ScienceGrow's Fast & Vast Autoflower In Soil Under LED

[ScienceGrow]

Damn are they smellin good and strong. Not sure if it's just lifecycle or if those new microbes are helping, or both, but it's so sweet smelling it's almost sickening. That filter is doing the trick though.

They're finally packing on weight. Probably will still be a small harvest overall, but at least there's some meat on there now.

Still mostly clear, though there's a good deal of milky, and no sign of amber. Stigmas are starting to orange and recede for all plants. I expect more weight gain over the next week, then ripening.

Oh, they've got some company. One feminized Samsara Holy Grail 69 Feminized, and two regulat Afghan seeds. I may have killed one or both afgans; had them pre germinating in paper towels, paper towels dried out at one point. Sowed them directly to half gallon containers of promix seedling. Will see, they were free and I have a bunch more seeds coming tomorrow.

 

[Emilya Green]

Hey there Science... just saw your profile message to me, and have now caught up here on your log. Good job so far on everything, you are doing great and learning a lot! A couple of points I will make after just reading all of this... first, your comment about never doing soil again indoors, and having so much control in hydro. Control you may have, but hydro can go very bad, very quickly too.. and then an entire crop and months of work are lost, nothing you can do about it. An issue like you had here with the mag may have been a fatal mistake in hydro... but in soil you had a bit of a buffer, and you had time to figure it out.

I failed miserably in the past in two different hydro methods because of issues out of my control, and back when I was not as good at reading plants as I am now. I still consider hydro an advanced technique, and I find soil easier for many reasons. Everyone is different though, and you are probably like me and at least have to try it on your own. Good luck in that area, no matter which way you go.

Now, on the current grow... you are still not trusting your pH and I want to explain drift to you. First, adjust your pH right at the bottom of the soil range, at 6.3... and then since you have recognized that your soil has a strong drift, use it to your advantage. You actually want the soil to drift all the way through the 6.3-6.8 range in between waterings if you can make that happen. This way, the pH lands on the optimum spot for each nutrient, right where they are the most mobile in the soil and in the plant... two different pH's in several instances. The drift is your friend... celebrate it happening... it means your soil is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Ahh, thanks for your reply.

I've actually changed my mind again on the medium, sinice learning the true source of my early issues. I'm back to soil/soilless as a preference. Mostly, because of those thinges out of my control. I often have to wait hours to address an issue, with family life and such.So topping off a reservoir or correcting an imbalance would be a problem.

So, looks like soil for the foreseeable future for me, though soilless mixes have been working well and I'm going to give coco a shot.

I do try to let my pH start at the low end and drift up, but if I see it hasn't drifted high enough I adjust it myself. Not a whole lot of drift going on, a couple points every few days.

My biggest issue that I have trouble finding a definitive answer for, is what is the actual best range for soil. Some say 6-7. Others say 5.8-6.5. You say 6.3-6.8. I've been keeping it between 6 and 6.5, pretty much.

Anyway, I think my plants are growing as well as they could be considering the early issues. They're fattening okay. Won't be a remarkable grow, but should hold me over till the clones harvest, and I've got several more good auto seeds coming soon, hopefully today, so hopefully I'll do a better job with them.

On the upside, they smell divine, and are glistening with resin. I can't wait to have a taste.

Thanks again emilya. I think now that my lighting issue is resolved and not throwing random symptoms, I'll be able to trust myself again.

Oh, photos tonight.

 

[Emilya Green]

My biggest issue that I have trouble finding a definitive answer for, is what is the actual best range for soil. Some say 6-7. Others say 5.8-6.5. You say 6.3-6.8. I've been keeping it between 6 and 6.5, pretty much.

The optimum pH range for soil depends entirely on the plant you are trying to grow in it. Trees need one pH, and cabbage for example, thrive at 5.0 pH. We have found that our weeds, thrive between 6.3-6.8. This is why we recommend this range.

If you are not seeing that full drift in your soil between waterings then it is probably not best to start on the low side, since some of the trace minerals, molybdenum for example, does not start becoming mobile till above 6.5. In a typical soil with a typical pH drift, we usually recommend just a bit lower than half way on the range, or 6.5. This picks up the lower ranged micronutrients and heavy metals where the mobility ends about 6.4-6.5, and allows you to drift into the rest.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Thanks again emilya, and all others. I'm closing this grow down soon here, and starting a new one soon.

I chopped my smallest early last week, as I was out, and I wanted to see what early weed smoked like. Very heady, uppy, happy. Wife loves it actually. Smells and tastes great even with a short cure. It's sweet/fruity/citrusy, fairly smooth. Sticky as all hell.

I chopped the next shortest two days ago, as it was about perfect in the trichones. Mostly cloudy, and on a photo of thousands of trichomes I saw three amber. It's currently drying, and will get a full dry and cure.

The third, the tallest, I'm letting go late. I'd like to see what effect that has. I'm hoping for extreme couch lock. This plant is now in my other cabinet soaking up much more light and CO2. Will pull at 50% amber.

I'll get pics up, but this grow was a bit of a dud. Strange behavior from the plants, to be honest. The buds fattened, and are dripping in resin, but, it's weird. It's like the buds only grew on one plane, instead of alternating around the stem. And they're big, but not densely packed. There's lots of sites, but only a couple calyxes at each one. Mostly. I've got some really nice looking buds too, but they're the exception. Lots of trimming, but they're smoke ready, no grinding necessary haha.

So, I'll get pics up tonight, and then I'm closing this out.

I've already started my next grow, 2 x Dutch Passion Snow Storm #2(auto), one in Fox Farm soil with Fox Farm nutes and my other additives, one in Roots Organic Soil with the Roots Master Pack nutes. Germinating in soil now. This grow will be fully documented as an Organic vs. Synthetic grow.

I also have three regular seedlings growing now. Two Afghani #1 and a Holy Grail 69. Those will get their own grow journal.

 

[ScienceGrow]

The last one will get chopped as soon as the trichomes go 50% amber. Maybe another week or so. She's under the larger light now, but fairly crowded in there.

Okay, here's a quick image dump. Still need to get that tripod.

This was an underwhelming and disappointing grow, but I've already got new seeds popping and am ready to move to the next challenge with some lessons well learned. I'll be going T5s in my veg cabinet for this next grow, as I'm not sure I can trust that cheap LED, and it really leans red on the spectrum. I'm also going organic in soil, with a synthetic side-by-side. Should be interesting. I'll be back to update this when I harvest the last plant but consider this journal basically done.

Oh yeah, that third one is purpling. I think it's because I haven't fed it nutes in a little over a week.

 

[JuanCarlos]

The one that's purpling is Fast and Vast? Looks like Dr. Grinspoon.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Yeah, Fast & Vast. I don't know Dr. Grinspoon.

Not sure if Fast & Vast usually purples, lots of incomplete grows with this strain. Pretty sure its caused by not feeding for over a week, maybe the cold water I gave it. I actually decided to feed last night so I can get it to half amber before it dies.

Didn't notice the purple till I took that pic. My LEDs are purplish so it looked kinda normal, but that photo was taken with the flash as the only light source, so the purple is real. And damn, that lighting really shows the resin.

 

[JuanCarlos]

Grinspoon is a sativa known for it's popcorn like buds. Well, supposedly. The grows of it that I have seen on here were more akin to regular bud. Yours is the closest thing I have seen to it and it's not even it!

 

[ScienceGrow]

Heh, yeah, those buds are popcorny, I know. These grow so freaking weird. Like they grew a ton of popcorn instead of a couple larger buds.

But, they're sure tasty and effective.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Hey JuanCarlos, I looked up Dr. Grinspoon, and wow, it looks exactly like these plants, you're right. Very strange.

 

[JuanCarlos]

Yeah man. Really interesting bud, that's for sure. I am going to have to tune in for the smoke report.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Will post an official smoke report, but so far:

Early Harvest(half cured): Smooth, slight sweet/citrusy, almost, almost sickly sweet, but not quite. My wife and brother in law both tried it and enjoyed the unique flavor and aroma. Unique because usually it just smells like weed.

They both commented on the high. He wasn't a big fan, but he prefers as hard a couch lock as he can get. My wife absolutely loved it, saying it felt more clear and airy, happy, different then our usual stuff. She had only a couple hits. Smoking a full bowl of it makes it pretty racy

Perfect Harvest (barely dry, no cure):
Smooth. Stronger citrus, and an emergence of pine. Not as sweet. The high was similar to the early harvest but came on faster and stronger. Did a bit more to relax me too. Not as racy.

Late harvest is next week probably, so will update then.

I say smooth but maybe I don't know what smooth is. To me, it means I don't cough.


Also, doing MH instead of T5. Better form factor for my cabinet.

 

[JuanCarlos]

It sounds like you are actually describing the sativa high of Grinspoon. So weird.

 

[cogreen]

That purple plant is very interesting looking (not in a bad way) and your close-up photos are cool.

Things are looking good; nice work!!

 

[ScienceGrow]

Well, now we know how to make a plant grow like Dr. Grinspoon! Just give it too much intense light. Which makes me wonder if Dr. Grinspoon is light sensitive and would grow "normally" with lower levels of it.

Yeah cogreen, these plants were interesting. I was a bit disappointed, but I got my second plant trimmed and curing last night and ended up with a full ounce off the second one. The third is likely to be about the same. The first, maybe a half ounce, I didn't bother checking. Regardless, I'm not quite as upset about this grow as I had been.

Well, new grow journal going up tonight probably. 2 x Regular Afghan seeds, 1 x Samsara Holy Grail 69 Feminized, and two Dutch Passion Snow Storm #2 Autos, to keep the grow exciting. Then two Fast Buds Girl Scout Cookies.

7 plants, three harvest periods, and a couple fun experiments. I can't wait to see if my Low Stress Topping method works, which would make toping autos a viable option, and would speed manifolding. It's based on sound science, but my understanding of that science may be flawed, so we'll see!

Anyway, all five seeds popped and sprouted, so I'm confident enough to start that journal tonight. I think it will be a great grow!

 

[ScienceGrow]

Quick question guys, before I ask elsewhere. Just got a 150W metal halide for my veg cabinet(2' x 2') and I've got five small seedlings it'll be going over.

How far would you say I need to place the light for seedlings, considering the space and wattage given? Ventilation is not an issue, I have that handled, just not sure about how much light I should give them.

 

[JuanCarlos]

I have no experience with a low wattage HID, but I think 18"-24" would be fine for a seedling.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Chopped the third plant, drying now.

Made some butter from that second plant. Making cookie brownies later. Yum, can't wait.

New grow is up and running. Three strains, two regular plants, one feminized, two autoflower. Organic vs. Synthetic shootout. Maybe some girl scout cookies at the end, space permitting. In my signature.

Thanks Juan Carlos, I set it at 24" and they seem happy. I get 11,000 lux at that height.

 

[ScienceGrow]

Smoked some of the late harvest stuff. Wow, couch lock. I felt drugged, tired, stoned, relaxed. It wasn't cured so not much taste or smell but I imagine it will be piney/citrusy, more piney than the earlier harvested plants, but probably similar.

So with this grow I learned that LED light can be placed too close to the plant without causing heat issues but instead causing all kinds of strange deficiencies. I've learned how autos grow. And I've confirmed that harvest time has a profound effect on the high.

Learned a lot but am ready to move on. At least I finished them out unlike so many other Fast & Vast grows. I may try the F&V again, but I see they have 2 Fast 2 Vast and a lemon version.

This grow is done. I'll get an official smoke report over to the appropriate area.

Please follow me in my other two current journals. I'll be harvesting a TON of tasty bud from my bagseed clones (best bagseed ever,) and my new mixed grow should be exciting. Doing side by side comparison of Fox Farm and Roots Organic products, plus an experiment in Low/No Stress Topping.