Masterblend Grow 2, Getting More Serious Now

[Budsbunny]

January 30, 2020

There is a good root development going on compared to 3 days ago, there is a “wood of roots” coming through the net pot.
Also, the lettuce develops a head, instead of growing wide-spread as in the drum.

The changes I made were:

• I went to more “red-ish” light, less intensive.
• I follow the exact nutrients regime that MB recommends.

Really, I don’t know why I always go away from producers/experts recommendations, must be something wrong in my head….

For the light, I understand that in the beginning it should be more “blue-ish” light, maybe it has to do with the small size of the dresser, or, let’s not forget, this is a lettuce, not cannabis.

The “head”

LOL, lettuce is expensive nowadays, especially if you grow them yourself....

As for the pepper, the plant grows and looks healthy, but no roots coming out, even that 1 small root has disappeared. I have a few spare peppers, same age, maybe I will see if the roots of the biggest one are more than the one that went in. Just to see how much the start-up root size makes a difference.

 

[Budsbunny]

February 3, 2020

Roots are coming....

 

[Budsbunny]

February 11, 2020

Going well in the dresser, these are the roots of the lettuce, the “brown” on the roots has to do with the light, If I change the angle of the camera it will disappear but then you don’t see the roots any more.

These 2 will go into the bubbleponic system when they have enough roots, left is a (very short) clone that I saved (after messing up lol) and on the right is a seedling from seed. Both are under the lights in the dresser now.

I have made a new light panel for the dresser, using 6x LED 9W 5000K 800 lm and 3x LED 9W 2700K 800 lm - household LED’s. The panel is 2 days in now and it seems the plants react well on the new light. If you want to know more about this panel, it is more detailed in my post “Defying the Inverse Square Law”

On the left is a lettuce on a wick and the one on the right is in the bubbleponic system, same nutes, same age, same size when they went in. The height of the light on the lettuce is border-line as I start to see burn spots on the leaves, I should bring the lights a bit higher (OR eat the salad lol)

 

[Budsbunny]

Just a small update about the new lights.
These 2 lettuce are a few days under the new lights and are growing much faster than before. (see image in post above)
Also the root growth is in line with the growth of the lettuce itself, first roots are 3-4" in the nutrients.

These 2 are a (mini) clone and seedling from seed, 2 days under the new light and doing extremely well. They receive 19000 LUX, measured with the Galactica app on my Iphone.

These 2 will go eventually into the new bubbleponic bucket system in this desser as soon as they have developed enough roots.

 

[Budsbunny]

Since 3 days I foliar spray the girls and lettuce with 100ppm seaweed that I got from someone. I am careful with using it as I don’t want to lose what I have now. The cannabis seem to like it and it looks that the roots in the DWC bucket stay nice white.

But the lettuce went on steroids, it grew much more but the leaves got a big orange skin effect, the roots went on steroids as well. The roots you see in the nutrients are 12”+ long.

End of this coming week I will clean it all and the clone and seedling (Harlequin string) will go into the system.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Since 3 days I foliar spray the girls and lettuce with 100ppm seaweed that I got from someone. I am careful with using it as I don’t want to lose what I have now. The cannabis seem to like it and it looks that the roots in the DWC bucket stay nice white.

But the lettuce went on steroids, it grew much more but the leaves got a big orange skin effect, the roots went on steroids as well. The roots you see in the nutrients are 12”+ long.

The orange would be stain from the seaweed. Not pretty but probably doesn't hurt it. I was using liquid kelp in my hydro system and the roots all went dark. A few weeks after I stop using it they turned almost white again. I use the kelp as a foliar spray only, now.

 

[Budsbunny]

The orange would be stain from the seaweed. Not pretty but probably doesn't hurt it. I was using liquid kelp in my hydro system and the roots all went dark. A few weeks after I stop using it they turned almost white again. I use the kelp as a foliar spray only, now.

Not sure about that, the orange has always been there, just look at pictures in previous posts. In the beginning I thought it was a shadow/white balance issue with my camera but it is not. Maybe the sort of plant in combination with the nutrients? I only spray, no seaweed in the bucket. The 2 girls in the shower stall get sprayed as well but no orange.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Just a thought. The liquid kelp is dark red and stains easily. Is the lettuce lacking something with the light spectrum maybe ?

 

[Budsbunny]

Is the lettuce lacking something with the light spectrum maybe ?

You might have hit the nail there......

 

[Budsbunny]

February 23

On the left is the lettuce, it will go out hopefully tomorrow if I have the time and the clone and seedling will go into this new bubbleponic system. I am very hopeful as these 3 are just under 9W household bulbs, not even optimized with the better bulbs of my testing results.

 

[Budsbunny]

February 24, 2020

Let the games begin!

Today the clone and seedling went into the new bubbleponic system.
Here are the Romaine lettuce and pepper that I took out. The lettuce did fine but the little pepper stayed a little pepper, not sure why as the peppers in soil grow well with the same nutes.

Anyways, the pepper is now with his companions, this is an “early spring batch” for in the garden, next week or so I will put seeds in for a summer batch. These are Jimmy Nardello Peppers, best sweet peppers EVER!

These are the clone and seedling as they came out of the coco coir, they were fed with a wick, Masterblend 10-8-5 and 200 ppm.

Here is a picture with the roots washed out, followed by a picture placed in the net pot.

Here is an overview from the dresser with the 2 girls in it, followed by a picture of the roots of the little clone (on the left), I will follow this one in my journal with pictures.

Let's hope they don't suffer much from transplant shock.

Masterblend 10- 8 5
Ph. 5.6
Ppm 400
Feeding 20 sec "ON" - 60 sec "OFF"

 

[Budsbunny]

February 26 – day1

Day 1 in the new environment, actually it is through the night and only 15 hours. Bottom leaves did turn a bit yellow (transplant shock?) but the rest looks fine. Not too bad I think as the roots were completely washed out of the soil to go in this new system.

 

[Budsbunny]

February 27, 2020

Clone starts to stretch a bit it seems, but it is only day 2. Roots are getting longer.

 

[Budsbunny]

March 2, 2020

A strange thing is happening here, the clone is doing fine with good root development but the seedling on the right side is suffering and no root development. This is EXACTLY what happened earlier when I put the lettuce and pepper in for a test. Feeding works fine for both and they get the same light and nutrients. Wondering if this is just a coincident or if something else is wrong.

 

[Budsbunny]

March 3, 2020

I’ve made a system/nutrient change for the seedling that was not doing so well in the top-fed dwc system. (see picture above)

I have put it in a yogurt container (Kratky method) with seaweed extract instead of Masterblend. To be clear, the clone on the right is still in the system and on Masterblend. I’ve done all my growths/testing with Masterblend, as I have a TON of that stuff but it is time to see if there are better nutrients after all, if I add it all up, including my rotating garden, I’ve spent a lot of time and money, it’s time to get the best “stuff”. I’ve also bought some Tiger Bloom but haven’t decided yet where and when to try it out.

Yogurt container:

Tapwater ppm 430
1 ml H2O2
Added Kelp ppm 170
Ph. adjusted to 5.4

 

[Budsbunny]

March 4, 2020

Despite the fact that the seedling is not doing well in this system, the clone seems to thrive in these circumstances. Also good root development.

 

[Budsbunny]

March 7, 2020

At first sight, the seedling, now in the seaweed (Kratky) is not doing well at all, compared with the little clone in the Masterblend (top-fed DWC). This is really a big mystery to me.

I decided to put it back in the system next to the clone, I took it out of the yogurt container and then I saw all the new roots developing and now I am not sure what to do. I am not really set up for the Kratky method, I will let this go a few more days but it has to go back into the bubbleponic system. Maybe I will start to add some seaweed nutrients in this system, not sure.
The brown root color comes from the seaweed

 

[Budsbunny]

March 8, 2020

The clone is doing very well, I have topped it yesterday.

The seedling however does not show real good signs, except for a few new roots. I have decided to put her back next to the clone in the system.

 

[Budsbunny]

March 14, 2020

Changed nutrients this afternoon, these are the roots of the clone. Depth from roots to bottom is 18 inches and then they curl up, not bad.

Masterblend 10-8-5
Ppm = 550
Ph. = 5.6
Feeding 20 sec "ON" and 60 sec "OFF"

 

[Budsbunny]

March 20, 2020

Here is a quick update about the clone (on the left) and the seedling on the right, both were put in the system at the same time. Straight from the start the seedling stayed far behind but it is coming back, leaves are nice green now and the top starts to grow also, although very slow. Still, I think the difference will be too big to keep them both in this system at the same time as the clone is growing much faster. I was thinking to put the seedling in soil while the roots are still not too big to take the seedling out of the net pot.

I really don’t understand this, both healthy when put in the system, same nutrients, same light and intensity, same amount of feeding…..and I experienced the SAME when I did my trial before with the lettuce and pepper, the pepper also stayed far behind with very slow root development on the right side of the bucket. I don’t want to trade places (left to right and right to left) as I am afraid I might lose the clone.

When I bought this house 4 years ago, the previous owners had 7 rabbit cages on the 2nd level of my workshop and they created a HUGE compost pile with the rabbit poop in it, my veggies in the garden grow like hell in it, I might give that a try with the little seedling.

Y'all stay healthy in these challenging times!