First grow Special kush #1 / white widow grow journal

[DankwingDuck]

Grow journal SK#1 / WW 18/6 veg grow specs in Signature

seed germination started 4/24/2018 2x SK#1 1x WW
All seeds germinate by the evening of the 25th , looked healthy and thick tap roots .

4/26/2018: germinated seeds planted in 1x1 rockwool cubes and placed in humidity dome

4/27/2018 seeds sprouted from rookwool and appeared to be healthy ,I removed them from the dome and placed them into my net pots and placed them into DWC . Water is only an inch or two deep to soak the air stones . Watering as needing via spray bottle with 5.8ph water no nutes . 2 of the shells still remained on the sprouts so I attempted to gentally remove them ( this may not have been the best idea as I feel it may have contributed to events below )

4/28/2018 one of my special kush seeds and my white widow ( ones I removed shell from ) are layed over and seem to be dying . In my attempt to remove the shells I believe I damaged the tiny fragile seedlings .

4/29/2018 both seedlings have begone to shrivel. I have removed them from my grow tent ( lesson learned ) other SK#1 is very small but healthy.

4/30/2018 - 5/2/2018 remaining seedling seems healthy and happy and has sprouted its first set of true leaves on the 30th. has doubled in height bringing it to a whooping 1 in tall. It’s color is good and is standing strong nice an short. leaves are tiny still on the 2nd but seems to be doing very well . Have watered with spray bottle with 5.8 ph water till now and the afternoon of the 2nd I filled the dwc with 5.8 ph water and 1/4 str nutes . I got a lot of different answers about when I should start my nutes. So I went with the sooner response . After killing 2 seedlings already what’s the worst that could happen . XD
Planted another WW and SK#1 directly into the rockwool no pre-germination this time , placed in humidity dome to germinate. From here on I will refer to older seedling as SK#1.1 and the new seed as SK#1.2
i had some issues with humidity and temp control but after a few changes in my venting and adding a window ac to the room I have stabilized the temp on the 1st at a nice 68-72 degrees and 40%-50% RH using a bowl of water and a fan (pic below)
im allowing the temp to rise to 77-78 degrees during the 6 hr dark period as i read that a slightly higher temp at night will make your plant grow short and bushy.

5/3/2018 . Seedling looks very healthy and has started to sprout what appears to be a 2nd node . I guess we will see over the next few days. the adding of the nutes seem to have no negitive effect on the tiny plant .
After taking a peek into the rockwool the WW and SK#1.2 have poped and taproot is visible .

[Chefbjy]

Nice set up you got. You may want to bring temps higher for veg. Just a thought. According to DrPhoton photosynthesis occurs at 75f- 86f. This will largely effect how your plants grow. Vegging plants love high humidity and can withstand higher temps. But I'll bet you'll do great regardless. I'm subbed.

[DankwingDuck]

I may play with the temp some more . It sits at 72 most of the time . I’m sure I can get 3 degrees by lowering the ac setting on notch. Ty for the advice . I had to add the ac because I was spiking 90-95 and that seemed a little high . But I am awear that in the hydro it can thrive at a higher temp . The ac just help kee the humidity up as well so I don’t wanna remove to much of that cool moist air .

[Campesino]

Just want to point out that A/C dries the air - removes humidity (doesn't help keep it up)

[DankwingDuck]

Maybe my understanding if off . I thought cooler air held more moisture. Either way the temp is in check and humidity sits nicely at 45ish . I’m working on getting it higher but as a single parent of 4 I can only invest so much at a time . Priorities you know .

[Campesino]

Subbed. Look forward to your grow!

[Cannabliss]

Looks like the White Widow strain is becoming quite popular lol. I've seen a few others on this site, including myself, growing Ww as well. You're off to a good start DankwingDuck. Happy growing!

[DankwingDuck]

What do you think about it as a grower. Level of difficulty. Any problems that you had with it? How large did it get ( I know training and veg time plays a big role in size) just your general opinion about it . White widow looks so pretty . It’s hard to resist .

[Cannabliss]

I agree that Ww looks very pretty. Almost makes you want to put it out on the dining room table as a decoration haha. As far as level of difficulty goes, if you have the proper growing environment, she's pretty easy to grow. Not too fussy. I would go as far as say that it's a great strain for beginners. My only issue was an early Cal-Mag deficiency, which was my fault. I normally use R.O. water with a starting PPM of 4. I ran out of Cal-Mag and thought it'll be ok this feeding. Wrong! She loves her Cal-Mag lol She recovered and I'm currently 2 weeks into the flowering stretch. I never grew the Ww before, so I have yet to see how big she can get.

[DankwingDuck]

Keep me posted if you have a journal I’ll sub would like to see the end results . And good to know on the cal mag . I just started my nutes . Mine won’t have any problems hopefully . But human error is a big factor as you already experienced . But I have high hopes . This is really a learning experience for me so if they make it to harvest I’ll be a happy guy , regardless of yield .

[Campesino]

You've got the right goals and attitude and you have joined a great community who will all be happy to help you get to a successful harvest!

[DankwingDuck]

5/4/2018 - SK#1.1 :
ph 5.6
ppm flora trio Calimagic flora blend rapid start h2o2 - ppms seem higher then should be and increased by 50 ppm each day since I added them . I’m going to assume this means my plant is drinking more water then it is eating the nutes which is increasing the ppm and the ratio changes . Chart recommendation puts the ppm at 400 I added cal mag and rapid start ph down and h2o2 to the chart nutes which I believe would all push that number up and ppm was 700. Ppm is now sitting closer to 900 I will likely change water after work just to be safe . I’m hoping that this is the reason for the brownish tint on the largest root ( staining from the nutes and not the possibleity of root rot already ) I have horrible luck so I’m just going to stay positive till there is a real issue .

WW/SK#1.2 sprouts seem to be sitting just below the surface of the rockwool . I expect them to emerge by tomorrow night

SK#1.1 moved to pot with only ro water to avoid further damage to root system will keep it here for a day or 2 and then transition it slowly back into nute . All and all it seems healthy despite the minor set back maybe I’ll get lucky and stunt it’s growth for a day or so to allow my new sprouts to catch up .

[Campesino]

Yes, those PPM numbers are too high.
You should stay withing the max range for stage of growth. You need to count everything that you add, and it all counts against your PPM budget, especially, Cal Mag, which raises EC/PPM a lot! PPM 400 sounds right, 900 will do all sorts of bad things... Literally suck water out of your plants' roots! At least at this young stage. They may be able to handle 900 later...

[Campesino]

FWIW, my PPM target when plants are that small is 175 increasing to 450 after a week. Drop it quickly to get in range, but always increase PPM slowly.

[DankwingDuck]

Ok so how do I ajust to add cal mag in or can I forgo it for now and just run the base even tho I’m running 1ppm ro water

[Campesino]

PPMs will rise due to evaporation and transpiration. It is not a sign that your plant is not taking in nutrition, for the most part plants, exchange ions with the nutrient solution and that has no impact on PPM. The loss of water due to transpiration and evaporation is why the PPM numbers climb.
Yes, I use and love RapidStart (damn funky stuff). But it counts against your PPM budget. You cannot just add it in addition because that will get your overall PPM to spike. When PPM (really EC, but PPM is basically the same thing) is too high, plants cannot draw in water through osmosis. This has nothing to do with nutrition, just the ability of the plant to drink. Everything you add to the water is basically salt. If you make the water too salty the plant cannot absorb water through osmosis. Nutrients are absorbed separately, primarily through diffusion.

[Campesino]

Yes, just mix a gallon or two according to your recipe, with Cal MAg and everything... and then dilute with additional RO water to achieve PPM target.

[DankwingDuck]

Great advice thank you

[Cannabliss]

I have to agree with Campesino that those PPM's are too high for such an infant plant. Seeds naturally contain enough food for the plant to last a week or two after sprouting without giving them anything, but water. When my beans sprouted, I fed them nothing but R.O. water the first week. Second week (and after I saw some baby roots sticking out of the rockwool) R.O. water and a tad of base nutrients mix with some Roots Excellurator Silver for Hydro (or whichever root stimulator you choose). After the 2nd week the real feeding started and even then it was only 140 PPM. You always want to start off with a low PPM and work your way up 50, 100 PPM's at a time. They're infants and you want to feed them a Mcdonalds Super Size meal lol. I'm not sure how much your nute bottle is telling you to feed your little girls, but you need to only feed them a fraction of what they're saying. If they say feed 4mL a Gallon, feed something like 1/2 a mL and check the PPM and add a tiny bit more as needed to reach umm 20 PPM? lol Seriously my friend, they're too small to be feeding them 850+ PPM. Flush and start a fresh batch of maybe 20-30 PPM. I'd do it quick before they start getting nute burn. Also, make sure those HPS lights are not too close to the plants either. Hope that helps my friend.

[DankwingDuck]

I was only giving them a 1/4 dose of what the bottle said and my lights are 41/2 almost 5 foot away , I could take another 6 inch’s if I pulled the light all the way to the top top but then I’ll have to add a piece of duct to hook my fan back to the light as I have it lighted up with it rn . But I think the 4-5 foot is good . It hasn’t seemed it cause a problem yet. .. the light green look to the top has started to darken back up already as well if you comepare the photo from just now to the one taken just a few hours ago . So I think I got it before any real damage happened . . And In the back of my mind I knew those nutes Where to high I guess I just needed someone to reassure me . I kept testing it over and over lol . Maybe trust my gut in the future.

I’ll post photos at the bottom I can’t add them to comment

[DankwingDuck]

It’s already in ro water now . I had the other bucket already made up and forgot about it so my gf moved it over about 30 mins ago . The hold point of this journal was because I knew I would mess something up and have the info here already for advice for advise . I also only planted a few because I figured I would mess a few up before I got it right . live learn . The plant really looks fine I think it will be ok . I noticed the new roots too . I have some more germinated already and will continue the process until I get it correct . I have at least 20 more chances before I have to order more seeds . I’m not really worried to much . I’m just happy to have the info and advice available to me . Thank you guys very much fo getting involved and helping me out .

[Cannabliss]

Anytime my friend. I hope I didn't comer off as too aggressive or anything. I just want to give out good info instead of just telling you that all is well and to keep going. That's of no help to you lol. Trust me, I've had plenty of plants get sick on me and even die on me, but I learned a gang of things from all those "mistakes". Sometimes I even repeat the same rookie mistakes cause I'm human haha. But seriously, we're all on here to learn/share, including me. All I do is DWC, so I'll be following along and maybe I too will learn a few things.

[DankwingDuck]

No you guys are great I appreciate it . And I post a lot I think and you guys answer every time so that makes me happy cause I feel like I’m bothersome with all the questions . I don’t have a lot of marijuana experience and the little that I do was in soil . So I welcome any info I’m given and I consider every mistake a learning experience. Before today I didn’t know the nutes could be that high with all that stuff I just figured the 400 on the chart was only that low because the calimag and rapid were not included for that week posted the chart I’m referring to in the first post of journal . In the future I won’t make that mistake again . I really feel like I have learned something new everyday since I joined this forum so feel free to add advise when ever and if I’m doing something bad let me know . That’s why I’m here.

[Campesino]

I think that's why we're all here. Nobody starts as an expert and I think we all want to get better!
I don't think anyone here gets annoyed with new growers asking real questions- even lots of them - if the attitude is just really that you want to learn! You should never worry about asking questions!

[DankwingDuck]

5/4/2018 Photo update after fixing earlier issues ppm ph (both tests cause I’m neurotic ) also upped the temp a little it’s sitting 81 with the tent sealed up and 75 with it wide open . 60 on the humidity sealed up and high 40s when open . I think these number put me more in the ideal range I need . Would like to push humidity a little higher but it’s a work in progress.

[Chefbjy]

I see I just use the drops. Serves its purpose and just as accurate as the pen and never faulty. To get within the .1s not so much but it's always good to let your ph fluctuate in soil. Not sure if it's the same in hydro. I always study the guides and re-read them from time to time. I'm still learning new things everyday. Even some of the people I know that have been growing for years don't have some of the knowledge I picked up here on gwe. Good luck and happy growing!

[Campesino]

When you get the calibration fluid, store your meter in it. Just up to immersion level - in a jar or something. That will keep it accurate longer and won't have to recalibrate as frequently.

[Cannabliss]

Those PPM's (400's) are still pretty high. Try to feed her lower doses of whatever nutrients you are giving her. Try to at least bring it down to 80-100 PPM.

By the way, what temps are you maintaining in the nutrient reservoir? You want to make sure they do not go over 70 degrees F. Doing so can bring root issues. I try to keep mines between 60-65.

[DankwingDuck]

I had this calibration power that came with it but when I used it and then compared it to the drop tester it was way off

[DankwingDuck]

When I say simple I mean simple to check and adjust

[D.A.A.S.69]

If you can afford it get a BlueLabs, ph,pen.
Those little cheap ones on Amazon for 15-20bucks, work ok sometimes, but some don't last long.
The BlueLabs pens have got warranties. And are worth every penny, they are extremely accurate. You sound like you got it figured out, so good luck. and HappyGrowing

[DankwingDuck]

No but I’ll have to check it out ty for the advice

I’m far from having it figured out yet but I’m getting there.

[Cannabliss]

I never used powders for calibrating my meters. I bought a 7.0 pH Calibration solution at my hydro store. Just dip your probe into the solution and calibrate it to 7.0. I do that once a week with my pH meter. For my PPM meter I bought a 1000 PPM calibrating solution and calibrate it once a month. Always calibrate your meters, always.That yellow pH meter you have looks very similar to the one I have. I bought mine on Amazon like 6 years ago, and yes, it's still working perfectly for me. I just make sure that the probe is always dipped in R.O. water. It was one of those cheap $15-$20 meter combos that came with both pH and PPM meters. The PPM meter unfortunately malfunctioned due to me accidentally dropping it into my reservoir lol. So I bought me a fairly good PPM meter at my hydro shop for about $30. Works like a charm. Just saying that you don't necessarily need to purchase those expensive meters from bluelab. Yes, they're very reliable and last a while, but so can a cheap one if you take good care of it and always keep the probe tips dipped in special solution or just plain R.O. water. Don't let the probes dry out. Those strips are ok, but time-consuming. Just sharing my personal experience with meters.

[DankwingDuck]

Oh for sure . Listen my first grow was in Florida dirt ( sand basically ) It was one plant in my closet. I just found it growing in one of my empty flower pots on my back porch ( where I smoked ) it was totally by chance . And I moved it to my closet. It had maybe an oz on it . It was so small maybe 20 inches total ( it was already in flower when I moved it . It was late in the year when I found it ) I spent maybe 30$ on some cfl lights and super cheap basic stuff like that and it only got tap water . But the cola on that thing was so dank . Taste was a little harsh but I was lit . If I got that from something that I put so little time and effort into that case from a bag seed I just tossed to the side . I can only imagine what the result of this effort will produce . The expense while high is worth it . And I have no doubt it will pay for itself in very little time . My 2nd grow was a little more planned out but still cfl and minimal expence and resulted in a few oz but still no where near the care and effort I’m attempting to put into this .Everything I have bought this time is going to be able to grow with me and incorporate it into my grow as it expanse . So at no point to I feel I’m wasteing any money . ( still hurts my brain though XD )

[Drekthar]

Dank... I'm pretty new to growing myself as I am currently on my first grow. One thing I keep reading in the forums and from my personal experience most growers seem to suggest getting away from the clear air line on your air pump as they suggest it allows light into the reservoir which typically means green algae.
I actually have a couple of tomato and pepper plants in a and have had the algae issue when using aerogarden water reservoir with clear tubing and also when using a air pump with clear tubing. Just a suggestion you might want to switch to black tubing or such..

[DankwingDuck]

Ty I’ll look into it