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So not much to say as this grow is just underway! But this grow is dedicated to Dan over at The Green Sunshine Company. I am finally able to see what two of these beautiful lights can really achieve in a small grow space such as my own 3x3 tent. I am using the Coco-Loco coconut coir grow medium again and it is pre-amended so I will not have to add/use any additional nutrients for approximately 4-6 weeks. I have never tried Fast Buds before and I’ve seen both good and bad reviews over the past few years. So, this is kind of a test run in quality for their relatively new genetics and I’ll see if Fast Buds is really as good/consistent as they claim to be. I love the photoperiod version of the Green Crack strain so I’m hoping that these two plants turn out just as tasty and potent! Thx for stopping by and I’ll check in at the end of week 2...
So, end of week 2 and both FB Green Crack plants are doing well. The tallest is at 9"and the shorter is at 6". I’ve never topped my auto-flowering strains before but this grow I’m seeking a different shape and size all around. So, both plants were FIM’d just two days ago, between the 4th & 5th nodes at day 14. I’ve researched quite a bit and the general consensus among many growers seems to be that the plants recover quicker from FIMing vs topping (especially with auto’s). So, I did it- for the first time ever with an auto and I’ll see what happens! I am hoping that the FB Green Crack is as vigorous as other growers report and this strain seems to have a long stretch period too. Believe it or not, the larger of the 2 plants has also popped her first few pistols between Day 15-16! CalMag will be started next feed and watering is pretty much the same as always. Week 1- 1 litre every second day or 500 mls/day and Week 2- 2 litres every second day or 1000 mls/day. The water is also the usual- tap water aerated for 2 days and then PH’d to 6.5-6.8. The slightly higher PH protects the microbial life that I’m trying to foster within the grow medium/root zone. Not much more to report so I’ll check in again at the end of week 3. Happy growing everyone! 😻
Week 3 was kind of crazy in all the wrong ways but each and every grow is another learning experience... So, FIMing these two plants was not enough to slow the apical dominance of the taller plant. She continued to shoot straight up and I had to completely top her on Day 18- four days after the initial FIMing done on Day 14. Unfortunately after all of this, I tied her two main branches back last night and this morning- one of the branches had broken right off! Too much tension on my part :( So she’s kind of lopsided at the moment and a bit of an experiment from here on in but she’s healthy. The shorter plant has responded perfectly to the FIMing and although small, she has the desired shape that I was seeking- bushy and full. I’m not at all satisfied with these results so far so I’ve started another two Green Crack seeds and I’m going to get it right this time! The tent might be a little crowded with four of these lovely ladies inside but it’s all good. Watering is still the same as last week- 1 gallon between both plants every second day and I’ve added in the CalMag at 2 mls/gallon as a preventative measure. I will check in again at the end of next week, hopefully with a better report. Happy gardening everyone!
Apologies for the late entry this week as I was travelling this past weekend. So this entry is being done on Day 32 for the larger two Green Crack and Day 8 for the new seedlings. Week 4 was a better week with substantial growth for both of the older plants as well as both of them moving into flower too! The largest of the older plants is now at 33" tall while the shorter one is at a respectable 21". The larger of the ladies is loaded with bud sites while the shorter is bushy but bare (substantially less bud site development). The seedlings are both growing nicely and will be topped on their Day 14 (next Monday/Tuesday). I amended the top layer of CoCo LoCo on the older plants yesterday with Gaia Green Organic Dry Fertilizer using 4 tablespoons of PowerBloom per plant, then watered it in well. I felt that the older plants were looking a little light in colour, hungry with all the rapid growth in week 4. I upped the CalMag to 3.5 mls/gallon as well for the larger plants and of course CalMag for the seedlings will be started in week 3 as a preventative measure. Based on what I’ve seen so far, these plants have the potential to be quite large and perhaps out grow my 3x3 tent! I am giving credit for this explosive growth to good genetics (impressed with Fastbuds so far!) and the addition of the second Electric Sky 180 (thank you Dan at GSC!). I am super impressed with the quantity/quality of these two lights together and I would highly recommended these fixtures to growers seeking simple, efficient, beautiful lights that really work! I love my ES180’s and the plants have responded super well too! That’s it for this week, thx for checkin in and happy growing everyone. 😺
Welcome to the Week 5 (for the larger two plants) and Week 2 (for the smaller two plants) update, a few days late as usual this grow. Unfortunately with xmas coming fast, my job as a mom gets super busy and keeping up with the plants and GD- challenging to say the least. So here goes... Plant #1 (the tallest) was 42" tall on day 37. She is very light in colour with some yellowing fan leaves at the bottom and I think she might need some more food (maybe some Nitrogen?). This plant was amended just one week ago with Gaia Green Organic Dry Fertilizer All Purpose & Power Bloom and although it perked her up nicely- I think she needs more! She’s experienced crazy growth rates and has plentiful bud sites so I will be amending her again. I’m currently using a 50/50 mixture of the grow and bloom fertilizers at a rate of 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon of medium (so she’s getting 2 tablespoons of grow and 2 tablespoons of bloom every time I top dress). Plant #2 (the bushy one) was 29" tall on day 37. She is darker in colour, healthy and putting on bud sites quickly now. I have been defoliating her- a few leaves every second day while I’m in watering and this seems to be helping a bit. Because she’s looking good at this time, I will not be amending/top dressing her again- yet. Both of the bigger plants are getting 3.5 mls/gallon of CalMag and are still receiving 2 litres of water per plant every second day. The smaller Green Crack Autos were both at 5" tall on their day 14. Although they are healthy, they are slightly behind their older sisters and are not quite ready for topping yet. Hopefully by the end of week 3- so maybe day 19, 20 or 21st these plants will be ready to top between the 4th & 5th nodes. Unfortunately, I think the younger plants are not getting as much light due to the older plants taking up a significant amount of space above/around them in the tent. It’s going to be crowded growing forward! The young plants have just been started on CalMag (half ml/litre) and are receiving 1 litre of water per plant every second day. I think that’s about it for the week 5 update for the big girls and week 2 for the babes, thx for reading and until next week- happy growing!
So- largest plant (photos above) yellowing lower fan leaves, overall light green colour on the entire plant. Possible Nitrogen deficiency? Otherwise she is healthy, budding up well and looks great. Any thoughts from the GD community? Thx as always!
Hello my friend😊
It is highly possible that it is possible Nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen deficiency in cannabis plants:
When cannabis plants do not have a balanced nutrition and lack this element, there are anomalies in their development, visible through the morphology of the plant, which we call deficiencies.
Plant growth is much slower.
The leaves turn yellow little by little, starting with the lower parts of the plant.
The chlorosis begins with the tips and extends to the center of the leaf.
Plants have fewer defenses against insect or mite infestations, diseases and bad weather.
Flowering and the eventual production of seeds are seriously diminished.
Massive defoliation (leaf drop) after severe chlorosis.
Deficiency progresses from the bottom to the top, affecting the youngest leaves last.
To solve the problem quickly it will be necessary to add to the nutrient solution a fertilizer rich in nitrogen so that the plants can recover their optimum levels of this nutrient a few days after watering. During growth and during stretching, it is also possible to use a nitrogen fertilizer exceptionally directly as a foliar spray, for faster assimilation than by the roots.
It should be noted that when plants have these deficiencies their production capacity has already decreased, so that it is important to maintain a balanced diet throughout the crop in order to obtain optimal quality and production.
It is very important to bring enough nitrogen to the plant during periods of growth and stretch, because then once in full bloom, it will be very difficult or impossible to catch a nitrogen deficiency, the roots of the plant having at this stage lost almost all capacity of assimilation of this element. If the nitrogen reserves of the plant are not sufficient for the stretch, it will yellow quickly once in flowering.
Good luck for your grow 😉
May the force be with you 💪
Another super busy week around my place so I’ll keep things short and sweet...
Plant A- the tallest at 43" and the yellowing leaves have slowed down considerably. I did top dress the medium again this past week with another 4 tablespoons of Gaia Green Fertilizer at a 50/50 ratio of all purpose to bloom. She’s drinking 1.5-2 litres per day but I’m still watering every second day for my own convenience. I also add the CalMag at 4 mls per gallon.
Plant B- the next in line at 32" tall and drinking 1.5 litres per day. She getting the CalMag at 4 mls per gallon as well.
Plants C & D- the young ones are coming along nicely but they are both about one week behind their older sisters. They were topped at the end of week 3 on day 21 and seem to be bouncing back as expected. They are both drinking 1 litre per day and I have added in the CalMag at a rate of 2 mls per gallon.
That’s about it for now, thanks for stopping by and happy growing!
No time for an update this week so here’s the basics... A few yellowing fan leaves here and there on the older two plants but they are both flowering beautifully! Some weird yellowing around the tip/outer edges of the new growth on one of the younger plants but otherwise healthy. They’ve both responded well to the topping last week and are currently being LST’d to allow for better light penetration. Overall, everything is crowded but moving along nicely at the end of week 7 for the larger two plants and end of week 4 for the younger. See you next update, thx for checkin in and happy growing!
So things are truckin along for the 2 older plants as they finish out week 8 and 1 of the younger plants as she finishes out week 5. But the second of the 2 youngest plants (pics 8 & 9 featured above) is having a serious problem and I don’t know exactly what it is! The extreme yellowing started a few weeks ago with just the tips and outer edges of the upper most fan leaves and new growth. It is now spreading down the plant and the tips affected 1st are drying out, curling up and breaking off. She is also drinking very little water- so little that the top layer of soil is starting to grow some mold or mildew. Otherwise, she is still growing remarkably well, so I’m not quite sure what to do with her. It’s crowded in the tent and she’s taking up valuable space IF in the end she doesn’t end up producing much bud. But, if she pulls through... Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated regarding this issue. Thanx for checking out my grow and I’ll post again at the end of week 9. Merry Christmas to everyone at and on Grow Diaries. 😇
Yellowing on leaves, affecting top of plant first and working it’s way down. She’s hardly drinking any water but still doing her best to keep growing. Not sure if this is a deficiency or what, never seen this before. Any thoughts/advice is greatly appreciated- thx and merry xmas!
hey there Mom, sorry i'm seeing this late ! so yeah the way the yellowing is starting on the serrated edges of the leafs and working it's way inwards is a magnesium deficiency symptom probably due to the heavy light schedule. You kinda want to dial the lights back during this stage of flower (sort of mimicking nature's shortening day) , terps and THC get zapped by the light and most of it will be produced during dark hours - so it's not a bad idea to give more dark hours. What else helps is giving pH 6 water instead of 6.5, the soil will buffer it to 6.5 anyway and the lower pH helps with the micro nutrients. Hope this helps ! 🚀
All is well in the tent as we head towards a Christmas harvest for the older 2 plants. The younger 2 plants are steadily stretching as they transition into full flower. Merry Christmas everyone!
Apologies for the 3 week delay in updating the diary but xmas/new years was busy this year. So, the first 2- the largest/oldest plants were harvested at the very beginning of week 12 (day 84) and the younger 2 plants continue on in the tent until their own upcoming harvest. I will do a comprehensive grow/smoke review when all 4 plants are complete. I will say however that I am very happy with the quality/yield from the first 2 plants and I will definitely grow this strain again. See ya next week!
I love Fast Buds Green Crack... and so do all of my friends! I have given away so much of this harvest already and it’s not even finished curing. These 4 plants were nothing short of perfect throughout the majority of this grow. Topped at 2-3 weeks, this strain will produce many branches with tight inter-nodal spacing. Buds will grow together to form beautiful, tight colas on every branch if enough light is applied to the plant’s canopy. The smell of this strain when harvesting is 100% pure pink grapefruit and remains solid throughout the cure. The buds trim up easily as there is a low leaf to bud ratio in the buds themselves (hardly any sugar leaves) and they are quite dense and tight. Lots of resin with the Green Crack, probably a good strain for those seeking to make rosin, etc. The high from this Cannabis is truly worthy of it’s name and reputation. It’s a strong smoke with the best characteristics of both a Sativa and an Indica for your enjoyment- Hitting hard and fast without the racing heart rate and the "I’m going green, need to lie down" effect. The flavour is reminiscent of the old school "hydroponic" herb that first became popular in the late 80’s early 90’s. It’s a full bodied taste with hints of pine and citrus- really smooth in either a joint or vape. My hubby is a long time smoker with quite a high tolerance to THC and he wanted a strain that would truly get him high again. The Green Crack has succeeded in achieving this task and then some so I wouldn’t recommend this strain for newbie’s or novice smokers. Definitely more of an evening/weekend smoke and an absolute favorite that I will grow over and over again! These 4 plants yielded over a pound of the best quality cannabis that I have ever grown and that’s why the Fast Buds Green Crack scores a perfect 10/10 stars for me.
Sorry for the long delay and here goes... Plants A & B were harvested just after xmas and plants C & D were left in the tent to finish out for an additional 4 weeks. After the month I harvested C & D and they are currently about two weeks into cure. The total were as follows: Plant A yielded 106 grams dry, Plant B yielded 207 grams dry, Plant C yielded 130 grams dry and Plant D yielded 60 grams dry. For a grand total of 503 grams of dry, uncured beautiful bud! Or 1 pound + 2 ounces of the best bud i’ve ever grown! All in all, Fast Buds Green Crack is a real winner because it’s a strong, vigorous strain that responds extremely well to topping. This produces a large but manageable plant with many branches and tight internodal spacing. The ample buds grow together to form thick, tight, heavy colas that will sag or break with weight towards the end of harvest. Large yields of cannabis that reek of pink grapefruit and are coated with a frosty layer of golden resin are the reward for only 12 weeks of work. I think this strain would be very successful for newbie growers but not so much for newbie smokers although everyone I’ve shared this with so far is an instant fan for life! I am thrilled with every aspect of this grow and look forward to growing the Green Crack again.
I think your plants look great. With the amount of top growth you have I'm not surprised she was stealing some nitrogen from the lower leaves. It's not unusual to lose a few of the oldest lower fan leaves by this point of the grow. Since you just fed her I would give her a bit of time before adding more nutrients unless the leaf yellowing starts to move up higher in the plant or if the stems of the leaves start to turn red higher up. I do agree with lowering your ph into the 5.8 to 6.3 range it would be better for nutrient absorption.
@Momgrowsthechronic,Awesome!!! also very excited wit your commend because today I just got my second lamp yeiiiiii. What height did you use in both stages?
@bungolio, I swear by my Electric Sky made by The Green Sunshine Company! I have recently been fortunate enough to add a second ES 180 to my 3x3 tent and the plants are loving it. I am on track to have one of the largest plants with the most bud on a single plant that I have ever grown! The true wideband spectrum of light that these fixtures offer is perfect for Cannabis from seedling to veg right thru flower. I couldn’t be happier, thank you Dan at GSC- this grow is just for you!
What size of pots are you using? I'm wondering if it's root bound. I have this problem this summer... my pots were 10gal but at some point the roots were bound. My plants looked about as big as ours... you can look at my Purple Kush Outdoor grow to compare... not sure if it will be helpful, ya never know.
@Fast_Buds, I’d love to become one of your testers for those new fast flowering strains you’re introducing to the market. Do you ship to Canada or is it exclusive to the EU? Thanks so much!
Oh baby is that a massive beast if a plant! Fantastic work! So many lovely buds. Congrats. Keep doing what your doing and best of luck with the rest the grow.
I'm following closely. I have some FB Blue Dreamatic and Pineapple Express in my refrigerator. I hear they can get pretty large and I was contemplating about trying to FIM them when I grow them. May have to top them if they take off with growth like you have.
Momgrowsthechronic
