Dano999's White Widow Grow Journal 2019 With Grow Closet Mod

[Brett Blaze]

This is a short journal to this point since I am new here and am already in the fourth week of flower. I do have progress photos and a section on modifying a Super Closet grow closet.

Strain - White Widow Fem (Sativa Dominant 60%, 40%)
Currently in 4th week flower stage

Set up
Super Closet Super Star 3.0 Hydro LED grow cabinet
1. Kind K3 XL300 LED 300W
2. T-5 Supplemental Side Lighting
3. Dual Carbon Filters
4. Hydo system

Temperature of inside 75 to 85 F with 45 to 55% RH (These cabinets get pretty warm) I live in the desert so I am using a humidifier in the room set to 50%. Outside 72 F RH 55%

Technaflora nutes (so far I am happy with the results)

Germinated 5 fem seeds. 3 sprouted. Not a great percentage especially since one was pretty week looking.

Transferred to grow cabinet on Nov 19.

Topped twice after every three nodes.

Started flowering on Dec 4th after 2 weeks of veg. Plant was 12" high. Replace water every 7 days during veg stage. Changed nutes from veg to flower formula.

 

[Brett Blaze]

After one week of flower. Water replacement once a week with 1 gallon added per week during the first week.

Just prior to this point I experienced an algae issue within the hydro tub. I neglected to fill the empty cups allowing light to enter. Lesson learned. I had to replace the tub, pump, air stones and tubing. The system came with two hydro tubs and you really only need one so I gently lifted the top onto the clean hydro tub and made sure no light entered. Problem solved.

I also did the first lollipop during this week.

I planned for 100% stretch or 24" total height. The closets are short and another lesson I learned is using a ScrOg process next time. You will see next week why.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Week 2 of flower.

Holy crap!!! Planning for 100% stretch was not nearly enough. After two weeks of flower I was already touching the light. Time to MacGyver this closet.

Here is the stock closet. It comes with a clone/germination area above the grow area. Nice idea but I don't need to clone and it was a waste so I made a modification.

Removing the top shelf was the answer but I still needed to do something with the carbon filters which impeded the LED from raising any higher.

Removing the top shelf was pretty easy. In fact the whole mod took under two hours by myself and I still had the plant inside to work around.

First was to remove the LED which is attached to the shelf using standard ratchet hangers. Next is to remove the shelf. After removing the sealing material tape around the top of the shelf edges the top shelf lifts right out. Next take the top and use for a drill pattern for the top of the cabinet to hang the LED.

Next was to remove the internal carbon filters. I recommend two people to do this. One needs to hold the filter inside while another is removing the screws from the back. I had to rig something to hold it in place and ended up snapping off a nice branch. Once removed, reverse the fans so they suck air out instead of blowing and install on the back of the cabinet. The fans can be pried off with a screwdriver but be gentle. Turn them over and place back on the filter.

Rehang the LED and you are set. It adds over 12" of height.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Even though I acted quickly three main flowers tops were burned.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Week 3 of flower.

The plants are consuming 1 gallon of water every two days. Still stretching but slowing down.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Week 4 of flower Total 42 days.

The ladies have finally stopped thier upward growth. Water consumption still around 1 gallon every two days. The burnt flowers have recovered pretty well and one actually split to form two tops.

Stigma and Trichomes look great.

 

[Gadfly]

 

[Brett Blaze]

Updated pictures of the burnt flowers. Came back pretty well but definitely didn't help.

 

[snowbound]

Nice write up. I also have white widow and just flipped to flowering. I sure hope mine don't stretch that much or I will have issues. Also my first hydro grow.

 

[canadalarry]

Good job! Those ladies look nice.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Nice write up. I also have white widow and just flipped to flowering. I sure hope mine don't stretch that much or I will have issues. Also my first hydro grow.

They are 38" right now.

 

[Brett Blaze]

5 weeks (35 days) of Flower 49 days total.

Plants stopped their stretch at 38" more than a foot than I planned. I'm learning a lot and this was suppose to be a test grow which has turned out pretty well so far. Water consumption still around 1 gal every two days. Colas are really starting to get dense.

Here are pics of 5 of the largest tops.

 

[snowbound]

Awesome pics. Gives me something to look forward to. I could get away with 38" but that would be the upper limit for sure.

 

[dynamo1]

 

[Brett Blaze]

39 Day of Flower

Starting to get pretty dense. Here are the latest pics.

 

[Brett Blaze]

My job requires some travel so a little nervous at this stage. On a short trip now. Until this week no issues since I’m home around the holidays. I’m trying to keep the travel days to 3 or less at a time. I am replacing a gallon of water every two days and because of root displacement 3 days leaves about a gallon left of the 2 1/2 gallons I need to keep just below the cup. I top off to top of container before I leave to make sure. I figure it’s only high for about a day so not too worried.

Next grow I’m going to build an auto fill system to allow an additional 2 gallons (4 days). I made one for an RO reservoir in the past. Just need to have a tray under the hydro tub in case it fails and overfills.

Here are the parts required.

 

[Brett Blaze]

Day 44 of flower 58 days total.

Getting close to harvesting for the first time and would like the experts here to give some advise if it's close to harvest.

White Widow strain. Indoor hydroponic with LED lighting.
6 weeks and 2 days of flower. 8 weeks 2 days total.

Starting the flush today.

Largest most mature branch. White squares indicate where the closeups pics are.

Second most mature

 

[Brett Blaze]

Day 44 of Flower

Started the flush today. I was expecting 8 to 9 weeks of flower time but they are close after a little over 6 weeks. I'm using Technaflora nutes and just following the directions for the last week. So far their nutes have worked pretty well so staying with their plan.

The first two days of flush I'm using their MagiCal and SugarDaddy solutions then I will change to plain Ph adjusted water for as many days as I can up to a week. Since I have some amber Trichs I don't have much time left. I am intentionally letting them get more amber just above 50%. Looks like about 25% now.

One reason is I need more time is to flush. Also, I want more of a couchlock smoke and another is many of the lower branches need more time.

A bit of bad news. After taking the pictures above and below I accidentally knocked over my camera lens and it fell into my bucket of flush water. The lens is history.

Here are the last pictures with that lens.

 

[dynamo1]

Sorry about your lens, plant are looking good

 

[Brett Blaze]

Going to harvest tomorrow. I'm going to leave some of the lower branches for another week.

I bought a replacement lens. Same model but I'm not as happy with it. Can't seem to get the same level of focus.