OldMedUser's - 3 Strain - DWC - Soilless - ScroG - ExtravaGanja!

[OldMedUser]

Got the first box of the NL buds in a jar for burping. 16 days of slow drying and they are still a bit damp. Needed to get the big girl out of sight so moved her into the grow room and put the 400W on her. Takes up a lot of space in there so I'll have to take my cuttings and get the SoG tub going. I'll start a new journal for that I think. I want to start my auto breeding project too but might just include it in the new journal.

Here's the daughter of the DWC girl I just cropped. Now going to be a mother herself. She looks a little bedraggled as she's been on short rations because of the lower light she's been getting the last month so gave her a good feed to perk her up and get good cuttings. Extra P and K along with it to promote root growth in the cuttings.

Got my bank of T-12s mostly ready to go. Just some foil to put on as a reflector and white aluminum side flaps that I can fold in for storage. Installed the last pair of lights to get it to 8 and tested it with all my old bulbs. Need some new ones for sure. The GE Daylight Ultras put out 3050 lumens at 6500K so that gives me about 24,000 lumens for and about 8 square feet of coverage, Not great but OK for veg. I have another shop light I could mount horizontally at the back for a bit more light.

I mounted a small biscuit fan and wired a plug for a ceiling fan speed controller like the one I use for my 6" inline fan in the grow room. No fancy box on this one. Bare bones all the way! lol

You can see the quick connects on the power wires to 3 of the ballasts. That way I can run 2 - 4 - 6 or 8 bulbs. The ballasts draw power even if there is no bulbs in the sockets so I wanted to cut them out when I needed to.

Check out the root that was tearing the net pot apart. That plant had been in there for about 16 months all told with the reveg. Root Power!

L8r gators!

 

[McCdive]

The laughs this tread has just provided me is timely and priceless! Thanks!

 

[SweetSue]

Loving what you did with the T12s OldMedUser. Had to stop and see what you had going on. Now that I've posted I can keep an eye on you. I haven't backed up here at all, because I need to work down my current list a bit more before I get lost in something as interesting looking as your journal. I can tell from just a cursory glance that I'm going to like it here, so let me get some backlog out of the way first.

 

[Bamalabrat]

Love the post OMU. Really glad to see you back and happy! BTW that root is I will def follow along with your new journal. I am very interested in your auto breeder ideas. I have a couple of auto seeds that were freebies from Crop King. I am not sure what they are but I may just decide to grow them after the New Years. Any who, thanks for the update and as always looking forward to seeing what you are doing.

 

[Weaselcracker]

When I first glanced at that second pic I thought I was going to be reading that your problem squirrel has come back and you were making a trap for it.
Things are looking crafty at the grow. Good luck with the MOTM race

 

[iwltfum]

Holy root ball OMU! That thing is a beast.

 

[lexort420]

Wow that root ball is crazy! Nice t12 setup ive always wanted to do something like that but I'm always afraid I would burn down my house lol.

 

[jojo677]

Like all the others, I can't believe how big that root is!

Do share you adventures in breeding autos, as I've been curious... I believe TheNuttyProfessor has some journals on breeding feminized autos and growing them out which are quite interesting. He has some nutty techniques!

 

[lexort420]

Hey OMU if ya dont mind me asking, what do you average for GPW?

 

[OldMedUser]

Hey OMU if ya dont mind me asking, what do you average for GPW?

I've never tried to use that method of comparing yields. Most of the results using it are not what I know to be comparable to any scientific standards. Same with many "test" methods used by a lot of people here. I spent 3 years in my 30s getting a university level diploma in chemistry and there are very strict rules that need to be followed to be able to declare any result "absolute". Most math was never my strong point tho most that is needed is truly basic regarding plants.

I've seen side-by-side grows done using different lights or different nutes where there was absolutely no adherence to any kind of basic standards yet one was claimed to be better than the other. Apples/oranges kind of thing.

Once I have some clones off my current mother I will use 2 to compare some things that are going on in the forums now. Defoliation for one. There is a thread where the guy defoliates a lot and very often and is very strident about his results. Some of it I agree with but mostly I don't. If I grow 2 clones from the same mother and do everything the same way with both other than defoliating one and not the other I then have a true result when all is said and done. I also want to have a couple that one gets fed lots of colloidal silver instead of just RO water. I'm thinking CS might just be the ticket to prevent root rot in hydro but don't want to risk my next tub to try it. What's the loss of a clone in a pot of ProMix compared to a tub full of plants.

Things like using Big Bud to grow big colas is something I know to make a big difference from one grow to the next. I'm a chronic label reader for everything and when looking at all the different supplements for various nutrient lines I find it easy to not go nuts and buy everything on the shelf. A lot of repetition in some of them and that can lead to problems. Lack of spare cash is also a big factor. ::

Good base nutes is the key. A decent harvest can be had just using them alone. I use soilless only if growing in pots. I've had too much trouble using real dirt and I'm not good with it. I am damn good and consistent with soilless or DWC so that's what I do.

Understanding your plants wants and needs comes with experience and lets you do things that nOObs can't. As long as they get the basics it's not all that hard to grow a decent plant. Too much fussing kills more plants than neglect.

L8r

 

[B A R]

Well said.

 

[OldMedUser]

Like all the others, I can't believe how big that root is!

Do share you adventures in breeding autos, as I've been curious... I believe TheNuttyProfessor has some journals on breeding feminized autos and growing them out which are quite interesting. He has some nutty techniques!

My foray into growing out some autos is just going to be to find the ones that actually do autoflower from photo strains I've crossed with autos. Some are crossed with LowRyder 1 that is a strain I bought and have grown out to breed with and others are crossed with Purple Jems. That is a consistent strain that was made from Mazar x LR1. Mazar is a great strain that works well for depression but not so good for anxiety.

I live way up north and the only thing that can get done flowering before it gets too cold are autos so I want lots of beans for the spring. I'd like to plant around 500 in dedicated patches and generally toss lots around to see what happens. My own property is too exposed so I'll plant around the many abandoned dugouts that are all over here.

One strain of particular interest to me is my own cross of Cali Mist and Northern Lights #5. I call this strain Northern Mist. I had a Purple Jem male cut loose in my grow last year and have lots of seeds from a NM mist girl that had already been crossed with LR1 but grew as a photo plant. Bound to be some good autos out of these beans. Biggest beans I've ever got. Like little footballs. I haven't counted them but know I have at least 200. I'll be using about 20 at least in my auto hunt.

Once I know I have some autos I want to spray some down with my home made colloidal silver and see if I can't get some femmed autos. Those would likely be for spring 2017 but a good one might just become a regular for indoor growing.

L8r

 

[CCOiler]

^^^^^What BAR said^^^^^

Question OldMedUser: Is it true that if you handle seeds (a lot) it will damage the seed???

Thank you for your knowledge.

 

[OldMedUser]

^^^^^What BAR said^^^^^

Question OldMedUser: Is it true that if you handle seeds (a lot) it will damage the seed???

Thank you for your knowledge.

Doesn't really damage the seed but sets it up for failure RS. Skin oils not only reduce the ability of the seed to absorb water but carry all sorts of contaminants that can comprimize any plants future health.

I make a point of only using sterilized tools etc to handle seeds from the moment they crack the calyxes they matured in to any other handling as they go out to friends. I have a big jar of colour changing crystals and put a half inch into my seed storing jars. 10 year old seeds still seem to work fine, Pollen on the other hand doesn't seem to keep. I've tried drying right out then freezing in sealed vials and all sorts of other ways but it seems like 3 months is the viability limit for me.

L8r

 

[CCOiler]

Doesn't really damage the seed but sets it up for failure RS. Skin oils not only reduce the ability of the seed to absorb water but carry all sorts of contaminants that can comprimize any plants future health.

I make a point of only using sterilized tools etc to handle seeds from the moment they crack the calyxes they matured in to any other handling as they go out to friends. I have a big jar of colour changing crystals and put a half inch into my seed storing jars. 10 year old seeds still seem to work fine, Pollen on the other hand doesn't seem to keep. I've tried drying right out then freezing in sealed vials and all sorts of other ways but it seems like 3 months is the viability limit for me.

L8r

Thank you for that information OldMedUser, but now I have to ask, what is the "color changing crystals"?? And where can I find them? Sorry for being a pain in the a$$.

 

[Pigeons420]

 

[Weaselcracker]

I see you're getting hit pretty hard with the questions here OMU and I'm kind of sorry to hit you up with one more. I'm wondering what your feeding routine is.
What I'm really curious about is- if your nutrient feeding levels were plotted on a graph, what would they look like?
For some reason or other I'm always reluctant to go by the schedule printed on the side of my (Botanicare) nute bottles. Still feeling my way around with a lot of things, and I tend to want to feed lightly. Things always come along to confuse the issue, then I start monkey wrenching around and confuse myself worse.

I'm using Power Flower- 2-2-5. The recommended bloom feeding schedule looks like this-

- 10 ml during transition/week 1, 20ml week 2, then 25 ml straight through until the last feeding, which is 7.5 ml.

My basic question is - is that feeding level 'curve', in as much as it is a curve, similar to what you do? Maximum dosage with a K heavy nutrient almost till the very end?
Do you find that most reccomended feeding schedules are a bit too strong? A lot of people have no problem with the full strength Botanicare schedule, so maybe I'm just being a wimp. Seems to me that I get burned plants when I go full strength, especially if there are any additional supplements.
Thanks OldMed

 

[OldMedUser]

Thank you for that information OldMedUser, but now I have to ask, what is the "color changing crystals"?? And where can I find them? Sorry for being a pain in the a$$.

You won't find them on a store shelf anywhere RS. They are a lab type drying crystal that is coated with some stuff that goes from blue to pink when it gets moist. I used to work at a facility that disposed of hazardous waste and have boxes full of stuff that would have me in jail with terrorists if they ever raid my house.

It's called Drierite and this Wikipedia link will tell you all you need to know. I actually have the same jar of it shown on the first page there. Mine was all pink but after cooking in a toaster oven it's all blue now.

When I make fresh seeds I'll put them in vials but leave the tops off for a couple weeks while the vials sit in a pile of this stuff in a sealed jam jar. Or Mason jar. It quickly draws out excess moisture from the beans then I cap the vial and store it in a jam jar with many others and just a Tbsp or so of the Drierite at the bottom. 10 yo old seeds still germ fine so it must work.

They sell the same stuff to keep your motor home dry inside during the off season and it's dirt cheap. Doesn't have the colour changing thing going but it's the same. A lot of folks say store in rice but if the rice has been sitting around in unsealed containers it's moisture level will be the same as the surrounding air and won't be of any use. Put some in a warm oven, say 250F for a half hour to drive off the moisture then let it cool in a sealed mason jar and then it will pull moisture out of seeds or bud. just the same.

Leave the beans in the Drierite too long and it can dessicate them so much that they will never hydrate enough to sprout.

L8r

 

[OldMedUser]

I see you're getting hit pretty hard with the questions here OMU and I'm kind of sorry to hit you up with one more. I'm wondering what your feeding routine is.
What I'm really curious about is- if your nutrient feeding levels were plotted on a graph, what would they look like?
For some reason or other I'm always reluctant to go by the schedule printed on the side of my (Botanicare) nute bottles. Still feeling my way around with a lot of things, and I tend to want to feed lightly. Things always come along to confuse the issue, then I start monkey wrenching around and confuse myself worse.

I'm using Power Flower- 2-2-5. The recommended bloom feeding schedule looks like this-

- 10 ml during transition/week 1, 20ml week 2, then 25 ml straight through until the last feeding, which is 7.5 ml.

My basic question is - is that feeding level 'curve', in as much as it is a curve, similar to what you do? Maximum dosage with a K heavy nutrient almost till the very end?
Do you find that most reccomended feeding schedules are a bit too strong? A lot of people have no problem with the full strength Botanicare schedule, so maybe I'm just being a wimp. Seems to me that I get burned plants when I go full strength, especially if there are any additional supplements.
Thanks OldMed

I sure wish there was some all encompassing truth I could lay on you regarding feeding with nutes but then I would be god and you would all have to bow down or go straight to whatever hell I pick for you!

There are so many variables with nutes but that's why I like to start with the bare bones and work up. Soilless media or DWC give me pretty much a bare slate to draw on. Then it's just up to the nutes and how I use them that affects the plant's growth. RO or distilled water is another blank that removes a lot of doubt.

If you ent with the grow schedule that AN puts up with your plants I promise you will fail. They say to use the 4ml/L from seedling all the way up to the last week of bloom and that's total BS. I start sprouts at about 0.5mls/L then work up from that depending on how growth is going. About 300ppm for clones in a new DWC tub and probably the same for seedlings in ProMix.

A lot of peeps say not to feed anything at first and that's probably right if you are growing in real dirt. Real dirt has natural nutrients in it so the new sprout has something to feed on. Start the same sprout in ProMix or rockwool and it's starving right away. There is just enough food in that seed to get the leaves up so the poor plant can start to grow but it's hungry for something. I use seaweed ferts to start mine sometimes but a dilute mix of my usual AN nutes is likely better.

Later as the plants get growing well I of course bump up the ppm. That's where experience really helps and you have enough of that to "feel" your plants needs.

almost all the nute schedules I've looked at want you to keep the ppm way up too high until the last week of flowering. Those nasty dried up crispy leaves are the result. Once that starts even flushing and going to a lower ppm won't save them but it will prevent that from going all the way into the sugar leaves around the buds.

If a curve works better for you then I would say a rapid climb at about 45 degrees with a big spike that levels off for the stretch then a gradual slope leading to near zero as cropping gets closer. Many strains really fatten up in the last week or two before they are done so nothing is absolute. Some strains that I've grown out a few times are pretty predictable but a lot of the time it's observation and just a feel for the plants that gets the best results.

Sure wish I could just say do this, that and the other but nothing is that easy in life or growing.

Growing pot to me is a lot like going fishing. When I was younger and all full of ego I'd hit the river determined to get the biggest and most fish and often go home skunked and depressed. The same thing goes on with a lot of newer growers. If it's not the best then it's not worth doing. Once I changed my attitude to going out and enjoying whatever the day brought my way each fish became a valuable bonus to an already great day. Same with pot plants. The journey is the best part and if traveled easy the big buds will come easy too.

Desperation or the need to have the biggest and best destroys what is truly great about all aspects of life. One rich man in ten has a satisfied mind. :: (Goose Creek Symphony)

 

[MagicJim]

Thank you for that information OldMedUser, but now I have to ask, what is the "color changing crystals"?? And where can I find them? Sorry for being a pain in the a$$.

I'm not certain if same substance but many with gun safes use something like Lockdown Silica Gel, 450g 222179, which can be found online through a search or at a local gun shop that sells safes.