HYDRO Critical cheese auto

[Budler]

Hi guys,

let me tell that this forum seems to be the best with a lot of positive energy so I’m happy to be a part of this amazing community.

I’m guessing 2-3 weeks left for these ladies. I had many problems during the grow, I had some root rot unfortunately and they are so hungry for calmag, even I fed them with extra cal mag I had calcium deficiencies (if it was calcium... looked like)

I’d like to get some opinions overall and some hint how long I need to be patient )))

i used an led at the start, mh/hps 600 since. They are on 24/7 because I tried to have like a 4 hours break but it increased my humidity too high so they didn’t sleep much during their life )) on the pictures you will see some droop only on the top. Do you know what’s that? It happens when the plants started to stretch.

all the 3 are in one bucket with around 60-70liter water. My ph was vary mainly around 6.1 and I cannot really speak about ppm as I have a cheap tds meter and the tap water is around 400ppm :/ next time I’ll try to use RO water.

Any good hint hint for the finishing?

[LurkingInTheGrass]

Lots of fat white pistils, they will start to shrivel and change color

do you have a loupe to get in and see the trichomes? Really the best way to be sure you are ready.

They look great for your first grow

you mentioned root rot - how did you counter? I use GH SubCulture B and as much bubbles as I can give them

are they crowded n the root zone?
how much air?

what are you using for nutes?

Dinafem says 65-70 days for their strain

[LurkingInTheGrass]

LOL - and welcome to the party 🍾

[9fingerleafs]

Welcome welcome cheap tds meter work great, you start with 400ppm and what the readin with all the nutrients in it? If you have provided enough calcium and it doesn’t get better one possibility is too much potassium, but knowing the Ppms would help a lot

[9fingerleafs]

Also what are you feeding?

[DW2]

Howdy Budler, nice looking grow. Did You just change the reservoir before taking the photos? I get a little droop/wilt just after I change out the nutrients (drain the reservoirs), especially near the top of the plants. The plants appear to be healthy, so I would not worry, unless it persists.

[Budler]

Thank for the replies guys, I use a air pump with 3 air stones 30l/min, I use gh nurtes, cal mag, super thrive (you need to try that thing if you haven’t ) and I use silverbullet to keep my reservoir clean. My root rot probably was because of the high temp water, there was a period when my tent was around 25-26celsius so my water? By changing my reservoir more frequently has helped me.

Breeder says it should be done in 65-69 days but that’s never true. These ladies are growing since middle of October.

I guess the the issues I had are delaying the finishing even if they are autos.
my ppm is around 1200.

[9fingerleafs]

I wouldn’t worry much about it, you may need to fine tune the nutrients ratio/proportions but overall your plant is doing great and it’s getting close to harvest so let it ride

[Budler]

Guys, I thought that I have calcium deficiencies, I just checked one of the affected leaf. It’s mites (( I can see so many tiny eggs. I think at this point there is not much I can do about it. If yes please let me know.

[9fingerleafs]

what a horrible realization, definitely bugs you got there. Have you seen the mites? I had spider mites once and you could see them lurking around, maybe you got another kind of mite or another pest, I think you have to research to find exactly what you got

[Budler]

I’m so unlucky with the pests, last time I had caterpillars... inside.... I think this one is broad mites. If I do my next grow all the way with predators and wipe my growing area out, I guess it will be okay.
Now I understand why my growth is a bit slow.

I checked around, but I couldn’t find any useful info, I have some neem oil, but that would just screw up my flowers.

Any suggestion? Just wait?

[PRIMO]

Look at capn Jack's dead bug.

[Budler]

Thanks primo, very good reviews on the product. Can it be used on buds? Have you ever used it?


Unfortunately if I order it today, it only arrives in January :/ but still, for future I might get a bottle of that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[PRIMO]

I don't know what part of the world you're in, but you can order on line from Wal-Mart, they're pretty quick, amazon prime is damn quick. In the mean time spray em with a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle of water . I don't know if that will kill them, but it won't do em any good.

[DW2]

Howdy Budler, I use GH Azamax added directly into the reservoirs (10ml per gallon U.S.) and as a foliar spray, when I see any signs of bugs (or the damage from). Adding it to the reservoir lets the plants take it up so that if any critters start munching, they get a dose of it. It is safe to use even up to the day before harvesting (as per the instructions) and is organically derived. The main thing is, it works, although, not instantly, but I have not had any serious bug problems since using it, and I have not grown any additional appendages or eyes after smoking the buds! LOL!
Good luck destroying the little buggers!

[Budler]

Thank you for the suggestions. I’ll get them.
a little update. I think my plants just putting on some weight.
I bought the glasses for hps a few weeks ago. It is really a must, not just because of your eyes. I don’t have much brown pistils, almost nothing. Guessing 2-3 weeks left.
the picture is with the glasses on. I was trying to find some real mites on my plants today. It is so strange that I can see hundreds of eggs but not a single mite.

[DW2]

Do not just rely on the pistil color to determine the time to harvest, look at the trichomes with a loupe (60X magnification or better) or a digital microscope and look at the condition of the trichomes (clear, cloudy, or amber) on the calyces (not on the leaves). This will give a better indication of the 'ripeness' of the plant.

[ZigZag]

I'm lucky, we're too far north to be very concerned with insects_ just mosquitos and black flies_ and they don't mess with my plants_ just me. But I grow indoors in a coco based medium so that might help.
Some people around here get spider mites but usually only those who grow in soil. DW2 has it right for sure_ the trichome colors and percentages are best when trying to determine when to harvest. When you look carefully over the whole plant you'll probably see that some of the colas are further along than others. I usually harvest mine when about 20% of the trichomes have turned amber. Regardless there will still be some opaque ones and even some clear ones as the plant keeps making them because it's not wasting energy making seeds. You can just harvest the colas that have the most developed trichomes and wait until others on the plant are ready and then take those. I've done this with no problem. I grew some Cheese a few grows back and its still one of my top 10_Happy growing!

[DW2]

Yeah, ZigZag, that's what I meant to say, I think! (LOL!) There always seems to be new white pistils coming out all through out the bloom grow. I'm going to have to try a 'sequential' harvest some time, I have always just chopped the entire plant down at one time taking the ripe buds with the new buds.

[Budler]

I totally agree with you on checking the trichs. I have a set of magnifiers )) the pistils just started to get brown, I know it’s not the best indication, but I thought we definitely have to have some brown pistils before I start to check them with the magnifiers.

one thing is new to me, on my previous grows I was able to harvest the whole plant in one go, never had to take it cola by cola. Zigzag, you are right I have a few colas that are looking more matured than others. Is there any explanation to that? (They are on the same plant) Never happened to me before. I’ll try your technic once I see amber trichs, nothing yet.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Going by when the pistils have darken, an receded back into the buds is one way, to tell when to start checking your trichs is right, like you say, but your trichs on the calyxes tell the true story, not the trichs on the sugar leaves, they normally show amber a couple of weeks before the calyxes do .Long ago all we ever used was when the pistils turned dark an receded.. But no more.,that way.
Most of the time the buds that get ripe before the other buds do, is because they are closer to the light than the other buds are, imo.
GoodLuck with everything
HappyGrowing
Budler

[ZigZag]

Not for me, happens al the time, even with the same strain. Usually I take the whole plant down at the same time_ especially if I have just one of that strain, but if I have more than one then I might take some of the most mature colas first. let the others mature some more.Some colas_ usually your main ones, get more light , thus more energy, and since they are also getting the most direct access to water and nutrients they get the best of both worlds_far as the plant is concerned_ thus various growth rates.

[Budler]

Just a quick update on the grow. I’ve attached some pictures, they look nice but lot of the buds are a bit larfy.
Im still under the attack of those stupid mites, once I finish with the plants, I’ll switch off my fan but not my light )) let them buuuurrrnn! I lost a lot of foliage, I think I went over on the nitrogen anyway, so on a way it “helped” . Still a lot of leaves left.

one of my plant is slightly different. The one at the front. She got so many sugar leaves, too much.

On One bud site I trimmed all of them off as they were covering all the flowers. Should I do this with the rest of them? I have a feeling if I don’t I’ll just end up with skinny “buds”. I never done this and maybe it was a stupid decision but had to try in a week time I’ll see if it’s okay or not

It it also could be because of the pests, she just doesn’t want to get fat.

[9fingerleafs]

What ever you are doin it’s workig, I only see top fat heavy colas

[LurkingInTheGrass]

agree with 9fingerleafs - you have taken great care of her

leave the sugar leaves as long as you can (if you have to pluck anything, take a fan leaf) - they are busy doing all the photosynthesizing (making sugars) for your buds as you pluck the fan leaves

what a beautiful herd of colas