First Grow: White Kush 1 In Soil, 1 In Hydro/Coco, 1 In Perlite, Who Will Win?

[SmokingBud]

I’m starting this grow journal later than I wanted because my 73 year mom brought covid into my house 3 weeks ago from the hospital, then she died from it 5 days later <Miss you mom>. My wife, daughter and myself also got infected. My daughter was in ICU last week but came home yesterday and feels fine – Thank God! So now it’s grow time!

Tent - 3x5 with thermostat heater and AC Infinity smart vent to automatically remove excess heat as needed
This Basement grow is in 65 degrees. I will heat plants into upper 70’s during day and keep them 65-70 degrees at night.

Lighting
Mars Hydro 1000w – on 18 hours day. Placed 18” above plants with PPFD of 200-230 to start
Vivosmart 315W CMH – can be used if needed later on

Strains (from Black Forest Hemp Company) and Growing Medium
> White Dream 3 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 3-5% THC) in Perlite - might seem weird, but it’s the same medium I use for growing tomatoes and peppers in basement
> White Dream 16 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 16% in 70% hydroton and 30% CocoCoir (per OdinsMaster’s 2 cents)
> Very White Kush Dominate Sativa in FoxFarm Ocean dirt (per MochaBuds 2 cents). Dirt coming in 2 days.

Plants are 3-4” tall and looked great until this last week. More in first status update.

Why 3 mediums, cuz dirt is probably easiest for small grows, which might be all I need. BUT if I go big someday then maybe RDWC. For now all that matters - it’s just 3 beautiful plants

Nute/Water Plan
FoxFarm Nutes, CalMag, GrowWhite and MOAB. I have never used any of them before this grow EEGAD
Reverse osmosis water – I will let sit 24 hours first to remove chlorine

I think I will need different nute mixes for the FoxFarm dirt and the nuteless mediums (perlite and hydroton/coco)???
Nute/water has PH of 6.3 and will be about 70 degrees.
And the race is on to see which growing medium can get me some SmokingBuds first

Please join me!

 

[Reave]

6.0 for coco about and perlite.

Interesting grow. I’ll bite.

 

[SmokingBud]

First Status Update

White Dream 3 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 3-5% THC) in Perlite has brown spots on lower leaves, but upper ½ looks great
White Dream 16 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 16% THC in 70% hydroton and 30% CocoCoir (per OdinsMaster’s 2 cents). This has brown spots on lower leaves, but upper ½ looks great
Very White Kush Dominate Sativa is going into FoxFarm Ocean dirt ON FRIDAY (per MochaBuds 2 cents)

Nutes
¼ strength of both FF Grow Big and Big Bloom – hand watering 3 times day. Will soon be automated.
Nutes NOT using yet – CalMag, Great White Mycorrhizae and Mother of All Blooms

First problem - My plants have brown spots on lower leaves probably because of either too many nutrients when growing with my lettuce in DWC with 8-15-36 + ½ Calcium Nitrate and ½ Epson salt (this is typical formula for hydroponic lettuce). Or because I’m lacking Magnesium, which is my guess.

Please let me know if that seems right. I have CalMag ready to go.

Last thing, should I water 4 time a day?

6.0 for coco about and perlite.

Interesting grow. I’ll bite.

@Reave Thanks for joining Reave I posted an updated with a leaf problem that might be magnesium deficiency. Let me know if you have a thought. Thanks!

 

[Bill284]

First Status Update

White Dream 3 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 3-5% THC) in Perlite has brown spots on lower leaves, but upper ½ looks great
White Dream 16 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 16% THC in 70% hydroton and 30% CocoCoir (per OdinsMaster’s 2 cents). This has brown spots on lower leaves, but upper ½ looks great
Very White Kush Dominate Sativa is going into FoxFarm Ocean dirt ON FRIDAY (per MochaBuds 2 cents)

Nutes
¼ strength of both FF Grow Big and Big Bloom – hand watering 3 times day. Will soon be automated.
Nutes NOT using yet – CalMag, Great White Mycorrhizae and Mother of All Blooms

First problem - My plants have brown spots on lower leaves probably because of either too many nutrients when growing with my lettuce in DWC with 8-15-36 + ½ Calcium Nitrate and ½ Epson salt (this is typical formula for hydroponic lettuce). Or because I’m lacking Magnesium, which is my guess.

Please let me know if that seems right. I have CalMag ready to go.

Last thing, should I water 4 time a day?

@Reave Thanks for joining Reave I posted an updated with a leaf problem that might be magnesium deficiency. Let me know if you have a thought. Thanks!

Beautiful girls my friend. Those spots are a classic cal mag deficiency sign. Your ph of 6.3 is high for hydro. 5.8 is your sweet spot.

 

[Reave]

I think you have a magansese deficiency because of your 6.3 ph. Manganese is picked up in the lower part of the drift. Could be calcium def too because same reason.

 

[bluter]

i am sorry for your loss.

as for the plants, yup it's a cal-mag def.

the straight perlite and hydroton/coco mix are classic hempy media. putting them in regular pots with no reservoir is going to require multiple feedings per day to keep them going.

it would make for a great flood and drain approach. there is a great grower on board @Jack420 , who has done something very similar in flood and drain.

off to a decent start.

edit: you should be ph'ing those to 5.8.

 

[SmokingBud]

Thanks Bill, Reave and Bluter I learned I need a nutrient mix at 6.3 for the girl in dirt and 5.8-6.0 for the girls in perlite and hydroton/coco. I will get right on it.

 

[SmokingBud]

i am sorry for your loss.

as for the plants, yup it's a cal-mag def.

the straight perlite and hydroton/coco mix are classic hempy media. putting them in regular pots with no reservoir is going to require multiple feedings per day to keep them going.

it would make for a great flood and drain approach. there is a great grower on board @Jack420 , who has done something very similar in flood and drain.

off to a decent start.

edit: you should be ph'ing those to 5.8.

@bluter I have a flood and drain with 7 buckets of tomatoes and peppers, but I might do something different here, since it's only 3. Should be done by the end of the weekend, cuz I have better things to do than feeding by hand

 

[bluter]

suggested the flood and drain to get away from the hand watering. hempy is a pain even with the res. ties you to the grow making it hard to go away for any real time.


you might find these charts help. it's nutrient availability by ph level for hydro and soil apps.

the recommended 6.5 could be a bit high for soil. 6.3 is not very far off though. probably not a deal breaker.

 

[SmokingBud]

@bluter That's a really helpful graph, Thanks!

 

[Jack420]

i am sorry for your loss.

as for the plants, yup it's a cal-mag def.

the straight perlite and hydroton/coco mix are classic hempy media. putting them in regular pots with no reservoir is going to require multiple feedings per day to keep them going.

it would make for a great flood and drain approach. there is a great grower on board @Jack420 , who has done something very similar in flood and drain.

off to a decent start.

edit: you should be ph'ing those to 5.8.

Thanks fam definitely try my best

 

[Jack420]

I’m starting this grow journal later than I wanted because my 73 year mom brought covid into my house 3 weeks ago from the hospital, then she died from it 5 days later <Miss you mom>. My wife, daughter and myself also got infected. My daughter was in ICU last week but came home yesterday and feels fine – Thank God! So now it’s grow time!

Tent - 3x5 with thermostat heater and AC Infinity smart vent to automatically remove excess heat as needed
This Basement grow is in 65 degrees. I will heat plants into upper 70’s during day and keep them 65-70 degrees at night.

Lighting
Mars Hydro 1000w – on 18 hours day. Placed 18” above plants with PPFD of 200-230 to start
Vivosmart 315W CMH – can be used if needed later on

Strains (from Black Forest Hemp Company) and Growing Medium
> White Dream 3 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 3-5% THC) in Perlite - might seem weird, but it’s the same medium I use for growing tomatoes and peppers in basement
> White Dream 16 (1/2 White Kush (Indica) and ½ Purple Haze (Sativa) 16% in 70% hydroton and 30% CocoCoir (per OdinsMaster’s 2 cents)
> Very White Kush Dominate Sativa in FoxFarm Ocean dirt (per MochaBuds 2 cents). Dirt coming in 2 days.

Plants are 3-4” tall and looked great until this last week. More in first status update.

Why 3 mediums, cuz dirt is probably easiest for small grows, which might be all I need. BUT if I go big someday then maybe RDWC. For now all that matters - it’s just 3 beautiful plants

Nute/Water Plan
FoxFarm Nutes, CalMag, GrowWhite and MOAB. I have never used any of them before this grow EEGAD
Reverse osmosis water – I will let sit 24 hours first to remove chlorine

I think I will need different nute mixes for the FoxFarm dirt and the nuteless mediums (perlite and hydroton/coco)???
Nute/water has PH of 6.3 and will be about 70 degrees.
And the race is on to see which growing medium can get me some SmokingBuds first

Please join me!

Sorry for ur loss plants look at a decent start so far

 

[SmokingBud]

Thanks @Jack420 ! RDWC lover

Dirt question - for anyone including @MochaBud, I got my FF Ocean dirt today for my 3rd plant. Do I mix in some juju or pixie dust? Maybe blow smoke on it or pack it down with my hooka or maybe I missed the best option

 

[MochaBud]

Thanks @Jack420 ! RDWC lover

Dirt question - for anyone including @MochaBud, I got my FF Ocean dirt today for my 3rd plant. Do I mix in some juju or pixie dust? Maybe blow smoke on it or pack it down with my hooka or maybe I missed the best option

I use it straight out of the bag

 

[SmokingBud]

Day 3 Girls about 3" tall
I put the last girl in dirt this morning. So they are all in there final homes now
I'm watering the hydro girls 3 times a day with about 1/3 general FF nute strength and 5ml Cal-Mag per gallon.
I'm watering the dirty girl once a day with about 1/3 general FF nute strength and 5ml Cal-Mag per gallon.
The perlite and coco/hydroton nute mix has PH of 5.9 and PPM of 600.
The dirty girl has nute mix has PH of 6.3 and PPM of 750.
> This PPM is higher because of some PH up to get it from 5.8 to 6.3.
Lights on 18hrs day.
Temp 65 at night and 78 during day. I will try to increase temp at night a little.

I would think the nute mix for the soil would be less than perlite/coco/hydroton. . . am I wrong? Maybe at some future time I make them different?

My brown spots seem to be getting worse, but it's only been a day of Cal-Mag. Hopefully they don't appear on the upper leaves. I know those lower leaves were going to get cut off anyway in a few weeks.

Very White Kush had a late start, but armed with that Amazing FoxFarm dirt, she might still win this race. You go girl

 

[MochaBud]

Day 3 Girls about 3" tall
I put the last girl in dirt this morning. So they are all in there final homes now
I'm watering the hydro girls 3 times a day with about 1/3 general FF nute strength and 5ml Cal-Mag per gallon.
I'm watering the dirty girl once a day with about 1/3 general FF nute strength and 5ml Cal-Mag per gallon.
The perlite and coco/hydroton nute mix has PH of 5.9 and PPM of 600.
The dirty girl has nute mix has PH of 6.3 and PPM of 750.
> This PPM is higher because of some PH up to get it from 5.8 to 6.3.
Lights on 18hrs day.
Temp 65 at night and 78 during day. I will try to increase temp at night a little.

I would think the nute mix for the soil would be less than perlite/coco/hydroton. . . am I wrong? Maybe at some future time I make them different?

My brown spots seem to be getting worse, but it's only been a day of Cal-Mag. Hopefully they don't appear on the upper leaves. I know those lower leaves were going to get cut off anyway in a few weeks.

Very White Kush had a late start, but armed with that Amazing FoxFarm dirt, she might still win this race. You go girl

That soil baby only needs water when she's dry/drooping...looking at your pics, I could go a week without watering the soil baby, after a good watering and as far as nutrients go in soil, I mix them full strength but only feed every third time, but the soil has to dry out "completely" before watering/feeding again

 

[SmokingBud]

@MochaBud Thanks, that sounds like great advice! I did start reading through "The Proper way to water a plant" today, so I was already realizing my water plan was wacked. I will up my nute container to full and get ready for a nuteless watering next time

@Reave As for brown rusty spots on leaves, they are getting worse - especially for hydro plants in perlite/coco/hydroton. I really researched Internet today and examined lots of pictures to determine if it's magnesium deficiency or manganese. Now that the spots are bigger and yellowing has begun, it looks like Reave was right that it's a manganese deficiency. I lowered PH to 5.6 for hydro plants to help the manganese uptake for a few days. Then I will get it back up to 5.8. And yes I'm smoking a little extra today

 

[MochaBud]

As for brown rusty spots on leaves, they are getting worse

It will continue to get worse until you get that deficiency/PH problem under control, and then they will die and fall off, cuz they don't heal my friend...look to the new growth for healthy new leaves to see how it's doing

 

[SmokingBud]

It will continue to get worse until you get that deficiency/PH problem under control, and then they will die and fall off, cuz they don't heal my friend...look to the new growth for healthy new leaves to see how it's doing

@MochaBud Yea I figured I'm seeing how this probably isn't such an issue with dirt that I know you love. Hopefully my girls don't get too naked and can still mature into full, curvy, bud filled hotties Here's to that my brother

 

[odinsmaster]

For your coco plant, ph between 5.5 and 6. Let it fluctuate. This early in veg it only needs watered every few days. Calmag is a must in this set up. Not knocking fox farms, I never had any luck with it my self. It worked but never got the results I wanted. I know people that kill it with the big trio though. Good luck and I will pull up a chair