2018-1 From Seed

While technically my first MJ grow, I've been a gardener / horticulturalist (perennial, orchids, herbs - the cooking-eating kind) for the past 20 years. I've just now gotten around to growing my own meds. About the grow in general - during the spring/summer months in a vegetative stage I run a hybrid indoor/outdoor. When switching to flower - they are indoor only. In the midwest when temps are warm enough and if we actually get sun - they'll go outside during the day (about 6-8hrs) and finish off the light schedule in mini grow box (milk crate) and a medium grow box (aluminized foam board), both run CFL and when finally big enough - tent with 150W HPS increasing to 3 or 4 depending on total size. About nutrients / soil - I use a 100% sphagnum peat moss mixed generously with perlite. Since I'm carrying up and down a flight of stairs twice a day - I didn't want something that heavy. Vegetative nutrients are GrowMore (blue) - this is a brand that specializes in Orchids, is a highly concentrated powder mix, economically priced (who doesn't love that), and lasts forever. Flower nutrients are Fox Farm Big Bloom. pH down by Black Magic. About lighting / indoor setup: Outdoor Sun = Free. Indoor: increasing to 3x 150W HPS, 2x 23W 4x strip for seedling and edge augmentation, and a 7W uVA spot during flower. The tent is a 5x5, with 2.5x5 used for plants. By running lower wattage, the plants can be taller, using a calibrated android lux meter - avg lux is 50k-90k : 12" - 6", and run much closer - since outdoor full sun lux is about 120k. During flower I switch the 12/12 time to run 3pm-3am in order to toss the clones outside, although space is admittedly a huge PITA. Blue Dream by seed is a challenge - they'll germinate fine but are very fickle about orientation or just Darwin in general. Two of five did not survive this stage. Thankfully by clone - it's significantly easier. 05.14 sunny, opened the window for full sun. 60mL water bottom soak. 1st set of leaves, 3 others almost ready to sprout. 05.13 One sprouted - cotyledons still stuck together, others still seem not quite ready but poking through. Warm partly sunny, warm heat 74° 62% Added CFL to stimulate longer daylight. 40mL water top down. 05.11 40mL water added at EoD through bottom soak. On med heat most of day, cold & rainy, 77° 50%. One girl almost ready to sprout. 05.10 Reduced heat to low - 79° 61%, 'warm' at night - 71° 20mL water added at EoD 05.09 Transfer pellet - All germed, moved 1st day to avoid hurting tap, placed on med heat in pellet tray 05.08 5pm Germination started - paper towel method sandwiched between two plates. started on med heat once showing signs of pop turned to low overnight.

05.17 sad day. Looks like 2 maybe 3 won't make it. Did autopsy on one, taproot didn't develop beyond 1/4". Consensus seems to be I planted them incorrectly or they twisted in the placement. Autopsy one had an s-kink curve in the head which never allowed it to raise the seed head properly. 1 maybe 2 seem to be hanging on for dear life. True leaves on one but the cotyldon isn't unfurled properly so who knows but it's still green. 05.16 First day outside for mid-morning through afternoon. 05.15 sprout transferred - root was poking through mesh. Built a 1sq ft seedling light box, 4 23W CFL 1600 lumen = 6400. Other sprouts are almost active but a bit slow. 84° 60% in light box with window fan

05.28 1/2 OD. The survivor was transplanted today. It's been abnormally hot in the 90s, putting them out in the morning through about 2pm then bringing them inside. 05.24 The main is growing well, about 3 nodes or so. The mini pulled through and is now starting to veg. It was transplanted last week when a root made it through the mesh. Oddly though it spiraled the 1st and 2nd set of leaves. Consensus seems that it happens in clones when going from flower back to veg and seedlings can sometimes be a clone of the mom when hermie cross pollinated. One is still quite little but now finally starting to work on its 2nd set of leaves. All need water daily. No NPK yet.

NPK.                        TDS 1/4 5, 2.5, 5            1330 3/8 7.5, 3.75, 7.5   1690 06.05 ID. pH rose to 6.4, added 3 cups each main and mini, 1 for survivor. Growth has picked up considerably. 06.04 1/2 OD. The temps have finally dropped but it's been several cloudy days in a row, so they've stayed in the tent. pH rose to 6.7, added 1.5mL to take it back down to 6.2. Added 1 cup for survivor, 2 each for main and mini. Started LST with the main. 06.03 ID. The survivor was transplanted to a 2 gal pot. Roots finally showed up at the bottom. HPS was lowered to 12" from 16" 06.02 No over water signs with perlite mix. Today the main was topped at the 5th node. Only removed 1 node, not 2. 06.01 Tent is setup 8 23W CFLs with 150 HPS. 1st day for NPK mix, 1 cup for mini, 3 for main, survivor isn't ready for it yet. pH was 7.4, 2.5mL of down took it down to 6.4. 05.31 The mini was transplanted to a 2 gal pot, and the main was repotted. Mixed 50% of perlite, it turns out BD likes a more arid soil. At each watering they show signs of over water droop. The main is showing signs of nitrogen deficiency, will start 5-2.5-5 mix once Ph meter shows up tomorrow. Found out average 7.1 for pH which definitely won't help with NPK

06.12 1/2 OD. First full soak for watering, about 6 cups with run off. Roots are dense enough to not run into issues with over water. Had to get far more aggressive with topping mini - it was already stretched to 2' including container. Maximum height can only be 2.5' before flower. Cloned with root powder, put in a dim corner. 06.11 OD. LST active on main, started on mini and survivor. 06.10 ID. 1/2 day with 2nd lamp. Survivor was topped at 5th node. All 3 exhibit nighttime droop before lights out. Watered survivor and mini. Turns out this is probably normal and mini didn't need it. 06.09 ID. Added 2nd 150W HPS mid day in opposite directions, moved back up to 12" separation to see if they can handle it. Moved the setup more to the corner to help with reflectivity to lower nodes. Mini drooped quite a bit by EoD, so the 2nd lamp was turned off for the morning. Added a cup of water to help deal. Trimmed a few nodes at the very bottom too close to the soil. Temp with 2nd lamp adds 3° - up to 77. 06.08 1/2 OD. 3 cups ea mini and main. Starting to show signs of nitrogen burn at the tips. Started individually adjusting pH for serving instead of the entire container. Next will be just water. 06.07 OD. Mini is no longer mini - tall but not many side nodes yet, topped at 5th node. Mini is already showing roots at the bottom but not the side weep holes. 06.06 OD. low 70s bright sun. Growth was nearly 2 inches. HPS set at 10" sunlight strength.

06.20 ID. 4 cup 3/8 NPK pH 5.83 survivor. 06.19 ID. Very overcast. Transplanted survivor, good root growth on the bottom. 06.18 ID. Even hotter, mid 90s. Decided to leave inside on partly cloudy. Full gallon pH to 6.05, each mini, main. 06.17 OD. Hot, but with well buried roots, they didn't show any side effects. Added galvanized tomato rings, for LST. 06.16 1/2 OD. Transplanted main, mini to final 7gal air pot. 4 cup 1/4 NPK pH to 5.95-6.15 06.15 OD. 06.14 OD. 4 cups pH ranged 6.05-6.17 06.13 1/2 OD.

06.27 ID. 06.26 OD. 06.25 OD. Gal ea survivor pH 6.20 going in, 6.85 in runoff. Main 5.56, mini 6.5 to try to slow it down enough to let the other two catch up. 06.24 ID. Deep overcast day. uVA 8hr. The Sylvania bulb puts out 55k lux peak to 10" where the AgroGrow peak is 70k. Left both at 10" for wider coverage vs peak spotlight effect. Total plant height gained 1". 06.23 ID. uVA 4hr. 06.22 ID. Deep overcast is 20k lux. Full gal 3/8 NPK mini, main pH 6.18. uVA 1hr. 06.21 1/2 OD. Full gallon pH 6.15 to survivor. Mini, main, survivor: 16", 12", 12" Measured lux between 50k on outside edges, 70k direct under bulb at 10" separation. Started 365nm uVA 7W 30min. 500 lumen to 20k is less than 1% PAR, read max should be 3-4%.

07.04 1/2 OD. 2" or more growth even during the day. Avg plant height is 24", the tent will run out of room with flower stretch. 07.03 4" of growth, a few light bleach spots ended at 8". Added pH 6.2 gal water to all. Took a vacation. 06.30 - 07.02 Away ID series. 1st trip away few days. No CFL to prevent possible unmonitored burn. Raised HPS to 12". 06.29 OD. Gal water main, survivor - half gal 3/8 NPK; 1.5 gal water to mini - to slow growth. 06.28 OD.

Tiger bloom NPK: 2-8-4 10mL pH 6.5 TDS 3300 Lux calibrated 120k clear outdoor noon 07.10 It's getting close to build the net. Lights are being adjusted daily. Main is starting to show dense bud site development. 2 clones started from main lowest node. 07.09 07.08 Avg plant height 26-28" calibrated lux avg center 45k, 25k perimeter, down to 15k in low spots. Still can't find a definitive sex on survivor. 07.07 1/2 gal water pH 6.2. Gal NPK10 pH 5.5 split with 6.5. Didn't initially test for pH only to realize Tiger bloom is acidified. Main NPK10 pH 6.15 Flower stage started 07.06 Like an idiot I left the timer in 'on' instead of auto. Found at 9am. 07.05 This is the last day of veg: 58 days. Built 1/2" PVC mini cage for eventual scrog net. Light schedule changed to 3pm - 3am to give clones a chance for a veg schedule when mixed with outside light. Circulator fan is now on continuous medium.

07.17 More defoliation. Temps are now 80° with 3 HPS. Moved the draw fan to medium speed. 07.16 Took 2 clones from survivor, installed 3rd final HPS. Started minimal strategic defoliation of upper fans to allow light to reach lower flower sites. 07.15 gal water, 1/2 gal NPK10. Avg height 33-36". Lower branches showing signs of under-watering stress in the afternoon. Water pH 6.35, NPK pH 6.55. Lots of work: finish netting reposition for ideal light. Survivor is putting out the most bud sites, main seems "stuck" in finishing stretch. The carbon filter was attached. 07.14 07.13 started netting. 50' isn't quite enough. 07.12 07.11 Gal water pH 6.3

07.24 Avg height 44-40" Flower about the size of a thumbnail. 07.23 A few leaves trimmed from mini showed light stress. Lights moved but not much room left with rope ratchets. All clones moved to mix with root dip. 07.22 Showing under-water stress. Schedule needs to move to every late 3 day. Gal pH 6.2 followed by 1/2 gal NPK10 after normal pressure returned. 07.21 Peak lux 110-120k, avg 60k. Survivor clone is finally showing root taps. 82-85° Not running the AC in the house during a cool off. 07.20 Clones are taking forever to show rooting. One from mini was potted but deliberately kept in small in the hopes of allowing others to catch up. 07.19 Early water (07.18 11pm) Gal NPK10 pH adjusted down to 5.75-6.10 trimmed low branch growth shoots. Not adjusting lights as aggressively. Some colas appear to be at near final height (hopefully). Max lux 110k - about outdoor sunlight, not showing burn yet. Avg still around 60k, low 30-40k. 07.18 Fixed the oscillator on the fan. Survivor and mini are stretching like crazy. Main still has good bud formation - just compact. Avg lux 45k, 80k-30k high low. Avg height 32-38". Moved the UVa to main for a week to see if it makes a difference. Removed small bottom sapling branches from survivor.

07.31 Mild water stress in lower leaves showing on mini at 11pm. No AC last few days, 82-85 @ 55-60%. Gal NPK10 pH 5.89-6.05 1/2 gal pH 6.15 07.30 07.29 07.28 Gal pH 5.89, 1/2 gal NPK10 pH 6.05 Leaves are getting sticky. Faint taste fruit - mint. 07.27 Moved survivor light to cable tie. Ran out of room w rope ratchet. 07.26 07.25 Gal NPK10 pH 5.95

08.07 Stretching appears to be done, haven't seen height gain in more than a week. Flower is fattening up, survivor will produce the most, followed by main, mini. All clones are finally showing root and new growth. 08.06 Gal pH 5.89-6.05 1/2 gal NPK10 6.25-6.36 08.05 08.04 08.03 Gal pH 5.83 - 6.03 08.02 Raised other two lights two encourage mini and main to stretch a bit more. Some clones showing new growth. 08.01 No roots showing on clones yet. Outdoor morning light has been weak 10-15k lux several days in a row. Lighting 130k max, 60k avg, 25k low.

08.14 Introduced jumping spiders to the tent, hope they'll clean up. 08.13 Even worse is the spinosad is ineffective. SM90 is on order. For now just attempting to control the population by regular squishing. 08.12 Built a 2 stage separator box for the AC finally at 73° RH 50%. Gal pH 6.15-6.29 NPK10 Spider mites - damnit. Mostly on survivor, mid fan leaves. Dealing by leaf trimming w eggs, visual inspection and squish, selectively spray spinosad on underside of leaves trying to avoid flowers, moved oscillator up to blow more directly, removed leaf mulch. 08.11 08.10 Getting the AC right is not easy. Cool works when on RH 60% but higher when off. Dry mode is 60° or less, but 50% RH. 08.09 Gal pH 6.38-6.50 1/2 gal NPK10 pH 6.40 tips appear too burned. The first few pistils are turning orange. Need to rethink DH. Temps still too high lights on near 85°, and 76° off. May switch to portable AC unit. For now only running DH during off cycle. 08.08 Setup the dehumidifier in the tent, RH has been 70% lights off, 60% on. Trying to mitigate risk of mold in 2nd half flower stage. Had to vent via air inlet - raised temps by 7°. Set DH to 35%. Hygro reports RH 50%. Opened flap. Survivor is putting on weight, had to reinforce wire tie to grid for support.

Tiger bloom NPK: 2-8-4 5mL pH 6.5 TDS 2.5mL molasses 08.21 1/2 gal NPK5 pH 6.15, gal pH 5.85. Oddly, main had significant drainage leading me to believe not as much water usage? Some lower buds of survivor appear really close to done. Hard to tell but close ups still look like clear caps not milky. 08.20 Sprayed 2nd app of SM90. 08.19 Pistils are turning orange on the bottom nodes, tops still need time. Survivor seems to be finishing quicker than the other two. 08.18 sugar, 1/2 gal NPK5 pH 6.15, gal pH 5.85 08.17 Trimmed large fans. Some pistils turning orange. Still finding mites, not many - just need to be persistent. Clones are doing well, keeping them in smaller pots since I don't have anywhere to put them. 08.16 08.15 Sprayed SM90. Seem to still be alive, but not many of them. Only water, all are dark green showing a little too much burn. Gal pH 6.05-6.15

08.28 Tantalizingly close for survivor. Photos of trichomes in shade (flash washes out true characteristics) appear milky in some spots, but the the entire bud isn't uniform. Buds are fattening considerably as they open fully. Main, mini probably have at least two more weeks. 08.27 Sugar, gal pH 6.15-6.25. Trimmed up all lower branches that won't produce. 08.26 08.25 08.24 gal pH 5.65 - 5.85, survivor looks far enough along to stop the NPK. 08.23 Main has some orange pistils, none on mini, survivor all lower, not many for upper branches yet. 08.22

Sugaring once a week, stopped NPK back on 08.21 Total water is a gallon at a time 1x / 3 days. 09.04 09.03 Stems are getting heavy, one from mini nearly fell over and had to be propped up with a ratchet where normal green tie wouldn't hold it up to the scrog. Keep taking macros every day, still not seeing any amber bulbs - still some clear patches here and there, most appear opaque in indirect shade. 09.02 Sugar, Gal pH 6.05-6.20 09.01 Orange pistils on about 40-80% with the bottom looking more done than top. Debating to take survivor in the next few days. In 1st light without flash, milky to clear ratio looks about 80-90%. Main looks 50-70% 08.31 Noticed an increased smell concentration in the exhaust, which of course means the carbon filter has failed / is saturated. 08.30 Gal pH 5.85 only water from this point forward at least for survivor. Mini seems to have some time to go. 08.29

09.10 09.09 09.08 09.07 09.06 09.05 Gal pH 5.65. Reduced light schedule to 10/14 to accelerate ripening. A few patches of amber heads, still more clear than I'd like to see. "The waiting is (most certainly) the hardest part".

About the harvest in general. All three are on the last phase of jar cure. I can't tell taste well, but from smell, they all seem to have a earthy-caramel-cheese smell, but the provolone is the strongest. 09.23 The last sativa was processed, mere 10ths away from 200g. 09.21 2nd indica processed. Total weight 166.2g 09.20 09.19 1st indica main colas processed, trimmer works a lot easier to keep the resin where it belongs. Total weight 131g 09.18 09.17 The sativa harvested, 5 big colas, and a ton of mid. Had an on going battle with mites - so I'm not keeping trim on this one. 1st indica was de-stemmed by hand, the gloves were coated - will go back to trimmers. Weighed and jarred with a 62% humidipack. 09.16 09.15 The first harvested indica is almost dry enough to go to the 2nd stage of cure - the mason jar. 09.14 Gal water ph 6.40 The drying bud is really starting to stink up the tent - a fruity smell, but couldn't tell you which. 09.13 Harvested the 2nd indica. Some mites, decided not to keep any trim, just down to the immature mini buds. Some weak stems, several decent thick colas. A lot of mid. 09.12 Sampled the lowest bud in the trim pile, even that is potent. Of course it still tastes like "Forest Meadow Cow Pasture" so I'm not commenting on taste for awhile, but the high is excellent once you get past it. 09.11 Gal pH 6.4 09.10 The first indica dominant plant was harvested at Flower 65 Day 125. From macro shots, it appeared 100% opaque with >1% amber. Three thick colas of considerable weight, several medium ones and a shelf's worth of lightweight 'mids'. The other two are experiencing fainting, this is usually due to calcium depletion. Many of the largest colas are now suspended by tie-rope ratchet. There is plenty of it in hard water, raising pH to above 6.2 in subsequent watering.