Kitty's First Grow Spring 2017: LED & CFL & Sun

Minor Update:
Ended up doing my final trim/lollipop today... 4 days earlier than planned but it just felt like it was time to get rid of the stuff that wouldn't ever amount to anything. Since I pulled clones for grow number two, two days ago. That got rid of the lower branches that weren't getting any light so it was really just a little extra work with the scalpel and from now on they can focus on just buds buds and more buds!

I also watered the 3 phenotype one plants with plain water and I am holding off on watering the 2 phenotype twos till tomorrow as they are getting a waxier leaf from my keeping them up with their bulkier sisters.

My runoff ppm was at 1000 which is about right for going into mid flower .

I started a journal for my second grow ... or more so the beginning of me going perpetual because it's such a mosh mosh of stuff. 1 fem amnesia haze, 2 Reg Jack Herer, and I took 8 clones hoping I can get at least a couple to root. I'll put a link when I am at the computer.

No photos... this is one of those updates that's more for me to remember everything I got going on then for reading pleasure ;)

XxKitty
 
Nice looking group of ladies there Kitty! :thumb: Good job.... Sorry to hear about the balls, you should already know, they really don't have "much" purpose! Don't get me wrong... I don't know what I'd do without em but here what we do, meh!

Cull move one.. they make great compost! Worms really dig canna leaves!! <-- see what I did there.. punny makes me happy!


Yes your plants look like they are leaning fairly strongly to the sativa side. Thin long leaves ... they will stretch some more just be patient and keep doing what yer doing, your tent will fill out.

I would leave the lamps higher up, plants in stretch will go find lighting and some more distance helps with that. Sativas, and this is my experience will flower and keep stretching at the same time. This is what I see here for you, so yeah just hang in there..and be careful what you wish for!

Later on say a few weeks or so from now when your sure the stretch is done, you can lower the lamps to say 6" from the top cola. It won't hurt the plants with LED - no heat or not much. Many of my plants will grow into the lamps... get some rope out and tie em back a little if you need to - best to have good lighting down thru the canopy to the soil line.

Good light penetration is the goal but not required.

Your plants look great - keep up the good work. Cool about the AC unit thingy.. I've seen them in some homes I've been looking at in up-state NY and wondered what they were. Thanks for the explanation. That's extremely helpful. We don't have those here in Philly.

Cheers - KIG
 
I moved the dome down about a foot and a half after the photo. Nonetheless... I do believe I have failed another germination attempt. It has been 48 hours since I put the cracked seeds in their jiffy pots and no sign of sprout. Maybe I am being impatient. Also I am starting to doubt my seeds. The thing is, there is SO much conflicting information in regards to germination.



Yes... in my grow journal I explained that the lamps weren't there to do anything I just wanted to show the equip I had at this point in time. I will be making DIY reflectors for them
:love::love::love::love:

So back to the germination issues. I now have science experiments with seeds all over the house at this point. The first five seeds that cracked in moist dark warm paper towels that were transferred to pellets and then put under a humidity dome under my lamp two feet down have no signs of sprouting. So that is 5 days since the seeds hit water... 48 hours under soil. Am I being impatient? Or is something wrong?

I also have 5 seeds in moist paper towels in dark warmth and only two cracked in that batch. The tap roots haven't extended and it has been 48 hours since they popped.


I came to the conclusion that most likely this issue is a combination of me being too hands on and the seeds most likely not stored in the best way possible and possibly a little old. And so... I scarify 5 seeds lightly with a nail file, let them soak twelve hours in water until they sink and then put them directly into pellets. Those went under the lamp with the rest. Maybe that isn't the best place for them? I am losing my mind trying to get these guys to germinate. EVEN if the seeds were stored improperly you would think ONE out of all these experiments would have popped? I don't know guys. I don't have any Hydrogen peroxide in the house but I am going to go get some to try to use that in the mix. I also read using naturally carbonated water to germinate has some good effects on hard to germ seeds. Luckily I live in Italy where there are more types of bottle water at the market than there are soda. And luckily I have a lot of seeds.

I know what a good seed looks like and yes there are light, not fully developed seeds in my jar but the ones I am using are fully developed and look like healthy viable seeds. I don't know guys... I am really doubting myself here.

Can someone give me their best clearest germination method for hard to germ seeds? Yes I have looked through the forums but... all that has brought me is a LOT of conflicting information.

Just gonna put my two cents in here ... personally have had great success w/ seeds by rolling them around in clonex , then dropping them into a moist warm rapid rooter
Works for me every time
Good luck
 
Just gonna put my two cents in here ... personally have had great success w/ seeds by rolling them around in clonex , then dropping them into a moist warm rapid rooter
Works for me every time
Good luck

Heya Phil!!
Welcome to my virtual garden! I'm happy you are here!!! You got here just in time for the big finale! I do hope you had time to get a little further along in my journal.... although I do appreciate your help! I did find germination success. I have even now gone perpetual and have a second journal on that. The problem seeds are now 5, almost 3 feet tall bushes in their 3rd week of flower in my separate flowering tent under a Mars 2 1200. Just now getting their first fuzzy frost! They may have been old beans but they produced some beautiful plants!

I stay away from clonex because I am an organic grower. (Also vegan so that REALLY limits my commercial product choices) I now have 8 clones in my veg cab that are rooted in coco pellets. The only barely non organic product I use in the garden is hydrogen peroxide. So I use a bit of that in my water when I soak the pellets.

I am going to get an aloe plant so I can use aloe filets in future cloning and germination endeavors.

Anyway... thank you for joining! Do you have a journal??

XxKitty
 
Heya Phil!!
Welcome to my virtual garden! I'm happy you are here!!! You got here just in time for the big finale! I do hope you had time to get a little further along in my journal.... although I do appreciate your help! I did find germination success. I have even now gone perpetual and have a second journal on that. The problem seeds are now 5, almost 3 feet tall bushes in their 3rd week of flower in my separate flowering tent under a Mars 2 1200. Just now getting their first fuzzy frost! They may have been old beans but they produced some beautiful plants!

I stay away from clonex because I am an organic grower. (Also vegan so that REALLY limits my commercial product choices) I now have 8 clones in my veg cab that are rooted in coco pellets. The only barely non organic product I use in the garden is hydrogen peroxide. So I use a bit of that in my water when I soak the pellets.

I am going to get an aloe plant so I can use aloe filets in future cloning and germination endeavors.

Anyway... thank you for joining! Do you have a journal??

XxKitty

Awesome! Looking great - swing by and check my journal out too- never thought to see what clonex was made of - ... thanks for the info !!
 
You're are OK with Peroxide. It's H2o2 - one extra oxygen molecule is the only difference from water. The extra molecule of oxygen is how it kills bacteria. Very unstable and that extra molecule is attracted to everything .. enter bacteria... extra molecule attaches to bacterial cell and the cell explodes, that's the foam you see. Brush your teeth with it along with tooth paste. Very good for your gum health.

So Vegan and organic, nice. I used to be Vegan 30#s ago!! Hahahaha ... now we've been no sugar (non at all), eat an all organic high protein & fat with low to no carb diet. Absolutely NO wheat at all. I had a wheat intolerance all my life and never knew it till I quit eating it and tried it again after quitting (don't ask me why I tried it). No sugar is a game changer. I feel A LOT healthier even better than I felt when I was vegan.

I swim train regularly @ 50-70 laps (25m) every other day with sprints at race pace mixed in. I could not do that on vegan diet (I tried could go fast but not as much stamina). Not talking you out of vegan......

Seeds .. soak them overnight in some peroxide and water 50/50 mix then into your peat pellet... you should have sprouts in 24-48 hrs. Sometimes the seeds get in the peat pellet upside down so it takes an extra day or so to find the light. Patience... some never germinate.... shit happens, pop another seed.
 
You're are OK with Peroxide. It's H2o2 - one extra oxygen molecule is the only difference from water. The extra molecule of oxygen is how it kills bacteria. Very unstable and that extra molecule is attracted to everything .. enter bacteria... extra molecule attaches to bacterial cell and the cell explodes, that's the foam you see. Brush your teeth with it along with tooth paste. Very good for your gum health.

Yes... H202 is a kick ass garden tool! So many many many uses. Even though it's technically not organic... it falls within the confines of substances I consider non toxic (in its diluted form).I use it for germination. Cloning. Root aeration in compacted soil. That extra oxygen molecule is like super water... it can even save you from root rot and god forbid the more minor cases of bud rot. It CAN negatively effect your organic soil mixes... if used to heavily because it does kill of the good bacteria with the bad but I haven't seen it actually happen. I water with H202 the whole first two weeks of sprouting with seeds and I keep a sprayer for my clones... it keeps the mold out of the hot little wet dome and helps roots form. It's been good to me.

o
Vegan and organic, nice.

Yes... vegan and if I am being completely honest I have occasional slips (3-4 times a year) with fish/shellfish. I don't like to talk about it too much as I hate this new wave of vegans that are attention seeking younger millennials. My decision is a moral one and a personal one. I stand for the better treatment of animals and the reuniting of humans with their food sources. In this day in age we are so out of touch with where our food comes from and that is my reason for being vegan. I have always said that if I were to slaughter my own animal on my own farm I would eat the meat from them. But the truth is.. I know I couldn't ever do that and I'm pretty sure the majority of meat eaters couldn't either.

If I had chickens on my property that I cared for and knew they lived happy long lives, I'd undoubtedly eat their eggs.

That is why seafood... here in Italy... I will make exception for. I never eat farm raised fish and I know that the fish I order at an Italian restaurant here in town had a life in the Mediterranean Sea before coming to my table. Unlike slaughtering farm animals, I have prepared my own shellfish and gone deep sea fishing which required me to of course end the fishes life with a club.

Like I said, people, especially Americans are so out of touch with where their food comes from. They also don't think about how many cows it took to make the upholstery in their cars.

I am going quit now before I start sounding like the younger half of my generation.

As far as energy goes... I'm not much a cardio gal. I do a lot of hiking with the dog and sea swimming. I was vegetarian before I was vegan and didn't red meat before that.... so maybe it's just that transition happened over the course of four years so I didn't notice.

Oh also... my pets are NOT vegan. Unlike me, cats and dogs need meat in their diets. I may be a bit eccentric but I'm no fool so the pets do get organic pet food with meat always the primary ingredient. My plants on the other hand seem to be enjoying their vegan nutrients just fine. I was thinking about the use of bat guano and wondering how they go about collecting said shit... are they happy bats? Do they just go in the bats natural habitat and scoop up their shit while they sleep upside down?? Or do they have thousands of bats in a confined space just shitting out as much as possible so the company can make as much money as possible selling literal shit. My heart longs for it to be the prior but unfortunately I think the latter is more likely ...
 
Took some photos right after lights out last night. Today they are at 20 days since flip to 12/12.
420-magazine-mobile125592659.jpg
 
Alright... time for a journal entry. This will be long and wordy. I keep these entries for myself just as much as I do to share with all you so forgive me if it gets boring.

I just simply can't believe I am already in my fourth week of flower!

The buds are looking so amazing and today I noticed the frostiness is beginning. I have to say I have been really lucky with this grow. Yes... I had some hurdles but they have only helped me understand my plants better.... never setting me back too badly and always working out in the long run.

To tell the truth, I was really nervous because I thought my plants were really behind seeing as they took SO long to show sex! That's why I vegged them an extra two weeks longer than I had planned for.

Well... these gals definitely caught up and now I would say they are advanced for only just starting week four since the flip to 12/12.

I know I have said this many times and others have concurred that these girls appear to be a sativa dom hybrid.

Nonetheless, the guy who gifted them to me said they were his cross of Northern Lights, White Widow, and A. Indica... and their rate of growth and stature is definitely more indica. The leaves would be the only indicator of their sativa side at this point as I haven't tried it obviously. Pheno 1 has become MY strain. I want to call it, "Under the Tuscan Sun" as I have mentioned but that may change once I get to try it. I would like to send the plant for testing once harvested. Does anyone know anything about that process? I really got lucky with these gifted beans... they got decent genes but I would LOVE to know a bit more about them. I plan on continuing to grow this strain. I am very happy with it... so far .

I have 8 clones of pheno 1 and they all seem to be showing new growth. They are rooting in coco pellets (just like peat pellets but coco). I bought them accidentally thinking they were peat and they turned out to not work so well for seed germination but they are perfect for rooting clones... as coco is a form of hydro. More on that in journal 2.

At this point, in my fourth week, I can honestly say my plants did not stretch upwards anywhere near the 100-200% I read about but it's really not a big deal. I will keep this in mind when growing the clones. This is a strain that can be grown out a bit larger before flipping.

The more I educated myself, the more I learned 'the stretch' is not necessarily a positive or negative thing. Yes, healthy plants will get the flowering stretch but the more dialed in you have your conditions the less this 'stretch' will effect your plants. Stretch does not effect bud size/yields but rather inter nodal spacing. In fact, instead of expending the energy on stretching my plants have fairly advanced buds for their age and have blown up into huge bushes... stretching horizontally, more than vertically. 5 plants fill my 4x4 as you can tell from my photos from yesterday.

It is now very obvious that I have 3 of one pheno/geno and 2 of a second pheno/geno... (been reading recently about the misnomer that we all use every day that is 'phenotype') All my clones were taken from pheno one plants as it is quite obviously genetically superior.

I have actually got the two phenotypes on a different water/feed schedule because they grow so differently and one of my second phenotype is a mutated plant called a polyploid that needs a whole 'nother level of special attention.

Today I fed the three pheno one plants at 3/4 strength nutrients... which came out to about 600ppm. My biggest feed yet. I know my ppm is a bit low for mid flower but I am just going by what the plants want. Their last feed was around 400PPM and my smallest plant... non mutated pheno 2 showed the slightest bit of nutrient burn and even got a bit waxy and that means nitrogen toxicity. This is what initially made me start keeping the plants on different schedules. The 2nd pheno just can't keep up.

I am on a water/feed/water/feed because although the plants are drinking faster in flower they still take 4 or more days to dry and I only have so much time left in flower to boost the nutrients before I want to start looking to flush. Speaking of the flush. My nutrient filled tap water may prove to be a problem come flush time... 315 ppm out the tap means I'm still giving the girls juice even with plain water...

The polyploid plant is interesting to watch bud up. It's mutation creates higher yield.... At the one month into flower mark next Friday I intend on taking all the plants out and photographing them in sunlight to show them off. They deserve it.

So much good going on but of course I must mention my few problems .The plant with mild nitrogen toxicity is the non mutated pheno 2 and it's last water was a diluted hydrogen peroxide water because she just does NOT want to dry out... but she also doesn't show any signs of under watering. I think that nitrogen toxicity kinda of locked her up there for a minute so I let her dry out for as long as possible and then did the H202 water yesterday. Today she has new pistils popping out of her buds everywhere... I think I will let her dry out one more time and give her another H2O2 water before getting her back on the nutrients.

Polyploid will be fed tomorrow but at 500 ppm because her mutation seems to make her more sensitive.

I also use a bud booster, "Top Max" but I feed that separately from the Grow and bloom... just a liter of it a few hours after the main feed. It is said to be more effective this way. So I am off to do that and then it's a Sunday afternoon nap for this busy lady.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Ta ta for now!

XxKitty
 
Alright... time for a journal entry. This will be long and wordy. I keep these entries for myself just as much as I do to share with all you so forgive me if it gets boring.

I just simply can't believe I am already in my fourth week of flower!

The buds are looking so amazing and today I noticed the frostiness is beginning. I have to say I have been really lucky with this grow. Yes... I had some hurdles but they have only helped me understand my plants better.... never setting me back too badly and always working out in the long run.

To tell the truth, I was really nervous because I thought my plants were really behind seeing as they took SO long to show sex! That's why I vegged them an extra two weeks longer than I had planned for.

Well... these gals definitely caught up and now I would say they are advanced for only just starting week four since the flip to 12/12.

I know I have said this many times and others have concurred that these girls appear to be a sativa dom hybrid.

Nonetheless, the guy who gifted them to me said they were his cross of Northern Lights, White Widow, and A. Indica... and their rate of growth and stature is definitely more indica. The leaves would be the only indicator of their sativa side at this point as I haven't tried it obviously. Pheno 1 has become MY strain. I want to call it, "Under the Tuscan Sun" as I have mentioned but that may change once I get to try it. I would like to send the plant for testing once harvested. Does anyone know anything about that process? I really got lucky with these gifted beans... they got decent genes but I would LOVE to know a bit more about them. I plan on continuing to grow this strain. I am very happy with it... so far .

I have 8 clones of pheno 1 and they all seem to be showing new growth. They are rooting in coco pellets (just like peat pellets but coco). I bought them accidentally thinking they were peat and they turned out to not work so well for seed germination but they are perfect for rooting clones... as coco is a form of hydro. More on that in journal 2.

At this point, in my fourth week, I can honestly say my plants did not stretch upwards anywhere near the 100-200% I read about but it's really not a big deal. I will keep this in mind when growing the clones. This is a strain that can be grown out a bit larger before flipping.

The more I educated myself, the more I learned 'the stretch' is not necessarily a positive or negative thing. Yes, healthy plants will get the flowering stretch but the more dialed in you have your conditions the less this 'stretch' will effect your plants. Stretch does not effect bud size/yields but rather inter nodal spacing. In fact, instead of expending the energy on stretching my plants have fairly advanced buds for their age and have blown up into huge bushes... stretching horizontally, more than vertically. 5 plants fill my 4x4 as you can tell from my photos from yesterday.

It is now very obvious that I have 3 of one pheno/geno and 2 of a second pheno/geno... (been reading recently about the misnomer that we all use every day that is 'phenotype') All my clones were taken from pheno one plants as it is quite obviously genetically superior.

I have actually got the two phenotypes on a different water/feed schedule because they grow so differently and one of my second phenotype is a mutated plant called a polyploid that needs a whole 'nother level of special attention.

Today I fed the three pheno one plants at 3/4 strength nutrients... which came out to about 600ppm. My biggest feed yet. I know my ppm is a bit low for mid flower but I am just going by what the plants want. Their last feed was around 400PPM and my smallest plant... non mutated pheno 2 showed the slightest bit of nutrient burn and even got a bit waxy and that means nitrogen toxicity. This is what initially made me start keeping the plants on different schedules. The 2nd pheno just can't keep up.

I am on a water/feed/water/feed because although the plants are drinking faster in flower they still take 4 or more days to dry and I only have so much time left in flower to boost the nutrients before I want to start looking to flush. Speaking of the flush. My nutrient filled tap water may prove to be a problem come flush time... 315 ppm out the tap means I'm still giving the girls juice even with plain water...

The polyploid plant is interesting to watch bud up. It's mutation creates higher yield.... At the one month into flower mark next Friday I intend on taking all the plants out and photographing them in sunlight to show them off. They deserve it.

So much good going on but of course I must mention my few problems .The plant with mild nitrogen toxicity is the non mutated pheno 2 and it's last water was a diluted hydrogen peroxide water because she just does NOT want to dry out... but she also doesn't show any signs of under watering. I think that nitrogen toxicity kinda of locked her up there for a minute so I let her dry out for as long as possible and then did the H202 water yesterday. Today she has new pistils popping out of her buds everywhere... I think I will let her dry out one more time and give her another H2O2 water before getting her back on the nutrients.

Polyploid will be fed tomorrow but at 500 ppm because her mutation seems to make her more sensitive.

I also use a bud booster, "Top Max" but I feed that separately from the Grow and bloom... just a liter of it a few hours after the main feed. It is said to be more effective this way. So I am off to do that and then it's a Sunday afternoon nap for this busy lady.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Ta ta for now!

XxKitty
I'm secretly hoping the stretch isn't to crazy for my girls, only because the limited space I'm wondering if i vegged for too long. Anyways looks like good news all around, happy growing!
 
Alright... which one of my plants farted?

Seriously?!?? Wtf? I wake up before lights on at 6:45 am and make a cup a coffee. I go in at about 7am and I can smell their wonderful scent... as I just did a big feed yesterday and we are in our fourth week of flower so today they should be looking/smelling glorious... and for the most part they are.

I smelled something funky and my heart stopped. My mind goes straight to thinking root rot... bud rot... please no god no... but it isn't a musty or moldy smell.

I don't have a great nose. I am a cigarette smoker. So I go to the computer to look up the smell. I then returned to the flower room to find the source of the smell because I didn't really know where the smell was coming from yet.

It isn't the soil. I till around my top soil daily... a new practice that has been helping my soil dry out a bit faster. The soil smells like soil. I checked every plant up and down. I was like a blood hound on the trail of scent that I was now processing as more sulfuric in nature than anything else.

Then I start smelling the plants... the leaves... the buds themselves... and it comes down to ONE plant's central bud. Wtf??? It is one that I did indeed feed yesterday but they all got the same feed at the same ppm. So why is one of my plants... moreover ONE stalk of buds smelling like egg farts??? It seems to be dissipating but this has got me nervous. I reiterate my sense of smell is pretty damn bad and I could smell that distinct sulfuric scent when I opened the door.

I run the dehu pretty much 24/7 at this point in flower and I have plenty of circulation.

Should I be worried? Anyone have any ideas? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated because this fucking stinks! (Had to do it sorry.)
 
Kitty's First Grow Spring 2017 - LED & CFL & Sun

Maybe it's a stink bug up in that bud ?
Are you feeding at lights on or when the lights go off ?
 
Kitty's First Grow Spring 2017 - LED & CFL & Sun

Maybe it's a stink bug up in that bud ?
Are you feeding at lights on or when the lights go off ?

I like to water halfway through their day cycle...or a little later. The biggest reason I am not interested in scrog is that I really like to be hands on with my plants. Shifting them around. Keeping them neat and tidy. I especially enjoy the freedom to pull my plants out to water... I think of it as a thunderstorm coming through. Their light source goes away for a bit, they get tussled around (not purposely but just by being moved around) and watered/fed but then still have time to dry up a little and recover before lights out.

I did a kind of second go around with the lollipop today ... just making sure I had their final structure just right as I'm certain they are done growing upwards. Even when I pulled the plants out for this maintenance prune the one plant smelled and the others didn't. It's just so curious. It's definitely the buds themselves... not the leaves. The smell seems to be dissipating as the day progresses... just so odd... it is 100% being emitted from the buds. The plant looks great. It's just so strange that it seems to be effecting just one plant when they all got the same feed.

Oh well... it's not an issue... I just haven't found ANYTHING about it... been digging through everything google has thrown at me. Lots on people buying cured(or not) buds that smell rank... nothing on plants in flower giving off that smell....

But hard to complain when I am looking at this and it's only been 3 weeks and 3 days since I flipped the lights to 12/12 ...
420-magazine-mobile992531895.jpg


That is going to be one massive bud in 5-6 weeks if it's already like that now!!

XxKitty
 
Back
Top Bottom