Going Dutch

Through week 6 of flower which means we’ve got about 3 weeks before the finish. Sadly, the last week has been one of ill timed misfortune. After bumping the calmag to offset a deficiency with the lemon haze we created an entirely new problem of burn and lockout across the rest of them. If that wasn’t problematic enough, our tds meter also shit the bed at some point too. As a result, getting a clear picture of the levels in the res. Hasn’t been possible and we’re struck being reactive based on what the plant leaves are showing. Results: Lemon Haze: we definitely solved the calmag issue.... at the expense of the health of the other 3 plants. She’s looking better than she ever has and expect she’ll finish out well. Small though. I’m left to wonder if the calmag issue is more a strain stability issue. No plant should ever need this much calmag supplementation. Cherry Bomb: she’s suffered from stunted seedling growth, deformities as well as light burn. With the added calmag she’s showing cal toxicity in the top leaves and a little burn. Rest of the plant appears fine. Cheese: this one locked out pretty heavy. When we saw it start to advance on the leaf tips we ran a flush on the system for about 48 hours. Her larger fans took the brunt of it and I think we caught it in time but no way to know until the finish at this point. Gorilla Cookies: what a champ - a little bit of calmag toxicity like the cherry Bomb but nothing overly concerning from a development perspective. She’s a bit of a wonky donkey in terms of structure and not really similar to other phenos I’ve seen on here. We know not to judge though - she looks an awful lot like a ducks-footed sugar breath we grew out last year that was absolute 🔥. 🤞she lives up to the comparison. They’re on a significantly reduced nute ratio right now and hopefully, we haven’t done any lasting damage prior to harvest. Other issue is how well the system has worked - the main cola on the cheese has predictably began to foxtail and it may get pretty bad by the end of the cycle. Either way, guess these issues should be expected when ur running a new system. In my haste to find a ratio sweet spot I overdid it. At least we know the ceilings now as well as the potential variability across multiple strains feeding from the same res. Fingers crossed it’s not a complete dud of a grow🤞. We really didn’t need a lockout issue on this run😒. Background/Repetitive Nonsense The strain line up on this grow is look’n quite saucy 😈. We’ve got 2 FB strains this time around - Gorilla Cookies (seems we always have some GSC cross in the works). Mainly because the colours look stellar and remind me of a sugar breathe we did last year that was 🔥. The other FB is their original Cheese strain... because we already smoked all our cheese... and we really like our cheese...😉. Emerald triangle was kind enough to include a freebie of Lemon Haze. Wasn’t really big on the list but we haven’t done a haze strain to write home about yet so worth a go👍. The last is a Cherry auto from Bomb seeds that we’ve been trying to get to for months. Let’s just hope that she’s not a dud like the last bean. The new digs for this run are courtesy MarsHydro👊. Their 2x4 single grow tent, paired with a shiny new 240w QB courtesy ViparSpectra. These folks were kind enough to discuss a collaboration and as a result, here we are to test out the gear with an inaugural run of autos. Each week, we’ll try to expand on some of the benefits of each, as well as any limiting factors or considerations that need attention when pondering purchase. Already I can say that both are high quality products in terms of overall craftsmanship. MarsHydro 2x4 Grow Tent: Excellent construction in terms of durability. Reinforced stitching on the zippers and corners ensures zero tearing. Conveniently placed screen vents and intake/exhaust ports. The ceiling exhaust port only exists on the right side. Perfect for me but not great if you’re running exhaust from the top on the left side (left side wall port makes up for this however). The aluminum frame is rigid enough to support the weight of the lights and accessories. Once you have some weight in the tent, she’s go’n nowhere and you can assemble and break it down in record time if moving or stashing the grow op. Only limiting factors I’ve noticed is that temp. Control will be an issue for a tent. It just doesn’t have the same insulating ability as a wood cabinet or other permanent enclosed space. No worries, this is offset by a small desktop heater and keeps the environment exactly where desired. The other issue was a production problem - the ceiling vent was accidentally stitched into the corner seams on the assembly line. Again, no real issue - just pulled it out with no damage or fraying to the tent or port👍. Website link here: https://www.mars-hydro.com/grow-tent/buy-mars-hydro-grow-tent-24x48x70-2-x-4-cabinet-closet-grow-box-upgraded-diamond-1680d-mylar-for-sale ViparSpectra 240w Quantum Board: This thing is sleek and slick in terms of design. Closest comparable to it that I’ve seen would be spiderfarmers line of qbs. They feature the same top-o-the-line components and roughly similar spectrums. Where VS takes the advantage is in the convenience of the dimmer nob which is easily accessible and works great at 50% with no strobing👍. The heat sink is also larger which contributes to lower temps. That’s not a good thing in my case but beneficial for most folks. I can already say that this will be a great fixture through all stages of growth. Where I know this light will excel will be in the veg. Stage for sure. Dimming function gives seedlings a much better chance of success with the ability to use lower lighting levels early on and the coverage area on a 240w is great. The average grower will find this panel suitable and fitting to their needs in a 2x4 grow space although I’d suggest 2 units if going any larger than that. The total output in this space equates to about 30w/sq.ft. Which is a decent amount of coverage based on power vs. Growprint. Ideal for veg. Certainly but, in flower - I tend to run closer to 50-60w/sq.ft to achieve higher yields. Again, similar fixtures have performed admirably in the past and while this wouldn’t be considered an “entry-level” fixture, I’d recommend that any grower new to the game not skimp on lighting and start with one of these. The price points are a great value for quality LED tech. These days, so there’s little reason to even consider a lesser fixture👍. I have no detail on limiting factors for this light as yet but have heard that stock branded fixtures don’t necessarily incorporate enough red diodes. I’ve seen no issue myself but confess - I’m no lighting guru. Website link: https://www.viparspectra.com/collections/xs-series/products/xs-series-xs2000 ***8% discount when using code: “ItBudWhisper”*** Happy to have you along for the ride if you made it this far through my opening rant!!😎🤟😎🤟😎