Sweetsue's First Grow - Stealthy Trio of Autos Under CFLs

[newoldguy]

I think the love is the underestimated part.
IMO, if you love what you're doing, love the plants, etc then you will reap the benefit
and more than just a psychological feel-good benefit, the plants respond.

Edit to add: And it's not just the love towards the plants,
but the love surrounding why you're growing.
It's synergy of many factors. Again JMO.

 

[Doc Bud]

I think the love is the underestimated part.
IMO, if you love what you're doing, love the plants, etc then you will reap the benefit
and more than just a psychological feel-good benefit, the plants respond.

Edit to add: And it's not just the love towards the plants,
but the love surrounding why you're growing.
It's synergy of many factors. Again JMO.

 

[xtrchessreal]

I think if you read this journal from the beginning you would see the real answer to her awesome success is the LOS Living Organic Soil, her early child background from her GPs knowledge of soil. That getting in your hands to the earth feeling is something that was nurtured even if she may not believe it, I think it sunk in way more than she is willing to admit.

Sue is a natural Green Thumb by all standards. I think she would have the same results if using a MH and HPS sodium in a big room as long as the LOS was the same or similar. The closeness of an intimate closet grow may also bring a difference in the love aspect. More plants/bigger room means the love has to be spread out and maybe a bit thinner. It can be the air in a closet as opposed to a big room too, lots of differences in many aspects. LOS baby...I think thats the ticket, and a good background in growing exotic plants.

Good Job Sue! Sweetsue is a very appropriate screen name. You may not always have the same results if you do different plants but I am willing to bet they will still be very good results. You know your stuff! Feed the soil...thats what I learned...Feed the soil, the soil will feed the plant. Almost sounds like ancient secrets passed down over the Eons. The Golden Age on the long count calendar kind of stuff.

 

[36Gr0w]

Hey Sue ,

You have pointed me in so many directions of research, I can't thank you enough. Your spirit and huge heart shows through your journal, and your magnificent plants show your passion. Thank you.

I'm starting my first journal and hope that you and your followers can find some time to check it out. I would enjoy the insight, advice, and conversation with the knowledgeable people around here. Link is in my sig, thanks!

 

[SweetSue]

Hey Sue ,

You have pointed me in so many directions of research, I can't thank you enough. Your spirit and huge heart shows through your journal, and your magnificent plants show your passion. Thank you.

I'm starting my first journal and hope that you and your followers can find some time to check it out. I would enjoy the insight, advice, and conversation with the knowledgeable people around here. Link is in my sig, thanks!

Already subbed! Congratulations on starting a journal. I'm excited about following yours. You've had an excellent start already.

 

[SweetSue]

Guys, I'm overwhelmed by the praise. This grow has been such an easy and relaxing venture that I'm amazed.

A quick update on Dale: he's in rehab now, finally got him moved. Unfortunately, the transport ambulance team was none too gentle with him and wrenched his leg badly enough that now they had to do x-rays and he's in tremendous pain. Damn!!!!! I have faith that he may be improved by morning, but tonight the leg is swollen and warm to the touch - not good things at all. We will see tomorrow.

I came home and went to check on the girls and found the most amazing growth going on. Calyx on top of calyx! Is this normal? There are new pistils popping out on every single cola on the Bomb. I kid you not! Some are growing out of calyxes where pistils had already gone rust colored and pulled back in, which I always considered was a sign that the plant was nearing the end. Unbelievable! So glad I didn't take her yesterday.

Not to be left behind, Buddha's colas are putting out new tiny leaves! WTH???

 

[newoldguy]

Sorry for Dale getting hurt, sometimes those who are moving those hurt just don't take enough care.
The story I could tell. *sigh*

I'm not sure what to say about new growth other than plants (and other living things) will do what they will.
Just roll with the punches. In other words...patience.

 

[Doc Bud]

Guys, I'm overwhelmed by the praise. This grow has been such an easy and relaxing venture that I'm amazed.

A quick update on Dale: he's in rehab now, finally got him moved. Unfortunately, the transport ambulance team was none too gentle with him and wrenched his leg badly enough that now they had to do x-rays and he's in tremendous pain. Damn!!!!! I have faith that he may be improved by morning, but tonight the leg is swollen and warm to the touch - not good things at all. We will see tomorrow.

I came home and went to check on the girls and found the most amazing growth going on. Calyx on top of calyx! Is this normal? There are new pistils popping out on every single cola on the Bomb. I kid you not! Some are growing out of calyxes where pistils had already gone rust colored and pulled back in, which I always considered was a sign that the plant was nearing the end. Unbelievable! So glad I didn't take her yesterday.

Not to be left behind, Buddha's colas are putting out new tiny leaves! WTH???

What you are experiencing it totally normal and expected. If you'll recall, Graytail, myself recommended that they weren't done yet....and as you can see they aren't.

One of the first things I noticed in High Brix soil is that everything took longer and that a second bloom took place about 3-4 weeks prior to the finish.

In your case, the second bloom is even more pronounced because you have lots of decaying/digesting organic matter in the soil. Organic fertilizers are always slightly skewed to reproductive growth, due to the NH3 produced during breakdown. The cationic form of Nitrogen (NH3..ammoniacal nitrogen) very much encourages reproductive growth.

If you also have fungus gnats, you can be sure that you've gone just a tad too heavy with the organic matter, which also acidifies the soil just a wee bit.

I'd just go to straight water and wait another couple weeks. If you want to get really fancy, you could top dress with some high calcium limestone (NOT dolomite) and use some Calcium Nitrate if you've got any, and that should get the existing calyx's to swell up and put out resin, etc.

I'm tellin' ya! When you get some light....LOOK OUT. You're growing excellent cannabis, Sue....I don't see your current set of pics when I look at your journal. I see plants under BRIGHT lights, twice the size of yours with electric green leaves.

If you can throttle back just a tad on the organic stuff and increase the minerals just a bit I think your bugs will take a permanent vacation too. (I thought I read you had some gnats....if I'm off on that, blame it on the joint I just smoked.)

LOS is definitely mineralized soil, and is probably capable of high brix readings with some minor adjustments, like ditching the potassium laden products and going a bit lighter on organic matter.

Oh....if Buddah is putting out leaves, It's time to take it. That usually marks the end of the late budswell in my experience. The other one has plenty of time left.

 

[nhteatime]

Hi Sue, Im amazed by your progress.. They look amazing!!

So so sorry to hear about Dale, my heart goes out to him and to you. Sending prayers your way.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Sue is circling like a hawk, but the meat isn't tender enough yet!

Wait until the weekend and see what happens. I can wait at the edge of my seat for that long, at least.

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks for the explanation Doc. I've been reading your Q&A thread long enough that I actually understood it.

Since I'm doing a no-till there won't be much more organic matter added and the drenches and top dressings will just build up the mineralization more and more over time. At least that's my expectation. Every grow should be better than the last. BlueJay (another site), whose journal was a big part of my inspiration, has pots that are mostly EWC from the booming worm populations in his soil, and what he grows is breathtaking.

It tickles me that you see my future grows much the same way I do. My goal is to demonstrate how easy it can be to grow top-quality cannabis without the stress I see in so many journals. I'm pretty blown away by how it's gone so far. Dale's getting excited about building a decent box. His rehab room has this 2' x 2' x 8' cabinet in the corner and he immediately mentioned that two of those joined together with the side panels removed to create one big space would make a decent grow box.

First the box, then the lights and ventilation system. One step at a time and eventually we'll be there Doc.

 

[SweetSue]

Hi Sue, Im amazed by your progress.. They look amazing!!

So so sorry to hear about Dale, my heart goes out to him and to you. Sending prayers your way.

Thank you JJ. I'm hopeful it will heal quickly. How exasperating though to take so much effort to get it healing well and have that set back by carelessness. We'll just keep moving towards healing.

You've been on my mind a lot lately. Healing thoughts girl.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Sue, on that note I really should let you know how much you're inspiring me to get my soil right. I underestimated the importance of properly mineralized earth.
I thought I had something good, but you have blown it out of the park. I want what you have in my next grow. Once again, good luck!

 

[Radogast]

I think the bomb is doing a bit of "Fox tailing."

It's a variation in texture that some growers dislike, because the buds don't appear to as flat and smooth after trimming.
Trimming is a tad more difficult, but it's more of a problem when trimming lbs than trimming ounces.

One of my first 4 girls fox tailed. She was my favorite smoke of the group, although the rest of the family rated her #2 of 4.

 

[Radogast]

I'm so sorry about the clumsy handling of Dale.
I know it must hurt you and him more than you share.
I love the hearts you share with each other. You are an inspiration.

 

[MaxYields]

I think the bomb is doing a bit of "Fox tailing."

It's a variation in texture that some growers dislike, because the buds don't appear to as flat and smooth after trimming.
Trimming is a tad more difficult, but it's more of a problem when trimming lbs than trimming ounces.

One of my first 4 girls fox tailed. She was my favorite smoke of the group, although the rest of the family rated her #2 of 4.

I agree with Radogast, especially the zoomed up picture of the new calyxs on top of eachother, looks exactly like Foxtailing that I have seen. Not a bad thing as far as I know though.

Your Bomb looks so beautiful...

 

[SweetSue]

Thank you one and all. I think the real win from this grow is the many new friends I've come to know here. It's been rewarding to find I have a talent for this. It's such a benefit to Dale and will save money while vastly improving quality. It makes me smile a lot, thinking of how we're coming to an end of a time of lack. Life has such sweet cycles.

Rad, I'm the lucky one in this marriage and I know it. I try not to let a day go by without turning to him and asking "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Every day for 34 years. A good life by any standard. He inspires me to be who I am.

Doc, I got distracted by Dale's care while reading your post and missed the part about Buddha. I haven't even checked her trichomes yet, except to verify that they were all cloudy. So you suggest I take her now? I have everything in place and the Bomb certainly isn't ready.

 

[Doc Bud]

Thank you one and all. I think the real win from this grow is the many new friends I've come to know here. It's been rewarding to find I have a talent for this. It's such a benefit to Dale and will save money while vastly improving quality. It makes me smile a lot, thinking of how we're coming to an end of a time of lack. Life has such sweet cycles.

Rad, I'm the lucky one in this marriage and I know it. I try not to let a day go by without turning to him and asking "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Every day for 34 years. A good life by any standard. He inspires me to be who I am.

Doc, I got distracted by Dale's care while reading your post and missed the part about Buddha. I haven't even checked her trichomes yet, except to verify that they were all cloudy. So you suggest I take her now? I have everything in place and the Bomb certainly isn't ready.

It's a matter of personal preference, but here's how I look at it:

You're in mineralized, living soil so your triches may not go amber. Mine don't, same with a lot of us. So I don't use trichomes as the gold standard for harvest anymore, I use several factors:

1. growth characteristics. Drinking less water, not pushing out pistils, swelling and ripening is the harvest window opening. Re-growth of green leaves in buds and cessation of swelling....harvest window is closing. The triches may all still be clear/cloudy. There won't be much amber at all.
.
2. Medical needs. Do I need something really, really heavy? If so, I want an indica and I want to take it at the latter part of the harvest window. Do I need something not quite as heavy? Take it in the early portion of the harvest window.

3. Supply and demand. Do you need it sooner, or later? Will it be more convenient to take it in 2 weeks? These are real concerns as well, because if you develop the habit of harvesting at a really inconvenient time it takes some of the joy away. I try to harvest when it's most convenient, if at all possible.
So, I think I've gleaned from your journal that it stopped drinking as much, has cloudy triches, is putting out green leaves in the buds, AND you have a husband with real needs.....you'll probably do better making your decision based on these factors, not just the trichomes.

I simply don't get amber triches......pretty sure several others have the same "problem" and I suspect you might be one of the other misfits and ne'r do wells who grow in hyperactive soil and get body, soul and spirit involved in growing. We always seem to find eachother.

 

[SweetSue]

Ahhh yes Doc. I agree with your consensus. We do seem to gravitate to the same arena don't we?

Dale got really excited when I read him your post. We've been without for weeks and they amputated his damn leg! Either tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. I want to give it the time to make it as enjoyable as the grow was. It should be a joyful time, no? I see brownie bites in his future.

Thank you for that excellent lesson in choosing the right time to harvest. I almost didn't post that picture of Buddha and, to be honest, didn't notice the tiny leaves until I was editing the photos. How fortuitous to have the universe on my side. For a first time grower with soil this potent it can be a little intimidating. Your guidance has made this even more enjoyable.

 

[SweetSue]

Wow Doc. It just hit me how much easier it becomes when you can lose the obsession to trichomes turning amber and view the entire process as a whole, evaluating each plant from a holistic perspective.

This entire grow experience has been about letting go and accepting the simplicity of raising cannabis. It's been about letting go of many things, hasn't it? How strange and wonderful life can be when you let it.