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3/10-3/13
Hello again to all!!
This week will be be used for blending and pre-watering soil in preparation for the start of the spring 2021 grow. I still lack about 5-7 days of finishing off the last plant of my winter grow, then a day to clean and sanitize the growing space. This go round will be switching to all Autflowering strains. The idea being about a 4 week faster turnover, and keeping the plants a bit shorter without having to employ the scrog method, which I find to be more labor intensive than I prefer. Being an older guy with ever increasing difficulty with working on the floor, I like taking the girls out of the tent a couple times a week and placing them on a table so I can sit with them at a comfortable level to work with them. This grow will be 3 different varieties, but each will be chronicled in their own individual diary....
I modified my soil blend just a little for this grow. I had some pH issues with both of my last 2 cycles. The first time I blamed it on lower seasonal water levels where our municipal water is drawn from causing it to run higher pH, and I had been blending dechlorinated tap water with purified by rev osmosis bottled water at 50/50. So this last run was given nothing but the bottled water (pH of 5.9), and the pH problem persisted. Soil pH after water/feeding was right at 6.4-6.6, but by the time for next watering it had consistently rebounded to 7.0. To me this indicated the water wasn't the issue since the rise in pH appeared to be time released as the soil moisture was being depleted. In the past I had always used 20% vermiculite in my soil blend, but the last 2 runs it wasn't anywhere to be found locally so I substituted perlite instead. So a little research shows that perlite is slightly alkaline where vermiculite runs neutral or even a tiny bit acidotic. So this time I'll buy the vermiculite and make a 50/50 blend of the 2 and use that mix into my typical soil blend.
The strains we'll be growing this time will be Gorilla Glue Auto, Tangie Dream Auto, and Northern Lights Auto, all from Growers Choice.
3/21 sprouted and enjoying the artificial sun.
3/21-3/27
3/21 emerged overnight.
3/25 This little girl seems to be stretching for light. It has a long stem and small first set of leaves. Beginning to show 2nd set. Will add another "lift" to under the container early next week if it still seems to be struggling for light. All that being said I'm unsure of why it would be reaching like this.
The seedling in the container right next to it isn't doing this and every variable except the seed itself is identical. I am only running the "veg side" of my lights for the first 2 weeks and I guess it could just be a strain specific need for more light than the others in the tent.
3/28-4/3
3/28 Lowered lights to 20 inch above the seedlings and she seems to have stopped reaching. Plan to start turning on the bloom switch on the lights for 4 hours a day this week to provide an additional boost of light intensity
4/3 Not much to report. Growing about as expected. Will begin introducing 1/4 strength nutrients over the next week.
4/4-4/10
4/4 This little plant still has an overall less than impressive look to it. Plan is to introduce nutrients at 1/4-1/2 strength this week, one feeding a week, and adjusting the soil pH down closer to 6.2.
4/9 She's starting to come along a bit better now. Had to raise lights about 5 inches today to get back to 20 inch hang height above top. Fed twice this week, soil still only showing 1 on the fertility meter. Nutrient solution was mixed at above rate, then diluted to 1/2 strength for application. Will begin LST at start of next week.
4/10 All in all I'd say this was a reasonably productive week. Not exactly explosive growth, but she's starting to take off.
4/11-4/17
4/13 Starting to notice a little bit of odor when the tent is first opened. Still working to get soil pH levels down. Adjusting my nutrient solution to 5.6, but after feeding soil still marks 7.0. Reading confirmed with use of second meter. Will adjust solution pH to 4.8 on next feeding. Everything else is looking good and going as expected so far. The above volumes of nutrients represent 1/2 strength feedings, applied 2 weekly with just purified water in between applications.
4/18-4/24
4/18 Plant has looked very droopy the last 2 days, guessing from overwatering. They've recovered nicely as of today but will cut back on the volume being given with each feeding/watering
4/24 Closing out the last week of veg. This girl is transitioning into flower, (could actually say it's in flower as of 4/20) but we'll start counting the first week of flower on next weeks entries. Still being very finicky as far as nutrient and water levels, but satisfied with the growth rate.
4/25-5-1
4/25-- Week 1 of flower. Its been a constant struggle keeping this plant happy. One day its all perky and looking good, next day its all droopy and looks over/under watered. pH has been a constant issue with this one too. It seems to not like where I've always run my other plants. After much mixing, blending, and testing I finally have it stabilized at 6.6%. It had grown to be about 12 inches below the lights, and I like to run about 12-14 inches during flower, but thinking its droopiness could be a light stress, (stressed but not burned) I went ahead and set it back to 18 Inches. My fertilizer meter read 0 before watering today, so I went ahead and fed @ 1/4 strength, and it tested 5 after feeding. Provided 1 full gallon which is double what I normally give for a 3 gal container. Also defoliated some of the larger fan leaves and cleaned out the underside a little. This girl is easily the most finicky plant I've raised thus far...hope it's worth it in the end.
4/28--Now that we've got the pH dialed in, and the watering/feeding schedule customized for this plant, she has rebounded very nicely. Today she's at 19 inches tall, which is 4 inches of vertical growth in 3 days, so right on target The above nutrient ratio was mixed as listed, then diluted to 1/2 strength, and the pH adjusted to 5.4. Soil pH before feeding tested at 7.0, and after feeding at 6.6. Fert meter showed 0 before, and 5 after feeding.
5/2-5/8
5/2--Not much going on with this one. Still having some nice vertical growth, has just about caught up to the Tangerine Dream in height. Bumped strength of nutrients up to 3/4 strength according to GHE feeding chart.
5/4--this one added another 4 inches of vertical growth in 3 days. Lights now at the absolute maximum hang height. Will be removing the platform she sits on to gain another 6 inches of room to grow. Definitely time for a taller tent. Still feeding column 8 at 3/4 strength, and my meter shows zero prior to feeding, 5 after. So she's using all I'm giving her without chem stress. Probably will go to full strength next week.
5/7-- This one has gained a total of 9 inches in 6 days. Removed the platform from under it. If she gains much more in the next several days will be bending the taller branches over. Both this one and the Northern Lights would have been good candidates for a "scrog" even though they're auto's.
5/9-5/15
5/9--Made an adjustment to lighting schedule on 5/7 and awakened at 0330 today to discover lights still on. Apparently forgot to enable the "off Time" on the timer, so they've been running 24 hours a day x 2 days. Turned them off manually and reset everything this morning. Still having noticeable drooping in the mornings 2 days after feeding, but as the tent warms back to the mid 70's they recover well. Not exactly sure if this is actually due to the temp, or if its a feed/water over/under issue. The Skunk auto flower in the same tent doesn't seem to be suffering like her 2 older sisters, but its on a completely different feed/water schedule, which makes me want to say the problem is therefore related to one of those 2 variables. I know this run has been pretty labor intensive trying to figure out the various issues that I haven't had to deal with on previous grows. Had to bend the main stem over and tie down to allow room.
5/14--Ok today we're back to a healthy robust appearance. Really starting to lean towards the plant being root bound as the cause of all the issues. Currently trying to water more often with less water, and cutting feedings back to 1/3 strength with pH being adjusted to 6.7 before application.
5/16-5/22
5/16--moved to column 10 on GHE custom feed chart. Mixed as listed above then diluted to 1/2 strength, pH adjusted to 5.3 pre-application.
5/20--moved to column 11 and fed at full strength, chased with 16 oz purified water. Had to bend over another 4 branches as they had made it to within 9 inches of lights. Did some minor lower defoliation today as well.
5/23-5/29
5/25--This week will be feeding only F.F Cultivation Nation Bloom and molasses. Well into late flower fade
5/28-- did a pretty extensive defoliation today. Also according to the meter the soil was depleted, and also likely partially "locked out" with pH @ 7.2. Gave it a good drink (32 oz)of purified water adjusted to 6.5 pH, fed with week 12 from GHE chart at 1/2 strength, with pH adjusted to 4.9, then another 24 oz [email protected]. Follow up test at 2 hours post treating resulted in 6.4 soil pH. Gonna have to watch this one a little closer. Note to self, tangie dream, skunk, and northern lights aren't ideal tent mates.
5/31-6/6
5/31--Pulled all 3 plants out of the tent today and spent some quality time. Soil pH on this one is creeping back up again, right at 6.8 today. Still had good moisture level, (5 of 10 on meter) and could still feel the weight. Gave the fabric pot a good squeezing all around to loosen the soil and free up the roots a little. She does seem to be responding to the extra love over the last week. Smell is starting to overpower the tangie dream in the tent.
6/6-6/12
6/6-- This one is starting to slow down on water/nutrient consumption. Moisture meter reads 5.5 on a 0-10 scale, and still reads 3 on the soil fertility meter. Will withhold water another day or 2, and if still showing residual fertilizer will be given only water for at least this week. The buds are finally starting to bulk up some. I'm guessing about 3 weeks left. She sure looks sad, this one and her tangie dream roommate have faded far more than anything I've grown before.
6/12-- will be getting the first flush (5gal) tomorrow morning.
6/13-6/19
6/14--6 gal flush with blended de-chlorinated tap water and purified water pH adjusted to 6.6
6/17-- removed all remaining fan leaves leaving only the sugar leaves, and moved into darkroom
This was a difficult grow. The plant constantly required tending and never was healthy looking during flower. I believe the main issue was being root bound in the 3 gal pot. Next grow with this strain I'll try
Thanks to all who followed and liked. Will come back and update dry bud weight in a week or so. Please check out and like my other journals, and we'll see everyone on the next run!!!
@MicroKronic, Thanks man!! glad it was of some help. I feel like I've just "phoned this one in"...havent really put as much info in the online version as i usually do. Its been a challenging strain to grow, hope it's worth it in the end.
Great result man! Tents are not always good as it needs a lot of air, some space in the last weeks with allow the buds to be dryer and the plant to thrive. You are right about twisting moving pressing on the roots, unless they have plenty of space it helps the plant to feel better. Be patient now...
pizzaman841
