gr0w
Well-Known Member
Yup! That's it!
Great guideline.
I use this and also the recirculating hydroponics chart that he made.
Big help
Scientific's Coconut Coir Dwarf Low Flyer Summer Pot In An Air Pot Grow
Great guideline.
I use this and also the recirculating hydroponics chart that he made.
Big help
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- #22
Scientific
New Member
Just so you know, Nebula is a she (and a real cutie). Her website is awesome.
MrJojo
New Member
Day 29 -- She's going into flower at 10" tall
Two shots for your amusement as she begins her fifth week. I apologize for not updating more. I do have some science stuff I want to post about tracking PPM and pH...
Camouflage so when the upstairs neighbors look down on my deck and see her amongst the tomatoes and flowers (which are there mostly for concealment) they think she's just another pretty face. (Can you see that she's switching over to flowering from the froufrou around the growth tip?)
That disguise is impeccable.
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- #24
Scientific
New Member
Day 36 (and Post #1000!) -- Fungus Gnats
Every time I pick up the pot now, fungus gnats go flying around. They look like they are on the bottom of the pot, but maybe that's just because it's cool and damp and dark under there--there's an inch of space between the bottom of the pot and the saucer.
I'm wondering if maybe the natural, organic, open weave of the burlap I'm using might give the flies access to the pot somewhere other than from the top? Can they just lay eggs right through the openings in the weave or right into the wet burlap? My readings tell me that fungus gnats love over-wet soil, but when you're watering coco coir once or twice a day, there's not a lot you can do about that. (The guy in the video in post #13 put an inch of sand at the top and bottom of his pots to keep the bugs out, something I'll remember for next time.)
Anyway, this evening the bottom of the pot and the coco on top all got sprayed with 1% neem oil, an organic product from Bayer. (I guess they make more than just Aspirin.
) Actually, the top layer is about an inch of hydroton that I put on there in the hope that it would block insects, but apparently that didn't work.
Wish me luck! Death to fungus gnats!
Every time I pick up the pot now, fungus gnats go flying around. They look like they are on the bottom of the pot, but maybe that's just because it's cool and damp and dark under there--there's an inch of space between the bottom of the pot and the saucer.
I'm wondering if maybe the natural, organic, open weave of the burlap I'm using might give the flies access to the pot somewhere other than from the top? Can they just lay eggs right through the openings in the weave or right into the wet burlap? My readings tell me that fungus gnats love over-wet soil, but when you're watering coco coir once or twice a day, there's not a lot you can do about that. (The guy in the video in post #13 put an inch of sand at the top and bottom of his pots to keep the bugs out, something I'll remember for next time.)
Anyway, this evening the bottom of the pot and the coco on top all got sprayed with 1% neem oil, an organic product from Bayer. (I guess they make more than just Aspirin.
) Actually, the top layer is about an inch of hydroton that I put on there in the hope that it would block insects, but apparently that didn't work.Wish me luck! Death to fungus gnats!
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- #25
Scientific
New Member
Thanks! It's a little less effective now that there are real cannabis flowers alongside the fake fabric ones, but from a distance I think it still works well enough.
I just had to lower the pot a little bit, too, so its leaves aren't hanging over the railing. Those seven-pointed leaves seen from below and silhouetted against the sky are pretty distinctive.
MrJojo
New Member
That is very true now you need to work on silhouette disguises! I rate you do cut outs of a T-Rex.
Leaves? What leaves? That's obviously a miniature T-Rex family on their annual migration from that side of your balcony to the other.
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- #27
Scientific
New Member
LOL. I'll get on that right away. The migrating T-Rexs need to be adorned with fake flowers, though.
Old TimingMan
New Member
Do you think your fungus gnats migrated from the plants around them? I though coco was pretty much bug/pest free.
I know sand on top of soil will stop them but not sure if it would work with coco, might find its way to the bottom fast.
I know sand on top of soil will stop them but not sure if it would work with coco, might find its way to the bottom fast.
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- #29
Scientific
New Member
Hey OTM -- The plant spends most of it's time out on the deck, and it's nature's wonderland out there for all manner of bugs and spiders. But who knows, maybe the eggs were in the coco when they bricked it up in Maylasia?
I read somewhere--probably right here--that fungus gnats love coco coir. I don't know if that's true, but first there was one, then there were 10...
I hear ya about migrating sand. I'll bet you're right. The perlite goes the other way and seems to love to come to the surface.
Old TimingMan
New Member
Hit them where it hurts and hit them again, have not had them in the current grow but have had them in other house plants...fingers crossed!
Hit them where it hurts and hit them again, have not had them in the current grow but have had them in other house plants...fingers crossed!
Just found your grow man woot I'm in! I changed from soil to coco in my first grow (at the end of flower now) because of fungus gnats and overwatering insurance. I had a heavy hand with the water. I have heard of folks who treat coco like hydro and there are those who treat it like soil. I believe the trick is to just tease them enough that they are thirsty again the next day. I like to feel that my smart pot is light the next day. It's a clue to me that they actually drank what I gave them. If the pot is still heavy, I might skip a feeding.
Keep in mind, it's my first grow but I managed to not kill the plants so...yea hehe. They aren't breaking no records in bud size either. Point is, listen to the ladies and they'll let you know what they want!
Pumped for this grow buddy!
gr0w
Well-Known Member
Question for you Scientific.
What do you do with your water run off after watering?
I have my coco plants in the tent now and have a drip tray under the fabric pots and water til the 10-20% runoff. But what do you do with it? Do you get the runoff out of the tray? Or can you just leave it in there?
Thanks.
What do you do with your water run off after watering?
I have my coco plants in the tent now and have a drip tray under the fabric pots and water til the 10-20% runoff. But what do you do with it? Do you get the runoff out of the tray? Or can you just leave it in there?
Thanks.
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- #33
Scientific
New Member
Thanks AW. Nice to see you again.
Did you get a chance to watch the guy's video in post #13? His preachment is what drove me out of the "treat coco like soil" camp over to the "treat coco like hydro" camp. I think he's got a point, since coco (+30% perlite in my case) won't drown a plant with frequent waterings. Too bad the fungus gnats like all that moisture so much. I think that may be a major shortcoming of my burlap air pot--it's a big, wet, loose-weave bag--practically an invitation to bugz...
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- #34
Scientific
New Member
Hi gr0w -- I "drain to waste" as they say. In fact, for this fussy little semiscientific feeding experiment, I actually rinse out the saucer after the pot finishes draining so there are no leftover nutes in the saucer to throw off the next reading. I realize that's not practical for a big plant or for a lot of plants, but for one dwarf plant and one test grow, it's do-able (if tedious). All in the name of science!
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- #35
Scientific
New Member
Day 37 -- Buds are developing already
Man, ya gotta love the summer sun! Even though this plant only gets direct sun from dawn until 2 PM, when that bright sun hits it, it GROWS. (It's 11" tall now--good for a topped, 5-week-old dwarf--and filling in.) There are only eight bud sites on this plant, but I think four of them might develop into something somewhat substantial. (The 1" gain in height is from that bud extending.)
Daily feeding: 500 PPM in, 300 PPM out
I mixed up 2.5 gallons of "Week 6 - Early Bloom" this morning (which is the same as Week 5 nutes.) Today's feeding was 1.5 liters. About 200 ml ran off. 500 PPM in, 300 PPM out. That's the way it has been all five days since I started daily feedings. Good numbers and a healthy plant work for me!
Fungus gnats still there; still spraying
Gnats were still there when I lifted the pot this morning, so I sprayed it again with the Bayer 1% neem oil. I sprayed the soil of all the other potted plants around it as well. The bugs aren't bad (and they're outdoors) so it's no big deal, but I'm going to keep spraying so they don't damage my roots. There are spiders, wasps, and hummingbirds out there looking for tiny flies as well.
One of the two top (node 5) buds is actually starting to fill in already!
Man, ya gotta love the summer sun! Even though this plant only gets direct sun from dawn until 2 PM, when that bright sun hits it, it GROWS. (It's 11" tall now--good for a topped, 5-week-old dwarf--and filling in.) There are only eight bud sites on this plant, but I think four of them might develop into something somewhat substantial. (The 1" gain in height is from that bud extending.)
Daily feeding: 500 PPM in, 300 PPM out
I mixed up 2.5 gallons of "Week 6 - Early Bloom" this morning (which is the same as Week 5 nutes.) Today's feeding was 1.5 liters. About 200 ml ran off. 500 PPM in, 300 PPM out. That's the way it has been all five days since I started daily feedings. Good numbers and a healthy plant work for me!
Fungus gnats still there; still spraying
Gnats were still there when I lifted the pot this morning, so I sprayed it again with the Bayer 1% neem oil. I sprayed the soil of all the other potted plants around it as well. The bugs aren't bad (and they're outdoors) so it's no big deal, but I'm going to keep spraying so they don't damage my roots. There are spiders, wasps, and hummingbirds out there looking for tiny flies as well.
One of the two top (node 5) buds is actually starting to fill in already!
Hey Scientific, got to thinking about my outdoor plants and was wondering what kinda ambient temps you've been hit with during this heat wave. Not sure where you are in the world. Thought I remember you saying a legal state, but can't recall
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- #38
Scientific
New Member
No heat wave here in the sunny Pacific Northwest, just blue skies, sunshine, and 77F! with light breezes
(July and August are our two sunny months.)
No heat wave here in the sunny Pacific Northwest, just blue skies, sunshine, and 77F! with light breezes
Ahh well my socal heat will be yours to have in August haha
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- #40
Scientific
New Member
Day 40 -- Runoff PPM is just right, and a beauty shot
After a week of bright sun with a nutrient schedule that seems to be hitting the mark, this is one very happy little plant!
I think coco coir + 30% perlite in a fabric pot is turning out to be a great combination--very light texture, lots of oxygen exchange, and excellent drainage.
No fungus gnats today!
After five days of spraying with Bayer Natria neem oil, there were no fungus gnats to be seen today. I kept spraying both this plant and the other plants on the deck.
Nine days after switching to daily feedings, there is still no sign of a buildup of excess nutrients in the runoff (the "Out" column PPM). I just replace the missing weight every day plus about another 250 to 350 ml for runoff.
Beauty shot, 40 days from seed and 13" tall. Her real flowers have eclipsed her fake flower camouflage.
After a week of bright sun with a nutrient schedule that seems to be hitting the mark, this is one very happy little plant!
I think coco coir + 30% perlite in a fabric pot is turning out to be a great combination--very light texture, lots of oxygen exchange, and excellent drainage.
No fungus gnats today!
After five days of spraying with Bayer Natria neem oil, there were no fungus gnats to be seen today. I kept spraying both this plant and the other plants on the deck.
Nine days after switching to daily feedings, there is still no sign of a buildup of excess nutrients in the runoff (the "Out" column PPM). I just replace the missing weight every day plus about another 250 to 350 ml for runoff.
Beauty shot, 40 days from seed and 13" tall. Her real flowers have eclipsed her fake flower camouflage.
