Aberration Goes Ker Bloom! - Perpetual

[Aberration]

Cloning has become problematic lately. I clean everything well, but I also think they are getting too much light and too much water. The water and whatever are doing them in. The light prevents sufficient root growth early, so some of those that do come out of the dome, the root structure can't support the plant, even after 4 weeks. I barely get roots out of those starter plugs with some plants.

Cloning used to be easy. I think my technique has drifted. They always got too much light and therefore rooted slowly, but I'm compounding it with too much water. I used to lose maybe 2 in 24. Now it's more like 8-10 out of 24. I am going to continue cloning like I have been, but adjusted for what I think are my reasons for increased failure.

And then on the side, I'm going to fire up my 25 site clone machine and see if I can make it work. I bought this thing like three years ago, and have actually never used it. So it'll be weird and scary for me. But I assume it won't be rocket science. Multiple methods have their advantage, I think.

Anyway, I already cleaned it and ran it with 2 gallons water and 1.5 cups sodium hypochlorite (bleach) for about an hour. I also scrubbed and soaked the top and pucks in the same. Then I rinsed and ran and rinsed and ran and it's still running now. I'll rinse and run it more until I'm satisfied it's clean. Then I'll get it going. I'm hoping to put some cuttings in it soon.

 

[Aberration]

I promoted the little veg that just got transplanted as clones. BD.7A, BD.7B, BBX.4E, and BBX.4G have failed. BBX.4C, BBX.4D, BBX.4F, GKA.1B, MTP.3D, MTP.3E, MTP.3F, SLH.1A, and TDR.1B are added as small veg. TDR.1A and GKA.1C are questionable, but still alive, so they are added as small veg too. See? I lost 4 of 15 right there. Maybe two more to lose. Yeesh. Let's hope it improves going forward.

[action report]
==> Bloom - Pre-feed flush (6)

BD.6D (53/70 days) : 0.50 gal
BD.6E (53/70 days) : 0.50 gal
SLH (22/70 days) : 0.50 gal
TDR (22/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2G (12/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2H (12/70 days) : 0.50 gal

-Mix (3) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Yucca
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.14 @ 20.7 C
1 t blackstrap molasses

==> Bloom - Feed (6)

BD.6D : 1.50 gal
BD.6E : 1.50 gal
SLH : 1.00 gal
TDR : 1.00 gal

-Mix (5) gallons - MID
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
2 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
2 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1130 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.16 @ 21.0 C
1/2 t Companion
1 t Hygrozyme

MTP.2G : 0.75 gal
MTP.2H : 0.75 gal

-Mix (2) gallons - EARLY
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Biggest Bloom
1 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
2 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
1 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1070 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.22 @ 21.2 C
1/2 t Companion
1 t Hygrozyme

==> Large Veg (7):

GKA : 0.50 gal

BD.6J, BD.6K : 0.25 gal ea
BBX.3F

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C
CH

-Mix (2) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 920 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.10 @ 20.9 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Small Veg (11):

BBX.4C, BBX.4D, BBX.4F
GKA.1B, GKA.1C
MTP.3D, MTP.3E, MTP.3F
SLH.1A
TDR.1A, TDR.1B

-Mix (1) gallon
-Per gallon:
1 t Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
1 t Big Foot (2nd)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 540 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.24 @ 20.7 C
1/2 t Companion
[/action report]

 

[Aberration]

[action report]
==> Fog for bugs (9)

MTP.2G
MTP.2H

BBX.3F
BD.6J, BD.6K
CH
GKA
L.5Q
TRN.2C

In hot water:
-Mix (2) gallons.
-Per gallon:
4 t Notrozyme
1 T Ful-power
2 t yucca
4 t Azadirachtin 1.2%
pH target: 6.40 (±.03) Actual: 6.40 @ 32.1 C
2 t Spinosad 0.5%

==> Weekly Beneficials (13):

BD.6D (55/70 days) : 2.00 gal
BD.6E (55/70 days) : 2.00 gal
SLH (24/70 days) : 1.50 gal
TDR (24/70 days) : 1.50 gal
MTP.2G (14/70 days) : 1.25 gal
MTP.2H (14/70 days) : 1.25 gal

GKA : 0.50 gal

BBX.3F : 0.25 gal ea
BD.6J, BD.6K
CH
L.5Q
TRN.2C

-Mix (12) gallons
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.26 @ 23.3 C
-Per gallon:
1/2 T Williewann Wonder Dust (mycorrhizae +)
1 t Gnatrol (Bt-i - Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis)
1/2 t Companion (Bacillus subtilis)
[/action report]

 

[Aberration]

Pictures!

Here are the Grape Kool-Aid (left) and BigBud x BlueMagoo (right) from large veg. They were about to get fogged for bugs:

Here is the rest of veg:

I took some pictures to show the recent transplants that look like they are dying on me. Any ideas? Best I can figure they are failing to harden off. I'm sure it's something I'm doing tho:

Others are doing fine:

This one recovered from the brink:

While I had the two blooming Matanuskan Thunderfu@k girls out of the bloom room for fogging I used the extra space to take pics of the other four. That's a Blue Dream in the back-right there:

Here's the other one (couldn't back up far enough):

Blue Dream bud porn:

The Tangerine Dream looks like this:

The Super Lemon Haze is doing OK too:

They look like I could back off on the nutes though, don't they?

 

[Prescription]

Hey man been away for a few days and just got caught up. I am sure that you can get your cloner to work for you but if not, the best system for cloning that I have found is a seedling heater mat that you can buy for $12 and a tray with a dome. I think that I have seen yours in a dome, I would go back and check but my bandwidth is nonexistent. I will clean the tray and dome with a solution of bleach and water before and after each new batch of clones. I also stick all the cuttings in a cup of water immediately after cutting and leave them there util ready to stick in the plug to prevent any air embolism. The heat pad is set so that it is warm to the touch I put the tray and dome on top of the pad and I mist the crap out of them at least 2 times a day. I allow a small amount of water to accumulate at the bottom of the tray to serve as a safety in case I cannot get in to mist. The light cycle I use is the regular 18/6 that the rest of the veg cab get but I make sure that they are at the bottom of the cab and at the edge so that they still get light but it is much more diffuse. I have had roots in as little as 5 days but the average is more like 7. I have tried the exact same procedure With out the pad and they took 12 to 15 days the heat absolutely plays a part.
I refined this system over a year and by the end had a 100% success rate but, my sample size was admittedly quite small. The reason I was so focused on getting every single clone to root was our rules in MT limited the amount of plants to 8 and defined a plant as anything placed in soil roots or not. Well there is my 2 cents on clones. Thanks again for the great jounal, always a pleasant read.

 

[Prescription]

Are you using your normal concoction of dirt when you transplant your clones the first time? If so, maybe your mix is just a little too hot for them, or they run into a patch of it that is a little too hot. Maybe cut it with a little FF light warrior or equivalent seedling starter dirt that doesn't have a lot of nutes in it. I know that you mix your own and I don't remember you ever having this problem before but I have gotten some bad batches of dirt before were the PH was way off and it took me a couple of weeks to figure out why my transplants were failing to thrive. Just a couple of ideas. Good luck.

 

[MSquared]

Pictures!

I took some pictures to show the recent transplants that look like they are dying on me. Any ideas? Best I can figure they are failing to harden off. I'm sure it's something I'm doing tho:

They look like I could back off on the nutes though, don't they?

~Yes I think you should back off some, something sure isn't right.

Are you using your normal concoction of dirt when you transplant your clones the first time? If so, maybe your mix is just a little too hot for them, or they run into a patch of it that is a little too hot. Maybe cut it with a little FF light warrior or equivalent seedling starter dirt that doesn't have a lot of nutes in it. I know that you mix your own and I don't remember you ever having this problem before but I have gotten some bad batches of dirt before were the PH was way off and it took me a couple of weeks to figure out why my transplants were failing to thrive. Just a couple of ideas. Good luck.

I don't know if it is necessairly bad soil, but could be too hot with these, that is for sure a possibility. either way you have a few things to try.
good luck

 

[Aberration]

@ Prescription: My method already almost mimics yours. I haven't been using the heat pad and I think I've been giving too much light. I actually have one of those heating pads for starting seeds, so I can make both adjustments easily. Thanks for all the details. It reassures me about my overall methodology and reinforces what I already suspected.

As for the soil, it may be hot. I'll get something like what you suggest and see if that works better for the first transplant of a clone. pH of the soil could be anywhere. I've not had trouble with this before, but I did let this batch get uber-dry in the bin. After I transplanted them the plugs floated up out of the soil mix when I watered them it. I had to gold them down until it settled. But I have had the issue a little longer than the soil has been dry. That said, it always runs the risk of being hot because I mix-and-use mostly. I think I need a cover for my bin to hold the moisture in, but not so much that it sweats in there.

There are always ways to refine one's technique. It's part of what makes growing such a great hobby.

@MSquared: That's straight-up N toxicity. I know that one because I flirt with it all the time. It won't kill 'em, but they won't reach their potential that way. That's easy to dial back. Less soil nute, mostly. Honestly, I ignore it in some cases. The Blue Dream is generally better if I get her riding the bleeding edge with extra N in bloom. Others, not so much. I need to start customizing my recipes by strain (or at least group them and then by group). Why do I always make things more complicated?

As for the soil, I'm sure you read what I just said to Prescription. There is also a chance that I have over-watered them. I tend to do that. Also, I believe I remember reading that when you foliar feed constantly, like I do when I clone in plugs, you can actually wash the waxy layer off, leaving the leaf unable to limit water evaporation through the stomata like it usually does. This could lead to over-drying of those leaves. I think. Does that sound right?

The drawback of being a MMJ patient that grows for myself is that I get high as early as I can to cope with my pains, meaning I'm almost always stoned when working in the garden. No matter what anyone says, being stoned makes real mental effort more challenging. Some nights I'm more challenged, than others...

for checking in, guys.

 

[Mr Smith]

I love the look of that bluedream.

 

[MSquared]

@ Prescription: My method already almost mimics yours. I haven't been using the heat pad and I think I've been giving too much light. I actually have one of those heating pads for starting seeds, so I can make both adjustments easily. Thanks for all the details. It reassures me about my overall methodology and reinforces what I already suspected.

As for the soil, it may be hot. I'll get something like what you suggest and see if that works better for the first transplant of a clone. pH of the soil could be anywhere. I've not had trouble with this before, but I did let this batch get uber-dry in the bin. After I transplanted them the plugs floated up out of the soil mix when I watered them it. I had to gold them down until it settled. But I have had the issue a little longer than the soil has been dry. That said, it always runs the risk of being hot because I mix-and-use mostly. I think I need a cover for my bin to hold the moisture in, but not so much that it sweats in there.

There are always ways to refine one's technique. It's part of what makes growing such a great hobby.

@MSquared: That's straight-up N toxicity. I know that one because I flirt with it all the time. It won't kill 'em, but they won't reach their potential that way. That's easy to dial back. Less soil nute, mostly. Honestly, I ignore it in some cases. The Blue Dream is generally better if I get her riding the bleeding edge with extra N in bloom. Others, not so much. I need to start customizing my recipes by strain (or at least group them and then by group). Why do I always make things more complicated?

As for the soil, I'm sure you read what I just said to Prescription. There is also a chance that I have over-watered them. I tend to do that. Also, I believe I remember reading that when you foliar feed constantly, like I do when I clone in plugs, you can actually wash the waxy layer off, leaving the leaf unable to limit water evaporation through the stomata like it usually does. This could lead to over-drying of those leaves. I think. Does that sound right?

The drawback of being a MMJ patient that grows for myself is that I get high as early as I can to cope with my pains, meaning I'm almost always stoned when working in the garden. No matter what anyone says, being stoned makes real mental effort more challenging. Some nights I'm more challenged, than others...

for checking in, guys.

I don't think that is a drawback at all. LOL I know what you mean. It happens to me all the time too. I have the white board and a cork board where I write my ideas on it and such. I usually have to check it in the morning (while not being medicated) to see if I was way off base or was I on to something hahaha

I have read that as well, but I wouldn't think that just plain water would do that. I am sure if it has other ingredients in it that might well be the case.

I think that is the smartest thing possible is to find what the individual strains are telling you and then group accordingly. I think that is a REALLy good idea. I know you know some of these strains really well already so you are half way there!

 

[Aberration]

I love the look of that bluedream.

Me too. It's going to be hard to find something better.

I think that is the smartest thing possible is to find what the individual strains are telling you and then group accordingly. I think that is a REALLy good idea. I know you know some of these strains really well already so you are half way there!

Thanks. It made sense last night.

It hit me in another thread that with a temp range of 72-76F 24/7 in bloom, I wasn't taking advantage of my CO2 as much as I should. I have raised the light's-on temp to 83 F and have set the AC to 75 F during dark. I need to add a heater back in there to make sure it doesn't get too cold. Until then the low will likely be closer to 72 F just as it is now. We shall see if the temperature changes improve things. I suspect it will be a positive change.

I also set the veg temp to 76 F max. The veg room ventilation system I recently talked about is working great. I had it set to 73 F and it was varying from 72-73 F all day and night. So it's pretty stable. I like that, since it now only costs electricity for two fans, plus replacing a couple carbon filters every now and then. That's better than an AC. I love winter.

TDR.1A & GKA.1C have failed as I suspected they would. MTP.3F & BBX.4D have failed as well. BBX.4F looks dodgy. That leaves one of each strain, plus an extra MTP, in good health. Hopefully I will excise the demons on this next run and get a better success rate. For now, this is sufficient, so I will not be down about it.

[action report]
==> Bloom - Pre-feed flush (6)

BD.6D (57/69 days) : 0.50 gal
BD.6E (57/69 days) : 0.50 gal
SLH (26/70 days) : 0.50 gal
TDR (26/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2G (16/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2H (16/70 days) : 0.50 gal

-Mix (3) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Yucca
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.24 @ 21.1 C
1 t blackstrap molasses

==> Bloom - Feed (6)

BD.6D : 1.50 gal
BD.6E : 1.50 gal

-Mix (3) gallons - TAPER
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1/2 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 849 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.15 @ 21.2 C
1/2 t Companion

SLH : 1.25 gal
TDR : 1.25 gal

-Mix (3) gallons - MID
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
2 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1033 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.15 @ 21.4 C
1/2 t Companion
1 t Hygrozyme

MTP.2G : 0.75 gal
MTP.2H : 0.75 gal

-Mix (2) gallons - EARLY
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Biggest Bloom
1 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
2 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
1 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1081 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.13 @ 21.6 C
1/2 t Companion
1 t Hygrozyme

==> Large Veg (7):

GKA : 0.50 gal

BD.6J, BD.6K : 0.25 gal ea
BBX.3F

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C
CH

-Mix (2) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 757 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.17 @ 21.2 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Small Veg (7):

BBX.4C, BBX.4F
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

-Mix (1) gallon
-Per gallon:
1 t Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
1 t Big Foot (3rd)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 579 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.16 @ 21.2 C
1/2 t Companion
[/action report]

 

[darkpiece]

Ya the leaf curling on the SLH does indicate, to some degree, overferting. It sure looks like she is going to be the stretchiest plant you have grown. I'd say the SLH is the most sativa dom plant you have grown, right? I'd love to see a full show of how she has grown whenever you take pics next!

Odd clone issue you have got going. I am sure you will figure it out!!!

 

[Aberration]

Both the SLH and the TDR are stretching. Stretch is OK. I've grown a few plants that were tall and stretchy like this, but they weren't anything to write about. Except the "Orange Cream". Somewhere in this journal you can read about how I got 45 oz from two plants in this very room and setup. Too bad it was worthless - "failed to stone". But holy cripes was there a lot of it!

Pics this weekend.

Thanks for dropping in darkpiece.

The small veg plants need no water.

[action report]
==> Bloom - Pre-feed flush (6)

BD.6D (59/69 days) : 0.50 gal
BD.6E (59/69 days) : 0.50 gal
SLH (28/70 days) : 0.50 gal
TDR (28/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2G (18/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2H (18/70 days) : 0.50 gal

-Mix (3) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Yucca
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.18 @ 21.2 C
1 t blackstrap molasses

==> Bloom - Feed (6)

BD.6D : 1.50 gal
BD.6E : 1.50 gal

-Mix (3) gallons - TAPER
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1/2 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 960 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.28 @ 21.4 C
1/2 t Companion

SLH : 1.25 gal
TDR : 1.25 gal
MTP.2G : 0.75 gal
MTP.2H : 0.75 gal

-Mix (4) gallons - MID
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
2 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1080 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.23 @ 21.3 C
1/2 t Companion
1 t Hygrozyme

==> Large Veg (7):

GKA : 0.50 gal

BD.6J, BD.6K : 0.25 gal ea
BBX.3F

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C
CH

-Mix (2) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 880 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.16 @ 20.6 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Small Veg (7):

BBX.4C, BBX.4F
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

Nothing.
[/action report]

 

[Aberration]

Today was a busy day!

I 'fixed' the over-dry soil, sprayed for bugs, transplanted 8 plants, sterilized the clone dome, took 25 cuttings and put them in plugs to root, pruned of any size everything in veg, and flushed everyone that wasn't transplanted.

Whew.

BD.6D and BD.6E (Blue Dream) have technically entered pre-harvest flush, though they got the standard weekend flush tonight.

[action report]
==> Fogged for bugs (14)

BBX.3F
BD.6J, BD.6K
CH
GKA
L.5Q
TRN.2C

BBX.4C, BBX.4F
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

In hot water:
-Mix (2) gallons.
-Per gallon:
4 t Notrozyme
1 T Ful-power
2 t yucca
4 t Azadirachtin 1.2%
pH target: 6.40 (±.03) Actual: 6.41 @ 33.3 C
2 t Spinosad 0.5%

==> Transplanted (8):

BD.6J : 1.00 gal ea
BD.6K
Transplanted to 9 gallon pots

BBX.3F : 0.75 gal ea
CH
Transplanted to 2.5 gallon pots (no. 5)

SLH.1B, SLH.1C, : water to saturation
SLH.1D, SLH.1E
(from clone)
Transplanted to 3.5" pots

-Mix (4) gallons.
-Per gallon:
2 T Organic Supplement
1 t Big Foot (1st)
2 t PGE
1 oz. Yucca
Natural @ 480 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.05) Actual: 6.21 @ 19.2 C
1/2 T Williewann Wonder Dust (mycorrhizae +)
1 t Gnatrol (Bt-i - Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis)
1/2 t Companion (Bacillus subtilis)

==> Took clones (25)

5 x BD.6K (Blue Dream)
2 x GKA (Grape Kool-Aid)
3 x CH (Cheese)
5 x BBX.3F (BigBud x BlueMagoo)
5 x L.5Q ('Lavender' indica)
5 x TRN.2C (Trinity)

-Placed in clone dome, heat mat underneath, 12" from 24" 20W floro

==> Weekly Beneficials (16):

BD.6D (61/70 days) : 2.00 gal
BD.6E (61/70 days) : 2.00 gal

SLH (30/70 days) : 1.75 gal
TDR (30/70 days) : 1.75 gal

MTP.2G (20/70 days) : 1.25 gal
MTP.2H (20/70 days) : 1.25 gal

GKA : 0.50 gal

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C

BBX.4C, BBX.4F : water to saturation
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

-Mix (12) gallons
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.22 @ 20.3 C
-Per gallon:
1/2 T Williewann Wonder Dust (mycorrhizae +)
1 t Gnatrol (Bt-i - Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis)
1/2 t Companion (Bacillus subtilis)
[/action report]

 

[Aberration]

So I thought I would share my transplanting station. I bought a big plastic 100 gallon stock tank at the local farm supply and put it up on 2 cheap dollys from Harbor freight. The bin is great for mixing up 50 gallon batches of medium and it get's heavy, so the wheels help a lot. Eventually I'm going to tie them together with straps:

I then put the top from an old dresser across that. Eventually, I'm going to build a hinged lid, that will fold back to give the equivalent of this shelf with the added bonus of preventing the quick dry-out. For now, this will do:

I can then put my transplanting and cloning supplies there, plus I have a workspace:

Here's the new tray of clones:

 

[Aberration]

<chuckle>

I just did out of the frying pan and into the fire. I was going to mist the clones I just cut Saturday and I noticed a group of them looked bad:

Notice how they are grouped? The bottom of the tray isn't perfectly flat. That's where the best surface-to-surface contact is - to the seedling heat pad. It appears that those got warm enough that the plugs were nearly bone dry, thus the poor clones were wilted.

That was the frying pan.

I was going to take a profile shot to follow that overhead, and I tipped the whole tray off the bucket it was sitting on. The plugs all fell out in a pile and I have no way to know which are which.

Here we are, in the fire.

So the first lesson is "No heat pad for the clones." At least until I get a thermostat for it. The second is "Don't be a klutz." It's not the end of the world. I'll have to make new cuttings now. I can pull most of them whenever. A couple may have to wait a week or two, but they can wait that long. It's just unfortunate, not disastrous.

And kinda funny. You have to have a sense of humor in life, or it's really gonna suck.

 

[Aberration]

[action report]
==> Bloom - Pre-harvest flush (2)

BD.6D (63/70 days) : 2.00 gal
BD.6E (63/70 days) : 2.00 gal

-Mix (4) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 oz Clearex
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.17 @ 22.3 C

==> Bloom - Pre-feed flush (4)

SLH (32/70 days) : 0.50 gal
TDR (32/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2G (22/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2H (22/70 days) : 0.50 gal

-Mix (2) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Yucca
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.18 @ 22.3 C
1 t blackstrap molasses

==> Bloom - Feed (4)

SLH : 1.25 gal
TDR : 1.25 gal
MTP.2G : 0.75 gal
MTP.2H : 0.75 gal

-Mix (4) gallons - MID
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
2 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1000 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.27 @ 22.3 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Large Veg (7):

BD.6J, BD.6K : 1.00 gal ea

GKA : 0.50 gal
BBX.3F
CH

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C

-Mix (4) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 840 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.17 @ 22.3 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Small Veg (7):

BBX.4C, BBX.4F
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

-Mix (1) gallon
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 t Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 430 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.19 @ 21.7 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Infant Veg (4)

SLH. 1B, SLH. 1C, :nothing
SLH. 1D, SLH. 1E
[/action report]

 

[Aberration]

The two oldest Blue Dreams should come down on Sunday. Everyone else is rolling along fine.

[action report]
==> Bloom - Pre-harvest flush (2)

BD.6D (65/69 days) : 2.00 gal
BD.6E (65/69 days) : 2.00 gal

-Mix (4) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 oz Clearex
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.13 @ 21.4 C

==> Bloom - Pre-feed flush (4)

SLH (34/70 days) : 0.50 gal
TDR (34/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2G (24/70 days) : 0.50 gal
MTP.2H (24/70 days) : 0.50 gal

-Mix (2) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
1 T Yucca
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.23 @ 21.1 C
1 t blackstrap molasses

==> Bloom - Feed (4)

SLH : 1.50 gal
TDR : 1.50 gal
MTP.2G : 0.75 gal
MTP.2H : 0.75 gal

-Mix (5) gallons - MID
-Per gallon:
1 T liquid steamed bone meal
2 T Biggest Bloom
2 t PGE
1 t Silica Blast
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
2 t Notrozyme
2 t Organic Supplement
1 t Soil Nute
--- t Big Foot (ord)
1 t Calcium Syrup
1/2 t Carbon sweet
2 T Amino Blast
1/2 t TM-7
Natural @ 1030 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.23 @ 21.6 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Large Veg (7):

BD.6J, BD.6K : 1.00 gal ea

GKA : 0.50 gal
BBX.3F
CH

L.5Q : 0.25 gal ea
TRN.2C

-Mix (4) gallons
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 T Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 930 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.23 @ 21.5 C
1/2 t Companion

==> Small Veg (11):

BBX.4C, BBX.4F : water to saturation
GKA.1B
MTP.3D, MTP.3E
SLH.1A
TDR.1B

SLH. 1B, SLH. 1C, : water to saturation
SLH. 1D, SLH. 1E

-Mix (1) gallon
-Per gallon:
1 T Pure Blend Pro Grow
1 t Cal-Mag
1 t Yucca
--- t Big Foot (ord)
--- t TM-7
Natural @ 420 ppm
pH target: 6.20 (±.10) Actual: 6.22 @ 21.1 C
1/2 t Companion
[/action report]

 

[Prescription]

Happy belated Thanksgiving,
Bummer about your clones. I always left a little water in the tray just to be sure they wouldn't dry out all the way, that and I think the tray that I use has ridges in it so there is limited direct contact with the heat pad. At least you get some more cloning practice. Looking forward to reading about the SLH.

 

[Aberration]

Actually, I think that the biggest culprit has been too much moisture. I've been doing some reading, and I think my issues are pythium and/or damping off.

Damping off often starts as a stem that starts to brown at the soil line, rising up, possibly with reddish-brown cankers between the nodes, then goes soft. The plant eventually flops over. It is a fungus that usually kills small plants if it takes hold. Sometimes it can infect the growth tip. It can cause yellow droopy leaves.

With pythium, the symptoms may appear similar, but this fungus primarily attacks the roots. Leaf edges can brown and the plant may become stunted. As the roots are overcome, the rot emerges, browning the stem up to the crown (just above soil, not at the top). The plant is starved of water and nutrients.

I can't really decide which is the problem I am seeing, and it might be both, but that's OK. For our purposes, the causes and the solutions are essentially the same.

Over-wet soil and too much heat makes plants more vulnerable to these two fungi that really are everywhere in the air already. Healthy conditions for the plants are bad for the fungi, and healthy plants fight off the infection easier.

The plugs I clone with stay quite moist, like little sponges, and lately I have tended to transplant the plugs into soil earlier, when only the very smallest root tips had grown out of the plugs. This is because the roots have been growing more slowly lately and I have been under pressure to move them along. To get better root growth, I am moving the tray farther from the light. I am also going to moisten the plugs with the cloning solution I use, but will only mist the leaves with distilled water. I will let the plugs dry out a little more than I have been lately. I turned the veg room back down to a steady 75 F. That, I hope, will encourage the roots to reach out for more nutrient sooner and help them resist the ever-present menace of fungus.

With luck, that will lead to less cutting failure and lots more root. Then when I transplant the clones into their first pot, all of the root will not be contained in the plug, so when the plug stays wet they have roots in dryer soil as well. I will also let them go a little dryer than I have been. When I add in the decreased temps and a gradual transition from the domed tray to full veg table light and exposure, I think I can get a better survival rate all around.

We shall see.

Because I think some of veg is over-watered as well, I have halved most of the larger plants' volume on tonight's feed. I have been adjusting volume to create an expected run-off, but I think this is causing over-watered soil problems. So I will stop riding the wet edge and start taking my cues from the dry edge. I don't want to cause wilt, but I do want to let the soil get drier. I have been considering changing my every-2nd-day feeding schedule to a mostly every-3rd day. I may need to do that to properly saturate the soil and allow them to dry.

On a side note, all of this is a good reason to transplant in smaller steps IMO. When a small plant is put in too big of a pot, there is a lot of wet soil there. When things are humming, the plant is consuming that moisture, but not if they don't have roots out there yet. A small root ball takes a while to build a network fine enough to dry the deeper soil quickly before it gets nasty from lack of O2. If it takes too long, it's growing in a poisoned environment. So only transplant up in smallish steps and you avoid that. Of course, it takes more pots and more transplanting. Total soil is about the same. Just my 2¢.

Anyway, if I could expand full feeds to every three days, not only would it take less time (and give me more time hangin' with the wife - always a good choice), but they might grow better. I do know that I have always pushed the limits of over-watering my plants. Except in bloom. I think I'm playing that pretty well these days.