UncleC's Ganja Grove - Organic Soil - LED - SOG - La Chocolat/Vanilla Kush/LSD/GSC

[UncleCannabis]

UncleC's Ganja Grove - Organic Soil/LED/SOG - La Chocolat/Vanilla Kush/LSD/GSC

Hello 420 friends. I’m Uncle Cannabis AKA UncleC (not my real name of course) and welcome to my grow journal.

Before we get started..…first things first……This journal is intended for entertainment use only and is not intended for educational purposes.
In addition, some of the content of this grow journal will likely end up being “Rated-R” since that’s just how me and my friends roll.

Anyone under the age of 21 and/or those not experienced enough with the groovy grass to roll a joint without the big lumpy humpy thing in the middle should leave now. You’re probably not tall enough to ride this ride. Come back to the amusement park again when you can at least spell Zig-Zag. Posers! ☺

For those of you who are over 21, even though you may have the skills to roll perfect doobies without the funky lumpy humpy thing, if you feel that you may be offended by jokes that may at times be in bad taste you should probably not follow along either. You WILL definitely be offended at some point. I can assure you of this. You’ve been warned.

As for everyone else, now that you know that this will not be a “G-Rated” event you can rest assured that there is no need to be politically correct with any of your post or comments and I encourage everyone to inject your best humor and jokes. Let’s make this fun and entertaining.

Uncle C’s Ganja Grove Specs
Veg / Clone Tent –
• 3’6”x3’6”x6’5” GrowLab Tent
• 2 x 105 watt CFL Fluorescents
• 3 x 70 watt MH Lamps (used only sometimes)
• 12” 3-Speed Oscillating Fan
• 6” Inline Exhaust Fan w/ Passive Air Intake

Flowering Tent AKA “The Ganja Grove” –
• 4’x8’x6’5” GrowLab Tent
• 4 x Mars-Hydro Sun Series LED’s (300 actual watts each)
• 12” 3-Speed Oscillating Fan
• 2 x 6” Inline Exhaust Fans w/ Passive Air Intake

Spare / Extra Tent –
• 4’x4’x6’5” GrowLab Tent
• Currently intended for use as a drying / curing tent

Grow Medium –
• Custom Made Organic Soil Mix with All Organic Amendments
• Soil Mixed with Coco Coir (@ 80% Soil / 20% Coco Coir)

Pots –
• Veg – 1 Gallon Square Pots
• Flower/Bloom – Wicker Baskets @ 7 Gallon

Watering System –
• Tropf Blumats Auto Watering System
• Gravity Feed with 125 Gallon Water Reservoir

Environmental Control –
• 15,000 BTU Split Type Room Air Conditioner

Cloner –
• DIY Homemade Bubble Cloner (Can Clone up to 8 Clones)
• Uses Fish Tank Air Pump w/ 2 Air Stones

Lighting Schedule -
Veg Tent (18/6)
Flower Tent (13/11)

Whats in the Veg Tent:
LA Chocolat (DNA Reserva Privada) @ 1 month from germination
Vanilla Kush (Barney's Farm) @ 2 months from germination
LSD (Barney's Farm) @ 1 month from germination
Girl Scout Cookies (freebie - BC Bud Depot) @ 1 month from germination
Jack Herer (freebie - Greenhouse Seed Co.) @ 1 month from germination

Whats in the Flower Tent:
Girl Scout Cookies (BC Bud Depot) Staggered - 2 weeks and 4 weeks since flip
Soviet Ripper (Soul Breeders) Staggered - 2 weeks and 4 weeks since flip
Amnesia (World of Seeds) 4 weeks since flip

I'll try to provide updates on a regular basis as things progress and as I am able to. In the meantime, thanks for visiting my new journal. I'm glad to have you all along for the ride.

 

[Legal Hydro]

First Sub! Woo! Looking forward to learning from you! Beautiful plants you have there

 

[addonexus]

Already looks amazing. You seem to expect a lot of odor with both of those scrubbers? Do the wicker baskets function as a air pruning pot? Very interesting I would like to see how this turns out. Best of luck to you.

 

[Robert Celt]

In for the ride and looking forward to the laughs AND the grow

 

[UncleCannabis]

First Sub! Woo! Looking forward to learning from you! Beautiful plants you have there

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[UncleCannabis]

Already looks amazing. You seem to expect a lot of odor with both of those scrubbers? Do the wicker baskets function as a air pruning pot? Very interesting I would like to see how this turns out. Best of luck to you.

Thanks for the compliment.
About the 2 fans & carbon filters....when I first set up my tent I went with the forced draft concept where one of the fans was exhausting air out of the tent (with carbon filter installed) with the other fan blowing cool air into the tent (no filter installed). On days when the outside temps get really warm the temps inside my tent were getting a bit higher than I wanted. So as an experiment I switched the second fan to also exhaust out (passive intake instead of forced draft intake). This made a big difference in the amount of air moving through my tent resulting in lower temps.

Yes, the wicker baskets do work the same as Airpots. They work great.

 

[UncleCannabis]

In for the ride and looking forward to the laughs AND the grow

Hey there Celt. Glad to have you along for the ride my friend.

 

[addonexus]

Makes sense I don't think the exhaust fan could keep up with the intake fan anyways considering the filter attachment, vs unrestricted airflow on the intake. Do you lose a lot of soil initially during watering in the wicker baskets or is the weave tight enough to not be a problem as much? Again great job.

 

[Young Yoda]

As a beginning LED grower, your setup put a real smile on my face, thanks for the inspiration!

What are you feeding those beauties?

 

[UncleCannabis]

You are 100% correct. Because both of my fans have the same cfm rating the exhaust fan was moving less air because of the flow restriction caused by the carbon filter. This caused my tent to puff outward a little similar to a balloon being inflated. Not much, but it was noticeable when the fans were switched on. I tried to create some resistance on the intake fan by making my intake ducting longer than needed and curving to prevent light leaks but it didn't help much.
Because more air was flowing into the tent than what could be expelled via the single exhaust fan this meant that odor was escaping through zippers and migrating into the rest of the house.
Now for the record....I'd just love waking up every morning to the smell of pot fields in bloom but I doubt if my neighbors or unexpected non-pot smoking visitors would share my appreciation for the finer scents that nature has to offer as I do.
::

I line my wicker baskets with 2 layers of newspaper before filling with soil. The baskets do have a relatively tight weave pattern but the newspaper helps to keep things clean and tidy. Without some type of lining things would get quite messy for sure.

 

[UncleCannabis]

As a beginning LED grower, your setup put a real smile on my face, thanks for the inspiration!

What are you feeding those beauties?

I have not feed them anything yet. The girls that are in bloom have gone from cuttings or clones to what you see now living in organic soil only. No feedings.
The girls that are in bloom were all transplanted from 1 gallon pots into the baskets the same day that they were transitioned from veg to bloom. I also pruned them back when transplanting and didn't give them any time to recover from transplant shock or pruning by vegging for another week or so. Straight into the fire this time baby!!

Anyhow, because they were transplanted into fresh soil at the time of flip I think they should be able to go all the way to harvest without any feedings. We'll see how things go. If they begin showing any deficiencies I'll top dress or apply teas as needed.

 

[UncleCannabis]

Here are a few quick pics of the babies taken this evening before lights out.

LA Chocolat (DNA Genetics)

Vanilla Kush (Barney's Farm)

LSD (Barney's Farm)

Girl Scout Cookies (BC Bud Depot)

Jack Herer (Greenhouse Seed Co.)

 

[Robert Celt]

Morning UncleC

When you pulled the last batch of girls, did the wicker pots act like air pots as expected? I made my pots out of GeoTextile for the same reason and wondered how the root ball filled the pots. My girls are still 3-6 wks from harvest so I have to wait a bit before I see how my pots worked out.

 

[UncleCannabis]

Morning UncleC

When you pulled the last batch of girls, did the wicker pots act like air pots as expected? I made my pots out of GeoTextile for the same reason and wondered how the root ball filled the pots. My girls are still 3-6 wks from harvest so I have to wait a bit before I see how my pots worked out.

G'morning TheCelt. I see that you're an earlier riser like myself.

The wicker pots worked just as expected but since I've never used real Airpots I'm unable to make a fair comparison.

The root balls of the last batch of girls were a sight to see. It was like root porn. Too bad you can't get high off the roots.
There was no root circling whatsoever. It also seemed as though the roots were very well distributed throughout the pot. What I mean by this is that there were no areas where the roots seemed to congregate or get trapped and bunch up.
Unfortunately when I returned from my trip I was so busy trying to get the Ganja Grove back going after the massacre and salvage what was left I didn't take any pics.

Another thing that I noticed about using the wicker pots is because the soil is able to breathe all around the root ball and not just from the top the soil / root ball appears to dry more evenly from top to bottom instead of always being much more wet in the lower half of the pot. I truly believe that this makes a big difference in regards to root health.

Another thing worth noting is that more frequent watering is needed to compensate for the quicker evaporation when compared to standard solid side plastic pots.

I'll have to check out those GeoTextile pots that you mention. Sounds like a great idea.

 

[Robert Celt]

Looking at the way my girls were growing, I suspected the roots were filling the whole pot but won't know until I harvest the girls. And I did notice the need to water often, especially with the girls outdoors before I set them in the ground. I still have 2 big girls in the pots above ground and still trying to decide where to put them for their permanent homes.

I really like the organic living/super soil. The only thing I have had to do is water the indoor girls. Giving them molasses in their water once a week. Have you posted a recipe of your soil anywhere?

If you know anyone that does highway work or heavy construction, GeoTextile is easy to come by. Some also call it "filter fabric" and is just a heavy synthetic felt.

 

[UncleCannabis]

Looking at the way my girls were growing, I suspected the roots were filling the whole pot but won't know until I harvest the girls. And I did notice the need to water often, especially with the girls outdoors before I set them in the ground. I still have 2 big girls in the pots above ground and still trying to decide where to put them for their permanent homes.

I really like the organic living/super soil. The only thing I have had to do is water the indoor girls. Giving them molasses in their water once a week. Have you posted a recipe of your soil anywhere?

If you know anyone that does highway work or heavy construction, GeoTextile is easy to come by. Some also call it "filter fabric" and is just a heavy synthetic felt.

I just had a quick peek at your journal and I must say that I'm impressed and jealous of your outdoor grow.

IMHO growing in organic soil is the only way to go if you are growing for personal stash. It's a bit of work on the front end getting soil prepared and whatnot but it's more or less smooth sailing once the girls are planted and rooted in.

Isn't it just awesome that the simplest and most forgiving method of growing is also the way that mother nature intended and also results in the some of the best end results?
Going the organic soil route may not bring the big yields and quick turnaround times that could be had with hydro but since I'm not gardening for profit I'll take superior taste over high yields any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[Robert Celt]

I love the organic soil, even my vegetables are growing in organic. The raised bed was made from a garden soil I bought from a local fella that is just topsoil mixed with manure and let compost, then I put 2-3" of my soil I made for the girls over top.

It does take some work on the front end but I have always worked with my hands, I've just switched from building things to growing them LOL

I am not interested in hydro, it requires too much attention and I am growing for fun not profit so quick turn around means little

As much as I have enjoyed this grow so far, I am thinking strongly of setting up an organic nursery in the spring for flowers and garden plants. Big switch from the engineering and construction work I have done all my life but when you enjoy what you do its no longer work

 

[UncleCannabis]

My Soil Mix

Ingredients:
Soil Base. Consist mostly of composted black soil containing lots of leaf matter.
Worm Castings
Bone Meal
Blood Meal
Bat Guano
Chicken Shit
Sheep Shit
Alfalfa Meal
Crushed Pumice Stone
Crushed Oyster Shells
Ground Egg Shells
Used Coffee Grounds
Neem Cake Meal
Rice Hulls
Coco Coir
Dolomite Lime
Epsom Salt
Humic Acid
BioChar
EM (Effective Microorganisms)

After mixing I put into clear plastic tubs with clear covers and let it set outside in the sun for at least 4 to 6 months before using. While simmering I turn and water a few times per week until it's ready to use.
Before using the mix for potting up plants I add a bit of perlite along with more coco coir, more worm castings, more bat guano, more bone meal, more dolomite lime (based on ph adjustment needs), more epsom salt, and more neem cake meal. I mix everything well then use.

Ingredient Quantities:
To be honest my gardening habits are similar to my cooking habits in that I don't really measure ingredients when making a batch of soil. I just know from experience about how much of which ingredients to add for different purposes. I was raised on a farm and I've had many years of organic growing experience with fruit and vegetable crops so it's not like I'm just throwing darts at a dart board hoping that I get close to bulls eye. There is a bit of knowledge and experience at play but it's probably an even mix of luck and skill that gets me by by the skin of my teeth sometimes. LOL!

IMHO due to variations and inconsistencies in regards to the ingredients that are contained in most organic based products that are the standard fare when making a custom soil mix it's really an imprecise science. Example...If two groups of bats are eating different diets, the bat dung from both groups of bats will not contain the same NPK ratios. Same goes for worm castings. All worm castings are not the same. Anyways, you all get the picture.

I sometimes compare building a healthy soil to what it takes to build a healthy body. If you want to build a healthy body you need to feed the machine with a WIDE ASSORTMENT of CLEAN and HIGH QUALITY foods. Eating too much of anything is usually a bad thing but eating too little of those same things are bad as well. Same goes for building a healthy and balanced soil. In most but not all cases the amounts of each ingredient are not as important as the variety of the ingredients that are used and getting the soil texture right. I won't get into soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) but those who may have a real interest in organic soil gardening monster should read up on this subject as this is they key as to how plant uptake and utilize nutrients.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that IMHO there is no PERFECT SOIL RECIPE folks!! There are however some recipes that are better than others and the key reason lies in the variety and quality of the ingredients used. There's more to gardening than just N-P-K and Cal/Mag.
I like to try to not over complicate things unless complicated is the ONLY route to success and growing good weed ain't as complicated or difficult as most folks make it out to be.

Anyways, now that I've probably ruffled up a few feathers with the organic soil growers as well as the hydro gardeners my work is done here. LOL!

One of these days I'll take notes of the quantities of ingredients that I use when mixing up a new batch of soil.

Have a Great Day Everyone!

 

[UncleCannabis]

I love the organic soil, even my vegetables are growing in organic. The raised bed was made from a garden soil I bought from a local fella that is just topsoil mixed with manure and let compost, then I put 2-3" of my soil I made for the girls over top.

It does take some work on the front end but I have always worked with my hands, I've just switched from building things to growing them LOL

I am not interested in hydro, it requires too much attention and I am growing for fun not profit so quick turn around means little

As much as I have enjoyed this grow so far, I am thinking strongly of setting up an organic nursery in the spring for flowers and garden plants. Big switch from the engineering and construction work I have done all my life but when you enjoy what you do its no longer work

It's funny that you say this. I too work in engineering/design/construction field but have been giving serious thought to making a u-turn with my life and migrating back into the horticultural business. 20 years ago when I made the career change from the horticulture/agriculture industry to what I do now it was solely for financial reasons. After many years of hard work I'm now financially secure enough to take a step back and do something less stressful that I also enjoy without having to worry about the almighty dollar.
I wish you the best of luck with your life plans.

 

[UncleCannabis]

The Ganja Grove is really coming alive over the past couple of weeks especially on the west side of the Ganja Grove where the Sativa's (Soviet Ripper & Amnesia) are hanging out.
It's like Girls Gone Wild up in here man! If they don't stop stretching soon I'm going to have to resort to some mid-bloom S&M sessions and get them tied down.

Here are a few pics of the Ganja Girls to brighten up your Sunday morning.

Soviet Ripper (Soul Breeders)
The colas on these girls are now 18" and still growing.
The vine dried crop from my last grow has been curing for almost a month now. So yesterday I took a nice bud out of the cure jar and rolled a fatty. All I can say is WOW!! This is some really fine smoke from freebie seeds that I had very low expectations of. It's really sticky, taste like sweet grapefruit, and the effect is a really nice sativa head high that last about 4 hours. I'm really glad that I decided to run these clones while my seedlings are vegging. I would be kicking myself if I had tossed them.

Amnesia (World of Seeds)

Girl Scout Cookies (BC Bud Depot)

Tropf Blumats hard at work.