Let's Do Some LST

   Grow Goals Week 1 of Veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration ⬆️ Increase DLI to 16 (Daily Light Integral) for early veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhiza 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 
_____________________________________       🌦️ VPD       ‾‾‾‾‾‾ Knowing what my VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) is will me much easier when my wifi enabled temperature loggers (RCW-800wifi) will arrive soon. I somehow lost my RC-4HC loggers when I moved. I highly recommend the Elitech RC-4HC if you need a CHEAP temp and humidity logger. It costs around 28 USD / 26 EUR

 
       https://www.elitechus.com/products/elitech-rc-4hc-digital-temperature-and-humidity-data-logger-temp-recorder-with-external-sensors           🔎 Pest Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Yellow sticky traps have been installed allowing me to proactively monitor for any infestations. I will continue my weekly regiment of BTi mixed in with the nutes.       🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No issues.       🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Visually, all plants look great.       ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fabric pots to prevent root binding. I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus the environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels) Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine. Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon / 40g per 1 liter of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests! Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea. Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT a endorsement. I purchased this with my own money)
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) _____________________________
___________________________________________________   I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble

   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet:
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing
    My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing
       


   Grow Goals Week 2 of Veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration ⬆️ Increase DLI to 20 (Daily Light Integral) for early veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 
_____________________________________       🚜 HST    ‾‾‾‾‾ 

I topped all of the plants except #5 earlier this week. Plants have started bushing out. #5 was just topped today and I have included a before/after shot of the topping.       🚜 LST    ‾‾‾‾‾ 

LST will have to start on #3 earlier than the rest to maintain a decent canopy optimal light.
       
🚜 Nutrients    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 

Now that nutes are in play, I will begin watering with 10-20% runoff after this week to prevent nutrient build up.           🔎 Pest Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I saw two small gnats on the yellow sticky traps, but no more have appeared. The dirty sticky traps have been replaced to allow me to continue to proactively monitor for any infestations. I will continue my weekly regiment of BTi mixed in with the nutes.       🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ New growth leaves healthy. Old growth leaves healthy. Added microbes, mycorrhizae, and 60% nutes earlier this week. N deficiency looks a lot better. The Happy Frog soil has far less nutrients than the Ocean Forrest, but the airiness of the soil is better for drainage. Will begin CalMag regiment next week.       🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection       ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Time to start nutes.
       ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fabric pots to prevent root binding. I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus the environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels) Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine. Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon / 40g per 1 liter of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests! Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea. Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT a endorsement. I purchased this with my own money)
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) _____________________________
___________________________________________________   I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble

   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet:
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing
    My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing
       


   Grow Goals Week 3 of veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration ⬆️ Increase DLI to 30 (Daily Light Integral) for early veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 
_____________________________________        
🚜 Begin LST     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My flavor of LST uses string, hooks, binder clips, and cord locks. It allows me a lot of control in maintaining an extremely level canopy without any use of netting or screen. I will dial in the light intensity (PPFD) with all colas at the same distance. Also, I can redirect branches to new areas to increase light infiltration and air movement while preventing any leaves from touching.
   Another advantage is that you can do this with large branches. Compare that with using something like training wire which a thick branch can resist. I can do small, periodic adjustments to stubborn branches using these cord locks.   

Leaves and buds can also form small micro-climates around them and this helps keeps ample spacing between foliage. 
            
🚜 New Watering Table     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 My watering table (see below) is finally up and running now. All plants received their full run through watering this week. If one is using bottled nutrients, then they should be watering with 10-20% runoff exiting the bottom of the container. I have 5 gallon sized pots, therefore I need around 1 gallon of runoff per pot.
 
 
        🌦️ New Temp/RH Monitor        ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I now have a wifi/cloud enabled humidity and temperature logger (Elitech RCW-800). I paid the 20 bucks for a whole year of their basic cloud service which comes with the data graphs and SMS alerts. I previously used a very cheap Elitech RC-4. These are great for beginners, but I grew tired of having to manually download the data using a USB cable every week.            🔎 Pest Inspection        ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of pests. Yellow sticky traps are clean. I also randomly inspected under a few leaves. I will continue to monitor for infestation using the sticky traps.     🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection        ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of stress or coloring. Plants looks happy. Started CalMag regiment this week.           🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection        ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Leaves are folded a bit and vigor seems off on 3#. Visually, a few plants are slightly pale.          
❗#3 Is Pissed Off    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #3 is quite pissed after installing my watering table and thus moving the light closer. Leaves are folded a bit and vigor seems off. I have reduced light intensity to 850 ePPFD (originally 950) using the dimmer since my table gives me less room to adjust light hight. My generic troubleshooting:


       First, let’s look at any changes in my grow process during the past few weeks or compared to my last grow. I am using full powered light this time around. I have only   feed with water so far. I also using a new soil.
         Second, let’s look at the pH. Incorrect pH will lock out nutrients even if they are all present. pH is not play quite yet. Onto step 3. 
   
    Third, let’s look at the visual symptoms. Folded leaves. Nutrient burn or light burn. Since I am not using nutes yet, but it appears we have light burn with my full power   lights that I am 
not trained on yet. Time to reduce the lights.
          🔆 Reduced Light Intensity    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 I have reduced light intensity to 850 ePPFD (originally 950) using the dimmer since my table gives me less room to adjust light hight.        ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
   
   Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus the environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT a endorsement. I purchased this with my own money)
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________   I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble    Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble    Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble
 
   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing
  My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing
           

   Grow Goals Week 4 of Veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration ⬆️ Increase DLI to 40 for late veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection
 _____________________________________       🌦️ Grow Temperature Increase
   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Temps are running at 70°F / 21°C daytime and 60°F / 15°C nighttime. I would like to bring this up about 5°F / 3°C inside the tent. The solution is to slow down the exhaust fan for the grow tent (using a variable transformer voltage controller aka “variac”). This will allow the heat to build up slightly more inside the tent. Alternatively, I could increase the light intensity to increase the heat, but this is far more work as I would have to lower the plants to account for the change in DLI.

   A a side note, I have been running my 400 CFM fan on the lowest possible speed using a cheap fan speed controller. I am switching to a 270 CFM fan that I have laying around and will be upgrading my cheap plastic “fan speed controller” to a variac for fire safety reasons. Plus, apparently my fan will no longer make that roaring sound on low speeds when using a variac. 

Looking at the average temps and humidity, the grow space in running at around VPD of 0.8 kPa. That is without the humidity spikes. 
       🚜 LST Round 2
     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 
I started LST on all plants earlier this week. By the end of the week, I have adjusted the cord locks on all of the plants to achieve a mostly even canopy. 
     ❗High Ambient Humidity This Week  ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 It’s the rainy season here and ambient RH in the house is off the charts in my grow space. It is time to bring the dehumidifier online for a some environmental control. This also means I will have to modify my grow space by sealing off the spare bedroom where I keep the tent. I will adding an exhaust fan to the bedroom itself, making it a LUNG room (dehumidifying a small space like a tent is a complete nightmare). Currently the entire house is acting as the lung and I do not have enough dehumidification capacity to dry the entire house. From there, I can dehumidify the lung room and that dryer air will be passed through the grow tent via the tent exhaust fan. Look for a separate diary on that adventure.

   See the bottom of these note for a link to my VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet and make a copy for yourself.     
❗Nutrient Deficiency  ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 During a visual inspection, I noticed dark spots that eventually turned to orange spots on the leaves of #2 this week. Let’s troubleshoot for a second:

   First, let’s look at any changes in my grow process during the past few weeks or compared to my last grow. I know that I am using a new soil (Happy Frog) that is far less nutrient rich than the soil from my last grow. I am using more powerful lights this veg cycle. Last time I had far weaker light intensity. Finally, I am vegetating them longer than I have before previously (previous sea of green). I did not do much veg feeding as they went to flower very quickly and I seem to have continued that behavior. These plants are just really hungry. 
   Second, let’s look at the pH. Incorrect pH will lock out nutrients even if they are all present. I have been calibrating my pH meter before each feeding and also have been delivering a consistent 6.2 pH to my soil. It is unlikely a pH issue , but next feeding I will be testing the #2’s runoff for ppm and also pH to confirm this.

   Third, let’s look at the visual symptoms. Most people jump to this prematurely. The spots are only on old growth leaves toward the bottom. Only #2 has the symptoms, unfortunately my clone vendor did not label the clones, so I not sure which other clone to compare it to. I also see some interveinal chlorosis as well on #2. Right now it appears to be calcium, magnesium, and possibly manganese deficiencies as well. I am confident that these symptoms are due to a lack of feeding until now.   

I started feeding a few days before I noticed this. As of now, I am just to going to monitor other old growth leaves, but take no other actions until I do the runoff test.
        
❗Lights Were Too Close   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 
After purchasing a light meter, I discovered that my lights were too close and were burning the plants. The lights are now optimal DLI. I am still seeing twisted leaves and burnt tips on the old growth, but I do not expect this to reverse. A few new growth leaves still have slightly discolored tips so I will be taking light measurements often until I see that behavior go away.       
🔎 Pest Inspection   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 No signs of pests. Yellow sticky traps are clean. I also randomly inspected under a few leaves. I will continue to monitor for infestation using the sticky traps.       
🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection
      ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plants are responding very well to LST. I have now LST’d all of the plants. I now have an even canopy for optimal DLI and light infiltration. 
      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     Fabric pots to prevent root binding. I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus the environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels) Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine. Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon / 40g per 1 of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests! Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea. Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money)
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________   I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble

   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing
     


   Grow Goals Week 5 of Veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 for late veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection
 _____________________________________      

🚜 Easy On The Watering     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ New pot sizes
 New brand of soil
 Increased ambient RH

   All of these add up to one thing: the water transpiration rate is slower is slower than I am accustomed to. This means that I need to go easy on the waterings / feedings while I “learn” how long it takes for the plants to get thirsty.   

Although feeling the top 3 inches of the soil for dryness is a great rule of thumb for watering, I ignored this while learning the plants’ drinking habits. I still was lifting up the pots to check the moisture content weight, but these are new pots and new soil type. In addition, as the plant’s mass gets bigger, the pot will have a heavier dry weight. What I am watching for is the plants to droop just a bit. They will be fine. It does not rain on schedule in nature
.   
After 7 days without watering/feeding, the plants were still fine in their 5 gal / 20 L pots. The top 3 inches of the soil was surely dried out. 7 days is a bit too long in between feedings. I need to increase transpiration rate by increasing temperature, lowering the RH, or some combination of both. I can get more nutrient input with increased transpiration.       🌦️ Decreasing the Humidity     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ After reviewing a few years worth of humidity logs from a few Personal Weather Stations in my local area, I now know that ambient humidity will continue to be an issue. See my Week 4 Diary notes for more details on implementing a LUNG room to effectively manage this humidity issue.   
  
    Week 4 Diary
    https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble 
   
A lower RH will increase the transpiration rate of the plants. During my last grow, I used a wall A/C unit to control the temperature in the lung room. It was easier to control temperatures than humidity using this method so in that previous setup, I favored RH and having temperature "chase" RH. That just means that the temperature was easily adjusted based on whatever RH I could hope to achieve (for optimal VPD).

   Now, I have low ambient temperatures and only need be concerned with the RH. It remains to be seen whether controlling temperatures using a 2nd exhaust fan vs wall A/C unit will be a different experience for me. The exhaust will periodically be mixing humid air back into the lung room, so controlling RH could be a fight.
     
  🌦️ Increase Ambient / Leaf Surface Temperature     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 
      
🔎 Pest Inspection   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of pests. Yellow sticky traps are clean. I also randomly inspected under a few leaves. I will continue to monitor for infestation using the sticky traps.         🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection        ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾  Happiness is back on course this week. Plants are loving the Microbes & Mycorrhiza and DLI is dialed in.       ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     Fabric pots to prevent root binding. I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus the environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels) Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine. Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon / 40g per 1 liter of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests! Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea. Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money)
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) _____________________________
___________________________________________________   I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble

   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing
    My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing
     

      Grow Goals Week 6 of Veg     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C    🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 for late veg    🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Lollipop Bottom of Plants       🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 
_____________________________________     

🌦️ Prepare a Lung Room for Flowering   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I was not able to increase the heat inside the tent as much as I had wished (see week 5). This was mainly due to dimming the lights (see week 4) as well as the fact that it has been cold and rainy. With flowering approaching we need some environmental control, decreased RH and slightly increased temps.   
 
Previously the bedroom door was left open and the tent’s exhaust duct was stretching all the way to the door and pointed at the hallway. In order to establish the Lung Room, the bedroom door has been closed. That exhaust duct from the tent? Shortened quite a bit and it now points at the bedroom floor.     Dehumidification of the room has begun.

The tent heat will be controlled using both the tent’s fan speed, and also the amount os heat produced from the lights. One thing to mention is that a decent dehumidifier will slightly cool the air as it works, so we will need to further adjust the fan speed for the tent and/or dimming. 

    Phase II of the Lung Room will involve an additional exhaust fan ducted through a hole in the bedroom door. This fan will control the lung room temperature by periodically mixing cold air from the hallway using a temperature controller. If you require a carbon filter for smell, this is where it should be placed. I will be purchasing the cheapest “slab door” that I can find to avoid cutting a hole in my landlord’s door and can reuse the slab door if I move again.      
   
 🌦️ Yet Another RCW-800WIFI Temp/RH Logger    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I somehow lost my cheap RC-4HC temp/RH loggers (the RC-4HC’s are perfect for beginners) and have purchased one more RCW-800WIFI temp/RH logger. Since I have already purchased the Elitech cloud account for my first logger, adding another device to that account is free. I now have the ability to monitor both the tent and the Lung Room. Why is this important? Once I have the Lung Room dialed in, it is just a matter of adjusting the tent fan to tweak the temp/RH. Remember, controlling the environment in a small space is far more difficult that doing so in a larger space such as a bedroom. You will see huge spikes in RH depending if the humidifier/dehumidifier is running or not. And if an A/C is needed, forget about trying to find one sized correctly for a tent.       
🚜 Missing Nutrients   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My best friend gave me some candid criticism that my buds tasted “soapy” these last few grows. This coincides with me changing my brand of fertilizer. 

   
 After reviewing the generic requirements for cannabis plants, I can see that I am missing a lot of micronutrients. I have acquired a micronutrient mix that was conveniently available to me. Researching through different micronutrient fertilizers for future purchases, I can report that they all seem to vary wildly. I am currently looking into combining a few different brands, or even making my own by sourcing chelated copper, chelated iron, etc.   
 Sulphur input is missing as well. I will be implementing epson salts (magnesium sulfate) next feeding. I am also researching using potassium sulfate as well.       🚜 A Very Mild Lollipopping and Defoliation   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am still undecided on exactly when to lollipop. Rasta Jeff on his show GFYH recommends lollipopping during early flower. I have learned a lot from GFYH, but this seems quite stressful on the plants. I will be pushing back the lollipop schedule to this current week and only defoliate/lollipop only what is required to achieve air flow under the plants, reduce the number of places for pests to hide, and also provide better access for my watering wand.

   
 To make it easier on each plant, I defoliated 1 to 2 leaves at a time, or removed 1 “sucker branch” at a time. This occurred slowly over the course of a week. In practice, it is not uncommon for me to casually remove a leaf or two while gazing at my plants. This is better than mass defoliation or cutting off too many sucker branches at once. 

   
 Lollipopping is accumulating a Bro Science vibe around it and I do not see much academic data supporting increased harvest yields with lollipopping. With that in mind, I intend to minimize lollipopping, but will revisit defoliation/lollipopping in mid-flower to increase light infiltration once the buds have stopped forming.          🔎 Pest Inspection   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ A few more gnats than usual, but I failed to change the sticky traps when I closed the bedroom door. With the grow environment now sealed, any gnats that appear going forward surely live here.           🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #2 has interveinal chlorosis and some burnt serrated edges on 2 older growth leaves. It is also the smallest of the plants in size.    Let’s troubleshoot:      First, let’s look at any changes in my grow process during the past few weeks or compared to my last grow. No significant changes   in process, but I did discover that I was not feeding enough micronutrient (see above).      Second, let’s look at the pH. Incorrect pH will lock out nutrients even if they are all present. I calibrate my pH meter every   feeding and keeping a consistent 6.2 pH. As mentioned in week 5, seven days between watering is too long. The pH swings wildly   when the soil dries out.      Third, let’s look at the visual symptoms. Crispy serrated edges can mean either nutrient burn, light burn, or a potassium deficiency.   I have been feeding 100% strength nutes for a few weeks and only one of these two clones are complaining. No other plants   are showing symptoms of light burning. If a runoff PPM test checks out next feeding, then this appears to be potassium deficiency and   likely caused by pH issues due to drying out.       🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Despite a few leaves on #2 being a concern, the plant is quite happy along with the others. All are responding to LST well. Plants vigor looks great. Growth is on track.       ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   
   
 Fabric pots to prevent root binding. I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels) Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine. Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests! Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea. Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Argine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscissic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Follinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble    Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble    Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble    VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing    My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing  

    Grow Goals Week 7 of Veg ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 0.8-1.2 kPa for late veg 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 
🌦️ Prepare for Flowering 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 for late veg 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Defoliation 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection
 _____________________________________          🌦️  Lung Room Phase II     ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Flowering starts next week. Phase II of converting the bedroom into a Lung Room is complete. I replaced the bedroom door with a new door of the same size. I installed a 90 degree register box after cutting a rectangle in the door for the box.      https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6838803   A register box is used in homes that have central A/C or heat. It is the metal box thing that you see if you remove the vent cover. I installed mine on the bottom of the door in order to exhaust the hot air out of the Lung Room. I also cut another rectangle at the top of the door and covered each side with a vent cover. This will mix cool air from the hallway into the Lung Room.     https://mobileimages.lowes.com/product/converted/063467/063467850526.jpg    90 Degree Register Box   I prefer to combine cheaper equipment rather than more expensive all-in-1 equipment. I bought an inexpensive Inkbird Temperature Controller to work with an exhaust fan that I already own. From here, I watch the temperature graphs and tweak the settings on the controller. Now I can gradually reduce both the RH% and the temperature in late flowering to achieve my grow goals.      https://inkbird.com/products/temperature-controller-itc-308   Inkbird Temperature Controller ITC-308         🌦️  Graphing the VPD History    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have finalized a new spreadsheet that visualizes the past week’s temp and RH% logs into a VPD timeline graph. Graphing VPD is mainly for my entertainment, but I did learn that I was achieving a decent VPD even with all the crazy swings in RH% and temps.       https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6838840   VPD Graph        🚜  Adding Epsom Salt    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My tap water only has 30 ppm sulfate, so I am adding magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) to the feedings for increased sulfur.      
❗ Time for a Maintenance Flush   ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plant #2’s symptoms from last week prompted me to test the runoff after the next feeding. After Wednesday’s feed, the EC (I happen to use EC. PPM is also fine here) of the nutrient solution was 3.86 EC and runoff was 5.49 EC. This is too high and this plant has some nutrient buildup. The pH of the nutrient solution is at 6.20 pH and the runoff measured at 5.96 pH. 6.0 is a low enough pH to lock out P, Mg, and Ca, which lines up with the deficiency symptoms.     https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6838801   PH Lockout Chart   When flushing early or mid grow, first I water with a weak nutrient solution until the EC of the runoff decreases to somewhere near what you normally feed. Second, I replenish the missing nutrients in the soil by feeding at normal levels again. I want to avoid starving the plant by only feeding it a weak solution.    Also, flushing washes away all of the short release organic micronutrients (I use organic soil), so I also add microbes to help unlock those micronutrients from the organic soil matter and allow them to become available again.         🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Pest free since closing the lung room door. I will continue to use yellow sticky traps to monitor for any infestation.   I also found a fiberglass air filter (these are the cheapest filters on the filter aisle), cut out a piece of the filter, and then placed it under the intake vent to prevent pests from being brought into the room.        🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am still dealing with symptoms for #2 (see above).   #3 has some burned tips and #6 is starting to show symptoms similar to #2. Given the nutrient lockout likely occurring with #2, it is time to test run off for all of the other plants and perform a maintenance flush regardless since we are heading into flowering.         🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Despite the burned tips, #3 is doing alright. #2 is still angry. The rest of the plants look happy     ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,    L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,    L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,    Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),    B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing        

      Grow Goals Week 1 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Early Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Begin 12 / 12 Photoperiod 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 for Early Flower 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 🔎 Note Growth Response _____________________________________          🚜  Maintenance Flush    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ After seeing signs of pH lockout, it was time to perform a maintenance flush. The initial runoff test was +1.86 EC over the EC of the feed, so I fed a nutrient solution that was 3.86 EC and the runoff was 5.49 EC. I flushed three times using a 20% nutrient solution. Testing the running off of each plant.   One thing to note, is that the very first runoff test for #2 for its very first flush measured at 3.56 EC. The plant had started to recover and was consuming much of that overfeeding. #2 is looking better.        🔆  No Far-Red (IR) Light During Early Flower    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have covered up the Far-Red (IR) diodes on my lights with electrical tape. They will stay covered until mid flower to minimize the stretching that early flower brings. The ratio of Red photons to Far-Red light is what activates the plant’s shade avoidance system (stem elongation). R:FR ratio has been studied since the 1960’s, but the emergence of Far-Red (IR) LED’s for growing has recently brought research back to the forefront.        “We get asked a lot about how these photobiological ratios apply to cannabis. The good news is that my laboratory has a state license to study   cannabis. So we've applied these ratios to predict cannabis growth, and they have the same value in cannabis as they do in all other crop plants.   Adding far-red is both good and bad and that's why the sensors are so important. You want to add the right amount at the right time to get full   advantage of it. More far-red can make cannabis plants taller. That’s usually bad. But it also helps expand leaves. That's good.”

       Dr. Bruce Bugbee. “Predicting Stem Elongation and Leaf Expansion: Percent far-red is a better predictor than PPE”, YouTube   www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_KPcg5eSV8&t=1111     Cannabis behaves more like tomato - the disadvantages of stretching outweighs any benefits of leaf expansion. Leafy greens like lettuce are all leaf expansion with no stretch. Far-red light has huge implications for indoor growing of the food that we eat. 
       “How about cannabis? Everybody wants to know colors of light. Cannabis, far-red makes it taller, blue makes it shorter. So cannabis is more like   tomatoes in this thing. We’ve got to be careful not to give too much far-red for cannabis because they get too tall.”     Dr Bruce Bugbee. “Photobiology Simplified with Dr Bruce Bugbee”, YouTube,   www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHOJQmYFW1A&t=452s     The below Far-red: The Forgotten Photons video is also a great watch:       “When plants perceive a high amount of far-red, they panic … they need to do one of two things: get tall fast to get into the light or get bigger to   capture more light.”   Far-red: The Forgotten Photons, Dr. Bruce Bugbee   www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS7aAcacfgk?t=1453       🌦️  Measuring Air Flow    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Before I purchase any more fans for my grow tent, I need to determine if they are actually needed. Even a small fan in a large tent will beat the crap out of the closest plants. I currently use 3 cheap box fans bolted together to cool my lights. This box fan setup causes a visible updraft in the tent. My target air speed is about 0.8 m/s. This is the air speed used in non-related experiments by the USU Crop Physiology Laboratory.   I found a used hot wire anemometer on eBay for about 50 USD / 46 EUR. These air speed meters are commonly used by HVAC technicians, so you can find older, used models for cheap. The air speed that I measured around the canopy was no less than 0.6 m/s - on target. However, under the canopy I am getting very low readings. Humidity can build up under the canopy, so air movement is critical here as well.   I have already defoliated the bottom of the plants, so a few desk tower fans turned on their sides should be sufficient for air movement. I will be plugging all these fans into a single repeat cycle timer (25 USD / 23 EUR) so that they blow for 2-3 seconds every few minutes. This will decrease the amount of wind abuse inflicted upon nearby plants.     My Box Fan Setup   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble#gallery=6715003     TPI 565 Hot Wire Anemometer   https://www.tequipment.net/TPI565.asp     Short Period Repeat Cycle Timer   https://www.bn-link.com/products/bn-link-short-period-repeat-cycle-timer-day-night-or-24-hours-operation       🚜  LST Canopy Closure    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ A few weeks ago, I attached some LST hooks to the tops of some branches and pulled all of the strings through a single cord lock for #6. A hole of the canopy had formed and I needed to close the hole just a bit.     Canopy Closure Before and After   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6859560       🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am enjoying being pest free since closing the lung room door. I will continue to use yellow sticky traps to monitor for any infestation.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #2 is recovering (see above) and I will continue to test runoff for a few feedings. No other visual symptoms.      🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plants are looking very happy.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,    L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,    L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,    Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),    B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing      

       Grow Goals Week 2 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Early Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 for Early Flower 🚜 Microbes & Mycorrhizae 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 🔎 Note Growth Response _____________________________________          🚜  On The Road    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My long time friend is taking care of the plants for me while I travel. I mixed 27 Gal / 102 L of nutrient solution ahead of time. In the past, I have witnessed that a pre-mixed solutions’ pH tends to creep up, but I am trying to increase the pH a bit to around 6.4.   Big thanks to my long-time growmie for this week’s pics.   Also, big thanks to the hater who tried their very best to ruin my day with toxic comments. I will always choose to keep things on the positive. Eyes to the skies. Keep on growing.         🚜  LST Work Needed    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Once back, the first thing on my list is to level out the canopy using my LST. The plants have stretched quite a bit.       🌦️  VPD Needs Adjusting    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I forgot to adjust my Lung Room temp and RH% before leaving on a trip. Next week I will be modifying the environment to achieve my VPD goal of 1.2-1.5 kPa for early flower         🔆  No Far-Red (IR) Light During Early Flower    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have covered up the Far-Red (IR) diodes on my lights with electrical tape. They will stay covered until mid flower to minimize the stretching that early flower brings. The ratio of Red photons to Far-Red light is what activates the plant’s shade avoidance system (stem elongation). Check out Week 8 for details on why I do this.         🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am enjoying being pest free since closing the lung room door. I will continue to use yellow sticky traps to monitor for any infestation.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #2 is becoming happy once again.      🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No reports of plant unhappiness     ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing  

       Grow Goals Week 3 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Early Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Early Flower 🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚜 Microbes 🚜 Even Defoliation Across Plants 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 🔎 Note Growth Response _____________________________________          🌦️  Lung Room VPD Adjustment    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My Lung Room conditions were never set for flowering VPD. I have increased the lung room temperature controller to 77°F / 25°C.    The ambient temperature has warmed up a bit and today the Lung Room fan was having trouble keeping up. I will continue to watch the temp / RH for the lung room and will make environmental changes as I go.  The good news is that the canopy has overgrown a bit and I will be reducing the light intensity (and thus the heat output) to cool things off. Removing the carbon filter may also be attempted as this will improve the airflow.           🚜  Crazy Stretch Last Week    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Last week saw a crazy amount of early flower stretch. I am utilizing my "curl around" LST technique to reduce the height of the nodes. The canopy will look awful for a few days, but it's for the best.     LST "Curl Around" Technique   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6911387    I received the clones without any labeling, but #2 and #6 are noticeably shorter than the others. This indicates they’re slower growing than the other clones and are likely the same set of genetics.        🚜  No More Mycorrhizae    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have stopped adding Mycorrhizae. A high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Jeff Lowenfels, “Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae”).         🔆  No Far-Red (IR) Light During Early Flower    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have covered up the Far-Red (IR) diodes on my lights with electrical tape. They will stay covered until mid flower to minimize the stretching that early flower brings. The ratio of Red photons to Far-Red light is what activates the plant’s shade avoidance system (stem elongation).

   Check out Week 8 for details on why I do this.         🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am enjoying being pest free since closing the lung room door. I will continue to use yellow sticky traps to monitor for any infestation.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of deficiencies or toxicities.      🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The plants look great. No visual signs of stress and very vigorous.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,    L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,    L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,    Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),    B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing        

    Grow Goals Week 4 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Early Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C    🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Early Flower   🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚜 Microbes 🚜 Remove Bottom Buds 🚜 Light Defoliation   🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 🔎 "Nails" Watch _____________________________________          🔆  Darkness Interrupted    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I interrupted the darkness by accidentally leaving a work bench light on and the tent open. Total exposure was about 3 hours and I will be watching for intersex and removing any male flowers that appear.    This is a good time to pause and mention that I normally keep all other non-growing lights in my room on an identical timer schedule as my grow lights. This is an insurance policy in case I forget to turn off the non-grow lights that are normally on when I am mixing nutes. I try to avoid using the overhead light (lack of a timer) and instead use a few plug in lamps on timers.    So how did this happen? I had the bench light timer set to PM rather than AM. Ouch! I have now double checked all non-grow lights in the room.          🚜  Defoliation and More LST    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ It was time for some light infiltration. I defoliated until I could see enough light from below the canopy. Sucker branches at the bottom of the plants have also been removed. I prefer cola buds rather than lower bottom branch buds, so I removed any bottom buds that were significantly smaller than the cola buds. Buds on the lower part of the branch are typically less mature than the colas at time of harvest. I failed to plan ahead for the number of nodes per plant space and have far too many. Ideally, this task should be finished by end the of veg.   Heavy LST phase II has begun after training the nodes into a spiral formation last week. Phase I was curling the nodes around the plant to create a soft curve at the bottom of each node. This week, I reversed the spiral by placing the branch upright again and then placing a hook on the bottom of the branch. Now, I can adjust the height of each cola by pulling down on the node utilizing the curve
.   Intense LST is not normally needed at this stage of flower, but the extreme difference in stretch between these 3 strains is proving to be a challenge. This is yet another reason to grow a homogenous crop of clones. Find a strain that you love, become intimate with the light tolerance and nutrient appetite for that set of genetics, and then push those genetics to their absolute limit. This is what the commercial growers do.        🚜  “Nails” Watch    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ “Nails” is a metaphor comparing the slightly burnt tips of the fan leaves resembling a freshly painted set of finger nails. Typically, this is what one would watch for when increasing (tuning) the P and K.  I need more experience using this technique. I will not be tuning P and K this grow because I am running 3 new strains which I am not familiar with. One would also be on the lookout for calcium deficiencies / toxicities as well since tuning P-K can excite or lockout other nutrients as demonstrated in Mulder’s Chart:
     Mulder’s Chart   https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/e10f0411/dms3rep/multi/mulders.png       🌦️  Lung Room Heat    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ As mentioned in earlier dairies, I have moved to a new state in the US with vastly different ambient conditions compared to my previous grow. The weather is heating up and along with it, the Lung Room. Although this is not an immediate concern, I need to stay ahead of any heat issues. Terpenes volitize as the heat increases   I have turned the Lung Room fan around so that now it actively pulls in cooler air from the hallway. Previously, it was pushing hot air out of the room while passively pulling in cool air though another vent in the door. I have also removed the carbon filter to improve air flow. See weeks 6 and 7 to catch up on details about my Lung Room.    For the next grow, I plan on shifting my night time cycle to coincide with cooler temps outside during the night. Currently my lights are switching on during the hottest part of the day.          🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No pests to report. I will continue to monitor for pests using sticky traps.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No symptoms to report.        🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plants are doing great. No signs of stress.        ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________    Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,    L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,    L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,    Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),    B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing  

    Grow Goals Week 5 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Early Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🌦️ Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/S    🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Early Flower    🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚫 No Microbes ⬇️️ Reduce Sugars    🚜 Remove "Grow Backs" 🚜 Light Defoliation    🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection _____________________________________          🚜  Canopy Control for Too Many Nodes    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have updated my Grow Process for late veg to include better canopy planning for the number of nodes per plant. I am using larger fabric pots this grow, and I am inexperienced on how to fill them out.    Removing sucker branches this late has likely stressed the plants. My updated grow process for next time will be to “lollipop” only the sucker branches, while most leaves stay in place. Exceptions to this rule will be any leaf removal that achieves air flow under the plants, reduces the number of places for pests to hide, or provides better access for my watering wand. See Week 6 for details on why I have decided to minimize the amount of lollipopping that I perform.    Any previously removed bottom buds that have attempted to grow back are also removed again in this week of flower. I do not want the plant to expend any more energy on extra popcorn buds. Besides, there will be plenty of these around after I accidentally snip a few colas in half during trimming!    Since the branches grew too close to the lights, I am using Metal Plant Props to control the canopy, which has mostly evened out. These plant props are the other half of my LST arsenal. This amount of LST this late in flower is not favorable, but my colas are now getting optimal DLI and will ripen at the same (according to each strain’s genetics). Even a small 10 cm difference in height can mean a loss of 100 PPFD, or around 8-10% in light intensity!      18 in. H x 1.50 in. W Steel Plant Prop     https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-18-in-H-x-1-50-in-W-Steel-Plant-Prop-611872-HD/100584404#overlay      Week 12 Canopy   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6962253         🌦️  Additional Vent Added to Lung Room    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have added a second passive vent to the door of the Lung Room. As mentioned in Week 11, I now have the Lung Room fan pulling cool air from the hallway, while the hot air exits the room passively through vents in the door.    See weeks 6 and 7 to catch up on details about my Lung Room.       🚜  Reduce Sugars and No Microbes    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plants DO NOT uptake sugars. Rather, they send sugars down to the soil where microbes feed on these sugars, mine the nutrients that are locked away in the soil, and then these unlocked nutrients are then ready to go back up to the plants. Fertilizers bypass the need for microbes since their nutrients are already unlocked and available to the plants. So why use microbes when using fertilizer? Micronutrients. If a micronutrient becomes scarce, the microbes will act as a safety net. Perhaps a set of genetics is more hungry for a specific mineral, for example.    This week, sugars are being reduced for the same reason that we are no longer adding microbes: avoid feeding too much nitrogen at this stage of flower. The soil microbes are more than happy to keep supplying that N, so we need the microbe activity to calm down by providing less food (sugars) to them.    Teaming with Microbes is a great book to find out more about the soil food web. Fun fact, plants alter the types of sugars that are released in order to steer different kinds of bacterial activity below the soil.     Jeff Lownfels, “Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web”   www.jefflowenfels.com/books-by-jeff-lownfels         🌦️  Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/s    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Wind speed should be at least 0.8 meters per second at the canopy. See Week 8 for how I measure air flow. I have observed that the leaves need to be only slightly moving to achieve 0.8 m/s. I have 3 cheap box fans bolted together to cool my lights at the top of the tent and this is more than enough air flow without using canopy fans.    A few small fans blowing underneath the canopy have been added to prevent mold and mildew. These fans are plugged into a cycle timer that turns on every 3 minutes for a duration of 10 seconds. This will prevent the fans from beating the crap out of nearby leaves. If you do not have any air flow in your grow space by week 5 of flower, then now is the time to correct this.        🚜  Water + CalMag In Between Feedings    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The maturing buds have developed quite a thirst. I am feeding nutrients twice per week and now have started watering in between those feedings. I am still adding CalMag to pH’s water. Next week, I will start decreasing the humidity in the grow space. Less humidity will increase the water transpiration, further increasing the thirst.         🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am enjoying being pest free since closing the lung room door. I will continue to use yellow sticky traps to monitor for any infestation.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Some deficiency symptoms have appeared on #2 and #6. Let’s troubleshoot:    First, let’s look at any changes in my grow process during the past few weeks or compared to my last grow. I am using a new brand of organic soil this grow. Happy Frog soil is higher in Potassium than my previous soil, aeration is far better, and has a slightly higher acidic pH. I have also recently begun adding Magnesium Sulfate to the nutrient solution along with the CalMag. As visualized in Mulder’s chart, too much Magnesium can block uptake (antagonize) both Calcium and Potassium:      Mulder’s Chart   https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/e10f0411/dms3rep/multi/mulders.png    Second, let’s look at the pH. Incorrect pH will lock out nutrients even if they are all present. I calibrate my pH meter before each feeding and I have recently increased nutrient solution pH to 6.3 (previously 6.2 pH). When testing the nutrient run off, input was 6.3 pH and run off for all plants was around 5.95 pH. What about overfeeding? Below are the testing results measuring (I happen to use EC instead of PPM) nutrient strength.    When testing the nutrient run off with an nutrient input of 3.95 EC, the increased runoff EC is below. #6 looks decent. #2 matches a few other ones, but is a different strain and has a history of deficiencies alongside other plants that did not exhibit the symptoms. During week 4, both #2 and #6 started to exhibit CalMag deficiency symptoms when the other strains were fine. I am now confident that the additional nutrient hunger in W4 was genetic.    #1   +0.92 EC #2   +1.41 EC #3   +1.41 EC #4   +1.49 EC #5   +1.07 EC #6   +0.92 EC    Third, let’s look at the visual symptoms. Most people jump to this prematurely. For leaves on #2, I see dark spots along the veins of a leaf. One leaf is coarse and twisted just a bit. Yellowing has begun on another leaf. #2 visually appears to be Magnesium deficient. On #6, I see dark spaces between the veins of the leaf. The underside of the petioles are red. #6 visually appears to be Phosphorus deficient. #3 might have early stage Calcium deficiency as I am seeing golden orange spots appear.   #2 Symptoms   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6977168      #4 Symptoms   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6977169      #6 Symptoms   https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=6977170    I use the below sites for visual troubleshooting. Despite seeing a ton of advertising for the author lately, The Cannabis Encyclopedia actually has some of the best photo examples and graphics for troubleshooting in my opinion. He authored a lot of growing content before modern legalization (my very first grow book, for example). Also, GWE’s “Plant Doctor” site also has many photos as well.      The Cannabis Encyclopedia   https://marijuanagrowing.com/nutrients-chapter-21/      Plant Doctor   https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-symptoms-pictures    #3 and #6 deficiencies are likely too much Magnesium. I will be stopping the Magnesium Sulfate, performing a maintenance flush, and then feeding with full strength solution again after the flush (minus the Magnesium Sulfate). #2 appears to be Phosphorus deficiency. I will react by slightly increasing Phosphorus, but this is an ongoing investigation.      🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #4 has two suspect leaves, but is happy otherwise. I am undecided on whether the spots on the leaves are a physical defect of some kind, so I am not ready to list this as a nutrient related issue. None of the other leaves have these visual symptoms and the markings are irregular.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing    

    Grow Goals Week 6 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Late Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🌦️ Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/S ⬇️️ Decrease RH to 55% 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Early Flower 🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚫 No Microbes 🚫 No Sugars 🚜 Remove "Grow Backs" 🚜 Light Defoliation 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Nutrient Deficiency Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾       🌦️  Leaf Temperature Difference Adjustment    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ There are three things needed to calculate VPD: room temperature, relative humidity, and leaf temperature. At the beginning of this grow, the difference between room and leaf was about 1.7°C / 3°F. I measure leaf temperature using a cheap infrared thermometer pointed at the underside of a canopy leaf. These are the same thermometers that were pointed at your forehead during the pandemic.   Currently the leaf underside is measuring a difference of -0.6°C / -1°F. This has changed my VPD charts quite a bit, but VPD is still within an acceptable range.         🚜  Maintenance Flush    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Reacting to last week’s nutrient deficiency symptoms, I performed a maintenance flush to leach any excess Magnesium from the soil. The flushing water was pH’d. After the flush, I replenish all nutrients by proceeding with a regular feeding at the end. I do not want to starve the plants.    A few weeks ago I increased my growth environment to 6.4 pH and will continue this trend. My target is 6.2, but the soil has been a bit acidic lately as the runoff has measured a consistent 5.9 pH. I followed up with an additional 1 ml of flowering nutrients per gallon to the feed. More Potassium is needed when increasing Phosphorus and flowering nutrients / bloom boosters usually have the correct ratio. The same was done for CalMag with +1 ml.       🌦️  Lung Room Phase III    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I thought temperature would be the problem, but the humidity in my area spikes to 80% at night. Yes, I use a dehumidifier. The problem is that when the Lung Room exhaust cycles, it pulls cool yet humid air into the room. This causes my dehumidifier to run constantly which will eventually destroy the appliance. I managed to bring the RH down to about 55%, but decreasing the humidity any further is going to be impossible going forward using just an exhaust fan.   An A/C has been installed in the room to both cool the air and also slightly dehumidify as a side effect of the cooling action. The dehumidifier will stay in place since the A/C is purposefully oversized for the bedroom and therefore will not be able to dehumidify the room effectively. I will explain why I oversize later in my dry/cure diary, but I also do it because the lights put out more heat than what is considered normal by manufacturers. The room being sealed opens the pathway for CO2 supplementation. Next grow will be my first time implementing CO2 injection. I am looking forward to that! As a side note, the Purple Punch requires a cold environment to achieve its famous purple hues. I am not sure if there is still time to purple up, but it is personal smoke so bag appeal is less important.         🚜  No P-K Tuning This Grow    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ As mentioned in week 11, I will not be tuning P-K this time around and plan on growing a homogenous crop next time.   
The below study is a great read and is a wake up call about striking a balance between pushing the plants to their genetic limits while somehow not overfeeding them in the process. Phosphorus is a finite mineral on this planet and overfeeding of P is a problem not limited to just cannabis. 

    Westmorelan, Bugbee, “Sustainable Cannabis Nutrition: Elevated root-zone phosphorus significantly increases leachate P and does not improve yield or quality”   https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1015652/full Overfeeding also means I have to flush and then really hope that I am not about to smoke a bowl of calcified lung rot. Overfeeding can increase the cellulose weight of the harvested flower without increasing any cannabinoid content. When growing my personal smoke, I choose quality over quantity. I am here to grow terpenes and trichomes, not cellulose.         🚜  pH Calibration    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I discovered that I had a faulty batch of General Hydroponics pH 7.0 reference solution. I had noticed that it was blue instead of the green dye that is typically present. I purchased a 3 pack of 7.0, 4.0, and 10.0 pH reference solution bottles made by Oakton instruments. After comparing, the bad GH 7.0 solution measured at 7.24 pH. Not much of a reference.    You should be calibrating your pH meter on a regular basis using a pH reference solution. At the very minimum, use a 7.0 pH and also a 4.0 pH reference solution.   After doing my normal calibration using 7.0 and 4.0, I tested the 10.0 solution and it measured at 8.83 pH. I now calibrate using all three reference solutions. As growers, we live on the acidic end of things, so I am not sure how this affects my past readings.       🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am seeing various kinds of spots on the leaves. Now that last week’s emergency is over, I will now concentrate on these spots. The sticky traps are clean, but statistically they do not detect all species of insects. I have a handheld microscope to look further into things.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Earlier in the week, I pulled a few leaves that had symptoms and as of now, most of the nutrient issues have been resolved.         🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ All plants are extremely happy. The buds have matured and are ripening.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing        

    Grow Goals Week 7 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Late Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🌦️ Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/S ⬇️️ Decrease RH to 50% 🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Late Flower 🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚫 No Microbes 🚫 No Sugars 🚜 Remove Yellow Leaves 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Mildew Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾          🚜  Planning for Harvest    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Now is a good time to research the breeder's notes for the strain that you are growing. If you purchased quality genetics, then the breeder should have documentation for numbers of days until harvest for that specific line of genetics. I mark this date on the calendar to ensure that I do not wait too long to either start flushing, or gradually reducing the nutrient concentration.    Platinum OG and Purple Punch seem to have mystery origins, so I looked through all of the varying lines using SeedFinder and came up with dates. I will continue to monitor for amber trichomes to determine harvest as I prefer my Indicas on the “couch lock” side of things.   Platinum OG   60-63 days      Purple Punch   60-63 days      George W Kush   58-61 days       🚜  Measuring using "Pour-Through” Method Instead of Runoff    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I will now be using the PourThrough method to measure runoff. This is a major sea change in my growing technique. This is similar to what was done previously, but now I wait 1.5 hours after feeding, distilled water is poured through, and then the runoff is measured. Am I still allowing 20% of the nutrient solution to runoff when I feed? Absolutely. The difference is that I now empty (and wash) the runoff trays while waiting 1.5 hours to perform the test. Below are the guidelines for the PourThrough method from University of North Carolina:   The Pour-Through Extraction Procedure   content.ces.ncsu.edu/the-pour-through-extraction-procedure-a-nutrient-management-tool-for-nursery-crops The reason for this change is that I can more accurately measure feeding rates and increase/decrease nutrients as needed. The below article from Cannabis Business Times recommends maintaining 1.5-2.0 EC from pour-through to avoid nutrient deficiencies or toxicities.   Recommended Fertilization Rate and Pour-Through EC by Crop Stage   cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/optimizing-electrcal-conductivity-ec       🌦️  New LGR Dehumidifier    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ As mentioned last week, humidity has been an issue. My grow goals going forward are to drop the humidity each week until harvest. I can see that my dehu is struggling with keeping things dry. This is when the temp and RH graphs become very useful.   How much moisture are these plants putting into the air? I know that I am feeding/watering 72 pints / 34 liters every 2 days. My current dehu can remove about 44 pints / 21 liters per day. Looking at the daily average, this unit can barely keep up with the moisture control!   Enter the LGR Dehumidifier. These are commercial dehumidifiers that are designed to run continuously and can also efficiently dehumidify below 50%. Standard dehu’s have a design limitation where they struggle below 50% and freeze over. Greenhouse dehumidifiers are LGR.   It wasn't cheap, but I am at a crossroads where I must spend money if I want better dehumidification. I am still investigating solutions to the floor and walls wicking moisture into the room. My last house was concrete foundation as opposed to the pier and beam I have now. I may place a sheet of vinyl flooring on top of the wood floors. I also redirected the exhaust from my tent into the intake of the dehu as recommended by Quest, a manufacturer in the commercial grow room dehumidification sector.   How to Route Your Ductwork   questclimate.com/how-to-route-dehumidifier-ductwork-video I found a name brand model on the low end of the price spectrum for about 700 USD / 646 EUR.     ALORAIR 180 PPD Storm LGR Extreme Dehumidifier   amazon.com/gp/product/B071HP9PDR         🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am seeing signs of possible spider mites, but have cannot find any under the leaves and on branches. I spent about 15 minutes per plant inspecting leaves with a extremely high powered flashlight. Not a single pest.   I am also seeing what appears to be thrip damage as well. No signs of the actual thrips as well.   I have added a few more at the soil level, but the sticky traps continue to be clean. I will bleach my grow area before starting the next fruiting cycle regardless of what I find.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am still seeing dark patches and bronzing on select leaves, but this is the end of flower and I will be flushing until harvest. I have been horribly overfeeding, so hopefully I can use up some of the stored nutrients by flushing. Going forward, I will use above mentioned Pour-Through method to monitor feeding.      🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Plants appear vigorous and content.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing

    Grow Goals Week 8 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Late Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🌦️ Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/S ⬇️️ Decrease RH to 45%   🔆 Maximum Light Infiltration 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Late Flower   🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚫 No Microbes 🚫 No Sugars ⬇️️ Reduce All Nutrient Concentration by 20% Every Feeding   🚜 Remove Yellow Leaves 🚜 Defoliate Anything Suspicious   🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Mildew Inspection 🔎 Plant Happiness Inspection 🔎 Trichome Watch (20% Amber / 80% Cloudy) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾          🌦️  Humidity    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have the Lung Room RH below 50%, but the tent continues to have slightly higher readings. I suspect outside humidity is being pulled through the flooring, but for now this is enough for harvest. Below are the danger zones for powdery mildew and bud rot.     Powdery Mildew   RH - 62%+   Temps - 77°+ / 25°C+     Bud Rot   RH - 85%+   Temps - 55°+ / 12°C+   I will be investing in the cheapest vinyl flooring available for the entire lung room. This will prevent outside humidity from creeping in and also keep spills from soaking into the wood floor.   Since I cannot meet my grow goal of 45% within the tent, I have defoliated many of the leaves to increase air flow and prevent humid microclimates from forming.         🚜  High Pour-Through Readings    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My Pour-Through EC readings have been rather high. I will be flushing this grow instead of reducing the nutrient concentration. Long term, reducing nutrient concentration will remain a grow goal.    For my next grow, I will be monitoring and responding to the Pour-Through readings from the start. This will prevent over feeding or having to flush.   See week 14 for details on the Pour-Through method.       🔎  Trichome Watch    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No amber trichomes yet.       🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of pests during my under-leaf inspections or sticky trap monitoring.       🔎  Nutrient Deficiency Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ One thing I am watching for during flush is the condition of the sugar leaves on the buds. Dead sugar leaves are a pain to trim and can affect bag appeal. So far, my sugar leaves are looking good.        🔎  Plant Happiness Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Possible fox tailing for one of the strains, but with one week left I am not going to spend resources looking into this.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing        

    Grow Goals Week 9 of Flower ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🌦️ VPD of 1.2-1.5 kPa for Late Flower 🌙 Diurnal Temp Difference of 10°F / 5°C 🌦️ Minimum Air Movement 0.8 m/S ⬇️️ Decrease RH to 40% 🔆 Change Light Schedule to 11 Hour Days 🔆 Maintain DLI at 40 (Daily Light Integral) for Late Flower 🚫 No Mycorrhizae 🚫 No Microbes 🚫 No Sugars ⬇️️ Reduce All Nutrient Concentration by 20% Each Feeding 🚜 Remove Yellow Leaves 🚜 Defoliate Anything Suspicious 🔎 Pest Inspection 🔎 Mildew Inspection 🔎 Trichome Watch (20% Amber / 80% Cloudy) 🌦️ Prepare the Drying Area ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾          🔆  Changed Light Schedule to 11 Hour Days    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Several years ago I first learned about switching the light schedule to 11 hours days / 13 hour nights during the last week to “finish up'' certain strains that refuse to ripen. The original Haze strain was rumored to never ripen unless it was hit with 11/13 at the end. Colombian strains are rumored to need 11/13 at the end. Haze is apparently several equatorial sativas, and Colombian strains are equatorial sativas as well. This makes sense - 11/13 is essentially a death signal for a plant that has never experienced that phenomenon. In nature, cannabis plants begin blooming when days begin getting shorter, which is after the ⚝ Summer Solstice ⚝- around June 20th. 9 weeks of flowering would place the harvestdate at about Aug 23. Below are links to a couple of sun graphs. Kabul is near the Hindu Kush Mountains (indica), and San Juan de Pasto sits very close to the equator (sativa).       San Juan de Pasto, Colombia (sativa)     www.timeanddate.com/sun/colombia/pasto     Kabul, Afghanistan (indica)     www.timeanddate.com/sun/afghanistan/kabul   San Juan de Pasto receives almost 12/12 all year round. At the latitude of the Hindu Kush Mountains (Kabul), it is a different story. Summer Solstice kicks off with 14 hour days and by the end flower, days are still 13 hours long! Kabul doesn't even see 12/12 until a full month after harvest.   I have switched the lights to 11/13 (11 hour days) for the last week of flower.         🌦️  Prepare the Drying Area    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ One question I always struggle with during drying and curing is when to stop the drying and start the curing. Cure too soon and mold grows in the jars. Dry too long and the flower tastes like chlorophyll. I store my flower long term with 62% Boveda packs. Technically, one could use Boveda packs to dry and cure, but 10,000+ packs would be needed due to the very slow rate of moisture transfer. A better idea is to turn the entire Lung Room into a giant 62% Boveda pack! I will be converting the Lung Room into a drying room for 2 weeks. The first 3-4 days, a dehumidifier set to 60% will be needed as the plants are shedding a lot of moisture. After that, I switch on the humidifiers to supplement moisture and keep RH from dropping below 60%.   This is where having a grow room A/C that is oversized for that room is important. By having an A/C that is too large for the room, we ensure that it has very short cooling cycles. With a longer A/C run time (during each cooling cycle), the dehumidification increases.   I also maintain temps at 65°F / 18°C when drying. Bud Rot can still grow in these low temps, but it needs 85% RH to thrive. Controlling the RH at 60% will help mitigate this threat.       🚜  Cheap Trichome Camera    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ For me, it is far easier to count amber trichomes from a picture versus trying holding a loupe up to my face. I initially bought a cheap 60x clip on scope, but I need less magnification. Other clip-on macro lenses only go up to 10-15x.   Buying a used DSLR camera and expensive macro camera lens is not currently in the budget. Right now I just need something to inspect the trichome colors and don’t require that beautiful depth of field that we see in award winning macro shots.   I had a 30x/60x loupe sitting around. It's that same cheap Jarlink brand loupe that every new grower seems to own. I used adhesive Velcro Tape, one side on the back of my phone and the other side on the loupe. The loupe’s 30x lens stays firmly in place. The pictures are so good that I bought an additional 20x, 40x, and also a 45x loupe for about 8 USD / 8 EUR each.      https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=7069126   You will also need a cheap photographer's tripod to get a steady shot (15 USD / 16 EUR). I also recommend buying the cheapest Macro Focusing Rail Slider you can find. You can use your phone’s manual focus, but I find the focusing rail is more efficient for taking multiple photos. I found one for about 18 USD / 17 EUR.     Macro Focusing Rail Slider     https://a.co/d/hGh3wNS       Phone Mount for Tripod     https://a.co/d/eB2LoZl       Adhesive Velcro Tape     https://a.co/d/ftWztvz       🔎  Pest Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ While testing my 20x loupe on my phone, I happed to see a red pest resting on top of the bud. I was not able to to focus in time for a shot, but I think this is either aphids or spider mites. I inspected further and could not find another one. I am going to begin harvesting in the next few days, but would love to get photo of the evil little things. *** UPDATE *** It turned out to be thrips. The traps DID have thrips on them, but I was looking for larger pests and did not realize how small Thrips actually are. Going forward, pest inspection will include slapping the buds over a colored sticky sheet to see what falls off. Doing that during trimming helped me snap a photo of a live one. Luckily, it appears to Onion Thrips which mostly damage leaves and not flowers.       🔎 Mildew Inspection    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ No signs of Powdery Mildew or Bud Rot. The tent still has a slightly higher RH than my 45% Lung Room, but there is nothing I can do about that at the moment. I have defoliated most of the leaves and have increased the air movement.      🔎  Trichome Watch    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ #1 and #6 have a golden hue to them that means harvest near. The others seems to need a bit longer.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing  

    Dry/Cure Goals Week of Harvest ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🚜 Wet Trim the Buds 🚫 No Direct Air Movement on the Buds ⬇️️ Maintain Drying Room Temperature to 65°F / 18°C ⬆️ Maintain Drying Room RH to 60% ⏱️ Hang Buds for about 11-12 Days ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾       🚜  A Diary Week Dedicated to the Dry and Cure    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Drying and curing is the most critical step in my opinion. Absolute fire buds can be destroyed by a bad dry/cure. A friend of mine worked on a trimming crew one season in northern California, and these veteran outdoor growers cede total control of the drying and curing process to these trimming crews. That is a lot of trust for a year's worth of hard work. This also demonstrates how important the dry/cure process is. For this reason I am dedicating another diary week to drying and curing.       🚜  Wet Trimming    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Since I control the drying room conditions, I can afford to wet trim the flower. I love wet trimming because there is less damage to trichomes, and the trimmed leaves retract into the bud once dried which is good for bag appeal.   A secret of professional trimming crews is using cooking spray to clean the trimming scissors. Rubbing alcohol is out of the question. Here in the US, we have Pam brand cooking spray which contains oil + lecithin in the spray (some sprays just have oil). This is the first time I have used this trick, and I can report that it works great. I can slide the tip of my trimming scissors into the bud with ease. Sticky scissors tend to "tear" the flowers and trichomes a bit. I recommend upgrading to a cloth towel to wipe the excess spray off.   Do you have an ugly resin stain on the sink, countertop, or floor? Cooking spray will take that out in a few seconds.        🌦️  Drying Room Conditions    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I have specific temperature and RH goals when converting the Lung Room into the drying room. You will need a combination of high humidity and cold temperatures. A properly sized A/C for the room will not achieve the high RH needed. When running at colder temperatures, a properly sized A/C will remove far too much moisture. You may need to add a few humidifiers plugged into a humidity controller.    For an oversized A/C, the humidity will be higher at low temps. This is because an A/C must cool for at least 5 minutes before it can start removing moisture. An oversized A/C will rapidly cool the room then shut off before that 5 min mark. A common example is if your home has central A/C and you are experiencing high humidity throughout the day, then the A/C is likely too large for your home.   Temps at 65°F / 18°C       RH at 60%    🌦️  Use a Dehumidifier for Days 1-3    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ During the first three days of drying, I run a dehumidifier to maintain a 60% RH as the buds are shedding the bulk of their moisture during this time. All air movement should be subtle and INDIRECT. Multiple small oscillating fans are great. Now is the time to start your massive fan collection. I actually prefer air movers placed next to a wall and pointed towards the ceiling. Air movers are also great for circulating cold air from an A/C up to the ceiling.    Air Mover    https://a.co/d/5KYmxn3         🌦️  Use Humidifiers for Days 3-12    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ After day 3, humidification will need to be added depending on ambient humidity of your home. The buds will certainly dry out too fast if RH is not maintained at 60%. From here, slowly dry over the next 9 days. During this time, the inside of the flower is still quite moist, but outside has dried a bit. A wicking action is what moves the core moisture out of the buds. This process is slow and the 60% RH room will act as a humidity buffer to prevent rapid drying.    Chlorophyll and other undesired compounds require a bit of moisture present in order to degrade. This is why fast dried buds taste like lawn clippings. The cooler temperatures and slight moisture slow the rate of terpene degradation, while allowing time for the chlorophyll, etc to break down.       🚜  Hanging Rack    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I use a roll around restaurant style wire rack to hang my flower. Binder clips are used to hang the buds from each shelf. No more sagging clothesline where all of the buds slam together! I can hang a lot of bud on each shelf, the height adjustable shelves are great for monster branches, and I can easily roll it around to adjust for optimal (indirect) air movement.    growdiaries.com/diaries/165223-grow-journal-by-negotiatebubble#gallery=7096967     🌦️  Moisture Meter    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am trying out something new this grow. I have purchased a cheap pin-less moisture meter to determine when the buds have reached 12-13% moisture content before moving them into the curing jars to a final 11%.     Moisture Meter   https://a.co/d/2Q1wjjr Once the buds have cured for at least a week, I will finalize this diary and will report on the final product. I am currently looking for a lab to get my flower tested. Hopefully I will have potency and terpene percentage numbers for you.      ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________      Fabric pots to prevent root binding.   I am taking the Syn-ganics approach. Using soil with microbes + mycorrhizae added to the nutes. Mycorrhizae will be phased out during flowering as the high phosphorus environment halts fungal germination (Teaming with Fungi: The Organic Grower's Guide to Mycorrhizae by Jeff Lowenfels)   Enzymatic (Sensizym) will assist in breaking down dead root material in the soil. Any brand enzymatic that can break down cellulose will do just fine.   Agsil16H Potassium Silicate is pre-mixed at 148g per 1 gallon of water. Silica will aid plant strength/structure and also make the plants taste terrible to pests. As a side note, plants with too much nitrogen input taste sweet and delicious to pests!   Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (Bti) (aka Mosquito Dunks) solution is added to the nutes to kill any larvae based pests such as gnats. Mixing Mosquito Bits into the soil is also a great idea.   Seaweed Bottled Mix Ingredients (NOT an endorsement. I purchased this with my own money) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ - Ecklonia Maxima Kelp - Fish Hydrolysate - Blackstrap Molasses - Humic Acid / Fulvic Acid - Select Amino Acids (L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Aspartic, L-Cystine, L-Glutamic Acid, L-Glycine,   L-Histidine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Proline,   L-Threonine, L-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Valine) - Calcium Phosphate - Arcanite - Sugars - Yucca Extract - Tryptic Soy Agar - Plant Hormones, Plant Growth Stimulators and Vitamins (Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins,   Abscisic Acid (ABA), Adenine, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), Adenosine, Zeatin, A (Carotene),   B1, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin, Niacin, Choline, Pantothene, Folic Acid, Folinic Acid) ________________________________________________________________________________    I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing      

    Dry/Cure Goals ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 🚫 No Direct Air Movement on the Buds ⬇️️ Maintain Drying Room Temperature to 65°F / 18°C ⬆️ Maintain Drying Room RH to 60% ⏱️ Hang Buds for about 11-12 Days 🌦️ Begin Curing at 12-13% Moisture Content ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾       🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 4    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The buds from the first day of trimming are now at a point where they can be test smoked. There is still a minty moist chlorophyll taste, but the terpenes are starting to emerge.    Breaking up the nugs and smoking them wet is a great way to monitor bud moisture.       🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 8    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ The smallest stems are beginning to make a snapping noise. This is traditionally thought as the 13% moisture point. These go into the curing bags. Only a few more days until the larger buds are ready for curing. The buds are smoking better, but still have a bit of a “steamy” toke from the moisture content.         🌦️  Dry/Cure Day 12    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Larger buds are ready for curing. Most of the chlorophyl has degraded and the terpenes are finally allowed to shine through. Some extra buds that happened to dry out too fast have slight hint of hay and zero terpene smell. Looking at buds from the final day of trimming, they are hitting quite smooth for lagging a few days behind. No snapping noise yet. Also, when sampling I notice that the bud creates “dental floss” when trying to pull apart from the stem. This indicates more drying is needed.       🌦️  Begin Curing at 12-13% Moisture Content    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ My local public library has the below book in digital form via a 3rd party online book service. It recommends curing in paper sacks or boxes cardboard with lids. The book specifically recommends AGAINST curing in sealed containers such as glass jars. Previously I used canning jars, which apparently contributed to a mushy “I wonder if it's dry" ammonia-smelling weed.     Marijuana Harvest: How to Maximize Quality and Yield in Your Cannabis Garden   by Ed Rosenthal, David Downs   https://a.co/d/hOjICYX   Below are the book’s recommendations for moisture content.    Drying ends: 14-15%    Curing ends: 11-12%    Pleasant smoke: 10-12%    Harsh dry smoke: 10% or less The moisture meter (see Week17) has been a bit disappointing. I ran across a study that detailed drying and curing practices in the industry. The takeaway? Even within professional circles, curing is still an art rather than a science. The audible snap of the stems is still the gold standard of 12-13% moisture content. No fancy meters yet.    Postharvest Operations of Cannabis and Their Effect on Cannabinoid Content: A Review    www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/8/364 As recommended, I have removed the stems and moved the initial batch of trimmed buds to paper grocery bags after verifying the audible snap of the stems. The bags are barely closed using a single binder clip, while still allowing excess humidity to vent. These paper bags are stored in the drying room where conditions will remain the same. From here, I cure for another two weeks.       🌦️  Long Term Storage    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ Once cured, buds will be long term stored using glass jars including 62% Boveda humidity control packs. Although it is true that the curing process does continue during long term storage, I NEVER dry/cure using Boveda packs. Bovedas are for storage only. For the first time, the air inside the jars will be replaced with inert gas used for preserving wine. Nitrogen gas has always been a popular wine preserver; it comes in a can that looks like a keyboard duster. I am now seeing Argon Gas Wine Preserver on amazon as well! Unfortunately, neon gas must still be sourced from a gas supplier.         🚜  Final Weight    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 6 plants using 5 gallon containers    Cola Buds 352 grams (12.5 ounces)   Smaller “B” Buds 101 grams (3.5 oz)         🚜  My Next Diary is Now Published    ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ I am 4 weeks into my next grow diary, and Week G is now published. I will quickly release weeks 1/2/3/4 every few days to bring the diary current.       I am growing the classic strain Green Crack (aka Green Kush). This is a 10 seed pheno hunt and only 1 of them will be used for a future homogenous clone run.               Green Crack: My First Pheno Hunt       growdiaries.com/diaries/173238-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble                             ________________________________________________________________________________                      I Build My Own Custom Grow LEDs https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165481-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Modified Grow Tent Frame https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165474-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   Custom Built Watering Table https://growdiaries.com/diaries/165482-grow-journal-by-negotiatedbubble   VPD Chart and Calculator spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Dta8AptwIIgo728nAu4l9acrWYWPdrljjV4uzXwGJ0Q/edit?usp=sharing   My Custom Nutrient Spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1grolLVrJLQVSdK7sdnR7dS86axWIzDgW1iWWZIFHhiA/edit?usp=sharing      

See Week 18 for final notes

See Week 18 for final notes

See Week 18 for final notes

LAB TEST RESULTS (Purple Punch) Cannabinoids: 26.01% Terpenoids: 2.07% Moisture: 14.8% Cannabinoids : Weight % THCA : 24.6% THC : 0.6% CBGA : 0.4% CBCA : 0.3% CBDA : 0.1% THCVA : 0.1% CBG : 0.1% β-ocimene : 0.05% limonene : 0.27% α-pinene : 0.08% β-pinene : 0.07% fenchol : 0.04% camphene : 0.01% α-terpineol : 0.03% α-humulene : 0.29% β-caryophyllene : 0.99% linalool : 0.09% caryophyllene oxide : 0.02% myrcene : 0.02%