessons on my first grow, and one is that I don’t have to let it veg for 10 weeks! My plant was big before I started the flowering stage, and has only gotten bigger. It seems that the stretch is slowing down, and since I installed the cargo net last week, spreading the larger branches out has made it easier, and has also allowed more light to the middle and underside of the plant. I have many budlets forming on lower branches that are making their way up to and through the net to get direct light exposure. I’m contemplating clearing out the underside to promote growth above the cargo net, but I’m not sure if I want to get rid of the buds that are growing there. Decisions, decisions, decisions... 24 April 2021 Today is the last feeding for this week. I’m ending week 3 of flower with CALiMAGic 5 ml (1 tsp), FloraMicro 7.5 ml (1.25 tsp), FloraGro 2.5 ml (.5 tsp), and FloraBloom 10 ml (2 tsp). Initial pH was 5.98. I added 2 ml of pH UP which rose the pH to 6.44. The runoff pH was 5.89 (lower than expected and desired). However, everything seems to be going well. The aroma of the plant is starting to pick up to where it permeates the room as soon as the tent is opened. Not overwhelming, but nice! The budlets are starting to become more numerous and fattening up (a little). I’m happy with the progress!! Week 4 of flower starts tomorrow.

25 April 2021 Feeding schedule apparently needs to be adjusted. I initially watered the plant every 3-4 days, then as the plant grew it needed more as it dried out faster, or used water faster (however you choose to look at it). I started feeding every 2 days, but now it seems like it was dry again just 24 hours later. My wife pointed out that it looked dry, and it was, so right at the point the lights were to go out for the night, I decided to feed it again instead of waiting till tomorrow. Today starts week 4 of flower, so I adjusted the nutrients for the new week. Only a minor adjustment, but still an adjustment. I gave CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml added to a gallon of water. Initial pH was 5.79. I added pH UP 2.5ml in two 1ml increments and then a .5ml addition which raised the pH to 6.42. That’s what I fed the plant, and the runoff pH was 5.79. As the lights went off during the feeding, I took the opportunity to take some pics in the dark using a flash to see how it looks without the strong LED’s overhead. I’m still trying to decide if I should trim away all of the smaller branches and leaves under the main canopy above the cargo net I have installed. I may ask the community for advice on this issue. I’m just unsure if the toll it will take on a plant at this stage of growth. 27 April 2021 The plant wasn’t all that dry yesterday, so I decided not to feed it until today. I’m seeing some funny orangish/rusty colored streaks on some of the leaves, but the rest of the leaves look fine. I’ve also found some more leaves with small holes or bite marks on them. I mainly see them on the smaller leaves, and not so much on the larger ones. The smaller buds under the cargo net that I was thinking about cutting off are fattening up like the rest of them above the cargo net. Not all of them, but a lot. I may still defoliate some of them, but I will probably keep any that look like they’ll fully mature. As far as nutrients go, I’m still following the feed chart from the other day. So; I gave CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml. The initial pH was 5.86, and I added pH UP 2.5ml which elevated the pH to 6.45 which is what I gave the plant. The runoff water pH was 5.82. Temperature was 81 degrees, and relative humidity was 41. I’m going to try and only update my grow diary at the end of the week and add the weekly totals to the log to see if that makes more sense, or if I should keep doing it like I was before. Previously I edited the week after each feeding, so the totals on the log only show the nutrients and water amount for a single feeding, and doesn’t show an aggregate amount for the whole week. Since there are no instructions on the website I figured that I’d try it that way this week instead of how I was doing it. We’ll see what works best and go from there. 29 April 2021 I should have fed yesterday, but got busy and by the time I saw that it could be fed, it was time for lights out. I didn’t want to do that again, so I just waited till today. I also decided to cut off a couple of the smaller and uglier branches that didn’t have a lot of promise so that nutrients and water could be used elsewhere. The sugar leaves are getting sugary a little more each day. It’s like the leaves are frosted and it’s a lovely development. Seeing how all of the coated leaves have appeared this week, I feel it necessary to make a mental (as well as written) note about when to expect that in future grows. Today, as with the previous feedings this week, I added the following: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml. Initial pH was: 5.88. I added pH UP: 3ml, which adjusted the pH to 6.56. That is what I fed the plant today. I was thinking about something completely unrelated after I drained the runoff water/nutrients and poured it out before checking the runoff pH. My bad. The plant is looking great for the most part. Some tiny bite marks on a leaf here and there, but still no sign of what’s doing it. Also, some leaves have some weird rusty, orange looking lines on them, but just a few. So far so good though and I’m happy with its progress. 30 April 2021 Watering/feeding the plant again today because we’re going out of town for the weekend. I’m hoping to come back Sunday morning in order to feed again before 8pm when the lights go out. Today is the last feeding for this week, so I’ve been planning to input my data differently this week to see how it goes. Previously I’ve been adding all of the information after each feeding, so each new feed was overwritten by the previous feeding in the same week. This week I’m going to try and input all of the data for all of the feedings into a single entry to encompass the whole week as a whole. We’ll see how it goes.

03 May 2021 Potential disaster alert!! My weekend trip took longer than expected and I got home a day later than expected. The plant looked HORRIBLE when I checked in on it after getting back. The poor girl looked whipped, drained, and limp. All of her leaves were flattened along their stems covering their buds in a sad looking death throw. The soil was so dry that I couldn’t feel ANY moisture after burying my finger two knuckles deep. 😳 I watered her with the same amount of nutrients that I have been using last week. I won’t actually change the levels till next week. I added: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml. The initial pH was 5.83, and I added pH UP 3ml, which raised the pH level to 6.48. Runoff pH was 5.98. Temperature in the grow tent was a warm 82 degrees, and humidity was 36%. I drained the runoff water which wasn’t a lot today and closed the tent up to wait and see if she would recover. I checked again 30 minutes prior to lights out and was pleasantly pleased at the recovery. She has bounced back like a CHAMP!! All the leaves began to take on their normal appearance again and she looks happier. I know, how can I tell she’s happier?? Because her daddy is happier with how she looks. So, if I’m happier, she’s happier as an extension through me. Call me silly if you want, but she’s my first plant I’ve ever grown and I want her to succeed! The trip was unavoidable! There was no way I was going to miss my daughter’s college graduation!! I may love my Dark Star Kush, but I love my real baby more!! On a quick side note... The_Evil_Twin (my brother) brought me gifts from Buddabud; a fellow grower and friend here on Grow Diaries. Two beautiful clones!! A Blueberry Muffins, and a Blue Ox. If I can salvage them from being driven halfway across the country, I will start grow logs for them too. 04 May 2021 I’m feeding/watering again today in order to make sure that all the soil and roots are properly hydrated since the scare over this past weekend. Visually, the plant has bounced back to normal in her appearance and looks healthy again. I’m following the same feeding plan this week, so nutrients were given as follows: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml. The initial pH was 5.87, and I added pH UP 3ml which raised the pH to 6.51. The runoff pH was 5.97. Temp in the grow tent was 79F degrees, and humidity was 45%. I’m going to go back to regular watering after today, which means I’ll water/feed again when the soil is dry to 1 knuckle deep. 07 May 2021 Feeding time at The_Good_Twin household! I was going to feed last night, but got home after the lights were out in the tent and didn’t want to bother doing everything without being able to see anything. So, I fed today instead. Still on the same nutrient regimen as last week so everything is basically the same. I read an article on feeding ice water to increase trichome development, so the water was refrigerated before adding nutrients. Water/solution temp was 33.8 degrees F. Solution contained: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraGro 2.5ml, and FloraBloom 12.5ml. The initial pH was 6.10. Added pH UP 2ml, which increased the final pH to 6.52. The runoff pH was 5.75. Temp in the grow tent was 79 degrees F, humidity 39%. The plant looks great! A few weeks ago I was contemplating trimming all of the branches and stems under my cargo net, but I haven’t yet. Today I noticed that many of them are producing decently sized buds, so I’m glad I didn’t cut them away. Overall, she’s pleasant to smell and look at, and I can’t wait for the next 5 weeks to go by so they fatten up for harvest! In my own inexperienced mind, I believe I’m doing quite well. Looking at the plant and how she’s doing, I seem to be doing just that.

09 May 2021 Today starts the 15th week of my grow, and the 6th week of flower. Just over a month till the scheduled harvest, and today the nutrient amounts change according to my feeding chart. So today feeding went like this: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraBloom 15ml. Today we aren’t using any of the FloraGro, and won’t be for the rest of the grow. I chilled the water again, but not as long this time and the temperature of the solution was 56.3 degrees F. I thought it odd that the website doesn’t allow for entries lower than 50 degrees in that block, but oh well. The initial pH was 5.89, and I added pH UP 2.5ml which adjusted the pH to 6.53. The runoff pH was 5.63. Lower than I want, but still within range for a healthy plant. Temperature in the tent was 81 degrees F, and humidity was at 53%. The plant looks great, and is maturing quite nicely. 11 May 2021 Today was a busy day! My DarkStar Kush is doing very well! The smell is starting to get stronger and the buds are fattening up as well. I’ve noticed some mild nutrient burn on some of my leaf tips, but nothing terrible. I’ll keep an eye on it to make sure that they don’t get worse. I haven’t really made any adjustments to the nutrients lately with the exception of increasing the FloraBloom by 2.5ml’s, and stopped using the FloraGro in accordance with my feed chart. Feeding today went as follows: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, and FloraBloom at 15ml. The initial pH was 5.85, so I added 3ml of pH UP to increase the pH to 6.52. The runoff pH was 5.65. I finally received my TDS meter today, so the TDS reading was 1070 ppm. My feed chart says that the ppm range in looking for is 1050-1400 ppm, so 1070 puts me in that range. I chilled the water again today, and it was 46 degrees F. The temperature in the grow tent was 81 degrees F, and humidity was 40%. So far so good, and I’m starting two new diaries today for some clones I was gifted by Buddabud, so check them out. 13 May 2021 Just when I thought I was on cruise control with my baby here, she throws me a slow curve. The question is; will I hit it, or miss it? The light nutrient burn that I noticed in my last entry on the 11th has gotten just a small tad worse, but nothing terrible. I believe it’s not from the feeding, but the build up of nutrients in the soil. I finally got my TDS monitor as I noted the other day, so I tested the ppm in the runoff and it was over 4000. Then, as I was shaking the excess water off the end, the end cap for the battery came off and the whole monitor plunged back into the water completely submerging for a moment before I could get a hand free to grab it. It’s been sitting in a bowl of rice since yesterday. I just hope it dries out and keeps working. I need to see what the TDS of the soil at this stage is supposed to be and then either keep going and damn the burn, or maybe feed with pH’ed plain water for a feeding or two and then see how it reacts. I’m still deciding, but will research first before making my decision. For today I kept to the feed chart. I gave the following: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 5.92, so I added 2.5ml of pH UP which raised the pH to 6.47. That is what I fed the plant. The TDS reading of the feed solution was 1036 ppm. Runoff pH was 5.63. Tent temperature was 79 degrees F, and humidity was 40%. I have just about 4 weeks left in this grow till the scheduled harvest. 15 May 2021 Today is the last day of the 6th week of flower, and I’m going to try and arrest my mild nutrient burn on my baby. I’ve decided to just give water and CALiMAGic today properly pH’ed to see if it does anything to improve the situation. I wanted to have a significant amount of runoff today so I fed 1.5 gallons of water with 7.5ml of CALiMAGic. The initial pH was 7.60, but adding the pH DOWN is much different than adding pH UP! I initially added just 0.5ml to the gallon of water which lowered the pH from 7.60 to 4.9. I was like, “DAMN!” 😳 so I had to pour it all out and start over again. I learned through research never to mix pH UP and DOWN in the same solution. If it’s wrong, you need to start over;!so I did. After 3 tries and lots of wasted CALiMAGic, I finally got it right by only adding 5 drops (gtts) of pH DOWN to get it to 6.64. The TDS meter dried out and still works, so the TDS going in was only 403ppm. Like I said, I wanted a lot of runoff to try and clear out some of the nutrient buildup in the soil. The runoff pH was 5.58, and runoff TDS was 3803 ppm. Daytime temp was high today at 86 degrees F, and humidity was 31%. She looks good. She smells good. I hope she stays good! A few weeks left till harvest!

17 May 2021 Today starts the 7th week of flower, and I began giving the normal nutrient amount after just giving the CALiMAGic with pH’ed water the last feeding. The mild nutrient burn is still mild, and I’m hoping that going back to regular feeding doesn’t make it worse. I’m also concerned with little rust colored spots on some of the leaves. They look completely normal except for bronze/orange colored spots in some places on leaves. I have no idea what it is, but other than that the plant looks fine. Honestly, I’ll be so glad when harvest time gets here! I’ll NEVER let a single plant get this big again! Small, controlled grows for me in the future. I guess I was a little over zealous with my first go, but I’ve learned! I fed: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraBloom 15ml. Initial pH was 5.93, and I added pH UP 2ml, which adjusted the pH to 6.41. TDS in was 1152 ppm. Runoff pH was 5.83, and runoff TDS was 2874 ppm. I wish I understood that better, but it is what it is for now. She still looks good. Still smells good. Hopefully she stays that way! 19 May 2021 Feeding time again. I’m going to continue the normal nutrients in accordance with my feed chart. I haven’t noticed any continued or worsening nutrient burn, so hopefully I was able to arrest the damage. She smells wonderful! Anyway, I fed: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 6.05, and I added pH UP 2ml which adjusted the pH to 6.47. The TDS meter read 929 ppm. I chilled the water again today, so the solution temp was 50 degrees F. The runoff pH was 5.76, and TDS runoff was 3635 ppm. The tent temperature was 82 degrees F, and humidity 34%. She looks good, but her runoff was minimal today. I feel like I need to start feeding daily again in order to make sure she has what she needs. 20 May 2021 I fed again today for the reason mentioned yesterday. The runoff amount was much better which I hope indicates a more thoroughly healthy root system. The plant is looking good, and the resin that gets on my hands after lightly touching her smells wonderful! I think I may have figured out my microscope, so I have some trichome pics to upload today. Anyway, to why this is here; I fed: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. Initial pH was 6.08. I added 2ml of pH UP, which adjusted the pH to 6.47. The TDS was 774 ppm. The solution was chilled to 43 degrees F, but the website only allows for temps down to 50. The runoff pH was 5.73, and runoff TDS was 3051 ppm. Tent temperature was 79 degrees F, and humidity was 36%. I’ll check again tomorrow to determine if I should continue daily feedings. 21 May 2021 The soil is dry to a knuckle deep, so daily feedings will commence. The buds are fattening up quite nicely! I’m very happy with my first born’s progress to this point. I’m going to keep feeding the same level of nutrients for another week and then switch to the ripening stage till the flush and harvest. I changed the small fan location in order to increase airflow from a new direction as well. It really wasn’t doing anything in its former location. Feeding was as follows: CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. My pH meter decided to quit, but thankfully I keep great records and know about 2ml of pH UP is needed to get it between 6.45 - 6.50. The TDS was 932 ppm. Tent temperature was 79 degrees F, and humidity was 40%. Runoff TDS was 2777 ppm. She’s really looking great!

23 May 2021 Today starts week 17 of my grow, which means I just have 3 more full weeks left till HARVEST!!! I’ve gotten to a point where watering/feeding every day is too much, but watering every 2 days is insufficient. I’m going to try and start watering in the evening (like today), and then skipping tomorrow, but watering earlier in the day on the second day. Hopefully that will be better. I have to be honest.... I’m sick of this plant. Not in a bad way, I’m just NEVER going to let a plant veg for 10 weeks again!! Especially when the strain I’m growing has a 10 week flowering time to mature. My pH meter is officially broken. I tried calibrating it today, and it was almost 4 full points higher than what it was supposed to be. Anyway, I used the last week feed chart today, but I believe I’m going to shift the next feeding to the ripening stage so I can do that the next 2 weeks, then flush for the last full week before harvest. So I fed the same as I have been. I chilled 1 gallon of water to 51 degrees F, then added CALiMAGic 5ml, FloraMicro 7.5ml, FloraBloom 15ml. I normally have to add somewhere between 2-3 ml’s of pH UP, so today I added 2.5ml. The TDS was 932 ppm, and the runoff TDS was 3386 ppm. The soil was super dry, and there was hardly any runoff. Which is why I’m going to adjust the feeding schedule to be every 1.5 days. 🤷‍♂️ 25 May 2021 My plan to feed early today was thwarted by the need to find a new pH meter because I switched up my nutrients today and I have no idea how to adjust them without a new meter. So, I spent the day searching and looking through 8 different stores until someone finally recommended a shop i’d never heard of before. And, it had everything a grower could ever need!! Awesome shop! More expensive than Amazon, but it’s local and has anything I might need in a pinch. Anyway, I shifted to the Ripening Stage today, and with the assistance of that shop keeper, I got a new supplement for late stage blooming! I’m adding General Hydroponics - KoolBloom (2-45-28). Just a half tsp in a gallon of water. So with that, I also stopped giving CALiMAGic as directed on the feed chart, but still gave FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 6.0, so I added pH UP 3ml, which adjusted the pH to 6.5. TDS was 801 ppm going in. The runoff pH was 5.7, and TDS was 3688 ppm. Tent temp was 81 degrees F, and humidity was 45%. The plant is smelling strong now and trichome formation is doing well. 27 May 2021 Possible disaster in The_Good_Twin’s grow room!! The AC in my house died yesterday, and it got up to 93 degrees F inside my grow tent. 🤭 there was nothing I could do except open it up and add more fans. I tried adding a bucket of ice in front of the fans, but that didn’t do much. All my efforts got the tent down to 91 degrees F, but that’s it. I was afraid to look at it today, but it doesn’t look any different at first glance. The AC tech is fixing my issue, so I’m going to feed as soon as he’s gone. I’m keeping with the ripening level of nutrients. Continuing to add the KoolBloom .5tsp, FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml added to a gallon of chilled water (53.2 degrees F). The initial pH was 6.1. I added pH UP 2.5ml, which adjusted the pH to 6.6. The TDS in was 749 ppm. Runoff pH was 5.9, and TDS was 3252 ppm. The AC is fixed now, so I hope all continues to go well. 29 May 2021 Today is the last day of week 17. I am continuing with the ripening feed stage for another week after today. The temperature in the tent has cooled down some to 77 degrees F, and the humidity was 45%. I didn’t have time to chill the water much today and was 72 degrees F at the time given. Nutrients given: KoolBloom .5 tsp, FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 6.2, so no adjustment was needed. The TDS in was 1000 ppm. The runoff pH was 6.0, and TDS runoff was 2535 ppm. The buds are getting bigger, and more frosty with trichomes. The smell is wonderful as well. Just 2 more weeks till harvest.

31 May 2021 Yesterday started week 18, but it wasn’t a feed/water day. This week I will be keeping up with the ripening feeding stage, but next week will be time for the flush. Today I fed a gallon of water chilled to 51.6 degrees F with KoolBloom (dry) .5 tsp, and I resumed giving CALiMAGic 5ml because of some cal/mag deficiencies noted on the leaves. I also gave FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 6.3 and didn’t require adjustment. The TDS going in was 1040 ppm. Runoff pH was 6.0, and TDS runoff was 2925 ppm. Tent temp was 81 degrees F, and humidity was 40%. Pics uploaded today are primarily trichome pics taken with my mini-microscope. I’m getting with that thing! Smell is wonderful, buds are looking great, and I can’t wait for the next 2 weeks to go by! 02 Jun 2021 I decided that since I am so near the end, and research shows that leaves start to look odd and some die closer to harvest, that I’m going to stick with the nutrient chart and stop giving the CALiMAGic (cal/mag) supplement. I gave it the last feeding because some of the leaves are showing some deficiencies. However, seeing how I am going to stop ALL nutrients in just a few days to start the flush, it seems silly to waste it. So today I’m not giving it anymore. I fed 1 gallon of water chilled to 53.1 degrees F infused with KoolBloom .5 tsp, FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The initial pH was 6.4 and didn’t need adjustment. I haven’t needed ANY pH UP or DOWN since I bought my new pH meter. It was expensive because I bought it locally and was the only one I could find out of 8 stores. It makes me wonder if I was needlessly adjusting my pH for the last 5 months when it wasn’t required since I haven’t needed to do it since I got the new one. Luckily, my baby still looks good and healthy for the most part and her buds are big and covered in trichomes. The TDS going in was 774 ppm. Runoff is equally good! pH runoff was 6.1, and TDS runoff was 2960 ppm. The tent temp was 77 degrees F, and humidity was 42%. 04 Jun 2021 Feeding time again. Still using the ripening stage nutrients with chilled water (51 degrees F). The leaves are starting to change color in some places. Some are turning yellowish, but some are turning a little blue in the middle. Still not giving CALiMAGic. I fed: KoolBloom.5 tsp., FloraMicro 5ml, and FloraBloom 15ml. The pH registered in at 6.5, and TDS going in was 809 ppm. The runoff pH was 6.1, and TDS runoff was 2809 ppm. The tent temp was 82 degrees F, and humidity was 45%. She’s still looking good, even with the leaves, it’s doing well.

06 Jun 2021 Today I’m starting the flush! Fresh, chilled, and properly pH’ed water and nothing else. Hoping for a good start to the home stretch before harvest! Her buds are of good size, and covered in trichomes. Some of her leaves are still looking bad, but from my understanding, most of what I’m seeing is to be expected at this stage. The water was chilled to 59.2 degrees F, and the initial pH was 8.4. I know that pH DOWN is a whole lot stronger than pH UP so I added it in by drops (gtts). I added a total of 15 gtts which equals 0.75ml. That lowered the pH to 6.6. I did it in 5 drop increments until it was right. She took the whole gallon easily with very little runoff. Maybe just 250ml’s. I was rushing to prepare another gallon to give her about a half more, but time ran out in my tent and lights out. 🤷‍♂️ I’ll probably feed her again tomorrow and keep it quite consistent during the next week or so. The runoff pH was 6.1, and TDS runoff was 2615 ppm. This is it! I only want to give her time to freshen up, clear out the nutrients and then harvest this Lady! Tent temp was 81 degrees F, and humidity was 51%. 07 Jun 2021 I’ve decided that the best way to do the flush is to feed a little more often. The plant requires water less than every 2 days, but every day feeding seems to be a little much. However, in my current situation I will lean toward more, rather than less. I fed clean water chilled to 50.1 degrees F, with nothing but pH DOWN inside. Initial pH was 8.2. I added 20 drops (gtts), or 1ml of pH ⬇️ which adjusted the pH to 6.3. The TDS going in was 81 ppm. The runoff pH was 6.1, and TDS runoff was 2615 ppm (the same as yesterday). I need this to start falling! The heat has been creeping up to summer temps and the tent was 84 degrees F, and humidity was 46%. I took pics of the trichomes with my mini-microscope from buds all over the plant to check and compare them. In reality, they are the only thing I need to pay attention to for the harvest. Check to see that they are turning from clear to milky, and check for any amber colored ones. I’m looking for 50-75% cloudy with some clear or amber ones spread about. Time will tell. 08 Jun 2021 Continuing the daily flush! The top soil is actually dry enough for watering today, so no worry about over watering today. I fed a gallon of water chilled to 58.1 degrees F, and the initial pH was 8.2. I added 1 ml of pH DOWN which adjusted the pH to 6.6. TDS going in was 92 ppm. Tent temperature was 82 degrees F, and humidity was 44%. The runoff pH was 6.2, and TDS runoff was 1977 ppm. That’s a decrease of 638 ppm from yesterday to today. Runoff water is still colored from all the previous nutrients given over the last 5 months, but hopefully it will start to clear up when the TDS starts to significantly decline. She’s still looks good, and some of her leaves are showing some purple coloring. If I could get my tent about 20 degrees cooler it would probably show its colors better, but short of getting a mobile AC unit I don’t see it happening. And besides, as long as the buds are good, color is a distant second. The buds are looking great though! Lots of trichomes and greens, yellows, purples and golden colors. Look at the trichome pics from 6/7/21 for examples of the colors in the buds. I didn’t take any pics today, because there isn’t anything new to add. Mostly just more of the same, and that’s not bad. 10 Jun 2021 I skipped watering yesterday because I was feeling bad and just not in the mood. Today is more of the same, but I needed to give water if I ever want to finish the flush. Simply giving a gallon of properly pH’ed water, chilled to a frigid 43.2 degrees F. The initial pH was 8.4, so I added pH DOWN 1ml (20 gtts) to reduce it. The final pH was 6.4. TDS going in was 65 ppm. Runoff pH was 6.3, and TDS runoff was 1698 ppm. I’m only uploading trichome pics today since they are what I need to see to determine my harvest time. The TDS ppm is falling, but still a ways away from being done, but the trichomes are looking pretty good. Most are cloudy/milky in appearance with some mild amber ones mixed in. I truly can’t wait to smoke my very own, homegrown weed! 12 Jun 2021 Today, SHOULD be the last full day of this grow, but it’s not going to be. Sadly; I’ve been too busy this past week to be a good grower. My flush has not been every day as I had intended, and as of today there is still too much desolved solids in the soil. My TDS levels have been decreasing each time, but due to my infrequent attentiveness due to other tasks needing my attention, the runoff is still colored and the TDS still at 1462 ppm. The plant looks more and more ready for harvest each day! Many of the leaves now are showing colors of purples, yellows, and green. Some are beginning to shrivel up and fall off, and otherwise look like it’s at its end. The smell is lovely though! Today I gave a gallon of water that WAS chilled to about 47 degrees, but after adding the pH down, it was too low to give to the plant and I had to pour it out and try again. The gallon I gave was only 73 degrees F, and its initial pH was 8.2. I added 20 drops (gtts) and not just a measured ml like I did the first time. The 20 gtts lowered it to 6.2, and the TDS going in was 101 ppm. Runoff pH was actually higher than it was going in, but just by .1 at 6.3. The TDS runoff was as I wrote above, 1462 ppm. The tent temperature was 77 degrees F, and humidity was 50%. I’m going to keep going for another week, and hopefully be ready to harvest very soon!

13 Jun 2021 Continuing to flush my DarkStar Kush probably for another week at least. If I were following my original plan, I would be cutting her down today and starting the harvest. However, the runoff is still colored (not as much as it was, but still), and the TDS runoff was higher today than yesterday by almost 200 ppm. I’ve added new pics for this new week to show how she’s changing colors later in her life. She’s begging to be harvested, but I want to smoke her and not her nutrients! I’ve already waited this long, what’s another week or so. 🤷‍♂️ Oh well. I gave her a gallon of water chilled to 49.2 degrees F, and gave her 20 drops of pH DOWN which adjusted the pH from its initial 8.2 to a final pH of 6.7. The TDS going in was 76 ppm. Runoff pH was 6.3, and TDS runoff was 1740 ppm (up from 1462 ppm yesterday). Tent temperature was 82 degrees F, and humidity was 42%. 14 Jun 2021 Continuing with the flush today. Feeding a gallon of 45.5 degree F water with nothing more than 22 drops (gtts) of pH DOWN to make it just right. Initial pH was 8.4, and adjusted down to 6.4. The TDS going in was 85 ppm. Runoff pH was also 6.4, and TDS runoff was 1377 ppm. Working in the right direction at least. TDS runoff yesterday was 1740 ppm, so a reduction of 363 ppm today, but still a ways to go. Tent temperature was 82 degrees F and humidity was 47%. She’s looking more and more ready for harvest each day! Uploaded some pics of her colorful foliage today along with some new trichome pics. They’re almost all cloudy/milky with some amber interspersed here and there. Come on flush!! Do your job! 😜 16 Jun 2021 Went out of town on a day trip yesterday, so no watering was done, but I’m back today to continue the flush. The tent temperature was 81 degrees F, and humidity was 43%. Thought I’d start off backwards today in my note from the norm. I gave a gallon of cold water (51 degrees F) with 20 drops of pH DOWN to adjust the initial pH of 8.2 to 6.5. The TDS going in was 83 ppm. Runoff pH was also 6.5, which to me is promising, and the TDS runoff was 814 ppm. That’s a decrease of 563 ppm since the last watering/flush on the 14th. Hopefully in just a couple of days I’ll be able to start the harvest because she is READY!! I took more trichome pics today which were marvelous! They are perfect (to my untrained and inexperienced eye)! Hopefully I’m just days away!! 17 Jun 2021 Continuing the flush another day. The TDS runoff is still decreasing a little bit every day. Today I’ll be uploading a video instead of a bunch of pics. I already have a lot for this week, so I figured I’d do something different. I’m still giving chilled, and properly pH’ed fresh water. Nothing else. So, today I gave a gallon of H2O chilled to 51F. The initial pH was 8.4, so I added 22 drops (1ml) of pH DOWN to adjust it to 6.4. The TDS going in was 85 ppm. Runoff pH was 6.5, and TDS was 758 ppm. There is a 56 ppm decrease from yesterday, and I was hoping for much more, but it is what it is. I’ll keep going till it is better till harvest. Looking at the plant, it’s losing several leaves that are just drying up and falling off. Not a lot, but about as much as should be expected at this stage. The plant, trichomes, and buds are ready for harvest, but I want to make sure that I get all the nutrients out before I do it. Thankfully, I’m a patient person! 19 Jun 2021 I’ve been doing the flush for 2 weeks now, and the TDS runoff is still measuring 647 ppm. Honestly, I don’t know what the level should be for the harvest, but I’m getting to the point where I just want to go ahead and do it. Her buds are looking awesome, and many of the sugar leaves have turned dark purple, but she’s losing a lot of her bigger leaves. None of the ones around any buds, so I’m not concerned with it that much. However, I don’t want the trichomes to get more amber. The vast majority are milky, which is what I’m looking for with only a smattering of amber here and there. She’s just right!! Anyway, I gave a gallon of water at 48.7F with an initial pH of 8.3. I added 21 drops (1ml) of pH DOWN to adjust it to 6.7. The TDS going in was 71 ppm. Runoff pH was also 6.7 (it has consistently been the same or just a decimal point off from that going in for the last week or so). The runoff TDS was 647 ppm as noted above. Tent temperature was 84F, and humidity was 48%.

20 Jun 2021 I feel like I’m in a holding pattern. Flush, measure TDS, flush, measure TDS…. It seems never ending! I’ve been flushing for 2 weeks now, and today I gave a gallon of water chilled to 47F with an initial pH of 8.3. I added 21 drops (roughly 1ml) of pH DOWN which adjusted the pH to 6.5. The TDS going in was 74 ppm. The plant is begging to be harvested! Today I went out and got extra pairs of shears to cut branches and trim the sugar leaves off, as well as 2 cases of Mason jars to store and cure the buds once they’re dry. The runoff pH was 6.7, and the TDS runoff was 530 ppm. The tent temperature was 77F, and humidity was 51%. Lessons learned: don’t let the plant veg too long and get too big. Also, start the flush at least 2 weeks earlier so the plant is ready to harvest when the flush is complete, not before. I’m going to add this post as a new week on grow diaries, but I may start the harvest tomorrow. Maybe. 🤔 24 Jun 2021 I decided to start harvesting the plant, so this note is simply to document the end of the flowering stage of this beautiful plant. I’m so happy to cut you down!! I started on June 22nd, but didn’t finish till 1:00 am last night. I had to cut it down in two increments because it was just too much to do at once. Trimming took the 22nd and 23rd of June, and took more than 12 hours each time to finish. I never realized that it would take soooooo long! Anyway, I have the weight of the trimmed buds wet, as well as the weight of my trim (clippings), but I’m not going to publish them till I do the harvest entry. Most of the buds from the top are super dense and colorful to some degree, and the bottom buds aren’t as densely packed together or as colorful, but no less in size. Can’t wait to see it all dry and curing. See you all in a week or so for the harvest entry. Happy growing everyone!!

June 22nd - HARVEST DAY!! First and foremost, I want to send many thanks out to T.H. Seeds for the incredible top shelf genetics for this plant! Absolutely First Rate!! 🏆🏆🏆 I started the harvest on June 22, 2021 by cutting down all of the branches at or above the support netting I had in place. Trimming the first part took about 12 solid hours till I decided to stop for the night at 3:00 am. I wasn’t even done with it all when I went to bed; I had to finish the first stack the next day. The pics I’ve posted along with this report will go along with the whole process so you can all follow along if you so choose. 23 Jun 2021 After finishing the first stack, I finished cutting all of the remaining branches off to trim them as well. I have pics of it next to the buds I had already trimmed from the day before to show the difference. I trimmed this stack for another 12+ hours till it was all done. The buds on the top were more dense and colorful when compared to the lower branches, but their overall size wasn’t much different. They were virtually indistinguishable after everything was dried. 24 Jun 2021 I finally got everything switched around, so my other plants went into the big tent, and I hung all my trimmed bud in the small tent to dry. 30 Jun 2021 Fast forward 6 days…. Time to weigh my bud. First I’m going to explain what I did, how I did it, and why. I weighed the trimmed bud wet in order to get a before total weight so I could compare it to the dried bud later. I initially weighed the trimmed bud still attached to the branches so that the before weight, and end weight could be directly compared against each other. Then I weighed the loose bud again all by itself to get the TRUE weight of the harvest. Weight: Trimmed (wet) buds on branches: 21.777 ounces. Trimmed (dry) buds on branches: 8.924 ounces Final TRUE weight of loose buds (actual weight of harvest): 7.791 ounces (220.871 grams) *I also weighed my trim/clippings wet after I was all done. It was 13.465 ounces. I haven’t weighed it dry. After separating all the bud from the stalks, which was much easier than I had anticipated, I started putting all of my bud into pint sized Mason jars. I used pint jars instead of quart sized jars simply based off the price of the jars. A single quart sized jar was $ 3.40 each, but a whole 12 jar case of the pint size jars was only $ 9.99. 1 for $ 3.40, or 12 for $ 9.99 🤔? To me it was a simple economic no-brainer, so I got 2 cases. My bud filled 13 separate pint sized jars!! I must admit, looking at all of that glorious weed, and knowing that I was responsible for every bit of it was one of the most rewarding feelings I have had since I retired. It’s my first plant, and I started it from a simple little seed. Simply AWESOME!! Compared to many of you, I am really new to the world of marijuana. Allow me to explain. I had never ever even tried marijuana until a year after I retired! I was 45 years old the first time I smoked weed, and I was amazed. In just over 3 years I went from my first try to growing my own. That’s progress! Even more so; growing weed becomes legal where I live TODAY, July 1, 2021!! Weed has improved my life, my wife’s life, and our marriage. We decided to smoke if we get into an argument in order to calm down easier. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it! Arguing turns into a simple discussion when the mind is calm, and makes for more understanding by taking the anger and frustration out of the equation. Anyway, this is my final entry for this beautiful, and (in my own opinion) bountiful plant. DarkStar Kush by T. H. Seeds!! I still have 4 more seeds for this plant, so I totally see a repeat grow in my future. It just won’t be as BIG as this one was! I love the fact that I have 7.791 ounces of top shelf bud, but that one plant was a beast, and I don’t ever want to have one plant that big again! Unfortunately I haven’t smoked any of this bud yet, because it needs time to cure properly. However, I can tell you that it’s mother (the plant that produced its seeds) was one of the best strains that I have ever tried! It’s a quick high that hits you in the head first, relaxing the mind immediately, and washing away any worries or concerns that you may be having. It slowly spreads out to the rest of your body giving you a total body high accompanied by stress and pain relief. It’s an awesome high that lasts for quite a while. It helps with appetite by giving you the munchies, so snacks are a must. The regular cotton mouth and dry eyes accompany it, and depending on how much you do, you could find yourself couch locked if you’re not careful. Smoking this weed was what gave me the idea to try and grow it when I discovered a few seeds in it. The funny thing is; I said earlier that I was new to weed. To show how new, the 7.791 ounces, or 220.871 grams I just grew is more weed than I have smoked in my entire life… combined! I honestly don’t see myself ever having to buy weed again. Except of course if I find a new strain that I haven’t tried before 😜! I hope you all have enjoyed the diary for my DarkStar Kush!! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed growing it!! Cheers!