Buds Buddy's 1st Grow Journal

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

OK ... Court is Now in Session. "Where's my Judges" ? It's Day 25 of my happy little grow & that darn AK 47 is just fabulous. I think I love her ... LOL. It's the best looking plant from the start I've ever grown.
Up til now I've just been doing regular feedings at 1/4 strength, topping & tying down branches. But we are closing in on the end of week 4. I have about 3 days of week 3 - 4 nutes left & then we move on to different nutes.
I'm fixing to post my Day 25 pics; but the 1st ones I'll post will be of the Northern Lights with the branch I broke tying it down. The branch seems like it might heal itself as it's stuck on there again pretty good. The leaves on that branch are completely wilted. Take a look at the pics & tell me what you think will happen. Will it come back?

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

Here are some more pics of my Green Goddesses.

Emilya Green · Jun 26, 2019

very healthy looking plants!

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

Here are my 2 Photo girls....

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

And for the Grand Finale .... My Very Own Favorite .... Miss AK 47 !!!

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

Emilya said:
very healthy looking plants!

Thank You ! Love hearing that from you.

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

Smokiemcpot19 said:
I'm using distilled water, room temp, ph to 5.6-6.0. ppm Less then 150 and ec less then 100 with cal mag and some root booster and water just plain pH water in-between. I've done tons of research before I even started brother and went through hundreds of grow logs.
Only thing I can think of is I may of under saturated my pots from the start. I've never got run off so far.

Your water doesn't have much for nutes at all. My Tap water is 204 ppm. Everyone & what I've read says you want the ppm around 200 the 1st week or 2. I'm no pro but that might have something to do with it. Roots not getting enough nutrients to grow faster. I wouldn't think not getting any run off would be a problem yet since you haven't added nutes. You haven't added nutes so no salts building up. But you will need to get run off once you add nutes. Just put your pot in the tub & keep feeding till you get run off. if it takes a gallon then use a gallon. Just means you haven't been giving enough water. But after you do this just start feeding small amounts like 24 - 36 oz. per feeding. You will get plenty of run off every time. Give them 24 oz. & sit back 5-10 minutes & your pot trays will have a good 4 - 6 oz. of run off.
That's how I'm getting run off using just ounces. Remember ... it's almost impossible to over water Coco or give to much Cal Mag.

Smokiemcpot19 · Jun 26, 2019

Buds Buddy said:
Your water doesn't have much for nutes at all. My Tap water is 204 ppm. Everyone & what I've read says you want the ppm around 200 the 1st week or 2. I'm no pro but that might have something to do with it. Roots not getting enough nutrients to grow faster. I wouldn't think not getting any run off would be a problem yet since you haven't added nutes. You haven't added nutes so no salts building up. But you will need to get run off once you add nutes. Just put your pot in the tub & keep feeding till you get run off. if it takes a gallon then use a gallon. Just means you haven't been giving enough water. But after you do this just start feeding small amounts like 24 - 36 oz. per feeding. You will get plenty of run off every time. Give them 24 oz. & sit back 5-10 minutes & your pot trays will have a good 4 - 6 oz. of run off.
That's how I'm getting run off using just ounces. Remember ... it's almost impossible to over water Coco or give to much Cal Mag.

I'm using cal mag and root booster every other watering. I've been told just plain pH water the first 7 days I just wanted a head start. Obviously it didnt work out for me but lack of nutes shouldn't be the culprit.

And I'm on well water I can't use tap or anything from the sink or shower or I would.. 9+ pH and over 600ppm not going to feed my plants that.

Buds Buddy · Jun 26, 2019

Yeah you don't want to use that. I've never used Distilled. I have used Great Value (Walmart brand) Purified Drinking Water for an entire grow & it worked quite well. It's at 7.0 pH right from the jug so it's considered neutral.
The 1st 2 weeks I have no idea what my ppm was as I never checked it. The 2nd 2 weeks I've been keeping it right near 600 ppm. I'll up it to 700 for a week when I switch nutes & then up it to 800 for the rest of the grow.

Buds Buddy · Jun 27, 2019

Didn't do all that much today. Just the regular feeding & then tucked some of the big fan leaves under the smaller branches to get more light.
Not sure what to think of the N.L. broken branch. Seems to be healing & re-attaching At the joint where it broke. about 1/2 the leaves have started drying up & getting crispy on that branch. But the leaves in the center at the top look like they might be perking up some. Guess I'll know in a couple of days.

Smokiemcpot19 · Jun 27, 2019

Are you watering everyday to run off?? What day did you start nutes?
I'm asking cause I hear so many mixed answers from tons of badass coco growers.

Buds Buddy · Jun 27, 2019

Smokiemcpot19 said:
Are you watering everyday to run off?? What day did you start nutes?
I'm asking cause I hear so many mixed answers from tons of badass coco growers.

I water/feed twice per day. I just add 24 - 36 oz each feeding & sit back & wait 10 minutes & the trays under my pots get about 4 - 6 oz. of run off. I started using nutes 1 day prior to planting my seeds. I poured a gallon of 1/2 strength nutes & 16 ml. Cal Mag Plus @ pH 5.8 through each pot 1 day before planting. Then I was using 1/2 strength nutes the 1st week but was told 1/4 strength was strong enough through the veg cycle so I have been doing 1/4 strength since.
But yeah, I started feeding before the seed was planted & have fed every day since.
Feeding a day ahead of time was not understanding what people meant by pre-charging Coco. I figured it meant giving it some nutes since there aren't any in Coco .... So that's what I did. Might not have been right ... but it's working.

Smokiemcpot19 · Jun 27, 2019

Well other coco growers are watering half gallon every 2 days and letting the top dry out before watering again and they have giant autos getting 6+oz a plant.

Old Salt · Jun 27, 2019

Smokiemcpot19 said:
Well other coco growers are watering half gallon every 2 days and letting the top dry out before watering again and they have giant autos getting 6+oz a plant.

Not this grower. From veg on it's at least twice per day. By harvest they get more than two cups, twice a day. This has sometimes risen to Two cups three time per day. I use 70% coco / 30% perlite, with General Hydroponics' Flora Trio and supplements.

Buds Buddy · Jun 27, 2019

Smokiemcpot19 said:
Well other coco growers are watering half gallon every 2 days and letting the top dry out before watering again and they have giant autos getting 6+oz a plant.

That's how I watered when I used Fox Farms soil. I have read posts where people water that way. I don't think it's the best method myself. So far I really like the method I'm using now. These are some of the nicest looking plants I've grown. I might have to take a pic to frame it when it's done ... LOL.
I wish I could say it was one factor or another. But I changed every detail, lights, filters, fans, tent ... the whole 9 yards including my grow medium & nutes. It's probably the combination of it all. But it's the 1st grow I've had where temps stay between 75 - 81 F & RH staying 45 - 55%.
6 oz. is a decent harvest. But I think if you get this shit down you could get 10 - 12 oz. I've been told that people pull 18 oz. off Auto's dry weight. Wouldn't that be something ?

Smokiemcpot19 · Jun 27, 2019

Would be a dream

Buds Buddy · Jun 28, 2019

Well this morning I fed again & I think my plants are starting to drink more. Took 4 - 12 oz. cups to get run off today.
One last feeding of week 3 & 4 Nutes for the Auto's. The Photo's will stay on them another 2 weeks since I have to drag them out. May up the strength a little though.
Anyway, These will be my Nutrients / Additives for Week #5 of this grow. All Advanced Nutrient Products.
1) Sensi Coco Bloom A : 4 ml.
2) Sensi Coco Bloom B : 4 ml.
3) VooDoo Juice : 2 ml.
4) Piranha : 2 ml.
5) B-52 : 2 ml.
6) Bud Candy : 2 ml.
7) Rhino Skin : 2 ml.
8) Sensi Cal Mag X Tra : 2 ml.
9) G.H. pH down (pH @ 5.8)

I'll be starting these Nutes tomorrow. I'll update my pics then & get some pics of all these roots poking through the pots as well.

Buds Buddy · Jun 28, 2019

Well the person with the Free Wire Shelves flaked on me so I went to Home Depot and bought a 16" x 8' one. Cut it down to 6 - 16" x 16" squares. Bought 6 Plastic oil drain pans to go under the wire racks for plants to drain in. Thought they'd work nice since it's a perfect fit & they have pour spouts for emptying. Total cost was only $22. Thought it would be more.
Still working on the 2nd humidifier. Should have one by time the weekend is over .... but not so sure I will need it now that I'll be flowering soon. I'm close to 50% RH & I believe that's a good range for the bloom cycle.
Getting ready to mix my Week 5 nutes. I mix the whole weeks worth at once so it takes a while since it's all in 1 gal. jugs.
Right now I'm using about 3.5 - 4 gallons per day so I mix 25 gallons up. (Fun)
I better get started ...So ...See Ya Later !

Buds Buddy · Jun 29, 2019

It's Day 28 of my happy little grow & things seem to be OK. Fed my Auto's the last of their week 3 & 4 Nutes last night so they will be moving on to Week 5 Bloom Nutes this morning. This weeks I'll be using them at 1/4 strength & next week they will go to 1/2 strength. These are the Nutes I'm using for Week 5 ....