Advanced LED Demo Grow by Doc Bud

[Neiko]

Great update Doc! On the wet/dry thing.....I do this as best I can. What usually ends up happening is before work I check them and the pots are light as a feather but no sign of wilting. When I get home from work usually about 10-12 hours later they have started to wilt. I then do the dunking method to water. They always bounce right back. The thing is I get nice full rootballs but nothing like you show. I'm not sure why. Should I water them before they start to go limp or is waiting the extra few hours hurting me?

 

[shaun6868]

What's the biobiz veg routine?

If it was me, I'd take my own advice and try to do what I outlined above.

So are you saying even at seedling stage you let the pots completely dry out before you water?
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but I'm still pretty new to all this growing.

 

[Doc Bud]

Great update Doc! On the wet/dry thing.....I do this as best I can. What usually ends up happening is before work I check them and the pots are light as a feather but no sign of wilting. When I get home from work usually about 10-12 hours later they have started to wilt. I then do the dunking method to water. They always bounce right back. The thing is I get nice full rootballs but nothing like you show. I'm not sure why. Should I water them before they start to go limp or is waiting the extra few hours hurting me?

See if you can't figure out how to adjust when you water so you always do it before work? Maybe give them a tiny drink in the AM so they last to the PM?

Also, I mix my drenches strong when I dunk. I've mentioned that a few times. Other than that, there are no secrets!

 

[Doc Bud]

So are you saying even at seedling stage you let the pots completely dry out before you water?
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but I'm still pretty new to all this growing.

Yes! Especially at the seedling stage. You want those roots to seek out water, grow fine root hairs and all that. At the same time, by restricting water you'll get nice thick stems and few leaves. Just what we want.

 

[Neiko]

See if you can't figure out how to adjust when you water so you always do it before work? Maybe give them a tiny drink in the AM so they last to the PM?

Also, I mix my drenches strong when I dunk. I've mentioned that a few times. Other than that, there are no secrets!

By strong do you mean the recipe you have listed in the past? I used that formula adjusted to the amount of water I am using. The last watering was 3.5 gallons of water with 14ml growth energy with 7ml of tea. That did 9 plants in one gallon pots and I had about 1 gallon left over.

 

[shaun6868]

Yes! Especially at the seedling stage. You want those roots to seek out water, grow fine root hairs and all that. At the same time, by restricting water you'll get nice thick stems and few leaves. Just what we want.

Thanks Doc, was getting a little confused with what I've been reading. Will definitely follow your advice..+reps for that

 

[Bamalabrat]

Doc,

I was trying to figure out what lights are you using for the flowering? I know you used the EX-veg 200 for veg but I missed what was said about the lights for flower. Thanks for this review journal. It really is a service to the community.

 

[Doc Bud]

By strong do you mean the recipe you have listed in the past? I used that formula adjusted to the amount of water I am using. The last watering was 3.5 gallons of water with 14ml growth energy with 7ml of tea. That did 9 plants in one gallon pots and I had about 1 gallon left over.

Double that is about where I'm at for dunking only. When it comes to top watering and saucers, I use exactly what I say in the instructions.

 

[Doc Bud]

Thanks Doc, was getting a little confused with what I've been reading. Will definitely follow your advice..+reps for that

I hope I'm not the one confusing you. Just so you know, I'm not pot-forum trained. The stuff I'm always talking about is more what market garden/high quality ornamental growers do. Pot growers are usually quite unorthodox, sometimes bordering on superstitious, especially when it comes to "organic."

That's not to say I'm not for healthy, all natural, nutrient dense, disease free crops....I'm 100% on board with that aspect of "organic." But organic pot growers tend to be different than organic vegetable growers.

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc,

I was trying to figure out what lights are you using for the flowering? I know you used the EX-veg 200 for veg but I missed what was said about the lights for flower. Thanks for this review journal. It really is a service to the community.

Thanks! You put us back on track.

4 Diamond Series 400 watters.

 

[Bamalabrat]

Doc,

Have you used the xml diamond series from them? The reason I ask is that I am using the xml 350 and I am very happy with it, but would love to know what the difference between the xml and the other are. Thanks for your help and hey, this is your journal, anything you post is fine by me.

 

[Icemud]

I've shown all this with pictures in a tutorial form a few times. I think the first few pages of "In the Lab" has the info. Basically it's this:

1. during veg it is CRITICAL to let the pots go bone dry between watering. I mean dry to the point of 5 minutes more and the plants will wilt. Wet/Dry does a two key things: It causes way more roots to grow than foliage AND it improves the leaf to calyx ratio later on, which is what you're noticing.

I tell people about wet/dry all the time. Some people ignore the advice, especially "organic" folks who don't understand soil biology. They think if the soil dries out the microbial population will die, or some such nonsense. They seem to forget that myco comes in a dry powder.....anyways

2. I prune 2 to 3 times during veg. The first time is usually a topping and perhaps removal of a couple lower branches in order to give the plant its proper shape, which is 3 to 6 main tops.

The second pruning is what I call a "Pre-bloom" pruning, where on the 3-6 main tops I take everything from the bottom up to the top 3-5 nodes depending on the strain. With these Colombian I left 3 nodes intact and put them into bloom that day.

If there is a 3rd pruning, it happen in mid-veg and is done to clean up new branches so that I've got my main 3-6 working.

In bloom, when the bud sites are all well defined, I clean up the lower part of the plant so that I can see dirt looking straight down at almost any angle. I want light to penetrate all the way to the dirt. I see too many growers with massive amounts of leaves, substandard roots and less than optimal buds.

Massive roots=massive buds. Wet/dry=decrease leaf/calyx ratio......so if you do both of these things you'll get large buds and relatively few leaves.

There might even be a shot or two of the pruning on this thread. I seem to recall it. Ah....here! Advanced LED Demo Grow by Doc Bud

Thank you so much Doc for taking the time to list it out like that! I much appreciate it. I was a victim of the wet soil syndrome for a while... LOL and it really threw things off with the soil balance and minimized roots and after getting my watering down to pretty much bone dry like you mentioned and then watering, things really improved for me including much larger root mass, better plant health and less swings in nutrient deficiencies.

The Pre bloom was what I was remembering and I had a large scale norcal buddy suggest the same thing saying anything below 5 nodes get rid of after the bloom has set, and somehow over my grows I forgot to do this.

I really appreciate you taking the time to go over the details and for finding the original post thank you Doc!

 

[Governmentchz]

Doc, is the sulfur burner necessary? or just a precaution?

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc,

Have you used the xml diamond series from them? The reason I ask is that I am using the xml 350 and I am very happy with it, but would love to know what the difference between the xml and the other are. Thanks for your help and hey, this is your journal, anything you post is fine by me.

I don't know the differences. I just try to show if they can grow plants or not. Every LED out there is the latest, greatest, fullest spectrum. They're all better than anything else, aren't they?

Well, these particular lights are capable of doing what you see here. Cree/Shmee. I really don't know or care, other than DO THEY WORK.

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc, is the sulfur burner necessary? or just a precaution?

I think every garden should have one. It kills PM better than anything else. Works every time!

 

[Governmentchz]

I think every garden should have one. It kills PM better than anything else. Works every time!

100%

I grow in a spare room in my house, and with no experience with them I've been reluctant to get one. Last round I had some PM...don't want it again. But the last thing I need is sulfur fumes permeating the entire house even though I have modest control over the airflow in the area.

I am VERY interested in yours (or anyone's) experience(s) using them as THAT is high priority for me now. Potential dangers? smells? how and when do you run it etc,.

I've read reams on them and like many things "cannabis", there is a good bit of misinformation out there. From people that say stuff with no clue or experience to others who use them, albeit incorrectly.

Thanks

p.s. If I can spend ~$100 to eliminate most of the possibility of PM as a preventive measure, I'm in.

 

[Doc Bud]

100%

I grow in a spare room in my house, and with no experience with them I've been reluctant to get one. Last round I had some PM...don't want it again. But the last thing I need is sulfur fumes permeating the entire house even though I have modest control over the airflow in the area.

I am VERY interested in yours (or anyone's) experience(s) using them as THAT is high priority for me now. Potential dangers? smells? how and when do you run it etc,.

I've read reams on them and like many things "cannabis", there is a good bit of misinformation out there. From people that say stuff with no clue or experience to others who use them, albeit incorrectly.

Thanks

p.s. If I can spend ~$100 to eliminate most of the possibility of PM as a preventive measure, I'm in.

Here's how I use them:

1. turn off all fans. Leave AC on.
2. get humidity in the room up close to 100%
3. Run sulfur vape for 6 hours with 1 and 2.

All PM will be gone. 100% cure rate, everytime. Promise.

Drawbacks to this:

Plants in late bloom could possibly pick up a flavor. Washing helps, but I'd try to avoid sulfur burns after about 6 weeks of bud formation.

The smell isn't a problem in the warehouse. The room smells really fresh afterwards, believe it or not. I have concerns about using it in a home environment however. It could be that walls and carpet could absorb that smell...which would totally suck.

 

[Governmentchz]

Thanks again Doc. Do you also run it on a schedule? or only "as needed"?

 

[Doc Bud]

Thanks again Doc. Do you also run it on a schedule? or only "as needed"?

If I see PM, I'd run it once as described. That's enough!

If you continually get PM, it's usually because the room is full of spores, especially the AC. That's why you want the AC on when you run the burner. It kills spores deep inside the unit.

 

[Major PITA]

If you choose to burn sulfur in your house, remember it not only stinks, but it can be deadly to breath it in higher concentrations. I'd leave and make sure the entire place is well ventilated before returning.