Jon's New Pared Down Setup Soil Grow: 3 Photo & 1 Auto With New Dedicated Auto Rig

[Jon]

Hi Guys!

Well, it's time to move on. As explained in previous journal, I was forced to pare down my setup, so after a day to think about it I set up the new digs all around. They will be unveiled right now as we begin my third grow (I'm counting the current Sour Apple Auto solo plant grow as part of my second grow, this journal will officially begin my third).

So as I always do, I started over with infrastructure. The nine pictures at the end are the panoramic view of the new setup all around the garage, and some specific shots of the new perpetual one-plant-at-a-time autoflower setup. I like to call it the auto rig. We are rocking the single auto setup and the Gorilla tent for this grow.

JON'S THIRD GROW:

1 Chunkadelic Autoflower by Humboldt Seed Company - this is an indica, it is a cross of Dark Devil Headband x Magic Melon, 75 to 90 days from seed, average THC up to 22%+

1 Purple Crunch Photoperiod by Greenpoint Seeds - this is an indica leaning hybrid cross of Do-Si-Dos x Purple Punch, which brings together the genetics of Girl Scout Cookies, OG Kush, Grandaddy Purple, and Larry OG. 9-10 weeks of flower, average THC up to 25%+

1 Hulkberry Photoperiod by Royal Queen Seeds - this is a sativa leaning hybrid cross of Strawberry Diesel x OG Kush. 9-10 weeds of flower, average THC up to 28%+

1 Ghost Train Haze Photoperiod by Weedseedexpress - this is an 80/20 sativa heavy cross of Ghost OG x Neville's Wreck. 9-10 weeks of flower, average THC up to 30%+

The auto will be grown in the dedicated autoflower rig shown below. The lights are my (2) Non-sponsored 1000 watt blurples, actual wattage draw 286/each, total actual wattage 572. Not bad and enough light for just a single auto that they should be prize winning plants. Note the lack of any covering around the rig and the lack of any exhaust. Part of our deal was I have to keep the door to the house closed now. So I can smell the garage up as much as I want. No need for a tent to grow one single auto. Just fans to cool the lights and fans on the plant and a dehumidifier. The average conditions in the garage are low 80s by day and mid 70s by night, and the RH ranges from around 65% to about 50%. Not perfect, but plenty okay to grow one auto in that environment and still produce an amazing plant. Using the experience of the current Sour Apple as a guide of sorts, I think it's at least safe to say if left alone to grow straight up and tall with one main cola and whatever else comes, any autoflower I grow in this rig/setup should have plenty of space. They can grow as wide or as tall as they want. Starting point for the lights are 36" above the plants, and we can get as close with these lights as about 16". I can move the lights up another 18" if necessary and I have around 7 inches to play with at the base the pot sits on if I need to remove any bricks to lower the pot. So there's the short version of the auto rig, you can see what's there.

With the photoperiod plants I am breaking my own rule. I am NOT going with the same strain only, obviously. That was only necessary due to the necessity of harvesting at the same time and having to dry in the tent. I am no longer in that position and can easily create a dedicated drying spot in the garage should it become necessary. The pare down has it's advantages. So I'm growing these three different strains, and all three of them will be trained with significant LST with the goal of producing three Sadie-esque plants. Basically I'm doing a three plant scrog without the screen, or at least that's how I think of it. Trying to max bud sites with only one topping is the goal, and quality is the only concern. Yield is no longer any concern to me, only quality. If you do things right, the yield will be there. I also cleaned the entire Gorilla tent with warm water, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon juice to kill any latent pollen that may have still been hanging around since the scrog went seedy.

So for all four plants:

Soil: 40% Fox Farms Ocean Forest/40% Fox Farms Happy Frog/20% Mother Earth perlite #3
Nutes: Fox Farms Big Bloom/Grow Big/Tiger Bloom trio, Organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses, Humboldt's Secret CalMag plus Iron, Non-sponsored mycorrhizae, Central Coast Garden Products Mono-silicic Acid.
Watering: Will begin with plain water for the first two weeks and then begin nute/nute/clean water pattern. I only use @Emilya's watering method along with a smidgen of @Bill284's, and it works beautifully.
Lights: Auto - (2) 1000 watt non-sponsored blurples/Photo - (1) Non-sponsored 550/680 watt professional quality high-end LED with flower booster, IR, Far Reds, etc.

The approximate par numbers I work with for the five (I divide a grow into five parts) parts of the photoperiod grow are:
Seedling/Early Veg: 400-600 par
Veg: 600-800 par
Late Veg: 800-1000 par
Early Flower: 1000-1200 par
Late Flower: 1200-1350 par

The autoflower as it sits now is around 450 par at pot level with both lights on full spectrum. As the plant grows up it will grow into more and more par as it grows. If it gets tall enough that I am higher at top of cola height than 1350 par I will either raise the lights or lower the plant.
I use the Korona app to measure my par numbers and have found it to be extremely accurate. If the auto begins to flower before it has reached the 1000 par height level I can raise the plant very easily. The goal is to not have to move the lights unless absolutely necessary.
Pots: All plants will go begin in one gallon pots and transplant to five gallon fabric pots
Strains: see above, but I really like having genetics in play from four different breeders at once, three of which I have never tried. Only the Humboldt Seed Company genetics have I used, and they are stellar. Hope the others are the same, all the seed banks are well-respected.
Infrastructure: Auto - autoflower rig as shown below/Photo - 5 x 5 Gorilla Tent with 1 foot height extender and multiple fans, along with an 8000 btu air conditioning unit as the only intake, pushed directly up against a lower round hole in the tent and sealed. No tubing this time. Exhaust is a 6" AC Infinity fan and 6" AC Infinity Australian charcoal filter. I went WAY overboard in terms of light leaks or potential light leaks despite it being a new Gorilla tent, with blankets across the top and hanging down to cover all zippers that get hit with light, and all small and large holes sealed with various blocking mechanisms, lol, like a t shirt inside of a round carboard cutout to block the hole completely. This tent is a tank and is 100% as sealed as sealed can be. We will tolerate no light leaks and no plant stress this time. No more hermie. Screw that.
Growing Philosophy: The auto will be left alone for the most part other than trimming fan leaves as necessary, and will be on an 18/6 light schedule. It will start in a one gallon and transplant to a five gallon pot. The photos will be topped using Uncle Ben's method, between nodes two and three, and then LST'ed to spread them as wide as possible and create as many bud sites as possible. We will veg them for at least 60 days and then flip them. Veg will be 18/6, flower 12/12. They will begin in one gallon pots and be transplanted to five gallon pots. From a purely philosophical point of view, yield is not an issue, only quality. I only care about high quality plants with super awesome high quality top shelf buds.

So that's about it. I have all four seeds in wet paper towels as we speak and soon they will be on their way. The day all four are sprouted will be day one of the grow. I guess I should tag people, right? So hey @Michael Hunt, @Bill284, @Emilya, @Bud Love, @Squiggle, @Virgin Ground, @Diatomacious, @InTheShed, @bluter, and whoever else wants to check it out, here's my new journal and new grow. I'd be honored if you guys want to join me for the ride. And honestly I can use the help. Lol.

Photographs are first a panoramic view of the new setup in the garage space as a whole, and then there are two closeups of the dedicated autoflower rig showing it powered and non-powered, plus one shot to show the average garage conditions the auto will have to deal with.

Enjoy, and thanks!
.

 

[Paul Squiggle]

Howdy do,
Awesome write up and set up, very well presented.. anyway, thanks for the tag. I will be following closely. Good luck mate

 

[bluter]

well thought out. should be a good run.

 

[Bill284]

Hi Guys!

Well, it's time to move on. As explained in previous journal, I was forced to pare down my setup, so after a day to think about it I set up the new digs all around. They will be unveiled right now as we begin my third grow (I'm counting the current Sour Apple Auto solo plant grow as part of my second grow, this journal will officially begin my third).

So as I always do, I started over with infrastructure. The nine pictures at the end are the panoramic view of the new setup all around the garage, and some specific shots of the new perpetual one-plant-at-a-time autoflower setup. I like to call it the auto rig. We are rocking the single auto setup and the Gorilla tent for this grow.

JON'S THIRD GROW:

1 Chunkadelic Autoflower by Humboldt Seed Company - this is an indica, it is a cross of Dark Devil Headband x Magic Melon, 75 to 90 days from seed, average THC up to 22%+

1 Purple Crunch Photoperiod by Greenpoint Seeds - this is an indica leaning hybrid cross of Do-Si-Dos x Purple Punch, which brings together the genetics of Girl Scout Cookies, OG Kush, Grandaddy Purple, and Larry OG. 9-10 weeks of flower, average THC up to 25%+

1 Hulkberry Photoperiod by Royal Queen Seeds - this is a sativa leaning hybrid cross of Strawberry Diesel x OG Kush. 9-10 weeds of flower, average THC up to 28%+

1 Ghost Train Haze Photoperiod by Weedseedexpress - this is an 80/20 sativa heavy cross of Ghost OG x Neville's Wreck. 9-10 weeks of flower, average THC up to 30%+

The auto will be grown in the dedicated autoflower rig shown below. The lights are my (2) Non-sponsored 1000 watt blurples, actual wattage draw 286/each, total actual wattage 572. Not bad and enough light for just a single auto that they should be prize winning plants. Note the lack of any covering around the rig and the lack of any exhaust. Part of our deal was I have to keep the door to the house closed now. So I can smell the garage up as much as I want. No need for a tent to grow one single auto. Just fans to cool the lights and fans on the plant and a dehumidifier. The average conditions in the garage are low 80s by day and mid 70s by night, and the RH ranges from around 65% to about 50%. Not perfect, but plenty okay to grow one auto in that environment and still produce an amazing plant. Using the experience of the current Sour Apple as a guide of sorts, I think it's at least safe to say if left alone to grow straight up and tall with one main cola and whatever else comes, any autoflower I grow in this rig/setup should have plenty of space. They can grow as wide or as tall as they want. Starting point for the lights are 36" above the plants, and we can get as close with these lights as about 16". I can move the lights up another 18" if necessary and I have around 7 inches to play with at the base the pot sits on if I need to remove any bricks to lower the pot. So there's the short version of the auto rig, you can see what's there.

With the photoperiod plants I am breaking my own rule. I am NOT going with the same strain only, obviously. That was only necessary due to the necessity of harvesting at the same time and having to dry in the tent. I am no longer in that position and can easily create a dedicated drying spot in the garage should it become necessary. The pare down has it's advantages. So I'm growing these three different strains, and all three of them will be trained with significant LST with the goal of producing three Sadie-esque plants. Basically I'm doing a three plant scrog without the screen, or at least that's how I think of it. Trying to max bud sites with only one topping is the goal, and quality is the only concern. Yield is no longer any concern to me, only quality. If you do things right, the yield will be there. I also cleaned the entire Gorilla tent with warm water, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon juice to kill any latent pollen that may have still been hanging around since the scrog went seedy.

So for all four plants:

Soil: 40% Fox Farms Ocean Forest/40% Fox Farms Happy Frog/20% Mother Earth perlite #3
Nutes: Fox Farms Big Bloom/Grow Big/Tiger Bloom trio, Organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses, Humboldt's Secret CalMag plus Iron, Non-sponsored mycorrhizae, Central Coast Garden Products Mono-silicic Acid.
Watering: Will begin with plain water for the first two weeks and then begin nute/nute/clean water pattern. I only use @Emilya's watering method along with a smidgen of @Bill284's, and it works beautifully.
Lights: Auto - (2) 1000 watt non-sponsored blurples/Photo - (1) Non-sponsored 550/680 watt professional quality high-end LED with flower booster, IR, Far Reds, etc.

The approximate par numbers I work with for the five (I divide a grow into five parts) parts of the photoperiod grow are:
Seedling/Early Veg: 400-600 par
Veg: 600-800 par
Late Veg: 800-1000 par
Early Flower: 1000-1200 par
Late Flower: 1200-1350 par

The autoflower as it sits now is around 450 par at pot level with both lights on full spectrum. As the plant grows up it will grow into more and more par as it grows. If it gets tall enough that I am higher at top of cola height than 1350 par I will either raise the lights or lower the plant.
I use the Korona app to measure my par numbers and have found it to be extremely accurate. If the auto begins to flower before it has reached the 1000 par height level I can raise the plant very easily. The goal is to not have to move the lights unless absolutely necessary.
Pots: All plants will go begin in one gallon pots and transplant to five gallon fabric pots
Strains: see above, but I really like having genetics in play from four different breeders at once, three of which I have never tried. Only the Humboldt Seed Company genetics have I used, and they are stellar. Hope the others are the same, all the seed banks are well-respected.
Infrastructure: Auto - autoflower rig as shown below/Photo - 5 x 5 Gorilla Tent with 1 foot height extender and multiple fans, along with an 8000 btu air conditioning unit as the only intake, pushed directly up against a lower round hole in the tent and sealed. No tubing this time. Exhaust is a 6" AC Infinity fan and 6" AC Infinity Australian charcoal filter. I went WAY overboard in terms of light leaks or potential light leaks despite it being a new Gorilla tent, with blankets across the top and hanging down to cover all zippers that get hit with light, and all small and large holes sealed with various blocking mechanisms, lol, like a t shirt inside of a round carboard cutout to block the hole completely. This tent is a tank and is 100% as sealed as sealed can be. We will tolerate no light leaks and no plant stress this time. No more hermie. Screw that.
Growing Philosophy: The auto will be left alone for the most part other than trimming fan leaves as necessary, and will be on an 18/6 light schedule. It will start in a one gallon and transplant to a five gallon pot. The photos will be topped using Uncle Ben's method, between nodes two and three, and then LST'ed to spread them as wide as possible and create as many bud sites as possible. We will veg them for at least 60 days and then flip them. Veg will be 18/6, flower 12/12. They will begin in one gallon pots and be transplanted to five gallon pots. From a purely philosophical point of view, yield is not an issue, only quality. I only care about high quality plants with super awesome high quality top shelf buds.

So that's about it. I have all four seeds in wet paper towels as we speak and soon they will be on their way. The day all four are sprouted will be day one of the grow. I guess I should tag people, right? So hey @Michael Hunt, @Bill284, @Emilya, @Bud Love, @Squiggle, @Virgin Ground, @Diatomacious, @InTheShed, @bluter, and whoever else wants to check it out, here's my new journal and new grow. I'd be honored if you guys want to join me for the ride. And honestly I can use the help. Lol.

Photographs are first a panoramic view of the new setup in the garage space as a whole, and then there are two closeups of the dedicated autoflower rig showing it powered and non-powered, plus one shot to show the average garage conditions the auto will have to deal with.

Enjoy, and thanks!
.

Great looking setup as usual Jon.
Can't wait to see the magic happen.
Bill

 

[Emilya Green]

 

[Jon]

Final Tweak Report - infrastructure/setup/testing completed - ready to GROW

Ok, setup complete. Tweaked. Tightened up. And light sealed like Fort Knox. I went WAY overboard on the light leak potential. Yes, it's a brand new high end Gorilla tent. I don't care. Plus the blankets on top help to insulate the tent and keep the environment inside consistent. It's a good setup I gotta admit. I also realized that garage conditions and the par level I have the auto rig set up with is PERFECT for veg. 75-80 degrees and around 65% humidity, and at par levels from about 400 to 600 in the few weeks they'd veg there. So I can do early veg there when it's open, which it is now. So that's where the four plants of this grow will do their early seedling/veg time until the Sour Apple is finished and we can move them into the tent. The blurples work well for veg, no issues there. Can't move the plants into the tent until I can change the light levels, which I can't do til the Sour Apple is done. I don't believe my seedlings would do very well at 1200 par that the Sour Apple is budding at.

So here's photos of the final tweaks I did to seal the damn tent up like a champ. You could shine a searchlight directly on this tent and not one goddamn electron is getting through my deviousness. Also got the drying closet in place in case it's every necessary. May use this thing yet! Lmao.

See tweaks below. INFRASTRUCTURE ready to go.

 

[Virgin Ground]

Sweet space!
Space to move and store various things....
Wonder what that feels like??

You did a great job. It all looks very clean.

 

[Bill284]

Final Tweak Report - infrastructure/setup/testing completed - ready to GROW

Ok, setup complete. Tweaked. Tightened up. And light sealed like Fort Knox. I went WAY overboard on the light leak potential. Yes, it's a brand new high end Gorilla tent. I don't care. Plus the blankets on top help to insulate the tent and keep the environment inside consistent. It's a good setup I gotta admit. I also realized that garage conditions and the par level I have the auto rig set up with is PERFECT for veg. 75-80 degrees and around 65% humidity, and at par levels from about 400 to 600 in the few weeks they'd veg there. So I can do early veg there when it's open, which it is now. So that's where the four plants of this grow will do their early seedling/veg time until the Sour Apple is finished and we can move them into the tent. The blurples work well for veg, no issues there. Can't move the plants into the tent until I can change the light levels, which I can't do til the Sour Apple is done. I don't believe my seedlings would do very well at 1200 par that the Sour Apple is budding at.

So here's photos of the final tweaks I did to seal the damn tent up like a champ. You could shine a searchlight directly on this tent and not one goddamn electron is getting through my deviousness. Also got the drying closet in place in case it's every necessary. May use this thing yet! Lmao.

See tweaks below. INFRASTRUCTURE ready to go.

Hi Jon hope your having a great day.
There isn't a tear stained mattress in the back of that cargo van is there.
I jest sorry can't help myself sometimes.
I'm sure you know this already but your not settling them directly on the concrete floor right.
Bill

 

[Jon]

Hi Jon hope your having a great day.
There isn't a tear stained mattress in the back of that cargo van is there.
I jest sorry can't help myself sometimes.
I'm sure you know this already but your not settling them directly on the concrete floor right.
Bill

Hey Bill, thanks. I usually get your jokes but you lost me on this one. Can't you see the layer of bricks the pots sit on in my photo? Guess not. No my friend, I promise you I won't set them directly on the concrete floor. It's bad enough that I have the tent directly on the concrete. But thanks for checking. That's what I mean by you guys keeping me in line. Gracias.

 

[Bill284]

Hey Bill, thanks. I usually get your jokes but you lost me on this one. Can't you see the layer of bricks the pots sit on in my photo? Guess not. No my friend, I promise you I won't set them directly on the concrete floor. It's bad enough that I have the tent directly on the concrete. But thanks for checking. That's what I mean by you guys keeping me in line. Gracias.

It was a bad pun .
I felt bad after so im glad it didn't bother you.
My wife says I have no filter thats why I always get in heck.
I figured you had it raised but just wanted to confirm.
Hope your having a great day my friend.
Bill

 

[Jon]

It was a bad pun .
I felt bad after so im glad it didn't bother you.
My wife says I have no filter thats why I always get in heck.
I figured you had it raised but just wanted to confirm.
Hope your having a great day my friend.
Bill

Lmao. You gotta do a lot better than that to get under my skin Bill. I just didn't "get" the joke. Happens sometimes. Now that I do, it's moderately funny. Not your best work. And please don't waste time with "filters" with me. I don't give the slightest shit about filters. I'm only nice here cuz the moderators will slap me otherwise.

 

[Jon]

Update #1

Ok, the Ghost Train Haze, Chunkadelic auto, and Slurricane (Purple Crunch) are all popped and in their respective one gallon pots. The Hulkberry doesn't seem to want to pop just yet. Never had a seed not pop, ever. My perfect streak of 24 for 24 may end there if she doesn't come out soon. I have two more just in case, but damn. I like that undefeated streak. Lol. See how she does in another 24 hours. So as stated, the girls are beginning life in one gallon pots. This is how fast I get cocky. I already, after using @Emilya's watering method for one grow, am just as certain as I can be that I can bypass the DIxie cups and get just as good a root ball in the one gallon pot before transplanting to a five. Lol. We'll see if my confidence is justified. All four plants will begin their lives vegging in the auto rig station. The par level with the meter (phone) sitting right on top of the pots is 380. I have one blurple on full spectrum and one on just VEG (blues). The temperature in the garage ranges from about 68 at night to about 80-82 during the day. The RH in the garage tends to be around 65%. This will work fine for veg, and the auto will grow in any conditions, so I'm not all that concerned about this garage RH level. I also have now two unused AC units, and if I need to I will simply plug one in and blow cool dry air right onto the auto when she gets into budding. She'll be fine. The photos, as soon as they are a few leaves tall, will go into the Gorilla tent with the Sour Apple. The way my light is designed, it will work to both bud the Sour Apple and not burn my little girls, cuz the par level drops off pretty dramatically (on purpose) as the light gets further from the plants. So par level right now at pot height of the babies in the Gorilla is around 400, while at the top of the cola of the Sour Apple it's around 1200. Point is I can bud her out and finish her at the same time as we begin vegging the photos cuz the cycle is 18/6. Once we harvest the Sour Apple the three photos have the Gorilla to themselves. The photos get no nutes for their first two weeks. The auto will start on nutes as soon as she's sprouted pretty much. I water only with bottled water for the first week, maybe two. And until they get topped it's basically watch them sprout and watch them grow. I don't really plan to touch them at all before they get topped. LST will begin post topping.

So that's where we are. Hulkberry better get her ass in gear.

 

[bluter]

chuck a piece of used carpet under the tent or put it up on some styro insulation if you are concerned about the concrete.

 

[Jon]

chuck a piece of used carpet under the tent or put it up on some styro insulation if you are concerned about the concrete.

Thanks, I have easy options if I were. I just wouldn't want the fabric pots on the concrete. It never gets wet or hot anyway, there's really no concern. It's angled down with the appropriate grooves so that any AC runoff on the floor immediately gets transported outside without ever coming near a tent or plant. No mold. No heat holding. I never have the garage door open more than to vent anyway. No bugs. I'm covered. But thank you.

 

[Jon]

Nutrient Update/Change of Plan
(This is longish and if you're not REALLY into growing weed, this may bore you....lol)

I have decided to change the nutrient game for this grow. I like the Fox Farms trio, and now that I know how to use it (only took two grows and thousands of dollars, lol) it's time to book it, use up what I have, and try something else. I don't have any comparison points, so for all I know these are the best nutes I could ever use. Lol. I know better. Nothing against Fox Farms, great products for sure, but I know it gets better. So with that in mind, and especially since I still have time to get some new nutes delivered before the need to begin using them, I went ahead and pulled the plug on an entire new line of nutrients for this grow. I believe I will try them on the photos and use up the Fox Farms nutes on the auto grows. The autos seem to take ANY kind of nutrient - I tried three different lines on the first nine, including Fox Farms, Botanicare, and a non-sponsored line. They ate up any and all and I don't believe I have had one strain of auto yet (granted, only ten autos and five strains tried so far, 11/6 after this Chunkadelic) that didn't ask for more than I was giving them. So if I'm right that at least a lot of autos are more "forgiving" about nutes than photos are (that's been my experience so far), thus the idea to try the new line on the photos.

So I don't believe my nutes are sponsors here, so out of not being sure and respect for the rules, I won't name the company. But it's a well-known Dutch company that has been making specifically and only nutes for weed for 29 years. They don't ship directly to the US, you have to find a US distributor to get them (which took about five seconds, lol). They are not pricey, in fact a little less expensive than the Fox Farms stuff. The soil nutes system they sell is an A and B type situation, where, like many, A is for veg and B is for flower. One for each. No mixing, like the Botanicare Pro line, which I also like but which, imho, is too mild to promote the explosive growth I'm looking for. I love no mixing. Mixing to me is one of the few parts of growing start to finish from seed that I really don't dig very much and feels to me like shit work. Sort of like mixing soil. Necessary evils I haven't yet figured out how to make fun. Lol. Anyway, the veg is 2-1-3, and the flower is 2-2-4. I also got their supplement, Rhizotonic.

Here's what the company says about Rhizotonic:

RHIZOTONIC is a powerful, algae based, vegetative stimulator for plant roots. It contains multiple vitamins and is 100% natural. RHIZOTONIC adds more than 60 microbiological substances that considerably speed up the growth of a balanced root environment.

• Stimulates new root growth on cuttings and transplants.
  Besides stimulating root growth on plants that are already rooted, RHIZOTONIC also stimulates new root growth on cuttings and transplants. The various trace elements and vitamins such as B1&B2 stimulate the production of hormones and root growth, thus providing beautiful, strong white roots.
• Speeds up the germination process when used to soak seeds prior to planting.
  If you dilute RHIZOTONIC (40ml/10 litre), you can use it to soak seeds. RHIZOTONIC softens up the seed skin, making it easier for the seed to burst and germinate.
• Enhances overall plant growth and chemical reactions in the plant to ensure a healthier, powerful and stronger plant.
  Good results start with a healthy plant. Because RHIZOTONIC stimulates root growth, it improves the strength of a plant. This is especially important during the first weeks of a plant's life, since young plants are the most vulnerable. RHIZOTONIC stimulates further root development, increases the plant’s resistance to diseases and promotes its inner and outer strength.
• Aids in the recovery process of any plant or cutting that has been subjected to stress in any way whatsoever.
  Many growers agree that plants recover much quicker from stress situations if the leaves have been sprayed with RHIZOTONIC. Such stress situations could for example occur during transport and re-potting plants. RHIZOTONIC will also improve plants that are unhealthy or poorly developed.
• Furthermore, RHIZOTONIC is often sprayed on leaves and can be used as a simple means for raising the pH level in fertilizer tanks.
• RHIZOTONIC can be used regardless of the type of medium. It is suitable for cultivation in potting mix and hydro culture. You can use it during the whole growth cycle. From seed to harvest!

So there's the base nutrient/supplement package, and we'll see how it goes. No disrespect to any current sponsors or those who suggested a different line to me.

In addition to this, I have one clarification. I am using silicon this time as well. A suggestion I heard here several times. However, after doing considerable research, I learned some (what seems like) important stuff about silicon and using it for weed. So after researching I went looking for a MONO-SILICATE product. There are very few on the market, this is the only one I found. Again, I'm not sure about sponsorship, so I won't name the company who makes the product, but the distributor I used is named in the introductory post of this grow. The silicon that most everyone is using is one of several commonly used silicon products that are easily found and accessed. The most concentration you are getting in any of these is maybe 7-9%, and that's TOPS from what I was able to find. This MONO-SILICATE IS 40%. And the molecular difference between the silicon everyone uses and MONO-SILICATE seems to be the significant difference. The reason was specifically these couple lines from the company, which I have confirmed with finding the same scientific proof on other sites, and which seemed to be the most relevant. This seems to explain the difference between regular and mostly used silicon vs. using MONO-SILICATE:

"There are many silicon supplements on the market today - but plants only take up silicon in the form of mono-silicic acids: individual silicon atoms surrounded by hydrogen and oxygen - and most silicon products contain silicates: long chains of silicon that root or microbe chemistry takes weeks or months to convert into mono-silicic acids that plants can use."

So basically MONO-SILICATES bypass the conversion process and are available to the plant immediately. I read several reviews and writeups on this in several forums, and there were several growers who said they noticed the effects in HOURS, not days. Anyway, as the company explains and as research confirms, there is also an inherent downside to using mono-silcates at a 40% concentration, which is that they are definitely going to raise your Ph. But forewarned is forearmed, so I also have Ph Down on the way. I should have always had it, but again I did a ton of research on this, and I found that apparently the natural "cures" to lower Ph, like lemon juice, have significant downsides. A Ph Down product is better. Apparently. So that's what I went with. There are a trillion of these on the market and they are all basically the same from what I found.

So that's it! Sorry for the long and photo free post, I know they're probably boring to most. But I thought it was significant in terms of cataloging this grow, and it is certainly a big switch from my entire nute game being the Fox Farms trio. Very very curious to see how it goes.

Onwards! Seeds ought to be out of the ground soon. Can't wait for Day ONE!!!!

 

[Bill284]

Nutrient Update/Change of Plan
(This is longish and if you're not REALLY into growing weed, this may bore you....lol)

I have decided to change the nutrient game for this grow. I like the Fox Farms trio, and now that I know how to use it (only took two grows and thousands of dollars, lol) it's time to book it, use up what I have, and try something else. I don't have any comparison points, so for all I know these are the best nutes I could ever use. Lol. I know better. Nothing against Fox Farms, great products for sure, but I know it gets better. So with that in mind, and especially since I still have time to get some new nutes delivered before the need to begin using them, I went ahead and pulled the plug on an entire new line of nutrients for this grow. I believe I will try them on the photos and use up the Fox Farms nutes on the auto grows. The autos seem to take ANY kind of nutrient - I tried three different lines on the first nine, including Fox Farms, Botanicare, and a non-sponsored line. They ate up any and all and I don't believe I have had one strain of auto yet (granted, only ten autos and five strains tried so far, 11/6 after this Chunkadelic) that didn't ask for more than I was giving them. So if I'm right that at least a lot of autos are more "forgiving" about nutes than photos are (that's been my experience so far), thus the idea to try the new line on the photos.

So I don't believe my nutes are sponsors here, so out of not being sure and respect for the rules, I won't name the company. But it's a well-known Dutch company that has been making specifically and only nutes for weed for 29 years. They don't ship directly to the US, you have to find a US distributor to get them (which took about five seconds, lol). They are not pricey, in fact a little less expensive than the Fox Farms stuff. The soil nutes system they sell is an A and B type situation, where, like many, A is for veg and B is for flower. One for each. No mixing, like the Botanicare Pro line, which I also like but which, imho, is too mild to promote the explosive growth I'm looking for. I love no mixing. Mixing to me is one of the few parts of growing start to finish from seed that I really don't dig very much and feels to me like shit work. Sort of like mixing soil. Necessary evils I haven't yet figured out how to make fun. Lol. Anyway, the veg is 2-1-3, and the flower is 2-2-4. I also got their supplement, Rhizotonic.

Here's what the company says about Rhizotonic:

RHIZOTONIC is a powerful, algae based, vegetative stimulator for plant roots. It contains multiple vitamins and is 100% natural. RHIZOTONIC adds more than 60 microbiological substances that considerably speed up the growth of a balanced root environment.

• Stimulates new root growth on cuttings and transplants.
  Besides stimulating root growth on plants that are already rooted, RHIZOTONIC also stimulates new root growth on cuttings and transplants. The various trace elements and vitamins such as B1&B2 stimulate the production of hormones and root growth, thus providing beautiful, strong white roots.
• Speeds up the germination process when used to soak seeds prior to planting.
  If you dilute RHIZOTONIC (40ml/10 litre), you can use it to soak seeds. RHIZOTONIC softens up the seed skin, making it easier for the seed to burst and germinate.
• Enhances overall plant growth and chemical reactions in the plant to ensure a healthier, powerful and stronger plant.
  Good results start with a healthy plant. Because RHIZOTONIC stimulates root growth, it improves the strength of a plant. This is especially important during the first weeks of a plant's life, since young plants are the most vulnerable. RHIZOTONIC stimulates further root development, increases the plant’s resistance to diseases and promotes its inner and outer strength.
• Aids in the recovery process of any plant or cutting that has been subjected to stress in any way whatsoever.
  Many growers agree that plants recover much quicker from stress situations if the leaves have been sprayed with RHIZOTONIC. Such stress situations could for example occur during transport and re-potting plants. RHIZOTONIC will also improve plants that are unhealthy or poorly developed.
• Furthermore, RHIZOTONIC is often sprayed on leaves and can be used as a simple means for raising the pH level in fertilizer tanks.
• RHIZOTONIC can be used regardless of the type of medium. It is suitable for cultivation in potting mix and hydro culture. You can use it during the whole growth cycle. From seed to harvest!

So there's the base nutrient/supplement package, and we'll see how it goes. No disrespect to any current sponsors or those who suggested a different line to me.

In addition to this, I have one clarification. I am using silicon this time as well. A suggestion I heard here several times. However, after doing considerable research, I learned some (what seems like) important stuff about silicon and using it for weed. So after researching I went looking for a MONO-SILICATE product. There are very few on the market, this is the only one I found. Again, I'm not sure about sponsorship, so I won't name the company who makes the product, but the distributor I used is named in the introductory post of this grow. The silicon that most everyone is using is one of several commonly used silicon products that are easily found and accessed. The most concentration you are getting in any of these is maybe 7-9%, and that's TOPS from what I was able to find. This MONO-SILICATE IS 40%. And the molecular difference between the silicon everyone uses and MONO-SILICATE seems to be the significant difference. The reason was specifically these couple lines from the company, which I have confirmed with finding the same scientific proof on other sites, and which seemed to be the most relevant. This seems to explain the difference between regular and mostly used silicon vs. using MONO-SILICATE:

"There are many silicon supplements on the market today - but plants only take up silicon in the form of mono-silicic acids: individual silicon atoms surrounded by hydrogen and oxygen - and most silicon products contain silicates: long chains of silicon that root or microbe chemistry takes weeks or months to convert into mono-silicic acids that plants can use."

So basically MONO-SILICATES bypass the conversion process and are available to the plant immediately. I read several reviews and writeups on this in several forums, and there were several growers who said they noticed the effects in HOURS, not days. Anyway, as the company explains and as research confirms, there is also an inherent downside to using mono-silcates at a 40% concentration, which is that they are definitely going to raise your Ph. But forewarned is forearmed, so I also have Ph Down on the way. I should have always had it, but again I did a ton of research on this, and I found that apparently the natural "cures" to lower Ph, like lemon juice, have significant downsides. A Ph Down product is better. Apparently. So that's what I went with. There are a trillion of these on the market and they are all basically the same from what I found.

So that's it! Sorry for the long and photo free post, I know they're probably boring to most. But I thought it was significant in terms of cataloging this grow, and it is certainly a big switch from my entire nute game being the Fox Farms trio. Very very curious to see how it goes.

Onwards! Seeds ought to be out of the ground soon. Can't wait for Day ONE!!!!

Hey Jon hope your well today.
I see your winning with 100% of the vote for plant of the month, woohoo.
Can we end the voting now. Hehe
Keep up the good work my friend.
Bill

 

[Jon]

Hey Jon hope your well today.
I see your winning with 100% of the vote for plant of the month, woohoo.
Can we end the voting now. Hehe
Keep up the good work my friend.
Bill

Ha! Lol. Bill I have no shot. I voted, and I didn't even vote for my own plant! I had to be honest. But since you're not, lol, thanks so much, as I have a feeling maybe you had something to do with those two votes in some way. Lol. I expect they are the only two I'll get, which is fine. I now understand a lot better what the competition is like, and I LOVE that aspect of it. I entered all three July contests and expect to not even place in any of them. Again, that's fine, but now I know. Just a matter of time. Heh. As far as the nutes post, I know you were one of the folks who suggested a different route, but since you likely are well aware of who I chose to use, what is your impression of those nutes?

 

[Bill284]

Ha! Lol. Bill I have no shot. I voted, and I didn't even vote for my own plant! I had to be honest. But since you're not, lol, thanks so much, as I have a feeling maybe you had something to do with those two votes in some way. Lol. I expect they are the only two I'll get, which is fine. I now understand a lot better what the competition is like, and I LOVE that aspect of it. I entered all three July contests and expect to not even place in any of them. Again, that's fine, but now I know. Just a matter of time. Heh. As far as the nutes post, I know you were one of the folks who suggested a different route, but since you likely are well aware of who I chose to use, what is your impression of those nutes?

Are you referring to the Foxfarms in this journal.
Honestly have never used it.
I have 2 nutrient sponsors at the moment which I tout.
But won't here.
From what I have read they have an excellent reputation.
I don't think you can go wrong with that choice.
Should work well with that soil.
I have 2 100L totes of it cooking in the backyard as we speak.
Was originally going in the greenhouse but as you know with the relocation I never used it.
You can help me next summer with the greenhouse setup and grow.
I'm not a soil specialist or even novice yet.
Interesting post above. Re Rhizo and Silicate.
I use Bokashi and frass & dazzle for fungi and a million microbes.
Its a bullet proof method to grow and feed roots.
You really should try it.
Its a brilliant combination, makes girls just explode.
Bill

 

[Jon]

Are you referring to the Foxfarms in this journal.
Honestly have never used it.
I have 2 nutrient sponsors at the moment which I tout.
But won't here.
From what I have read they have an excellent reputation.
I don't think you can go wrong with that choice.
Should work well with that soil.
I have 2 100L totes of it cooking in the backyard as we speak.
Was originally going in the greenhouse but as you know with the relocation I never used it.
You can help me next summer with the greenhouse setup and grow.
I'm not a soil specialist or even novice yet.
Interesting post above. Re Rhizo and Silicate.
I use Bokashi and frass & dazzle for fungi and a million microbes.
Its a bullet proof method to grow and feed roots.
You really should try it.
Its a brilliant combination, makes girls just explode.
Bill

Ha, it's so funny you say that, cuz after seeing what you did for Bud Love I was already totally on that train! Lol. Yeah Bill, next grow for sure I will give that a try, I'll grow the Chocolope in it. I just picked up 6 legacy collector's original genetics seeds of feminized Chocolope photos, and they are going to get a tent to themselves and just that strain. Perfect time to try your mix. If it doesn't work with a 95/5 sativa, as close to a pure sativa as we can grow, it won't work for anything. But I know you know, so next time I'm going with it. I'll get back to you on the mix (assuming you're willing to share, lol) when I'm there. And thanks again as always.

 

[Bill284]

Ha, it's so funny you say that, cuz after seeing what you did for Bud Love I was already totally on that train! Lol. Yeah Bill, next grow for sure I will give that a try, I'll grow the Chocolope in it. I just picked up 6 legacy collector's original genetics seeds of feminized Chocolope photos, and they are going to get a tent to themselves and just that strain. Perfect time to try your mix. If it doesn't work with a 95/5 sativa, as close to a pure sativa as we can grow, it won't work for anything. But I know you know, so next time I'm going with it. I'll get back to you on the mix (assuming you're willing to share, lol) when I'm there. And thanks again as always.

I explain it all in my Gorilla Glue clone thread.
But ill give you a personal tutorial any time you like.
Bill