Kiiwi's 1st Grow - White Rhino x 2 - 600w HPS - Indoor - Soil

[Kiiwi]

Hello, this is my very first attempt to grow MJ myself and as i've found this forum VERY helpful, i thought i'd give something back (even if it was an example of HOW TO NOT grow MJ).

So okay, here's the deal:

Room: 1.5m x 0.5m x 2m
Plant(s): 2 white rhinos both in 2nd week of 12/12-light sequence. (Started the journal this late because pics of vegs for weeks can probably get a bit boring)
Lights: 600w HPS (yes, i know it's a bit too much, but this was in my possession before i started the project, so i didn't want to spend money on an asset i already had)
soil: Basic wallmart soil and some pebbles at bottom and top of soil
ventilation: Intake air from a nearby window, exhaust will be done by a 120mm duct and a duct fan (2.66m3/min) as soon as i get the fan powered up (230V/0.12A) plus an oscillating table fan moving the air in the growroom. Any makeshift patents regarding ventilation and humidity are welcome, the 600w bulb tends to get a bit hot!
fertilizers: Biobizz bloom
temperature/rh: Day: 26c-29c / 22-45%rh Night: 19c-24c / 35-60%rh (taken from the same heighth as the newest shoots so a bit lower at root level)


Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's a pic from today. I will add more as soon as my camera is charged.

Hopefully this will turn out to be an success and i won't have further trouble on the way...I already had to commit huge amputation on my other girl, as her main stem had been broken somehow by the friend from whom i got these 2 clones, it was poorly fixed and resulted in the death of half the plant (don't worry, the operation was a success and she is recovering just fine, she's a strong plant) .

Well anyway, i think that's it for now, i'll get back to u as soon as something worth reporting pops up, thanks for all the critic and advice up front.

-Kiiwi

 

[ItsChrome]

Looks good man and it sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders about this. Keep doing what you're doing and I'm in for the ride!

 

[Kiiwi]

Thanks Chrome!

Yes, i will try my best with this, i thought i didn't have it in me to grow myself, but now that i'm doing it, I'M LOVING IT!
I find this very therapeutic to myself.

Mm, back on topic: Humidity, that's a problem, same as heat at afternoon and evening. It seems that the lamp generates WAY too much heat for so small area. Eventhough i have fresh air from outdoors pouring in (about 10celsius in temp) from the inlet and i keep the closet door fixed a bit open AND the revolving fan in the closet is blowing at my plants the temp is at 27-30C / 20-27rh. (If i understand anything, they should be at 25-27C / 50.60rh. 29C would be ok if i knew how to handle the water politic at that, but i rather just kept the readings at normal)

Now there are 2 probs with this:
1. Is there more humidity in the air than the RELATIVE humidity reading says, if, how much more? Or should my rh be at 50-60 at all times?
2. HOW do i achieve that 50%? Is a well placed exhaust enough if it can suck the air from the closet in 1min? (and bring humid cool air in via negative pressure)

I've tried hanging wet towels around in there but that won't even get rh to 30%
I've also misted the plants few times a day to accommodate the plants for having to live in atacama-desert-simulator, but that seems a bit lame.

So, please, ez household tips are appreciated (no money in few weeks). Thank you.

-Kiiwi

 

[Kiiwi]

10.10. 8.17am

Just woke up and switched the HPS on....Every morning i'm surprised how healthy and strong plants these are! I just sat there inspecting every inch of them in positive awe. Is there a better kickstart for a day? Beats my ol' coffee and cigarette ritual ANY day.

Back on track:
Post office sucks, i've been waiting for my fertilizer for 5days now and i'm getting anxious. The girls were last fertilized on wednesday with sum wallmart basic fert (NPK 5-1-7) so i REALLY wanna get the bloom nutrients in that soil!

Few pics from this morning:

This is the one who had the amputation, she's taking it well don't you think?

Both girls

Can't wait to see the full bloom!!!

Ok, hopefully the photos are enjoyable and so on.

P.S The temp/humidity problem is still relevant *wink wink*

-Kiiwi

 

[Kiiwi]

Update

Got the fertilizer (Biobizz Bloom), added 1.5ml / 0,75Litres to each plant, as opposed to 2-5ml per litre suggested in the bottle. Reason for this is: i watered 'em yesterday + i'm not certain weather or not my Ph is ok so i wanna be cautious in case there's a build up already and for accidental over ferting. Let's see what the xtra fuel does for my babies.

Oh yeah, my girlfriend took a clone from the other plant. So meet Rosie (That's what she named her )

That's it this time, now i'm just hoping the Ph is correct and everything goes smoothly so i can get a routine schedule. (I will get the Ph-meter when i get money so no more guesswork after that)

-Kiiwi

 

[Kiiwi]

14.10

Allright, seems i need to rethink my growroom solution from scratch. Got the exhaust fan (2,66m3/min) running and the results were not quite what i expected (temps didn't budge and the remaining little humidity was lost).

All these problems are ofc caused by my inexperince, should'ha known 600w is way too much and now i'm losing the money i could have used on a 400w or 250w lamp to compensate for the problems caused by the 600w-lamp. Well, next time i'll be that much wiser.

Now i just have to wait 'til payday to get a humidifier in there, additionally i'm going to double the size of the growroom. I'm hoping this will allow the temps to drop to more controllable levels and ventilation won't dry the whole place up so fast. Unforunately the plants will have to endure dryness up to 15%rh until i get the modifications done :S

Additionally, it seems that something is eating the upper fan leaves, but i can't find any bugs, looks like caterpillar damage but i can QUARANTEE there are none. I have an occasional housefly (okay many) coming in and out during the day, but do houseflys eat hemp? Dunno, could spray some pyrethrin in there and see what happens.

Pics:

Camera can't take very good pics while the light is on, so i'll up more detailed ones later. Counted some 30 starting flowers (dunno tho' if the flowers on same branch will close the gaps into one big bud, probably will i think), but looking good budwise ;D

 

[Kiiwi]

17.10 3rd week of flowering starts

Growroom issues have been solved for the most part, so no worries there. Girls are really looking good and i'm feeling confident.

Few pics

Overlook pic

....

Budshot. Plus, WTH is that leaf damage? Haven't been able to detect the cause for this (unless houseflys eat hemp leaves). I guess it's nothing but if someone knows why that occurs, i'd be somewhat relieved!

Another failed budshot.

Well, that's that for now. Things are looking preeetty damn good in my opinion, i thought that by now i would've fucked up everything, so sorry if i seem overly proud, but i can't help it

 

[Kiiwi]

20.10

The best growth spike seems to be over and the plants are settling down, water and nutrient intake have dropped and the plants look healthy . I suspect the plant has reached it's peak in foliar mass and is now directing energy into flowering (or i'm misinterpreting the plant and it has stunted in it's tracks). The small buds are gaining mass by the day and 1st trichomes are slowly creeping to the newest "to be trimmed" leaves (whatever they are called, dunno the word in english)

Pics will follow as soon as there is more eye candy ;D

 

[Kiiwi]

23.10 (Day 29 of Flowering AND my birthday BTW)

Buds are forming nicely and the sheer quantity of pistils and budding sites (counted some 40) is astounding (imo). Nothing much to report, did some bending for better light distribution, nut and watering schedual is working well and i could maybe even push a bit more nuts in there but i rather NOT fix something that is not broken. Still only at halfway, this hobby is some serious long term stuff practice, at least for me!!!

Pics:

The tall lanky one (either a diff pheno or more probably had bad lighting condition at early age)

The bushy stout one

And a budshot (Camera sax so my budshots seriously BLOW, can't get the focus into place :S )

Hmm, that's it for now, can't wait for the next few weeks to pass so i can get fiddling with maturity, trichome colours and ofc 2 or 3 test hits ;D

 

[Kiiwi]

29.10

Pictorial update, enjoy:

 

[Kiiwi]

Camera sax, but i hope these'll do. Since this is my first grow and all; Does these look like they're in 4th week of 12/12?

And ofc, when would be a good time to snatch a little test smoke? ....At harvest ofc, but i wanna have an idea what sort of toke i have growing in my closet. I'm having a hard time controlling the impulse to smoke "just a wee bit, it won't hurt her" :S.

 

[ItsChrome]

Hey hey,

Yeah they are looking good. they seem right on point for the 4th week of flower. remember the first two weeks is their stretch after that they start putting on their weight. they may seem to go into a slow down but dont rush them. the last few weeks they will really pick up the production.

every thing looks great man

 

[Kiiwi]

Thanks Chrome! Nice to see some positive input, really gives me confidence

I'll be getting a 60-100x microscope in the near future, so there will not be any questions regarding the time of harvest...Unless it seems maturing will take an eternity, which hopefully won't happen. Been studying the shit out of the internet lately and i've planned the next cycle throughout, won't be a catastrophy like this one, on next time i'll have everything set up so there are absolutely NO guesswork unless i run into an plant disease or pests!

 

[Toddigy]

Aye Kiwi, awesome job and such a tease of pics since I'm growing in vegetive still!!!

 

[Kiiwi]

Pictorial update, nugs are starting to swell up nicely, can't wait for harvest

Peace out.

 

[Rickie]

looking great bro did your girlfriends cutting survive ? was just wondering where you got white rhino strain from i had a friend try this strain a long time ago and it was just sex sex and more sex loved everything about the strain yield flavour and looks but unfortunately the strain was lost forever im subbed! cant wait to see the girls turn into woman

 

[Kiiwi]

Rickie: Yes, the cuttling survived and is already flowering! Gotta reveg her and start low stress training soon. (unfortunately i don't have a separate veg room :S ). Got from a "in the business" friend (2 clones), and yes, had a taste from the motherplant and i gotta say...LOVE IT! Far better than the stuff in circulation around here, or anywhere i've been to recently.
.... Ofc this exclude the chance that i've been lied to, but i was present when the friend cut the sample and clones for me so i don't actually care if the strain isn't WR

Back on topic: Is this normal drying n' dying of leaves during flowering or am i looking at e.g Mg-def?

The tips are curling UPWARDS, in case it doen't show up in the picture.
Edit. The leaf is from bottom foliage, there are a few other leaves looking like that one, but in general the plant looks healthy, lil' bit of (imo) healthy yellowing, but nothing dramatic.

-Peace

 

[BushyBro]

Looks very healthy man! How big are those plants?

In regards to the curling leaf, it looks like a normal necrosis, if its crumbling up though, id say over fertilised.

 

[Kiiwi]

I don't have means to measure accurately just now, but using my height as reference i'd say 1meter (100cm or 40inches) with 10 cm marginal give or take

 

[Rickie]

thanks for the insight kiwi i know what you mean where im from geting strains and there genetics is a big gamble to see if it is that strain or if it is just what sounds good to every man and his dog but in saying that if it does what its supposed to beggers cant be choosers but in my opinion this looks like it is going to be FILTHY keep up the good work ! and yellowing leaves i personally dont bother much about if it is bottom foliage expecially if its drying while still attached to the plant i think its just its natural cycle but in saying that i once had this problem many years ago and it went threw the hole plant even in new growth i dont know what had happened it was my first attempt at growing and went downhill to say the least and was in soil more likely was over fertilizing dont take my word for this im just along for the ride will give you all the info you need with a bit of patience and reading