DocBud's Hempy Grow

[Doc Bud]

Anothertime, Setting Sun,

Thanks for visiting my grow journal.

Yes, I'm loving the Hempies. My plants are doing great. Tonight ends the first week of flower and I've got a some little white hairs starting to show up. I'll wait a few day before I post any pics.

Ditto on keeping the nutes weak, anothertime. I think they concentrate in the reservoir, so adding pure water is a good way to go. Since it's RO, I do add 1/2 the recommended CalMag, as magnesium is especially important during the stretch phase of flowering, as is calcium. I also am adding Hygrozyme, but I keep the nutes lower than the schedule and use 'em about twice a week.

Regarding my sunrise/sunset idea, yes, I do believe I'm going to do that. I'm still noodling the idea out, but I think I'll use CFL's or T5's to accomplish side lighting, and have them come on for an hour on one side, then have every light on for 10 hours, then just the CFL's on on the other side.....or something like that. I'm probably just a mad scientist.

Well, I'm gonna go one more week on the MH, then switch to the HPS. Unless I do something really stupid, I'm gonna have some bud come December.

 

[dgh420]

Can't wait to see here the December pics!

 

[Doc Bud]

Can't wait to see here the December pics!

Thanks for stopping by! Here are some pics after 1 week of 12/12, under MH. I'm going to go to HPS in another week.

Question for growers: my plants are taking about 3x3 space, under a 1000watt light. How close should the light generally be to the top of the plants? The reason I ask is because the Blue Dreams and Jack Herer are getting damn tall....

Pre-flowers

 

[Doc Bud]

I'd say if you can get your lamp to within 10"-12" of those tops and maintain temps below 26.5C/80F, you're flying. As always, test and adjust as necessary.

That's pretty much what I'm doing....I've got an AC blowing onto an oscillating fan that blows in between the light and the plants. Enough to cool the light and the move the plants a bit.

clearly, the leaves on the perimeter aren't getting as much light as the tops, and the leaves on the inside. That happens outdoors as well, I suppose....but I'm rotating the plants to try to even out exposure every day.

I think I need a light mover....definitely before my next grow. 1000 watts should be able to handle a 4x4 space, which is what I have. The outer branches of all the plants combined only take up 3x3 right now.

 

[anothertime]

the 1000 watter should be app.2feet from the plant tops,what i do growing different strains is block up the shorter buckets with about anything i can find of the correct highth to make the canopy level on the top!!!hope this helps.

 

[NorCaliwood]

Dude the plants you seem to have coming from them 'hoods' look way way superior. I woodnt change a thing Stay down with your bad ass.

 

[Setting Sun]

Wow, your plants are growing fast in those hempys!

They're looking good too doc!

 

[NorCaliwood]

Can I ask 1000 watt? I run a 6x6 off a 1000 watter. I have no compaints. I have a cool tube on the top and It seems to work fine for me. I've been going to upgrade to 2 1000 watters but thats for a 12 x8 which in the past seemed more than enough. OR am I walking into the middle of of AB convo which I should C my way out of?

 

[Tunes420]

LOL Wood....Hey Doc looking great brother grower! Dam they are growing fast!

 

[Doc Bud]

LOL Wood....Hey Doc looking great brother grower! Dam they are growing fast!

Andy, SettingSun, anothertime, Norcali, Dgh, and Tunes.....thanks for the support!

The plants are indeed doing well, temps and RH are near perfect, with 48 hour hi/lo at 84 and 69, with the average about 78 for most of the 12 hour light cycle. It spiked up to 84 for about 10 minutes when I had the AC off in order to drain the tank.

RH for the same cycle has been 34 to 61, usually at about 40.
C02 is at 1200ppm for the daylight cycle, and is off at night.

No signs of nute burn, all leaves are green, perky and clean.
No pests....but I've sprayed with Einstein oil once as a preventative.

I watered last night with RO
1tsp CalMag
8mil hygrozyme
PH 5.9
Runoff PH 6.1

It's an exercise in self discipline to NOT feed them every time I water....but I keep reading, "less is more," and I keep seeing all these pictures of nute burn, lock out, burnt leaves, etc. So, I'm restraining myself.

Next watering I'll give 'em a full dose including the Canna boost.

Barring unforseen disasters, I do believe I'll have some bud porn in a few weeks!

Honestly, I could not have done this without the information and encouragement I've received on this website. Not only have I learned from master growers, free of charge, but other people are going to be helped as a result of the knowledge I'm gaining from this forum. I plan on donating most of what I grow.

 

[Doc Bud]

Hey, good on ya Doc. Save a rainy-day nug for yourself though

I just saw another cat growing the Blue Dream in the Journal in Progress, do a search - what a beautiful plant.

Thanks Andy,

I'll be saving a bit.....don't worry. But I don't smoke much, about 1 hit per night, at the most 3. My wife is the same way. I sleep like a baby, and don't snore when I've had a bit. I find the kush's work best for that.

As for Blue Dream, I've got about an 8th of it, and it is a beautiful smoke! It's best on a lazy day....not a late night. It gives a little more energy and cerebral high, followed by a warm relaxed feeling....not quite a couch lock.

What I'm growing right now are merely practice plants.....got 'em for free.

The next grow, when I have everything dialed in a detailed will probably be Violator Kush or MK Ultra or Barney's Blue Cheese. I haven't decided yet. For that grow I want to do about 10-12 plants in about the same manner as this journal.

Also, you asked about the Producer. I don't have it up and running yet, but I plan to use to for sprouting, up to day 21 or so, using Hempy's in plastic cups. I'm not going to go hydro in it, but I am going to use the automated watering system in manual mode to help water the Hempy's. I have a bit of buyer's remorse over it....but I can see how it is going to be really practical for the coming grows, because I can work in the grow room with the lights off for the first 20-21 days, because the producer will block light really well.

So when I'm cleaning up, manicuring, or tweaking things after this grow, my seedlings will be safe and sound inside the box while I'm mopping, installing a light mover, and a bit of reflective material, getting ready for the next grow.

I'm going to try doing 12/12 from seed, using the producer and my current set up. About a 3 weeks before harvest, I'll get another batch of seeds going, take a week or two to clean up, and then transplant from the plastic cups into the 10ltr pots.

It looks good on paper, anyways.....

 

[Doc Bud]

Anyone ever try using one of these to trim buds?
I'm reading up on manicuring, trimming, curing, etc. I have a "salad bowl" type bud trimmer....haven't used it yet,

but people use these things to shear sheep in about 5 seconds. Couldn't you just trim up a big, fat, frosty cola with this just as easily?

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc, you're scaring me...

But seriously, I have no idea if those would work. All I can say is that I derive great pleasure from the harvesting and manicuring of my plants.

Now, keep in mind, I am not a commercial cropper, with more trimming needs than a seventies porn star, so I look forward to cleaning up a few plants every month.

I have trimmed professionally before and it was hard work. But there's a huge difference, for me, between trimming someone else's crop for a few bucks and some Nugs, and carefully making my buds look just right...

I'm all about making them look nice.....and if you can make them look nice, and do it in 30 seconds......

If you think about it, people cut hair cleanly, the right length, and speedily using these things. Why not shave the bud?

Again, I may just be a mad scientist.....but I'm just thinking ahead to a 2 pound harvest in March, 2010.

 

[Setting Sun]

I think it would get gummed up really quickly with resin and stop working.

Now, I read in borntorun's journal that when he uses scissors to trim, he keeps one in alcohol and switches them as they get gummed up.

Maybe you could do the same with those hair trimmers.

From a purely mechanical aspect, I think the heavy duty ones might work *great* for trimming buds quickly, just have to figure out a way to keep them working as you go.

Great out-of-the-box thinking doc!

 

[Doc Bud]

I think it would get gummed up really quickly with resin and stop working.

Now, I read in borntorun's journal that when he uses scissors to trim, he keeps one in alcohol and switches them as they get gummed up.

Maybe you could do the same with those hair trimmers.

From a purely mechanical aspect, I think the heavy duty ones might work *great* for trimming buds quickly, just have to figure out a way to keep them working as you go.

Great out-of-the-box thinking doc!

If you've ever worked with sheep and lanolin matted wool, you realize that these things won't gum up quickly. However, if they did, you could always keep some alcohol in a spray bottle nearby.

I think I'll not need such a thing for a while, being a small grower for the present. I do plan on tripling what I'm doing now as soon as I learn what the hell I'm doing!

 

[Setting Sun]

If you've ever worked with sheep and lanolin matted wool, you realize that these things won't gum up quickly. However, if they did, you could always keep some alcohol in a spray bottle nearby.

I think I'll not need such a thing for a while, being a small grower for the present. I do plan on tripling what I'm doing now as soon as I learn what the hell I'm doing!

Well, if I ever need to trim a large harvest, I will keep your idea in mind.

Like Andy, I really enjoy the ritual of carefully hand-trimming my buds, but if things escalate........................I think shearing them with clippers would work great if they don't get all gummy.

Can't say I've ever sheared sheep, but I think you may be underestimating how sticky and tenacious ganja resin can be.

In any case, if there was ever a good problem to have, this is it!

take care doc and have a great day!

BTW, much respect for planning to donate most of your harvests.

 

[Doc Bud]

Well, if I ever need to trim a large harvest, I will keep your idea in mind.

Like Andy, I really enjoy the ritual of carefully hand-trimming my buds, but if things escalate........................I think shearing them with clippers would work great if they don't get all gummy.

Can't say I've ever sheared sheep, but I think you may be underestimating how sticky things can get.

In any case, if there was ever a good problem to have, this is it!

take care doc and have a great day!

BTW, much respect for planning to donate most of your harvests.

Thanks SS!

You've never sheared sheep, and I've never trimmed buds.....I think I'll shelve my idea for now....

As far as donating, I really am a doc, and I really do believe in the medical benefits of this herb.....and I know people who need it.

Here's the reality:

1/8th of good buds means:

1 less Lunesta (5 bucks a pill) or Ambien (4 bucks a pill) per night. No side effects with the pot, lots of side effects with the drugs.

3-6 fewer NsAIDS per day for headaches and pain. This lowers the blood pressure and saves the digestive tract and the kidneys.

Far less use and abuse of Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Vicodin, etc. Fewer deaths on the highway, no overdoseing, no kids getting the pills and selling them at school.

But I'm preachin' to the choir. You guys already know all this. Many people don't, and very few doctors will inform their patients in this way.

So, how I could I not donate it?

 

[Setting Sun]

But I'm preachin' to the choir. You guys already know all this. Many people don't, and very few doctors will inform their patients in this way.

So, how I could I not donate it?

By being a greedy bastard, which obviously you're not.

I see the Hippocratic oath broken quite often, so it's refreshing and restores my faith in humanity to see practitioners who live it.

 

[dgh420]

Looking good! Do you have any pics of the inside of the grow cupboard?

 

[Doc Bud]

By being a greedy bastard, which obviously you're not.

I see the Hippocratic oath broken quite often, so it's refreshing and restores my faith in humanity to see practitioners who live it.

Thanks for the compliment. I am only recently discovering the real medicinal use of this herb. Don't get me wrong, I have NOTHING against stoners, and have believed in and supported legalization of ALL drugs for decades now.....but there is a whole group of people who are afraid/ignorant/hesitant to try cannabis because of the distorted view they have of "dopers," and "potheads." I stayed away for years for the same reasons.

If we ever meet, you'll look at me and think, "This guy grows? He looks like a Mormon missionary? "

It's part of my "stealthy" growing skills.

Looking good! Do you have any pics of the inside of the grow cupboard?

I don't have anything growing inside the Producer yet. I'm going to wait until I harvest my current plants and then I'll start using it....but not with hydro. I'll put starter Hempy's in there.....I've gotta plan. Maybe I'll try going 12/12 from seed in the cabinet....who knows?

You can bet that I'll be posting pics when the time comes.

Thanks to both of you for showing interest in my journal.