Sundae Thumper

SlickJames Duration: Week 1 (Days 1–7) • PPFD: 180–220 • EC: ~0.6–0.8 (300–450 ppm) • pH: 5.8–6.0 • Water: small, localized Half cup of water per feeding

SlickJames Week 3 was a quiet, steady week for the Sundae Thumper — environment dialed in, plant developing normally in 70/30 coco/perlite in a 5-gallon fabric pot under the Spider Farmer G4500 320watt at 16 inches. Light schedule running 18/6. Temperatures held well in the 69–78°F range with occasional spikes tied to the humidifier tank running dry — refilled promptly and not a sustained issue. Humidity averaged 65–68% steady state with VPD tracking nicely around 0.9–1.0 kPa, right in the ideal early veg window. Feeding at light veg strength, targeting 350–400 PPM with pH 5.8–6.0. Day 18 (Jan 17) watering was skipped — pot was still heavy from the previous feed, estimated ~16oz overfed. Day 19 fed 80 fl oz. Nutrients at this stage: Dyna-Gro Grow + Cal-Mag, ¼ strength — no boosters or bloom yet. One Sour Bubbly seed made it to soil on Day 17 (Jan 16) but the second showed no taproot progress after days on paper towel. Directed a heater at the germination box to maintain warmth. Outcome remained uncertain heading into Week 4. Sundae Thumper continuing to develop as the primary and most vigorous plant of the grow.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

SlickJames Week 3 was a steady developmental week for the Sundae Thumper, with environment well controlled and feeding ramping up progressively across the week. Temperatures held in the 75–78°F range lights on and ~69°F lights off, with brief spikes to 81–83°F on Jan 17–18 tied to the humidifier tank running dry — refilled promptly. Humidity averaged 65–68% steady state with VPD tracking ~0.9–1.0 kPa, right in the ideal early veg window. PPFD started the week around 250–300 and was stepped up to 350–440 by Jan 17–18 as the plant developed. CO2 ambient with no supplementation, averaging ~150 PPM. Four feeding sessions this week with nutrient strength ramping progressively: 369 PPM (Jan 13), 373 PPM (Jan 15), 521 PPM (Jan 16), and 664 PPM (Jan 18) — averaging ~508 PPM input across the week. Feed pH averaged 5.80 corrected. Runoff was checked on two sessions — Day 17 came in at 919 PPM and Day 19 at 1330 PPM, averaging ~1125 PPM runoff. The climbing runoff numbers relative to input were an early indicator of salt accumulation building in the medium, which would come to a head on Day 21 with a 2100 PPM runoff reading triggering an emergency flush. Day 18 (Jan 17) watering was intentionally skipped — fabric pot still heavy from the previous session with an estimated ~16 oz overfeed. Resumed the following morning with the highest feed of the week at 664 PPM input. Sour Bubbly germination still in progress this week. One seed made it to soil on Day 17 (Jan 16), but the second showed no taproot development after several days on paper towel. A heater was directed at the germination box to maintain consistent warmth, seeds wrapped in damp paper towel inside a zip lock bag. Outcome remained uncertain heading into Week 4. The Sundae Thumper continued developing as the strongest and most vigorous plant of the grow.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

SlickJames Week 4 was defined by the discovery and correction of a significant salt and nutrient buildup in the medium. On Day 21 (Jan 20), runoff opened at 2100 PPM — well above safe range — triggering an emergency flush. Feed input came in at 418 PPM at pH 6.99, and multiple plain water rinses at pH 5.8 were run through the medium until runoff dropped to 1180 PPM at pH 5.87, EC 2370 µS/cm, salt 0.11%. Medium was flushed down approximately 920 PPM in a single session. No further watering for 24 hours following the flush to allow the root zone to stabilize. Environment ran well overall — temperatures holding 76–78°F lights on and ~70°F lights off, humidity steady at 68–70% with brief transient dips when the humidifier tank ran empty. VPD tracking ~0.9–1.0 kPa throughout the week. PPFD running 380–420 µmol/m²/s. CO2 ambient with no supplementation. Day 25 (Jan 24) feed came in at 642 PPM at pH 5.91 — notably the water temperature was very cold at 4.7–6.0°C, well below the ideal 20–22°C range. Cold water can slow nutrient uptake and stress roots. Worth monitoring in future sessions to ensure water is allowed to reach room temperature before feeding. No runoff recorded this session. By end of week, runoff had settled to 1440 PPM at pH 5.8–5.9 — trending in the right direction. Feeding plan reset going into Week 5: ½ gallon at 600–700 PPM, ¼–⅓ strength veg nutrients only, no boosters, pH 5.9 target with 10–15% runoff. Goal was a gentle nutrient reintroduction to signal roots to resume uptake without risking a salt rebound. The Sundae Thumper continued developing steadily through the stress of the flush week.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

SlickJames The Sundae Thumper has entered a period of rapid vegetative growth, showing great node spacing and vigorous leaf development. I maintained a consistent nutrient profile with a target pH of 6.15 and a TDS of 530 PPM to avoid burn while supporting the increased size. Environmental parameters remained steady, with humidity hovering around 63% to maintain an ideal VPD for this stage. No major training was performed this week to allow the plant to establish a strong central structure.

SlickJames Week 6 Summary: The Transition Phase • Nutrient Shift (The "Big Signal"): Mid-week (Feb 12-13), you made a tactical shift in your reservoir. You cut your SUPERthrive Grow in half (to ½ tsp/gal) and introduced TPS Signal at ½ tsp/gal. This move, combined with a "micro-dose" of SUPERthrive Bloom (¼ tsp/gal), was designed to signal the plant to stop focusing purely on fan leaves and start developing flower sites. • The "Cal-Mag" Safety Net: You maintained a consistent 1 tsp (5ml)/gal of Bloom City Cal-Mag. This was critical because your 320W Spider Farmer LED was driving high metabolic activity, and the journal notes show you were cautious about potential deficiencies in the coco/perlite mix. • Environmental Stability: Your average day temp sat at a comfortable 77.4°F with humidity at 58%. This kept your VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) in the "sweet spot" for late veg, allowing the plant to drink efficiently (0.65L per 24h) without over-transpiring. • Canopy Management: You increased the Lamp to Plant Distance to 21.5 inches. This provided a wider light footprint for the expanding canopy and prevented light bleaching as the plant began its pre-flower "reach." • Plant Health Observation: The journal reflects a very healthy Sundae Thumper. Despite a slight rise in runoff PPMs (peaking near 1100), the plant showed no signs of nutrient burn, confirming that the transition feed was well-timed and the 5.80–5.90 pH range was keeping nutrients available.

SlickJames Week 7 was all about the 'Pre-Flower' transition. I officially phased out the Grow nutrients and bumped the SUPERthrive Bloom up to 4ml/gal and TPS Signal to 3ml/gal. The plant is responding with a vigorous stretch, gaining several inches in height. I am maintaining the light at 21 inches, which is giving me a PPFD of roughly 750–815 µmol/m²/s at the canopy. Humidity was intentionally lowered to 54% to keep the VPD around 1.33 kPa, ensuring the plant can handle the increased nutrient concentration without stress. The first distinct floral aromas are starting to develop. Nutrients Dyna-Gro bloom 3/4 tsp Calmag 1tsp TPS Signal Flower Boost 1/2