Day 15 - Fresh tank and not much new to report. pH was remaining incredibly stable through last week so skipped a fresh feed week. 300A doing its job keeping the water at a nice 19C.
As noted, girls got topped a couple of days ago. They're rebounding nicely. Will start some LST on the branches now through the week. Will be the usual balance pH at the start of the week and hopefully stabilise quickly.
Using the Botanicare kind ratios (Expert Recipe) if not the same volumes so base to grow is 2 to 3 ratio this week.
Thats about it for now (Will add some pics and last week time lapse in a bit when lights are on).
Happy growing all!!! 💪
D54/FD26 - All ticking along nicely. Was doing my daily water check (pH and EC) and brushed against a stem...OMG, one of the nicest smells I have ever smelt!!! Not even touching a flower, this is the stems!!! Like a perfect sweetness, fresh lemonade. Utterly devine! I even ran into her indoors to let her smell it off my arm and her eyes opened in amazement!!! If the flowers are like that then it will be a treat to behold!!! pH on a slow drift down, which is good to see, should mean K is getting used up (like 0.1 a day, same way you'd like to see veg, but in the opposite direction). Will just stay on a plain water top up regimen (no add back this week) so as not to toxify the roots and hope all stretches are now done (Sweet Cherry Pie has had a quick sprout the last day so hopefully thats it positioning itself finally for light and bud production).
Apart from that, nothing to report. Happy Growing all!!! 💪
D53/FD25 - Nothing much to report...Cookies coming along great...still a bit of push in them all but defs slowing down! Sweet Cherry Pie running a bit behind but buds starting to look better now - it probably got the 13/11 too quick and have added a week onto her (Hopefully not though and she races on through at the end!!!).
Plants drinking 5+ liters a day. Taking on Slightly more water than feed so added 15L back last night of just plain tap water...brought the EC down to 1.5 (Had crept up to 2.0) and that brought the pH back to 6.0/6.1 - seeing a slow drop in pH but to be expected as they eat the potassium up. Rather than keep these at 6 on the nose, I'm trying to let them flit more around the 5.8 mark as not seeing any calcium issues (of any note...just a spot or 2 on 0.1% of leaves) and the stretch *looks* to be over now so they should have a bit less of a requirement. Also, depending on what chart you look at, Hydro pH for Calcium is best below 5.9 (down to 5.5 where some say has to be 6 and over) and really, magnesium is the only one that really needs 6 and over (But starts in the 5.8 area for uptake).
Apart from the ever reducing headspace, all going according to plan so far! Happy growing all!!! 💪
*** Update *** 29/7 - All previous trimming finally complete...OMFG trimming sux balls!!! Well, the girls were outgrowing the fogger box but as I didn't get finished until late, didn't get time to wash the clay pebbles and do a bit of hoovering to get the girls in their final pots! Will get that done tomorrow. Veg diary begins then!
As I have no light support for the girls without the lid, I moved them into the tent so get a bit of good light on them and a bit of a breeze about them to strengthen up them stems. Got them under the big girl light at a DLI of about 40 to see how they respond and acclimatise. As much as the light is a 3500K LED, stuck the UVA LED's on too to help keep them down short and as they would get it outside anyway, hopefully again acclimatise them to it for when the UVB310 goes on them during flower (I know...thinking wayyyyy far ahead already!!!). When they're potted up and on the normal feed, I'll get them on the 18/6 cycle.
From the pics, the left 2 are the Sweet Cherry Pie, the Mid runt (The one that popped out of the coco during germ) is a Red Hot Cookies and the 2 on the right are Red Hot Cookies too (The bottom one slightly smaller due to being popped 4-5 days after the rest).
OMFG, Fogponics gets some SERIOUS roots on them!!! The Big Cherry Pie has a total mass of roots about 12" long while the runt even has a 8-9" taproot down now. All got good ladder/lateral roots being in the water (can't wait to do a UCDWC next run/next year). So far, these appear to be incredibly hardy girls. Big props to @Sweet_Seeds for the donation!!!
Happy Growing all!!!
@Ferenc, Much appreciated and thanks! Yeah, seem to have this grow dialed in better than the last one and incredibly pleased with how these girls react to HST and LST. Very hardy girls! Some difference seeing them in week 3 when I defoliated them and 2 days later, you wouldn't even know leaves were taken. @Sweet_seeds seem to breed some seriously strong girls!!!
Sorry to hear about your spill and the bud cheese. But your doing great, you just need a better dehumidifier to control the humidity. HID help to keep humidity down in hydro grows but you also have to manage more heat removal then. Nice looking bud my friend...
@GMSgrows, When I get these girls down (Think I'll move to an 11/13 tonight as been running 13/11 to give them some extra fattening time - I want these to ripen up fast now and don't think they'll get any bigger), I'll try the Barneys Cookies Kush again...it was barely 2-3foot tall after LST on my 1st grow (Had also done 2 purple punch that run and they stayed just as stout) and that will give me an idea. Last 2 grows, the girls have run for the sky (Thinking mix of heat and maybe feed but I dunno). I know its not quite comparing apples with apples as different seeds from down the road and not clones but will give me a better idea. Have a new 6" AC Infinity Cloudline to throw in there...just need to get some vents put in my grow space housing to get heat directly out of the room rather than out of tent and into surrounding space. Good thing is its coming into winter and the coal fires will be blazing round here so local atmospheric CO2 will be up a bit, shouldnt have to do any manual supplementation and outside air temp will give some natural cooling. Think a micro dehumidifier is the last thing I'll need to buy (Or get aggressive with leaf stripping). Cheers again for all the input!
@xbrico, well that has more to do with strain and genetics when they get tall in the stretch. I don't like the taller girls myself. Just have to grow until you get that pheno that stays shorter and keep those one going by clone. You can also do your work on her, when you go to 12 12 removing leaves and lst until they start to bed. A little stress through transition slows them some. As for your other question, you could try a little cinnamon mixed in water and do a test spot to see if that helps. Just put 2 hurricane fans plus I have a floor fan going in my grow room. Keeps air moving everywhere and no hotspots anywhere.
@GMSgrows, as an add-on, don't know what it is too that my last 2 grows have shot up to be as tall as they are! Coincide with using Kind but a fert can't have that much of an effect, can it? 630W LED should have been wayyyy enough intensity but these stretched! Same as my last batch (that was under HID with Kind). Wonder has converting my dripper to a DWC maybe also played a part???
@GMSgrows, Cheers buddy...you'll know I'll be knocking on your door sometime over the next 4 months!!! Thanks again for all the invaluable support you have provided so far too!!! 👌
D49/FD21 - So, talk about a bad day!!! Pulled the pics for my time lapse for later (As I start my week 4 tonight and will be starting my new week) and have noticed that my light, yet again has fucked up!!! It's an LED, GeekLight Geekbeast Pro 630W with the Remote App/Timer control.
So, the story is; During veg, I noticed (By accident 1 day when I went out to work in the cabin where my tent is) that randomly, the light flickered on and off...totally random to its lowest power setting. App shows the light is powered off. Worked with Geekbeast and redid timers, set all manual controls and dimmer to off, etc. in case of some power bleed. Never happened again...until the last couple of day where when timers have not been touched, the lights went into 5% mode again!!!
Now, of all the f**king times it could do this!!! 3 weeks into flower!!! On the 10th, 1 frame caught the lights on about 20 mins after lights off (and had been 730nm flower initiated to sleep). Hoping up-to 1 min of a "Light Leak" on that day will hopefully do nothing as the flower initiator should have all the Phytochrome changed so its still getting "more" than 12 hours sleep (Also running on the edge here as I am running a 13/11...flower initiator basically makes it a "13/13" day). Then I get to the 14th...lights go off, flower initiator on for 10mins, flower initiator off then 5 mins later the lights go on for 33 mins, then off for about the same then on again for 33min then off again for a couple of mins then remain on (at 5%) from 10:54am til the lights went to full power again at 7:30pm (which is my on time)!!! THEN the next morning (15th) lights off at 8:30am, 10mins of flower initiator 19 mins off then 10 mins on, 11mins off, 14mins on then dark til 7:30pm!!!
Now, hoping against all hope that this will not trigger a regveg!!! I did have a f**k-up of my own accord week 1 of transition where I didn't set the timer to go off and they had 14hours of light in 1 day (I did get the main light off and then flower initiator them as soon as I caught on) but thankfully no issues seen then but now I am sweating (Sweet Cherry Pie is a bit slower in the budding though so may have been an impact!!!)!!! Will be monitoring very closely and hopefully the plants forgive me and don't go mental. I have thrown a timer in there now to cut the juice to the main light at 8:30am so hopefully no accidents and set to come on 1 min before normal lights on so as the light can "Download it settings" and trigger its timer mode (For the UVA I run and the brightness)...come to think of it, I may just disable the main light timer and use the digital one and as UVA only comes on between 00:00 and 4am, all settings should be downloaded by then - no big deal though if UVA doesn't come on as Iintend on running a proper Migro UV Tube last 2-3 weeks of flower.
So, PSA to all @Geeklight growers out there and if you're using their app/remote control setup (Monster Board/Geekbeast)...If you're seeing problems with your grow, check for Power Bleed. This is so intermittent its unbelievable. The fact the app can override the manual controls means dimmer being at 0 does nothing. This can happen and when it is happening, the app will show your light is OFF!!! I am on with Geeklight HQ about it as its unacceptable that the controller can't realise this is happening and may cause you issues.
If you're considering a geeklight...as much as the light is good/cheap (esp. if got direct from Alibaba)/powerful/even PAR map; really consider if its the right light (Geekbeast anyway). 730nm Channel is not independent from the main lights (Its on the same driver) so you can't run EoD treatment (And don't know if its the right ratio of 660:730nm for an all day Emerson Effect Treatment). The app doesn't allow for a "Sunrise/Sunset" mode if you're wanting that unless you want to set a pile of ascending and descending timers and is the UV powerful??? dunno but wasn't enough to help add that "Lower Blue" spectrum to help control stretch as my girls are pushing for the sky!!! and DEFINITELY don't rely on the app timer!!! Manual mode with hard current cutoff with a timer, or if it picks up the settings correct after being hard powered off (I can advise later), only use timer for UVA/IR treatment - still need to see if this auto-turns on the IR after powering on (which I have noticed it does in the past)!!!
Lets hope no Herms/Reveg and I'll keep ya all updated!!!
Happy Growing all!!! 💪
D50/FD22 - Wee question...Has Botanicare pulled the Kind Line? Can't find it on their webpage anymore! Feed Charts and all gone!!! Anyone that can let me know, please do. Have probably 1-2 more grows with what I have left - need to see if I need to research a new feed line for next year!!!
Day 39/Flower Day 11 - Srsly girls, chill!!! I can't hold fit to this stretch...they're getting up there!!! At this rate, I'm going to have to pull out the extraction gear, invert it and start blowing through my carbon filter, all outside of the tent!!! Humidity in grow area doesn't help either...getting some passive vents put in the Cabin to allow some better air exchange and suck better/drier air into the grow tent. These things are chucking water!!!
Starting to get the 1st under screen leaf fall happening...leaves are getting a bit paler and dropping off at the very bottom so hopefully too, less leaves=less humidity - Going to have to go on a bit of a stripping session in a few days I'd say for the end of transition.
Also, looking to treat myself to a 6" AC Infinity setup...anyone use it? Any reports on it being good, bad, ugly? Currently using a 5", 35 local currency RAM inline 2 speed which could become an intake fan..spent the extra on the Rhino Pro Carbon Filter though back in the day and its doing grand still for its 3rd grow...could do with a change out though as occasionally get the faintest whiff of something green when passing the cabin window!!! 😝
Apart from that, ended up not changing my schedule for tonight due to the extra time the lights were on...hoping the girls and I just forget about it as a nasty, 1 off happening and then I'll be adding 15mins on tomorrow to get it to 12.5/11.5 on the slide to 13/11 or maybe even 13.5/10.5 (Which apparently equates to 13.5/12.5 as the flower initiator changes PFr to Pr pretty instantly so they don't have the standard 2 hours conversion time allowing for extra lights on time and them still getting the equivalent hours of Darkness, or Levels of Pr in the leaves for enough of the day or some bro science!!!!).
Happy Growing all!!! 💪
Day 38/Flower Day 10 *** Update *** - F**K!!! F**ked up my timer and didn't realise when I made the timers, the off timer wasn't set to 'off' mode but rather 'on' mode so the lights didn't go off!!! About 3-3.5 hours of extra light!!! Turned off the lights, knocked the flower initiator on for 10 mins and now setting a timer to come on 2 hours later for the 1 day (2 doses of 730nm in the 1 period!!! Talk about giving them the fuel for stretch!!!). Hopefully as the flower initiator puts them to 'sleep' so quickly, I can get away with 1 short[er] day and what should be a normal night under an HPS/no initiator setup. Here's hoping nothing weird happens!!!
Also, these things are drinking up something epic and throwing out a LOT of moisture!!! having difficulties keeping up with it!!! Open the tent and my glasses steam up!!! Thinking a lot of leaf needs to be coming off soon below the canopy as the moisture in there is beyond what I have ever dealt with. Looks like I need an upgrade on extraction (Using 5" at the mo in a 1.2x1.2) and need some vents in my grow space...even the electric 5L dehumidifier cant keep up with it!!!
*** EDIT *** - Looks like the web says best course of action is to forget it happened this one time as the plants will also...as long as its only one time and stick to schedule (Or others say blast it for the remain dark period +24hrs and then resume...but the stretch!!!) - couldnt be at a orst time for me to eff up as i am sliding timers to 13/11!! So adding a bit more confusion!!!