Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 2017

Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 65 -- Glamour shot, scoping trichomes, rearranging lights

Rearranged lights
Top buds were too close to the light which was as high as it could go as configured so I stripped everything down and re-did the lights. (You can see that the top leaves are curling in. Lots of light + fan blowing on them + humidity down in the 30s to prevent bud rot is tough on the leaves.) The main light position is better (higher) now. I took a glamour shot with the lights pulled away. You can see how I've light burned the flowers at the bottom. The new setup should help with that.

I fussed and trimmed a little too as long as all the lights were pulled away. She is so sticky! (And the resin that comes off on my fingers smells wonderful--very piney!)

pH dropped from 5.7 to 5.3 last night
Even with the fuller reservoir, the pH still fell 0.4 last night, so I'm adding another ml of pH up. I am seriously considering Advance Nutrient's "pH Perfect" for my next hydro grow, hoping that it will reduce the fiddly maintenance.

Scoping the trichomes
I flipped the 12.5 power ocular on my microscope around and used it as a loupe to examine the trichomes. It worked really well, but you really have to get right down close to do it. The t'chomes still look "glassy" (clear) on even the most mature buds, so there is still a way to go, I guess.

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Dwarf Low Flyer 65 days from seed.

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Her rearranged lighting (7 fixtures, 10 bulbs) CFLs + LEDs work, but they require constant fussing!
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Good times, I am sure you cant wait to harvest this lady :blunt:

On the bottom of the last pic there seems to be some copper discoloration on some of the bottom leaves, or is that just the lighting?

Also I forgot to ask you, if you are monitoring the reservoir temps, perhaps that contributes to the bigger swing?
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Good times, I am sure you cant wait to harvest this lady :blunt:

I have read lots of Dwarf Low Flyer grow logs, so I know the average harvest time is about now. One guy harvested at 69 days. That's still a few days off, but that's the latest date I've seen. My plant has essentially completely stopped growing except for her buds. All growth is there now. The buds aren't getting longer, they're getting fatter. It's fascinating to watch. So I'm just sitting there watching her do her thing with fascination, but yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to harvest. She is like a little bundle of pine resin now.


On the bottom of the last pic there seems to be some copper discoloration on some of the bottom leaves, or is that just the lighting?

Good eye. Yes, there is definitely copper discoloration of some of the older leaves, which I believe was due to some big pH swings I had, which really seems to stress her. (Duh.) At this point she's not making any more new leaves, so I'm really trying to keep everything just super groovy for her so she stays as healthy as possible as long as possible. The humidity is really low know (35% or so) and that is stressing her a little, but I'm scared of mold or rot and I thought she'd be done soon, but the buds just keep on growing. I'm thinking she may have a week to go yet(?)

if you are monitoring the reservoir temps, perhaps that contributes to the bigger swing?

Yes, I think that may have something to do with it. We had a week of hot weather, and the reservoir got up to 84F sometimes. I guess I should be counting my blessings that nothing bad happened. I have two water pumps and an air pump going in there, so it's pretty swirly, and I think that helps keep things healthy.
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 72 - Buds are still growing fatter, and now longer(!?)

She's the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going and going...

Today she's 72 days from seed and starting her eighth week since preflowers first appeared, this on a plant with a nominal six week flowering phase. In every other Dwarf Low Flyer log I've read, they've harvested by now. This plant is getting 24-hour-a-day light (which I'd expect would make it get done faster). She had a bad week when she was first starting that dwarfed and maybe delayed her a little, so maybe that threw off her schedule? Or maybe it's just happy and wants to keep going for a while?

Buds growing bigger and now longer
Almost all of the pistils are still white, almost all of the trichomes are still glassy clear, the buds continue to fatten (the top ones to almost alarming proportions--I'm starting to think "beer can"), and in the last couple of days most buds have also started to lengthen. That is, growth that can best be describe as looking like nipples (?!--see photo below) suddenly appeared at the tips of buds that hand not grown longer, only fatter, for weeks. If I had to guess, I'd say it was because we had a week of hot weather with temps in the 80s.

Reservoir change to "Ripen" nutrients
Her weekly reservoir refresh was delayed while her daddy went out to play on Memorial Day. (She did have holiday weekend visitors who oohed and ahhed appreciatively, which I'm sure she appreciated.) She's at the end of nutrient schedule now, with "Flush" being the next and last item on the list, but she's gonna have to show some signs of being ready to harvest first.

pH still not stable
The reservoir pH falls significantly (e.g. 5.8 to 5.2) just about every night, regardless of temperature, nute level, and volume. I wish I understood what was going on better.

All is well. I'm in no hurry to have her finish as long as her buds keep fattening! :thumb:

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72 days from seed and buds are still growing...

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The skinny top growth on this bud (and many others) has appeared in just the last two days.
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 72 - The Electric Bill Arrives

I just got my electric bill for the last two months over which this grow has been going. Ouch, even at only about five kilowatt hours a day, it definitely bumped up the usage. I figure about $40 for electricity for this grow. The next one, out on the deck in the summer sun with free photons, is looking better and better.
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 73 -- Elongated buds & reduced fluid uptake(?)

Below is another shot of how the buds elongated a few days ago. See how there's a long, skinny extension? About half of the buds have that. I don't know what to make of this. Will they bulk out the new tips? Last gasp? Heat stress? You can see that this bud is getting some brown pistils, but the trichomes are all still clear, and the two big buds still have completely white pistils.

Drinking less?
She's drinking less (only 1.5 quarts yesterday) and the PPMs are falling more slowly. I'm pretty sure that this is just because we're back to cool and cloudy weather after a hot spell, but I'm also wondering if it's end-of-life. Maybe I mentioned this yesterday

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Day 73--Note the long, skinny extension to this bud that showed up a few days ago. About half the buds did this. Funny...
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 73 -- Time to Flush

Not long ago, all of the trichomes I looked at were clear as glass. Today about half are cloudy.
About 30% of the pistils have turned brown.
And as I'm mentioned, many of the buds have popped out odd little extensions at their tips.

73 days from seed, I think she's done. So tomorrow's weekly nutrient refresh is going to be to pH'd water only.

I have read that flushing hydroponically grown plants goes very quickly because you have complete control over the roots' environment and can switch them to zero nutes instantly. I'm looking forward to seeing how fast that affects the plant.

I have kept humidity low for weeks now to prevent rot and mold and to encourage resin production. That has already dried out some of the leaves, curling them and making them leathery or even slightly brittle (and they're all very sticky). Now to add insult to injury, she's gets starved. Be brave little plant! ;)

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Day 73 - Pistils are turning brown and trichomes are getting cloudy
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 75 -- The Big Flush, and Harvest Encouragement from the Landlord

I flushed the reservoir with 2.5 gallons of pH'd water three times today. The readings:
  • Before flush: 413 PPM (I topped up the tank with just water yesterday, so PPM was already low.)
  • After flush 1: 201 PPM
  • After flush 2: 86 PPM
  • After flush 3: 48 PPM
  • Tap water: 28 PPM
So the tank is pretty much just pH 6.2 water right now. The plant is showing no sign of change yet.

Harvest encouragement from the landlord

I got this letter from the landlord today. I left the window open last week when it got really hot and apparently the smell got out. Cannabis is legal here, and I am a registered medical user with the right to have up to four plants, but this is embarrassing. I don't want to annoy my neighbors or give herb users a bad name. (I do think it's kind of funny getting in trouble for pot as a 60-something graybeard. ;)) Anyway, I'm keeping everything all sealed up until the buds are in jars.

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Warning letting in today's mail. Oops!
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 75 -- The Big Flush, and Harvest Encouragement from the Landlord

I flushed the reservoir with 2.5 gallons of pH'd water three times today. The readings:
  • Before flush: 413 PPM (I topped up the tank with just water yesterday, so PPM was already low.)
  • After flush 1: 201 PPM
  • After flush 2: 86 PPM
  • After flush 3: 48 PPM
  • Tap water: 28 PPM
So the tank is pretty much just pH 6.2 water right now. The plant is showing no sign of change yet.

Harvest encouragement from the landlord

I got this letter from the landlord today. I left the window open last week when it got really hot and apparently the smell got out. Cannabis is legal here, and I am a registered medical user with the right to have up to four plants, but this is embarrassing. I don't want to annoy my neighbors or give herb users a bad name. (I do think it's kind of funny getting in trouble for pot as a 60-something graybeard. ;)) Anyway, I'm keeping everything all sealed up until the buds are in jars.

2017-06-03_Warning_Letter_001.JPG

Warning letting in today's mail. Oops!
Lol.... go to your room without dinner. You are grounded. .
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 78 -- Harvest!

78 days from when the seed went in the water with 24/7 illumination, she's finally done.

Wet weight of plant: 1,196 g
Wet weight of stalks and roots: 608 g
Wet weight of 20 untrimmed buds: 498 g
Wet weight of 20 trimmed buds: 309 g
Wet weight of sticky trim: 150 g
Wet weight of unsticky trash: 130 g

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Ready to harvest

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Harvesting

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Harvested

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20 buds ready for trimming

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Trimming

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One of two 60-gram buds

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60-gram bud trimmed to 39 grams

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Scissor hash

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Drying
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 78 -- Roots rock

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In the reservoir

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Homebrew web pot

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Rapunzel

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Busting out

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Busted out
 
Re: Scientific's Hydro Dwarf Low Flyer 24/7 Illumination Fireplace Grow Journal - 201

Day 81 - Post-processing!

Drying and curing

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300 grams of freshly harvested, trimmed buds

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Three days later: 60 grams of dried buds and 46 grams of dried sugar leaves, ready for post-processing

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Three biggest buds go into jars for curing. The Caliber IV digital humidity meter shows 75 F and 60% humidity. The big bud on the right dropped from 39 to 11 grams during drying (28%).
 
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