Green Mountain Girl's 1st Grow

[Emilya Green]

Have you read my paper on watering where I talk about watering the sides so as to tease the roots to grow that direction? There are some tricks to get you out of this funny stage you are at now in that sea of soil, but you want to rapidly get to a proper wet/dry cycle as soon as you can instead of pooling water in the bottom. I suggest only watering in 3x the diameter of the plant, and not huge amounts either. Also put a little water along the far edge all around the plant so the roots have to wander that direction. Your goal is to not pool water in the bottom. When you do finally soak the entire container, you are going to have to make a personal resolve not to touch it again until the plant has used ALL the water... it might take a week, and it is the hardest thing to do in the cannabis world, nothing.

 

[Angela802]

Has anyone ever heard of this or used anything like this before? My local grow store just got it in stock and I was thinking about purchasing some.

 

[Emilya Green]

Composted Alpaca poop? Sounds like powerful stuff, go easy.

 

[Angela802]

Haha yes! Vt has some interesting things.... I figured I would give it try on the next go around and see what the results are like. I’ll start by mixing a little into the soil and see how it goes. Worth a shot, but I’m going to keep everything simple for myself this first time around.

 

[Angela802]

Day 29 for the “ Lone Suevivor” crown royal girl and Day 20 for the autos ( NL) and 2 other crowns.

So here’s what’s been growing on.

The girls were all bone dry. It took them a week since their up potting to finish drinking up their last feeding. My cal-mag (botanicare) came in so I made sure this was added to their watering this time around. I didn’t want to over do it so I went with 1/4 of the recommended dose. (ph’d water @ 6.5)

I made sure to give a watering around the perimeter of each of the plants but didn’t go all the way out to the sides of the fabric pot. I also topped my lone survivor. She’s been growing strong and showing me that she can handle it. As for the 20 day old crowns I let them be and I’m going to hold off on any topping or training for now.

Which brings me to these autos. Whats the suggestion on topping for these girls or training when and how? I’ve done a lot of googling and YouTubing but opinions are kind of all over the place on this.

Attached are this weeks photos starting with the three crowns and the NL to follow.

Happy gardening to you!

 

[Angela802]

Day 30 and all is going well! Some of these NL autos ( day 21) have started to get bigger noticeably from one day to the next. It’s so amazing to watch them grow.

My Crown survivor lol is looking good after the topping and has shown some growth in her top leaves!

I do have a couple girls who are trying to tell me something however. The hens are clucking and I’m not sure what they are trying to say. I’ve attached some pictures to get opinions. I didn’t start using cal-mag until their last watering so maybe it’s a Mg dificientcy ? Or I could have been careless and let their leaves get wet during their watering...

As always happy gardening!

The first attached are the NL girls that’s look like their hurting and the last two are of my biggest NL that seems to be a happy girl.

 

[Emilya Green]

The hens are clucking and I’m not sure what they are trying to say.

Give it a couple of cycles with the calmag... lets see what happens.

 

[Angela802]

Happy Friday! I hope you all are well! My garden is going strong right now. The NLA seem to be taking off except for one that seems a bit stunted. I think due to the early up potting. I’m keeping my eye on her and trying to show her some TLC by giving her good light position in the tent.

My Crowns are looking so happy and are also going strong. The lone survivor hadn’t been showing as much growth as her two younger sisters but one I topped her wow explosive growth!

No one has been watered again yet. I checked them last night and this morning and their pots are light but the top of the soil still feels a bit damp to the touch. So I’m letting them be.

I also experimented with topping two of my NLAs they were getting huge and looking very strong. I’m going to leave the two others alone and not mess with them at all this grow. I want to see what they all do. Unfortunately while I was looking at one of the smaller NLA girls I was too rough and snapped her whole top node off . It made me want to cry a little.

I attached my morning photos. They are after the topping.

Happy gardening to you all!

 

[Angela802]

Good morning to everyone!
Day 28 for the NLA’s and they were ready for some water. Only one of my CR needed water and a topping so she got it while the NLAs got their watering.

For some reason my tap water’s PH was way lower than its ever been so once I had added my cal-mag and some fox farm veg Nutes (1/4 of the rec dose. )

My Ph came in around 4.3 I added in some Ph up and couldn’t get it to come on higher than. 5.5. So that’s what they got.

Attached are some family photos of the girls and then some close ups.

Don’t mind the strangling one I think I’ve managed to almost kill her

 

[Emilya Green]

That pH was way way too low and did nothing to nourish the plants. You might want to go to the store and get a bag of pickling lime to mix with some water and which makes a very powerful pH up. You have do do better with the pH, or you are going to run into big trouble with this grow.

 

[Angela802]

I’m not sure why the GH Ph UP wasn’t working that well. The Ph down works a little too well and you only need like a drop of it. I literally put half a cup in the two gallon watering can trying to increase it. It’s normally at 7 before I have to bring it down to between 6-6.5 and I haven’t ever watered with it that low before, I just didn’t know what else to do.

You believe watering them with the 5.5 this round is going to stunt them badly? Should I maybe go dilute some vinegar and water a bit more? I’ve heard of some using vinegar on here to increase their Ph as well. ( since I don’t have the pickling lime on hand)

I don’t plan on this being a constistant problem with the Ph but I’ll run and get some of the pickling lime asap just incase.

The two CR I didn’t water today will more than likely be needing watered in a day or so and I don’t want to run into the same issue.

 

[Emilya Green]

I’m not sure why the GH Ph UP wasn’t working that well. The Ph down works a little too well and you only need like a drop of it. I literally put half a cup in the two gallon watering can trying to increase it. It’s normally at 7 before I have to bring it down to between 6-6.5 and I haven’t ever watered with it that low before, I just didn’t know what else to do.

You believe watering them with the 5.5 this round is going to stunt them badly? Should I maybe go dilute some vinegar and water a bit more? I’ve heard of some using vinegar on here to increase their Ph as well. ( since I don’t have the pickling lime on hand)

I don’t plan on this being a constistant problem with the Ph but I’ll run and get some of the pickling lime asap just incase.

The two CR I didn’t water today will more than likely be needing watered in a day or so and I don’t want to run into the same issue.

watering at the wrong pH is not going to stunt your plants. You have done it now, not much you can do to correct it rather than flush and start over with the correct pH, but it is not worth all that. Just let them dry out and do better next time. You might want to get that pickling lime and practice with it adjusting pH before you do it with nutes in the water too. The only thing that is going to happen setting the pH of your container way low like that is that the nutes you applied this time will just be totally ignored. A little might sneak through, but your pH will not even allow the salt bonds to be broken and those nutes will just sit there inert in that soil until the proper pH is encountered on the next watering. Also, note that the pickling lime solution is very powerful and very caustic... do not store it in plastic containers... glass only. It is very very powerful... only add like a 1/16 tsp to a gallon and see how fast it adjusts your fluids. It is hard to get it to dissolve in water too... work at it.. it will happen.

 

[Angela802]

Sorry I am being super paranoid with these girls haha so much time and money into it I don’t want to kill them off.

Thank you for all the help! I really appreciate it! I will definitely practice with the Ph this week and make sure that it right for the next go around.

Do you think I should just straight water them next round since the Nutes will more than likely still be sitting around and not absorbed? I don’t won’t to burn them up next.

 

[Emilya Green]

Do you think I should just straight water them next round since the Nutes will more than likely still be sitting around and not absorbed? I don’t won’t to burn them up next.

Yes, I think that would be good advice. Your plants are very healthy and don't exactly "need" a bunch of nutes right at the moment... but as you get everything adjusted, getting with a regular nute program is going to really supercharge this grow. You just about have it dialed in.

 

[Angela802]

Emilya you are an angel! Thank you for sharing all of your wisdom!

 

[Killian]

You should probably check the calibration of your ph pen. That seems like a lot of difference in ph for tap water. You have a nice set up. Wishing you the best in your grow.

 

[Angela802]

I’ll will do that, Thank you Killian! I haven’t calibrated since I’ve started using it so, I’m heading to check it out now.

 

[Killian]

I’ll will do that, Thank you Killian! I haven’t calibrated since I’ve started using it so, I’m heading to check it out now.

I ran into that problem myself. It usually takes me about 18 drops of ph down to get my tap water to 6.5. When I ended up putting 25 drops in I realized something wasn't right so I checked my calibration and sure enough it was off. I calibrate mine weekly now.

 

[Angela802]

Sad morning in the garden y’all.... the girls all are okay except for one maybe casualty.

While I was checking my two un- watered girls I was bending a few NLA over to give their lower branches some light for the day ... one of my largest took to breaking. I quickly ran and taped her back together with some electric tape to try and keep her together. I also grabbed a stake of bamboo and gave her some help ... but she may not make it....

I cried. I’m emotional like that and I destroyed a beautiful growing plant.

I dont think I’m going to touch any of them for the rest of this grow... I am now triggered. For real.

Sad day.

 

[Killian]

Sad morning in the garden y’all.... the girls all are okay except for one maybe casualty.

While I was checking my two un- watered girls I was bending a few NLA over to give their lower branches some light for the day ... one of my largest took to breaking. I quickly ran and taped her back together with some electric tape to try and keep her together. I also grabbed a stake of bamboo and gave her some help ... but she may not make it....

I cried. I’m emotional like that and I destroyed a beautiful growing plant.

I dont think I’m going to touch any of them for the rest of this grow... I am now triggered. For real.

Sad day.

I know the feeling. I had a clip fan fall on one of mine my very first grow breaking one of my main stems full of buds. I tried to repair it but it didn't take. I ended up cutting the branch off. It didn't slow the plant down any. She finished up fine just a little less bud.