Icemud's Organic SCROG! Grow 3.0

[Doc Bud]

If you have a real bad infestation, azamax and azatrol work really good for soil dunks... Also a clothes steamer works well to fry the larvae in the top 2" of soil I usually now start my very first watering with mosquito dunks to help bump up the BTi counts even before there is a problem... the proactive measure seems to work well

I have a large drum under the AC unit, so condensate from the AC makes up about 3/4 of my feed water. PPM of 20. I put a mosquito dunk in the drum, so the AC water gets BT'd while it waits to get fed to the plants.

Has anyone else received there refractometers? I'm really curious to see what others plants are rating, high brix or not?! Can't wait till we have a solid brix list for each strain...

I'll have mine very soon and will be posting results, etc. I've been spending my extra cash on soil tests.....

 

[Icemud]

Well just checked the brix of the blackberry kush and the silverback og as a control... the silverback og brix went down slightly to a 19 brix...might have been because I sampled a younger leaf than yesterday... and the blackberry stayed exactly the same... so the foliar I gave yesterday didn't do anything positively so now I will have to improvise. Its seems that after compost tea sprayings, my girls look the happiest and the leaves shine the most so I will test them after a foliar of compost tea on my next round and see where they are at.

 

[Doc Bud]

Well just checked the brix of the blackberry kush and the silverback og as a control... the silverback og brix went down slightly to a 19 brix...might have been because I sampled a younger leaf than yesterday... and the blackberry stayed exactly the same... so the foliar I gave yesterday didn't do anything positively so now I will have to improvise. Its seems that after compost tea sprayings, my girls look the happiest and the leaves shine the most so I will test them after a foliar of compost tea on my next round and see where they are at.

I did an Epsom salt flush last night. The leaves looked spectacular today when I checked on them. I'll get pics tomorrow, but I'm very pleased with the results.

I've been using the PGR and Amaze, which have bulked up the stems and really given the leaves a nice radioactive shine. But the leaves always twist up after a spraying......but they untwisted and got all normal after the Epsom salt flush.

So, today i gave them a dose of Bloomit.

I'll post pre and post when I get my refractometer, but after using compost/worm tea sprayings and then using this stuff, the PGR and AMaze are far more powerful. I'm now mixing them using PPM, not a measuring pipette.

You might consider getting the trio from foliarsprays.com. I'm still learning how to use them, but I now recognize that they're powerful tools and I think they're going to really make a difference.

You might try an Epsom flush? I'm really happy about the idea, because it means I can add magnesium to my girls without upsetting the mineral balance in the soil. OG Kush is gonna like that.

 

[Icemud]

I just mixed up my next feeding which is pretty much a microbe supercharge. This will be used for my next feeding as well as foliar spray..

5gallons of r/o water:

1 scoop of worm casings/kelp/volcanic rock
1 scoop of alaskan forest humus
2 tbsp of molasses
20ml of adv nutr carboload
30ml of humic acid
30 ml of fulvic acid
20ml hygrozyme

I love how we are all taking different approaches to the High brix and soon we will all have documented trial and errors for different foliars and processes.

I found a few other forums today with people mentioning there brix levels for cannabis....most people were saying they were getting 5's, 6's and 7's which made me extremely happy where my plants are sitting now I hope that more people pick up refractometers and start testing there brix looking back at my journal, my leaves looked the happiest when I hit them with a sugar loaded foliar, and then follow up with a microbe/enzyme laced foliar shortly after... really seems to get them shining This also makes sense in relation to what I read today saying that most "sugars" are not available for uptake into the leaves and for the plants to benefit the leaves have to have the proper chelates, enzymes and microlife. So it seems that with my stacking of carbo's on one spray, and then the spraying of microbes isn't too far off...now I have to find out which ingredients produce the best brix raise, and then focus on those

It also seems that for brix the main focus for macronutrients are P and Ca in foliar sprays...so I am going to have to read up more to make proper adjustments for my next round of growing and foliar applications..

I also read that with fulvic and humic acid...humic acid is too large of a size for proper leaf uptake, but great for increasing soil CEC. In foliar however, fulvic is small enough to get into the leaves and acts as a chelate for many other nutrients

 

[Icemud]

I just read another article about how calcium and phosphates bind in the soil and generally only 30% of phosphates are available in the soil the first year, but as the soil conditions it actually increases drastically in the years to come. One way to free up available phosphates in the soil is the addition of humic and fulvic acids which bind with the phosphorus and allow it to be free from its inorganic and unusable state when binded with the calcium. Also, another way to free up the phosphorus is the use of innoculants such as the compost tea's we are using. A third way which I found very interesting was the use of Tricontanal in foliar sprays. This is a growth regulator and found in high levels in alfalfa meal and promotes a higher chlorophyl levels. When you have higher chlorophyl levels, the plant releases more food for the microbes, which in turn break up and release the trapped phosphates.

Here is the article... a very good read
The Phosphate Equation - Fungi, Soil Life, Fulvic Acid, Organic Agriculture, Foliar, Organic Farming, Sustainable Agriculture, Biological Farming

 

[Doc Bud]

I just read another article about how calcium and phosphates bind in the soil and generally only 30% of phosphates are available in the soil the first year, but as the soil conditions it actually increases drastically in the years to come. One way to free up available phosphates in the soil is the addition of humic and fulvic acids which bind with the phosphorus and allow it to be free from its inorganic and unusable state when binded with the calcium. Also, another way to free up the phosphorus is the use of innoculants such as the compost tea's we are using. A third way which I found very interesting was the use of Tricontanal in foliar sprays. This is a growth regulator and found in high levels in alfalfa meal and promotes a higher chlorophyl levels. When you have higher chlorophyl levels, the plant releases more food for the microbes, which in turn break up and release the trapped phosphates.

Here is the article... a very good read
The Phosphate Equation - Fungi, Soil Life, Fulvic Acid, Organic Agriculture, Foliar, Organic Farming, Sustainable Agriculture, Biological Farming

Be careful with the humic/fulvic acid. The soil life makes this stuff when it needs it. I just let them do it.

You can raise brix levels with many foliar sprays for a couple hours. But if you want to prime the pump and put everything in turbo mode, you need P and Ca.

International Ag labs recommends Dextrose (l-glucose) and hydrolyzed fish (very acidic, prepared with phosphoric acid) in addition to Amaze, PGR and Bloomit.

I'll be getting mine very soon. I'll be growing some strains that are clones from the same mom as my hydro friend is growing. I'll be able to test a hydro expert's leaves against mine.....should be interesting.

He's got mites.....I don't. He sprays, I don't.

I suspect my brix levels are much higher!

 

[Icemud]

Well today is day 13 flowering and the ladies got another feeding as well as a foliar feeding as well today. The feeding consisted of:

5gallons of r/o water
1 scoop of worm casings/kelp/volcanic rock
1 scoop of alaskan forest humus
2 tbsp of molasses
20ml of adv nutr carboload
30ml of humic acid
30 ml of fulvic acid
20ml hygrozyme


added later were
Bioroot 1-1-1 (added because of alfalfa meal and soft rock phosphate, along with even npk balance)
advanced nutrients organic b....b vitamins, amino acids, chelates, sugars...
Earth Juice Microblast (added because of sulfur's, moloybdenum, cobalt and boron) I have been reading that these are key elements for foliar sprays and feedings for keeping a high brix..

To the foliar spray...was used in a 1:2 ratio tea/water and added was 50ml of coca cola (for corn sugars and phosphoric acid) and a few drops of bee honey. I was wondering if 100% natural maple syrup would have any value over molasses, sucanat or other sugars...?

I will test the brix levels of my blackberry kush again in a few hours to see if any brix levels have raised.

also I will post some photo's later...

 

[Icemud]

Be careful with the humic/fulvic acid. The soil life makes this stuff when it needs it. I just let them do it.

You can raise brix levels with many foliar sprays for a couple hours. But if you want to prime the pump and put everything in turbo mode, you need P and Ca.

International Ag labs recommends Dextrose (l-glucose) and hydrolyzed fish (very acidic, prepared with phosphoric acid) in addition to Amaze, PGR and Bloomit.

I'll be getting mine very soon. I'll be growing some strains that are clones from the same mom as my hydro friend is growing. I'll be able to test a hydro expert's leaves against mine.....should be interesting.

He's got mites.....I don't. He sprays, I don't.

I suspect my brix levels are much higher!

I can't wait to see the results of your tests and the foliars... I posted some good info in the other forum regarding foliars thats worth a read

I am really wondering if the blackberry kush having a much lower brix than the rest has to do with the fact it has ruderalis in it...??

 

[Doc Bud]

I can't wait to see the results of your tests and the foliars... I posted some good info in the other forum regarding foliars thats worth a read

I am really wondering if the blackberry kush having a much lower brix than the rest has to do with the fact it has ruderalis in it...??

You're definitely on to something regarding that blackberry. Hybrids do not do as well as heirloom vegetables when it comes to benefiting from High Brix growing. They still do well....buy can't take full advantage like the unadulterated heirlooms do.

I'll bet it's the same with weed! The Lemon Paki is basically a landrace, it did great. The Blue Dream is a cross between sativa and indica......it didn't do as well in the high brix soil, although my yield is way, way up.

I'll bet adding Ruderalis into the mix does change it bro. Good catch.

I'm also looking forward to getting more data. I'm about to post pics on my journal. The leaf twisting is now down to a minimum after a foliar feeding, so I think I'm hitting the sweet spot on the foliars. I never had issues when using teas.....but these sprays are damn powerful.

 

[Icemud]

You're definitely on to something regarding that blackberry. Hybrids do not do as well as heirloom vegetables when it comes to benefiting from High Brix growing. They still do well....buy can't take full advantage like the unadulterated heirlooms do.

I'll bet it's the same with weed! The Lemon Paki is basically a landrace, it did great. The Blue Dream is a cross between sativa and indica......it didn't do as well in the high brix soil, although my yield is way, way up.

I'll bet adding Ruderalis into the mix does change it bro. Good catch.

I'm also looking forward to getting more data. I'm about to post pics on my journal. The leaf twisting is now down to a minimum after a foliar feeding, so I think I'm hitting the sweet spot on the foliars. I never had issues when using teas.....but these sprays are damn powerful.

I was onto the blackberry in veg, every 2-3 weeks it would go from a cycle of producing leafs and then showing white pistils, not just the normal 2 at a node, but almost a preflower every few weeks. I knew it had to have some ruderalis in it at that point and upon further research into the lineage, I did find it has a cross in it... i wonder if I wasn't running the GLR if it would have completely autoflowered?? One thing I do know is the blackberry is already showing heavy trichome development, and I am only in week 2 from the flip... even the fans/waterleaves are showing trichome development already...

 

[Icemud]

Hey everyone, I created a video on how to check your Brix levels.

Check it out...

Doc, I gave you credit in the video details as well

[video=youtube_share;QvRSKiCabJo]

[/video]

 

[Icemud]

Day 14 Flowering...

I started my soil organic nutrient tea going, this one is meant to help rebuild the organic materials in the soil. I mixed

5 gallons of R/O water with:
Earthjuice grow 40ml (1/4 recommended amount, 2-1-1)
Earthjuice Bloom 60ml (full recomended amount 0-3-1)
Earthjuice MetaK 5ml (1/4 recommended amount 0-0-10)
Earthjuice Catalyst 40ml (full recommended amount, little NPK value)
Earthjuice microblast 40ml (full recommended amount)

Advanced nutrients fulvic acid 40ml
Advanced Nutrients carboload 20ml
Advanced Nutrients Organic B 40ml

Europonic humic acid 30ml
Bioroot 1-1-1 40ml

1 large spoonful of Calcium Carbonate
1 1/2 spoonful of soft rock phosphate
1 1/4 spoonful of gypsum

Molasses
fish hydroslate 2-4-0

This mix will be bubbled for 24-48 hours before feeding..

Here are today's photo's..

Full Tent views..

Bud close ups and brix readings from today..

Blackberry Kush

Silverback OG

Holy Grail OG

Sour Bubble

Platinum Bubba

Platinum bubba front brix

Platinum Bubba Back brix

Some of the samples

 

[Doc Bud]

Hey everyone, I created a video on how to check your Brix levels.

Check it out...

Doc, I gave you credit in the video details as well

[video=youtube_share;QvRSKiCabJo]

[/video]

Great job bro!

 

[Stoned4daze61]

Looking amazing!

That one in the back right is stretching wonderfully

 

[Icemud]

Thanks Doc and Stoned4daze!!!

 

[Icemud]

Today is day 16 flowering...

As DocBud mentioned recently on how his plants go from healthy to nuclear in looks, Mine seem to be doing the same thing... Today when I peeked into the tent, the ladies looked almost fake plastic shiny again today, where as some days they look healthy, but lack the plastic looking shine to them... It must have had to do with the soil feeding I did yesterday with the full earthjuice line... Now that the soil is replenished, I want to amp up the microbes again, as well as the calcium levels, so for my next feeding it will be a compost tea, with added calcium carbonate.

As of now since the buds are starting to form well I will be holding off from all the crazy foliar sprays and giving them a possible mist hear and there of some fresh water and possibly advanced nutrients carboload, but I don't like to spray the buds so if I do any foliars from here on out, I will only be doing the bottoms of the leafs, spraying from below.

I am amazed at how already at just 2+ weeks in, my blackberry kush, platinum bubba, and sour bubble are all showing heavy tricome development already I am also supprised at how the blackberry kush and the sour bubble really didn't stretch at all in the 1st 2 weeks.. ?!? wish I would have given them middle placement on my screen now, but wasn't really sure how they all would perform.

Well I will try to check the brix levels either tonight or tomorrow to see whats up with the shine and how it relates.. also curious after the feeding yesterday where the levels went so hopefully will have some test results soon

until then, here are some photo's to enjoy

Full Tent views

Bud and overhead shots

Silverback OG

Blackberry Kush

Sour Bubble

Holy Grail OG

Platinum Bubba Kush's

 

[Doc Bud]

You've done such an amazing job here bro. Those plants are specimens. Very nice job!

I would caution you against adding calcium carbonate by itself, as it raises pH quite a bit. If you want a calcium boost, just use the rock powders in their ratio's, as they won't raise pH, due to the interaction between Ca and P.

 

[Vapedogg223]

The SCROG is looking awesome bro!

 

[Icemud]

You've done such an amazing job here bro. Those plants are specimens. Very nice job!

I would caution you against adding calcium carbonate by itself, as it raises pH quite a bit. If you want a calcium boost, just use the rock powders in their ratio's, as they won't raise pH, due to the interaction between Ca and P.

Couldn't have done it without you Doc!! I am truly amazed and drooling over these beautiful forming buds!!

Thanks for the tip on the calcium.. I think I am about due for a topdressing anyways so I may just do the 6-5-3 ratio, mix in greensand and lavasand, a little myco maximum, and a mosquito dunk

The feeding will most likely be a teabag of forest humus, humic acid, molasses, carboload and possibly some fish hydroslate.

I also added a few drops of coconut water to my last foliar..but I haven't tested the levels yet... last foliar was..

1 L R/O water 0ppm
50ml milk (fat free) wish I had raw milk access
about 30 ml molasses
1 good sized drop of bee honey
a splash of coca cola (phosphoric acid, corn sugars)
20ml General Organics Cal/Mag (5:1 ratio, plus added cane sugar and molasses)
An organic soap for surficant/spreader (I'll post a photo of the ingredients)
5ml hygrozyme (enzymes)
fulvic acid (carbons and chelation)
A few drops of coconut water (coconut water contains many auxins, PGR's and micronutrients, very high potassium and sugars, but has a 2000+ppm as well, so very little can raise water a ton)

 

[Icemud]

The SCROG is looking awesome bro!

Thanks Vape!!! I very much appreciate your kindness!!! Your buds are looking phenomenal as well!!!

also those close up's of the trichomes are freaking amazing!! I really wish I could afford to get one of those, what magnification were you using for those trichome shots?