My first post and my first grow!

[NickyChicks]

Again I made a separate post but I want to keep it all logged here too.

I have a chocolate kush plant that I think has a calcium deficiency. It's had these tiny little rusty looking spots showing up on it's leaves since about day 10ish, it's now day 22 and they are showing up on the new growth. Using GH trio 1/2 strength, hydroguard, and tap water. pH is 5.9, 647ppm, tent stays between 75°F-63°. Before Sunday it was sharing a reservoir with 3 green crack seedlings and they look fine, so do the other plants that were in a different reservoir same nutrients and water.
From looking on the GWE site I thought calcium deficiency, just wasn't sure if that made sense since my other plants aren't showing the same symptom. Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙃

[SoOrbudgal]

I am rooting for you 100% you got this

[NickyChicks]

SoOrbudgal I'm sure it's going to take quite a bit of tending to but I like to think with the help of the GWE community I can be successful. Looking forward to keep learning more as these girls grow

[SoOrbudgal]

NickyChicks I love it go big or ? LOL really think your going for a crowded tent but if your committed it can be done. I just love different strain grows and why not? I just look at the plants health and if they aren't being neglected do to having too many to deal with. So far I think your doing fab and these hydro folks here know their stuff. Great looking grow.

[NickyChicks]

Just a few more pics as I rearranged the buckets from how I had them last night.

Also, started bending the main stems on the ones that were larger and tying them down.

[NickyChicks]

Well I was so eager and excited to move the plants into their own buckets I decided to do it today, a day earlier than I planned. Definitely took a lot longer than I anticipated but time flies when you're having fun. No more top feed from now on, except for the dwc solo cup 2.0.

Looks like just about all the girls are starting to push out their 5th nodes. I will definitely start some training soon, I might try a couple different methods and see how it turns out. I'm guessing it's going to get pretty crowded come flowering. As long as I can keep them all happy, I'll be happy.

[NickyChicks]

Thanks! I'll keep an eye on them for now. I plan to put them into their own individual buckets soon, probably Sunday or Monday, which should make it easier to start training. Plus of the roots are getting very long and I don't want to make it difficult to move them into their new homes.

[DingusKhan]

In the spirit of keeping growth-stunting stress to a minimum, I would wait until the main stalk is about 5 or 6 inches tall, but still thin and green, to start leaning it over. You will have to decide whether letting your stalk poke out at 45 degrees, or straight up then bend horizontal into a radial pattern, and then train according to your vision.

You plants looked pretty close in the last pics you posted looked like they were getting tall enough with the side nubs getting big enough to not smoosh when you touch them. Wait until they look like they can handle rough handling.

Your girls are so green and happy!

[NickyChicks]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I guess the next question is when is the right time to start bending over the main stem? Do I want to let it grow out a little taller and then start tying it down?

[DingusKhan]

Given your circumstance, trying to grow in minimal time, I would do the least to stress your plant, which temporarily stunts growth, because every stress is a subtraction from yield. So LST should give you better results than any method that requires cutting off the top or "breaking" the stem. Rather, bend your top down to encourage side branch growth, keep your lights bright and not too close so that all the nodes are so tightly bunched that you have to let it grow out bigger and then prune off a bunch so that you just don't have a million popcorn buds, and then selectively and carefully prune your plants early, because all growth that you have to prune is wasted growth.

If you can grow your plant into the colas you want the first time without having to cut much of it away, I think you will get the veg growth set up for max budding without redundant work.

I'm trying to adapt Scott's from WeedSchooling (the Youtube grow Rabbi) method of staking the main stalk to a bamboo stake stuck at 45 degrees, away from the sun, so the side branches would grow out a BIG FAT wide bush rather than a skinny christmas tree, for in the tent. But most people end up using a screen and sewing main stalk and branches out horizontally, each with several colas.

Or at least that's how it's playing out in my head.

[NickyChicks]

Well my DWC solo cup idea sounded good in my head but I definitely overlooked the power and ability of roots to find a way out. I thought panty hose would contain them, I was wrong.

Plan B..... I turned the solo cup into the dwc res. I put a small air stone in the bottom and made drain holes a little above the air stone so I could keep the top feed and just have it drain into the 5gal bucket. My net pot fit nicely inside of the solo cup and I have a small air gap between the bottom of the pot and the water line. I hope it works lol

[NickyChicks]

No doubt the harvest is a ton of work. I got my first taste of trimming in the fall, I helped a friend who had 8 plants outdoors and it wasnt easy....but worth it

[Farmall]

I believe the overwhelming feeling comes the day you decide to harvest.... trimming and cutting for hours are more back breaking than I’d ever thought but...it’s kinda like a good pain? Here’s hoping !

[NickyChicks]

I suppose keeping more seedlings is an option. Originally planned to keep 4, now plus 2 that are staying in solo cups per the challenge but I don't expect they will amount to anything massive lol. Being my first grow I didn't want to overwhelm myself but I definitely could keep more, I would just need to order another air pump and buy a couple more buckets.

[Obi-Wan]

I think your original plan of topping to leave 6 mains is the best approach given your timing. If you want to fill your space using 6 week Veg times from seed I’d suggest running 6-8 plants trained in this manner. Trying to top more than once as is required with manifolding will actually lead to smaller plants when you’re wanting to flip. As you dial in your light with seedlings you’ll find that you can produce bigger plants in a shorter time and with lower wattage.