CaliforniaKid's Dark Harvest Grow Challenge

[Californiakid]

The condensed version :

1) 2 Dark Ghost Train, 1 Gorilla Cookies

2) My room is a room in a garage. 4'x4'x8'

3) 600w hps for the whole grow with led supplement during flower.

4) 1dgt and 1gc will be in roots organic over kind soil. Potted in qt container then 5gal
1dgt straight to 5gal roots over kind soil.

5) 5gal fabric pots (possibly switching to 7gal)

6) Kind soil has it all. I still feed the microbes teas.

7) My experience ?...I've been around gardening my whole life. I've grown cannabis a few times under the sun. And a few more under lights. But growing cannabis is in my blood. My family has been for generations. Now GWE is filling in the gaps. Really my participation here has upped my game big time.


I grow with the intention of growing the cleanest, most potent bud I can get. I'm in constant pursuit of safer more natural ways to improve my grow.

I grow for all around remedy. Which I know every bit of what went into it.

Originally this challenge was going to see what my 106w would produce compared to everyone else's big setups. Now this is a challenge to take my grow to the next level.

Thanks for organizing this, I love a challenge !

[Californiakid]

The soak.

[Californiakid]

All above ground !

GC has half of the helmet still on.

Here we go, off to the races ! Lol

[Californiakid]

Sorry about the poor picture quality.

[Chefbjy]

Yellow pictures are fine...lol you can put some clip on lights for pictures too. I like getting pics right after lights go out or right before they come on 😉.

[Redwasp]

Watching. Cant wait for the mass smoke session.

[Californiakid]

Cruising right along. This was last night after some tea.

[Californiakid]

Hung my veg light. 200w cfl over the seedlings.

Also put hps and cfl on timer set 20/4. The autos will finish up with a little less daylight, but these photos will develop healthier root system with some dark time.

[Chefbjy]

So do you give your autos 24/7 light? I've been letting mine get a little rest...do you normally give your auto seedlings a rest period too?

[Californiakid]

Chefbjy
I had my little led setup before, 24 hours for seedlings and autos. 20/4 vegging and 12/12 flowering photos. And the lower wattage made things run longer too, about 3-4weeks more.

Now I have 600w hps, 20/4 to finish the autos, while seedlings have a cfl over them in the same room on 20/4. I'm going to run photos for awhile .... 18/6 & 12/12

[Chefbjy]

I like autos but I enjoy growing photos much more... the training and structuring are one of my favorite parts of growing 😉.

[Californiakid]

Chefbjy
I have kids age 1-13 that want my time when I'm not at work. So autos are great for my schedule (do plant maintenance whenever ).

But photos are what we had when I started as a kid, and I love training em out to big ole monters. Maybe I'll try some cloning this run? Winter I have more time.

[Chefbjy]

I read about using willow as a rooting hormone.
Get a handful of willow twigs (any Salix species will do)
Cut them into pieces a few inches long.
Soak the twigs in a few inches of water for a day or two; then remove the twigs.
Use the willow water to soak cuttings in overnight, or to water flats of newly started cuttings, or to help transplants

[Californiakid]

Yes. I read that as well. And trimming willow trees as a kid I started a few willows by accident by not picking up all the pieces I cut.

I just started a willow from a nearly dry stick.

[Chefbjy]

Nice I'm definitely thinking of picking some up just to see if it helps... I have trouble cloning for some reason.

[Californiakid]

Seedlings got some sprouted corn tea today. So far growth has been similar to others. See if this gets em going.

[Californiakid]

It was hot and dry so I was watering accordingly. Then over night cooled off and humidity is 70-80% the seedlings are taking longer to dry out, allowing Chef to leave us in the dust ! 🤣😁 They slowed a tad, but I'm happy with them.

I don't run the most perfect grow. I'm not as consistent as I'd like to be. But nor is my work schedule. So with less attention than I like, we make do when I can.

Tea should've been ready for this morning but wont be until this evening 😴. I'm spraying a bit of water to moisten the soil for microbial life but not saturation.
Then some tea this evening.

[Chefbjy]

They're doing great!!! Are you using the hid? Think I'm going to pot up today and give them a couple more days with the cfls and the full spectrum before I turn the hid on 😉. I was looking at the size of my Skywalker auto and the root structure when I transplanted and think I should get on it lol. But yours look very happy.

[Californiakid]

Thanks Chefbjy
I do have my hps going over my autos that are finishing and my cfl going over the seedlings. The autos are on milk crates and the seedlings are a few inches off the ground.
Its about time to add the leds to the autos, but from what I've learned from DANGERDAN that wouldn't be best for the seedlings so no go on the leds. Need a veg room/area.

[Californiakid]

And so far the final pot is in the lead. Its all in how you water. 👍

[Californiakid]

But when I repot I will use mycos so we'll see if the rolls reverse.

Although the final pot will have had all this time to establish microbial root communities. So we shall see.

[Chefbjy]

That's why I'm cooking soil 😉. I have all kinds of microbes going on right now. I'm going to have to go to my worm farm and get some tea and a starter bin and get that brewer started 😆.

[oldjarhead100]

I think both of your grows are doing fantastic so happy this is a challenge and not a competition lol

[Californiakid]

Thank you @oldjarhead100
To me thats quite a statement from you. I have been watching your grows since before I was a member.

Hows your humidity battle going?

[oldjarhead100]

great now put a 30 pint in room that worked, I have to empty it twice a day but oh well lol

[Californiakid]

A group photo before transplant.

[Chefbjy]

Amazing!!! Looking great!!

[Californiakid]

Planted in 5gal fabric pots. Roots 707 over 5lbs kindsoil.
Heavy on the mycos directly on roots when transplanting. Followed with plain water.

If I were organized I would've had a tea brewed. But I'm not and I don't. 😂

Three photos should be about all this room can handle.

[oldjarhead100]

did you ever try and find those lifts on Amazon dam had to do like 5 searches before I got the name right plant elevators lol

[Californiakid]

oldjarhead100
When I can, I reuse instead of buying. I cut plastic milk crates down to a 2" riser.

[oldjarhead100]

milk crates what a great idea . I found a place that sell the 13 inch ones for 2.55 each so I have a bunch, I thought enough but apparently not lol,
me too if I think of a good idea I'll reuse stuff

[Californiakid]

No hiccups after transplant.

[RosettaStoned]

Beautiful