EarthBox [LOS] - Seedsman - Black Sugar

Introduction - Week 16 Summary - Ensign's log, stardate 100218.58, VPD aside, another easy week of growing! Vapor pressure deficit continues to be a struggle. Still need to raise the DLI up but the current temps and RH are the best I can do. Still need to add another passive intake. Will do so next week. Anyways, beginning of this week, I added the last of the 10 garden yo-yos (may need to get more, but not for this cycle). Waterings have been simplified as well. I've stopped top watering and have been bottom watering through the reservoir. Gave her a minor trimming during her mid week feeding. Trichome check was a bit different than last week. Now the trichome heads are all pretty milky white and opaque! Ambering should begin soon! Wohoo! Almost harvest time!? Gave her an extra day before lowering the DLI even further. Now the PPFD is around 839 μmol/m2/s at the most intense spot (top center cola). Wish this light gave more even coverage, but again, have to go with what I have. At the end of the week, to re-inoculate the soil, I fed a bit of Great White. That's about it! Just another easy week of growing! Getting hyped for harvest! [START OF WEEK 16] ========================================================== Bloom Ripen Wk1 → Wk2 [Flower] 08/15/22 → 08/21/22 This Week's Mid-Week Estimated Goal Ranges [for elevated CO2] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLI: 32-40 mol/m2/d PPFD: 741-926 μmol/m2/s VPD: 1.5-1.7 kPa This Week's Meter Readings & Averages ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLI: ~36.24 mol/m2/d PPFD: ~839 μmol/m2/s VPD: ~1.34 kPa ========================================================== Day 01 - Monday - 08/15/22 - Total Days: 096 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 82.3°F [27.9°C] - Humidity: 64.3% - VPD: 1.36 kPa ----------------------------------- - [09:20]: Getting closer to harvest! --- The bud that was snipped does look a bit frostier, but hasn't grown much. --- The rest of the bud growth is continuing to create spear-shaped colas. - [22:52]: Why hello there my beauty! --- Buds are looking good! --- Terps are smelling of that sweet grape profile too! - [23:03]: Water time! --- One cup top fed and 5 cups in the reservoir. --- Using a sprayer, I misted the top soil with a cup of distilled water. --- Then filled a pitcher with 5 cups of distilled water and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube. - [23:17]: Noticed a couple more drooping buds. --- Attached the last 2 garden yo-yos. --- Wow! Just sticky with trichomes! --- While attaching the yo-yos, got some pretty strong terpene odors and my arm got coated in trichomes. Wow! She wreaks of a strong grape terpene (Myrcene?) with a slight citrus undertone (Limonene?). Ooowee! Hyped! Day 02 - Tuesday - 08/16/22 - Total Days: 097 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 83.1°F [28.4°C] - Humidity: 63.8% - VPD: 1.36 kPa ----------------------------------- --- [Skipped the morning checkup] - [23:02]: Evening girl! --- Growth is looking good! --- Wow! Terpene profile is getting louder too! --- Bud colas are just frosty! - [23:16]: Water time! --- Going even simpler and only bottom watering. --- Filled a pitcher with 6 cups of distilled water and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube! --- Done! --- Very easy day of growing! - [*smokes a bowl] --- As far as the VPD struggle, the current levels are still too low (at 1.36 when should be around 1.5-1.7). To raise the VPD, I still need to reduce the RH even more. Been researching about using desiccant beads of silica or calcium chloride. --- Based on what I've found, I'm doubtful. Makes sense to use for a room with limited humidity to absorb (like a wet room after painting), but not for a room which has an abundant or continuous exposure to high humidity levels (like a bathroom with a shower). Plus I doubt that desiccant beads can remove more moisture than the current AC unit (set to dehumidify mode). --- May need to invest in a proper dehumidifier soon. --- If I can lower the lung room's RH, the tent's exhaust fan should be able to do the rest. --- I may even try adding another passive intake too. There are several vent holes I can easily open up. This should help to reduce the negative pressure inside the tent while also increasing the efficiency of the exhaust fan. --- Of course, for optimal air flow control, an intake fan should be installed, but not for this grow run. Day 03 - Wednesday - 08/17/22 - Total Days: 098 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 82.5°F [28.1°C] - Humidity: 64.2% - VPD: 1.33 kPa ----------------------------------- - [09:15]: Stacking up nicely girl! --- The cola that was snipped is looking a bit thicker too! I think. --- The rest of the colas have pistil hair growth just sprouting everywhere! - [22:09]: Hello beautiful! --- Buds are continuing to grow with more visible growth! - [22:12]: Water time! --- Filled a pitcher with 6 cups of distilled water and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube! --- Another day of easy growing! --- Not much left to do but wait and let her ripen up as she transitions into the beginning stages of senescence. --- Harvest day should be less than a few weeks away! --- Of course to best way to determine how many more weeks to go is to check the trichomes. Plan to do so tomorrow. Day 04 - Thursday - 08/18/22 - Total Days: 099 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 82.7°F [28.2°C] - Humidity: 63.4% - VPD: 1.37 kPa ----------------------------------- - [07:29]: Good morning girl! --- Wow! That grape terpene profile is getting louder! --- Supplemental note. Although grown from the same genetics, there seems to be two very distinct terpene odor profiles amongst the four plants in the tent. Two of the smaller plants have a more earthy fuel funk (very nice!) with the fourth plant giving off a similar odor to the main plant (more of a grape-citrus). --- Anyways, tonight will begin Week 2 of the ripening phase. --- Plan to also check the bud trichomes as well. - [22:03]: Growth is growing along! --- Bud growth is still stacking - [22:10]: Time for the mid-week feed! --- This will be Week 2 of Bloom Ripen. --- Going to reduce the cups from 8 to 7 and won't be top watering. --- Filled a pitcher with 7 cups of distilled water. --- Added 1/32tsp of Quillaja Saponaria Extract --- Added 1/2tsp of Horticultural Coconut --- Mixed the solution, and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube. - [22:19]: Decided to trim off a few yellow leaf tips. --- Just a little trim off of a few bud colas. --- Top mulched the trimmings. - [22:40]: Time to check the trichomes! --- Woah! For the most part, trichomes now look pretty cloudy! --- Clear to an opaque milky! --- Incredible! Hopefully will see signs of ambering next week! --- Harvest time is another week closer! --- Once ambering is detected on the buds, I'll check more often (maybe every 2 or 3 days). --- Going to give her another day before lowering the PPFD. --- Plan to raise the light up a bit to lower the DLI to the final levels for this grow. Day 05 - Friday - 08/19/22 - Total Days: 100 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 81.6°F [27.6°C] - Humidity: 62.6% - VPD: 1.35 kPa ----------------------------------- - [09:16]: Growing along nicely! --- Buds are getting taller! --- There's noticeable top growth. Not sure if this is normal or maybe the lower light levels is causing a stretch? I dunno. --- The bud that was snipped has minimal upward growth, but does seem to be swelling up a bit. --- Since this is my first time through flower, going to stick with the lowered DLI. --- I doubt this run will produce any top-shelf buds, but the grow will be better! The overall weather will be cooler so hope to have more stable temps and RH. --- Also learning about the importance of DLI and VPD has been an absolute game changer! Thanks again grow buddy (whoever and where ever you are, best of luck on your journey and many thanks for helping me with mine [🖖]). - [22:07]: Why hello there beautiful! --- Buds are looking very nice! --- Wow, the snipped bud is sort of looking frostier than the rest!? --- Unlike the rest of the bud colas (which are mainly producing pistil hairs and upward growth), there are patches of opaque trichomes coating the top. Nice! --- Checked the reservoir and there was a bit of water still at the bottom. - [22:12]: Water time! --- Filled a pitcher with 5 cups of distilled water and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube. - [22:32]: Okay! Lowering the DLI. --- This week the target DLI range is 32-40 mol/m2/d (or 741-926 μmol/m2/s) --- The PPFD was at 1062 μmol/m2/s --- This gives a DLI of 45.88 mol/m2/d --- Yikes that's high! Raised the light up a bit. --- Again, before raising the light, had to loosen the garden yo-yos. --- Adjusted everything until the top canopy was at 839 μmol/m2/s --- This gives a DLI of 36.24 mol/m2/d --- Great! - [23:18]: Took height readings. --- She grew a bit and is now at 34.5in tall! --- The distance between the top canopy and the light was about 10.5in. Day 06 - Saturday - 08/20/22 - Total Days: 101 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 81.4°F [27.4°C] - Humidity: 62.2% - VPD: 1.35 kPa ----------------------------------- - [07:42]: Morning beautiful! --- Top growth is starting to even out. --- Gonna be an easy day of growing! - [22:04]: Bud growth is looking incredible! --- Not much to do but water and wait! --- There was a bit of water in the reservoir. Going to lower the watering a bit more. - [22:11]: Water time! --- Filled a pitcher with 4 cups of distilled water and poured it straight into the EarthBox's fill tube! --- Yep, another day of easy growing! Day 07 - Sunday - 08/21/22 - Total Days: 102 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages - Temps: 81.2°F [27.3°C] - Humidity: 62.1% - VPD: 1.35 kPa ----------------------------------- - [07:50]: Hello beautiful girl! --- Buds are just frosting up! --- Gonna inoculate the medium with more microbes tonight. - [22:01]: Wow she's stacked! --- Terpene profile is also getting louder too! A sweet grape profile! Nice! --- There was still a bit of water at the bottom of the reservoir, so lowering the watering even further. --- Also adding a bit of Great White to help add more beneficial microbes. - [22:12]: Water time! --- Filled a pitcher with 4 cups of distilled water. --- Added 1/16tsp of Great White --- Mixed and poured the solution straight into the EarthBox's fill tube! --- Great another week just flew by! --- Easy growing indeed! --- Still have the overall VPD way too low for flowering, but hope to improve this on the next attempt. Have to go with the current conditions for now. --- Based on the trichomes this week, I may easily be harvesting in about a week or two! --- Gonna probably be boof, but hey! For my first harvest, I don't really expect much. Perfection will develop over time. For now, just trying to make it to harvest (Ha!). --- Stoked for next week! [END OF WEEK 16]