It's Been Too Long Journal, Critical Kush

[GroZone]

I guess you will be harvesting just a little bit before me, looks to be a bountiful harvest headed your way though!

 

[Mike Connor]

I guess you will be harvesting just a little bit before me, looks to be a bountiful harvest headed your way though!

Care to hazard a guess on what the yield will be? I don't know this plant so I'm not sure what to expect. They will be flowering under a 1000 watt hps 130,000 lumen lamp. They are currently filling a 50 inch by 50 inch space. Squat for light hitting the floor.

 

[Mike Connor]

Well its done.

1000 watt HPS Hortilux bulb up and running. I moved the hood up 5 inches to allow them to adjust to the change in spectrum. As they accept it, it will be lowered.

Lighting now 17 / 7.

I will taper down to 12. Give them time to adjust, veg out a stitch more and of course change programs.

 

[Mike Connor]

A very busy day in grow room one. Much maintenance to complete.

Heres what got done today. (so far)


1 - A fresh cover. Heavy on the Kelp and Shrimp compost with a side order of worm castings. You cant really expect all the nutrients in a 5 gallon pail to last 90 days and go straight through to harvest. Doesn't matter how great you mix your soil or what ingredients you use. You have to put nutrients back into the soil These are high energy plants that really consume an amazing amount of organic material.

So I tore the room apart to focus on each plant one at a time. When I planted them into 5 gallon pails I left 3 inches of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pail. This allows me to add whats called a cover. A cover is a mix of cow and sheep manure, worm castings, kelp / shrimp compost, blood meal and bone meal. This mix is add to the top of the pot, about 2 to 3 inches worth. Some of the old soil was also removed to allow for a deep cover as we are heading into flowering. Once you have your cover laid in, daily waterings leach the nutrients down into the soil giving it a major recharge. So this was completed on all 6 plants today.

2 - Fresh Emulsion. Emulsions are another great way to quickly recharge your soil. I started with 3 gallons of Ph'ed water then added 10 cups of my cover mix as described above directly to the water. Stir the hell out of it. let it sit a while and stir it again, then again. The idea here is to get as much of it dissolved in the water as possible. Its also a great time to remove any uncomposted sticks outta the mix as they float to the surface for easy removal. Once you have as much as possible dissolved in the water, water your plants with this mix as you normally would do during a daily water. However stir the mix as you go. There are two types of nutrients. Soluble and un-soluble. The stir as you go part ensure you pick up the particulate matter in the water. This mix soaks down to the roots and also is a major boost for the soil. So this was also completed today.

Both the cover and emulsion was heavy with kelp / shrimp compost as it contains a goodly amount of P and K needed for flowering.

3 - Since I dragged out all the plants for a feeding, the room got a wipe down with an anti mold cleaner. A clean grow is important!.

4 - While all the plants were out, I installed a 6 inch tin fresh air duct that supplies the center of the pots with a constant stream of fresh air. If mold happens, its going to have to be hurricane / tornado resistant. I'm not really worried about mold. My RH is always below 55% and I used HID lighting that has a UVA,B,C component of the spectrum that kills it off pretty quick.

5 - The gardener is now on a short veg cycle after all that. Next is the cloning area. I need to hang another 4 foot double 40 FL for the newly rooted babies. They are coming fast and furious now. They need some gentle light when they are transplanted to soil to allow them to further build roots before being placed under HID lighting.

Its a nice hobby. The work never ends. Theres always something to do.

Cheers

 

[Islandish]

A very busy day in grow room one. Much maintenance to complete.

Heres what got done today. (so far)


1 - A fresh cover. Heavy on the Kelp and Shrimp compost with a side order of worm castings. You cant really expect all the nutrients in a 5 gallon pail to last 90 days and go straight through to harvest. Doesn't matter how great you mix your soil or what ingredients you use. You have to put nutrients back into the soil These are high energy plants that really consume an amazing amount of organic material.

So I tore the room apart to focus on each plant one at a time. When I planted them into 5 gallon pails I left 3 inches of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pail. This allows me to add whats called a cover. A cover is a mix of cow and sheep manure, worm castings, kelp / shrimp compost, blood meal and bone meal. This mix is add to the top of the pot, about 2 to 3 inches worth. Some of the old soil was also removed to allow for a deep cover as we are heading into flowering. Once you have your cover laid in, daily waterings leach the nutrients down into the soil giving it a major recharge. So this was completed on all 6 plants today.

2 - Fresh Emulsion. Emulsions are another great way to quickly recharge your soil. I started with 3 gallons of Ph'ed water then added 10 cups of my cover mix as described above directly to the water. Stir the hell out of it. let it sit a while and stir it again, then again. The idea here is to get as much of it dissolved in the water as possible. Its also a great time to remove any uncomposted sticks outta the mix as they float to the surface for easy removal. Once you have as much as possible dissolved in the water, water your plants with this mix as you normally would do during a daily water. However stir the mix as you go. There are two types of nutrients. Soluble and un-soluble. The stir as you go part ensure you pick up the particulate matter in the water. This mix soaks down to the roots and also is a major boost for the soil. So this was also completed today.

Both the cover and emulsion was heavy with kelp / shrimp compost as it contains a goodly amount of P and K needed for flowering.

3 - Since I dragged out all the plants for a feeding, the room got a wipe down with an anti mold cleaner. A clean grow is important!.

4 - While all the plants were out, I installed a 6 inch tin fresh air duct that supplies the center of the pots with a constant stream of fresh air. If mold happens, its going to have to be hurricane / tornado resistant. I'm not really worried about mold. My RH is always below 55% and I used HID lighting that has a UVA,B,C component of the spectrum that kills it off pretty quick.

5 - The gardener is now on a short veg cycle after all that. Next is the cloning area. I need to hang another 4 foot double 40 FL for the newly rooted babies. They are coming fast and furious now. They need some gentle light when they are transplanted to soil to allow them to further build roots before being placed under HID lighting.

Its a nice hobby. The work never ends. Theres always something to do.

Cheers

You are doing amazing work mate, looking forward to see the progress!
Cheers

 

[Mike Connor]

Thanks iceman

I really am enjoying this grow. But one thing is for certain. All my past grows were under 400 watt HID. Now that I'm running 1000 watts, i'll never go back to 400 watts for anything more than raising small clones for efficiency sake. Under 1000 watt lamp, I've seen 3 inches of growth in a one day cycle. And I don't think I will be using LED as most of them have zero UVA,B,C component. UVC and UVB to some extent are major sterilants killing unwanted molds and bacteria.

Cheers

 

[Islandish]

Thanks iceman

I really am enjoying this grow. But one thing is for certain. All my past grows were under 400 watt HID. Now that I'm running 1000 watts, i'll never go back to 400 watts for anything more than raising small clones for efficiency sake. Under 1000 watt lamp, I've seen 3 inches of growth in a one day cycle. And I don't think I will be using LED as most of them have zero UVA,B,C component. UVC and UVB to some extent are major sterilants killing unwanted molds and bacteria.

Cheers

Wow 3 inches in one day cycle is crazy fast!
How big is your grow room and how do you keep it cool with 1000w? (You know how I struggle with temp with my little 250)
I have scrolled through some LED lights on a grow shop but I think they are too expensive. Some people say that they run cooler and some don't. Don't know what to believe really. I'm going to stick with HPS and for next grow a MH for veg. See how that works.
Cheers

 

[Mike Connor]

Wow 3 inches in one day cycle is crazy fast!
How big is your grow room and how do you keep it cool with 1000w? (You know how I struggle with temp with my little 250)
I have scrolled through some LED lights on a grow shop but I think they are too expensive. Some people say that they run cooler and some don't. Don't know what to believe really. I'm going to stick with HPS and for next grow a MH for veg. See how that works.
Cheers

I have two grow rooms. Each is approx. 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 8 high. I'm still finishing the second room, but it will be in play in the next week or two.

Keeping it cool is to two pronged attack. First I change the entire content of air in each room every 50 seconds or so. This is the main ventilation system. Draws air out of the grow rooms by first passing through a carbon scrubber to get rid of the odor. The output of that dumps out one floor below. This way I use all the air in my home rather than just stale air in the grow area. This system draws off most of the heat. My home also has 2 Hepa filters running at all times. My home also has two A/C units and a dehumidifier that I engage when required.

The next part of cooling requires a fan that passes air between the plant canopy and the lamp. This heat is generated by infrared radiation from the lamp. A fan blowing gently between the plants and the lamp keeps the plants cool. These two steps work well for me.

Yes, Stick with HID. After seeing some tests and speaking with advanced growers, I am not convinced LED is the way to go yet. Maybe someday, but not now. Some do indeed run cooler and use less energy. But efficiency isn't my goal. Potency is. You will be please with MH / HPS results.

For you, you may wish to consider the new form of HID. They are called Ceramic Metal Halide. They come on 315 and 630 watts. The nice part about them is they are full spectrum so there is no need to change the bulb over for flowering. Same bulb for both veg and flowering.

You might want to check out this thread using Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) He got better than good results.

4 Strains - 630W LEC CMH

However at 315 watts, you're going to have to get yourself a much bigger fridge!!

BTW, it looks like your plant will support 2 waves of harvest. I see no signs at all of nutrient or starch depletion in the leaves yet, so you are in for a great first harvest.

Cheers

 

[redmud]

The plants look great in the last pic

 

[Mike Connor]

The plants look great in the last pic

Hey Red.

Thanks. Its been going well. Only 2 more months. Sigh.

Say, how the health? Better? Or still battling neuro issues?

Cheers

 

[Islandish]

I have two grow rooms. Each is approx. 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 8 high. I'm still finishing the second room, but it will be in play in the next week or two.

Keeping it cool is to two pronged attack. First I change the entire content of air in each room every 50 seconds or so. This is the main ventilation system. Draws air out of the grow rooms by first passing through a carbon scrubber to get rid of the odor. The output of that dumps out one floor below. This way I use all the air in my home rather than just stale air in the grow area. This system draws off most of the heat. My home also has 2 Hepa filters running at all times. My home also has two A/C units and a dehumidifier that I engage when required.

The next part of cooling requires a fan that passes air between the plant canopy and the lamp. This heat is generated by infrared radiation from the lamp. A fan blowing gently between the plants and the lamp keeps the plants cool. These two steps work well for me.

Yes, Stick with HID. After seeing some tests and speaking with advanced growers, I am not convinced LED is the way to go yet. Maybe someday, but not now. Some do indeed run cooler and use less energy. But efficiency isn't my goal. Potency is. You will be please with MH / HPS results.

For you, you may wish to consider the new form of HID. They are called Ceramic Metal Halide. They come on 315 and 630 watts. The nice part about them is they are full spectrum so there is no need to change the bulb over for flowering. Same bulb for both veg and flowering.

You might want to check out this thread using Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) He got better than good results.

4 Strains - 630W LEC CMH

However at 315 watts, you're going to have to get yourself a much bigger fridge!!

BTW, it looks like your plant will support 2 waves of harvest. I see no signs at all of nutrient or starch depletion in the leaves yet, so you are in for a great first harvest.

Cheers

Cool, very nice setup you got there!
Yeah I wish I had a larger fridge, after this harvest I will lay low for a while and figure out how to get a bigger grow room. I live in an apartment so space is restricted.

Okay I will read into that, never heard of them ceramics before

Yeah I'm down for a two-way harvest, only problem is where I put the first harvest to hang and dry if need to still use the fridge to continue budding the other half. Hmm. Don't want the neighbours to notice any smell.

Cheers mate

 

[Mike Connor]

Cool, very nice setup you got there!
Yeah I wish I had a larger fridge, after this harvest I will lay low for a while and figure out how to get a bigger grow room. I live in an apartment so space is restricted.

Okay I will read into that, never heard of them ceramics before

Yeah I'm down for a two-way harvest, only problem is where I put the first harvest to hang and dry if need to still use the fridge to continue budding the other half. Hmm. Don't want the neighbours to notice any smell.

Cheers mate

When those 2 large cola's are ready, hang them in the fridge above the light. Just to the right of the fan.They will dry out fine there.

However some sage advice. Get yourself a 4 inch carbon filter for that fan soon. Many a grower have been busted on scent alone.

Are you handy with wood, saw, and screws?


Cheers

 

[Islandish]

When those 2 large cola's are ready, hang them in the fridge above the light. Just to the right of the fan.They will dry out fine there.

However some sage advice. Get yourself a 4 inch carbon filter for that fan soon. Many a grower have been busted on scent alone.

Are you handy with wood, saw, and screws?


Cheers

You got PM mate

 

[redmud]

Yeah I'm still having issues, but I'm getting my wits back a little at a time, the neck eyes and head still hurt pretty bad when I sit stand talk stare sleep text or just about any movement lol but definitely hopefull bro I want to say thank you eloquently (thank goodness for auto correct I still have a hard time remembering how to spell not even sure if I knew how to spell eloquent before I hit my head because I hit my head lol) but can't put it together.
I agree about carbon scrubbers and a rechargeable carbon bed filter is way more economical
Edit inserted above⬆

 

[Mike Connor]

Officially on 12/12 now still growing more than 2 inches a day. The canopy now measures 50 inches wide by almost 65 inches long. Larger than I had expected, but welcome none the less.

 

[BulletTooth]

Absolutely beautiful SS. I will be sure to soak up all the information you have. To all the new growers: when you see a journal like this, from a grower like this, do yourself a favor. Shut up, pay attention, and learn all you possibly can. Lots of information has been lost to the testament of time. Without these real old school "figure it out" ways of thinking , and the men and women who sacrificed untold amounts of plants in the name of science, you would still be smoking garbage. It was not the new generation who brought good smoke. It was the ones who bred and cloned their asses off and learned all they could about this plant. So trust ol' BulletTooth. If your new, don't know what your doing, or just having a lot of trouble... Start right here

 

[GroZone]

are they still stretching snid? Can't wait to see the next photo shoot

 

[Mike Connor]

Absolutely beautiful SS. I will be sure to soak up all the information you have. To all the new growers: when you see a journal like this, from a grower like this, do yourself a favor. Shut up, pay attention, and learn all you possibly can. Lots of information has been lost to the testament of time. Without these real old school "figure it out" ways of thinking , and the men and women who sacrificed untold amounts of plants in the name of science, you would still be smoking garbage. It was not the new generation who brought good smoke. It was the ones who bred and cloned their asses off and learned all they could about this plant. So trust ol' BulletTooth. If your new, don't know what your doing, or just having a lot of trouble... Start right here

Well thanks BT. I'm blushing

I do use the old ways. They work for me and product some very nice product. However you are correct. The old ways have been forgotten. And its sad.

Using an organic soil mix is indeed a lot more work than pouring your nutrients out of a bottle. And I see no one is interested in learning the old skills. I was coaching one fellow to go organic but he disappeared as it was just too much work for him.

I'll just keep plugging along doing what I'm doing. And if someone wants a leg up on simple organic grows I'm here to help or answer questions.

FYI - this has been a fun grow for sure, but I don't think its going to be a great grow. Since every one of my five seeds produced a different pheno, we've done a few trimmings for clones and likely created a few too many grow tips. However I think it will be a decent harvest. Who will be the most potent? I think I already know but we will find out for sure in the end. I have no less than 9 clones of each plant to fall back on for the next grow.

Ed Rosenthal once stated that the most vigorous growing and aggressively branching plant would be the most potent plant. Back in the day he was 100% correct. Does that advice hold up with todays genetics? I think it does.

So I'm betting the potency will be in this order so far - CK3, CK5, CK2

We've sampled some grow tips and they confirm this order so far....

Stay tuned - Thanks for dropping by! Great to see you.

 

[Mike Connor]

are they still stretching snid? Can't wait to see the next photo shoot

Yeah they have put more than a foot on. lights on in half an hour so we will see whats what.

These plants are at my shoulders now.... and I'm almost 6 foot tall.

Cheers

 

[Mike Connor]

A sneak preview from my next grow - Critical Kush Redux - Attack of the Clones

Over the course of this grow I have taken more than 60 clones. Those in soil now have rooted well, those still in the trays are still rooting up some more....

I wish there was a local club that did clone swap meets. I don't need all these clones and it would be great to trade em for other strains... I'm on the look out for males....

Cheers