Day 71 - Ripening has begun
a. pumped out the DWC, and changed for Ripen formula
b. we will ripen for 2 weeks, then we will flush!
c. her buds are really making large cones, i think they are reaching hard for the light
d. stigmas are about 40% orange, 75% light intensity, still 16 hours on, will move to 14 next week
Day 72 - gaining weight
a. her buds are starting to flower all over them.
b. the stigmas are turning colors, she is ripening nicely
c. the smell is good, but am running lower intensity lights as not to burn the terpenes
Day 73 - still drinking 6L a day!
a. she is really ripening up, I will continue to push the ripen, buffering with fresh water to maintain 1000ppm in the pool
b. Her trichomes are about 80% milky, 5% amber and the rest clear still, will wait until I see very few clears left, and not too many ambers, this is where experience comes in. Get a good jewelers loup or a microscope. I will start scoping my buds over the next 2 weeks. stay tuned for the updates.
Day 74 - getting big
a. weight is piling on this plant
b. her buds are going all the way down the branch
c. will pump out DWC for fresh ripen (:
Day 75 - fresh Ripen - 4L gone
a. she is still consuming 4-5L a day, not all the way matured
b. looking like about 50% stigmas have turned brown
Day 76 - more resin
a. resin keeps being produced, some of the buds are dripping with resin
b. 4L gone over night from the DWC, this plant loves the TA FinalPart/GHE Ripen
Day 77 - Ripen change
a. pumped out the DWC, replaced with 900ppm Ripen 5ml/L
b. the resin is still in high production, will let Ripen run 1 more week, then flush!
@love_2_grow, I would like to master cannabis in soil at some point. I grow many different Amaryllis phenotypes in nice soil, may try some cannabis sometime. Chem degree also.
@SwissKush, Yeah, the geek and scientist in me (I have a degree in Chemistry) is fascinated by the control. But then I remember that I'm also lazy and love growing in living soil since all I have to do is to use plain old water and I even have that automated :D
@love_2_grow, no doubt you will! I personally think DWC is much easier than growing in anything else as you can instantly correct any mistakes in DWC. It is VERY forgiving! There are no watering schedules or worries about over/under watering. Never use an electronic PH tester in a DWC, you will grow runts every time. Use the basic chemical PH test, as long as you are yellow/orange in the beginning, Yellow in Veg, and Green/Yellow in Flower you will grow massive plants, especially the tree's trunk. It becomes very thick in DWC expanded clay in order to support itself better. This grow there are ZERO ties on the limbs, no real LST besides the scrog net. Keeping the PH in check during VEG in DWC makes the thickest limbs I have ever seen. I cant wait until you start your DWC! Please look at any of my diaries, they just keep getting better with experience.. and more lighting POWER! ๐
@SwissKush,Good advise, but I've been growing in soil and I top almost all of my auto's..
I've consistently gotten bigger harvests from the ones I've topped and trained compared to just letting them grow.
Every time I've let them do their own thing, 1 maybe 2 ounces per plant, after topping and training I'm
getting 3-4+ ounces per plant on average, some more some less. I've seen some grows with the DWC and I'm
going to order one for now and give it a try in the fall when I start growing indoors again. Once everything is done
inside I'll be shutting the tents down and moving outside, but there is still frost in my garden, so I have to wait a bit yet..
Hope all is well!!!
@northernMike, thank you, mate!! Here are my personal tips. Yes, the trick to growing a bud shrub, or bud tree is never top an auto, always HST and use chemical PH test instead of those faulty electric ones. I have seen a 5.5 on chemicals, but the PH meter show a 6.5. I only pump the water out 1 maybe 2 times the entire grow... if you change water every 2 weeks it puts too much stress on the root system. This is all anecdotal experience! has not let me down for 8 grows!
@northernMike, key to DWC is to not overthink it, and never include anything organic into your DWC pool. H202, hydrogen peroxide, 3% that you get for first aid works the best in DWC for keeping anything bad out, plus the plants love the extra molecule of oxygen that is left over, just helps the roots grow larger. Keeping the pool temps under 25 degrees is always best. For PH, use a chemical test kit, not an electronic tester that has to be calibrated. I think that is the main reason why I grow such large plants is because my PH is physically tested in a test tube with chemicals, not an electronic tester. Main thing is to not over think it.. they are plants, and plants love control.. DWC provides the best control when you use minerals only and when your water supply's PH is steady.
@Green_fiend, yes, I think it will be my best FastBuds plant, idk, Gorilla Cookies and Pineapple Express was bomb, so was Bruce Banner... I think this will beat them both.
@DeepWaterGrower, It is a bug strip to catch any flies, mosquitoes or gnats that may enter the tent. I always do it during the months when the bugs are bad outside. ๐