Blue Dream In Hempy Buckets With Modified Light Schedule

[Tead]

I could not find any reason why there was a pH rise of a mixed nute solution prior to feeding.

And, in fact, my nutes lower the PH. I believe they're designed to bring it down to soil PH levels. I lower it further for my hydro.

The pH rose to between 5.7 and 5.8 (meter fluctuated) so at this point there seems to be some hope.

Much more inline with what I've seen.


I use the DynaGro line (2part) just because I'm lazy and they're cheap.
Awesome data. Great job!

 

[Mars Hydro]

 

[Billyjack]

Well done.

 

[Gorgar]

Tead and Billyjack, thanks for the data collection thumbs up...but I'm starting to feel like the 'abandon all hope, ye that enter here' saying goes. I was bummed to find that the Anvanced Nutrients mix was up to a pH of 6.7 this morning. But it was interesting becasue the top of the mix was a little frothy. I've seen that before after a mix sits a day, but I never correlated pH with it. Maybe there's some sort of activity in the mix that generates a gas. I mean, if CO2 was being generated or released (I think it's acidic) and it offgassed it seems logical that the pH would rise if an acid was leaving the mix. But that is PURE speculation on my part.

Anyway, the plants look good today and the light flush yesterday was probably a good thing. I'm just going to let things alone today and then grab a pH sample from the Hempy reservoir tomorrow.

At this point, I know that my nute mixes raise the pH whether it's tap water or distilled water. I also know that the AN mix holds the pH longer than the Canna nute mix (all of this based on too small of a sample size).

So my current plan is to go on a 2 day plan. Every 2 days I'll feed the AN mix and then every other 2 days I'll only water with 5.5 pHed water and assume that I will get a lowered pH in my reservoir. But I was wrong about the chloramine, so who the h#ll knows. My AN test mix used about an 80% rate of the recommended dosage from the AN feed chart, but it looked like many growers were suggesting a 50% rate, so I'm not really concerned about underfeeding.

If you've got any ideas, even if they are far-fetched or just plain funny, please add them.

 

[Gorgar]

Veg/Day 37

Plants look good and healthy, but they're a little smaller than I would have hoped...but I have been torturing them...so no surprise. But, the plant on the right is a better color (not as dark green) and the new growth is not twisty like it had been so the pH and hot coco seem to be in check for now.

I'll have to scrap the plans to collect the current reservoir to check pH, because there really isn't any water in the bottom right now. I forgot yesterday when I flushed them that I drained the reservoirs before I moved them from the kitchen back into the tent in the basement. The coco is drying out some, but it's what I wanted to do.

The COBs were kicked on today, so the plants will be getting more light from here on out.

I'm revising my 2-day plan as mentioned in my last post, and I'll be using the Advanced Nutrients supplemental nutes along with the Grow to see if that helps the pH. I figure at this point it's worth the 'investment' in nutes, but I'm buying the smallest bottles possible (bad value wise) to see if there's any added benefit to using them.

 

[Nicholas Flamel]

Very nice Gorgar. Blue Dream is next on the list for me. Im interested to see how they do in hempy. I've just recently started my first hempy and I am loving the growth compared to soil.

 

[AngryBird]

They look healthy and I will research into hempy tooo...

 

[Gorgar]

Hey Nicholas and Angry, thanks for stopping by!

 

[Tead]

So my current plan is to go on a 2 day plan. Every 2 days I'll feed the AN mix and then every other 2 days I'll only water with 5.5 pHed water and assume that I will get a lowered pH in my reservoir

I like it. Seems like a logical way to handle a quickly rising PH situation like you're seeing. Sometimes logic doesn't work, but it would seem like the best enemy to direct your fire upon.
Girls look good. Wish I was more familiar with coco. I've been meaning to dip my toes in that world.

 

[Gorgar]

Sometimes logic doesn't work

I know...I'm married.

 

[AngryBird]

I know...I'm married.

Me too....not only women.....

 

[DankestBuds42]

Hey Gorgar, your plants look great!

 

[Gorgar]

Veg/Day43

Thanks DankestBuds...thanks for stopping by.

Pretty much been following the alternate water and nute mix regime, and things are looking pretty good to me. I don't actually know if it is doing any good or not, but if the plants look healthy from here on out I'm just going to let everything alone.

During the week some fan leaves were pruned (ongoing process) and I did some light (as in I didn't break their necks) supercropping. It lowered the canopy a bit and I really just look for a decent canopy. Last time I did this it looked like it bulked up some of the buds and that's the prime reason it's being done.

I had hoped to flip soon (always gone around 60 days), but things look like they are developing nicely so I'm leaving that alone, too...for now.

 

[Tead]

I had hoped to flip soon (always gone around 60 days), but things look like they are developing nicely so I'm leaving that alone, too...for now.

Watch your head room and sq/ft. It can sure be easy to grow yourself out of your available space.

 

[Gorgar]

Watch your head room and sq/ft. It can sure be easy to grow yourself out of your available space.

Haha...thanks Tead. There's enough room in the tent (3'x5'), but that drainage table is more of a limiting factor. Last time I grew these I was fine with headroom, but my first grow was some Super Silver Haze and they showed a much more dominate Sativa tendency for height.

 

[Tead]

There's enough room in the tent

A wise gent might respond with "Famous last words....", but I'm neither a gent nor wise and it sure sounds like you have it well in hand.

 

[Gorgar]

There's enough room in the tent...

A wise gent might respond with "Famous last words....", but I'm neither a gent nor wise and it sure sounds like you have it well in hand.

Hey Tead, you're absolutely right. I should have said that 'there should be enough room in the tent' and base it on my last Blue Dream. But I've already encountered a few surprises, so who the hell knows?

BTW, what type of watering schedule do you use? Recently I've been alternating nutes and plain water and feeding/watering them every 2 or 3 days. I'm noticing that they are drinking fairly well right now, and I might up the nute schedule (say 2 feeds nutes and 1 water).

 

[Tead]

BTW, what type of watering schedule do you use?

I've recently shifted from feeding every 3 days to feeding every 4. I don't need to water between... except clones or seedlings of course.
Is this the best feeding technique.... probably not, but it works in my world. I've seen many, many different feeding cycles. I tried many different variations myself and landed where I am, but don't feel nearly strong enough on the issue to 'preach it to the masses'.

One commonality I might recognize... as growers become more familiar with their hempy pots and their plants, they settle into a base feed method that works for both them and their plants. I'm certain you'll join that crowd and find me standing with you in that crowd.

 

[AngryBird]

 

[Gorgar]

Veg/Day51

Nothing much going on in the tent, except some continued growth. Plants are continuing to look healthy.

Last feeding I went three days between waterings and the coco was pretty dry. The plants are drinking well, but my Hempys are only 2 gallon so there is a smaller reservoir. I can see the advantage of less waterings/feedings if things are sized to take advantage of that.

Been continuing the pruning, but the leaf growth is strong. Things look a bit straggly in the side view photo, but I did not do any LST this grow and I only topped once since I was more concerned with other things at the time.

Overall, things are going well and will flip by this time next week.