Phyto's Phun

[Bill284]

Went down to the garage this AM and for giggles I turned on the pen, and it worked!! I'm now a little skeptical of it's accuracy, but I know the PH of my plain tap water and it was right on, so I tested the water and they got a drink. When the new one comes, I'll calibrate the new one and make sure the readings match between the two. I did let the water/nutes sit over night, and it looks like I got a little precipitate at the bottom of the jug.

I find if you leave nutrients over night the salts start to fall out collecting on the bottom.
This adversely effects the pH as well.
I started aerating the nutrients an hour before using them.
I had 700 litre capacity, so this became something of a concern.
So I aerated it an hour prior and set the pH just prior to feeding each time.
As I burned through pH down I decided to pre mix less nutrients and not keep any nutrients longer than a couple days.
This seemed to improve the necessity to keep phing.
But in coco pH was vital.
Take care.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Phytoplankton]

I find if you leave nutrients over night the salts start to fall out collecting on the bottom.
This adversely effects the pH as well.
I started aerating the nutrients an hour before using them.
I had 700 litre capacity, so this became something of a concern.
So I aerated it an hour prior and set the pH just prior to feeding each time.
As I burned through pH down I decided to pre mix less nutrients and not keep any nutrients longer than a couple days.
This seemed to improve the necessity to keep phing.
But in coco pH was vital.
Take care.




Stay safe
Bill284

I'll keep an extra vigilant eye on the ones I watered today. I almost never keep nutes once mixed, but it was a special circumstance. Turns out, when I measured the PH is was a perfect 6.25. Since the Water Co. wen to the new well my water has been much, much, better! Still too many PPM's for coco/hydro. But a lot better! I'd like to try coco some day, but would require an R/O system, pumps, and plumbing for getting rid of the drain water. I don't have a floor drain in the garage (the garage is 8' below sea level, depending on the tide).

 

[Bill284]

I'll keep an extra vigilant eye on the ones I watered today. I almost never keep nutes once mixed, but it was a special circumstance. Turns out, when I measured the PH is was a perfect 6.25. Since the Water Co. wen to the new well my water has been much, much, better! Still too many PPM's for coco/hydro. But a lot better! I'd like to try coco some day, but would require an R/O system, pumps, and plumbing for getting rid of the drain water. I don't have a floor drain in the garage (the garage is 8' below sea level, depending on the tide).

My town water was 350 ppm sometimes to start.
I ran full strength nutrients through coco for years no problem.
How bad is it to start?




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Phytoplankton]

My town water was 350 ppm sometimes to start.
I ran full strength nutrients through coco for years no problem.
How bad is it to start?




Stay safe
Bill284

The old well ran anywhere from 1200 to 4400 ppm's out the tap, very high in Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, B, with just under the limit for Selenium, and As. Once a month I'd have to remove the shower heads and screens from all the faucets and soak them in CLR or vinegar or they'd plug up. The new well runs about 700 ppm's, still got Ca, Mg, Mn, but almost no iron, B, Se, or As. Problem is, technically the water has not been certified by the state as drinking water, so we're still under a "Do Not Drink" order (almost three years now). The other issue is they are mixing the water from the new and old wells, so one day 700 PPM's, the next day 1500 PPM's. Lastly, there's getting rid of the runoff water. I have catch pans for soil and they just evaporate between waterings, but coco generates a lot more waste water. Someday I will have to try coco, but I'll need an R/O system for certain.

 

[Bill284]

The old well ran anywhere from 1200 to 4400 ppm's out the tap, very high in Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, B, with just under the limit for Selenium, and As. Once a month I'd have to remove the shower heads and screens from all the faucets and soak them in CLR or vinegar or they'd plug up. The new well runs about 700 ppm's, still got Ca, Mg, Mn, but almost no iron, B, Se, or As. Problem is, technically the water has not been certified by the state as drinking water, so we're still under a "Do Not Drink" order (almost three years now). The other issue is they are mixing the water from the new and old wells, so one day 700 PPM's, the next day 1500 PPM's. Lastly, there's getting rid of the runoff water. I have catch pans for soil and they just evaporate between waterings, but coco generates a lot more waste water. Someday I will have to try coco, but I'll need an R/O system for certain.

Wow that's high, way more than I thought acceptable.
I understand that's too much.
RO some day sounds like a plan.
Hope they fix that for you.
Take care.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Phytoplankton]

A phew things to report, some good, some not so good! My new PH pen arrived, after calibrating it I compared it against the old pen (which miraculously started working again), the pen I was using was off by about .15, so when it was reading 6.2, it was actually 6.05. Then a couple days ago I noticed shiny looking spots on a couple leaves of one plant, I pulled the leaf and examined it, damm, found a phew thrips!!! I checked all the plants, I phound one other (next door) that had a couple thrips. I probably pulled 30-40 leaves oph the plants in the tent examined them under a loop, and only phound evidence of thrips on two plants. I dusted them both with diatomaceous earth, even held the bags upside down and had the wiphe dust under the leaves. Also, put a nice layer of DE on top of the soil of all the pots I'm 4-6 weeks into phlower, so I'm going for control, not eradication, just don't want to spray chemicals on the buds. As a back-up I have some Castille soap I can mix up, but in checking today I could not phind a thrip or evidence of any more.

So, here's one of the Northern Light runts starting ro purple up:

Looks like a snowstorm hit:

But overall things are looking good:

The only blips on the horizon are: It's supposed to get hotter this coming week, so it will be a struggle to keep the tent under 90 degrees, then next week I'll be gone phor about 8 days, but I have a relative that will come by and check/water them.

 

[Phytoplankton]

Did a rather extensive thrip hunt this morning, the results were: "No thrips phound". I see no more damage and could not find a live one. Probably looked at 30-40 leaves. I did see a tiny bit of old thrip poop, and a couple dead (cut up by the DE) larvae, no adults. Hopephilly the DE in the pots and on the leaves will break the liphe cycle without the use of chemicals.

 

[OGpapa]

Always get yourself some lady bugs

 

[Phytoplankton]

Always get yourself some lady bugs

Considered it, but I don’t want a garage full of dead ladybugs. I’ve used them in greenhouses where they can eventually escape and restart their migration/life cycle. Plus, I think the DE would not be good for them.

 

[Bill284]

A phew things to report, some good, some not so good! My new PH pen arrived, after calibrating it I compared it against the old pen (which miraculously started working again), the pen I was using was off by about .15, so when it was reading 6.2, it was actually 6.05. Then a couple days ago I noticed shiny looking spots on a couple leaves of one plant, I pulled the leaf and examined it, damm, found a phew thrips!!! I checked all the plants, I phound one other (next door) that had a couple thrips. I probably pulled 30-40 leaves oph the plants in the tent examined them under a loop, and only phound evidence of thrips on two plants. I dusted them both with diatomaceous earth, even held the bags upside down and had the wiphe dust under the leaves. Also, put a nice layer of DE on top of the soil of all the pots I'm 4-6 weeks into phlower, so I'm going for control, not eradication, just don't want to spray chemicals on the buds. As a back-up I have some Castille soap I can mix up, but in checking today I could not phind a thrip or evidence of any more.

So, here's one of the Northern Light runts starting ro purple up:

Looks like a snowstorm hit:

But overall things are looking good:

The only blips on the horizon are: It's supposed to get hotter this coming week, so it will be a struggle to keep the tent under 90 degrees, then next week I'll be gone phor about 8 days, but I have a relative that will come by and check/water them.

They look great Amigo.
How are those great colors now?




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Phytoplankton]

They look great Amigo.
How are those great colors now?




Stay safe
Bill284

A little more purple everyday! One Northern lights is purple, the other is not. I also have a blue dream, so far it’s not blue!
Thanks!

 

[Phytoplankton]

I'm starting to pheel like Rosanna-Rosanadana, "iph it's not one thing it's another". Had been noticing that one of the Northern lights had lots of buds, but they were not philling out like the other one. Took a hard look, and found NANNERS! So that one went immediately out of the tent and into the garden. It was the purple one, so I may get a phew seeds, at a minimum in that plant and possibly others. I wouldn't mind some free seeds. But I hope the seeds are conphined to one or two plants.

 

[OGpapa]

Consider it a blessing in disguise

 

[BeccaBuds]

What I hate is when you find 1 good seed in your crop, and you find it burning in your pipe...

 

[Phytoplankton]

What I hate is when you find 1 good seed in your crop, and you find it burning in your pipe...

Yeah, been there, done that, got the T-Shirt! It’s even worse when the little buggers explode in the bowl, I lost a good chunk of mustache that way once!

 

[OGpapa]

It's like. . . Sniff sniff....is it? Puff puff. Yup. It is. Damnit!

Seeds are few and far between on the good plants. Good and plenty on the others.

 

[BeccaBuds]

That brings back memories... burning embers flying out the bowl right on to my blouse! Owwee! Lately I've had a couple really irritating Bic lighters- when you extinguish the flame a blast of gas comes out and blows ashes all over. Grrr. Gotta move it away from the pipe first!

 

[Phytoplankton]

Time phor another update! Was gone for 6 days and had a phamily member water phor me, everything was pretty good when I got home. We're nearing the home stretch on a phew of the plants. Still having minor yellowing problems and possible K dephiciency that may be caused by the Calcium levels being too high and blocking K uptake, so I'm going to cut out the calmag for awhile. My water is quite hard, so calmag may not be necessary.

Here's a couple overall shots:

Here's a couple bud shots:

 

[Bill284]

Time phor another update! Was gone for 6 days and had a phamily member water phor me, everything was pretty good when I got home. We're nearing the home stretch on a phew of the plants. Still having minor yellowing problems and possible K dephiciency that may be caused by the Calcium levels being too high and blocking K uptake, so I'm going to cut out the calmag for awhile. My water is quite hard, so calmag may not be necessary.

Here's a couple overall shots:

Here's a couple bud shots:

If your in soil you may have to wash the pot out.
If the build-up is that bad 3x volume plain water through the pot!
You still have what 3 weeks left?
Just a thought.
Hope your well Amigo.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[Phytoplankton]

Thanks Bill. I've phlushed the soil twice already, but it may be time again. My problem right now is I have contractors putting new siding on my house (70 years of depherred maintenance) so I can't get the babies out of the tent/garage for a week or more. I adjusted the light timing to make sure their oph between 4 PM and 10 PM during peak electricity cost.