GodAmJT's Perpetual Greenery

[TheCapn]

Looking great man. If you would have topped it during veg, it wouldn't be so tall right now, so that is advice for your next run. For now, it looks like you're doing everything right! I would set up a watch on ebay and keep an eye out for a galaxy digital ballast, the one that is switchable from 400-600W. You can always pick them up used for under $100. Then on your next grow you can get all those lights out of there and really stack some buds up. Remember, it is the intensity that really makes buds grow big. 600W of LED or CFL is nothing like 600W of HPS or MH light.

Don't worry about ppm fluctuations of under 100ppm. At this stage, I would aim for 600-700ppm, which I think you are already. And she is looking great!

So what's next after this? Do you have some seeds sprouting?

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Thanks a ton Capn!!!!!! You and your method are really the inspiration and driving force behind this thing!! I just checked the pH and ppms after the feeding this morning and the ppms are about the same but the water is down about a half gallon or so, and the pH is still at 6.1, so I'm in a decent zone and it hasn't fluctuated since I changed the nutes. I'm also thinking this batch of distilled water has a bit better buffering capability to prevent pH drifts because when I first mixed the nutes, the pH was at a 6.2 and I wanted it down in the mid-5's. With the last few batches of water, I'd add literally 1 or 2 drops of pH Down and it would've taken it to low-5's.. This time, I used maybe 7-8 drops and it finally rested at 5.7 so I just left it there.. After that feeding, it went up to 6.1 and has stayed there since..



And funny that you ask, I just started germinating (via your method) my other auto seed, whether it be La Diva or Blue Amnesia, last evening.. After looking at a bunch of pictures of peoples' grows of either of those strains, I'm definitely leaning toward this being the La Diva, but I guess I'll see when the buds get a bit bigger.. I figure I still have about 4-6 weeks left before I can even think about chopping this thing down.. I am looking into getting a tent for the 3rd grow, since the autos for me were really just a way to break into this and learn/get down some sound processes.. I do agree that HPS/MH is the way to go with regards to intensity and I'm considering just that! My 3rd grow is likely to be a GDP clone from my buddy who has been breeding a pheno for a couple generations and it's got all of the great qualities. Although he does have Holy Grail kush which was pretty awesome when he last grew it, so it's a toss up..


Your method has truly proven to be such an easy approach with so few moving parts and fewer variables than DWC or even ebb-and-flow!! Thanks again for all of your guidance and encouragement!! It means a lot!!!!!!!!

 

[Pittbull72]

Looking great so far! Just a tip about autoflowers, they hate to be transplanted! Always try to start them in their "forever home", you will notice a big dif in yield at the end if you interrupt their unique internal clock. Iv also found that autos aren't as picky about what spectrum of light you give them, so I like to run a mix through the whole process. They should begin to love those little led`s though!

 

[TheCapn]

Looking great so far! Just a tip about autoflowers, they hate to be transplanted! Always try to start them in their "forever home", you will notice a big dif in yield at the end if you interrupt their unique internal clock. Iv also found that autos aren't as picky about what spectrum of light you give them, so I like to run a mix through the whole process. They should begin to love those little led`s though!

When we use rockwool, there is absolutely no transplant shock. The plant never even knows it happened ;-)

But yeah you're right, when you're using dirt, there are always micro root tips that break and the plant will look upset for a couple days after.

god, you might consider building a little cabinet. They are easier to disguise, usually cheaper to build, and more flexible, since you can drill holes, put in screws to hang stuff like lights and fans, etc.

I just built a 3' x 4' x 2' cabinet for a buddy and I'm about to do a blog entry on it.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

I had been thinking about trying to find an armoire (sp?) that I can convert over which would be ideal since it looks like a piece of furniture and I could route some internal piping for a carbon filter with the vent behind the actual armoire itself.. I like the idea of micro-growing, but honestly, if I'm going to put this much work into it as it is, I might as well go big, right?? I'm moving into different living arrangements at the end of the year so I hope to have more space, so I was thinking of a 2x4x5 or 6ft tall tent and do a full ScrOG, with better lighting.. Right now, I feel like if I had planned out the lighting a little better, I could have done a bit better as well.. I'm going to see what I can do with the set up, now that I have it how I like it, with the next auto seed.. I have a larger catch-basin that I was using before that will fit both the current homemade air-pot and the actual 3-gal eqv. air-pot that I got and keep them on the same light schedule while the other one finishes.. It'll be a week or 2 before it'll be going in there, although I am going to have to try to keep the humidity at 50% so the other one that is finishing doesn't have any issues.. Man, I love this hobby!!!

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Stanky is all I have to say!!! I haven't bought a filter yet but I really need to consider it!! lol


I guess I need to keep myself away from the plant for a couple days so I actually notice the difference between before and after.. I thought the plant was sort of just slowly bulking up but when I look at the pictures from about a week or so ago, the buds have become quite a bit bigger and the leaves are starting to get frosty!!! I'm still banking on another 3-4 weeks at LEAST before this thing is ready to come down.. I started getting a little nute burn at the tips of a bunch of the leaves, and I'm not sure if I'm using the term correctly, but kayaking, of the leaves, or where they seem to be curling the way they are.. I had switched to feeding twice a day with the top-drip at a ppm of 780 starting and a pH of 5.7.. There aren't any other spots or unusual marks of note, except a few leaves that have been too close to some of the lights and I've clipped off the dried-up/dead pieces.. I haven't taken the humidifier out but it hasn't been on in over a week, as the humidity has been relatively steady between 30-50%, depending on the time of day.. I've since stopped the twice a day feeding, but I was almost thinking that maybe if I cut the ppm back, I could do a twice a day feeding with a positive result. I do my reservoir changes on Wednesdays, so I was hoping someone might be able to answer that question. Otherwise, here are some pictures........

 

[TheCapn]

You're right you have a little bit of leaf curl but overall the plant looks very healthy! I'm excited for you as you are getting closer to harvest. I think you're right on track with the PPM at 750, but I wouldn't go any higher.

LIft your pot after the first irrigation, and note the weight. Then lift it again just before the second irrigation. If you don't notice any difference, then I would just irrigate once a day.

I used to go 3x a day in flower, now I've cut everything back to once a day. The roots actually like getting a little dry in between irrigations.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

I'm going to try the lift-test tonight!!! Thanks for the advice!!! I would've never thought to check that!! I'm sort of in awe of how rockwool works, so I'm learning something new, pretty much every day!! I got my Auto Jack Herer and Auto Afghan Kush Ryder seeds in today (very fast from Herbie's, ordered less than a week ago) and I am germing a Jack seed first. I'm very tempted to do 2 seeds, and take the plunge on either the tent or armoire in the next few days since I have a long weekend coming up where I can build my new grow area to accommodate 2 plants. I've also been eye-balling a Galaxy ballast and a couple different hoods/cool tubes, so I think it's just a matter of me not being a pussy and just pulling the trigger!!! lol


Have you ever used root enhancers? When I got my "sample" bottle of Floralicious+, the guys gave me a bottle of GH RapidStart, too, and I wasn't sure if this was more for cloning, or if this would be beneficial to use for the seed(s) I'm germinating?


Thanks again Capn!!!!!!!

 

[TheCapn]

I'm going to try the lift-test tonight!!! Thanks for the advice!!! I would've never thought to check that!! I'm sort of in awe of how rockwool works, so I'm learning something new, pretty much every day!! I got my Auto Jack Herer and Auto Afghan Kush Ryder seeds in today (very fast from Herbie's, ordered less than a week ago) and I am germing a Jack seed first. I'm very tempted to do 2 seeds, and take the plunge on either the tent or armoire in the next few days since I have a long weekend coming up where I can build my new grow area to accommodate 2 plants. I've also been eye-balling a Galaxy ballast and a couple different hoods/cool tubes, so I think it's just a matter of me not being a pussy and just pulling the trigger!!! lol


Have you ever used root enhancers? When I got my "sample" bottle of Floralicious+, the guys gave me a bottle of GH RapidStart, too, and I wasn't sure if this was more for cloning, or if this would be beneficial to use for the seed(s) I'm germinating?


Thanks again Capn!!!!!!!

Floralicious+ is good stuff, although I don't use it. I used to, and I've thought about starting up again at 1ml/gal. I don't suggest it for DWC though. I use rapid start on seedlings (after it sprouts). I use about 1ml/gal. I only use galaxy ballasts because they are silent. I would definitely do 2 seeds in case one is weak.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Today's nute batch consisted of:

I started out with 5gal of distilled water, ended up getting a ppm near 1020, so I added 1.5gal more of water and the ppm is at 710-ish. pH is around 5.8 after 2 hours of post-mix hanging out..


~30ml GH Florablend
~30ml Botanicare Aquashield
~30ml GH Micro
~40ml GH Bloom
~20ml Botanicare Cal/Mag
~20ml Botanicare Silica Blast
~5ml Floralicious+


Honestly, I kinda wish I had more experience under my belt to determine how much enhancement the Floralicious+ does, but if the trichome formation has anything to do with it, then I'm impressed!!! The only things that DON'T have trichomes on them are the main fan leaves. When I was doing a fair inspection of the plant the other day (when I started noticing the leaf tips), I found a cool looking leaf that was curled, but so covered with frost that I thought it was mold or a piece of lint from a few feet away, then I got close. I'll see if I can get a picture!!


I put another seed in to germinate.. I've got them on the heat mat, but I almost feel like heat might be too high, so I may put another towel in between them.. After exhaustively searching CL and other online yard-sales, I couldn't find just the right armoire or storage cabinet, so I took the plunge and got a tent that is 3ft wide, 2ft deep and just a bit over 5ft tall.. It's not quite as tall as I'd like, but since it's got the ventilation for the lights, I'm good there.. I ordered an inline fan as well, but will go pick up the charcoal filter at the local shop since it's the same price including shipping as it was on Amazon or Ebay.. Now it's just a matter of time to get the cool tube, wait for this ballast and I think my next grow should be damn near all set!!!!


OOOoou, just heard the pump kick in, FEEDING TIME!!!!

 

[TheCapn]

Today's nute batch consisted of:

I started out with 5gal of distilled water, ended up getting a ppm near 1020, so I added 1.5gal more of water and the ppm is at 710-ish. pH is around 5.8 after 2 hours of post-mix hanging out..


~30ml GH Florablend
~30ml Botanicare Aquashield
~30ml GH Micro
~40ml GH Bloom
~20ml Botanicare Cal/Mag
~20ml Botanicare Silica Blast
~5ml Floralicious+


Honestly, I kinda wish I had more experience under my belt to determine how much enhancement the Floralicious+ does, but if the trichome formation has anything to do with it, then I'm impressed!!! The only things that DON'T have trichomes on them are the main fan leaves. When I was doing a fair inspection of the plant the other day (when I started noticing the leaf tips), I found a cool looking leaf that was curled, but so covered with frost that I thought it was mold or a piece of lint from a few feet away, then I got close. I'll see if I can get a picture!!


I put another seed in to germinate.. I've got them on the heat mat, but I almost feel like heat might be too high, so I may put another towel in between them.. After exhaustively searching CL and other online yard-sales, I couldn't find just the right armoire or storage cabinet, so I took the plunge and got a tent that is 3ft wide, 2ft deep and just a bit over 5ft tall.. It's not quite as tall as I'd like, but since it's got the ventilation for the lights, I'm good there.. I ordered an inline fan as well, but will go pick up the charcoal filter at the local shop since it's the same price including shipping as it was on Amazon or Ebay.. Now it's just a matter of time to get the cool tube, wait for this ballast and I think my next grow should be damn near all set!!!!


OOOoou, just heard the pump kick in, FEEDING TIME!!!!

God, calibrate your PPM meter and make sure it's correct. That recipe is very very strong. For flower, in a 5 gal bucket, I use:

4ml/gal cal mag
4ml/gal flora blend
1ml/gal silica
6ml grow
12ml parts micro
18ml parts bloom

This comes to about 750ppm

>>>so covered with frost that I thought it was mold or a piece of lint

Awesome!

>>>I've got them on the heat mat, but I almost feel like heat might be too high

Have your girlfriend walk over to the seeds and lift her shirt. Tell her it is a matter of life or death (For your seeds). Firmly cup a breast and note the warmth. Then feel the surface the seeds are sitting on, and it should feel about the same. If she has very large breasts, they tend to run cooler so you may need to DD compensate.

>>>got a tent that is 3ft wide, 2ft deep and just a bit over 5ft tall

Damn, I just gave one of these away.

>>>Now it's just a matter of time to get the cool tube, wait for this ballast and I think my next grow should be damn near all set!

Can't wait to see it all come together. Please keep me in the loop.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Hey Capn!

lol yeah, I goofed on that one, I ended up using nearly 8 gallons of water when all was said and done! I was emptying the jugs and tossing them behind me and just didn't count right at 7am.. ppms came out to 722 when I just checked. I will have to verify my pen's calibration though.. I think I have another TDS pen around here. My pH pen on the other hand....... I checked the calibration on that this morning and it was off by about .5 so I was kinda nervous since I realized to check this AFTER I had already fed the plant!! doooooh!!!!! So, after some calibration, I check and I was kinda low at 5.2 which then took about 45min to get up to a 5.7-5.8, kept bouncing between the 2.. I used the GH liquid test kit to verify and it was in the right spot, so now it's just a matter of time to get this thing back on track!!


I really can't thank you enough for all the advice!!!

 

[TheCapn]

Hey Capn!

lol yeah, I goofed on that one, I ended up using nearly 8 gallons of water when all was said and done! I was emptying the jugs and tossing them behind me and just didn't count right at 7am.. ppms came out to 722 when I just checked. I will have to verify my pen's calibration though.. I think I have another TDS pen around here. My pH pen on the other hand....... I checked the calibration on that this morning and it was off by about .5 so I was kinda nervous since I realized to check this AFTER I had already fed the plant!! doooooh!!!!! So, after some calibration, I check and I was kinda low at 5.2 which then took about 45min to get up to a 5.7-5.8, kept bouncing between the 2.. I used the GH liquid test kit to verify and it was in the right spot, so now it's just a matter of time to get this thing back on track!!


I really can't thank you enough for all the advice!!!

NO problem, I like to see people succeed, and I learn more with every journal I follow. Good PH and PPM meters are expensive. I've bought the cheap ones before, and I simply can't keep them calibrated correctly. I calibrate, keep them in RO water, and a week later they are off again. It's like I have to calibrate every time I use them. I wish I could find some good meters for a cheap price.

Anyway, glad to hear you caught it and diluted with more water. Because of you, I think I'm going to start using the florilicious again. I'll let you know if I notice any difference.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you spend for your current pH/Temp/ppm monitor?? I was thinking about getting one, since I can mount it outside the tent and not even have to worry about opening the tent up.. A few reviews I saw online seem to think that there aren't any decent sticks out there; only the all-in-one monitors, unless I was willing to spend nearly $1k on a very accurate laboratory pH pen.. Makes me kinda wish I was a little thief when I was in college, as we had some of the nicest pH gear there!!!!! I think the pens were over $1k a piece, and they had 4 or 5 dozen of them!!!!


And I'll be damned, if you didn't use Floralicious+ on any of your monster plants, I can only imagine how much bigger you're gonna have to make your grow area to accommodate 2lbs+ plants!!!!! lol

 

[TheCapn]

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you spend for your current pH/Temp/ppm monitor?? I was thinking about getting one, since I can mount it outside the tent and not even have to worry about opening the tent up.. A few reviews I saw online seem to think that there aren't any decent sticks out there; only the all-in-one monitors, unless I was willing to spend nearly $1k on a very accurate laboratory pH pen.. Makes me kinda wish I was a little thief when I was in college, as we had some of the nicest pH gear there!!!!! I think the pens were over $1k a piece, and they had 4 or 5 dozen of them!!!!


And I'll be damned, if you didn't use Floralicious+ on any of your monster plants, I can only imagine how much bigger you're gonna have to make your grow area to accommodate 2lbs+ plants!!!!! lol

$152

Search eBay for "27/7 nutrient monitor". Get the black one, not the blue one.

I calibrate it once a month and the PH is off +/- .1 at the most.

If using the floralicious doubles my yield, I'm headed to the store today. ha ha ha

 

[Skybound]

Hey GodAm4Twizzle, Hey Capn. I hope it's not too late to jump aboard another Capn style journal? I was re-re-rereading Capns' seed germ blog when I noticed the lengthy convo you 2 had going on. When I saw that you were gonna give Capn style a whirl, I had to come see for myself. I too am a student of this great man's style and have already harvested a successful Sativa grow in a space very similar to yours (slightly bigger). I did finish under a 400w HPS, but maintaining temps was a struggle.

I read through your journal but I admit that I glazed over a few parts because I wanted to get current fast. Forgive me if I missed this part, but are you using Heisenberg Tea? IMO, use of the tea is one of the bigger factors for success in this method he gave us. Correct me if I'm incorrect Capn, but my interpretation is that Capn style focuses on developing a massive and extremely healthy root system while also building a massive canopy in veg. Granted JT is growing autos here so extended veg will accomplish little, focus can still be given to developing the root mass.

At any rate, glad to have found yet another kid in Capn's class room where all the kids get a monster to chop at the end of the school year.

 

[dlf90]

Looks great man. I'm a couple months behind you I'm excited for your harvest. I'm subbed.

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Thanks for the kind words guys!! It's been a very enjoyable experience and I couldn't be happier that I stumbled upon the Capn-style thread on accident when I was doing a simple search on Google! I see a lot of guys having issues with DWC and I'm in no way knocking DWC or anything, but it just seems like it can be a very difficult thing to manage if you don't have adequate environmental control versus the Capn-style is nearly effortless!! And the results speak for themselves when you see all of the other folks who have used it!


Skybound: to answer your question, unfortunately, no, not this grow. I had originally intended on doing so, but between me wanting to keep it very simple at first (which it obviously didn't lol), and with my next grow, I will be indeed using the tea. I've got some Auto Jack Herer seeds, which I had no luck on 2 of them, and I just put 2 tap-rooted beans in rockwool cubes in a humidome yesterday afternoon. One of them has cotyledons already coming out of the rockwool while the other hasn't emerged yet.. Out of 5 seeds, only actually popped and had a tap-root.. 1 of them I think I accidentally cooked because the heat mat was a little warmer than I thought and the next 2 never even cracked open after 4 straight days of mild temps and using the Capn's germination method, so I just chalk it up to a weak strain possibly.. I will mention that I've also got some OG Kush seeds coming, which I know the Capn said he really enjoyed that one.. That's going to be my full-on ScrOG/LST/Capn-Style/HID lighting/kitchen sink grow, probably around my 4th or so.. I want to get another 2 under my belt whereas I get progressively better and tweak my technique. pH today was 5.9, ppms were 690-ish, as I had added a gallon of pH'ed distilled water yesterday since the ppm's came up above 750, which I think is around the magic number where this plant hits nute-burn.. I got a jeweler's loupe which was supposed to be 30x-60x, but it still sucks on 60x, but from what I can see, some of the trichomes are turning milky, so I'm happy with that as well as the pistils are starting to all turn orange/brown.. Just hoping the buds swell a bit more

 

[GodAm4twizzle]

Not a ton to update, other than I finally got my jeweler's loupe and it isn't very good, but I tried to get a couple pictures to see if I could blow them up and check the trichome consistencies.. Starting to get some milky ones in there, and I think my estimates were close at another couple weeks. I've got my tent physically set up but tomorrow's adventure is to actually set up the lighting, ventilation and re-configure my reservoir, and fabricate a catch basin.. Got my 2nd batch of seeds in: Dinafem OG Kush x2, Dinafem Auto Critical Jack x2 and Dinafem Original Amnesia x2, plus another Afghan Kush Ryder seed (so now I have 2) and a Dinafem Auto Original Amnesia for free. I'm torn as to whether I should grow both of the same type at the same time, or if I should have some variety and grow a bean from each set for each 2-plant grow I do.. The OG Kush and the Original Amnesia, being photos, I may do only 1 at a time and try to LST/ScrOG the thing into submission, but like I had mentioned, I'm gonna wait another grow or 2 before I do that. I'm also going to try my hand at cloning at that stage, so it's important I can get a couple successful grows under my belt and have a solid technique. Out of the 2 Auto Jack seeds I had germinating, one of them is starting to show it's 2nd set of true leaves, but the other is this green nub in the middle of the rockwool. I'll get some pictures tomorrow, but I think I need a little more light, but hopefully after tomorrow, that's not gonna be an issue. I'm going to keep my enclosure here for now and use it as a veg-tent, so I can get these other seedlings started, so that when this other one finishes, I can throw them right over in the tent, and start another set.. I think it's possible to get at least another 2 full grows out of this year, and then at the turn of the year, the gf and I are moving out of this area, and we're trying to find a slightly larger place, so I would be then investing in a 2nd slightly larger tent for flowering and keep the one I have now for veg..


So much to do, so little time!!!

 

[Skybound]

Sounds like you got a lot going on. To add a move into the equation is gonna make your life interesting I'm sure. Will the move happen during any flower periods of your girls?