My Grow

[Buds Buddy]

I did turn the AC on & set it to 81F. It kicks on when the temp hits 82. Tent has pretty much stayed between 79 - 81F & it's keeping the RH 55-60% so I'm good with this for now. The biggest thing I've noticed is the pots seem to be drying faster. They should be ready for the 3 gr. per gal. feeding tonight at lights on. Then we'll see how long it takes till they need another feeding.
Sorry guys, but I think that 77F temp is not warm enough for good, fast growth so I have to test the waters myself. Everything I've experienced makes me think those VPD charts are wrong. Even different VPD charts vary some & aren't all the same which says to me there's a margin of error.
Well, my 4 day weekend is over so back to work today. See ya all soon !

 

[Buds Buddy]

Today, I fed @ 3 gr. per gallon of MC Equivalent. So, I went from just pH'd water for 2 weeks to 2 gr. per gallon for 2 feedings & now to 3 gr. per gal. We just skipped the 2.5 gr. per gal completely.
So my Tap Water is at 7.6 pH, 180 ppm or approximately 0.4 EC.
Once I add the nutes & pH to 6.3 my ppms are at 542 or roughly 1.1 EC.
I'm not sure exactly how this works; but I think you are suppose to subtract the water ppm from the nute mix ppm to know exactly how many ppms of nutes you are feeding your plants.
542 ppm (Nute Mix)
- 180 ppm (Water)
= 362 ppm's of nutrients or about 0.7 EC.

The leaves on the plants are getting kind of light green so I'm sure they'll enjoy the 3 gr. per gal. They may need even more but we'll go step by step so I don't end up burning my plants.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Morning Buds. Not sure you are correct in subtracting the ppm of your water. They are still salts you are feeding, just not sure what exactly. If you live in a town or city using their water supply then you can get a report telling what is in your water. If on a well you would have to pay for it to be done. Could be wrong (better half tells me that a lot) but either way I think it should stay in your calculations.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Morning Buds. Not sure you are correct in subtracting the ppm of your water. They are still salts you are feeding, just not sure what exactly. If you live in a town or city using their water supply then you can get a report telling what is in your water. If on a well you would have to pay for it to be done. Could be wrong (better half tells me that a lot) but either way I think it should stay in your calculations.

Yes, I think you count the total. I'm just saying you subtract the 2 to know how much of it is actually MC. 1.1 EC is almost the target range for veg so the total ppm's / EC is really close to where it should be. 3.5 - 4 gr. per gal. should put me in the correct range. I'll be at that point in a week.... I hope.

 

[InTheShed]

I don't and I'm pretty sure MrS doesn't measure ppm when working with the ratios and calculations. My ppm pen broke 3 years ago!

 

[Buds Buddy]

I don't and I'm pretty sure MrS doesn't measure ppm when working with the ratios and calculations. My ppm pen broke 3 years ago!

In a way you measure ppm's .... just not directly. The calculations do it for you. I probably don't need to do it, but I'm wanting to know exactly what was what all the way through this grow so I can try to figure out where I'm screwing up.
I'll be honest. It kinds of bugs me when I look at someones journal who has been growing less then a year & their plants look way bigger & better then mine. It just aint right. I have to be doing something wrong ! I've been stuck in this 4 - 5 oz. per plant chit for a few years & no matter what I try I just can't get a bigger yield. I thought for sure my last grow would rock. 3 months of Veg in 7 gal. pots should have gave me 8 oz. + per plant. The biggest was about 5.5 oz. Same thing I get in 5 gal. with 2 months Veg. Talk about disappointed. I'll keep trying & hopefully find the solution in the near future. Not much else I can do really.

 

[InTheShed]

3 months of Veg in 7 gal. pots should have gave me 8 oz. + per plant.

Is that true? I often get 8+oz in 7 gallon pots but I'm growing in the sun. I also do the same thing every time so I can get consistent results, without changing anything from grow to grow. That way when something messes up (like my Jack Herer did) I know what's different. That was the cold temps and temp swings in the shed at night.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Is that true? I often get 8+oz in 7 gallon pots but I'm growing in the sun. I also do the same thing every time so I can get consistent results, without changing anything from grow to grow. That way when something messes up (like my Jack Herer did) I know what's different. That was the cold temps and temp swings in the shed at night.

It was 3 months of Veg if I remember correctly. 5-1/2 months total for the grow (till I harvested last plant). It started Aug. 19th & ended Jan. 28th. As far as 8 oz. per plant.... yes, that's what I expected since it was bigger pots & a longer veg than usual. Only things different were the light & nutes.
Did I just get extremely lucky on the grow "Photos, soil, Mars Hydro Grow"? The smallest yield was 9 oz. I want those kinds of grows continuously if possible. Kind of feel like I'm chasing the dragon. I'm trying to mimic that grow the best I can with what I've got but with the better nute calculations. These plants seem to be off to a slow start though.
I still have to wonder if it was because of the MC Ver 2 with the gray balls. Haven't came close to those yields since the MC changed.

 

[InTheShed]

You really can't compare harvests unless you run the same varieties over and over. I can't recall but I'm not sure you got a pheno like this last time:

 

[Buds Buddy]

You really can't compare harvests unless you run the same varieties over and over. I can't recall but I'm not sure you got a pheno like this last time:

Yes, but all 3 of the plants were big yielders that grow & all different strains (Gorilla Glue, Afghan Kush & Gorilla Girl).
The 9 oz. plant was the small one & the biggest was 11.1 oz. I'm sure strains play a part in things.... but I can't help but think it's me doing something wrong. I'm really good at that.... lol.
Taking pics tonight when lights come on. I'll post them after work tomorrow. 3 weeks old yesterday.

 

[marcus611a]

OK, got the pics. But while doing so was thinking about the differences in grows.
1) I up-potted to 2 gal. pots last time & 1 gal. pots this time. I don't think that's much of a factor.

2) The Temps were higher last time making the soil dry faster & requiring me to feed more often. I was already at 3 gr. MC by the time the plants were 28 days old. Only on 2 gr. at 18 days old this time & temps are lower. Taking 5 days + for my pots to dry out. I do think this is part of it so I'm breaking out the Laser Thermometer to see what the leaf temps are at different tent temps. I think there's about a 5 degree difference.... but not sure.

3) The RH was really low last time which most likely also helped the pots dry faster & required me to feed more often.
Again, I think this plays a part in it.

4) Lux / Photosynthesis may also be playing a part in this as I had my light much higher & brighter last time. I'm going to watch some Dr. Bruce Bugby videos on light today to see if I can optimize things. For now, I did raise my light 6" which puts me at 18" from the canopy. Light is at 75% which gives me 30,100 Lux. 30,000 is the low setting for Veg so I'll increase it slowly or just let the plants grow into the light till the leaves start to curl down to avoid it.
I think turning the power up on the light should raise my temps a little & lower the RH some. Maybe then the soil will dry faster & they'll get fed more.

5) Honestly, I don't have a clue really. Just the thoughts of different possibilities going through my head.... lol.

So let's get to the pics I took less than an hour ago. They're so small I feel like they should only be 10 days old & not 18.

Pics of all 4 :

POP TARTS & WHITE WIDOW :

POP TARTS :

WHITE WIDOW :

White widow is one of my favorites. Besides Venom OG

 

[Buds Buddy]

White widow is one of my favorites. Besides Venom OG

Yes, I like the WW too. It's my 4th time growing it & it always seems to come out pretty good. Never grew Venom OG but bought it at the dispensary before.

 

[marcus611a]

Yes, I like the WW too. It's my 4th time growing it & it always seems to come out pretty good. Never grew Venom OG but bought it at the dispensary before.

Hell yeah I grow that shit it was caked with crystals that shit was all gas poking as hell Venom

 

[Buds Buddy]

I meant to post these pics yesterday, but had such a bad headache didn't feel like dealing with it. So here's my short, but sweet little update. Not a whole lot to tell really as they aren't growing all that fast. They are starting to drink a little more often. Still takes about 4 days for the pots to dry out. They have all had 2 feedings at 3 gr. per gal.
We skipped past the 2.5 gr. per gal. But if I did use it the measurements would have been :
Silica : 11.984 Gr.
Nitrogen : 0.849 Gr.
MC : 2.023 Gr.

But we skipped to 3 gr. so here is what I'm feeding at that level :
Silica : 11.960 Gr.
Nitrogen : 1.116 Gr.
MC : 2.401 Gr.

My plants are still a little on the light green side so I'll up it to 3.5 gr. on my next feeding.
Temps are staying pretty good. 75F has been lights out temp & the highest it's gotten is 81F; but pretty much stays around 79F.
RH stays between 60% - 65% unless I leave the tent doors open. Then it drops to 45% RH.
I'm going to take some Lux readings later today & increase it to 35,000 Lux. Going to up it by 5000 Lux per week till I get to the 45,000 Lux & then stay there for the rest of Veg.
All 4 plants are starting their 5th node. I will be topping them, but not just yet as I plan to clone the 4 Tops (Not the Band... lol). Only topping 1 time this grow. I think topping them too much slows them down a lot. They're already growing too slow for me; so don't want them moving any slower.
The "POP TARTS" plant is twice as tall as the other 3. I need to look up the info on it to find out what I'm growing. I just know it got me high when I bought the weed so I grew the seed I found in it.
OK, I'm talking too much; so let's get to the pics.
Plants were 3 weeks old on the 24th. Here's 2 group shots.

Here's the "POP TARTS & WHITE WIDOW"

"POP TARTS"

"WHITE WIDOW"

"OG KUSH & AURORA INDICA"

"OG KUSH"

"AURORA INDICA"

Today, I get to have fun painting the block wall in my backyard. Went & bought a Wagner Flexio 3000 to do it with. Hope it works OK as I've never used one. By the end of summer I plan to have the yard pretty secluded with bushes to block peoples view so next spring I can try some outdoor plants. Already planted a row of Oleanders down one side of the house so view is blocked from 3 sides now. Just one side to go. Been wanting to do an outdoor grow for a while now, so finally making that possible.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Here's the info I found on "POP TARTS".

Pop Tarts Marijuana Strain​

4.7
Strain Information

Sativa Dominant Hybrid - 70% Sativa / 30% Indica​

THC: 18% - 22%, CBD: 7%​

Pop Tarts, also known as “Poptarts,” is a sativa dominant hybrid strain (70% sativa/30% indica) created through crossing the potent SOGABX2 X Lemon Cake strains. If you're a fan of this bud's namesake breakfast pastry, you'll be head over heels for Pop Tarts. This bud has a sweet and creamy cherry berry flavor with hints of fresh doughy nuttiness and touches of sharp lemony citrus. The aroma is just as delicious, with a nutty fruity overtone that's all wrapped up with sour citrus and fresh earth. The Pop Tarts high is just as delightful, with eye-opening effects that are best-suited for the morning or an afternoon when you need to get up and moving but need a little extra help to get there. It starts almost immediately, slamming into your brain with a high-flying euphoria that launches your mind into an almost frenzied energized state. You'll feel lifted and insanely happy with a boost of creativity and of sociability that lends itself well to any conversation at hand. In combination with its high 18-22% average THC level and super high 2-7% average CBD level, these effects give Pop Tarts an edge in treating chronic pain, headaches or migraines, cramps or muscle spasms, chronic fatigue, depression or mood swings and chronic stress. This bud has fat oversize spade-shaped forest green nugs with thick red-orange hairs and a coating of tiny frosty white crystal trichomes.
Effects
Calming, Energizing, Euphoria, Happy, Sociable, Uplifting
May Relieve
Chronic Pain, Cramps, Headaches, Migraines, Muscle Spasms
Flavors
Citrus, Creamy, Fruity, Lemon, Sour, Sweet
Aromas
Cherry, Citrus, Earthy, Fruity, Sour, Sweet

I guess the 70% Sativa is the reason it's taller than the rest.

 

[Buds Buddy]

It looks like my plants are finally drinking more & growing some. Today they are 4 weeks old; but still seem kind of small to me. 2 of them have 5 complete nodes & 2 have 6 so far. Node spacing on the Indica's are pretty tight. The Sativa (POP TARTS) is still twice as tall as the others. I may need to put each plant under it's own light soon if it keeps growing taller too fast for the rest. I planned to wait till I up-potted to 3 gal pots to put them under their own light.... but that could change. I'll be removing the Mars Hydro TSL 2000 once I up-pot & replacing it with this Viparspectra Blurple I ordered last night.

Mainly looking to add some red during flower as the PAR 1500's seem to be really bright white with very little red. You can notice a pretty big difference in light color from Mars to Vipar. I'm planning to make the red stay on for 15 minutes longer than the Par 1500's. Sort of an Emmerson effect... but not exactly. Curious to see if it makes any difference. I'll be moving the SF1000 & Mars TSL to a closet or my shed to use for clones & mothers when I top these.

Today, they all got fed at 3.5 gr. per gal. of MC Equivalent.
Silica : 14.967 gr.
Nitrogen : 1.461 Gr.
MC : 2.738 gr.

Each plant required 4 - 6 oz. glasses of nutes to get run off. I fed 3 days ago so they must be drinking. Pots were really dry & light & leaves were drooping. Temps haven't went over 81F & RH has been a minimum of 50% & usually closer to 60%. Waiting for the plants to perk up from their feeding before taking pics & posting them.
Back later with some pics !

 

[Buds Buddy]

Hi all. I got the pics done so I'll post them now. Pretty much said what's going on already & not much is new. Spending the weekend doing yard upgrades & reading some of Krissi's journals to see how she gets the yields she does. I'm sure her light is part of it as it's a Mars Hydro & I personally loved the results using those lights. Wish I'd of kept my TSW 2000's (kick me in the ass). Hope the Vipars work as well.
Anyway, since the plants were 4 weeks old yesterday I've decided to post weekly grow pics so I can see the difference.
To me they are growing very slow. Maybe I'm just too impatient.
Let's start with group pics :
Day 3: 2-5-22 Couldn't really see the plants in Day 1 pics.

1 Week Old : 2-10-22

2 Weeks Old : 2-17-22

3 Weeks Old : 2-24-22

4 Weeks Old : 3-4-22

 

[Buds Buddy]

Looks like there wasn't much difference between Week 1 & 2. I'm thinking it was because I had to do the early up-pot due to the root thing. They probably needed to recover from that. Things looked better once I hit week 3 & I can see a difference in week 3 to week 4 also. Hopefully they're ready to take off now.

 

[Krissi Carbone]

I'm very interested in mixing my own nutes. Please keep posting all of the boring stuff. I might not get to this for a couple of months when the boring stuff becomes important details Thanks for putting this together Buds.

I just bookmarked this page as "non prepped nutes" lol thanks Buds, Shed, and Farside

 

[Buds Buddy]

The group shots showed me what I wanted to see so I'll just post the updated pics of the rest. I took these yesterday on their 4 week old anniversary... lol.
So here are 3 pics of the Sativa Dominant "POP TARTS". She still looks hungry to me. I think she may be a heavy feeder & stronger nutes.

Next up are 3 pics of the "WHITE WIDOW" Her green color isn't too bad, but I think she can handle more too.
Actually, all 4 probably could as I haven't seen any burnt tips.