DobeWan's First Grow! LA Confidential & 24K Gold - LED - 3x3 - Coco

[DobeWan]

I'm definitely not a plant expert but your leaves might be tacoing. Here is tacoing according to SweetSue[/FONT]

I'll do some digging on tacoing and see what I find. It's almost a rippled look throughout the body of the leaf as opposed to curling at edges. I did actually suspect heat stress early on, when I was letting things climb up to <30. And I thought putting the fan a little too directly onto the plant correlated with the sign of stress too, as well as me watering and getting water on the leaves, but the fan or water on the leaves causing stress seemed silly. But hey, maybe this girl is sensitive to the weather?

 

[DobeWan]

And, here is a leaf infographic that might help:

This is a great reference, thanks. I also bought the Jorge Cervantes bible and he has some great information in there too about excesses and deficiencies. The only one I thought was a slight fit was the mag deficiency trait, and I've heard Cal / Mag might need to be added with my nutes and medium. But I would have expected too much rather than too little this early on, given that I've been feeding to some extent since 4V.

 

[DobeWan]

And, for my questions about growing, I always look here first:

How to Grow Marijuana - Everything You Need to Know

Wow - this is is awesome. Thanks!

 

[DobeWan]

I decided to do some light LST on the larger LA Confidential (4 nodes, 5th coming in) to see what happens. I gently bent it over onto its side, essentially. I put a 'stake' at the side of the pot and used a plant tie to tie the stem above the 2nd node and below the third. It just started lights on 2 hours ago, so I figured I'd check it tomorrow morning and cut the tie if I see anything concerning.

 

[DobeWan]

LA2 looked fine when I checked in this morning - clearly reaching back up toward the light despite being bent over sideways. Tonight is likely time for watering so I'm eager to check in a couple of hours for lights on.

Question: I didn't see a great topping guide among the links HashGirl posted - don't suppose anyone has a topping tutorial they prefer? My main query is, when is ideal, and how many nodes to top? A lot of people seem to take the top growth above the top node and leave everything underneath, but growweedeasy suggests waiting for 6 nodes and topping the top 3 nodes, leaving 3 already healthy and developed nodes. They suggest the plant recovers more quickly topping this way, and that it actually ends up with less time in veg (for comparable results) than topping above the top node on a less developed plant.

 

[Pennywise]

Has the leaf issue gotten ant worse?

 

[DobeWan]

Has the leaf issue gotten ant worse?

Progressively better since I first posted - better last night, better again this morning. I've done nothing but not water / feed, and keep the fan on the opposite side of the tent. The ruffled look was far more subtle and the worst leaf didn't have quite as dry a feeling this morning as it had last night and the previous night. So I'm still a little puzzled. Lights on for me is at 8 so I'll know better in a couple of hours how it's doing. I expect the plants are going to be looking for water at lights on, as they haven't been watered since the initial watering when I transplanted at 15V (today is 21V) so I've considered bumping that plant's nutes down a little tonight, by 25% perhaps. Given LA Confidential's reportedly large appetite, I figure it looking happy and healthy with the nutes it's getting is irrelevant to 24K Gold.

I didn't turn up much in other journals but this strain does seem finicky for people, but I knew that before buying. I don't suppose you recall any prominent members growing 24K Gold / Kosher Tangie or Tangie do you pennywise? I'd love to check out some big journals but didn't turn up much in my searches.

 

[Pennywise]

I dont sorry, im doing a pineapple chunk right now and anytime i change anything she throws a hissy fit lol shes very touchy to any changes.

 

[DobeWan]

All part of the challenge I guess! I figured growing a strain with characteristics that work for me was worth the learning experience, and that once I learned, I could get it dialled in for a second attempt.

Pineapple Chunk sounds really nice, and the results you're getting in your thread are crazy - what a cool way to grow.

 

[Pennywise]

I like the results but its more work than top feed or ebb & flow. There are sone others using Aero and we're all learning as we go.

 

[HashGirl]

420 Member Stinky Snid has a topping tutorial you can find here:

How do I top my plants?

That's the only one here on 420 that I know of.

 

[DobeWan]

Thanks - that's a really good description. I'm at 4 nodes on each of my 24K Gold plants, the ones I want to top. I'm going to hold off on watering until tomorrow given how happy they still look. So I'll probably top tomorrow at lights on.

 

[DobeWan]

Everything looking good at lights on.

Both 24K Gold look good. The one that wasn't really showing any signs of the rippling, 24K#2, looks very happy. It almost has the "praying" look of the leaves reaching up to the lamp. 24K#1, the one with the leaf issue, looks as healthy as it has been since seedling. The last time it looked this good was prior to transplanting - which was the driest I'd let it get in solo cups. I'm 6 days out from transplanting and the pots are getting close to needing water again... and it's looking healthier than it has since the last time the soil got drier than usual. So I think the 24K is telling me it was getting more water (watered more frequently) than it was happy with. Because the dryer the pot gets, the happier the plant gets. Does that logic make sense?

LA Confidential #2, which I made my first attempt at LST with this morning, had straightened back up a fair bit chasing the light. I remade the tie to be positioned higher up and hopefully keep that main stem in the position I'd like. Because LA#2 didn't appear to hate me for messing with it, I decided to try LA#1, a challenge because of the tight internode spacing. I used a zip tie and got it in place. But I will admit, given how stout this plant is, and LA's reputation for having one phenotype stouter than the other, AND the fact I have no basis for comparison (I've never grown LA Confidential) - I'm wondering if I should just let the shorter plant grow on its own without intervention so I can compare the responses of both plants - left alone vs. LST. I plan to grow this strain again if it works out like I hope, so it'd be nice to have more information by taking both approaches.

 

[DobeWan]

Again at lights on I think I might be watering, only to change my mind when I take a look. There's still enough dampness in that coco that the roots have something to reach out for, and since they're still working on the first watering after transplant, I'm happy to let that happen. The plants that were showing stress signs are again looking happier. Both 24Ks were at 5 nodes, with plenty of new growth around the stem.

Because things were looking good, I decided to top! I followed the Stinky Snid method (thanks again HG) and I'm going to try the gentle LST he recommends after topping. I figured going for it when they're happiest was a better way to minimize stress from topping.

So of my 4 beautiful symmetrical plants, in the last 2 days, 2 have become hunched over (thanks to my LST), and now 2 have had their top 2 nodes chopped off! In other words, can't wait to post pics after allowing the ladies an hour or two of lights on first!

 

[Pennywise]

Dont let your coco dry out, it creates hot spots that can give you fits.

 

[DobeWan]

Dont let your coco dry out, it creates hot spots that can give you fits.

Thanks for the tip. I definitely am outside of the window of overwatering and at the start of 18 hours of light, so I'll probably go ahead and water shortly.

 

[Pennywise]

Coco holds 30% oxygen even when sarurated. Go to growpotcheaply.com and watch Ledrf's videos on growing with coco.

 

[DobeWan]

Today is 22V!

Stressful day for the ladies. Before lights out the LA Confidentials were LSTed. After lights out, the 24Ks were topped. Then all 4 were watered, with the 24Ks fed 75% nutes and the LAs 100%.

A few photos, even if they haven't been at their most photogenic...

LA #1 bathed in blue before watering.

24K #1 showing off her new top.

All 4 before watering.

LA #1 after watering

LA #2 after watering

24K #1 after watering

24K #2 after watering

Close up of 24K#2's growth. This was a major factor in why I felt the time was right to top.

If they perk up tomorrow I'll post some more then.

Thanks for checking out my grow!

 

[DobeWan]

23V, morning, 12+ hours after topping and watering, and they did indeed perk up after the last 12+ hours under the light.

I left the humidifier off on a hunch after the watering and dropped the 24K nutes down to 75%, and it looks to have responded pretty well.

24K #1 (the plant previously showing the rippling):

24K #2:

LA #1:

LA #2:

Group shot:

 

[Lady Antheia]

They are really looking good! Might I say, LA #2 is knocking it out of the park. I think you might be right that I need to add LA to my next grow.