Kali Mist CFL Scrog Grow Journal - 05-19-13

[CrimsonBlitz]

Hi everyone and welcome to my first real cannabis grow ever! I will be growing 2 of Attitudes Serious Seeds Critical Kali Mist. My Setup consists of a Stealth grow cabinet that I built, which measures 48”L X 12”W X 42”H. It has 3 compartments, starting with the top left which is my Utility/Cure Room with a 4” Suncourt Inline Exhaust fan rated at 80CFM on the side. The entire system is a passive negative pressure environment.

Quick Specs
Strain: Critical Kali Mist (Breeder: Serious Seeds 2013)
Type 90% Sativa 10% Indica
Flowering Period ~ 80 Days
Height: Medium
Stretch after initiating flower: 140%
Sex: Feminized Seeds
# of Plants: 2
Grow Space 36"L X 12"W X 42"H
Lighting: Pulley System 10x CFL 27w each 2,000 Lumens each.
Spectrum: 8x 2700k 2x 6500k
Distance from plants: 3"
Lighting Schedule: GLR
Ventilation: Passive Intake System S&P 100X 130CFM Exhaust.
Medium: Soil (Hampton's Estate Premium Potting Mix [.25 .10 .10])
Size Pots: 2gal.
PH: 6.8
Setup: Scrog (LST, FIM, Topping as well)
Temperature: Fluctuates (Currently 82F)
Room Humidity: 20% (fairly consistent)
Fertilizer: Miracle Grow 20-20-20 (hoping to change soon)
Watering Schedule: 1x/5days or as needed.

DIY carbon scrubber to remove the odor.

For lighting I'm using Y Adapters, 10 CFL's (27w 2,000 Lumen each [6,666 Lumens/sq ft.]) 2 slots will be dedicated to 6400 veg CFL’s to help keep a balanced spectrum in the flowering phase. Currently I'm just using a few 6500k 27w cfls to veg.

For Soil I’m using Hampton’s Estate Organic Professional Potting Mix, the Nutritional Values are .25-.10-.10. I decided on 2 gallon pots with my moveable scrog screen 8” above the soil. (Currently debating moving screen down to 6" or 7")

Kali Mist Day 1 - Sprouted 05/19/13

Kali Mist Day 3 - 05/21/13

Kali Mist Day 5 - 05/23/13 Plant #1 and #2

Kali Mist Day 7 - 05/25/13
Switched to GLR Light Schedule. 12 hr's on 5 1/2 hr's off 1 hr on 5 1/2 hr's off.

Kali Mist Day 8 - 05/26/13

It's time for another update, the 2 plants are starting to pick up speed in their growth. Their both staying very short (Plant #1 is 1 1/2inch tall. Plant #2 is 2" tall. Both with tight inter node spacing. One thing that caught my attention is it appears like the side branching from the inter nodes started very early, I'm not sure if this is normal however I am very happy that it's branching out so early. Currently I'm watering with plain tap water that has been standing for 3 days to help rid the chemicals from that water. I'll begin fertilization in another week, with 1/4th strength using Miracle Grow 20-20-20 for veg. This is not my ideal choice of fertilizers, but low funds = limited choices. Hope the Miracle Grow isn't too bad though!

Here's a quick recap of whats been going on the past couple days with the girls.


Kali Mist Day 9 - 05/27/13

Kali Mist Day 10 - 05/28/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 10 - 05/28/13 Plant #2

Kali Mist Day 11 - 05/29/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 11 - 05/29/13 Plant #2

Kali Mist Day 12 - 05/30/13 Plant #1

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

It is now Day 12 for the Kali Mist and I decided to start fertilizing with a quarter strength of 20-20-20 Miracle grow. In addition to fertilization I decided to FIM plant #2 at the 4th internode and plant #1 at the 5th internode.


Kali Mist Day 12 - 05/30/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 12 - 05/30/13 Plant #2 FIM Before and After

Kali Mist Day 13 - 05/31/13 Plant #1 FIM Before and After

Kali Mist Day 13 - 05/31/13 Plant #2

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

This update shows that the FIM was unsuccessful, unfortunately I learned nothing from this experience except that I prefer topping due to its ease of use.


Kali Mist Day 15 - 06/02/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 15 - 06/02/13 Plant #2

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I wanted to share a great DIY CFL Ballast Video I located on youtube by a photographer. I have never found such an amazing and comprehensive CFL Guide. This video simply blew my mind. How-to: Powerful DIY video light (800 watt equivalent) - YouTube

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

4 new updates on my cabinet setup. First I Upgraded my Fan from a cheap Home depot fan 80CFM duct fan to a S&P 100X 130CFM this puppy has power and back pressure doesn't slow it down much at all, maybe a 15-25 CFM drop. The only downside from my experience with the S&P was attaching a carbon scrubber, every design I tried cut the CFM down to almost nothing. I tried at least 20 different designs to get maximum airflow and only 1 was successful. That was my original cup filter but instead of predrilled holes through the bottom about 25-35 or so. I revamped the design and drilled out the entire bottom and this only cut my CFM by maybe 30 or so and was placed on the inside of the cabinet on the intake side of the S&P. The Third change was my lighting setup, I cut the wood way down to allow for better ventilation, this helped tremendously. Last update is instead of 2 scrog screens, it is only 1 and about 6" longer to help improve yield.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

Topped Both plants, Plant #1 at the 5th Internode and Plant #2 at the 4th internode.


Kali Mist Day 17 - 06/04/13 Plant #1

-


Kali Mist Day 17 - 06/04/13 Plant #2

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

Decided its time to start using LST with the girls. The Fan leaves are really starting to get Big!


Kali Mist Day 19 - 06/06/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 19 - 06/06/13 Plant #2

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I forgot to add that when I topped the 2 plants, I decided to try my hand at cloning. I made the cut with small scissors cut at 180 degree and quickly dipped the cuttings into Rooting Hormone and straight into some peat moss in a mini pot. The clones have rooted, are growing strong, and are being LST for the next 2-3 months to replace the 2 current plants when their finished. The goal is to try to get a semi perpetual grow. In addition to the 2 clones I made a third that went straight into 11 1/2 hr on 12 1/2 off as soon as the roots appeared and is also being LST. This third plant is strictly to get a sample taste of my buds early on.


Kali Mist Clones - No Dates.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

Kali Mist Day 22 - 06/09/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 22 - 06/09/13 Plant #2

Guess I forgot to snap photos of Plant #2


Kali Mist Day 24 - 06/11/13 Plant #1

I topped both plants a second time at the two Main Cola's , Plant #1 was cut at the second internode and Plant #2 was cut at the first internode hard to see in the pics. By cutting at the first internode I was able to get a really even canopy going however I lost 2 secondary branches due to topping at the first internode.


Kali Mist Day 25 - 06/12/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 25 - 06/12/13 Plant #2

 

[KingJohnC]

subscribed. your last post in your journal the photographs did not post.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

subscribed. your last post in your journal the photographs did not post.

Wow, good eye. Just caught that lol. Thanks

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I've been pondering for awhile how to set up some sort of a low drainage system in my cabinet in such a cramped space. The reason for the drainage system is I wont be able to remove the plants from the cabinet with the scrog screen over top when I water and I need to flush my plants 2 weeks prior to harvest. I devised a low cost very simple DIY setup with a drainage potting dish for under a buck and an aquarium air filter hose glued with silicon into the drainage dish, it is then run around the base of the cabinet through the bottom passive intake hole with an air stop valve to prevent water leaking all over my floor and so I don't have to keep sucking the nasty water out every time. The system has been tried and tested, works out great.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

More Low stress training on Plant #1


Kali Mist Day 26 - 06/13/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 26 - 06/13/13 Plant #2

I decided to do an experiment to see which plant would fill the screen the quickest. Both plants had the main colas topped twice so far. Plant #1 will remain untouched and Plant #2 will have all secondary branches topped once along with some serious LST to really even out the canopy and allow for better light penetration to all secondary branches.


Kali Mist Day 28 - 06/15/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 28 - 06/15/13 Plant #2

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I'm not really sure what happened, but the girls went into over drive and there's been nothing but explosive growth over the last 3 days. No Complaints on my end


Kali Mist Day 31 - 06/18/13 Plant #1

Kali Mist Day 31 - 06/18/13 Plant #2

I decided to go ahead and put the screen inside the cabinet, I'd also like to point out that Plant #2 which was topped significantly more than Plant #1 has a pretty even canopy, more colas and is 3" shorter than plant #1, however it has grown quite a bit slower due to the stress. If I had an HPS light I would most likely LST, but due to CFL poor light penetration I would strongly advise to top more and create as even a canopy as possible.

*Caution - Try at your own risk.* please check if your genotype handles topping well
An example from a germinated seedling might be like so, Top at the 2nd internode when the plant is healthy enough to do so. I know this is incredibly early but bear with me here, you will now get 4 main tops. At this point your gonna bend the 4 branches low to the ground and keep them completely even with each other then clip or tie them in place your tops should look like a cross + Once the second node on each top appears again you continue to top in this manner doubling the colas and keeping a very short bushy plant.

I'll be attempting this grow with my next 2 clones, stay tuned for the next grow journal in the following days or weeks.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

All constructive feedback and advice is welcome. Please share your knowledge with us, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I've been wondering for some time now if I should remove a couple fan leaves that block light to other tops 3" below the screen, I tried tying them down and moving them out of the way but didn't have much luck. I'd like to think removing a few leaves wont slow things down at all. Also should I lollipop the undergrowth 2 weeks into flowering? there has been quite a bit of debate on this subject, in my mind I would think defoliating, before flipping to 12/12 slowly would be best or not removing fan leaves at all.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

One observation I've made is secondary branches aren't growing much if it all on untopped branches, to correct this I may make a cut after tops have gone 1-2" above the screen to promote growth OR possibly bend the tips downward into the screen to hopefully get the same effect without the stress of topping.

 

[Gadfly]

I've been wondering for some time now if I should remove a couple fan leaves that block light to other tops 3" below the screen, I tried tying them down and moving them out of the way but didn't have much luck. I'd like to think removing a few leaves wont slow things down at all. Also should I lollipop the undergrowth 2 weeks into flowering? there has been quite a bit of debate on this subject, in my mind I would think defoliating, before flipping to 12/12 slowly would be best or not removing fan leaves at all.

I like to get under the canopy and look up. If I know light wont hit an area even w/ training/bending I remove what's there--even in flower. My take is why have my girl waste energy on something that will slowly die anyhow. I apologize but I don't know what it means to lollipop them. If it's the same as defoliating, doing it in flower will be fine. I would recommend doing in sessions and not everyday to minimize any slowdown. For example, defoliate at week 3 and then only remove what is absolutely necessary. Some folks defoliate 2 or 3 times during flowering though so I guess you could experiment and see what yields the best results.

Someone made a really neat Excel spreadsheet here for everyone to use, but I just and can't remember where to find it. I'll get that to you once it comes back to me. I remember that they did their defoliating at 21 and 45 days into flower.

When I was growing hydro we used to completely remove everything from the bottom 1/3 of the plant and ALL fan leaves at 5 weeks into flower. I hated doing it, but it worked for what the objective was and I noticed little to no shock at all.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

I like to get under the canopy and look up. If I know light wont hit an area even w/ training/bending I remove what's there--even in flower. My take is why have my girl waste energy on something that will slowly die anyhow. I apologize but I don't know what it means to lollipop them. If it's the same as defoliating, doing it in flower will be fine. I would recommend doing in sessions and not everyday to minimize any slowdown. For example, defoliate at week 3 and then only remove what is absolutely necessary. Some folks defoliate 2 or 3 times during flowering though so I guess you could experiment and see what yields the best results.

Someone made a really neat Excel spreadsheet here for everyone to use, but I just and can't remember where to find it. I'll get that to you once it comes back to me. I remember that they did their defoliating at 21 and 45 days into flower.

When I was growing hydro we used to completely remove everything from the bottom 1/3 of the plant and ALL fan leaves at 5 weeks into flower. I hated doing it, but it worked for what the objective was and I noticed little to no shock at all.

Thank you for shedding some light on the topic, that makes a lot of sense to defoliate in sessions instead of a little every day, I'm guessing by defoliating daily it causes compounded stress to the plant and stunted growth, I'll be sure to follow your advice and remove fan leaves blocking light to tops.

Lollipopping is removing the entire vegetation below the scrog screen or 1/3 of the foliage including all secondary branches that wont make it to the screen. The theory behind it is having vegetation below the screen causes excess humidity which results in less ventilation and increased risk of mold and other air borne pathogens also energy is wasted on popcorn buds that would otherwise be directed to the main colas. The theory against lollipopping is the fan leaves not only act as factories which generate sugars and other beneficial nutrients to the plant but also act as storage facilities that store energy for plant growth.

I'd really appreciate checking out that excel spread, looks like an excellent read.

 

[CrimsonBlitz]

Controversial Technique Increases Marijuana Yields... But At What Cost? I've been scouring the Internet for some time about this controversial topic of lollipopping and defoliation. I've been hell bent on finding a good answer today. This article makes sense to me but I'm still not entirely convinced until I see a controlled side by side experiment. As of now I may try the defoliation technique while in veg on 1 plant to personally compare the results, no lollipopping will be done. I am rather concerned about the quality of the buds as well using this method. I would still like to hear the thoughts of some experienced growers on the subject but I don't want to digress too much from the journal or start a debate.