The Dude is Back in Black(berry)

Hello GD Crew!!! I’m glad to finally be back with a new diary. A LOT has happened since my last diary. The large room I was using back then got infested with spider mites. For a while I thought I had them beat, but they came back with a vengeance. So I thoroughly cleaned my 2x4 tent and set it up in the opposite side of the house. However, that part of the house is also now my new man cave and was under construction until a few months ago (its still not completely done yet, but close enough). I have also switched back to LED lighting. I’m using a pair of Spider Farmer SF1000’s (100w) LED’s. I was using a 315w CMH fixture but felt I was getting better results with my old blurple ViparSpectra’s (both of which have died). Also, it was getting too hot in the tent with the CMH. To be completely honest the best weed I’ve ever grown was using a 1000w HPS, but that could possible melt a 2x4 tent and I’d be tripping circuit breakers all the time again. After a lot of research it looked like the Spider Farmer SF1000’s were the best bang for the buck in the LED market these days. They have the right components (Samsung LM301B diodes and MeanWell drivers) and have great specs. I was able to purchase them on Amazon Prime Day for $129/each (USD). For soil I’m using Coast of Main Stonington Blend Grower’s Mix. I had been previously trying to amend and reuse old soil or mix old soil 50/50 with new soil and in retrospect that was a mistake. The PH was totally unpredictable as were what nutrients were available or deficient. I felt like I was always trying to fix soil problems and one thing would lead to another. So, from now on its fresh soil in every pot. I’m using 3 gallon pots with self watering reservoirs at the bottom. In addition to the Coast of Main Stonington Blend I’m also using Sungro Black Gold Seedling Mix. I filled the 3 gallon pots with the Coast of Main Stonington Blend first, then dig out a hole in the middle about the size of a grapefruit and filled that hole with the Sungro Black Gold Seedling Mix. Then I planted the seeds about knuckle deep in the middle of the Seedling Mix. This seemed to work great, both pots had small seedlings appear in 5 days. This diary will focus primarily on FastBuds BlackBerry, but I am also growing a DinaFem Critical+ Auto at the same time. I’ve grown both of these strains a few times in the past with mixed results. But, I’m hoping this grow will be far greater than those in the past. My plan is to allow the Coast of Main Stonington Blend act as the ‘super soil’ it is supposed to be and not add any additional nutrients. I will however be adding RealGrowers Recharge on a regular basis (I love that stuff, it really makes a difference) and will probably also add some CalMag once in a while. But that’s all. Additionally, I do not plan on doing much training with these girls. I will LST bend them over at a 45 degree angle around the time they hit their flowering stretch, but that’s all. Bending at a 45 degree angle gives better exposure to lower branches and allows those lower branches to produce larger tops. Hoping for the best!!! Please feel free to comment and follow. I’ll be updating this diary weekly and will be doing videos in the future. Here’s a breakdown of the equipment: 1 - 2x4x6 tent 2- Spider Farmer SF1000 LED fixtures (100w/ea) 1- Carbon filter 2- 3 gallon pots w/self watering reservoirs Coast of Main Stonington Blend Grower’s Mix Sungro Black Gold Seedling Mix RealGrowers Recharge Also, here’s what Coast of Main says about their Stonington Blend: “Coast of Maine Organic Products Stonington Blend Grower’s Mix is a complex “super soil” designed for high performance container growing. It works well with tomatoes, and, where growing cannabis and medical marijuana is legal, growers have reported tremendous results. This soil incorporates mycorrhizal fungi, kelp, fish bone and alfalfa meal, as well as worm castings, peat, coir and lobster compost.” Here are the specs on the Spider Farmer SF1000’s: Materials: Samsung LM301B diodes and MeanWell Drivers Power Draw: 100w PPFD: 922 umols/s @ 12” PPF: 250 umol/m2/s PPE: 2.5 umol/J Yield: 2.5g/W Spectrum: 660-665nm,3000K,5000K, IR 760nm LED: 218 pcs