PotChimp's Soilless Sativa Grow

[PotChimp]

Thanks, everybody. Hope these flower out nicely myself. Maybe I should start taking these out to take pics.

 

[TorturedSoul]

These thin leaf weed plants need a lot of light I guess.....

Well, it is a South African sativa.

Might even flower well under 11 or 10 hours of darkness (IDK).

 

[Twelve12]

That would be great. Individual profile of the plant.

 

[PotChimp]

Well, it is a South African sativa.

Might even flower well under 11 or 10 hours of darkness (IDK).

Being South African, I thought it might still be mad about Apartheid.

I have them under 11/13 now and they seem to do well under that schedule. I am going to switch to 10/14 today. I'm trying the gas light method I see being used here by some people on all three of the grows I have going. It seems to be working okay on my 3 Tangerine Dream plants so far.

 

[PotChimp]

That would be great. Individual profile of the plant.

Raspberry Cough

Panama

South African Kwazulu

Wild Thailand

I put the Kwazulu directly under the light and put the other taller plants to the ends of the tent when I rearranged this morning.

 

[PotChimp]

It looks like the plants are all the size where they need nutes every watering. I've been giving nutes every other watering, but now they are showing signs of nute deficiency. The Kwazulu only has about 3 or 4 more weeks so I will only give it one or two last doses. Skimpy plants, huh? Oh well, I wanted Sativas.....

 

[PotChimp]

I trimmed some shade leaves out to let the light penetrate deeper towards the buds this morning. There is so much to trim on the Kwazulu that I am only doing it a few branches at a time; it's a rat's nest I gave the plants nutes again yesterday afternoon also. Post pics soon.

 

[4twenty4all]

Hi PotChimp! I hope you don't mind my opinion on this.... To me it looks like your Raspberry Cough and South African Kwazulu are receiving too much nutrients and a slightly high PH. My suggestion, and you don't have to take it, is to first flush both plants with plain water with about 12 gallons at once each. Then let them dry out for a few days then back the nutes down on the Raspberry Cough by 25% and about 50% on the South African Kwazulu and get the PH to about 5.7 - 5.8 for at least a week and see how they look. In my experience, some exotic Sativa's do much better on a light nutrient schedule. Again, I hope you don't mind my butting in ;-) The others are looking pretty good though!

 

[PotChimp]

Thanks for the input, 4twenty4all. As soon as the lights come on I will check the soil. I just took it for granted that using all Ph neutral nutes and mediums would mean not having a problem with it. The curled look to the leaves on the RC could be from being pressed against the front and side of the grow tent, though. All of the plants (especially the SAK) have the paleness of lack of nutes, except the RC. Could be lock up, so a flush might not be a bad idea. I just did a rearrangement to get the SAK directly under the light, and I'm starting to trim some of the excessive growth on it. This should help it, and put the RC a little more in the open. I have been thinking a lot lately about using 1/2 strength nutes across the board, unless I see signs in the plant that it is a heavy feeder. Every grow I've done (except Pineapple Express) has shown leaf tip burn from excessive nutes.

 

[PotChimp]

I checked the Ph levels and all are okay except the Kwazulu, which was 6.8. Damn, nute lockout. I flushed with 6 gallons of filtered tap water and checked again this morning. 6.2; a little better. I flushed again with another 6 gallons and flushed the other 3 plants as a precautionary measure. I'll dilute my nutes to half strength and apply them after they are done bubbling tomorrow. Good lesson here. Now I know what the problem looks like, and I won't take Ph levels for granted without doing regular checks and recording them anymore.
Thanks again 4twenty4all.

 

[PotChimp]

Flowering : Day 33

After another 5 gallon flush to the Kwazulu I let everything dry out and applied BP Farmer's Pride, 5th week of 12/12 at 1/2 strength to all the plants. This Kwazulu has a flowering period of 8 weeks according to the breeder's website, which would leave approximately 23 days left before chop. I'll watch and maybe one more time. It'll be nice to get this SAK out of the tent and give a good open space to these other 3 plants for the last 3 or 4 weeks of their lives. I see a lot more yield potential in them, especially the RC. Can't wait to burn some of this up.....

 

[Twelve12]

Plants looking good. Some of the colas looks massive.

 

[PotChimp]

Thanks Twelve12. Here's a few more after a flushing followed by a week of neglect on my part (due to a move I am involved in at the time).....

Raspberry Cough

Wild Thailand

Panama

All the Ph levels are running between 6.4 and 6.8 but I still have nute deficiency signs. If it was nutrient lockout I imagine it should be okay to give nutes again (at 1/2 strength, except the SAK, which is only two weeks from chop so I'll let it go as is). They all are a little wet from the flush, so I am going to wait a day or three.

 

[PotChimp]

Flowering : Day 48

I did a crappy job on this SAK.....

.....but it's all a part of the learning process. I'm putting this one on my do-over list. Next time way less nutes, way more light, and (my main lesson learned by mistakes here) feeding by inspection (spotting nutrient needs in the plant) NOT BY SCHEDULE.
I can't wait until I get it out of the tent; the Raspberry Cough is looking frosty enough to consider making a mother plant out of, and the Panama is smelling sweet. The wild Thailand looks good too, even though all of them are looking rough from being grown by a chimp

 

[BigIrishDoode]

i think they look good, your doing fine!

 

[Twelve12]

Your plants are looking great. Have you thought about white balance your camera to take pictures under HPS without the yellow color?

 

[PotChimp]

Your plants are looking great. Have you thought about white balance your camera to take pictures under HPS without the yellow color?

I may stumble across a setting I haven't tried before, but so far no luck. I set the dial on the back of the camera to "P" (programmed seetings), then highlight "white balance" (it doesn't highlight under the other settings). Setting it with the white sheet of paper still leaves me with yellow pics. My camera is a little out of date. Until I can afford a decent one, now and then I'll post pics outside of the grow tent. I can't be appreciative enough to people for offering to help, but I just ordered a book called "Hemp Diseases and Pests" (Cabi Publishing, by J.M. McPartland) to end this diagnosis by cartoon illustrations problem that has me throwing darts with a blindfold on. Cervantes, Rosenthal, and Green all have good books if you just want to grow weed in a closet. I need to know how and why the plant is doing what it is doing, and I can handle a little more than the layman approach they take. The only reason I need pics in a book (preferably high def pics) is to show me (in great detail) physical details of symptoms so that I can distinguish one problem from another and not mistake one problem for another like I've been doing. From the detailed excerpts I've read from this book I know I'll end the process of elimination and get my knuckles off the ground.
P.S.: When the breeder's recommend 600 watts/sq. m for certain Sativas, they're not doing it because the webpage looks too blank and they wanted to fill it in with anything that will fit. I'm moving to a 600 watt air cooled digital ballast HPS/MH for Hazes and exotic Sativas in the future to cover 6 sq. ft. (100w/sq.').

 

[Twelve12]

Worth a try if you have a tungsten setting use it under white balance when shooting under HPS light. Yeah, if you want to look at details of cannabis problems you can find it online no need for cartoon version, hard to tell. 600w/sq sounds good per one plant. How many will you have under the light?

 

[PotChimp]

Worth a try if you have a tungsten setting use it under white balance when shooting under HPS light. Yeah, if you want to look at details of cannabis problems you can find it online no need for cartoon version, hard to tell. 600w/sq sounds good per one plant. How many will you have under the light?

Once I do my run-through-the-strains to find my fave (or breed to get a fave later when I learn more) probably only one if the strain grows tall or bushy (train it after I read up on techniques on how to do so for maximum results) or two if I can control size well enough (top, then later rotate and reposition like I'm doing now). I'll keep trying with my camera. Until then I'll take them out here and there.

 

[PotChimp]

Well a little voice I needed to hear in my conscience ripped me a new one. Looking in my tent, I could hear it say, "You know, you've had nothing but bad luck with this SAK, mostly due to YOU not hitting the books hard enough and doing all the wrong things. The good news is that you know what NOT to do now. But it's only adding to the bad results when you get stubborn, focus all your attention on nursing this wilted, overwatered, overfertilized, airbud (lots of 'em, though) failed venture. C'mon, your smashing THESE into the walls, putting them out of the light, and neglecting them for this sickly Kwazulu??!?!?

Cut the SAK this morning.Yesterday I could barely see any clear trichs (not that this plant is covered) so it can't be far off.
I'll Cal-Mag these last three and to pick them back up, but it is only 3 weeks to chop from breeder's time so I have to lay off soon and finish off with waterings then flush. Kickin' myself in the behind on this grow......