SQL2kGuy's FFOF Soil, Sweet Seeds Autoflowers & Photoperiods, Grow Journal 2019

[Emilya Green]

Although, as a soil grower, I am not entirely sure if having 10% to 20% run-off every time is even healthy for the soil and the plant.

well, just think about what it is that you are incrementally flushing out of there... microbes, minerals, nutrients, and then of course the carbon and salts. I water to runoff, and then I quit. I do come in hours later and water to runoff again, just to see how much the plants used in that time... but, I try to be good enough and slow enough that when I see the drip of runoff starting, I quit, knowing that more will drop over time because of gravity. I doubt my runoff is ever more than 1% because I don't like leaving water in the drip trays, especially in flower when I am trying to get the RH down. In veg I am slightly less careful and maybe go to 2%, but it is only for the humidity and not to clean or flush anything.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Now, the water. Unless you are running an organic grow, or a hydro grow where you are tracking PPM, tap water complete with its chlorine is perfectly fine to feed a soil grow ... and actually the minerals in tap water can be beneficial to the plants, and even stave off the dreaded and very common magnesium deficiency that shows up so often when people use RO water. So all that using tap water first and then distilled water... totally unnecessary. You are overthinking this. Actually during a flush, since you are washing all of the nutes out of the soil, you don't even need to adjust the pH... there is nothing there but water, and the plant doesn't care what the pH is as long as it is within reasonable limits.... the ONLY reason we adjust pH is to activate chelated nutes in a synthetic grow.

So, as a soil grower, I should be able to use my tap water which has a ppm of 400 ... and not have to buy distilled water or get an RO system ... right?

If it turns out my water is alkaline, then I will expect the pH of the soil to become acidic over time.

Will it hurt? ... Or is it even necessary to pH my water to between 6.3 and 6.8 when watering or feeding then?

I know @InTheShed has indicated I don't need to pH the water ... but I am "concerned" not to pH it.

It would be nice to able to say to @InTheShed ... got it ... I am a soil grower and will not pH my water anymore.

Again, no offense to @InTheShed ... but for me, water is critical! I can't get this wrong!

 

[InTheShed]

You do you SQl! Any well built soil or ProMix does not need nutrient water to be pH adjusted, but feel free to do so. Read the link in my sig, which explains what to watch out for in our water (alkalinity and the type of nitrogen) so we can know if the pH of the medium will be changing over time. That is what matters.

Science, it's up to you to decide whether it's for you.

Visit my journal sometime. None of my plants get pH'd water.

[btw, cross-posting the same thing in three different journals is considered bad online etiquette ]

 

[SQl2kGuy]

And then, after your partial flush, you fed back nutes like a coco grower would do and this confuses me. In your soil grow, are you feeding every time you water, or are you doing feed/water/feed/water like you should? If this is the case, your flush should have just taken the place of one of your plain water waterings.

Interesting ...

In my soil recharge I described in the earlier post, I fed back nutes as a way of feeding after I flushed away the unwanted salts. I am still more than two weeks away from harvest.

Here is what I do regularly ...

1) Feed with FF Gringo Rasta nutes and AN Root Mass Expanders (Voodoo Juice, Piranha, Tarantula, CarboLoad)
2) Feed with FF Gringo Rasta nutes and AN Bud Potency & Stalk Strengthener, Crop Substrate Superpak, CarboLoad.

Then repeat, I never just feed with water.

I figure if the plants are healthy, then why deprive them of nutrients.

 

[Emilya Green]

Interesting ...

In my soil recharge I described in the earlier post, I fed back nutes as a way of feeding after I flushed away the unwanted salts. I am still more than two weeks away from harvest.

Here is what I do regularly ...

1) Feed with FF Gringo Rasta nutes and AN Root Mass Expanders (Voodoo Juice, Piranha, Tarantula, CarboLoad)
2) Feed with FF Gringo Rasta nutes and AN Bud Potency & Stalk Strengthener, Crop Substrate Superpak, CarboLoad.

Then repeat, I never just feed with water.

I figure if the plants are healthy, then why deprive them of nutrients.

You are thinking like a hydro grower...

 

[SQl2kGuy]

So, I call a flushed soil a clean soil, not a recharged one. To recharge soil I add back in raw minerals and cook them in over a couple of months. Flushing should be done every time the salts build up, and in a FF grow with FF nutes going in at full strength, you should flush 3 or 4 times during the grow... but that very most important time is right before bud swell at the end. A flush is also not going to wash out beneficial fungi... they sort of attach themselves to the roots and you are not going to dislodge them. Beneficial bacteria will be flushed away, but there will be more to replace them, especially if you are using FF Big Bloom, which brings a new load of them every time you water with nutes.

Alright ... I think I understand ...

It sounds like I should feed with nutes/water/nutes/water cycle.

I do not use raw minerals or cook them right now.

Then about every 4 weeks when the salts build up, I should flush the soil.

If I flush the soil on a feed day, then I can apply a feed after the flush.

If I flush the soil on a watering day, then I am done, since the flush is effectively a heavy watering.

It sounds like a good idea to add in beneficial bacteria after any flush.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Lastly, all respect to @InTheShed, but I will advise against trying to run FFOF with its strong upward drift, without carefully adjusting your pH to 6.3 every time... not 6.5, and not just going willie nillie and letting the numbers fall where they may without adjusting pH. Let me please suggest that you only try this bold experiment on a side by side test, on a plant that it wont kill you to lose... because that is what I predict will happen. Shed has some unexplained voodoo going on there in that shack, and I know that if I tried to replicate it, something untoward would happen to me... a toe would fall off or something. It is scary stuff... be sure to have backup.

Alright ... if I understand this ..., then if my water is alkaline, or if the type of Nitrogen in the nutes is making my soil pH become more acidic, ... then I will need to take corrective action.

So, based on the science, and the properties of my tap water, I may need to pH my water.

As a guideline, it may be safer for me to initially adjust my pH to 6.3 because of FFOF's strong upward drift.

*** This concludes my first round of responses and will loop back to look at the other responses so I can tie this all together.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Remember that Shed's original thread had a lot to do with the Promix that did profoundly become affected by the fluids that passed through it. A good organic soil, especially one that is recomposted constantly, is a lot more resilient to that and indeed is why I supplement my soil with raw nutrients and buffers in between grows. Over the length of a normal grow, the soil is not going to change enough to even become a factor, because a good soil like FFOF is buffered at both ends, with peat at the low end and dolomite at the high end. Don't expect your soil to become overly acidic over time, unless you are looking at a 3 or 4 month bloom... then it might become a factor that bears watching, or in permanent locations, such as a tree that you are trying to nourish.
Yes, you can use tap water with no problems in a soil grow... and a lot of that ppm is actually beneficial, such as a bit of magnesium. People that use tap water used to not usually have magnesium deficiencies, until LEDs came along. Don't worry about the ppm of your water... it is going in soil and that number is meaningless. Even the fear of chlorine in tap water is really mostly myth, and surprisingly our plants actually need a tiny amount of chlorine. I have heard it said that it would take swimming pool strength chlorine to actually kill our microbes... the are tough little critters.
If you are using bottled nutes, they have a specific pH that their chemical compounds are designed to break apart at and become mobile in the solution. Whatever Shed is using, it is good stuff, and it must have a nice wide range, plus Shed has learned how to manage his water so that his pH is never too far out of line... plus he uses up the buffers in his medium to eliminate the need for adjusting pH. Soil is a little slower to react to an improper pH, no matter how well it is buffered, and it becomes more important to hit the target a little closer to center. In a fast soil, coming in at the high end can quickly make some of the elements immobile, and it is necessary to jump around a bit to make that happen. There are all sorts of tricks to make that happen occasionally, such as water/nuteing without pH adjustment, taking things to the low end to be buffered back up, and then coming in with unadjusted water the next time at the high end to "balance" things out... I think it is smarter to know why pH is important and just adjust it to the right spot so as to not waste nutes, if nothing else.
Once you wean yourself from that bottle, then tell Shed you no longer adjust your pH... or do what he is doing and get some Promix... apparently it is good stuff.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

August 08 2019 - Update​

Images:

Cream Caramel CBD #1 - Star-Lord - Looks healthy so far.

Red Mandarine F1 Fast #1 - Drax the Destryer - Looks healthy so far.

Dark Devil #2 - Groot - Fell down - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 2.

Dark Devil #3 - Thanos -Looks healthy so far.

Killer Kush #1 - Rocket - Looks healthy so far.

Green Poison XL #1 - Gamora - Looks healthy so far - still needs to stretch though - c'mon girl!



Growth Stage:

1 Cream Caramel CBD ... Day 1/ Week 5 ... Day 29 ... week 2 flower.
1 Red Mandarine ... Day 1/ Week 5 ... Day 29 ... week 2 flower.

*** Should be ready for transplant into 3 gallon pots August 09, 2019 ... a week before pistels.
*** Should get pistels between August 15, 2019 and August 22, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week flush/feed(CGRSFS, RME) on September 04, 2019.
*** Should be ready for harvest between September 25, 2019 and October 02, 2019.

*** Photoperiod Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 2-8 weeks veg, 6-12 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Allow 1 day to 3 days of dark before switching to 12-12
*** Pistels show up about 14 days (2 weeks) after switching to 12-12


1 Dark Devil: Day 1/ Week 1 ... Day 01 ... seedling.
1 Dark Devil: Day 1/ Week 3 ... Day 15 ... week 2 veg.
1 Killer Kush: Day 1/ Week 3 ... Day 15 ... week 2 veg.
1 Green Poison XL: Day 1/ Week 3 ... Day 15 ... week 2 veg.

*** Should be ready for transplant into 5 gallon pots by August 28, 2019.
*** Should get pistels by August 28, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week flush/feed(CGRSFS, RME) on September 25, 2019.

*** Autoflower Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 3 weeks veg, 3 weeks pre-flower, 3-6 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Pistels show up about 35 days (5 weeks) after Germination
*** Flowering takes about 56 days (8 weeks) after pistels show up


*** Next 2 seeds - Chemdawg photoperiod - to be germinated on August 08, 2019 for the perpetual garden.
*** They will be in veg for 8 weeks while the Bakerstreets are flowering.


Environment #1 - Autoflower Veg/Flower:

*** The Inkbird IBS-TH1 I ordered got here today, so I will start tracking RH, canopy temperature and VPD again.

*** Environment # 1 is mutually exclusive from Environment # 2.

*** I am running the exhaust fan 24-0 to prevent a rise in RH and to prevent smells in the house.

*** The humidifier is set to 50% RH.

*** I may not need the Temperature Controller anymore.

*** The VPD Values I am Using For This Grow (Version 1)

CO2 is refreshed frequently when the exhaust fan turns on.

The light is running 4 cycles of "5 hours lights-on and 1 hours lights-off".

The light is 30 cm (12") above the canopy centered over the 2 plants.


Watering and Feeding:

Cream Caramel CBD's & Red Mandarine's Feed:

*** Next feed ... about 1.0 litres (0.26 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


Dark Devils, Killer Kush & Green Poison XL:

*** Next feed ... about 0.5 litres (0.13 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 2 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


*** Soil watering and feeding is done 1 hour after the lights turn on ... so the roots have been stimulated to draw nutrients up into the plant.


*** For details on my feeding schedule refer to here: The Different Feeds I need For This Grow (Version 1)



Activities:

My priority is to expose the growth nodes to light and air because they are going to become colas.

Refilled the humidifier with water.


Notes:

Letting the soil dry out between watering and feeds so the tap root can hit the water table at the bottom of the pot, and to prevent overwatering.

*** I will germinate a new autoflower seed every two weeks to sustain a perpetual garden.

*** Next 2 seeds - Chemdawg photoperiod - to be germinated on August 08, 2019 for the perpetual garden.




Lessons Learned:

I learned a lot today from a conversation I had with @Emilya and @InTheShed :

1) My medium of choice is going to stay as FF Ocean Forest soil with 20% Perlite added.

2a) In general, I will water slowly using 6.3 pH tap water right up to run-off, ... then stop.

2b) I will feed(CGRSFS, RME)/feed(CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE)/water during weeks 1&2 of veg and flower.

2c) I will feed (CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE)/water during all other weeks.

2d) I will flush every 4 weeks (water-only at 3 times the pot size) to eliminate unwanted salts and debris, then immediately apply a feed(CGRSFS, RME) to replenish nutes and microlife.

3) I no longer need to track run-off values.

4) I will perform a full final flush (water-only at 3 times the pot size) two weeks before harvest to eliminate unwanted salts and debris.

5) I will go full-on with bloom nutes during the last two weeks of flower.
6) I will use best practices to slow-cure the buds to maximize THC, taste & smoothness.



ToDo:

Learn more about Types Of Pots For Growing Weed.

Learn more about LUX and PAR.

Learn more about Temperature/Relative Humidity and Vapor Pressure Deficit.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

I've recently discovered my grow has suffered from my poor quality lighting ... and from my hanging the light too high over the canopy so I am going to ask around for suggestions before I run out and purchase one.

I really want to do my reasearch right this time!

Basically I need a nice light ... not too expensive ... for a 4x4 grow tent. In my tent, I run the exhaust fan 24-0 so heat won't be an issue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SQl2kGuy]

August 09 2019 - Update​

Images:

Cream Caramel CBD #1 - Star-Lord - Looks healthy so far.

Red Mandarine F1 Fast #1 - Drax the Destryer - Looks healthy so far.

Dark Devil #2 - Groot - Fell down - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 2.

Dark Devil #3 - Thanos -Looks healthy so far.

Killer Kush #1 - Rocket - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 3 - kept the fan leaves this time.

Green Poison XL #1 - Gamora - Looks healthy so far - still needs to stretch though - c'mon girl!

Mini-Bakerstreet #1 & Mini-Bakerstreet #2 - Look healthy so far - this is from the sun!



Growth Stage:

1 Cream Caramel CBD ... Day 2/ Week 5 ... Day 30 ... week 2 flower.
1 Red Mandarine ... Day 2/ Week 5 ... Day 30 ... week 2 flower.

*** Should get pistels between August 15, 2019 and August 22, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week flush/feed(CGRSFS, RME) on September 04, 2019.
*** Should be ready for harvest between September 25, 2019 and October 02, 2019.

*** Photoperiod Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 2-8 weeks veg, 6-12 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Allow 1 day to 3 days of dark before switching to 12-12
*** Pistels show up about 14 days (2 weeks) after switching to 12-12


1 Dark Devil: Day 2/ Week 1 ... Day 02 ... seedling.
1 Dark Devil: Day 2/ Week 3 ... Day 16 ... week 2 veg.
1 Killer Kush: Day 2/ Week 3 ... Day 16 ... week 2 veg.
1 Green Poison XL: Day 2/ Week 3 ... Day 16 ... week 2 veg.

*** Should be ready for transplant into 5 gallon pots by August 28, 2019.
*** Should get pistels by August 28, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week flush/feed(CGRSFS, RME) on September 25, 2019.

*** Autoflower Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 3 weeks veg, 3 weeks pre-flower, 3-6 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Pistels show up about 35 days (5 weeks) after Germination
*** Flowering takes about 56 days (8 weeks) after pistels show up



Environment #1 - Autoflower Veg/Flower:

*** The Inkbird IBS-TH1 I ordered got here today, so I will start tracking RH, canopy temperature and VPD again.

*** Environment # 1 is mutually exclusive from Environment # 2.

*** I am running the exhaust fan 24-0 to prevent a rise in RH and to prevent smells in the house.

*** The humidifier is set to 50% RH.

*** I may not need the Temperature Controller anymore.

*** The VPD Values I am Using For This Grow (Version 1)

CO2 is refreshed frequently when the exhaust fan turns on.

The light is running 4 cycles of "5 hours lights-on and 1 hours lights-off".

The light is 30 cm (12") above the canopy centered over the 2 plants.


Watering and Feeding:

Cream Caramel CBD's & Red Mandarine's Feed:

*** Next feed ... about 1.0 litres (0.26 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


Dark Devils, Killer Kush & Green Poison XL:

*** Next feed ... about 0.5 litres (0.13 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 2 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


*** Soil watering and feeding is done 1 hour after the lights turn on ... so the roots have been stimulated to draw nutrients up into the plant.


*** For details on my feeding schedule refer to here: The Different Feeds I need For This Grow (Version 1)



Activities:

My priority is to expose the growth nodes to light and air because they are going to become colas.

Refilled the humidifier with water.


Notes:

Letting the soil dry out between watering and feeds so the tap root can hit the water table at the bottom of the pot, and to prevent overwatering.

*** I will germinate a new autoflower seed every two weeks to sustain a perpetual garden.

*** Transplanted Cream Caramel CBD & Red Mandarine into 3 gallon pots today ... a week before pistels.

*** 2 seeds - HSO Chemdawg - photoperiod - germinated today for the perpetual garden.

*** They 2 HSO Chemdawgs will be in veg for 8 weeks while the Bakerstreets are flowering.

*** I am in shock at how well the clones are doing in the sun! I am going to put more plants up in the window during the day now!



Lessons Learned:

*** I am keeping this here for today again, so I can study twice and commit to memory!

1) My medium of choice is going to stay as FF Ocean Forest soil with 20% Perlite added.

2a) In general, I will water slowly using 6.3 pH tap water right up to run-off, ... then stop.

2b) I will feed(CGRSFS, RME)/feed(CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE)/water during weeks 1&2 of veg and flower.

2c) I will feed (CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE)/water during all other weeks.

2d) I will flush every 4 weeks (water-only at 3 times the pot size) to eliminate unwanted salts and debris, then immediately apply a feed(CGRSFS, RME) to replenish nutes and microlife.

3) I no longer need to track run-off pH and ppm values unless I suspect a plant issue.

4) I will perform a full final flush (water-only at 3 times the pot size) two weeks before harvest to eliminate unwanted salts and debris.

5) I will go full-on with bloom nutes during the last two weeks of flower.

6) I will use best practices to slow-cure the buds to maximize THC, taste & smoothness.



ToDo:

Learn more about Types Of Pots For Growing Weed.

Learn more about LUX and PAR.

Learn more about Temperature/Relative Humidity and Vapor Pressure Deficit.

 

[CattleTurd]

What lights are you currently using? Do you want LED, t5, ceramic MH, MH, HPS?


And do you know anything about Pro mix HP? I recently put my autos into it, I didn’t like my perlite and vermiculite mix. Even though I should’ve left them, the mix was very good. I’m pretty OCD sometimes more than others. Depending on my anger for the day. Haha I’ve got a weird head...

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Here is a conversation and some feedback I am tracking with @Asesino85 to help improve my quadlining:

Hi @Asesino85 ... excellent looking plants ... and I wish mine had turned out the way yours did!

I tried quadlining and did not get anywhere near the results you did ... but I really put a lot of effort into it!

I did find out this week that the spectrum, light intensity and light height was a big oversight on my part.

I am also noticing that I didn't let my plants spread out as much as yours.

Oh and going from quadlining to a ScrOG was a nightmare for the Bakerstreets! Ugh!

When you have some time ... I know you are really busy, but would you please pop in and check out my C.R.E.A.M. and Cheese plants ... and give me some constructive feedback so I can improve my results in my next grow!

I am going to get a better light ... but I know there are things I can improve on and I really need some help

Sherlock Holmes - FFOF Soil - Bakerstreet C.R.E.A.M. Cheese - Autoflower - Grow Journal - 2019 (01) ... page 12

Thanks in advance.

First off you are growing in soil and I am growing in hydro. In hydro plants just grow faster if done right (watering every day, etc.). Hydro plants bounce back faster from training and defoliation. Couple that with the fact that you are growing autoflowers which will flower on their own, the window for aggressive vegetative growth is small. I'm not saying you can't quadline autoflowers in soil but it is pretty difficult to get plants like mine since I do coco growing. You pretty much have to have zero errors in veg/early on.

Second I am not sure what the light problem was but light is a big factor in growing. If it was too close it can dwarf growing while at the same time if it's too far away then they probably aren't getting enough light/energy. I also have ran my lights 18/6 the whole time with Auto's.

Lastly, I noticed you did a lot of tying down trying to keep everything even. At some point with autos you just have to let them go vertical. When you see them start to stretch and get that really fresh looking green in all the nodes then it's probably time to loosen up the ties a little and let them really get going vertically. I try to not get the branches too horizontal with autos either and leave a slight incline. I also only top once with autoflowers and that's it. Honestly I only top once doing photoperiods too. Topping is hard on the plants and can really slow them down. Once again not saying it can't be done but if the plants aren't in perfect health things could really get slow moving.

I can definitely pay attention in detail to your next grow and try and help. Will you be trying autos again or photoperiods? I also wouldn't worry about the scrog next time, you won't need it. It just makes things messy in my opinion.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

What lights are you currently using? Do you want LED, t5, ceramic MH, MH, HPS?


And do you know anything about Pro mix HP? I recently put my autos into it, I didn’t like my perlite and vermiculite mix. Even though I should’ve left them, the mix was very good. I’m pretty OCD sometimes more than others. Depending on my anger for the day. Haha I’ve got a weird head...

Hi @CattleTurd ...

I opened a thread on the other forum ... I am not sure what I really need yet ... I am hoping to get ideas from people on what works well for them.

For Pro Mix related questions ... I would suggest you reach out to @InTheShed ...

Back at ya ... weird head here ... keeps us all happy

 

[SQl2kGuy]

Some more notes to help me with feeding, watering and flushing:

I will try just watering sometimes ... and let the plant get its nutrients the organic way ... from microlife.

Emilya said:
actually no... your grow is not going to have a whole lot of microlife... yes there is some, but nothing like a true organic grow where the microlife supplies everything. You are just using leftovers out of the bottle on that water only pass... sloppy seconds.

Oh ... thanks ... another big surprise!

I thought I could have the best of both worlds ... strong microlife in soil and supplement with synthetic nutes.

Quick question, when we flush the FF Ocean Forest soil with 3xpot size of water, are we stripping the soil of a lot its health?

Is it really beneficial to do these flushes with soil?

I mean, why should I buy top notch soil if I am going to flush the soil's healthy minerals down the drain every 4 weeks.

Emilya said:
The ability to hold minerals in the soil is why we use soil and not sand... you do not wash the minerals away with a flush. You do not wash away the big organic stuff or even the little organic stuff... just the little tiny broken down stuff that tends to compact the soil anyway. The good stuff in the soil are clumped in the humus in a tight enough bond that a little bit of water is not going to wash them away, and since most of these elements do not dissolve into the water, they just stay there. A flush does not strip a soil of its health or crops would die every time there was a heavy rain.
As far as the microlife goes, that is exactly what the FF Trio is all about. Big Bloom is pretty much all organic teeming with microbes. Every time you water you bring more of them in. Since it is not a mineralized soil however, the microlife lacking an abundant food source, does not thrive in a non mineralized soil. You can have microlife and synthetics together, but your microlife in such a grow is on life support from day one. You can make it stronger by adding other microlife products if you want, and this is what URB, Voodoo Juice and RealGrower's recharge are all about. You can have the best of both worlds, but you have to work at it.
So yes... it is extremely beneficial to do flushes periodically in a synthetic grow because all it takes out of the soil is the water soluble junk, mostly the salts that are harming your grow.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

The Different Feeds I need For This Grow (Version 2)
​

I am going to try to put together what I have learned into a feeding, watering and flushing strategy:

*** Canada Gringo Rasta Soil Feeding Schedule = CGRSFS
*** Advanced Nutrients - Root Mass Expanders = RME
*** Advanced Nutrients - Crop Substrate = CS
*** Advanced Nutrients - Bud Potency & Stalk Strenghtener = BPSS
*** Advanced Nutrients - Bud Taste & Terpene Enhancer = BTTE
*** Every Other Feed = EOF

*** Reviews on the Cream Caramel indicate it flowers in about 56 days (8 weeks).
*** Reviews on the Red Mandarin F1 Fast indicate it flowers in about 49 days to 56 days (7 weeks to 8 weeks).
*** Reviews on the Dark Devil indicate it flowers in about 63 days (9 weeks) after germination.
*** Reviews on the Killer Kush indicate it flowers in about 56 days (8 weeks) after germination.
*** Reviews on the Green Poison XL indicate it flowers in about 56 days (8 weeks) after germination.

*** My goal is to keep things simple and to include items which have worked for me so far.

1) In general, I will feed/water slowly using 6.3 pH to 6.8 pH tap water right up to run-off, ... then stop.

2) I will track feed/water pH and ppm as a matter of record.

3) I will do a regular feed(CGRSFS, RME)/feed(CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE)/water cycle for all regular weeks.

4) I will do full-on bloom feeds(CGRSFS, BPSS, CS, BTTE) for the last two weeks prior to harvest.

5) I will do a regular flush every 4 weeks (water-only at 3 times the pot size) to eliminate unwanted salts and debris on a watering day.

6) I will do a final bloom flush (water-only at 3 times the pot size) two weeks before harvest to eliminate unwanted salts and debris. I will then apply a full-on bloom nutrients feed because we are full-on feeding until harvest.

7) I will go full-on with bloom nutrients during the last two weeks of flower before harvest.

8) I will use best practices to slow-cure the buds to maximize THC, taste & smoothness.


August 08, 2019 - August 14, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Seedling - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 2 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

August 15, 2019 - August 21, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 1 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 3 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 5 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

August 22, 2019 - August 28, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 2 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 6 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

August 29, 2019 - September 04, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 3 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 5 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 7 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

September 05 - September 11, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 6 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 8 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

September 12 - September 18, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 5 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 7 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 9 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

September 19 - September 25, 2019

Dark Devil # 3 - Full Dose - Week 1 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Dark Devil # 6, Killer Kush, Green Poison XL - Full Dose - Week 8 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)
Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin: Full Dose - Week 10 - CGRSFS - (RME EOF -- CS, BPSS, BTTE EOF)

 

[SQl2kGuy]

August 10 2019 - Update

Images:

Cream Caramel CBD #1 - Star-Lord - Looks healthy so far.

Red Mandarine F1 Fast #1 - Drax the Destroyer - Looks healthy so far.

Dark Devil #2 - Groot - Fell down - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 2.

Dark Devil #3 - Thanos - Looks healthy so far.

Killer Kush #1 - Rocket - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 3 - kept the fan leaves this time.

Green Poison XL #1 - Gamora - Looks healthy so far - topped at Node 4!



Growth Stage:

Cream Caramel CBD # 1 ... Day 3/ Week 5 ... Day 31 ... week 2 flower.
Red Mandarin # 1 ... Day 3/ Week 5 ... Day 31 ... week 2 flower.

*** Should get pistels between August 15, 2019 and August 22, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week regular flush around September 04, 2019.
*** Should be ready for harvest between September 25, 2019 and October 02, 2019.

*** Photoperiod Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 2-8 weeks veg, 6-12 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Allow 1 day to 3 days of dark before switching to 12-12
*** Pistels show up about 14 days (2 weeks) after switching to 12-12


Dark Devil # 3: Day 3/ Week 1 ... Day 03 ... seedling.
Dark Devil # 2: Day 3/ Week 3 ... Day 17 ... week 2 veg.
Killer Kush #1: Day 3/ Week 3 ... Day 17 ... week 2 veg.
Green Poison XL # 1: Day 3/ Week 3 ... Day 17 ... week 2 veg.

*** Should be ready for transplant into 5 gallon pots around August 28, 2019.
*** Should get pistels around August 28, 2019.
*** Should be due for the 4 week regular flush around September 25, 2019.

*** Autoflower Stages: 5 days Germination, 1 week seedling, 3 weeks veg, 3 weeks pre-flower, 3-6 weeks flower, 4-12 weeks cure
*** Pistels show up about 35 days (5 weeks) after Germination
*** Flowering takes about 56 days (8 weeks) after pistels show up



Environment #1 - Autoflower Veg/Flower:

*** The Inkbird IBS-TH1 I ordered got here today, so I will start tracking RH, canopy temperature and VPD again.

*** Environment # 1 is mutually exclusive from Environment # 2.

*** I am running the exhaust fan 24-0 to prevent a rise in RH and to prevent smells in the house.

*** The humidifier is set to 50% RH.

*** I may not need the Temperature Controller anymore.

*** The VPD Values I am Using For This Grow (Version 1)

CO2 is refreshed frequently when the exhaust fan turns on.

The light is running 4 cycles of "5 hours lights-on and 1 hours lights-off".

The light is 30 cm (12") above the canopy centered over the 2 plants.


Watering and Feeding:

Cream Caramel CBD's & Red Mandarine's Feed:

*** Next feed ... about 1.0 litres (0.26 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 4 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME around August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


Dark Devil # 2, Killer Kush & Green Poison XL:

*** Next feed ... about 0.5 litres (0.13 gallons) - Full Dose - Week 2 - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.

Dark Devil # 3:

*** Next feed ... about 0.5 litres (0.13 gallons) - Full Dose - Seedling - CGRSFS, GWM, RME August 11, 2019.
*** Expecting about 1% of run-off. Stop watering right at run-off.


*** Soil watering and feeding is done 1 hour after the lights turn on ... so the roots have been stimulated to draw nutrients up into the plant.

*** For details on my feeding schedule refer to here: The Different Feeds I need For This Grow (Version 2)



Activities:

My priority is to expose the growth nodes to light and air because they are going to become colas.

Refilled the humidifier with water.

Topped the Cream Caramel & Red Mandarin before it gets its pistels.

Topped the Green Poison XL at Node 4.


Notes:

Letting the soil dry out between watering and feeds so the tap root can hit the water table at the bottom of the pot, and to prevent overwatering.


Lessons Learned:

Indoor Cannabis Growing: Relative Humidity and Temperatures

By RoyalQueenSeeds

The most refined techniques to grow cannabis become irrelevant when relative humidity and temperatures are not being controlled – learn more about these two major factors.

Final results of an indoor grow are greatly influenced by the way growers keep in control of parameters that influence their plants growth. There are two basic factors that can easily be forgotten when we’re busy thinking of other ways to increase yields, size, and overall health of our plants – temperature & relative humidity. This blog summarizes ways to keep both of these factors within an optimum range, and provides specific information what conditions should be maintained to achieve best results.

HOW TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY LEVELS INTERACT

It’s important to know that humidity levels and temperatures are closely related to one another. When we talk about humidity, we usually mean relative humidity (RH), which is the ratio of partial pressure of water vapor to the maximum vapor pressure of water at the same temperature. You get the whole idea when knowing the basic principle that warm air holds more water vapor than cold air. This is one of the reasons why it’s necessary to extract a lot of warm air from our grow room, and ideally allow cool air to enter – warm air simply holds too much water vapor in it.

HUMIDITY LEVELS AND TEMPERATURES: FROM SEEDLING TO HARVEST

We need to define what humidity and temperature control actually means when growing cannabis. It makes sense to divide the life of cannabis plants into 4 different stages in which humidity levels, and temperatures, should be adjusted to ensure healthy growth. Don’t think that humidity and temperature control is complicated and not worth it! It’s generally very easy, and more about keeping parameters within a certain range, and as constant as possible.

The first thing you need to do is to buy a hygrometer and thermometer, preferably a digital one with memory function, also showing maximum and minimum values of the past. Some hygrometers aren't the most accurate, so don’t bother having several devices in your grow room to compare values. Now that we’re able to closely monitor our conditions, we can get to the essence of humidity and temperature control – the actual humidity levels and temperatures we aim for.

1. Seedling Stage

• Seedlings and clones like high humidity levels of 65-70%
• Reason: The root system is not established
• High humidity levels allow water intake through leaves
• Temperatures with lights on: 20-25 C° (lights off: 4-5 C° lower)

​

2. Vegetation Period

• Humidity levels can be lowered by 5% each week (acceptable range: 40-70%)
• Temperatures can be increased a little bit (no obligation)
• Reason: Roots absorb more water; evaporation through leaves cools plant(s)
• Temperatures with lights on: 22-28 C° (lights off: 4-5 C° lower)

​

3. Flowering Period

• Humidity levels need to be lowered to 40-50% (extremely important)
• You can get away with 55% (anything over 60% is real bad)
• It’s best to slightly lower temperatures in flowering
• Temperatures with lights on: 20-26 C° (avoid high temperatures)

​

4. Late flowering (1-2 weeks before harvest)

• The following steps are no necessity, but can improve yield, flavour and appearance
• Bring down humidity levels as much as you can: 30-40%
• Lower daytime temperatures, and also increase the temperature difference (day/night)
• Temperatures with lights on: 18-24 °C (lights off: minus 5-10 C°)

​

ADJUSTING HUMIDTY LEVELS AND TEMPERATURES

We’ve got a pretty good idea on humidity levels and temperatures we aim for. Now it’s time to get to the practical part, and to find ways to bring things back in balance when they’re not. Most growers will struggle to keep both relative humidity and temperatures down, which is of primary importance in the flowering period – we got that. In some colder regions, and depending on the lighting solution, the opposite scenario might be the case, and temperatures or humidity levels must be raised.

Remember the basic principle that warm hair holds more water than cold air? Keep this in mind, and be aware of the fact that relative humidity and temperatures interact with one another.

A. WAYS TO LOWER HUMIDITY

• Run you existing tube vent on higher velocities or upgrade (air exits tent AND the room it is placed in!)
• Increase fresh/cool air supply (e.g. active air intake by 140mm case fans for PC’s)
• Try to water your plants right after lights are switched on
• Spend money on a decent sized dehumidifier (the small ones can’t hold enough water)

B. WAYS TO LOWER TEMPERATURES

• Just like lowering humidity: Increase the total airflow in your room by allowing more warm air to be extracted, and more cool air to enter (higher velocities or bigger tube vent)
• Always have “lights off” during the day, and “lights on” at night
• When you grow with HPS lights, consider using a cooltube
• Install an air conditioning unit (AC’s will also lower humidity levels)

C. RAISING HUMIDITY

• Manually increase humidity levels with a spray bottle (It won’t last long)
• Keep the surface of the soil moist, but not wet
• Hang wet towels/cloths in your grow room or put open water containers in it
• Invest money in a humidifier with a large water tank (small ones demand constant refills)

D. RAISING TEMPERATURES

• You can always upgrade to a bigger grow light (more watts = more heat)
• Place a heating mat at the bottom of your tent or grow room
• Isolate your grow room with materials from the hardware store
• Use a simple space heater with a thermostat

​

​

ToDo:

Learn more about Types Of Pots For Growing Weed.

Learn more about LUX and PAR.

Learn more about Temperature/Relative Humidity and Vapor Pressure Deficit.

 

[Backlipslide]

I’m in! You have some great strains on the go. Very, very detailed updates.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

I’m in! You have some great strains on the go. Very, very detailed updates.

Hi @Backlipslide ... it's great to hear from you!!!

I have spent the last week with my mind spinning while I was working with @Emilya & @InTheShed for nutrients and feeding ... and now @Asesino85 for quadline training.

I am researching a new light, and now that the feeding is dialed in ... I can get back into my VPD research.

I tried everything by myself once, and now I am hoping I am in a position to get some valuable help from our senior members.

It'll be nice to have peace of mind that I am growing the best medicine possible for all of us.

It appears though that I think more like a hydroponics grower, so I'm starting to put some serious thought into coco now.

At some point though, I expect to come across and then develop a growing style that really fits me.

 

[Backlipslide]

Hi @Backlipslide ... it's great to hear from you!!!

I have spent the last week with my mind spinning while I was working with @Emilya & @InTheShed for nutrients and feeding ... and now @Asesino85 for quadline training.

I am researching a new light, and now that the feeding is dialed in ... I can get back into my VPD research.

I tried everything by myself once, and now I am hoping I am in a position to get some valuable help from our senior members.

It'll be nice to have peace of mind that I am growing the best medicine possible for all of us.

It appears though that I think more like a hydroponics grower, so I'm starting to put some serious thought into coco now.

At some point though, I expect to come across and then develop a growing style that really fits me.

You seem to have done your homework, and the things you don’t know, you set out to learn, and you learn quickly. Your a very in-depth grower/journalist. I have no doubt you will find the right growing style that fits you.

I love your motivation to want, to learn. It is very inspiring.