Next Grow - A Recovery Attempt?

[3Berries]

Another option maybe for mites.

Using Diatomaceous Earth To Control Spider Mites

https://plantcaretoday.com/diatomaceous-earth-spider-mites.html

 

[Bootsy]

neat info. hadnt thought about applying to the leaves, although i read about someone doing it. i am only applying to the ground at this point with a shaker so far. however, should there be any signs of infestation, I certainly will try spraying on the leaves, and think i have th exact tool. the stuff is all over the tent now as it is so light that the circ fans pick it up and it blows around. never thought about it till now, but that should pretty much keep the buggers away if they gotta get in from the outside house.

 

[3Berries]

I just used a small a paint brush.

A spray made of liquid ivory soap and water, 5 tablespoons to a gallon, is a safe and non toxic soft body insect foliar spray.

 

[Bootsy]

actually a little brush sounds likely better than the little sprayer i had in mind.  less dust in the air.

 

[No3odiesShad0w]

I need to eventually purchase myself some of this because I'd rather dust all my plants and prevent any kind of bug problems instead of trying to fight the problems after they appear.

 

[No3odiesShad0w]

Bootsy hey i know we were talking about the spider mite infestation. I wanted to give you an update on how that's going. I lost Mystery. It was stunted, there was eggs in and around the buds. It was a lost cause. I chopped it before they spread to the blue dream. The blue dream did have mites but very few and it was totally manageable. The blue dream bounced right back to life as soon as i removed Mystery.
At about 6 weeks for the blue dream and I can see the buds are starting to get thicker, leaves are slowly getting the blue that's the strain is known for, lots of new flower growth and lots of crystals. Not to mention my whole apartment is starting to get a scent and I LOVE IT! I still check daily for mites but i think I'm about 99% free. So yeah i think I'm winning the war. Still need that D. Earth to prevent future stuff but so far progress is progress

While in the other room (quarantine away) i have my two ScrOG grows and the clones taken from then for my SoG attempt. Just experimenting and seeing which method I like better which ones going to give me better yields and so on and so on. Even though I don't have any evidence of spider mites on those I have been spraying them about once a week just to be on the safe side but I'm pretty sure that they are fine.

The screen grow as you could see is going very well. And it looks like all the cuttings took. None of them got limp and fell over so pretty successful. I have just enough soil to do for one gallon of pots of the SoG method so we'll see.
I started a different thread where I'll be posting weekly updates or whatever kind of updates I see fit to post.

 

[Cali]

Did anything work against the spider mites? Meaning did you try spraying them with anything like where you saw eggs to see if and what destroys them? Or the mites themselves? That way hopefully not but if there is a next time you know what works? Being that you trashed it a quick spray on the buds to test before trashing would have been nice?

 

[No3odiesShad0w]

Cali actually yes. The previous grow i noticed the mites during bloom and i tried spraying the buds and just lost everything. Second, the plant had bad genetics. It's the one I've been struggling to grow for a year with no results. Verses the blue dream from legit seeds. Besides i don't want to spray the buds with neem oil or anything else if I'm going to be smoking it later plus the idea of dead spider mites and dead eggs inside the buds didn't sound so appealing. The mix of a dying stunted plant + bad genetics + mites IN the buds+ risking the health of my good plant = Get rid of it and focus on the good one.

I did learn A LOT from this battle that's for sure. Best method PREVENTION. That's what I'm going for. The blue dream i can say is 95% spider mite free. The quarantined ones in the other room 100% mite free and even then i give them a spray of some neem oil here and there. They are thriving beautifully.

Lastly THANK YOU. I know you got crusted with me in the past for asking the same stuff but i promise you it's not that i haven't been putting the info into practice, it's just finances are rough and it's usually slow going. Clearly though the info you've given me works. The blue dream had just exploded in new flower growth. In the next 2 weeks i expect the buds to get really fat.

The watering schedule info was good.... Still confused because all the numbers were for much larger grows. Mine i need measured in cups. For 2 gallons of soil i got about 3 cups of water every 2 days. It's not perfect but I'm still figuring it out. 2 cups was too little. 3 cups everyday is too much. So maybe 4 cups every 2 days? I'm work it out but thanks again. Been really helpful

 

[Bootsy]

hi. wish i could give advice on the mites, but I gave up on my only experience so far. from what i read and discussed, though, they will be back if you till have some still around. hoping you keep em down. dry and warm are their preferences, and sure enough for me the first grow i let things get too dry and temps over 80 - I got infested. for disinfecting, I cleaned, dosed everything with Safer's end all and Dr Doom. Those two things really smell heavily chemical and i would be hesitant to use on flowers that would be consumed. Good luck.

 

[3Berries]

You can try this as it's non toxic.

How to Use Dish Soap for Spider Mites

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-dish-soap-spider-mites-99718.html

 

[Cali]

No3odiesShad0w Glad things are working out better, also keep spraying every week at least once a week during veg to keep any pest away. About the watering it is tough I struggled a lot with that and I been growing in living soil since 2019. I use 1/4 of a gallon per 5 gallon pot, depending on how the plant is growing i Will water more frequently or wait another day or two. Like when they are stretching I had to do every 2 days after they slow down back to 3. Also the weather it’s hot here in Cali and dry lately so that will change things up a bit. Another thing is I use Grassroots living soil pots. They have a lining on the inside to prevent the pots drying out from the sides and allow it to dry more natural. From the top and the air pruning of roots at the very bottom. Almost like a plastic pot but with the air pruning at the bottom while still being breathable on the sides to give it the fabric pot function. I like them more than my old fabric pots.

 

[Bootsy]

Jornal Update. Plants all doing great so I can be picky. the Orange Bubbas are today in the 2 by 4 tent under 12:12 lighting. The Crude Cake growing up too fast. From same size and training with the Orange Bubba's she is 6 to 7 inches taller than them and has been on 12:12 for a few day now. I will have trouble even using supercropping her because I already bent almost all stems horizontal quite a bit - I didnt get to train them early. It's my first time with the SF100's so I am not sure of the response to them yet. I have a PAR meter coming any day now and will do some checking for reference of lighting levels - if it works. I am wondering if i need the three lights since the SF1000 supposedly has a 2 by 2 footprint. Two of the photos show a view with all three lights on, and one with only the 2 sf1000's - and they are not spaced evenly. I must admit it looks as if I centered the 2 white lights I would have nice coverage. A further wrinkle is that with tent insulated in my basement - right now the temperature is between 72 and 75 with all three lights on and drops below 70 with only the Spider Farmers. If I turn off the Best VA, the heater will have to be on even when lights are on. I have been happy with the Best VA's for a few grows and now wonder how they compare actually with the SF1000, so if not too much light I will leave them as is and have a pretty good comparison of the two lights on the OB's that are far left and right. Much talking - sorry again. Have next plants for the 3 by 3 . no pests yet, and next run of plants for the 3 by 3 have poked their heads up. Cheers!

 

[No3odiesShad0w]

I'm sure the watering will be very different in the summer then it is in the dry winter. So I'm sure I'm be adjusting come the new season. The fabric pots are interesting only reason i don't like them is their durability. My plastic buckets will last past me. But i did drill different holes through to get a little bit of that fabric pot benefit.

Oh and i also got the Diatomaceous Earth. I open the box and the bag is ripped open the dust is EVERYWHERE. Amazon really ass. But i did get it and i did dust the plants with the duster pump thing. I'm still spraying once a week with the neem oil as well just to be safe but so far only found 2 baby mites in the past week nothing else since

 

[Bootsy]

Next update to my grow. a week since last posting. See photos. All three gift clones seem to be doing great. very bushy because of all the training I had to do, which leave more bud sites available to light from above. I have been defoliating basically every day to expose bud sites near the top as they have really bushed out. they are starting to look much clearer but still more clearing needed. this is the process I will follow for a couple more weeks and hopefully will end up with a semblance of control over colas for a decent yiled. I now have two Best VA's (over OB2@ and CC) and one SF1000 (over OB1). When I tested the lights with my new PAR meter the Best VA's had more intensity and penetration so giving a try. I do realize that spectrum ha a lot to do with it, and although the Spider Farmer SF1000 is much brighter looking, it seemed to be leading to more stretch which I don't have room for. Hopefully this will give me an evaluation of the two. No more new lights till I find the right price for a Mars Hydero SP3000 for this tent. Quite a bit of growth from last week, a evidenced when lookinf with respect to the tomato cages. No sign of bugs or deficiencies that I can see. It appears that these may both be long flowering strains so I likely have a ways to go. I added Kelp extract and folic acid last watering. Till next time.

 

[Bootsy]

I am trying to decide whether to lolipop the lower regions, but the branches are quite long and I dont mind larf for kief gathering. but - this time i would like to maximize product. anybody with experience that can offer opinion?

 

[Bootsy]

Time for another update. No complaints. Really not a lot has happened except a little more stretching and buds starting to fill out, and a shot-load of leaves removed. there are more buds per sq ft than i have ever tried, and I am not positive what to do. remove a bunch, or keep trimming here and there and accept that buds will be smaller. see the top views, which are right after a pretty heavy trim. Crowded but Looks like there will be a decent harvest regardless. Great news -for me- My medical treatments are done till end of March, so I am heading to Mexico on Tuesday for 3 weeks to visit friends. Will be great to get out of the f....n cold. But - my wife will have to keep the two tents of girls going (photos of profile and then top of each of 3). I optimistically expect that just watering of the three big girls will do with elective leaf removal. The bigger issue is that my next grow are just at the stage to start manifolding (4 to 6 nodes)- she says she's up for it, and actually did it 5 years ago, so we will see. She dont like consuming so it seems quite an imposition. hoping they bush out nicely, but life goe on. they can be seen in the odd photo, which was taken just after transplanting into the final 5 gallon homes. the two biggest (Canuk CBG and Northern Lights) will be topped tonight before i head to the airport - if they have recovered ok from the transplant. Be well, and stay warm. Progresso looks like it will be relaxing.

 

[No3odiesShad0w]

Looks fantastic! Really brought them back to life. It's growing in the way that the mystery strain I had used to grow. Really dense and buds everywhere it's just too bad the genetics were bad so it would never ripen. Can't wait to see more!

 

[Bootsy]

Well. Progreso Mexico has been awesome. my hardest thing is to NOT do too much, since I'm supposed to be resting for recovery from C. See a couple of garden photos for posterity taken by my wife back home (she had her trip in the fall). She hasnt done anything except water with adjusted PH, but to me they look great so far. The stretch that I was worried about in the Crude Cake (now and Orange Bubba really wasnt too much anyway so nothing special has been needed. I see a few yellowing fan leaves, but nothing extreme that I wouldnt have expected. I get home this Tuesday so everything will wait for me now. I would like to have the smaller plants now in veg defoliated, but life goes on - and it will give me a few hours entertainment to train and defoliate when i get home- that's why she didnt do it. Dr Grinspoon (middle of the crowded tent) has already caught the others (almost 3 weeks younger) so i expect she will be my first real tall plant grow - and the intent is for this to be a mother for cloning of this rare one for friends and my next grow. Dr G is going in her own little tent when i get home which is intended to be in a 2 by 3 veg tent from now on. The rest are just THICK but pretty. The photos are with lights on and I dont have the nerve to ask for more or the unpaid help might get surly.

You can really see the difference in the light colour (spectrum) with the Best VA's as typical but high power blurples. If Par meter is correct, the Best VA's have way more intensity and penetration than the SF1000 (white). The unseen other Orange Bubba is totally under another Best VA so i will get a side by side comparison of effectiveness.
Regarding readings from my PAR meter - I will say that the Mars Hydro TS 3000) in 3 by 3 tent measured almost exactly what they claimed - and may never have to be at full power, the Best VA's were higher than claimed and have deep penetration, but the Spider Farmer (SF1000) was a fair amount lower than their claims of intensity. this would match what Nebula said from a trial grow she did with the SF's in which she was happy but thought the penetration could be higher.

Next week I will have a full update. each of the strains in flowering have long flower times of 10 and 11 weeks (now at 5 and 6 weeks)- which again is a new thing for me. wonder if I will have to add any supplements beyond the home made Kelp juice (seaweed is easy to get here of clean beaches) and molasses that I planned on in my water only soil?

Thanks for reading, and if you do see anything to mention, please do. Cheers.

 

[Bootsy]

Home after three weeks away. the girls were just watered by my wife with no training or checks. very thick and unruly growth and a little light burn from growing too close to lights but otherwise all are good. Photos are before trimming except the one showing the profile of the full tent, which is after quite a bit of work. I am leaving a lot more stuff down low than i usually do (lolipopping), so will see how the lower buds are at the end. the buds on the orange bubba and crude cake seem small, but they are still a month away from harvest so hopefully they fill in - but they smell intoxicating. I added a bud shot from the two orange bubbas - first one from under the Best VA and the other under the Spider farmer sf1000 - the best VA one looks more mature, but it was too close while i was away and appears a little burnt. the best VA plant also grew almost an inch more than the spider farmer one - which may be due to its higher intensity. As it ends up, the recovery wasnt as tough as I thought - just giving them new soil and they thrived, after a lot of training. The 3 by 3 tent (not shown) will now be a training challenge too, but keeps me entertained. Thanks for tuning in.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Hey there Bootsy that room looks great i bet your thrilled. Less is more in some cases, not over loving just let them do their thing and feed them as needed late in bloom. Your grow this round looks great to me I've left bottom half alone most my growing years only lollypopped on occasions when i thought it would help with getting longer colas i keep trying to get 16" ones LOL. But i only seem to get those outdoors where i just top and that's it then i clean the lower half midway into the bloom.