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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 soaking up the artificial sun
3/21-3/27
3/21 emerged overnight.
3/25 So far the winner of the pretty seedling contest in the tent. Nice thick, short stalk. Nice wide healthy leaves.
3/28-4/3
3/28 Doing well so far. 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.
4/4-4/4/10
4/4 I really am liking the structure and overall appearance of this one. Short and robust looking. We have worked our way up to running both switches (veg/bloom) on, for the full cycle of lights on time.
4/9 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 I'd call this week a success. This little girl added 1 inch of height just since yesterday!! Still struggling to get soil pH below 7.0. Water and nutrient solution is applied at a pH of 5.6, but the soil stays at a constant 7.0. Ill be really glad when I finish using up this perlite and switch back to vermiculite
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 of over 10 inches this week
4/25-5/1
4/25--Week 1 of flower. This plant, like her room mate of a different strain, has been a constant struggle but to a lesser degree. One day very healthy and thriving, 2 days later all droopy like it's over watered(leaves curling downward) and just lacking that robust look. Even though it's in the exact same medium, under the same lights, and being fed on the same schedule as the Northern Lights, the fertility meter read 3 this morning where her room mate read zero. pH has also been a struggle keeping it in the "just right" zone. She's been getting her feedings and waterings with pH adjusted to 4.9-5.0, but the soil has maintained a consistent 7.0 until this week and now have it stabilized at 6.4. I've already come to the conclusion that these 2 strains are so completely different I wont grow them together again. Prior to this grow, most of my runs have been almost completely hassle free, but this time around they're really testing my knowledge and making me work for it. As this girl still showed adequate nutrients when the soil was tested I skipped the feeding and just gave her 80oz of purified water with the pH adjusted to 6.4. I hope all the extra love pays off in the end.
4/28--The "stretch" on this plant is killer. Even Jack would be amazed at this beanstalk...lol. She's logged 5 1/2 inches of vertical growth in 3 days. Enough so that we had to bend her over, probably going to have to get creative in keeping it out of the lights for the remainder of this grow. This plant is now stabilized and thriving. Nutrient ratio listed above mixed as listed, then diluted to 1/2 strength and pH adjusted to 5.4 for application.
5/2-5/8
5/2--Vertical growth slowed down almost to a standstill which is good considering we are all but out of vertical room. No issues to report, flower in full swing now. Bumped strength of nutrients up to 3/4 strength from GHE feeding chart.
5/4--well I had thought we were about to be done stretching but apparently not. She's added another 3 inches of vertical growth in 3 days. Lights now at the absolute maximum hang height. If she continues to stretch Ill be bending more tops over. If that doesn't solve it I guess she'll have to finish outdoors. 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.
5/5--had to bend and tie down all the taller branches as they had grown to within 9 inches of the light. I think this gave me enough room to finish but it's going to be close.
5/7--recovered nicely from LST. Next week will be given a moderate defoliation, and from there its just feeding, maintenance and flushing.
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.
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. Starting to see some frost now!! Smells lovely.
5/23-5/29
5/25--this week will be feeding only molasses and cultivation nation bloom. Plant is well into the later flower "fade".
5/28--did pretty extensive defoliation today, and gave a healthy drink of just purified water adjusted to 6.5 pH.
5/31-6/6
5/31--Last day of the month. Really hard to believe this year is already almost half finished. Now that this plant is only a couple weeks from finishing, the nutrient and pH levels are easier to keep in range. This has been a really finicky plant, but it sure is making some tasty looking, and smelling, buds!
6/2--Checked trichomes today with microscope..(one of the best investments I've made to date)...calling it 80% milky 20% clear...and one or 2 amber...pistils are receding and dying off. I'm going to estimate 7-10 days left for this one!!
6/6-6/12
6/6-- This plant has all but completely quit using water, and the soil "fertility" meter still shows 4. The buds appear to be getting fatter, and showing some signs of natural foxtailing beginning. Most of the trichomes still cloudy/milky, a few still clear, and a few with amber heads scattered here and there. The plan was to give her a 6 gal flush today, but decided to hold off another day till soil dries out good from last feeding/watering, (moisture still reads 7 on a 0-10 scale). This plant has such a nice citrus smell to it, that really permeates the room when moving or working with the plant.
6/8--Flushed with 3 gallons of clear water. First 2 were 50/50 blend of de-chlorinated tap and purified with [email protected]. 3rd gal was 50/50 blend with pH adjusted to 6.6. Foxtailing getting much more pronounced, trichomes not much change, just a very few more amber but still quite a few clear. Gonna let this plant go until Friday, (3 more days) then plan to cut either Friday or Saturday.
6/12--checked trichomes again today, starting to see several amber heads on the riper buds. Into the dark for 48 hours then will cut her down.
pizzaman841
