Weed So Easy A Child Can Do It? By Farside05 & Son - OG, Sour D & White Widow

[farside05]

Looking like some happy plants there! Well done Keep us posted on the ph issue!

Got a chance to check and calibrate meters this morning. They were off a hair so we tweaked them. Didn't account for having to add twice as much pH down as we normally do so I ordered some new pH down. It was the first quart I bought when I started into this adventure, so it is about 2 1/2 years old. Maybe it just reached it's shelf life.

 

[Pennywise]

That's quite possible, I've wondered about some of the AN nutes I've had for awhile.

 

[MagicJim]

Got a chance to check and calibrate meters this morning. They were off a hair so we tweaked them. Didn't account for having to add twice as much pH down as we normally do so I ordered some new pH down. It was the first quart I bought when I started into this adventure, so it is about 2 1/2 years old. Maybe it just reached it's shelf life.

I have some pH Down but use lemom juice, the ReaLemon brand. I've used it for 2 years and finished only my second bottle last year. I shake it every time and I find it to be fairly consistent for my adjustments. I've also used vinegar. I'm just frugal.

Plants look good. It makes me want to grow another White Widow and see if I can do a better job.

 

[farside05]

Slightly off topic of the journal, but has anyone tried any of the Botanicare fertilizers? The NPK ratio of their one part CNS17 grow product is the same as the Foliage Pro I now use (although 1/3 the strength). They have a Silica product like the Pro Tekt I also use. The Bloom formula is also one part but a different ratio, and their Sweet is a Sulfur/Magnesium supplement kinda like Mag-Pro only minus the NPK portion of it. It's cheaper per bottle but looks like it's not quite as concentrated as the Dyna-Gro products. I see they offer trial sizes (assuming 8 oz bottles since that's the smallest they sell) for free of up to 4 products. I went ahead and requested some samples. It sounds like an interesting concept to do a side by side between the 2 fertilizer companies since the products line up pretty good against each other. It says allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. That's about perfect since I probably have 8 weeks till harvest and I could do my comparisons after that.

 

[Pennywise]

Most products are very concentrated anyway, if the price is right and it does an adequate job then go for it I say.

 

[farside05]

Here is what I'm looking at. Botanicare's product is 3-1-2 NPK and is $13 a bottle. Dyna-Gro's is 9-3-6, same ratio but 3 times stronger. It's $20 a bottle (both quart size). Both are 1 part products that contain all the essential micro and macro nutrients. So if I have to use 3x as much Botanicare as Dyna-Gro to get the same PPM/EC, that's 3x$13 or $39 to equal a $20 bottle of Dyna-Gro. Maybe that's too simplistic of a view. Laying hands on their product and putting a meter to use will tell more. If they're willing to send me some free, I'm more than willing to put it to the test.

 

[farside05]

Day 6 of 12/12

Tightened up the restraints on Sour D and White Widow and started some bowl training on OG. White Widow had some big fans covering some breaks towards the middle of the plant so I removed them (only about 6 leafs total). Sour D didn't have anything covered so I left all her leafs on. OG, I still don't know what to think. Her stems aren't as thick and sturdy as the other 2. Still some blistered looking foliage on her newer growth but less blistered than her early growth. She has a ton of breaks and really seems like she's trying her best to grow out of the funk. She's not as dense as the other two but I tied her off just trying to create some symmetry before the stretch. Starting to see some signs if sex. I'll keep the closest eye on OG since I'd think she'd have the biggest chance of going hermi since she's so irregular.

 

[farside05]

Pics from the earlier update. They'll need a drink in the AM. Hoping some new pH down arrives so I can compare it to my other that I think has expired/gotten less potent.

OG

Sour D

White Widow

Group

 

[farside05]

Day 8 of Bloom

Split 5 gallons of Bloom feed among 3 plants. With the newly calibrated meters, one showed 6.7 and the other 6.4 so we spit the difference and called it good. Our target is 6.5. The new Bloom City pH Down came in. Had to use 1/8th tsp of it vs 3/4 tsp of the Dyna Gro pH down we had to use last time. The Bloom City is 3 times stronger than the Dyna Gro, and also cheaper per bottle ($10 vs $15) so I think I'll keep using it. I was having to use less of the Dyna Gro before so I do think the strength of it decreased/went bad.

Group photo in the tub after the feed. Left to right, Sour D, White Widow, OG Kush

 

[smokers420]

Looking Good... Tell Mr. Man he's doing a great job with them plants...

PS: Or has dad taken over yet....LOL?

 

[farside05]

It's been real cold here. Lights out temps are colder than I'd like at 59 degrees. Hopefully it won't slow them down too much. Otherwise things are pregressing along. Still waiting for the stretch. They have put on 2 inches in 3 days but I'm expecting things to get a little more heated than that.

Tubmates, left to right: Sour Diesel, White Widow, OG Kush

Tentmates: OG Kush Back Right, Sour Diesel Left Front, White Widow Front Right

 

[GrizzWald]

 

[Pennywise]

Looks good, shouldn't slow you down that much

 

[farside05]

Day 22 after the flip

Man these are boring plants. They add a couple inches every several days but not much else to report. They are lush and green with no signs of deficiencies or burn. Budding is progressing. Still waiting for that big stretch. Temps are getting back to a more normal range. Kinda missing the faster pace of autos, we'd be closer to harvest right now rather than another 6 weeks or so.

OG

Sour D

White Widow

Group

 

[Black Thumbs]

Looking good mate.
I'm going photo's this year and going to miss the super charge growth of auto but 12/12 will be better to control the heat problems I always run into

 

[farside05]

Looking good mate.
I’m going photo’s this year and going to miss the super charge growth of auto but 12/12 will be better to control the heat problems I always run into

Had we known that we were going to get unseasonably cold temps I would have pushed him more to grow some autos. Sure could have used the lights on for an extra 6 hours. I was too cheap to run a heater in there during lights out only to suck the warm air out and vent it outside. Momma always told me "I wasn't born in a barn, shut the door, we're not paying to heat outside.". I guess it carried over to adulthood.

 

[farside05]

Edit - DOH! Damn double post.

 

[MagicJim]

Had we known that we were going to get unseasonably cold temps I would have pushed him more to grow some autos. Sure could have used the lights on for an extra 6 hours. I was too cheap to run a heater in there during lights out only to suck the warm air out and vent it outside. Momma always told me "I wasn't born in a barn, shut the door, we're not paying to heat outside.". I guess it carried over to adulthood.

I feel certain that the colder than normal has affected my grow. Slower than normal growth which is ok. Patience tester. Nice weather returned for a few days and growth begins with a little spurt. Sadly, I know the cold can show up any day.

Plants look mighty good. Lots of pretty green leaves, thick and full. Like a coiled spring. Stretch sure to launch.

 

[farside05]

I feel certain that the colder than normal has affected my grow. Slower than normal growth which is ok. Patience tester. Nice weather returned for a few days and growth begins with a little spurt. Sadly, I know the cold can show up any day.

Our weather is probably pretty similar. I'm just several hundred miles due west of you based on the location on your profile.

 

[farside05]

Today's picture of these boring ass plants. Surprised that the bottom leaves are still so green. I would have expected a little yellowing by now just from lack of light since the vegetation is so thick. Bud pic is from some nearly 2 year old Trainwreck that's been sitting in a jar. She was breakfast. Not sure why she's been left to linger so long. Just got back into the jar a week ago and she doesn't fail to deliver.