PotChimp's Grandaddy Purple Soilless Grow

[PotChimp]

What strain is it? Connoisseur Genetics Seeds Grandaddy Purple S1 Feminized (5 seeds)

Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages? Indica/Sativa (can't find info on percentages).

Is it in Veg or Flower stage? Seeds germed on 12/25/2011 (paper towel method).

If in Veg... For how long? N/A.

If in Flower stage... For how long? N/A.

Indoor or outdoor? Indoor.

Soil or Hydro? Soilless.

If soil... what is in your mix? Sunshine Mix #8, Root Magic Mychorrizae.

If soil... What size pot? 3 gallon grow bags.

Size of light?
Seedling: 200 watt Feliz blue spectrum mogul-based CFL
Vegetative: 1st half - same; second half 300 watt HPS (33,000 lumen)
Flowering: 300 watt HPS (33,000 lumen)
(This is in a 24 cubic foot room (6 sq.' floor area) and I will be using the Gas Lantern Routine).

Is it aircooled? 4" inline 1702 cfm fan (out); passive airflow (in).

Temp of Room/cab? around 70 degrees F.

RH of Room/cab? 60%

PH of media or res? 6.4

Any Pests ? Not yet; just a few lung-bearing human moochers waiting patiently..... (JK)

How often are you watering? I expect to water 2-3 times/week.

Type and strength of ferts used? Blue Planet Farmer's Pride Complete Organic Line (2x every 10 days by recommended schedule until final flush; strength to be determined), Mega-Gro foliar spray (2x weekly during veg), Cal-Mag (1x monthly until last month).

I've been wanting to play with a purp strain but I waited until a decent sounding one came along. Well, here goes my all.....

I'll post pics when I get all the seedlings up.

 

[PotChimp]

Note : 5 for 5 success on the germ rate. All the seeds are in Miracle-Gro Seed Starter Mix in 4" peat pots. One doesn't even have the shell shook off of its cotylendons and its stem already looks purple.
Post pics soon.....

 

[PotChimp]

Day 4 from seed :

The last one has just barely broken the ground and can't be seen yet. When they start showing their stuff a little I'll post another pic.

 

[BubbaDank]

IM here Too watch the show


Do work

 

[PotChimp]

IM here Too watch the show


Do work

Thanks. Hope I don't disappoint. I'm hoping that what I've read about these purple strains is true, and that these colder Winter temps will bring out the color. I think I read something somewhere about using manganese or magnesium in some strains to enhance purple coloration also, but I'll do more research before I play around.

 

[The General]

I'm watching too! I'm curious about the gas lantern routine.

 

[92tokemaster]

I went back and read your last journal PC and it looks like we have similar set ups space wise. I hoppin on for this one 2

 

[PotChimp]

I'm watching too! I'm curious about the gas lantern routine.

Thanks. I'm coming to the end of a grow I'm using the GLR on now (Tangerine Dream). I wish I had a previous 18/6 TD grow to compare it to, so I knew how the yield is affected. The hour that interrupts the dark cycle keeps a plant from flowering, I can vouch for that. And with an increase in light wattage I hope to maintain at least the same yield. It's going to take a little experimentation, time, and especially result comparison to determine if running a 12/5.5/1/5.5 cycle with higher wattage is cheaper than 18/6 with a lower wattage with the same yield results. Whichever yields more for cheaper will be my pick, as having 2 (possibly 4 soon) small grow areas gives me options. Wish this was Ken's cut.....

 

[PotChimp]

Grandaddy Purple : Day 9 from seed

I'm going to get a seed starter mat to warm up the floor (concrete) because I am getting a slow start here and lock-up with a normal Ph in my other grow. I think temps have something to do with the problem. Lights on is no problem, but the grow bags feel cold to the touch most of the day because of the lights off period and it being Winter.

 

[PotChimp]

Correction: On the first post I listed the 4" inline fan speed @ 1702 cfm. It probably would have sucked up the seedlings and spit them out the other side chopped up if it was that. The real fan speed is 170 cfm.

 

[PotChimp]

Grandaddy Purple - Day 12 from seed :

It's slow going here, but these plants aren't in veg yet. I just put an electric seed mat under them to speed things up a bit. I'll post more pics soon.....

 

[PotChimp]

Grandaddy Purple - Week 2, Day 2 from seed.

Hell of a slow start here. I had to put this plant in from my other grow because I started the flowering cycle with the rest of the grouping it was in, and it's just too small.

Post more pics and data soon.

 

[PotChimp]

At week 2, Day 4 (yesterday) I gave all five plants a little early dose of food (2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses mixed with 1 gallon of distilled water). All were light green in appearance. The seed starter mat hasn't changed the slow rate of growth; the plants don't really look much different now than the last pics. This strain appears to be a slow starter using GLR, but it could be that the GDP strain itself has that trait under any lighting conditions. I'm hoping to see vegetative growth in these in the next few days, at which point they will be put into the 3 gallon grow bags (Root Magic Mychorrizae mixed with Sunshine Mix #8).

 

[PotChimp]

Day 20 from seed :

1024 x unknown mother (5 weeks and 5 days from seed)

For some reason this plant grew its tap root in a spiral, even though there were no restrictions on its root growth area. It is dwarfed, as I suspected it would be due to the fact that it is an off mutation. Out of curiousity I am contemplating applying gibberilic acid to induce male sex organs on this plant to see if I can get it to seed, and cull all seedlings that don't exhibit the same trait.

 

[PotChimp]

Week 3, day 2 : All 5 plants are now in 3 gallon grow bags with the #8 mix and Root Magic Mychorrizae. After watering them in with distilled water I am going to give them their first dose of nutes (2-3 days from now). I purchased a wetting agent for foliar feeding, and I'm going to mix and apply it with Mega-Gro as soon as I see the plants respond to the first feeding.

Note : Under a 200 watt blue spectrum mogul-base CFL this strain does not seem to veg strongly using the GLR method. I am considering starting future GLR grows from seed under the two 150 watt HPS lights as I think this could remedy the problem.

 

[PotChimp]

Week 3, Day 3 from seed

I gave all 5 plants their first dose of nutes this morning (Farmer's Pride - Veg 1 full strength). This should get things going.

Note: I am going to add a 200 watt Feliz full spectrum mogul-base CFL to the 2nd part of veg and the flowering cycle. This will give me 83.33 watts/sq. ft. I increased my other tent to 100 watts/ sq. ft. for Sativa/Haze grows I do and the results are noticeable, so I am going to do the same here with this and future Indica/Kush grows. I am also going to start them under this setup sooner than anticipated to make up for the slow start.

 

[PotChimp]

All 5 plants are responding well to the new medium and are showing a healthier green and a small size difference. It looks to me like veg is starting. I'll mix a foliar spray (Mega-Gro with Coco-Wet, a wetting agent) and apply it as soon as I see the next row of leaves come out. I'll post pics soon.

 

[PotChimp]

Grandaddy Purple : Week 4

I applied Veg 2 nutes at full strength this morning when I took this pic. They look a little light green, and this should pick them up. I'm still waiting for more leaves to apply Mega-Gro. The early move to the was-300-but-now-will-be-500-watt flowering closet will pick things up; I just have to clean and tweak everything first.

Note : From now on I will be using the GLR method under 500 watts after the seedling gets its first row of natural leaves. The growth rate is slow under 200 watts of light.

 

[PotChimp]

Yesterday I topped two of the plants and gave them all another dose of nutes. I'm going to water instead of feed until I see better growth so that I don't build up excessive nutes in the soil. These plants are slow going, and I'm thinking of adding another small MH or HPS and taking out the CFL. I thought I read somewhere that a 175 watt MH bulb can be used in a 150 watt HPS ballast, but until I know that for sure I'm not going to try it. I'll post pics soon.

 

[420GodsTrichome]

Subbed and