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Total Noob - First Grow

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76
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6823
6 years ago
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Fission 300W High-Intensity Discharge/600W
Custom
Fission 300W High-Intensity Discharge/600W
Custom
Indoor
Room Type
LST
weeks Technique
Soil
Grow medium
19 L
Pot Size
1
Week 1. Vegetation
6 years ago
2.54 cm
24 hrs
23 °C
6.5
No Smell
40 %
19 L
76.2 cm
Hello! Complete and total noob here making my first attempt at a grow. I'm in an illegal state, although with the slight hope that by the time I'm harvesting it will be legal, but haven't had an issue with getting weed . But being illegal I have to take what I get and in doing that I noticed that not all weed is the same. From how it smells, looks and most importantly how it effected me. With it becoming legal in some states I started to hear about different strain names and it peaked my interest. So I started looking into it and it was fascinating! Didn't want to wait for the slow people to catch up so I could buy it legally so I decided to grow it myself. So I went to sites like this to get me to the point I am at now. I bought a Vivosun 48x48x80" tent, 600w HID, 6in. exhaust fan with carbon filter, couple fans and some 5 gal. grow bags. Then what I thought was going to be the hard part, the seeds. From seeing a lot of good reviews, grows and the fact Fast Buds is the #1 breeder in number of diaries and I believe harvests on this site I decided to go with them. Found out they don't ship to the US, so I tried Seedsman and wanted to take advantage of their Black Friday special and get a good variety of strains. But just couldn't get pay with credit card to work due to website issues. Tried to resolve it with them but got tired of the delay due to the time zone difference. So looked at the US distributors on the FastBud's website and found Hella Dank Seed Co. The only concern was that I had to order in 5 packs and that was going to limit my variety so I decided on Blackberry, Green Crack and Blue Dream. Ordered them on Monday and had them in my hand on the other side of the country on Wednesday. They mistakenly sent me Grapefruit, let them know and they said keep 'em and resent the Green Crack. Had to wait a couple days until they were back in stock, but again had them in two days once they shipped. Definitely use them again. I decided to grow all four for the variety and be able to compare them but to keep this diary to one strain I picked Blackberry. I pretty much spoke weed recreationally, although I guess you could make a case that the relaxation and joy of life achieved makes it a medicine, with the exception that it very much helps me sleep. Seeing as how Blackberry is good for insomnia I decided to pick that strain to focus my first diary on. Sneaking a pic or two in of the other strains here and there. :-) On to the grow... I germinated the seeds in a glass of tap water per the FastBud's site, had them in there for three days and they all cracked but some just barely. Didn't want to leave them in the water any longer so I placed them into the soil. I think next time I will try the paper towel method after an overnight soak. For soil I used Fox Farm's Happy Frog cut with 30-40% black gold perlite. I started them under a T8 shop light but quickly found out I needed to turn the big light on to keep the temps up. Tent is in my basement and it is in the low 60s to mid-50s during winter. I even had to disconnect the air cooled hood on my light. I started out just misting them with 6.5 pH'ed water but I think I was underwatering them, probably needed to presoak my soil a little bit more. Got the soil moist and slowly the growing started. I don't know if I stunted them with underwatering or it is too cool in the tent at times but they didn't seem to grow much this first week compared to others I've seen. I have been strictly watering them with pH'ed water but I do plan on using Advanced Nutrients Grow-Micro-Bloom for this grow including a couple other of their nutrients, starting with Voodoo Juice during the second week. I also am considering some LST but that scares me a little so we will have to see how things go. So far they are still alive and even though it is a little nerve racking I am still having fun. It's my new obsession that helps fill a void until I can get back to my summer obsession of chasing bass. Couple pictures but not much to see yet. Will keep it focused on the Blackberry from this point. Hope things turn out well but it is the challenge that makes it fun!
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2
Week 2. Vegetation
6 years ago
5.08 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
No Smell
45 %
19 L
1 L
60.96 cm
Nutrients 1
Voodoo Juice - Advanced Nutrients
Voodoo Juice 2 mll
Patience... That's what I read I should have, but it is tough. Through the second week the growth still seems slow to me, but I haven't anything really to use as a comparison. I do have some basil and parsley that I am also trying to grow in the tent, to appease the wife :-), that compared to how I know it grows outside in my garden during the summer it also seems very slow. I can only guess it is the cold even though at my seedling I am registering temps between 70-75 degrees. Or it could just be something I'm not comprehending based on my very limited knowledge and zero practical experience. But in the spirit of reinforcing that patience with positive thoughts, my baby is still alive and there is nothing visually that I can discern as being wrong with it. I am watering about every two days and giving her a little less than a liter of 6.5 ph'ed tap water that I let sit out for at least 24hrs. About mid-week of this second week I started adding 2ml/l of Voodoo Juice to the water. I did lower my light just a little bit during the week to help keep her warm. Other than that didn't do much other than wait and stress out (in a good way). From the flurry activity of getting the tent setup, the seeds germinated and then planted to just waiting and watching is tough, but I will keep on with the patience..... Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!
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Grow Questions
TheBug
TheBugstarted grow question 6 years ago
What do you guys think about the leaves curling sideways like a pin wheel? I thought they would straighten out as the grew, but they're not. Not sure if the next set of leaves are going to do the same thing or not, they're too small. Only strain out of 4 doing it.
Solved
Leaves. Too many
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MUDBUG
MUDBUGanswered grow question 6 years ago
I grow this strain every grow go to my diarys and check it out this is a genetics issue on this seed its not nothing you doing wrong it happens when u grow a BLUE STRAIN tbh get rid of her and pop 2 more this mutant will not give u anything its not worth the trouble big dog and i would go 16-8 hid and leds are completely different at this stage u stressing them out big time and for watering get a shot glass i use my measuring one and u should give 6-7 shots twice a day she will drink more the voodoo juice is straight FIYA i use it also stick to that watering and u cant go wrong ✍️✍️✍️✍️👍👍👍
3
Week 3. Vegetation
6 years ago
6.35 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
No Smell
45 %
19 L
0 L
60.96 cm
Nutrients 1
Voodoo Juice - Advanced Nutrients
Voodoo Juice 2 mll
I am embarrassed to post these photos of my Blackberry plant... I went from worrying about my Blue Dream baby, which had a stem issue but has now seemed to rebound and started to take off to now this Blackberry plant with it's weird growth. Even though the weird growth was happening from the moment it popped out of the soil the overall look of the plant has become worse over the last few days. :-( I was told that I am over watering the plant so I have been letting it dry even more than I had been. I was watering about 750ml every two days and letting it dry out about an inch to two inches deep, which would take about 2-3 days. Currently the soil seems to be dry down as far as my finger can go as close as I feel comfortable to get near the plant. I have attached a photo that I am attempting to show how dry it currently is down a couple inches for sure. I am trusting in the advice I received on this site and continuing to let her dry, but I am also curious if it could be anything else??? I have attached pictures of my other 3 plants that I am also currently growing, all Fastbuds, and they are under the exact same conditions as the Blackberry and receiving the same amount of water but I'm not seeing any signs of like what is happening to the Blackberry. Could the strains be that different?? As I said I will continue to let her dry out but if anybody else has some ideas I could try to save her I am all ears. Hopefully I will still have enough of a plant to continue this diary next week!
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4
Week 4. Vegetation
6 years ago
17.15 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Weak
40 %
19 L
60.96 cm
Nutrients 5
Voodoo Juice - Advanced Nutrients
Voodoo Juice 2 mll
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 0.25 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 0.25 mll
The good news is she's alive, but that's about the extent of it. I think my Blackberry had a stroke. As each pair of leaves come out the one side looks "ok" and the other is yellow and kind of shriveled. I think I am going to go with MUDBUG's diagnosis (us Bugs have to stick together) that it is something genetic, especially since it was showing from the very first set of true leaves shortly after popping out of the ground. But I am not going to take his advice of getting rid of her. I have a deadline when I need to be done with this grow, a vacation, and to start over with a new seed will cut it too close. Not to mention I don't think I have it in me to do her in at this point, call me a softy. Will have to try Blackberry again on my second grow post vacation. For now I'll just keep pulling for my little Frankenberry and see what she can amount to. She's a little odd, but aren't we all. It's kind of interesting how many different answers you get when you ask a question or have a problem. It's a tribute to the complexity of growing these plants, well maybe the complexity we make of it, there are just so many variables. It really just comes down to practical experience and being there to make the judgement. I am grateful for all the answers. Some I tried, some made sense, some were just not practical.. But I think in the end you have to kind of go with your gut and succeed or fail it will just be another piece in the puzzle. Thanks again to everyone that provided their advice. But I ramble... As for the grow there wasn't much to report. She kept growing and after thoroughly, 100% for sure, without a doubt, made sure the pot was dry I watered her to run-off figuring that should do it for close to a week. I also fed her for the first time all at 1/4 strength. I did read some stuff about variegation, which this seems it may be an extreme case of, and there is the possibility of her growing out of it but I'm doubting it. Each new leaf node that is showing seems to definitely have the tell-tale signs. But there is always hope and if I'm lucky the news next week will be better than she's just alive.
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5
Week 5. Vegetation
6 years ago
38.1 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Weak
40 %
19 L
45.72 cm
Nutrients 4
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 0.5 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 0.5 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 0.5 mll
Well FrankenBerry made some serious vertical growth this week. Due to the leaf issues it makes her look pretty lanky. But I'll take it, two weeks ago I wasn't sure if she was gonna make it. Her newer leaves are looking much better than the previous too. I watered her to run-off again during the week and this time I doubled the nutes compared to last week, although still 1/4 of the recommended but I think it was still too much. Didn't see it as much on FrankenBerry but I had some claw leaves and nute burn especially on my other plants. Need to be careful with that. Probably stick with plain pH'ed water for a little bit. But other than her apparent defects she seems to be pretty healthy. I am still running the MH bulb in my light but I think I am going to probably switch to the HPS bulb sometime during this upcoming week. I am waiting for her (and her sisters) to stop stretching before I call it flowering and time to switch bulbs and possibly start adding bud boosters. I saw many opinions on when to switch to HPS bulbs and I went with about two weeks into when an auto starts "flowering" and it stops stretching and begins to bulk up the flowers. Not sure if that is right but gonna go with it and see what happens. I hope I get a little decent weed from this grow. Gonna need it this growing is stressing me out :-)
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6
Week 6. Flowering
6 years ago
45.72 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Weak
40 %
19 L
45.72 cm
Nutrients 5
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 1 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 1 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 1 mll
She seems to be doing ok for another week. I switched to the HPS bulb in my light about mid-week, at this point still maintaining the 24/0 light cycle due to the cold temperatures. I upped the feed, but still sticking with the 1/4 of suggested amount and I also added the Voodoo juice back in for the start of flower and started with the Bud Candy. I got to admit though I am completely lost with this whole feed and water part of the grow. I think overall, in hindsight, I am using too much nutes due to some clawing I am seeing. It is the watering that has me stumped. With this plant it seems to be fine to go by the book, finger method, light pot and then water to run-off. But each one of my other plants are different. One the morning after my first feed and watering to run-off was very droopy. I thought maybe it was the nutes so I flushed her a little with straight water, still droopy. I let her dry till the soil feels dry to the depth of my finger, water again and still droopy. Reading online everything is pointing to over-watered so I let her dry and dry till the pot is feather lite, still droopy. Since the pot was definitely dry I gave her a little water this morning and I think maybe she looked a little perked up. But I am afraid to really water her because the symptoms look very much like over-watering. I'm just stuck not knowing what to do. Up until I fed her two weeks ago she was my most vibrant, healthy plant. I know this is not relevant to this plant but I'm just frustrated and had to vent. I know it is the need to learn to read the rhythm of the plant but it is hard to learn for me, especially since each plant seems totally different. Well for my overall grow that includes this Frankenberry, I'm down to one plant that I think I can say isn't messed up by either myself or the weed gods. :-(
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7
Week 7. Flowering
6 years ago
47.63 cm
24 hrs
21 °C
6.5
Normal
40 %
18 °C
19 L
43.18 cm
Nutrients 7
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 1 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 1 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 1 mll
Frankenberry is an odd shaped girl and some of the bud sites seem to be effected by her birth defect, but she is putting on some decent buds in a couple spots. Well at least decent enough that I'll get a sample and that was all I was hoping for with this grow and the added plus that they are coming out purple! Her vertical growth seemed to have stopped, hopefully just because she is putting energy into flowering. I believe I am getting a better feel, using the weight of the pot, for when to water and I am also getting a feel for the effects of the nutes and seeing the plants respond positively and negatively. It is all very interesting and even with the frustrations it is a fun learning process. Speaking of learning I mentioned last week I was having a problem with another of my plants, Green Crack. Leaves were all droopy and I was certain she wasn't overwatered. Turns out the water temperature I was using to water the plants was too cold. I had it out in my basement to get rid of the chlorine and it picked up the ambient temperature, probably around 55 degrees. Was the only plant visibly effected and as soon as I started warming my water to 75-80 when watering she perked right back up and took off. The unfortunate thing is the way it seems that it goes with my first grow is that as soon as I resolve an issue with one plant another starts doing something squirrelly. For right know gonna just let her keep her doing her thing and start planning for the next stage... Hopefully without any more issues.
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Grow Questions
TheBug
TheBugstarted grow question 6 years ago
Ok, just trying to plan ahead. I read many things about making changes in nutes, switching to plain water, flushing, etc...referencing off 1-2 weeks from harvest. How do I know I am 2 weeks from harvest? What are the signs?
Solved
Techniques. Defoliation
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Wicked_Stix
Wicked_Stixanswered grow question 6 years ago
This depends on what type of effect you are looking for in your final product. The only reliable method is to inspect your trichomes with a magnifying glass to see what stage they are at. CLEAR= Not ready. CLOUDY= Reaching their maximum potency of thc content. AMBER= your thc is converting to cbd and less desirable compounds. The early side of the harvest window usually gives a more entergetic high where a late harvest will give you that couchlock effect. I prefer to harvest with the highest percent of milky trichomes as possible. If you are running a 2 week flush it is a good to start the flush when about 10 to 20% of the trichomes are cloudy and milky. I will personally cut a flush short before I let my trichomes amber up too much. Proper drying and curing seem to have more impact on the final product than a set flush time in my opinion. It is one of those things that is great to experiment with and see what gives you the effect you are looking for....
8
Week 8. Flowering
6 years ago
49.53 cm
24 hrs
24 °C
6.5
Normal
40 %
18 °C
19 L
50.8 cm
Nutrients 6
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 2 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 2 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 2 mll
Not much to report this week. It's hard to tell but I like to hope she is filing out her buds, although the only real bud is the main cola. She has some more pronounced yellowing of her leaves especially the leaves that surround the main cola, but the new growth leaves seem to be green. Not sure if it is a deficiency, her getting old or still just a side effect of her Frankenberriness?? I got a small handheld Carson microscope in anticipation of checking trichomes near harvest and gave it a try this week. It is difficult to stay focused on the plant unless I was to cut a piece of and take a look it under the microscope. I looked at some trichomes and it seemed the mushroom head was a bit cloudy, but I'm not sure. Looking at her with though I'm sure I still have a ways to go, my uneducated guess would be another 4 weeks. Her pistils are still white and growing, there is new leaf growth around the side bud sites and she is definitely. Seeing some of the leaves changing color and thinking I am seeing cloudy trichomes, I'm not gonna lie I'm pulling the newbie mistake and second guessing myself and wondering if I am closer to harvest than I think. But I am staying the course until I see more signs that she is finishing out her life cycle. Then I will go back to checking trichomes. Shooting for this strain to help with sleeping so a bit of amber trichomes from what I read should be a good thing even if I go a little bit past. I'm also hoping there is more time so she can possibly fill her buds out since there is so little due to her genetic issues along with mistakes I am sure I am making. Thanks by the way for the answers to my questions regarding how to tell when I am two weeks out from harvest. Using some of that info is what has me thinking I still have at least another four weeks to go. I am going to start adding Overdrive to her feeds on the next upcoming feed in a couple days and see if that helps. For now just gonna keep plugging alone and gather in what experience I can.
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9
Week 9. Flowering
6 years ago
49.53 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Normal
30 %
18 °C
19 L
50.8 cm
Nutrients 7
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 2.5 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 2.5 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 2.5 mll
Not much to report... Still just letting her keep flowering. Still feeding her since I think she still has a little bit to go. She just started showing some orange pistils that are starting to curl back in. I have been clipping a small bit of sugar leaf off close to the main bud and using a Carson pocket microscope I have been watching the trichomes. Pretty much all of them seem to still be clear. I think I see a couple cloudy ones but I'm not exactly sure what a cloudy one looks like! The ones I think are cloudy look like they have a bunch of small bubbles in the bulbous head portion. Definitely no amber ones. I will be shooting for a bit of amber since the intent of this strain for me was to see if will help with sleeping/relaxing and intend it as a night smoke. I'm not sure what percentage of amber is good for insomnia, I will have to look that up. But I am open to any suggestions to anybody reading out there. Thanks! Gonna keep watching her for a sign to switch to just water and flawless finish.
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10
Week 10. Flowering
6 years ago
49.53 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Normal
30 %
18 °C
19 L
50.8 cm
Nutrients 7
pH Perfect Grow - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Grow 2.5 mll
pH Perfect Micro - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Micro 2.5 mll
pH Perfect Bloom - Advanced Nutrients
pH Perfect Bloom 2.5 mll
Well..another week went by (in a blink of an eye it seems these days) and I still don't think Frankenberry is finished. She looks like the walking dead but she is still putting out straight up white pistols and drinking the same. Been keeping a close eye on the trichomes they started turning cloudy throughout the week, but not at a fast pace. It looks that over 50% are still clear. Calyxes seem to be swelling, I think. I'm not exactly sure I know what I'm looking for being the first time. That second grow, even though I'm 100% sure I will make some mistakes, has got to be easier on the mind knowing kinda what the whole process looks like. But back on topic, I think I am going to feed her again. I'm seeing plenty of clear trichomes, the pace to cloudy doesn't seem real fast, the white pistils... What do you think? Do I feed another time, which would happen in a day or 2? I'm I still not within that 2 weeks before 30% amber. I don't think I am and have over two weeks, but I'm really guessing hear and would love any advice that people are willing to share. I know I'm gonna get a small yield across all my plants, being a noobie, but I do want to max out what I can and don't want to stop feeding her if she is still producing. But I don't also want mess up quality along with quantity but waiting to long to switch to plain water. I don't even know if that all even matters but ya got to start somewhere. I'm getting pretty excited about the harvest. It means a couple things, the obvious is that I get to smoke buds I grew myself in a few weeks. The other is I'll be smoking it about the time Spring rolls in, the real Spring not the equinox Spring. Weather will be better, I hope, the lakes thawing, life coming back and the best of all I can go fishing. There is another health benefit to cannabis and it is growing it. I don't do so well in winter and focusing on it helped me get through the dark cold days. It was fun and I learned a lot, keep ya from just sitting there wishing winter would end.
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11
Week 11. Flowering
6 years ago
49.53 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Normal
30 %
18 °C
19 L
50.8 cm
Nutrients 1
Flawless Finish - Advanced Nutrients
Flawless Finish 2 mll
Well we're in the final stretch now. Been seeing a good number of cloudy trichomes and a couple amber but still a good amount of clear ones. I've just switched to just plain pH'ed water with Flawless Finish and hopefully I have timed it right for about a two week flush and 30% amber at then end of it. Other than that still not much to report again this week. Seems like some of the calyxes are swelling even bigger, but I don't think she will fill out much more than she has. But the focus from here will be quality. I'll take the low yield without a complaint but I'll be pissed if I mess up the harvest time, so I'm keeping a good eye on those trichomes. I just received a jeweler's loupe to help spot check multiple locations. I have a carson pocket microscope and I get a much better view of the trichomes but I have to cut a little piece off each time I want to check so I was hoping to reduce the frequency of that by using the loupe. Been reading up on drying and curing to get ready for the harvest since I know that is another place to mess up the quality. Still debating in my head whether to go with wet trim or dry trim this first time. I know they recommend wet trim for beginners but it is low humidity here in the winter and I was wondering if I should go with dry trim so the leaves can help with the moisture. Got a little bit of time to make a decision but know I need to decide soon. Spring is almost here! I say as is it is 15°F as I type this. :-(
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12
Week 12. Flowering
6 years ago
49.53 cm
24 hrs
22 °C
6.5
Normal
30 %
18 °C
19 L
50.8 cm
Nutrients 1
Flawless Finish - Advanced Nutrients
Flawless Finish 2 mll
This week was all about trichome confusion. My other plants are all doing a close to uniform change from clear to cloudy with healthy trichomes. Looks textbook, gonna harvest at 100% cloudy. This plant though has me very confused. I am shooting for 30% amber on this one, specifically wanting that couch lock. But there is nothing uniform about her trichome maturation. I still have a good amount of clear, mixed with a good amount of cloudy. The amber ones are very limited, but sometimes when I see them they will occur in a good group. But mostly just a single one here or there, maybe over all 5%?? I am ok with waiting if I really knew they were going to go to amber, but I am getting concerned because some of them are starting to look..."old". Little bent over and shriveled, no offense. I'm just concerned that waiting for the amber that may not come, I am actually going past the point I want to be. With the amber being a bad indicator. Since I really am shooting for the couch look I'm gonna let her keep going, see what happens. The buds seem to still look ok. So I'll just keep watching those trichomes, hopefully the amber switch comes soon and it is uniform. So I can stop worrying about if I am going too far!
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12
Week 12. Harvest
6 years ago
Happy Harvest Day!
Rated
9/10
Rated
The amazing color of these buds are reason enough to give this strain a try in my opinion. And even after only one day drying they are getting even a more dark, rich looking purple. I had a little issue with this plant from the beginning, had a plant stroke or something, and that played out when it came to yield(along with the many mistakes I surely made). But I am very happy with the results, especially as a first time. I did have a little "scissor hash" after trimming her, which was a very chill and relaxed high. But I will wait until she is dried, cured and sampled through my first vaporizer that arrives tomorrow, pretty excited about that. I will surely be back to give a proper smoke review.
Show more
Spent 85 days
Ger Veg Flo Har
113.4 g
Bud wet weight per plant
28.35 g
Bud dry weight per plant
1
Plants
4.88
Grow Room size
Easy
Difficulty
Positive effects
Happy, Relaxed, Sleepy
Positive effects
Negative effects
Dry mouth
Negative effects
Taste
Berries, Earthy, Fruity
Taste
Sleepy
Energy
Indica
Hybrid
Sativa

Height
Day air temperature
Air humidity
PH
Light schedule
Night air temperature
Pot size
Lamp distance
Well I decided to chop her, kinda glad and sad at the same time. Starting seeing a good number of amber trichomes, I still had a good mix of clear and cloudy but the solid number of amber ones made me decide it was time. From the start she was a bit handicapped and I worried about her making it, but in the end she grew really well and was very easy. I loved the purple results, I hope to be able to share with some friends in the near future just so they can see the color. I decided to wet trim, even though it is low humidity here now, just because I was afraid of making a mess of dry trimming. Got them drying in a cardboard wardrobe box on coat hangars. Once dried I will remove the stems, get a real weight, and place them in amber quart mason jars with Boveda 62 packs. After the cure I will definitely return with a proper smoke report and final results. Had a little preview via "scissor hash" and I am hopeful for some good results. Was a really cool experience and definitely a new hobby of mine. Just looking through all the Grow Diaries on this site the different strains, the different methods, approaches, mediums, etc... there just seems to be an endless amount of things to try and experience with. It could never get boring, not to mention you get to smoke the results! I really enjoyed keeping this diary and the help I received along the way, thank you. I also got to enjoy another hobby I am trying to learn, photography and then be able to share them on this site. Helped me be proud of my baby, since I couldn't share with anyone here. Not the best pics and I learned from a few mistakes, being rushed since there never seems to be any time these days doesn't help, that I hope to improve upon in future diaries. I am really looking forward to my second grow. Gonna finish out the drying a curing, still got two other plants to go, and then after a vacation (can't grow, someone coming to check on cats) I will get my second grow going. That will also get me out of these freaking single digit temperatures and hopefully be a bit warmer in the grow tent. Definitely gonna stick with Fast Buds, could be years before I get through all the strains of theirs that I want to try! And they haven't given me one reason not to. 100% Germination, all plants survived my utter noobiness, considering the cold they were fast. Definitely recommend them to someone starting out. Would say to anyone, but I'm way wet behind the ears to put that out there. :-) Will definitely follow-up throughout the drying/curing and then especially with a real smoke report. Getting my first vaporizer, Arizer Extreme Q, just for sampling my very own grown weed! Looking forward to sampling those gorgeous sangria buds. Thanks again to everyone that offered help or advice, I very much appreciate it and also thanks to anyone that stopped in and took a look, hopefully to enjoy the pics.
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TheBug
TheBugcommentedweek 96 years ago
Every bit of advice helps! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Happy Growing to you too.
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommentedweek 86 years ago
Those are some nice looking buds!! Deff. looks like you still have a few more weeks to go from the pics I would say 2-4 but you'll know best. id still keep an eye one em with the scope. Keep it up!! Happy Growing
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommented6 years ago
@TheBug, Yea they look awesome! yea I know what you mean when they are under the hps it doesn't do em justice when they are that beautiful. from the sounds of it she should deff. bulk up a lil more for ya. and yea I feel ya on the Harvest part in the begging your scared to F something up after that much work but it sounds like you have a real good grip on watching it/ knowing what to look for.. shit when I started years ago I wish I had a place like this to help lol. but i think having the scared mixed in with excitement keeps you on your toes and watching what she does closely you kno? Keep it up Happy growing!!!
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Thee_HoffGuyy, thank you! I've never seen buds first hand like these before so I am in awe, even with her deformities. It's a shame what the HPS light does to her colors in the tent, those colors are so much nicer in natural light or with the flash. Keeping a close eye on her now. Pistils still all white and trichomes all clear so hopefully she keeps on bulking up. Scared and excited at the same time thinking about harvest.
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommentedweek 96 years ago
she looks awesome buddy!! and with the Trich % of amber its up to you but when I go for a little more stonier high I'll go like 70% cloudy 30 amber i find it works well for sleep. Hope that helps! Happy Growing HoffGuyy
TheBug
TheBugcommentedweek 96 years ago
Thanks she's had some issues and I've had some issues :-) But I try and make sure I shoot her on her good side! The trichomes have started changing to cloudy but she still has some white pistils so I fed her yesterday thinking she still had more than two weeks to go. I was thinking of switching to just water and Flawless Finish but once I saw the rate of the clear to cloudy and knowing that I want to shoot for 30% amber per @Hoffguys recommendation decided to hold off for a couple more days to see if I get a little more yield. I will follow your Blackberry grow to see how you make out. Good luck and enjoy!
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommented6 years ago
@TheBug, Looking good to me!! sounds like you have a good eye on the trich's just keep watching them and it'll be harvest time in no time haha. sounds like you have the right idea of keeping her fed a lil longer if you have the time why not. Good luck and Happy Growing👍
HighTV
HighTVcommentedweek 16 years ago
Hey there @TheBug. Welcome to GrowDiaries and congratulations on your first grow! Lovely setup and fantastic start to the diary, its clear you did you research before hand so I respect that. I wouldn't worry about being behind at this stage or anything yet my friend that can lead to bad decisions like overwatering! From the day they broke from the soil, What day are these pictures from? (If possible to increase humidity I would get it to 45-60%) 😎
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommented6 years ago
@TheBug, what regulates the plants metabolism and how fast it grows is called the vapour pressure defict or VPD for short. This article presents the concept in detail : https://www.autoflower.net/forums/threads/vpd-vapor-pressure-deficit-explained.64510/ this one has the charts . Basically you want to hit the right ratio of humidity and temperature , what you can do to make that happen at this stage is to put a clear plastic cup over the seedling so it traps the humidity inside and helps the seedling grow. As the seedling develops you can remove the cup and lower the temperature... Hope this helps ! 🚀
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@HighTV, Thanks for the tips and I may add humidity domes, but last few days humidity has been better and usually around 50%.
HighTV
HighTVcommented6 years ago
@TheBug, If you want to increase the humidity there are a few ways you would try. 1st is to simply add humidity domes to the seedlings (this is the easiest) 2nd method is to pull air from outside -> through light -> putting back outside and never letting the inside tent air get sucked out. this would allow your humidifier to really work. From the setup you show in week one this would mean- unplugging the filter duct and putting that to the light instead - then adding another duct to the right side of the light leading outside the tent. This method increases temperatures in the tent some so be aware of that. 3rd method is to exhaust less air and add wet rags/towels to the fans. You mention cold temps exhausting less air with your fan will help increase the temps and humidity. In your situation it would seem method 2 is best because you mention it being cold. This would raise both your humidity and your temperatures. With a sealed garden like this method gives you your humidifier will have full control
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Experimentgreen
Experimentgreencommentedweek 26 years ago
Hey Bug...so now that I see what high powered lights you've got I feel even more so about the reduction in hours. I feel like i see and hear about people getting amazing yield results with the hid regardless of pushing them to the max. I think those were considered the most effective light until some of the very high quality LEDs like fluence came out. Congratulations on the 1st grow btw. Happy new year.
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommented6 years ago
@TheBug, yep one thing i know about the mudbug, he's always correct about these things, check out poleeg s black berry grow aswell, many many folks got genetic issues with black berry, and i still wont bet against mudbug lol
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@CRiSPrGrow, thanks for the follow-up Bulbi. Without ruling out any of the advice given and using that advice to cautiously move forward with all four of my plants, I am prone to believe that @MUDBUG has it correct. That this is a genetic issue with this plant. I have three other plants in the same soil, under the same light and getting the same water that don't show any symptoms remotely close to this plant. They seem to be doing well to my untrained eye. I will of course heed all advice and adjust my watering, light and double confirm the pH moving forward. I do have other seeds but I think I am going to keep this one going and see what becomes of her. If I was to start over it may infringe upon an upcoming vacation and I want to be 100% certain with a good buffer that this grow will be wrapped up by then. If I only get a small amount I will still be happy. I'm in more of the exploring/sampling all the strains phase than looking for big yields. I will definitely take another crack at Blackberry on my second grow!
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommented6 years ago
@thebug ... agree w/ everything @Experimentgreen just said... also mudbug... and may i add looks like pretty fatal PH fluctuations on top of that... save yourself the heart break and scrap it if you have a spare seed to run... if you have a dimmer now's a good time to use it 250W for seedlings and work your way up to full strength
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommentedweek 126 years ago
really happy you got a prize for this ! 👏 👏 👏
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommented6 years ago
@TheBug, best surprise ever ! 🚀
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@CRiSPrGrow, Thank you! Just got home from vacation to find out. :-)
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommentedweek 126 years ago
Great work it's looking awesome!!👍👊 And about the Trichomes seems like you got a good grip on it👌. when you are looking at them is it under any type of light that has yellow to it? if so sometimes that can make them look more amber-ish then they are. Anyways about the unevenness of them ripening I see that sometimes also but seems to happen more on the sugar leaves than the calyxes, so if you look at em on the leaves try looking at the calyxes its self be gentle as to not damage a lot of trich's other than that I don't really know what causes them to do that could be a hot/cold spot or draft that the plant may be in and the others are not? idk just a thought. because I know temps can make some difference on how quick they ripen. but it might be some other reason soo if someone that knows a little more about it might chime. Loving the color👊 such a deep purple Great Job
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommented6 years ago
@TheBug, yea temps can deff change things but I've notice if its not extreme temps like below 60*F at night it usually brings out more smell flavor color and sometimes even resin production so do some experiments and find out what you like. Like I have my flower tent set so its between 63*F and max 66*F at night and have been getting really great results nice color plus the smell and flavor has been phenomenal! Great work cant wait to follow along on your next journey👍👊
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Thee_HoffGuyy, thanks again Hoffguy. Decided to chop her. I really wonder how much the cold affected them. Never had real cold temps inside the tent, although there could of been a cold draft from the inlet, but my temps were definitely to the low side. Be interesting if I notice a difference growing in the warmer temps this spring and summer.
WillyWonka
WillyWonkacommentedweek 126 years ago
Beautiful looking buds! Congratulations on your first grow, it’s such a good feeling. What fastbuds strain is next for you?
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@WillyWonka, thank you! It does feel good to have one under my belt. My next grow will probably again be four Fast Buds' strains, this grow I did four strains also but just did the one diary for Blackberry. Doing four different strains might not be the best for learning, but I'm still looking to try many strains to see what I like the best. Then once I get my "go to" strain or two I will focus on getting the best results from those strains. Next grow I plan on doing diaries for all four strains, didn't want to be overwhelmed this first time, and I am thinking they might CBD Crack, Tangie'matic, Six Shooter and a redo of one of my first four(most likely either Blackberry or Blue Dream).
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommentedweek 26 years ago
Yeah basically you've not done anything wrong, dont worry - check on grow diaries other black berries, 50% of them will have had some abnormalities at the seedling stage, including by the best growers, in all sorts of set ups including soil (but also coco & hydro) totally normal and it should end up growing into a pretty normal plant down the line. No stress ! hope this helps ! 🚀
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@CRiSPrGrow, All advice is appreciated and helpful! Thank you.
Club_Ohana
Club_Ohanacommentedweek 26 years ago
Just keep being patient with her and listen to what she tells you. Im on my first and now second grow and I have found patience and watching the plant closely helps a lot. Making fewer mistakes makes the plant grow rapidly.
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Club_Ohana, Thanks for the advice. Definitely gonna keep my eye on her and hopefully learn something. That's the most fun part. Good luck on your grows.
Fast_Buds
Fast_Budscommentedweek 16 years ago
Thanks for choosing our genetics, good luck!! We’re really looking forward to it! Enjoy Growing Faster 😀
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Fast_Buds, Thank you and Happy Holidays!
CRiSPrGrow
CRiSPrGrowcommentedweek 126 years ago
great results, absolutely gorgeous buds too !
GreenCasual
GreenCasualcommentedweek 96 years ago
You're doing really great for a first grow ! I hope that my blackberry'll be as beautiful as yours ! When are you planning to harvest ?
Mrs_Larimar
Mrs_Larimarcommentedweek 46 years ago
Agree, now its clearto see that she is a mutant girl, and its genetic causes. Happy growing
Experimentgreen
Experimentgreencommentedweek 36 years ago
I know you say you're embarrassed but I'm so glad you posted these photos. I love when people show their problems not just their success. How can we all learn and grow together if everyone hides everything that goes wrong. So...thank you
Mrs_Larimar
Mrs_Larimarcommentedweek 36 years ago
She looks muuuch better. Keep that track. stay hard and let her dry^^Overwatering is an inivitation to many issues you dont want to have
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommentedweek 116 years ago
looks Great!! Awesome work Bug!!
Thee_HoffGuyy
Thee_HoffGuyycommented6 years ago
@TheBug, Thank you for this great diary I love seeing Purple/colourful buds😏 cant wait to see the Finished product!!
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Thee_HoffGuyy, Thanks again HoffGuyy!
Mrs_Larimar
Mrs_Larimarcommentedweek 26 years ago
Agree to all answers.The Girl sits in a big bag of wet soil. And she dont like it. I would give her asmaller pot with dry soil to dry her feet. And then use the pot lifting method. After transplaning her in dry soil, weigh the pot. then give her 30-50 ml. and just water her again if the pot has the same weigh as before. And when she grown out that pot give her abigger one and weigh him again and then water a bigger amount and so on i alo recommend you an humidifier. Plant need for evry stage a ratio of humidity in dependence of temperature called VPD i link you a vpd chart http://www.just4growers.com/media/23631/vpd_2degree.gif
Mrs_Larimar
Mrs_Larimarcommented6 years ago
@TheBug,you are right. i have completely overseen that its an automatic. but you still have the problem of wet soil. then maybe put he into a big pot with dry soil. its not great but better than rotting . but probably try to let the soil dry.
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@Mrs_Larimar, I planted her in that size pot because I had read that autoflowers should be planted in their final pot and that transplanting them is a bad thing. I will stop watering until my pot dries out much more than I had been letting it and then I will water with a much less quantity. I do have a humidifier in the tent and also a pan of water just really hard to raise the humidity of this dry winter air. Thank you for the help!
HerbalEdu
HerbalEducommentedweek 116 years ago
Your're doing it great ! grats 😎
TheBug
TheBugcommented6 years ago
@HerbalEdu, Thanks Wince!
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