MicroGrowerMan’s GroLab: Chasing Godzilla under the ViparSpectra Sun
A Do-Si-Dos Comparative Grow Journal
November 13, 2023
History shows again and again
How nature points out the folly of men
Godzilla!
— Song by Blue Öyster Cult
A Do-Si-Dos Comparative Grow Journal
November 13, 2023
History shows again and again
How nature points out the folly of men
Godzilla!
— Song by Blue Öyster Cult
Godzilla is a legend in my own basement.
A Do-Si-Dos strain that produced 10 ounces of extremely flavorful, high-THC bud in a 2x2 footprint using ViparSpectra XS 1000 and XS 1500 lights. Medium was 30% peat moss/70% perlite in a 12-gallon pot.
My grow buddy, Lawrence, aka, “Lawrence of Cannabis” wonders why we don’t still grow with the perlite/peat mix in large pots, and questions why I went to pure perlite in 2.7-gallon pots.
Portability was the main reason. My grow box system is designed for plants that move from box to box, and for moving into a photo studio that I am setting up in the trim room. My cancer treatments have taken quite a bit of my strength so light-weight portability is important.
Control was another. Under the peat/perlite system, the peat acted as the buffer to my tap water’s alkalinity, most of the time; and the calcium and magnesium from my Lake Michigan water source acted without the need for cal-mag, most of the time. Most of the time it worked, but the other times drove me nuts, particularly using peat as an acidic buffer in 2.7-gallon pots. That was really hit or miss.
So I decided to go scientific. Get some meters. Complicate my life in the name of simplicity and go naked with perlite. I think I’m getting it dialed in.
The Comparison
This is old, versus new.
The old peat/perlite grow where we may try to get a better handle on our nute/ph. situation using some of our newer equipment. We’ll finish vegging and complete flowering of one clone in the 12-gallon pot with the old mix. Low-frequency fertigation.
The other is the new method, using pure perlite in 2.7-gallon pots -- high-frequency fertigation/hempy pot reformed.
And, since this big jump in productivity happened after installing new, ViparSpectra XS 1500 and XS 1000 lights, that's what we'll be growing under here.
What will do best?
Follow this journal and find out.
Here are the players:
Do-Si-Dos Clones of Plant from Pyramid seeds,
Sold through current sponsor Seedsman.
Feminized Photoperiod.
Five Plants: Mildred, and her four clones, The Little Sisters of Mildred
Sold through current sponsor Seedsman.
Feminized Photoperiod.
Five Plants: Mildred, and her four clones, The Little Sisters of Mildred
Project Name: Little Sisters of Mildred, (Do-Si-Dos)
Feminized Photoperiod.
Into Cloner: October 21
Removed from Cloner & Planted: November, 8; Day 18,
Day 5
After 18 days in the cloner, I took four select Little Sisters of Mildred out of the soup and transplanted them into 2.7-gallon (10-liter) pots of 100% perlite. The bottom of each pot was lined with landscape fabric to prevent the perlite from escaping the pot.
The perlite in the pots was lightly soaked with a dilute solution of nutes to make the perlite moldable enough I could form holes that would accept the extensive root structure of the clones with minimal damage.
The holes were backfilled with the perlite as the roots were covered over and sprayed with a light solution of nutes. Once the backfilling of the hole was complete and the roots were fully covered, more of the nutes were poured over each pot, with a concentration in the middle of the pot.
The clone transplants were put into the vegetation box, under a ViparSpectra XS 1000 light running at 25% at 32" above the canopy with light increased and distance decreased until the plants recovered from transplant shock.
I’m currently hand-watering while awaiting new parts for my irrigation system.
We will select two of the clones for the comparative grow. The two others may be used for seeding.
Nutes:
Seedlings and Early Veg Mix
1/2-tsp Cal Mag/Gallon
1/4-tsp Miracle Gro Vegetable & Herbs/Gallon (18-18-21)
pH Adjusted
650 ppm
Lights:ViparSpectra XS 1000
25%-50%
32-24 inches above plants
Project Name: Mildred, the Bell Cow (Do-Si-Dos)
Feminized Photoperiod.
Germinated: August 23, 2023
Flipped: October 28, 2023
Day 85, Week 2.3 Since Flip
Mildred is the clone Mama. And the Bell Cow. We'll study her tendencies as she matures and apply them to her little sisters.
So far we know Mildred just won’t stretch much, she has gone from being split for manifolding and 5-inches tall to a total of 10-inches tall. We hope she grows more.
Even though she is not stretching a lot we have one consolation: the buds are getting really thick, so we should have some fatties here
Reminder: These don’t stretch much!
Nutes:
Early Flowering Mix
1/2-tsp Cal Mag/Gallon
1/2-tsp Miracle Gro Vegetable & Herbs/Gallon (18-18-21)
1/2-tsp Miracle Gro Bloom Booster (10-50-10)
pH Adjusted
1050 ppm
Lights:ViparSpectra XS 1500
100%
16-inches above plants
Amnesia Trance by non-sponsoring breeder.
Feminized Photoperiod.
Germinated October 20, 2023
Day 24
Feminized Photoperiod.
Germinated October 20, 2023
Day 24
This is a tag-along to the journal. She is in the system, but is not the focus of the journal. If something goes horribly wrong with this grow, this plant may end up the subject of my next journal.
May... It has been a problem child.
For example, this sure doesn’t look like Day 24. This thing has been quite a struggle to get going, but a lot of TLC finally got her out of her funky, slow, deformed stage and now growing into something. Her main shoot still isn't very strong.
Thing is, she has lost her place in line and may be transplanted and condemned to an early blurple life until a space opens up ahead of her in the grow box system.
Nutes:
Seedlings and Early Veg Mix
1/2-tsp Cal Mag/Gallon
1/4-tsp Miracle Gro Vegetable & Herbs/Gallon (18-18-21)
pH Adjusted
650 ppm
Applied with spray bottle
Lights:
Mix of household daylight and cheap blurple flat panels kept at 20 inches above plant.
Lawrence should be around here any day now. He is busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. He has lots of family coming in. Lot of them are big fans of our bud. So good times are sure to be coming up!
Hope you follow and we all learn something along the way.
MGM
CL
. 
. CL
