Doc Bud's High Brix Q&A With Pictures

This is my Tangy Dream jus flipped her to flower almost a week ago an she is turning into a beast lol. Sje has some huge ass leaves i had to give her alil haircut when i flipped her.




Prune these things back! You'll have much better buds if you get rid of all the lower fluffy stuff. A good rule of thumb is to make 4-6 main tops and prune those leaving the top 3 nodes intact and then start blooming.

You've got a mass of undergrowth that is creating suboptimal buds. Trim 'em up!
 
For those who have been following my current journal and/or as noted here in the Q&A, there’s been a discussion about some bad leaves I had earlier in the grow and what might be causing the problem.

It was suggested my city water might be the culprit. The crucial numbers were Hardness @ 120, Alkalinity @ 120, and pH @ 7.5. Doc likes Hardness around 100 and Alkilinity around 80. (Doc, please correct this if my numbers are off.) The pH is also on the high end for cannabis, though I know we don’t pay much attention to that.

I use the following filter - Garden Hose Filter - Removes Chlorine, Chloramines, VOCs, & Pesticides/Herbicides, which brings the chlorine/chloramine down to almost zilch, but doesn’t address the hardness or Alkalinity.

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I did some research on how large indoor ag/horticulture growers deal with less than ideal water and found that they inject an acid, ie phosphoric, sulfuric, nitric, or citric in to their irrigation systems.

The safest for small growers is Citric, though it’s the most expensive relatively speaking, which is prohibitive for large growers. Food grade Citric acid is used at 9.1oz per 1,000 gal of water.

As an experiment, I decided to give this a try. I purchased two lbs for about $9 from our friendly river, and keeping the ratio the same, used approximately 0.25grams per gallon of water. For 5 gal it would be approx. 1.25g. I added it to the bucket, gave it stir with a paint paddle and then a bubbler for an hour.

Here are the results:
The hardness stayed the same as I expected as the acid doesn’t address this.
Alkalinity went from 120 to less than 80.
pH from 7.5 to 6.8.

I've used the adjusted water for the last two feedings and so far nothing bad has happened. I know very little about the chemistry of water and am certainly not an expert, but this made sense to me. I intend to finish out this grow (6-8 more weeks) and will keep everyone posted.
 
Prune these things back! You'll have much better buds if you get rid of all the lower fluffy stuff. A good rule of thumb is to make 4-6 main tops and prune those leaving the top 3 nodes intact and then start blooming.

You've got a mass of undergrowth that is creating suboptimal buds. Trim 'em up!

That’s my problem too. I get to lazy/room is stuffed to be able to move to much around to do proper trimming. At what point is it too late to trim those lower bud sites.
 
hey all hows it going. does anybody have any experience in retrieving packages sent from doc to canada.
i ordered a kit. received first box, but not the second box

on canada post site, and when i call them. package is still in Los Angeles since march 7th. no updates on usps or canada post websites..

getting a little frustrated.. any suggestions
I had that happen once....with Canada Post the only option is to wait (I think the sender can send a service ticket) and the package will eventually get noticed and make it to you.
 
hey all hows it going. does anybody have any experience in retrieving packages sent from doc to canada.
i ordered a kit. received first box, but not the second box

on canada post site, and when i call them. package is still in Los Angeles since march 7th. no updates on usps or canada post websites..

getting a little frustrated.. any suggestions

I wouldn’t worry about it. One time it showed me still in USA but showed up same day. Sometimes shit doesn’t get updated. Especially in this time. Has it cleared customs. If not I wouldn’t stress it yet as it will get taken care of.
 
Hey brixers! In my self-imposed isolation, and accompanying boredom, I'm brainstorming improvements I can implement to my modest grow. I've just ordered new lighting and would like to ask you all for your opinions regarding CO2 implementation. I've heard nothing but bad reviews on the bags, and tanks w/regulators can be a hassle, but I'm willing to give it a shot in some form or fashion.

I'd rather not drop heavy coin on full monitor/regulator/auto-dispensing system, but will consider all options. I had a CO2 monitor in my room for a long time and doubt its accuracy. It usually read between 500-600ppm and I've since removed it (though I still have it). I have a 15' x 15' bedroom with a 4' x 4' tray in one corner for flower and a 3' x 4' sealed wooden cabinet in another for veg and clones. The room is vented with a 6" vortex silent series in-line fan and a carbon filter.

:lot-o-toke:
 
From all I have seen and read, if you are not in a fully sealed set up then you are wasting money with CO2. If your room is sealed, then it should be a fantastic addition. I see that the room is vented with a 6 inch fan so it would seem to not be sealed. Though I am not sure how you are pulling air into the room you must have some coming in as well. Before you supplement the CO2 maybe figure out what it will take for the room to become fully sealed and go from there. Doc ran CO2 I believe and his growth rates were phenomenal. Most grows I see that utilize it correctly blow those without out of the water. You just need to make sure that you're able to maintain the environment like always.
 
On my way back from dropping my wife off at the airport this afternoon, I just happen to be passing a large hydro store. I'm going to stop in and see what CO2 solutions they might have. I'm thinking a burner on a timer. If I didn't have to do the entire room I might have more options, but I guess we'll see.

Your reply populated after I posted Yeti, but yes, my room is sealed. I have Central A/C that vents into the room and goes straight into the sealed cabinet (I made a custom register for the AC vent...lmao). The room itself is sealed too (lightshade and gorilla tape work the charm). I even have the entry door sealed. I'm sure it's not perfect, but should suffice. I've had my environment on point for a few years now with the exception of CO2 supplementation. Temps are fairly stable right at 80f with lights on and our ambient RH in this sub-tropical zone stays pretty solid in the mid-50's.
 
Yes, I get to 82f now & then, but that's the exception. I might be able to save a few clams on AC though and turn it up a degree. I'm also considering it because of the new lighting which is said to be a bit of overkill without CO2. So, more intense light and slightly higher temps should be a slight nudge to my situation...I'm hoping.
 
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