Bruce Banger & OG Cheese

Genetics: Seedsman Soil: Strawberry Fields by Fox Farms Light: FC-E3000 by Mars Hydro Nutrients: Roots Organics by Aurora Innovations; others Bruce Banger (BB) & OG Cheese (OGC), both by Seedsman. Both look healthy enough, haven't been fed yet, cruising on nutrients in the soil. Going to try brewing the Roots Organics this time around.

The leaves are dark, full, and OGC is even showing signs of tip burn. This soil must be really rich! Still haven't fed anything, still cruising on the soil + plain water. They've both reached 4 pairs of main branches, so time to top. Overall growth is moving along great. They're happy and healthy, can't wait to see them in bloom. Applied Serenade disease prevention spray to try and get a jump on any bud rot.

Gave the girls their first feeding after brewing the nutrients for about 48 hours. There was scum at the surface of the solution, so I know there was microbial activity going on. Given how dark they turned the following 36 hours, I probably won't need to feed again until sometime around the second week of bloom. They continue to look great. Most of the larger, older leaves began yellowing/crisping, so I plucked them off. The girls are going to need a good pickdown when bloom time comes, and they seem all too ready for it!

Dropped the trellis on them, scrogged them out, picked them down some, let them come back begging for more 🙏

The new growth started turning yellow, despite the old growth remaining healthy, deep green, and intact. Diagnosis: Micronutrient deficiencies secondary to a pH discrepancy in the soil. Will correct through application of water/ food pH'd to 6.0. Will also reduce intensity of the lights to 75%.

Plants responding to corrective action. New growth turning green again, drinking rate improving (had slowed down previously.) Would still like to see growth rate improve. At this rate, I'm looking at an 8+ week veg. Not ideal, but I got to do what I got to do to get the results I want.

You can now really see the damage from the pH fiasco. Good thing all those leaves are getting picked off for the flip! They'll be able to start from scratch, and all their new leaves will be as lush & green as they were in early veg. Despite the ugly foliage, their drinking rates are just about back to normal, and they're generally tips-up whether I check on them. Plan to use the last bit of the veg brew before I strip & flip.

Stripping the crappy veg leaves seems to have done the trick...at least with BB. OGC is still on the yellow side. Her leaves were cupping, so I'm wondering if this drama is from the light intensity. Turned the light to about 80%.

Entering the last week of stretch, so I'm slapping them in the face with nutrients. Signs of malcontent persist. I think these nutrients are old. Been feeding every watering, and they're still showing signs of deficiencies. I blame the nutes, at this point.

Flushed them with 6.5 water and tested pH & EC of runoff. It wasn't lockout, there were no nutrients in the soil. The nutrients I had been using were worthless. Even brewing expired organic nutes into a tea couldn't save them. Once I found this out, I followed the the flush with a heavy slug of salts as a bailout. Will use the salt nutes for the rest of the grow; I think that's how I bring this one in home.