GrownManHollr
Well-Known Member
Hello! Thanks for checking out my journal! As the title suggests, this is my first attempt at growing. My goal is to learn something and hopefully end up with something worth smoking. I welcome any and all feedback.
Type of Grow: Hempy Buckets Indoors (cabinet within large closet with an a/c outlet)
I know this is really amateur set-up...considering a 3x3 tent.
Growing Media: Straight perlite (regular type - grow shop did not have extra chunky).
Size of Pots: 1 gallon buckets
Lighting: CFL (4 100 W equiv bulbs) and a 2 ft. T5 lamp.
Changing to 300 watt LED when new light arrives
Nutrients: GH Floranova Grow (300 ppm), SuperThrive, Hygrozyme
Feeding/watering schedule: daily so far (too much?)
Strain: Jack Herrer from seeds
Status: Vegetating (24/0)
Temp: 74-77 (air conditioned space)
Relative Humidity: unknown (fairly low as a/c runs all the time)
Germinated on May 22nd
Started in Rapid Rooters
Kept under a humidity dome for 9 days
Transplanted into 1 gallon hempy buckets On May 31st (last Monday). Started using distilled water at that time.
Ph: Nutrient solution as Ph'd at about 6
The seeds were soaked in a cup of lukewarm water overnight. 2 of the seeds sank immediately. The next day, those 2 seeds had popped while the other 3 had not and were floating again. I went ahead and planted each in a rapid rooter. Used a rooting tray with ¼ inch of tap water ph'd at 6.
All five of the seeds eventually sprouted, but the 3 laggards took longer and really struggled to open up the cotyledon or seed leaf (I had to look that up). In fact, I had to help 2 of them because it just they were going to fail if I didn't. Surprisingly, they all hung in there, but the 3 floaters have remained runty. In fact, 1 is a complete mutant.
After the plants had been in the rooting tray for a week, the 2 larger seedlings started losing some of their color. They had healthy roots, so I decided to move them into the hempy buckets and begin with some nutrients.
The plants seemed generally healthy for the first couple days in the hempy buckets. They weren't really growing much (if at all), but they weren't drooping and maintained the color they had before the move.
Did something pretty stupid when setting up the hempy buckets. I hosed out the perlite in a strainer using tap water that was not ph adjusted. My tap water is around 7 ph. I did soak the perlite in a ph adjusted nutrient solution after that, but, I think that a lot of that tap water was absorbed by the perlite and that has been pushing the ph in the buckets up higher than it should be and that has been locking out the nutes (maybe?).
During the past several days, the plants have started to go downhill. They lost more of their color (especially the older leaves). They basically have not been growing.
On Sunday, I tried giving them a weak solution of epsom salts. This actually seemed to restore some color, but, it was not a real fix.
Yesterday I finally thought to measure the ph of the runoff from the pots. It was over 6.5 (too high - as I understand it should be under 6).
I gave the plants more nutrient solution (600 ppm and ph'd at about 5.5) based on the theory that they needed more nitrogen and lower ph. This has perked up the number 2 plant. It seems pretty happy. Unfortunately, the number 1 plant is on the verge of collapse. The leaves are light green and puffy. The picture makes it look much better than it actually looks.
Here is plant 2. It's the healthiest plant I have right now:
And the number 3 plant looks even worse (yesterday, I actually tried a foliar application of a weak epsom salt solution because it looked so feeble — that was not useful - it probably made things worse). Looks worse in person.
The number 4 plant looks quite healthy, but is tiny (I think it's a bansai!).
The number 5 plant is crazy little mutant that refuses to die (I think it's an indica-parsley mix). I know I need to put it out of it's misery, but, I can't bring myself to do it.
"Dad says I'm special!"
If anyone has any thoughts to share, I would really appreciate it.
Update: I decided to flush Plants numbers 1 and 3 thoroughly with distilled water ph'd at 5.5 (or so). I will hold off on feeding them any nutes for a couple of days. Hopefully, they will make it!
Again, thanks for visiting!
That's a big reason that I'm considering a tent.
