Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte - FoxFarms Nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Killian

Well-Known Member
Hi all, This is my first grow and I can use all the advice I can get. I am using FFOF with 30% perlite, Fox Farms trio and soluble nutrients at 50% every other watering using the fox farms soil growing guide, 600 watt MH/HPS with air cooled hood, 6 " fan and carbon scrubber, 4 x 4 x 6 grow tent.
I am growing Northern Lights, Critical, and Feminized Bubble Gum. I started with 3 Critical and 3 Northern lights regular seeds. My goal was to get to four plants in flower with the hopes of harvesting a pound. Only 2 critical and 2 Northern Lights germinated so I started to germinate 5 freebie OG Kush seeds none of which germinated so I added 1 feminized Bubble Gum and a week later added 2 more feminized Bubble Gum seeds to the mix. All 3 of the feminized Bubble Gum seeds germinated. This gave me seven plants total with a 3 week span between all the plants. I am now starting my 2nd week of flowering. Now to catch everyone up lets start with Germination.
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Now for 1 week of growth. Note I always PH the water to between 6.0 and 7.0 using a Hanna PH meter.During the first week I did not use any nutrients and was fighting temperatures as they kept getting to around 84 degrees F. I played with the light height, dimmer and fan speed. Being a first time grower I was trying to do everything at once instead of seeing what my results were.
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Now for week 2.
During week 2 one of the Bubble Gum seeds germinated and was added to the mix. I was still playing around trying to get my temperatures down. They were still at mid 80's with 40% humidity. I tried venting the fan out the ceiling raising the lights etc.
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Now for 1 week of growth. Note I always PH the water to between 6.0 and 7.0 using a Hanna PH meter.During the first week I did not use any nutrients and was fighting temperatures as they kept getting to around 84 degrees F. I played with the light height, dimmer and fan speed. Being a first time grower I was trying to do everything at once instead of seeing what my results were.
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Now for week 2.
During week 2 one of the Bubble Gum seeds germinated and was added to the mix. I was still playing around trying to get my temperatures down. They were still at mid 80's with 40% humidity. I tried venting the fan out the ceiling raising the lights etc.
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Would love to see you ladies flowering did you do any plant training or just let them grow out

Sent from my Robin using 420
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

I am new to growing and making a journal so I am in the process of bringing the journal up to the current status and will post the weekly pics. I have topped them a couple of times and done some LST. Thank you for your reply. I have all the pics in the members gallery if you want to look at them while I bring this journal up to date.
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Week 3 two more feminized bubble gum has joined the bunch giving me seven plants to choose from to get to my final four. I finally was able to dial in my temperatures keeping them in the high 70's to lower 80,s I started feeding nutrients at week 3 at 50% strength. One of the Northern Lights started looking a bit wimpy at this stage it could have been from the first topping.
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Week 4, I culled one of the Northern Lights and one of the Bubble Gums from the mix. They wasn't looking very healthy compared to the others. At this point I knew two being feminized I could afford to get rid of some. I did some more topping and some LST during week 4 as well.
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Sorry this is taking so long. I had all my pics named in the gallery so I could find them easy but when I click my photos all I see is the pictures without the names.
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Week 5. At week 5 I am using fox farms week 3 schedule since my youngest plant is only three weeks old. I am trying to read through my daily journal and add a little information as I go. During week 6 I did some LST and snapped a branch then used duct tape on it. It seemed to recover fine.
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Week 6 During week six I did a little defoliating on the bigger plants
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Week 7 I am preparing the plants to start the flowering cycle. I still have one Critical not showing signs of sex yet. The rest are all females.
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Week 8. I started flowering. The one Critical plant ended up being a male was culled and I now have my final four plants that I am flowering. I am now using week 5 nutrients and changed from adding PH down to having to use the PH up. I wasn't expecting that.
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

I am just starting into week 2 of flowering and wow are they stretching. I am worried about running out of room. This is where I am at on the grow and would welcome and appreciate any advice to help me get the most out of my garden. Thanks in advance.
The following pictures were taken this morning.
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Hi all, This is my first grow and I can use all the advice I can get. I am using FFOF with 30% perlite, Fox Farms trio and soluble nutrients at 50% every other watering using the fox farms soil growing guide <snip>....

Hey Killian! Good luck on this your first grow. :thumb: I am curious when you say above that you are using "FFOF with 30% perlite" if you mean that you added 30% more perlite to the mixture. If so, what caused you to make this change to the soil before using it?
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Yes I added an additional 30% perilite. I read somewhere it is supposed to help with the drainage. I am flying by the seat of my pants. I'm hoping to get some input so I don't mess up the flowering stage.
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Yes I added an additional 30% perilite. I read somewhere it is supposed to help with the drainage. I am flying by the seat of my pants. I'm hoping to get some input so I don't mess up the flowering stage.

I'm sure you'll probably be fine with your soil amendment, Killian, but I can't help but believe that you may have wasted some of your money buying the extra perlite. That's ok. It's cheap, and the weed will grow anyway. However, I think it's more important to learn how to carefully listen to your plants as they move through their grow cycle rather than paying more attention to everything and anything posted up on the internet.

Fox Farm has likely spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, determining the best formula for their potting soil. It never ceases to amaze me how some people will spend premium dollars on a highly recommended potting soil only to choose to change that soil composition based on some tidbit of information provided by some unknown person on the internet.

FFOF is a great soil as manufactured. It might be wise to learn how to use it as it is provided, rather than wander off into the unknown by unbalancing their blend based on some anecdotal story provided by some random person on the internet.

May I ask you to please describe your gardening and houseplant growing experience outside of the realm of cannabis?
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

I thought I would add a picture of the root structure when transplanting from the one gallon pot to the five gallon pot.
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re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Thank you for your input RK. I have had several vegetable gardens with moderate success. I have very little experience in gardening and none growing weed.I get what your saying about all the misguided information. I see -a lot of different opinions on the grow sites and I look for peoples results before I decide to try something. I have made a lot of mistakes in my grow and one thing I have learned by doing it is these plants are very resilient. I have also subscribed to your thread and am curious as to how much you will yield with your technique.
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

Killian said:
I have also subscribed to your thread and am curious as to how much you will yield with your technique.

Yeah, your baby really did need a new home!

Ah yes...the incessant obsession with yield! I think many chase that idea to some extent, but ultimately it is an ambiguous concept at best. Just read the available information on indoor growing, and generally when it comes to indoor grows, the two most discussed measurements regarding yield are light oriented (how many grams per watt of light), or plant oriented, (a one pound plant, or so many oz. per plant).

Neither of these are integral ideas since they don't take into consideration all the other variables involved. Soil or hydro? Clone or seed? SOG method (many small plants in smaller pots in a set area) or fewer large plants in the same set area? HID, vs. LED, vs. CFL/ T5?

What I haven't yet seen is a measure of yield based on weight per square foot of grow area, and I think that sort of measurement would better balance all the variables.

I expect nothing of my grow. I hope for an interesting learning experience. I am not interested right now in competitive growing, just as I've never been interested in competitive fishing.

It's the journey that is its own reward.
 
re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fan

I am not interested in growing competitively I am after the most I can get out of my grow. To not expect anything and just in it for the journey makes me wonder if you even use weed. Not that it matters but I am curious about that statement.
 
Re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte, FoxFarms nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" Fa

Killian,

Perhaps I misspoke. When I referred to "competitive growing" I was referring to the arbitrary standards that are routinely brought into discussions about yield. No two grows are alike, even with the same equipment. No two people grow weed with the same intentions. If total yield were my primary concern, I'd go hydro. Personally I prefer dirt. Dirt is more organic, and familiar to me. I like a gardening experience, and have less desire to launch a laboratory procedure. Sometimes less is more. :yahoo:

For the moment, since this is the first time I've grown cannabis, I'm more interested in learning about the plant. I'm certain that this grow will yield a significant amount of bud, but the total amount is of less concern to me than beginning to understand the plant's life cycle, and to what degree I might nudge that cycle one way or another to have it adapt to my particular setup, and I to its particular needs.
 
Re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte - FoxFarms Nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" F

I decided to grow a pair and defoliated my plants yesterday. Today they look great and tons of light getting through the canopy. I am early into week 2 of flowering so I hope I didn't make a mistake but time will tell.
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Re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte - FoxFarms Nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" F

Supercrop! I know i mentioned it in my journal but now seeing yours 2 things that from my own experience and opinion i would tell you
1 supercrop or more lst to tame those girls their getting pretty tall unless your stretch is over than by all means disregard

2 no more defoil.
In the flowering stage your plant stops making new leaves and focuses on buds.
Taking off those leaves kinda slows down the production on that branch which is another way to help slow down the plant but most importantly you wanna make sure you have enough leaves you get you all the way through your flowering cycle.
This is something i have done side by side on and im my experience the one i did less defoil on did better.

Now dont get me wrong it is needed to open up those bud sites and get better penetration but try moving or tucking the leaf as opposed to just ripping it off.

Youll see as you get into flower and the plant starts using up the energy in the leaves.

Id imagine and theres no observation or proof behind this but in my head a plant who has less to use late in flower doesnt have as big of a final push toward the end

 
Re: Killian's First Grow FFOF & 30% Perilte - FoxFarms Nutrients - 600W MH/HPS - 6" F

Thank you for your reply Lootznbootz. I don't think they are done stretching so l might have to do some more bending stems over. I want to give them a little time to recover from the heavy defoilating first. I am only 12 days in from switching them 12/12 and already the Critical has stretched 11 inches, Northern Lights 16 inches and both my Bubble Gums 7 inches. I don't know how much more stretching to expect. They are looking real healthy no I'll effects from defoilating. I do think I might have gotten carried away. I am just starting to see the little white Afros. Thanks again for your advice and happy growing.
 
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