Sobergrower 2022 Bruce Banner Midway

[Sobergrower]

Well back to the actual growing. Here we are at day 42 from switching to flower.

This is the hardest part of the grow. Being patient is important and there is not much change from day to day. I know my job is to chop wood and carry water and let these girls do what they do.

Hopefully over the next few weeks they put on some bulk.

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

Hey Bill, they do have fangs. Fortunately they are not a poisonous snake and actually keep the rattlesnakes away. However, I still try not to get close enough to them to see their fangs.

Hey Sober, your plants look wonderful!

But this snake thing! Isn't there something you can do about that?

Do they sell pet mongooses where you are?

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey Sober, your plants look wonderful!

But this snake thing! Isn't there something you can do about that?

Do they sell pet mongooses where you are?

Yeah then when I get the mongoose I will have to think about getting a Tasmanian Devil. Where will it end? Lol

 

[StoneOtter]

Hi Sober, cool grow method! They love it!

 

[ReservoirDog]

Plants look happy AF. Well done! Very grateful for the share. You must be thinking a lot, around this stage, about the regular weather, ie humidity and its attendant weather systems, you're likely to face in the coming final weeks. Certainly, my former outdoor experience in Canada attuned me to the threats, often painfully so, of moulds, to the point that even years later and indoors, without as yet a single bud in sight, I can still become preoccupied with the fear. Recently, to calm my fears and busy my hands I produced a lactose bacillus serum that I am reliably informed by proper wive's tales will work a wonder, provided I apply it regularly. Not sure I'll ever have the stones to apply a water-based product preventatively against moulds but doing something, something novel, did make me feel better! I hope to find a cannabis analogue on which to test beforehand, like the always mouldy cucumber or courgette/zuchinni, should coastal British Columbia ever experience a growing season again (it has been raining every day since September, but for the week it snowed, and we're getting fidgety over here).

I know LightAddict has a thread on backbuilding but that was the first and last systemic documentation I've come across. I believe he lists it in his signature. Not sure he's been about the place of late. Interested to watch your experiments, for sure. I doubt you're risking much, plus getting a preview taste with accompanying justification really sounds like a win-win.

 

[Sobergrower]

Jeez, I believe that this rock we are in is moving faster around the big ball in the sky! Time is flying and I realized that it has been a week since I posted on my own journal. Yesterday was week 7 - 49 days from the flip for these girls. I am not sure which strain of Bruce Banner I have at this point. Some say this is an 8-week strain and others say it is more like a 10-week strain. I am kind of hoping that it is the latter for several reasons. First, I really would like to see these buds fatten up and put on some weight. I like my girls to be on the heavy side. Secondly, I have a trip planned for the end of the month and fear that I won't have enough time to get them cut and hanging properly for a slow cure if they have to come down before my trip.

I thought I would take some pictures of how I mix nutrients as well as the current state of the ladies in the tent so let's dive in. My well water has a base PPM of ~120 so my target end mix value is ~770. I have adjusted down to the 650 PPM mix ratio with Jacks and Calnit. For me this has become easier to measure by weight and be repeatable. I use 3.25 grams per gallon of Jacks 5-12-26 and 2.14 grams per gallon of Calnit. I am still adding 1 gram per gallon of Epsom salt as well. Mixing order is very important. I start with the Jacks stir until dissolved. Then add the Epsom salt and stir until dissolved. And finally add the Calnit.

find it easier to mix 8 or more gallons at a time using the tub and a drill with a mortar mix blade.

I think this is pretty accurate

Next post will include the pictures of the ladies (you sick bastards who scrolled over this, I consider my kind of people).

 

[Sobergrower]

As promised - Pictures of the ladies this week. Hope you like them.

 

[Sobergrower]

My old eyes are having trouble seeing the trichomes!! The above close up photos are using a jeweler’s loop. I have a cheap handheld microscope and the trichs are still clear with no amber best I can tell. Today I ordered one of those microscopes that connect to your phone. I will hopefully be able to see a bit more detail in the weeks to come……!

 

[Bill284]

My old eyes are having trouble seeing the trichomes!! The above close up photos are using a jeweler’s loop. I have a cheap handheld microscope and the trichs are still clear with no amber best I can tell. Today I ordered one of those microscopes that connect to your phone. I will hopefully be able to see a bit more detail in the weeks to come……!

Lots of white pistils on them still.
So your have a couple weeks of swelling left minimum.
That will give you plenty of time to figure outvthat scope.
They are actually pretty easy to set up and use.
But give them time.
Never harvest white pistils.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[HappyHazmat88]

Yuppers your getting close....but not to close patience is key... But they look Hela nice and frosty, great job.... And your right I scrolled right over the one post to see the ladies lol don't judge me.....I just like curvy green women ....she hulk anyone

 

[Sobergrower]

Yuppers your getting close....but not to close patience is key... But they look Hela nice and frosty, great job.... And your right I scrolled right over the one post to see the ladies lol don't judge me.....I just like curvy green women ....she hulk anyone

I knew it! I could almost guess who would!

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey @Bill284 and @HappyHazmat88 i totally agree with the timing. I look at the pistils first and then the trichs for final. It is hard to be patient but in this case it will work to my benefit since I will be out of town.

Thank you both for the feedback, joining me on the journey, and continued encouragement. I like the She-Hulk and look forward to seeing her get bulky!

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey @Trala glad you stopped by and are interested in this grow journal! Always open for thoughts and such!

 

[Sobergrower]

Just a quick photo dump for today!

 

[ReservoirDog]

Mmm... mmm. looking tasty Sober! Hope you're well, and snake free! Plants look choice.

Is that green right about where you like it? Looks like you got really consistent genetics. I bet they put on some weight yet.

I've been looking into the grow method and am very intrigued. I have drawn a couple of personal red lines for my grow-efforts (which I'm open to changing if my reasoning behind them is flawed) and one is no drain-to-waste (it's my impression it uses and drains more ferts than DWC but I don't know for hard absolute fact I must admit) and another is no chiller. I also want to avoid connected tanks/plants.

So I'm growing in SIPs and DWC. I could see individual PPK units working well for my setup and it is a lot like mixing SIPs and DWC into one system. I bet it grows very lush and quickly and not using airpumps is a huge win. I can also see that in a no-power scenario it would be feasible to maintain your plant's health for quite a few days until service is resumed. Lastly, it seems also that aeration is quite high. Do people try to grow in as loose a matrix as possible to have the water and air pull through quickly and more often, or is the tendency to go in the other direction?

My tent has only 6' clearance with light installed so this is the only major drawback that I can surmise. However I don't see it as a deal-breaker, I think it would scrog quite well for me. Be interesting to see if it works with an airpot, though I can appreciate the efforts you went to with pot type to keep it low-slung.

thanks again for joining here and sharing your experiences. hang in, almost there!

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey @ReservoirDog thank you for the continued interest in this grow! I haven’t seen any snakes recently. They must have gotten the message that they are not welcome around the house or in the back yard.

The green is a little on the dark side. I think that is because of the nitrogen in the CALNIT (15-0-0). Most people using this system run the same ratio from start to finish and others drop the calnit for the last few weeks.

I too did not like using drain to waste methods. This grow style or system is actually not a drain to waste. On the contrary, it actually was designed to be very stable and not require any reservoir changes the entire grow. The inventor actually ran perpetual and only pulled the individual under irrigation system when he would harvest a plant.

Your assessment is spot on with the module nature, number of devices needed, continued feed during outages, and the high level of oxygen being pulled into the media after each pulse. This can be a stand alone single plant device or fill a warehouse.

Over the years people have tried all kinds of media from coco, turface, perlite,vermiculite, even oil floor dry from Napa. The inventor is now using a mixture of perlite, worm castings, vermiculite and diatomaceous earth. The goal is to have a porosity level of above 30%.

I too am limited to a height of ~6’ to the top of my tent. The top of my grow module is about 14” which gives me enough room to do a scrog and keep the lights at a good height.

I would be happy to take some pictures of the whole system before I start my next grow. It is easier to see everything without the plants getting in the way.

Stay safe my friends!

 

[Timhomegrow]

Girls are looking great!! Bruce Banner seems like a popular strain in here, can't wait to read your smoke report

 

[Sobergrower]

Hey fellow growers things are continuing to hum along in the tent. We are at the end of week 8 and I think these girls still have a few weeks to go. Even with the new carbon filter it is really starting to smell. these ladies are wearing there (I am going out on the town) perfume! And boy do the have sticky fingers.

Girls are looking great!! Bruce Banner seems like a popular strain in here, can't wait to read your smoke report

Tim, I will have to translate the smoke report from my wife and son and family and friends as I do not partake. I know it is crazy but I just enjoy the growing part and providing for others.

I received some kelp powder and fluvic juice and am contemplating adding this to the bulk reservoir and taking about 8 gallons from the sub irrigation. Is it to late in the cycle or even worth adding these bennies?

Temps are running right around 78 with humidity at 45%.

Photos to follow. For some reason they are not loading.

 

[Sobergrower]

 

[Krissi Carbone]

These are lovely shots SG!

Looking really really nice!

Woot-woot!