I waited to start this journal since I wasn't sure if there would be anything for you to take away from the experience.
I believe there is so buckle up...I'm retired and just rolled some AK47 from the last go-round.
In contrast to the 1st grow, [see @javabob] this time is a piece o' cake.
The 1st time I overachieved in every aspect of the grow. Too many plants [5], too many different strains [4], caring for them as if they were all the same [big mistake], over-complicated the soil, the nutes, the fertilizing...you name it I did it.
Too little light only 100 to 150 watts depending on the day of the week. Trying too hard to be the best and screwing with 12/12, 18/6, and back again. Over defoliating right through flower, blah, blah, blah...those poor girls produced even through the stress I produced. Using Auto's the quick season turned into almost a photoperiod! That's how forgiving those ladies were, if only in real life...I digress.
This was supposed to be a fun hobby not a trip to the dentist!
Pretty crappy farming for someone who should know better.
I stressed them and myself so badly I waited months to try again.
Enter grow 2.
I swore this time I was going to let a weed be a weed.
Found my neighborhood grow store and had a wonderful time talkin' technique. No fancy mixture of coco with a dash of this and that....bullshit.
Decided that I was going for only 2 plants that were similar in grow time.......
Went to Seed Supreme which brought me to SuzySeeds, I chose them because I liked what was offered and their prices.
I would use them again but the transaction was difficult from across the pond for me, maybe not you.
Picked up a variety of strains and chose to germinate a White Dwarf and a Classic Cheese. Neither of them sprouted.
The folks at Suzy FREAKED OUT! We were both upset. They are by ALL ACCOUNTS, excellent people. I still suspect that even though they packaged as safely as anyone could that somehow they got zapped.
Anyway, I felt like I stumbled right out of the gate, it gave me pause.
Suzy IMMEDIATELY shipped to me again and I don't remember why but rechose a Red Dwarf and the Classic Cheese. Both sprouted within 36 hours. I use the seed in water method. I find the wet paper towel lends itself to drying out too quickly and the percentage of problems rises exponentially.
My guy heard my desire for a hands-off grow after the 1st debacle and suggested one bag of Happy Frog mixed with Perlite, enough for my two 5-gallon bags.
I increased my 24x48 tent from 100 watts to an equivalent of appx. 600 watts.
The seedlings went into a 4" peat cup and after both went into 2nd node growth were planted directly into the Happy Frog mixture.
I don't like messing with replanting...too stressful and I don't see a reason for putting them through it. Mix your soil, do what you want, and mix a surprise for them at the bottom of the bucket for flower. Do what you want but I am stressing a LOW STRESS grow for all involved.
Feed them all you want but KISS is my way, why chase deficiencies, nutes mixing, and pH chasing...screw it.
And please don't give me comments arguing my thoughts. Do what you like, I'm going stress-free all around, period.
So, here we are Day 28 for the cheese and Day 25 for the Red Dwarf.
I was instructed that the HF soil would be fine through a 3/4 week veg cycle and then introduce a supplemental to help carry the girls through flower.
That is where we stand as of today.
Heading out to my boy tomorrow and picking up Gaia Green Power Bloom 2-8-4. That's his suggestion.
So how has it been going?
Two ladies, 24/7 averaging maybe 4 cups of 6.0-6.5 ph water EACH, every two or so days depending on how hot it gets and my ability to keep them around 75/85 with a 45/55 humidity. I bubble 3 gallons at a time to dissipate the chlorine and keep the water fresh.
I spray them twice a day with distilled water [which, BTW I used during sprouting].
I had my usual issue of gnats, and I really don't blame the HF since the mixture sat in binds in a warm garage for an extended period in order to sort out the seed issue and that might have "corrupted" the culture.
I topped with Diatomaceous Earth, then sand. Slice and smother.
Red Dwarf is so tiny, and dense, only topped one cola to give it some push. Classic Cheese has been topped in places three times and both seen defoliation only when they shaded growth and there was enough left to handle the stress.
As I believe I grow close to the end of veg, I am trying to refrain from any further trimming and now will only focus on LST as needed.
I don't see the dwarf needing much, expecting the need to be more for a support method if I am fortunate enough to have successful cola development. Cheese is taller and thin so I am now starting to part the plant to allow the sun to shine through, thus LST has begun.
I created cages from sturdy wire I had laying around and so far the flexibility of the cages with wire wraps is looking like a sound idea.
So, that's where we are, and yes this is a long piece but that is what a journal is for, isn't it?
Check out my photos and look back at my posts from last year if you need a reference to my madness.
Here's my equipment:
24x48x72 tent
2- Abriselux A1000 LED Grow Light Dimmable with 4x3ft Coverage Full Spectrum w/ High PPFD (Actual Power 100Watt)
2 Clamp Lamp 8.5" Aluminum reflectors w/ SANSI PPF 27 umol/s LED Full Spectrum [200w Equivalent]
3 10" desk fans [2 inside, one outside to push air]
2 clamp fans internal to move upper air
6" exhaust fan with ceramic filtration vented through an insulated exterior window.
Timers not needed since running 24/7, mics. electrical cabling and outlets.
Only using General Hydroponics pH Control and a Vivosun pH meter.
I believe there is so buckle up...I'm retired and just rolled some AK47 from the last go-round.
In contrast to the 1st grow, [see @javabob] this time is a piece o' cake.
The 1st time I overachieved in every aspect of the grow. Too many plants [5], too many different strains [4], caring for them as if they were all the same [big mistake], over-complicated the soil, the nutes, the fertilizing...you name it I did it.
Too little light only 100 to 150 watts depending on the day of the week. Trying too hard to be the best and screwing with 12/12, 18/6, and back again. Over defoliating right through flower, blah, blah, blah...those poor girls produced even through the stress I produced. Using Auto's the quick season turned into almost a photoperiod! That's how forgiving those ladies were, if only in real life...I digress.
This was supposed to be a fun hobby not a trip to the dentist!
Pretty crappy farming for someone who should know better.
I stressed them and myself so badly I waited months to try again.
Enter grow 2.
I swore this time I was going to let a weed be a weed.
Found my neighborhood grow store and had a wonderful time talkin' technique. No fancy mixture of coco with a dash of this and that....bullshit.
Decided that I was going for only 2 plants that were similar in grow time.......
Went to Seed Supreme which brought me to SuzySeeds, I chose them because I liked what was offered and their prices.
I would use them again but the transaction was difficult from across the pond for me, maybe not you.
Picked up a variety of strains and chose to germinate a White Dwarf and a Classic Cheese. Neither of them sprouted.
The folks at Suzy FREAKED OUT! We were both upset. They are by ALL ACCOUNTS, excellent people. I still suspect that even though they packaged as safely as anyone could that somehow they got zapped.
Anyway, I felt like I stumbled right out of the gate, it gave me pause.
Suzy IMMEDIATELY shipped to me again and I don't remember why but rechose a Red Dwarf and the Classic Cheese. Both sprouted within 36 hours. I use the seed in water method. I find the wet paper towel lends itself to drying out too quickly and the percentage of problems rises exponentially.
My guy heard my desire for a hands-off grow after the 1st debacle and suggested one bag of Happy Frog mixed with Perlite, enough for my two 5-gallon bags.
I increased my 24x48 tent from 100 watts to an equivalent of appx. 600 watts.
The seedlings went into a 4" peat cup and after both went into 2nd node growth were planted directly into the Happy Frog mixture.
I don't like messing with replanting...too stressful and I don't see a reason for putting them through it. Mix your soil, do what you want, and mix a surprise for them at the bottom of the bucket for flower. Do what you want but I am stressing a LOW STRESS grow for all involved.
Feed them all you want but KISS is my way, why chase deficiencies, nutes mixing, and pH chasing...screw it.
And please don't give me comments arguing my thoughts. Do what you like, I'm going stress-free all around, period.
So, here we are Day 28 for the cheese and Day 25 for the Red Dwarf.
I was instructed that the HF soil would be fine through a 3/4 week veg cycle and then introduce a supplemental to help carry the girls through flower.
That is where we stand as of today.
Heading out to my boy tomorrow and picking up Gaia Green Power Bloom 2-8-4. That's his suggestion.
So how has it been going?
Two ladies, 24/7 averaging maybe 4 cups of 6.0-6.5 ph water EACH, every two or so days depending on how hot it gets and my ability to keep them around 75/85 with a 45/55 humidity. I bubble 3 gallons at a time to dissipate the chlorine and keep the water fresh.
I spray them twice a day with distilled water [which, BTW I used during sprouting].
I had my usual issue of gnats, and I really don't blame the HF since the mixture sat in binds in a warm garage for an extended period in order to sort out the seed issue and that might have "corrupted" the culture.
I topped with Diatomaceous Earth, then sand. Slice and smother.
Red Dwarf is so tiny, and dense, only topped one cola to give it some push. Classic Cheese has been topped in places three times and both seen defoliation only when they shaded growth and there was enough left to handle the stress.
As I believe I grow close to the end of veg, I am trying to refrain from any further trimming and now will only focus on LST as needed.
I don't see the dwarf needing much, expecting the need to be more for a support method if I am fortunate enough to have successful cola development. Cheese is taller and thin so I am now starting to part the plant to allow the sun to shine through, thus LST has begun.
I created cages from sturdy wire I had laying around and so far the flexibility of the cages with wire wraps is looking like a sound idea.
So, that's where we are, and yes this is a long piece but that is what a journal is for, isn't it?
Check out my photos and look back at my posts from last year if you need a reference to my madness.
Here's my equipment:
24x48x72 tent
2- Abriselux A1000 LED Grow Light Dimmable with 4x3ft Coverage Full Spectrum w/ High PPFD (Actual Power 100Watt)
2 Clamp Lamp 8.5" Aluminum reflectors w/ SANSI PPF 27 umol/s LED Full Spectrum [200w Equivalent]
3 10" desk fans [2 inside, one outside to push air]
2 clamp fans internal to move upper air
6" exhaust fan with ceramic filtration vented through an insulated exterior window.
Timers not needed since running 24/7, mics. electrical cabling and outlets.
Only using General Hydroponics pH Control and a Vivosun pH meter.
