AllSmiles 2017 Organic Grow Using Recycled Soil

[AllSmiles]

Welcome to my 2017 (and possibly into 2018) grow journal. I've taken about a year off from growing now to try and find a little balance in my life. I was a bit ambitious when I started growing around 3 years ago and couldn't get enough of this hobby. In turn it kinda effected my family and job. If you seen my past journals I was maxed out at 6 plants in flower and 6 in veg for 2 adults. I also created fem seeds with clones.

So the plan now is to veg 2 plants for ~ 2 months then put into flower and start 2 other plants from seeds to veg while the 2 are flowering and keep that going. I'll toss in 1 auto in the veg tent also and will make fem seeds of any plants that displays vigorous growth and catches my eye So cutting back about 66% of what I was doing before. I've also gone organic and reusing soil for the first time which seems to save time also. Well see how that goes. A little nervous but plants seem to be loving it so far. Any advice on reusing soil is welcome. I'll be top dressing during flower also.

Here's the grow room.

That's a 2'x3'x5' tent on the left for vegging and drying buds. Flower room is on the right (roughly 3.5'x5.5'x 7'). I use CFLs for seedlings and LEDs for Vegging and Flowering. The two 27 gallon tubs you see in the top corner contains soil from my grow last year that have just been sitting in the garage since end of last grow. I amended one of them 3 months ago that is being used for my current grow. The other was amended about a month ago and will be for the next round of girls once the current 2 go into flower. Then I'll empty soil into bin, amend, and keep that cycle going.

I start my seeds in jiffy pellets laid on a bed of mykos. Once it breaks soil I pop it in a solo cup size pot. Then it goes to 2 gallon smart pot and from there I will transplant to 7 gallon smart pot. I may use 10 gallon also since there is a lot of soil. There's only a couple inches of space from the lid to the soil so they are full.

I'll get some photos up of my current girls soon. They are around 40 days from seed. I'll have to check the dates on pics to know for sure.

Here's what's on tap for this grow.
Currently going:
Serious 6
Sour Diesel #2
Tiny Dancer Auto

On Tap:
Laniakea (gifted to me by fellow grower)
Super Lemon Haze
Girl Scout Cookies
Kosher Kush
Mazar
Jamaican Grape
Master Kush
Wonder Woman
Double Dutch

100% sativas:
Golden Tiger
Dr. Grinspoon
Malawi

The plan is to end the grow with the 3 Sativas. Probably won't get to all of the others but Lani, GSC and SLH are in this grow for sure. All are fem beans.

Pics coming soon!

 

[AllSmiles]

Here's some pics to get caught up on current girs. Serious 6 is the tallest in all the pics, Sour Diesel #2 is the second tallest and Tiny Dancer is the smallest.

Topped SD2 and S6 above 5th node.

S6 didn't mind topping at all. SD2 did not like to be topped. She drooped for a good 7-8 days with no growth. Look how sad.

Here is SD2 today. She just recovered on her own and back to being perky and vegging again.

Here is S6. I'll be removing her big fans soon and taking 2 cuttings from very bottom branching to make fem seeds. She is vegging hard now.

Tiny Dancer in final 3 gal pot. She started off real slow. When she popped out of jiffy pellet her tap root went above soil first and was out for a couple days. I took her out and put the tap root in the pellet. She's been slow to grow so that might be the reason. Also i read you shouldn't transplant autos so maybe that's why. She's starting to flower nicely though.

 

[Governmentchz]

I'm in! Love your selections and methods AS. Looking forward to watching as it unfolds buddy.

 

[justabluez]

Welcome back!

 

[CareStaker]

Nice to have you back brother. Plants are looking great, getting close to flower.

 

[brightlight]

Good to see you back at it. Appreciate the invitation. Healthy & very sturdy looking veg girls. Looking forward to more of your excellent growing.

 

[AllSmiles]

I'm in! Love your selections and methods AS. Looking forward to watching as it unfolds buddy.

Hey Gov! Thanks for joining.

Welcome back!

Thanks justabluez. It's nice getting things back going again!

Nice to have you back brother. Plants are looking great, getting close to flower.

Thanks CS! I'm thinking another week or 2 in these 2 gals. Transplant to 7 gal and flower a week after that.

 

[AllSmiles]

Good to see you back at it. Appreciate the invitation. Healthy & very sturdy looking veg girls. Looking forward to more of your excellent growing.

Thanks brother! It's great to be back. Hope to do you proud.

 

[AllSmiles]

Some current pics of the girls. They are all 51 days from seed going into jiffy pellet. Serious 6 and Sour Diesel #2 were stripped of their large fan leaves and cleaned up the bottom growth about a week ago

This is SD2. Nice to have her recovered from topping and vegging strong now.

This is S6. A vigorous plant. Took 2 cuttings from the very bottom branches last week that I will use to make fem seeds.

And Tiny Dancer Auto in flower mode. Not much frost yet.

 

[CareStaker]

Great starting point on those veggers, looking great brother. You gonna let em get ... big?

Taking a trip out your way in June my friend, staying near the Springs.

 

[AllSmiles]

I'm gonna let them get kinda big Plan is to transplant to 7 gal once they are needing to be watered every day. Let it go in 7 gal for a week and flip. Right now they are needing to be watered every 2-3 days so going to let the roots fill up some more.

PM me when your headed over here bro. Springs is only an hour away from me. I can meet ya somewhere up there for coffee, beer, or whatever for a bit.

 

[CareStaker]

I'm gonna let them get kinda big Plan is to transplant to 7 gal once they are needing to be watered every day. Let it go in 7 gal for a week and flip. Right now they are needing to be watered every 2-3 days so going to let the roots fill up some more.

PM me when your headed over here bro. Springs is only an hour away from me. I can meet ya somewhere up there for coffee, beer, or whatever for a bit.

I'm about on the same schedule, pot-size and flip wise. Some may need two weeks in the 7 this round. What did you use to charge the soil. I'm running 707 Roots this mix, but would like to get around to recycling at some point soon.

Be happy to give a shout. I will probably rent a car, if I haven't already. Have to drive North about an hour a day or two here couple of days. Be nice to say hello.

 

[Governmentchz]

I let mine go 2 weeks after final transplant last round before flip, and they got a lot bigger than I'd planned. They were in 10's instead of 7's but that time in the bigger pots really sets them off if allowed. Yield was my best yet with almost no popcorn or larf. I applied minimal training, but pruned them pretty well in early bloom.

 

[AllSmiles]

I'm about on the same schedule, pot-size and flip wise. Some may need two weeks in the 7 this round. What did you use to charge the soil. I'm running 707 Roots this mix, but would like to get around to recycling at some point soon.

I'm a big fan of Roots. Haven't tried the 707 but my last run was with Original and the quality was outstanding. No bits of twigs and mulch every where like what i've been experiencing with FFOF as of recent.

Here's what I mixed into the soil.

I don't know the exact measurements of each but each 27 gallon tub got a 10 lb bag of EWC and ~1/4 bag of the Ancient Forest which is a 15 or 20 lb bag. As for each amendment I used the recommended instructions on the bag/box and cut it by 1/3. Many were in cu ft but nothing a google search with conversion tool couldn't help translate. I mixed by hand poured in ~2.5 gallons of RO water and let sit for 8 weeks. I started out my seedlings in it and they did well. Well, i started in jiffy pellets and the pellets went directly into the soil. There's also powdered Azomite in the mix which I forgot to include in pic.

The plants are loving it which is a big relief. The photo girls are now 3+ weeks in the 2 gallon pot and all i've been doing is watering. They are showing no deficiencies. I also brewed tea for the transplant but haven't used since. Did a brix reading on them a couple days ago and they are at 11 and 12. From my research that's pretty good so I'm happy.

This is also saving me some dough! From calculations in my head the bagged amendments will go to 5th or 6th round. Keep in mind these are 27 gallon tubs so it's going a long ways for sure. The amendments were only $7-8 a pop at good ol wally mart. Price cuts in half at end of season clearance

I'll be transplanting them to 7gals tomorrow Then it's flower time in a week or two

I let mine go 2 weeks after final transplant last round before flip, and they got a lot bigger than I'd planned. They were in 10's instead of 7's but that time in the bigger pots really sets them off if allowed. Yield was my best yet with almost no popcorn or larf. I applied minimal training, but pruned them pretty well in early bloom.

Nice Gov! I've noticed that when you transplant they take off in that first 2 weeks. I may try a 10 gallon pot on the next round of girls since there will be soil to spare. I may even plant 2 girls directly in the tubs to finish the season

I'm cutting down on training too. Just topping above 4th node and LST of the top branching instead of all of them. The bottom 2 branches I prune and toss unless I make fem beans.

 

[CareStaker]

Looks like you got the bases covered for flowering, but depending on your water, you need more Ca if you are running any Haze or Sat doms - have you looked at Roots Elemental? Has both types, water soluble, but mix in while amending too....works real well if you need more Ca like I do....my water is demineralized.

Can't wait to see them. Organics have given me the best end product without doubt, so I'm going to have a party and throw out a whole bunch of bottles. I'm not even giving them away. Just trash lol.

 

[AllSmiles]

Doesn't the Oyster shells have that covered? I have not looked into Roots Elemental. I'll take a look. Do you think egg shells blended to a powder will do the job? If I start noticing any ca deficiencies I have a bottle of General Organics CalMag for backup. I'll need to check the expiration though. I've had it for a couple years now.

 

[brightlight]

Nice batch of soil ingredients AS. Use most of them myself. While NCW swears by it, I don't use Bloodmeal. A carry over from old & odd hippy beliefs about adrenaline in blood when cattle are slaughtered. May be nonsense but there is info out there about how adrenaline impacts beef's taste & texture for consumption.

 

[CareStaker]

Doesn't the Oyster shells have that covered? I have not looked into Roots Elemental. I'll take a look. Do you think egg shells blended to a powder will do the job? If I start noticing any ca deficiencies I have a bottle of General Organics CalMag for backup. I'll need to check the expiration though. I've had it for a couple years now.

The oyster has good calcium - Ca Carbonate, and will buffer pH, but is a bit slow imo. If you foliar with Ca, or feed with it, you might not need anything more.

Having enough Ca has always been hard for me with my water, and the Elemental has been helping me get that of 'shine' I've been able to get on most every plant. The Elemental, uses two types Ca, Mg, Fish Protein, some gypsum so that it doesn't push your pH too high, and some Sulfer too. Favorite dry amendment, but my water is like RO, so I need extra.

 

[CareStaker]

Doesn't the Oyster shells have that covered? I have not looked into Roots Elemental. I'll take a look. Do you think egg shells blended to a powder will do the job? If I start noticing any ca deficiencies I have a bottle of General Organics CalMag for backup. I'll need to check the expiration though. I've had it for a couple years now.

The oyster has good calcium - Ca Carbonate, and will buffer pH, but is a bit slow imo. If you foliar with Ca, or feed with it, you might not need anything more.

Having enough Ca has always been hard for me with my water, and the Elemental has been helping me get that of 'shine' I've been able to get on most every plant. The Elemental, uses two types Ca, Mg, Fish Protein, some gypsum so that it doesn't push your pH too high, and some Sulfer too. Favorite dry amendment, but my water is like RO, so I need extra.

 

[AllSmiles]

Nice batch of soil ingredients AS. Use most of them myself. While NCW swears by it, I don't use Bloodmeal. A carry over from old & odd hippy beliefs about adrenaline in blood when cattle are slaughtered. May be nonsense but there is info out there about how adrenaline impacts beef's taste & texture for consumption.

Thanks BL! I just ordered some soluble humic/fulvic acid called Wallace DS-80. Gonna water weekly with it and see how it goes.

Interesting on the Bloodmeal. I've never heard of that but going to look it up. Sounds like an interesting read.

The oyster has good calcium - Ca Carbonate, and will buffer pH, but is a bit slow imo. If you foliar with Ca, or feed with it, you might not need anything more.

Having enough Ca has always been hard for me with my water, and the Elemental has been helping me get that of 'shine' I've been able to get on most every plant. The Elemental, uses two types Ca, Mg, Fish Protein, some gypsum so that it doesn't push your pH too high, and some Sulfer too. Favorite dry amendment, but my water is like RO, so I need extra.

I'm in the same boat for water since I use RO. I like that it has fish protein in it. I'm going to pick some up today! Have you foliar fed with Elemental? I haven't foliar fed this round but I used to a lot with GO Bioweed and some silica. Plants respond well to foliar. Been looking for a nice foliar solution that I can fill a small water bottle with that can be stored in a cool dry place for a week. The bioweed I had to mix and wash the bottle everyday which got cumbersome.


Quick pic update on the girls. The photos were transplanted to 7 gallon smart pots yesterday and drenched in compost tea. S6 is in the front in all pics (biggest of the bunch). SD#2 is in the back. TD Auto got some tea action also.