MedmanMike Celebrating 10th High-Brix Grow With Major Room & Equipment Upgrades

[medmanmike]

Well, the grow is complete, the final three plants are curing and the lab tests are back so it's time to wrap it up!

I'm going to attach (I hope) a PDF with more lab results, but here's the basics.

To recap:
• 8 autos - 5 Big Bang (Greenhouse Seeds), 1 Green-O-matic (Greenhouse) and 2 Tonic Ryder (World of Seeds).
• They were grown in Doc Bud's High Brix soil in 5 gallon Gro Pro Plant Warrior pots. Gro Pro® Plant Warrior™ Pots | Gro Pro Premium Pots and Containers
• Controlled environment, no CO2
• LED lights - Dorm Grow 450 (1)+ 90W booster (2) & Fluence SYPDRx Plus. (if the names get scrubbed, look at earlier posts)

As I've mentioned previously, I was extremely pleased with the harvest! Not to mention the product
Here are the results:
Big Bang (5 plants) - 772.84g/27.60oz Total Cannabinoids: 23.12%, THC 19.91%, CBD 0.06%
Green-O-matic (1 plant) - 97.74g/3.49oz Tot. Cann.: 25.08%, THC 19.79, CBD 0.07%
Tonic Ryder (2 plants) - 258.93g/9.25oz Tot. Cann.: 21.56%, THC 18.33%, CBD 0.06 (according to the breeder, TR should have been thrown a 2:1 CBD/THC ratio. From the web site: CBD: 10.5%/THC: 4%) Odd phenos I guess.....

Here are some other numbers that may be of interest:
Average per plant: 5.03 oz
Grams per Watt: 1.04
Grams per square foot: 46.94

I'm not very good at giving "smoke reports" but I will say that the aromas are what we HB'ers expect and the flavors are some of the best I've grown! The Green-o-matic is especially tasty.

Given that this was my first time with Auto strains, and the first time with the new light, I'm not sure I can give all the credit to the light, but as I and others have said, it is one powerful light! Up until the addition of the new light I was averaging a little over 2 oz per plant. This grow - 5.03oz

Thanks everyone for following along. Could someone tell me how to "close" the journal (or will the Admin see this and do so??)

Again, thanks for following along and for the advice and input along the way! If anyone has any questions don't hesitate to ask.

(the attachment seemed to work)

 

[Duggan]

Hey Mike, what a great job with Doc's gear. Quite impressive sir. Those numbers are top shelf numbers and i'm sure many will benefit from your skill. About ending the journal,..just click on the little bell where it says 'report' . That gets results fastest, other wise they might not see it for quite some time. Cheers Mike....excellent work.

 

[medmanmike]

Thanks, man. If I could....

 

[TheGreenYeti]

Nice pull bud! over 40 zips to come out of your room is pretty impressive! Averaging over 5 zips a plant is no joke either. I have just started hitting 5 on some of my photos in 7s so you killed it as far as I am concerned!

 

[Van Stank]

Awesome job Mike. Great numbers as well. Very impressed with the lab reports on those!

 

[Van Stank]

One question for you Mike......how long did you let your bud cure before you got it tested? We intend on testing our Harlequin and just curious what the standard waiting time is.

 

[JustMeds]

Nice pull. You hit it out.

 

[Neiko]

Nice harvest numbers and very impressive labs, especially for autos.
On that cbd plant...breeders tell you what they want to sell the strain. Do a search at your labs website for a popular CBD strain like cannatonic or pennywise, you'll see numbers all over the place. You could get 20+% thc with no cbd in cannatonic. If you find the 2:1 CBD dominate phenotype, you've found the unicorn.

 

[medmanmike]

One question for you Mike......how long did you let your bud cure before you got it tested? We intend on testing our Harlequin and just curious what the standard waiting time is.

Van, here's what I do. This method was given to me by a dispensary owner who worked with his growers to get the best results. At the time, I was taking overages in and they were too wet so they wouldn't accept them. Hence, the advice.

I cut and hang to dry from anywhere between 6-10 days. Depends on the size of the buds. Once the stems start "snapping" I trim and jar with a 62% Boveda pouch. Then I follow this schedule:

Days1-3, I open the jars for 10 minutes at a time, three times a day. (I roll the jars to separate any buds sticking together)
Days 4-6, 10 minutes at a time, twice a day.
Days 7-9, one time each day for 30 minutes.

I then let it sit sealed for a day and check closely for dampness. Depending, I may give it another day or two of a 30 minute 'breather'. Then, every 7 days (for 2-3 weeks) or so I'll open the jar to exchange the air.

So, to specifically answer your question, I let my bud cure about a month or so before testing.

Some other thoughts....
* I like my cured bud a little 'moist', or 'dank'. I think it retains the flavors better and is a smoother smoke, so I store it for the duration with a Boveda 62% pak.
* I've never had any cured/stored bud go bad with this curing method.
* My understanding is that a higher moisture content at the time of testing will throw the results off (in a negative way) so I always let my testing sample air dry for a day or two before submitting them for testing.

Hope this helps!

 

[Amadeus Forzin]

Hope all is well in your world.

Thanks for sharing this grow with us.

Please head over to the 420 Strain Reviews forum and post your smoke report there too.

I’m moving this to Completed Journals now.

Have you started a new grow you would like to share with us?

If so, please feel free to start a new journal here: Journals in Progress

You can use the Report feature found at the bottom left of every post and we'll move it for you right away.

Sending you lots of love and positive energy.

 

[Steve502]

overlord, I have my SPYDRx running at 40% and these 18 day old seedlings are loving it. I turn up the dimmer about 5% every 4 to 5 days.

I'm already seeing a difference in size between plants (same strains) under the SPYDRx and my other LED. Not to mention preflowers are showing under the SPYDRx already.

Do you use the spydrx plus? If so do you use co2? I want to get one but they say use CO2

 

[overlord]

Do you use the spydrx plus? If so do you use co2? I want to get one but they say use CO2

I use C02, however @Van Stank does not. Check out his journal.

 

[Duggan]

Great day to ya Mike , O/L and friends. Ok....couple things about using CO2. CO2 is not practical unless your plants' limiting factors are all satisfied...for example, if your lights and soil are not operating at 100% plus....there is absolutely NO need for added CO2. Your plants will simply not require it. Second..keep in mind , unless you are running a 'closed' recirculating system, all that extra CO2 you are supplying will simply be exhausted out of the grow space by your exhaust fan before it can /will be utilized by the plant.
Third...why would you wanna spend all that extra money when its just not needed and it will add another thing to monitor and worry about.
As well...i cant see a lighting manugfacturer recomending using it.
Please look at some of my journals....i do not use Co2....no need and my grow room produces for me every time and my limiting factors i mentioned are maxed out.
As long as fresh air is introduced ...added CO2 is NOT needed. So...by fresh air i mean it doesnt have to come from outside...just other areas of your dwelling.
Cheers gang!

 

[medmanmike]

Steve, my first grow with the Spidwer PLUS I did not use co2. Still averaged over 5oz. per plant. I added co2 for the current grow - flipped to flower today. Overall pic attached.

Have you downloaded (for free) their "Understanding Light" white paper? Good info on using the light, co2 etc.

I've been running 800 ppm in veg. Will gradually raise that to 1200 or so. FYI... I also have two purple LEDs behind the Spider.

I'm anxious to see what the yield will be. I can say that the plants (same strains grown without co2) seem "thicker" with robust growth, tighter nodes, etc. since adding co2

I'm using a controller (Sentinel CHHC-4i) in the room. I had a little trouble controlling the disbursement of co2. I had the valve opened too much and the tank was empty after about three weeks! Go slow. I've settlesd on a setting of 0.5 on the flow meter which is enough to keep it at 800ppm or so. I had it at 5.0 and it was gone quickly!

 

[Steve502]

Steve, my first grow with the Spidwer PLUS I did not use co2. Still averaged over 5oz. per plant. I added co2 for the current grow - flipped to flower today. Overall pic attached.

Have you downloaded (for free) their "Understanding Light" white paper? Good info on using the light, co2 etc.

I've been running 800 ppm in veg. Will gradually raise that to 1200 or so. FYI... I also have two purple LEDs behind the Spider.

I'm anxious to see what the yield will be. I can say that the plants (same strains grown without co2) seem "thicker" with robust growth, tighter nodes, etc. since adding co2

I'm using a controller (Sentinel CHHC-4i) in the room. I had a little trouble controlling the disbursement of co2. I had the valve opened too much and the tank was empty after about three weeks! Go slow. I've settlesd on a setting of 0.5 on the flow meter which is enough to keep it at 800ppm or so. I had it at 5.0 and it was gone quickly!

Thanks, I’m gonna download it now. 5oz per plant isn’t bad at all. Think I might pull the trigger on the spydrx plus.

 

[Van Stank]

I don't use CO2 but man my yields are through the roof. My last harvests have been 7 ounces on Blue Dream, 16 ounces on Northern Lights, 7.5 ounces on White Widow, 6 ounces on Hindu Kush, 12 ounces on Tangie Ghost Train and 4.5 ounces on a Gorilla Glue Auto.

The Gram per watt is running about 1.35 gram per watt and I am running right around 2 lbs per 4x4 if I tracked it that way (I do a perpetual). Its a kick ass light for me man. I grow in my own soil and use rain water only with an ACT (if needed as an emergency) and the occasional splash of liquid kelp. I like to think both the light and the soil are the reasons for my yields but I am sure the light gets most of the credit. It has more than paid for itself in the 8 months I have been using it...almost twice over!

 

[medmanmike]

Great day to ya Mike , O/L and friends. Ok....couple things about using CO2. CO2 is not practical unless your plants' limiting factors are all satisfied...for example, if your lights and soil are not operating at 100% plus....there is absolutely NO need for added CO2. Your plants will simply not require it. Second..keep in mind , unless you are running a 'closed' recirculating system, all that extra CO2 you are supplying will simply be exhausted out of the grow space by your exhaust fan before it can /will be utilized by the plant.
Third...why would you wanna spend all that extra money when its just not needed and it will add another thing to monitor and worry about.
As well...i cant see a lighting manugfacturer recomending using it.
Please look at some of my journals....i do not use Co2....no need and my grow room produces for me every time and my limiting factors i mentioned are maxed out.
As long as fresh air is introduced ...added CO2 is NOT needed. So...by fresh air i mean it doesnt have to come from outside...just other areas of your dwelling.
Cheers gang!

Duggs, well, I don't claim to be an expert on CO2. One can certainly grow an abundance of high quality produce without it. Like most of us, we want to grow the best cannabis we can so I thought it was worth a try. For the initial investment of $200 for a complete system and $25 refills per grow, I thought I'd give it a try.

Fluence DOES recommend supplemental co2. Here is a blurb from their white paper - HIGH PPFD Cultivation Guide. Here is the part on co2.

"Carbon Dioxide Enrichment: How Much CO2 Should You Give Your Plants?

Carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment in your controlled environ- ment will substantially improve the yield of your high PPFD crops. All plants have a light saturation point where the maximum rate of photosynthesis is reached at a speci c light intensity. Maximum photosynthesis at ambient atmospheric CO2 levels (~400 ppm) is normally limited by the amount of CO2 available, not the intensity of light (Figure 5). Generally, optimum levels of CO2 will be two to four times the normal atmospheric levels (800 – 1,400 ppm CO2) when growing under high PPFD conditions. We recommend supplement- ing ≥ 800 ppm CO2 into your controlled environment when you are providing your plants withCarbon Dioxide Enrichment:

For cannabis, they recommend the following:

Establishment 400 ppm, Vegatative 400-800 ppm, Reproductive 800-1400 ppm

Note the reference to "high PPFD environments: >/= 500 umol/m2/s.

Perhaps many light manufacturers who don't willing share their PPFD output (because it's not that great) don't recommend co2 because they know it won't have a substantial effect.

Just my 2¢ worth.

 

[Duggan]

Im no expert either . All i know is what i learned from growing cannabis since 1987.
I tried CO2 about 20 yrs ago and found it to be not worth the trouble.Cheers eh.
Oh ya..also...it should only be used in veg and early bloom....not in late bloom close to harvest ,because it has a very negative effect on flavors and Terps.

 

[overlord]

@medmanmike thanks for the tip on C02 control, I was going through it too fast myself even with a controller.

I'll change settings on both the regulator and controller.
Thanks for answering @Steve502 questions everyone, I just woke up. Was up till 6 this morning dealing with some bud rot, harvesting and washing.

 

[Van Stank]

I don't knock anyone for growing whatever way they want. CO2 certainly isn't necessary with the Fluence lights for great yields. There are a few more factors to consider if you do go to CO2, but my .02 is to learn your system as is and master it....especially if you go to a Spydrx Plus. The coverage allows you to grow differently if you want to maximize your yield. No more needing to keep a perfectly even canopy for a top notch yield. The penetration power of these things is amazing as is the coverage. See what you can do with the light and how it changes your growing style. THEN if you aren't satisfied with what you are getting.....AND you have a good understanding of what you need to change and tweak in order to maximize the lights potential, give CO2 a try. I am all for experimenting. I just know for me, I don't have the type of controllable environment for me to even consider investing in CO2, not to mention that with the yields I get without it, I don't need it. I need more space more than I need more yield from the area I have.