DankestBuds Aurora Indica Grown In Soil

[DankestBuds42]

Hey all. Back to the basics for me. Starting fresh. My new plan is to focus all my energy on just one plant. So here is Zara the Aurora Indica c:

 

[DankestBuds42]

Hello all. So I decided to rename my girl to Hope. Seems more fitting. Also decided to chop her 4th node off, so she should grow 4 new tops if all goes well. Gave her first nutrient solution last watering. 2ml of micro, grow, and bloom nutes in 2L of water. Didn't need a ton. Already notice rapid growth and improved overall health which is dank. My grow goal is 5 ounces, but anything would be awesome. Stay positive everyone

 

[DankestBuds42]

Day 23. Hope is straight-up rocking it. Topping was a success and she actually started 6 tops instead of 4. Her 2 highest tops are shading the lowers so probably wont see much growth below. But her main tops are growing like there's no tomorrow. Overall she is exceptionally vibrant and healthy. I'm very stoked with her progress so far.

Just been watering her with the 2ml of micro, grow, and bloom nutes in 2L of water every watering. Doesn't take much to water her. Seems like she wants more nutes than what I'm giving her. Which is a little surprising because I've only been watering her with nutrient water for the past couple weeks. I'll probably give her straight tap water next round then bump her dose up to full strength.

Party on

 

[DankestBuds42]

Bumped up Hope's nutrient dose and she's loving it. Lately I've keep my 600w MH light on 50%, because any higher with the door closed and my temps get ridiculous. But when I'm home I'll keep the door open and turn it up to 100% no problems. My intake fan is super loud so I haven't been using it. Temps are fine with the passive air intake for now, but I'll need to work on that before flower cycle.

In other news. I have a new friend to add to my family! Seed A popped above ground today. That's cool. He/She has the same birthday as me lol. Still no action from Seed B, however I'm feeling positive I've decided to keep all my plants in my main tent as the lighting is best there, until Hope needs more room. Then I will probably shuffle the rest into my cfl veg cupboard.

Size Comparison/Hope Update

So yeah. Not the healthiest/dankest bagseed-seedling I've seen, but she's just starting out. Probably just needs some tlc. Anywho, have a chill night/morning depening on when you read this.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Seed B popped above ground today! 2 out of 3 isn't bad at all. They are bagseed so I'm not sure what strain they are or if they are male/female. Hoping for 1 female and 1 male so I could make seeds next grow cycle. Knowing my luck they'll probably both be males. I still have 22 seeds left so I can always try again if so. If both are males, I'll germinate 5 at a time until I get a female. But yeah, super stoked on this. Going to leave them be in my main tent until Hope needs more space. Weoo!

Bagseed that I've grown has always been either super delicate or pretty beastly. If delicate, which seems to be the case with my two new seedlings, I usually just give water until roots are well established. Maybe 1-2 weeks. Then I give first nute dose. Unlike my Aurora Indica which is super beastly and likes heavier nutrient solution right off the bat.

Seedling A and B both have some desirable qualities. A was very fast to break ground and is already larger than B. Only downside is A has rather light coloured cotyledons and even lighter coloured new growth. Dark greens are usually what I aim for. I see them as signs of health and vigor. B is really dark green in colour. However she took longer to make it above ground and is smaller than A, even though they started at the same time and had exact same conditions. All in all, both are looking great and I'm stoked to be growing regardless the outcome. Stay frosty everyone.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Sick as tits. Up potted Hope today. Using a 7 Gallon/30 Liter fabric pot, her final home, but only had enough soil to fill half way. Still lots more room for her roots to play. I plan to let her grow until all her tops are above the pot, then I'll fill the rest with soil. Started with a little hst on her two main tops a couple weeks ago, now I'm just doing some minor lst. Using the max nutrient dose for veg stage.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Alrighty, I have some major plans in the works. Stuff that'll blow your socks off backwards. For now though I have some updates.
Got a new air intake fan. 10x quieter than my last and allows more temperature control which is awesome. I can keep the lights maxed out, lowered, and the tent door shut and temps are still between 23* and 26*C.

I have a little bad news though. I saw a thrip on Hope...... I DON'T KNOW HOW THE HECK THEY ARE STILL AROUND. I've been using D.E. for ages. But yeah, used some more of the D.E. Just dumped a huge pile on the little bugger. Then did a light misting everywhere else on and around Hope. I'm sure she'll be fine.

This is how my tent looks now. Got lots on the go but Hope is my #1 priority.

So done with thrips.

Got some new beans in the mix! 3 new sprouts and 2 more planted. All bagseed, but there are two seedlings that really have me impressed.
Plant A and C are two plants that I think will have some supremely dank genetics. Right off the bat they were darker vibrant green than the others. Also they have a very short, compact structure and they have strong stems. Some of the other bagseed I have are light yellow, have flimsy leaves, or wobbly stems. So I'll probably only use the best 3 seedlings to try my new grafting project.

Here is Plant E

Plant D

Plant C

The new gang

Man. I have such a big change planned. Now that I live alone, I want a grow space that actually allows me to grow enough to smoke regularly. So I'm going to upgrade from my 3'x3'x7' tent, to over 4 times the size with a 9'x5'x14'. I know exactly what I'm going to get. A Gorilla Grow Tent with multiple height extensions. Only downside is it costs $775 solely for the tent, plus $150 per height extension. I'll probably need at least two. Then. The cherry on top. A high end LED light system. Still deciding between Advanced Platinum Led, Kind Led, or another brand. Going to want quality, so price is usually $1200-$1800. I've got a plan. Now I just need to work on the funds. Stay green everyone

 

[DankestBuds42]

Got some new stuff so I thought I'd update. Bought a really cheap and basic led light on Amazon. Came in a couple days which was nice surprise. Only 110v (uses 12w), but I figure it couldn't hurt. Set it all up and it's looking great. But what really got me excited was this other package I got in the mail.

This stuff right here, was sent to me from "OverGrow Canada 2017". I signed up thinking they weren't serious, but I now have over 125 free seeds. Really impressed. There were a few that were pretty mangled looking or split, but I could easily get 90+ plants out of this. Plus free stickers. Love cannabis stickers haha. They essentially want me to grow some indoors until they can be transplanted outdoors in public areas. Then they want me to take pics of my plants in these areas. I'm down. Not sure where I'd plant them but we'll see.

Here's my new light arrangement.

Bagseed starting to get big

Considering I've never used Led before, I'll be keeping a close eye on Hope and the gang to make sure they don't get light burn. Stay frosty everyone.

 

[TheFrizz]

Good to see your new grow Dankest, and I gotta say your symmetry and training on Hope is on point!!

I have to say though, if you are mainly just looking for enough to smoke for yourself, don't spend 1.5k on a bigger tent etc. I would recommend a method like DWC which yields more for a given space than soil. I was able to get 2 lbs dry bud in 5 months in a 4 by 4 tent on my first grow. The total cost for EVERYTHING including electricity was only $1250.

If you applied the training skills you are demonstrating on Hope to plants that were in DWC you could easily be pulling 8 oz + per plant with very little effort. Oh yeah and in DWC you don't have to worry bout thrips.....just sayin

 

[DankestBuds42]

Good to see your new grow Dankest, and I gotta say your symmetry and training on Hope is on point!!

I have to say though, if you are mainly just looking for enough to smoke for yourself, don't spend 1.5k on a bigger tent etc. I would recommend a method like DWC which yields more for a given space than soil. I was able to get 2 lbs dry bud in 5 months in a 4 by 4 tent on my first grow. The total cost for EVERYTHING including electricity was only $1250.

If you applied the training skills you are demonstrating on Hope to plants that were in DWC you could easily be pulling 8 oz + per plant with very little effort. Oh yeah and in DWC you don't have to worry bout thrips.....just sayin

Hey TheFrizz. Hope you're doing well. Thanks for stopping by, and for the mighty kind words

You've definitely given me some things to think about, really appreciate that. There are two things I have to say in response.
First, I really don't like my current tent. Absolutely tiny. The carbon filter/reflector combo take up almost a third of the tent. Plus it's not light tight without the thick sheets. So if I can fit a 4x8x12 Gorilla Grow Tent in my place, even if I don't get new lights, I'll still be able to grow huge trees much taller than me indoors.
Second. I've been really curious about DWC and hydroponics since I got into growing. The no thrips aspect would be a god send for me. I'm blown away by their persistence I think they're gone now. Still have the D.E. at the ready. Only issue would be affording new equipment and learning the new system. Need to read up on it all. Definitely want to give the dwc a try. Thanks for the suggestion

But 2lbs in a 4x4? DAMN SON. Mad respect.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Been a little while since my last update and Hope has gotten pretty big Only had enough soil to fill half the pot at the time, but it worked out super well. She grew a bunch, then I trimmed back some leaves and new growth, then added extra soil. Now all her limbs are buried so they should all start growing roots underground. Instead of roots just forming below the main stem. Pretty sure any living plant stem that is buried grows roots. More roots = bigger fruits (supposedly).

Hope

Top Shot

Some bagseed plants I have going on, plus I'm trying my luck with 125+ free seeds (sent to me by overgrow canada 2017), and then I'm trying to grow 3 seeds I found in my dispensary bud. Super Silver Haze, Viola Kush, and Shishkaberry.

And here is my tent set up. Just wanted to get something cheap to get me into growing, need to upgrade soon though. Oh yeah, and you can see how much space the carbon filter/reflector combo take up. I can make it work for now. I'll just get super stoked when I can upgrade haha.

 

[TheFrizz]

Hope is looking damn fine, nice work and I think that's a great idea to bury her a bit more to encourage extra root growth.
With my first grow I noticed a pretty strong correlation between root mass and final yield and so I definitely think anything you can do to increase her root volume is great. Just make sure it doesn't get too uhm, "steamy" under her skirt...she needs breathing room

Speaking of root mass....I just read your post on my thread, so glad you will be giving DWC a shot!! Honestly it feels so much easier to me than soil because you can actually see what is happening to every part of the plant and act accordingly. With soil it's like "hmm well I guess I'll take out mah x-ray goggles and try to figure out WTF is going on under that dirt". Ok maybe that's an exxageration but still, point is I am glad you're giving it a shot and I'd love to help you get set up whenever you're ready.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Hope is looking damn fine, nice work and I think that's a great idea to bury her a bit more to encourage extra root growth.
With my first grow I noticed a pretty strong correlation between root mass and final yield and so I definitely think anything you can do to increase her root volume is great. Just make sure it doesn't get too uhm, "steamy" under her skirt...she needs breathing room

Speaking of root mass....I just read your post on my thread, so glad you will be giving DWC a shot!! Honestly it feels so much easier to me than soil because you can actually see what is happening to every part of the plant and act accordingly. With soil it's like "hmm well I guess I'll take out mah x-ray goggles and try to figure out WTF is going on under that dirt". Ok maybe that's an exxageration but still, point is I am glad you're giving it a shot and I'd love to help you get set up whenever you're ready.

Thanks! I agree! For my first grow, I got a bit too into topping. Really stunted things. Since then I've taken a much more relaxed approach. Topped Hope once, and aside from some basic lst to space out her limbs, I just let her do what she feels best. You make a good point about air flow though. I'll probably let her beef up a little more then give her a hair cut.
I'm going to let her grow vertically for a little bit, then carefully supercrop her arms back down. I need to try and get her branches all the way to the sides of the tent. Slowly but surely. I'm thinking she can make 4-6 oz dry bud if I max her out. Fingers crossed!

I'm really excited to try out hydroponics. I hear plants grow much faster this way compared to soil. Only area I'm kind of iffy about is nutrient dose. With soil I never test ph. But I'm pretty sure with hydroponics you need to get the nutrient dose and water temperature on point. Will have to read up tonight. Glad to have your support!

 

[DankestBuds42]

Okay I apologize for the longer post here, but I have some things on my mind I need to work out as well as minor updates. I'll throw some pictures in and a summary at the end if people want to skip the reading.

So I tried my luck at Grafting- essentially growing different strains on one mother plant. I just tried with one dank looking bagseed strain on my AI mother. Did not go nearly as well as I'd wanted. But I think I learned in the process which is good. I tried to salvage the tops. They hung out in some cups of water for 10 minutes. Then planted in soil. Misted clones with water, misted sandwich bag interiors, covered pots snug, and poked some breathing holes in. Put in my tent under half a cereal box just to block out most of the light, but still allow the heat to get in. Good luck fellas.

Main issue with grafting was using too small of cutting on a small branch. Next time I'm going to try with two large and thick stems, which should make things muuch easier. Plus I need to get some floral tape which would work perfectly for an air tight bind. It's actually good that it didn't work out because I just realized I don't know if the doner plant is male/female.. that could have ended badly if it worked out haha. I'll have to build a makeshift flower room to try and flower clones of the best bagseed. I'll need to take come cuttings for clones first but I'll need more soil before that. Soil will have to wait until next week.

Before Graft

Lola

Graft Fail

Other End of the Failed Graft

Bagseed Bunch

Hope UnderSkirt

Still Kicking It

Hope Update

Top Shot

Alrighty. From here on out it's just going to be other updates and me attempting to organize my thoughts lol.

So to give some back story. I got my first/current tent and all equipment just to test the waters of indoor growing. My main goal being to get as much quality output for as little money possible. I definitely succeeded on spending as little money as possible, and obtained a very cheap set up. However this tactic posed some unforeseen issues. Although my tent was advertised as "Light-Tight", this was absolute tom foolery.. Light pours through the zipper when the light is on. Thankfully some thick bed sheets did the trick even if it looks peculiar. Another issue I never considered was that the carbon filter/reflector combo actually take up a lot of potential growing space. Almost 1/3 of the tent, plus I can't let the plants get too tall or risk burn/bleaching.
The only other problem is in regards to air circulation and ventilation. But it's kind of a bigger issue. My oscillating fan bit the dust. Need to get a couple more in the future. My Intake fans are either weak or loud, right now I'm going for weak because I like things quieter. One thing that I really really need to get is a second carbon filter so both my air intake and exhaust are covered. Just filtered air in, and filtered air out. But my exhaust fan is massive for the tent size I have and I feel like it sucked up a bunch of D.E. Which could be a possible issue down the road.

SO. Where am I going with all of this? 1. I got my wish of a super cheap set up, but unknowingly risked quality. 2. There are some serious upgrades that are necessary for a thriving garden and supremely dank home grown meds. But the fact that I'm aware of this is good and allows for specific improvements.

One topic I seriously regret to bring up is Thrips. These mother flockers are so persistent I just cannot believe how they keep coming back. And back. And even when you think you've won for the 3rd time. Nope. "All out of soil? Just go down to the park and snag a cup! It'll be fine!, I said." Pfffftttt. Little did I know I would be causing much headache in the future. Never again. I haven't seen any thrips in a couple weeks but I'm still using the D.E. as a precautionary.
Straight up. I'm not down for any bugs. They've always freaked me out so hardcore. Just really bad experiences as a kid. So I need to get them under control/dealt with before I progress as a grower.

I have to give a major shout-out to TheFrizz for suggesting I get into DWC A really easy solution to a hair-pulling issue I've been having. DWC will absolutely be in my near-ish future. I'm sure there are other benefits to hydroponics other than no thrips. I still need to read up and take notes. But I'm pretty sure plants grow faster with hydro. (No thrips though )

One thing I'm working on right now is saving up for an automechanics course at my choice college. I'm currently doing hotel work (for very little money) until I can take this automotive course, get my red seal, become a mechanic, and hit the fast track. Until I hit the fast track, I need to cut back on my expenses if I want to save for that better job.
It makes me a little sad to say this but, I'm thinking I'll shut everything down after this cycle. Only temporary but still. I'm undecided how long I will be out of commission for. At least long enough to save up for some important stuff like new glasses, a vehicle (extremely important), some dental stuff, and especially my dream grow set up.

So if all goes as planned. I'll get some life upgrades and that'll keep me going. Then I can focus all my energy towards maxing out my available growing space and equipment. Definitely getting either the Gorilla Grow Tent 4x8x12 or 5x9x12. That will be my first priority. Absolutely amazing reviews, haven't seen a bad one yet. Plus all their materials are strong and quality. I wouldn't need bed sheets on this new tent!!! This makes me excited. However what makes me even more excited, is the fact that with a 12' tall grow tent. I would need a full sized ladder to check on my girl(s) as time goes on. That's hilarious! If only my mom could see that xD Just kidding. She doesn't swing that way sadly. But I could literally have cannabis trees and aim for harvesting over a pound off one plant or something totally ridiculous yet fantastic.
Once I get this new tent. I'll have a nice clean slate to start with. No thrips allowed!! My next priority would be essentially new everything else. New air intake/exhaust fans, new carbon filters, some oscillating fans. The works. Then there is just two things. Obtaining a new high powered LED light (very important for saving on my electricity bill and getting better yields). And figuring out how I'm going to do my DWC set up. The led lights are usually quite expensive if you're paying for quality. Low income makes things tricky. But where there's a dream, there's always a way.

For my first DWC system. I'm still deciding if I want to go the "store-bought" route, or something more home made. I'm kind of want to do both. I like the simple style of HydroWest AquaBuckets, although I'm thinking of only growing one or two plants, so I would worry about the available space for root growth. Which is why I also lean towards something home made. If I can re-create this system but slightly larger out of materials from everyday stores near me. That'd be dank. I'll have to think about that more. Buying a pre-made set off amazon sounds pretty convenient though. Something I still need to consider.

I'll come back with a solid list of everything I'd need and how long it'll take me to obtain this stuff.

So in conclusion.
1. I'll need to shut everything down after this cycle to save $$$. Thinking 2-4 months but we'll see. Once I come back though, I'll have my dream set up.
2. Right stoked on my future switch to dwc and no thrips, but still need to read up a bunch and save up a bunch.
3. In the mean time, Hope is doing phenomenal. Bagseed are trucking along with her.

Anywho, cheers if you endured my disorganized thoughts. Time for a smoke break
Stay Frosty everyone and don't work too hard

 

[DankestBuds42]

Gave Hope a little hair cut. I think she's looking fabulous. Just need to let her get taller and bend her limbs back down along the way.

Watered recently with 2L of three part nutrient solution at max dose. As well as 3L before hand of regular tap water. She should be set for a good while. Can't wait for the flip to flower as usual haha. I'm not sure what's up with my light though. When I put in the HPS, it's considerably less hot, to the point where there is almost no heat being produced. While my MH produces a lot of heat. Not sure if something is up with my bulb or what. Just need to make it through this cycle though and I'll be fine. Don't work too hard everyone. It's just life.

 

[DankestBuds42]

Well folks. A small storm of hst has blown through my tent. I'm very pleased with the results. Hope's tallest limbs were so thick and actually hurt my hands when I was making the pinch/bend. Damn son. Go Hope! An exceptionally strong happy plant makes me a happy camper
Hst on the bagseed was much easier. I can really tell the difference in quality of genetics between bagseed and seedbank seeds. It's like night and day. I'll have to order some new beans once I get my new setup going. That last statement gets me right stoked. Ridiculous selection options. Anyway, have a good one errybody.

 

[TheFrizz]

Looking good!! There is something so satisfying about bending out the limbs, just knowing how much more light and air will be getting to the whole stem now Such a nice flat canopy too!

How has Hope been doing with her new buried stems? I am super curious to know what it looks like under the soil, it would be cool to see roots coming off of all of those new buried branches

 

[DankestBuds42]

Day after hst, Hope is already back to reaching for the light!

 

[DankestBuds42]

Looking good!! There is something so satisfying about bending out the limbs, just knowing how much more light and air will be getting to the whole stem now Such a nice flat canopy too!

How has Hope been doing with her new buried stems? I am super curious to know what it looks like under the soil, it would be cool to see roots coming off of all of those new buried branches

Cheers! I'm stoked to see how big I can get her haha. Those are very good points. I also like how after hst, a giant moose-knuckle forms. I'll post a picture after she heals and grows. Maximum nutrient flow!

So far so good with the buried branches! I'm going to let her grow out all her tops some more, trim back all the new growth, then add in more soil to fill just below the pot brim. Cover those limbs even more. Yeah, I'm super curious to see the root structure at the end! She has much promise. Glad to have you over at this end of the pond

 

[TheFrizz]

Cheers! I'm stoked to see how big I can get her haha. Those are very good points. I also like how after hst, a giant moose-knuckle forms. I'll post a picture after she heals and grows. Maximum nutrient flow!

So far so good with the buried branches! I'm going to let her grow out all her tops some more, trim back all the new growth, then add in more soil to fill just below the pot brim. Cover those limbs even more. Yeah, I'm super curious to see the root structure at the end! She has much promise. Glad to have you over at this end of the pond

Yeah! The knuckles are pretty cool I really like your idea about continually burying the stems...is this an idea you came up with or is it a tested grow technique? I feel like it could be neat in hydro as well...*puts on mad scientist goggles*

And yeah, "Helllooooo frommm theeee otherrrrrr sideeeeee!" (Adele was playing on the radio, sorry ) But seriously though, it would be fun to hang out some time if you are ever in the States! Or if we come up to Canada. What part of BC do you live in?