Here I Grow Again

[Rascio]

Dear 420 friends,

First I want to apologize for my disappearing act last summer. You guys helped me so much getting my first grow up and running, provided great advice when I needed, and welcomed me to the coolest online community i have ever experienced. Before my grow was complete, I disappeared without a word. I should have found a way to come and take my leave properly and I didn't. Please accept my sincere apology.

Anyhow, I learned a lot from my first go round, and I'm back now with renewed determination.

Here's my current setup:


Strain.... Carnival

pots... 7 plants in 6 4-5 gallon buckets, 1 plant in a 5 gallon bucket but only 3 gallons of soil, one in a 2 gallon bucket, and one that is still in a 1 gallon pot. Oh, and one plant in a 7 gallon smart (cloth) pot. In short, I had more plants than soil to put them in, so I improvised.

lights....1 600 HPS with reflector and digital ballast.
2 300 W LED, 6 band (100 3Wbulbs each)

ventilation....one Ostberg 6" centrifugal fan w/ Can #33carbon filter. also have one 12" moving. fan at canopy level.

Temps....I have no AC in my small apartment, but so far the fan has kept temps down to less than 5° higher than room temperature. Range so far this grow 72-84°F (21-29°C)

RH.....I live in a very dry climate, with RH running as low as 15% at times. So far I have been blessed with higher than average RH, and current humidity is 45%. I have been checking each evening, and hanging wet towels when RH dips below 40%.

Tents: 2'×4'×5'H tent for clones and veg
5'×5'×6'8" tent for flowering

grow medium.....DBHBB soil (mix of 2nd and 3rd run)

Nutes....what came in Doc Bud's kit in early 2015. I have had to improvise somewhat since running out of growth energy mid veg ... more info below.

Pests....the odd mite .. only one spotted so far this grow. These are native to my area, not the nasty spider mites that come in grocery store tropical plants and some bagged soils)

Water....tap water. I fill a 5 gallon bucket in the shower for a little aeration, and let sit for a spell in the grow tent before watering. My city has high quality water that's not far from its glacial source. The city uses chlorine, and has a dechlorination facility.

Light cycle.....running 20/4 in veg, 11 ⅓ light/12 ⅔dark in the flowering tent.

I really want to do a kit run by the book, but one way or another I've missed a few turns. This third grow I started with some well cooked kit soil, but I have used nothing to recharge the mineral content. I hope to get another kit in time to have soil ready for the clones currently in the veg tent. Money is super tight right now, since, aside from some odd jobs and projects, I've been unemployed since last November .Please bear with me as I slowly get my act together.

Here's my carnival tent as of last week:

The mother was planted early in March, and I've taken many cuttings. I was planning to keep the mother in vegetative growth, but found room for her in amongst her daughter's of various ages and sizes. All but the mother went went into the flowering tent June 25. The mother was added July 3rd.

There has been considerable stretch and flower development since that last pic, and all plants are now on the ground. Lights are hanging about a foot below the 6'8 ceiling.


Love, Rascio

 

[Rascio]

Re: Here I grow again . . .

New grow, new goals.

On my first grow, my goal was to learn to grow weed and reduce my dependency on what was available locally. Cannabis is still technically illegal here, but seldom prosecuted. For me that means that 90% of the weed is from cash croppers who grow with two things in mind: yield and potency.

Potent smoke is readily available, but usually only fast, high yielding strains. Typically some form of Kush. This is great for the Kush lovers out there, but it is not my favourite, and it provides little relief for my medical needs. I have had a long and difficult struggle with depression, and my self prescription calls for uplifting, giggly weed. Many of my friends are also hungry for racier weed than is normally available.

After reading hundreds of smoke reports in these forums, most notably the eloquent strain descriptions provided by Graytail, I've taken a leap of faith and I'm growing a full tent of Carnival, the mother plant and many cuttings, which were taken starting a month after I popped one of my two feminized seeds back in March. The youngest cuttings in bloom now we're in veg for less than a month before I erected the big tent and started my flowering cycle. All cuttings, young and old, were ready to flower, and all showed pistils within a week of 11:20 light/12:40 dark.

Aside from my strain goals, or more precisely my medical effect goals, I want to grow as much weed as possible with the space and light available. Within the next two years, I want to earn a modest income growing cannabis, specialising in varieties that make me and my friends happy.

At the same time I want to try a variety of cultivation methods, and settle into a growing style of my own.
And I want to explore, experiment, and fuel my growing passion for this wonderful plant. Learning and experimenting is in my nature, and I get excited by each little step, be it forward or back, in this journey.

And I do so love to explore some big ideas related to growing, smoking and enJOYing this plant we love so much. This forum is fertile ground for these little experiments, and seem to bring the tinkerer out in all of us.

What a blast!!

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Here I grow again . . .

First through the door.

I'll be expecting to see you at the Carnival community tent Rascio. I'm getting ready to set up my own 2x2 so I can grow my own Carnival. Reading this I'm thinking I should just dedicate the first run to two Carnivals.

It's so good to have you back. Sorry life got so complicated. We need to do something about your shortage of kit materials. Can we start a fund somewhere?

 

[Rascio]

Re: Here I grow again . . .

Welcome Sue

Please no. I wasn't asking for help, just stating some of the constraints I'm working with.
Thanks though!

If, on the other hand, someone stumbles through these pages who has an idea for a cheap or free way to finish these plants, I'm all ears!

 

[Pigeons420]

Here I come!!

Rascio, I still remember the first day you came here. I was swept away by your writing and charismatic attitude. You had me addicted to you from go. So, I sure hope you don't mind if I pull up a seat here and admire you some more

Good to see you my man!

 

[Pigeons420]

Re: Here I grow again . . .

Ok Rascio, I just took the opportunity to go back and read through your intruduction and post. (I'm always one to burst through the door, introduce myself, cause a scene. Just to realize the people I'm looking for are in another room).

I'm sorry to hear that life's thrown its curves at you. I don't know everything about you but I'm certain by how much I have gotten to know about you, that you are an individual of adventure and excitement and small hurdles are only going to teach you more about yourself and where you've come from. And you'll use lose lessons to guide you through the next stage in life. You're going to get through this and you can't forget that were here for you!

As for your dilemma in regards to nutrients and a budget: I've so been there. So, here I go.

I know almost nothing about Doc's kit. What I do know is so little that it's not even worth stating with any confidence. However, (see what I did there? Stated my ignorance but I'm still going to give you my opinion perhaps my wife would tell you that's not one of my stronger attributes ....Anywho, where was I? )
I have a $300 nutrient kit that took me about a year to stockpile. And now that it's running out I'm not as quick to go spend that kind of money again. So, I've decide to use less nutrients to do the same job.
Where I'm going with this is, I'm sure Doc's kit is a steroid package of nutrients (just like mine). Some stuff is covering some things more than once. (Perhaps two items in the kit provide nitrogen?) Are you able to use less of his kit to do reasonably the same thing? I'm able to decrease my nutrient bottles from 10 to 4 bottles. I'm just not giving the plants "extra" stuff.
Perhaps you can do the same with Doc's kit? He would be the person to ask I suppose.

Does this make any sense?

 

[Rascio]

Hey Pigeons, good to see you here!

I have pored over the kit threads for hundreds of hours, and to be honest I still don't really understand how it all works. I understand bits and pieces, but there are gaping holes that remain a mystery.

In my first grow attempt, I grew what appeared to be very healthy and promising plants. The leaves were green and shiny, big buds were formed, but after 3 or 4 weeks of flowering, they just stopped. The buds appeared to fill out nicely, and they appeared to be covered in trichomes, but the plants didn't get stinky or resinous.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that in my grow, the phosphorus component of the mimeral amendment was depleted early on, and the plants simply lacked the energy and or raw material to produce the stinky oils and resins. Or were the building blocks there but the chemical triggers that favour resin production failed ... or ... or ...? Who knows??

So here I am again with some healthy looking plants in early flower. I am inexperienced at growing cannabis, but I hope my powers of observation are intact. I see no signs of mineral deficiency in the clones:

,

Do you?

But the mother plant is looking tired. (I'll post a pic of the mother later, sleep time now).


From all I've read, at this point focus shifts from the plants requiring nitrogen for growth, to needing extra phosphorus. Making fats and oils obviously requires a lot of energy, and phosphates attached to sugars are the energy carriers in metabolism.

It seems I've found ways to keep the nitrogen supplies in order. (The kit drenches are basically soluble nitrogen in various forms, mixed with liquefied fish. I ran out of the main drench early in veg, and I'm now providing soluble nitrogen in the form of dilute urine). I'm worried that, since the soil is recycled, and I did not replenish the mineral amendments, that the phosphate content of the soil is already spent.

I think, as I'm writing this, I'm convincing myself that, if I don't see signs of resin production soon, I will have to add a simple high phosphorus fertilizer. The kit provides phosphorus in the form of soft rock phosphate, a sort of clay. The phosphorus in the clay dissolves very slowly, with the help of microbes. I think it's probably too late to add this form of phosphorus. Adding soluble phosphorus directly though, will likely reduce or destroy the living systems that the kit is designed to stimulate and exploit.

Maybe I should just to get a bag of blood meal? Maybe I should treat the rest of this grow as a more traditional nutrient based grow, and abandon the living systems I've cultivated so carefully? Whatever route I decide to take, I'll have to do it soon.

I guess the most sensible thing to do is keep doing what I'm doing, and observe carefully. Thanks for coming along with me again. I'll do my best to keep things interesting.

 

[Rascio]

The mother, as promised:

Carnival ... seed planted March 7, many cuttings taken, into flowering tent July 3. Pistils appeared yesterday (July 11).

A little scary looking, no?

Thing is, I was not planning to flower this one. I had a plan to create a bonsai mother. After reviewing the bonsai tutorial though, I realized I'd missed that boat when I planted her in the big bucket.

There's a lot of dense, small leave foliage inside. Should probably clean her up a bit. Might be too late to try to tame her ...most if the stems are woody now.

Oh, I found the container of kit "Transplant"
This is the older version containing Chilean nitrate. In my first grows I backed off on this stuff after learning that Chilean nitrate was mainly sodium nitrate. Didn't think adding sodium to the soil was a great idea. Anyhow, I have over half a bottle of the stuff.

 

[SweetSue]

Pretty little tree you got there Rascio. She's sportin' some sweet leaves and she's awfully bushy. You thinking about thinning her out?

 

[SweetSue]

Do you have a picture of the plant you believe may be Lamb's Quarters? I can identify it for you. Your post at Rad's lacked the photo.

 

[Rascio]

The ladies spent the day hiding in the closet. Was good excuse to clean out the closet. All in flower fit in there ...snug but not squished. Visit was uneventful but there's two follow ups .. grrrr.

Anyhow, I don't think they're any the worse for wear. Mine are ladies of the evening ... party all night under the lights and sleep all day.

Took some photos while they're all out:

Carnival cuts: 18 days under 11:40/12:20

The first group have been topped. These have had roots the longest. Mother is second from left ... quite a bit paler than others.

The four in front now have received no training: Buckets 2 and 4 are twin in one's.

The oldest cut and the youngest

I'm particularly fond of this lil gal in the gallon pot. Never grown a bud on a stick before:

Modern family :

Cheers!

 

[Rascio]

Hi sweetsue!

The photo was removed. I put it under grow room supplies ..
Guess I should have selected off topic.

Anyhow, it has leaves shaped like duck feet, long stalk, and a cylindrical top of tiny white flowers. Saw some photos on the net and I think its the right stuff.

I have what appeared to be mature flowers drying. I'll crumble the dried stuff on some of the little cutting I have rooting in the veg tent and see if anything grows.

Cheers!

 

[Graytail]

Hey Rascio, it's wonderful to see a journal from you!

It's a good thing you found the Transplant - that will get you through the entire grow if necessary. You can source calcium nitrate fish ferts locally to substitute for Energy. Do you have enough Tea?

At any rate, they're lookin' grrreat right now!

 

[SweetSue]

I had one growing in with my Med GOM 1.0, the plant on the left in this photo. You can clearly see the Lamb's Quarters. It's very invasive Rascio. One of the more beneficial companion plants one can include, but be prepared to trim it frequently. B A R assured me it was edible and delicious.

 

[Rascio]

Hey Gray, great to see ya mate.

Kit supplies remaining:

Growth energy: probably enough for 4-5 more waterings.

Tea: there's just a little on the bottom but it's strong stuff, so 2 maybe 3 applications. I wonder about shelf life . . .

Transplant v.1.0 .. over half a kit sized container

Cat drench: looks like enough for two applications

Brix: running low .. 2-3 sprayings, as I've been doing them. I could probably stretch it out to 4-5.

Destress: plenty

My main concern is I havent added amendment since up canning for second grow.

(My second grow consisted of cuts from the grow in my first journal, plus two more silver haze from seed, one if which was mail and was yanked early, but too late to stop seeds. So I grew out 5 plants in 5-7 gallon pots).

About the tea.

I wondered , in my first try, why repeated applications were necessary. I thought that the other inputs, together with what the plant provides the soil life, would be enough to maintain the microbe population at something like a steady state. Is it mainly dietary supplement for the microbes?

I remember Sweetsue asked about that in one of Doc's threads and I didn't see an answer. I figured maybe the repeated applications were more for the humic acid than the microbes ... which are applied more as insurance in case something has depleted the population?

Did you notice changes when the Transplant formula changed from Chilean nitrate to calcium nitrate?

I really must catch up on developments in the kit threads.

So much to catch up on! I'm up to p. 100 I think in your perpetual journal, but I keep getting distracted.

What? BAR is growing in big pots now .. gotta check that out. What in earth is light addict doing now? Holy crap look it the size of that bush! What happened to Sweetsues' sweet 4*4 flowering tent? Ooh the chimp is growing more Thai stick plants ...... 5 hours later ....

.You know how it goes.

Anyhow, I have some seemingly healthy plants and where there's life, there's hope. My ventilation system is working a treat, and this summer is starting out with very nice environmental conditions in my tents.

Im broke at the moment but I think I'll be able to order a kit in two weeks.

Cheers, and thanks for stopping by!!

Ras

 

[Rascio]

Getting a little crowded in the flowering tent:

I'm thinking of culling 2-3, in the name of better overall health and yield.

Sensible?

Cheers!

 

[SweetSue]

I would have to agree. There's a temptation to give them all a chance, but we know overcrowding usually leads to unwelcome visitors or poor yield.

Take the two weakest out and see how it looks. That might be enough.

 

[Rascio]

Candidates:

The mother is healthy, and greening up after a good soaking of transplant water. However, she's a real mess ... As I took clones I was thinking only of the cuttings, and not what I was leaving behind. Also, if the soil becomes depleted, this is the one that'll be in trouble first.

These next two are both twins. They were my youngest rooted cuttings, transplanted and put in to flower with very little time to strengthen.

I'm leaning towards culling the mother and the weaker of the two sets of twins. Or maybe all three.

Cheers!

 

[SweetSue]

I'd start with the two and stand back for a few. Then decide on the third. I just really hate culling, so I'd try it in baby steps.

What are you planning to do with them when they're pulled? *shudder* I can still remember a time so desperate that we smoked young leaves. They'll get you mildly buzzed, but there's just no comparison. How things have changed.

 

[Rascio]

So yeah I think taking the two twin weaklings will leave enough room. There's really room for 9 good sized plants in there (5'×5'). 8 will leave a little room for manipulation. The mother may be useful as an early warning system for any shortages with the others. Possibly I was also feeling lazy. Will take a bit to open the mother up and get some light shining through.