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Nile’s River Mother Plant Grow Journal 📓

IslandColas

New member
Im starting this grow journal a little late with us being 3 weeks past sprout but I have photos all the way back so I’ll catch everyone up.

EQUIPMENT

Vegetative Stage
1.5’x3’ Veg Ebb and Flow table w/19 Gallon Reservoir
Four 48w dual bulb led shop lights, 24/7 cycle hung 22” from media.
Red Solo Cup pots

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Flower Stage
4x4x7 Melon Farm Grow Tent
3x3 Botanicare Ebb and Flow table
Gro-Pro 6” Square Hydroponics pot
40 gallon Botanicare reservoir
4 outlet EcoPlus air pump
1000w tube cooled reflector 12/12 light cycle
1000w Lumatek dimmable ballast
600w/1000w HPS bulb? (dependent upon heat levels)
6 inch Vivosun inline fan
6 inch Vivosun carbon filter



NUTRIENTS
Botanicare PureBlend Pro
Cal-Mag
Pro-Tekt Silicon supplement

Media
Rockwool cubes for startup
100% Hydroton inside pots

Feeding

Ph’d water for first week
Watering only when needed

1/2 strength (5-700ppm) nutrients until week 3
3 hour flood window

Full strength (11-1500ppm) nutrients until flower
4 hour flood window

Flower (To be decided!)

Schedule (seed to weed)
Soak 24hrs
Direct sow into PH’d Rockwool cubes
Sprout
Grow to 6th node
Top at 2nd internode
Clone tops
Root clones with 12/12 light
Sex/Remove seed males (possible I may save best 1 for seeds)
Clone females
Veg females
Flower females
Cure bud
Smoke bud
Choose mother
(Rest is optional)
Flower rest
Harvest

Week 1
Started 10 seeds of Nile’s River (Cindy 99 x Super Skunk x purple urkle). These seeds were given to me by a fellow grower, and trusted breeder. Each seed was placed in a separate shot glass, each glass perfectly PH’d to 6.0. They soaked for 24 hours then were directly sown into pre-soaked Rockwool cubes PH’d to the same 6.0. The cubes were placed into a propagation tray with lid and placed in a dark box on top of a seed mat for heating the root zone. 7 of the 10 seed successfully germinated in three different spurts. First seeds to germinate received the letter A along with a corresponding number. Second were labeled “B”, and the third “C”. As germination occurred the seedlings were introduced to light but remained under the dome. Only being watered when drying out slightly. (Note that C-1 was a very small scraggly sprout that was very slow growing but has finally picked up the pace by week 3)
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​​​​​​​Week 2
seeds have began to show roots on bottom of cubes so it’s time to transplant them into red solo cups. At this time I didn’t have my flood table set up so I needed a way to retain moister longer than the Hydroton could. I regrettably added coco to the Hydroton at about a 60/40 Hydroton/coco ratio. This worked very well but in time caused problems when I wanted to introduce them into the system a few days later.

once my flood table had been completed I had to wash the seedlings of coco and Hydroton before transferring them into a pure Hydroton cup. (It was a mess and though I’m good at not over stressing the girls I really hated putting them through the extra transplant stress.) finally they were all set up in the system!
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​​​​​​​
Set it and forget it! Right!?!? Lol WRONG!

I continued daily PHing and ppm tests to maintain my ideal 600ppm and 6.0 ph.
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Week 3
As of now we’re just winding down week 3 on the seeds. They’re doing great! Fresh res this week, same 600ppm and 6.0. They’re growing amazing, little stretch but I’m sharing lights right now so lower lights isn’t an option. I’ve pinched three tops to try and slow vertical growth for a while but I don’t see the stretch as much of an obstacle due to the fact they’ll be topped soon and stalk up. I have had concerns about roots coming out of the bottom of my pots and whether that will be okay during flower when they’re all scrogged and unable to be transplanted. If you have any information on roots in an ebb and flow during flower, please let me know:) as week 4 is beginning to start for these ladies, I’ll be leaving on vacation for most of it. I leave tomorrow and will be back home in 4 days. When I do get home, I plan on topping 6 of the 7 because C-1 will not be ready. I have a trusted friend taking care of the girls while I’m gone so there shouldn’t be any hiccups (hopefully). I’ll post an update when I get home.

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Quick photo update from my friend taking care of the ladies. Definitely still stretching more than I’d like but I’m home tomorrow night and will begin their training ASAP. Nothing has been changed just ph/EC monitored with a single top off of both reservoirs.
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thanks for checking back everyone! Much more updates on the way!!!

Aloha!
 
I'm intrested in doing an ebb and flow system. Going to sub and learn. 😃
 
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Chefbjy feel free to ask any questions as the thread develops. I’m happy to help and I’m totally pro-hydro so if I can convert the whole world my life will be complete... jk lol

D.A.A.S.69 thanks brotha! Always appreciate the compliments!

Aloha!
 
So today I arrived home to happy sights. My seedlings have gone crazy and have grown quite a bit since I was home Thursday. A very trusted friend took very good care of the ladies and kept them right in the sweet spot the whole time I was gone. So here’s a public thank you to a non public person, THANK YOU SISTA!

As I was expecting the stretching has been REAL haha, they’ve gotten a little lengthy for my opinion. I know exactly why and I’m kinda powerless at the moment to move the lights closer because they’re sharing with my mother who is quite a bit taller than them. By Wednesday I’ll be solidifying the grow room and have solved the lighting problem.

Im training all of them to stay bushy and controlled like a mother should be, so the first thing on the list is a topping! OFF WITH THERE HEADS!!! 😂 the topping is really going to slow my stretch and allow me the time to complete the rest of the setup. Then the lights may be lowered closer to the plants and my stretching problem will be gone like the wind!

As explained in the original post I let the plants get nice and tall allowing the stretching to work to my advantage (so I would have plenty stalk for rooting the cuttings). Now I will top them and clone the cuttings! 👍🏻 AND to save more time, instead of running them on a 24hr lighting cycle until they root, my friend, and mentor, taught me to immediately throw them into a 12/12 lighting cycle after cutting (only if you’re purely trying to sex a young seedling; if you’re trying to root clones for veg DO NOT RUN 12/12 LIGHTING). This method has been proven to me by my mentor on a mother crop he grew last month but I’m still skeptical. The growth lost by removing 12 hours of lighting is significant but I should start seeing some sort of sex signs between 14-21 days. I’m hoping for 2 males! This would leave me (after I take the mother out) 4 plants which will fill my tent nicely I’ve been told;) Campesino

this is totally a pipe dream and scientifically I should be left with 3-4 females and 2-3 females to flower after I finish and I’ve picked my momma but screw the odds!

As I’m writing this I just thought of a way to further accelerate the bud quality test side of the grow. After I have sexed my vegging females using their cuttings I will be taking two clones from each and rooting them so that (I originally planned I could train and top and really get a good crop from the bud quality test. In the original plan I would cull the two clones down to the best one for each mother, leaving me 3-4 plants to fill the tent and grow a large harvest for quality testing.) instead of doing the original plan I will not cull the clones nor train them extensively. I will SOG that bitch and save myself a couple weeks! I only need a small sample of each mothers bud to test for smoke. If I SOG it correctly I could still get a relatively good sized harvest anyway. This will also give me two different clones worth of bud per momma so I’ll be able to see if the genetics are strong in both clones.

anyway, to the work at hand! Tonight I’m giving a major haircut to my Cookie Monster Momma and then topping and cloning the Niles River tops on a 12/12 cycle till they’ve been accurately sexed. I prepared and got everything ready and was honestly surprised when my wife jumped in and wanted to help out!❤️ She got hands on and even did a couple cuts herself! I even got to teach her how to clone and she loved it:) happy husband! Here’s photos of the job.

so again my stoned ass forgot something! I forgot to take a picture of how unruly my momma Monsters was when I got home. I had topped her before I left and then two days later did some high stress bending and training. When I got home she was FULLY recovered (these hydro plants grow so f***ing fast!!) and had way to much under brush and scraggly under colas and just wasted energy growth. This is a photo directly after topping.
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and then a few days later after bending and training.
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now imagine that bush but with double its foliage and way over crowded. I got aggressive and really cut her back and got her way more under control. this is her directly after her pruning.
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though she’s not a part of the thread I’ll post a picture of her in 5 days so you guys can see her progress. She’s going to come back with a vengeance. Every time I take cuttings from her it’s like she sees it as a challenge to come back fuller!!!

This is a photo of how much I took off.
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now to the Nile’s River seedlings! What we’re all here for!
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Im only attaching two to the post but at the bottom there will be the full spread:)
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I’m getting EXPLOSIVE root growth from these ladies and they will also be being transplanted when my room is complete on Wednesday. The root growth through the bottom I’ve been assured by many highly experienced hydro guys is totally harmless and to be expected in Ebb and Flow. There’s a few things I could try to protect the roots once they’ve finally been locked into the tent but I’ve been assured they will self prune and not grow any roots where they can’t survive. For now they’ll just chill there hanging out in the bottom of a red solo cup like a couple of half drank beers.

All in all I’m really happy with these seedlings so far. I’ve had two of which aren’t big enough to top yet one that’s super close and then the other (previously mentioned) C-1. If she doesn’t explode in the next week she’ll be culled. The other plant B-3 I believe, I’m not near the cabinet right now to check, will be topped by Wednesday at the latest.

the clones are wilting away 15-20 minutes after cutting but this is typical of fresh cuttings especially when they’re young. They should perk by tomorrow at the same time. The seedlings on the other hand showed their slight signs of stress but, like hydro always does, hydro’s ability to make plants thrive amazed me. 1hr after cutting they were all stood up with there new bi-dominant colas now reaching towards the light! They’ve visibly recovered and even began to show signs of thriving. Very impressed.

Something I saw, I’m not sure where, explained they’ve been experiencing hollow stems. Well I’m not sure if it’s just a hydro thing but my stalks were hollow. I’m guessing that it’s normal and the feeling I get when I’m trying to remember where I’ve seen it is one of assurance so I’m going with my gut and saying it’s not a problem. If my guts wrong, please feel free to pipe up and prove me wrong. Explain it out if you can too please! I love to gain more understanding:)

heres the pictures of my hollow stalks
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Theyre pretty crazy but it seems to stop at the node because you can’t see all the way down. When I topped my Cookie Monster her stalk was not hollow, but she’s also got the crazy story of starting out a soil plant. If you guys are interested in a soil to hydro transplant guide please let me know and I’ll grow a seed and provide and full guide. It’s not a recommended procedure due to stress on the plant but when done properly can be an effective way to change your mediums. I used it to get rid of bugs that were in the soil by removing soil all together!:) it was effective!

Let me know now if you have any questions or comments. I’d love to hear everyone’s point of view and I’m happy to converse with my fellow growers:) If you have info on the stalks please pipe up as well!!! Well it’s near 1am here and my wife has been waiting patiently for her husband to come to bed so I bid this post and all of you a good night! Many Mahalos for spending the time to read!

Aloha!
 

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Hollow stems are fine. That's how all the water and nutrients flow through the plant. Whata write up. Sound like you got your plan and everything is looking really good.
 
Hey! IslandColas
A little late here, but here now :)
Impressive set-up and beautiful plants. Don't have time to say more now - Lights come on in 2 minutes!! But I'm happy to be sub'd
 
Week 4

ive been so busy this past few days it’s almost debilitating! Got so much done on the grow room while juggling work and my grandparents coming to town. We’ve rearranged everything and finally finished the tent. And got it up and running with a batch of clones I picked up from a friend. I also made a spot for the mother plant and lowered the lights for our Niles River seedlings so they can stop the stretching!

WEVE HAD A TRAGEDY...

the day before yesterday while we were moving/setting up the veg tent I had to leave in a hurry and forgot the lights for the clones. By the Time I had gotten back home they had been dark for 20 or so hours and we’re lost. I tried turning the lights on and moistening their RW but it didn’t work. It’s a set back but not the end of the world. I’ve decided to let them grow out for a while before I top again so I can clone those cuttings. So I’m all it just sets me back a week or two.

Other than that, the ladies just got transplanted today into 6inch white hydro pots. And we should see some good growth now that their roots can spread quite a bit more:)

photos as usual are connected. Don’t post a reply until I’ve posted the last set. (This sight only allows 15 photos at a time)
 

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All photos below are captioned. Thanks for reading my updates, Aloha!
 

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Sorry to hear about the clones.
The rest of the girls look great. SOG arrangement is spot on and not to far from being ready to flip!
I have stunted plants before by topping them down to a node that only had tiny growth tips, but I think all of yours are gonna do fine. Maybe a little concerned about "B3".
I like the nursery and the full set-up there :) Nice and orderly!
 
Sorry to hear about the clones.
The rest of the girls look great. SOG arrangement is spot on and not to far from being ready to flip!
I have stunted plants before by topping them down to a node that only had tiny growth tips, but I think all of yours are gonna do fine. Maybe a little concerned about "B3".
I like the nursery and the full set-up there :) Nice and orderly!

Yeah B3 was a little behind but had to be topped to keep schedule with the rest of the crop. She was topped yesterday so I hope she she doesn’t stunt but even if so it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
 
Loving the set up. I told my wife I want to do something similar with multiple tents but more of a perpetual grow instead of a sog. She said get away from me 😆.

I don't mind waiting for plants to get big. Nui 'oihana.
 
Loving the set up. I told my wife I want to do something similar with multiple tents but more of a perpetual grow instead of a sog. She said get away from me 😆.

I don't mind waiting for plants to get big. Nui 'oihana.

The second tent will be bought after the first harvest. This system is designed to be perpetually harvested and once fully operating should produce a pound or more every month.

Were about 6months out from that dream though. For now I just wanna get this SOG finished and get my actual crop growing.
 
I actually think she'll be fine... right on the edge maybe, but I think those tips are big enough. At least, they are bigger than the tips were on the plant that I stunted ;)
You are doing great! Good strong looking little plants :)
 
Week 6 now and everyone is almost completely done being topped. The goal is to have 8 main colas on each plant so that when they’re introduced into the tent they fill in perfectly and don’t overcrowd. Been super busy so the photos will have to speak for themselves. Not much has changed. We’re still in full on veg. I’ve got two clones from each plant rooting below the veg table. Soon we will be flipping to a 12/12 on one of the two clones to begin sorting sex on the parent plants. The second clone of each mother plant will then begin training to enter the flower tent.

The last photo is the latest latest one I just took before lights out. It shows the evening droop I discussed in another thread. But you can see the plants starting to fill out and flatten on top. I stunted c2 after the other clones failed I was in to much of a rush to clone and cut it before it’s growth tips were developed enough. Other than c2 being one topping behind the rest this grow is going swell! Nutrient deficiency occurred on a2 but she’s fully recovered.

Its now just a waiting game until they bush out enough for further training. Thanks for reading,

aloha!
 

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Okay okay okay... I know this Journal started out awesome but with me starting a company while working two jobs I just couldn’t keep up with the details. Here’s the girls on week 11 of veg. They’ve been through a lot. We’ve lost three of the 6. One to a training error where she split right down the center of the manifold. And 2 to damage from my light rack falling on them... (lesson #1, don’t try to adjust lights while you’re drunk ;)..)

anyway I’m left with three plants. B1 has shown early signs of being female so I went ahead and took the risk of transplanting it to the DWC mother spot. She had great structure and vigorous growth. Outshined all her sisters and definitely deserves the momma seat if I’m correct on the sex. I’ve got clones in the window sexing and I should have confirmation on all my sexes very soon. If all goes to plan B1 will remain in the mother seat while her sisters fill the tent for our next round. Hopefully the other two left are both females. They’ve grown along side a set of three super skunks that im growing for another mother plant DWC Bucket. Whichever two from them I choose will join the Niles River ladies in the tent to fill it out with a 4 plant scrog. Wew! Glad I got to catch everyone up with IslandColas. As always much aloha my friends!
 

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