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

[SmokingBud]

Looking good in there @SmokingBud

At that size, and I mean all of them I'm already feeding full strength, with full strength cal-mag but I only feed every third time...water...water...feed, and some times I feed more than full strength, if they're asking for it...you'll learn, give it time

@MochaBud That makes a lot of sense and seems like great advice!

Thanks my fellow bud!

 

[odinsmaster]

They are coming around, looking good.

 

[SmokingBud]

The plants are basically growing nicely. However, there is some good, some bad and a dash of ugly. I think they would look better today, if I hadn't done a little training before taking the pictures. Anyway . . .

First of all, the FF dirt plants:
Per @MochaBud I’m feeding full nutes every 3rd feeding. So 2 water and then 1 full nutes. It seems to be working pretty darn well. So thanks @MochaBud
I have been training the branches to grow straight out and it seems to be working nicely. It’s surprising how quickly the ends of the branches start curling straight up again. I guess they love the 24 hours of light

The coco/hydroton:
The plant seems to be the biggest by a slim margin. However, it needs watering daily, unlike the FF dirt. The leaves have been very very light green (bad) and I just noticed some new rust spots (more bad) on some leaves other day. I decided I was probably low on Manganese again – eeeegad! So I added some Cal-Mag the other day and the leaves are darker green now. It seems to be a difficult balance between too many nutes as @Emilya noticed because some tips are pointing down, while fan leaves are turning yellow If @odinsmaster would provide the perfect hydroponic recipe for each week of growth I would probably have plants twice as tall

It seems you can’t base the status of a plant on a few leaves and think the nutes are too much or too little. It has to be a general balance. In looking at other grow journals I have often noticed many nice looking flowering plants with many leaves pointing down at the ends.

As someone who has grown 5’ tall tomato plants in tent without soil, I’m learning that growing these weeds is not as easy as one would think. However, tomatoes are not something nearly as wonderful to smoke

Lastly, the ugly. While trying to pull down some branches horizontally at the top of the plant like @mochbud manifold (in numerous awesome grow journal pictures), I somehow managed to pull 2 branches about 90% off the trunk. I now have them tied up toward the trunk, so we will see if they make it. This was just another hard lesson that plants are fragile and need to be massaged like a woman or you may not get any

The next step is going to flower. Can anyone provide any tips as to how far I am away from going into flower?

 

[Reave]

I would fix any issues you have before moving to flower. Plants can double in size during stretch so height is a good indication of when to flip so you don’t run out of room by vegging to long. My last plants before flower I pruned them way back because I was getting rid of thrips and aphids before going to flower.

 

[odinsmaster]

On your coco you should be running 5 mlpg of calmag. At this stage your ppm should be at least 1000, and up depending on what the plant is asking for.
What’s your coco perlite mix at. To me those drippy leaves almost look over watered, which can be done in coco. But the new growth looks to be happy. At that stage I would be feeding 3 times a day. I let my ph fluctuate between 5.7 and 6.2. Make sure you’re getting run off on the last feeding of the day.

 

[MochaBud]

Looking really nice in there @SmokingBud

 

[SmokingBud]

I would fix any issues you have before moving to flower. Plants can double in size during stretch so height is a good indication of when to flip so you don’t run out of room by vegging to long. My last plants before flower I pruned them way back because I was getting rid of thrips and aphids before going to flower.

Sounds like great advice @Reave. Luckily no insects . . . yet. I will try to get my together so I'm ready for flowering when its time

 

[SmokingBud]

On your coco you should be running 5 mlpg of calmag. At this stage your ppm should be at least 1000, and up depending on what the plant is asking for.
What’s your coco perlite mix at. To me those drippy leaves almost look over watered, which can be done in coco. But the new growth looks to be happy. At that stage I would be feeding 3 times a day. I let my ph fluctuate between 5.7 and 6.2. Make sure you’re getting run off on the last feeding of the day.

Wow, that is a grow room to be jealous of

I have been letting PH fluctuate, so I got that going for me I think my biggest problem is not knowing how often to give nutes. I was not measuring as much as 5mlg Cal-Mag and may not have mixed the Cal-Mag well when I made the Nute mix last week . The leaves have been getting greener recently with more waterings. But I will kick up to 3 a day, so I can keep this hydro grow in gear.
Thanks @odinsmaster for another nudge in the right direction

By the way, I use the same Flora Flex auto watering system for my veggies and I love it! I saw it on a video that I think you made

 

[SmokingBud]

WOW, it’s been a great week of growth! The extra nutrients and feedings for the hydroponic plant helped the light green leaves to darken up and look perfect. It also helped its growth to explode. For the first time, all 3 plants are perfectly green without problems and seem very happy. I might finally have a clue about how to grow a weed

You guys (@Reave @odinsmaster @MochaBud and @Emilya have saved me time after time!!! I could not have gotten here without all your help

The light makes the leaves look light green from the top in the next picture.

Now for the big question, is it time to flower? I have seen people flower with plants smaller than mine, so I’m thinking it’s probably time.

I also think I’m supposed to do some heavy pruning as I start flowing. Please let me know. I have the bottle of flower juice and clipper ready to go

 

[Reave]

Your plants will double in size at least. So yes those are big enough. If you check my plant sizes out I’m sending to flower next week and they are a lot smaller than yours. You might have more room though.

 

[SmokingBud]

Your plants will double in size at least. So yes those are big enough. If you check my plant sizes out I’m sending to flower next week and they are a lot smaller than yours. You might have more room though.

Did you say "double in size", wow! I have an 80" tall tent, so that should be tall enough. If not, I will have some awesome humongous flowers

 

[Reave]

Did you say "double in size", wow! I have an 80" tall tent, so that should be tall enough. If not, I will have some awesome humongous flowers

You can train them out and super crop them. But yes when you flip to flower they go through a stage called stretch. The better you have your environment dialed in the more they will grow in the stretch phase.

 

[SmokingBud]

You can train them out and super crop them. But yes when you flip to flower they go through a stage called stretch. The better you have your environment dialed in the more they will grow in the stretch phase.

I have been pruning the plants the last 2 nights and I'm just finishing. However, when you say the plant can double in size due to stretching, I'm wondering is it more stretching - as in not getting anymore thickness in the branches - or do the branches grow and get thicker?
I ask because there are big branches with nice healthy ends that look great, then there are are those that are smaller and should flower pretty well and lastly, there are some tall spindly branches that might just be able to make a good sized flower because they are the only branch coming off a big branch. But if all branches just stretch and get thinner than I will cut off the spindly ones with potential. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Reave]

I like to lolipop and prune anything lower than the bud sites closer to the top of the canopy and I leave all the fan leaves on. There are different strategies though you would have to try them out to see what works best.

 

[SmokingBud]

I like to lolipop and prune anything lower than the bud sites closer to the top of the canopy and I leave all the fan leaves on. There are different strategies though you would have to try them out to see what works best.

Reave, that is exactly what I was thinking. I have watched a number of grow journals, youtube videos and even looked at most of your first grow . . . and that is what I was thinking of doing. You really got a ton of great advice on your first grow, especially from Emilyia. Maybe I should have posted more often . . .

Anyway, I have been lolipopping the last 2 nights. I have really learned that lolipopping can mean trimming 25-90% of the greenery. The biggest youtube video guy cuts off like 90% of the greenery before flowering, but he waits a week before flowering. I am thinking maybe 75% and then waiting a week to flower. I was going to start 12/12 tonight, but now I think I will wait until Sunday night for the plants to recover from my dastardly pruning deeds

Thanks for your feedback, its much appreciated as I struggle to have a clue for each step

 

[Reave]

Oh cool you were looking at my first grow! That wasn’t even so long ago, I like to ask a lot of questions to make sure I understand things and the people here have taught me so much I’m glad I can start to give back a little bit.

Ine of the reasons I like lolipopping is because the LEDs or at least the ones I’m using don’t seem to have that good of penetration so the lower bud sites are kind of larfy. Also there is less trimming at harvest.

In my most recent harvest , I used a SCROG so I pruned everything that wasn’t going to make it to the screen.

I think giving the plant a couple days to recover from the pruning is a good idea. You will tell when she is healed and ready to move on to flower. I think you and I are going to flip around the same time. You just have bigger girls. Can’t wait to see how they turn out.

 

[SmokingBud]

Oh cool you were looking at my first grow! That wasn’t even so long ago, I like to ask a lot of questions to make sure I understand things and the people here have taught me so much I’m glad I can start to give back a little bit.

Ine of the reasons I like lolipopping is because the LEDs or at least the ones I’m using don’t seem to have that good of penetration so the lower bud sites are kind of larfy. Also there is less trimming at harvest.

In my most recent harvest , I used a SCROG so I pruned everything that wasn’t going to make it to the screen.

I think giving the plant a couple days to recover from the pruning is a good idea. You will tell when she is healed and ready to move on to flower. I think you and I are going to flip around the same time. You just have bigger girls. Can’t wait to see how they turn out.

Wow, that's cool you have been following my grow that's about the same timing as yours! Larfy is a new word for me, but I took your advice and removed a little extra larfiness today I will take a look at your plants shortly.

 

[SmokingBud]

Today is the last day of veg, so flower begins tomorrow per advice from Reave. - Thanks Reave! Maybe I'm on the late end of flowering, but hopefully my tent (5x3) will support all 3 plants through flowering.

The plants have normal color and nothing bad going on, except the burnt ends. I did some research and it seems my nutrients are probably a little high, which is surprising because I feed the hydroponic plant and the dirt so differently. I kinda think it's light burn, so I moved the 600 watt CMH light up a little.

Let me know if you have any helpful thoughts. You should be able to zoom in and see the ends.

One other question - how much nitrogen should I give in flowering? FoxFarm chart shows to give "Big Grow" with nitrogen during flowering, while other people seem to use almost nothing.

Thanks 420ers!

 

[Reave]

You would have to take closer pictures of what you are calling burnt , they look real nice to me. Looks like you got lots of room in the tent for those girls. lol f they start getting too tall you can super crop or train them out. They may need support of some kind one the buds start bulking.

 

[SmokingBud]

You would have to take closer pictures of what you are calling burnt , they look real nice to me. Looks like you got lots of room in the tent for those girls. lol f they start getting too tall you can super crop or train them out. They may need support of some kind one the buds start bulking.

Sorry I was lazy and didn't post a good picture to begin with. Here is a picture of the light or burnt ends. It seems to be a little better today, but maybe I was fuzzy in the head last night to go along with the lazy

I also pruned some additional mid-branch leaves off. I left about the top 25% of each branch.

As for super-cropping and tent space, I have a SCROG coming. So I look forward to getting that going in the next week. It will be fun to bring the long branches down and try to fill in all the squares.

Also still hoping someone can chime in with their 2 cents on how much nitrogen should I give in flowering? FoxFarm chart shows to give "Big Grow" with nitrogen during flowering, while other people seem to use almost nothing.