The Joy Of Growing - SweetSue Goes Perpetual

[SweetSue]

Hi Sue, Glad to be here. Im sure there will be lots of great cannabis grown here.

Welcome Snoop429. I certainly hope you're right. I'll do my best to make it happen.

 

[SweetSue]

Put some castor wheels on a board @ floor level, put the pot on that permanently and she can be wheeled out easily to get all the sun she can possibly want without breaking your back

Thank you for reminding me that I have that mini dolly I bought in journal one. If I put the basin on a piece of wood I can do just that. Excellent. You came along just in time.

 

[SweetSue]

I just realized I'll be able to wheel it right across the bedroom floor to the door that opens to the balcony. It faces the rising sun and gets hours of direct sunlight. Crap! Just remembered I'm not home much in the days now.

Maybe 6-11. That'll be 5 hours. Ok. This might work. Not every day, but some of the days. She looked so sweet in the sunlight.

 

[SweetSue]

I can't see enough to read anymore.

Go to bed already girl.

Hey guys, it's been fun learning together. See you tomorrow.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Stay tuned here as I'm sure there will be lots of good information shared about The Kit and High Brix growing. Stay happy and stay high!

Thanks so much MysterySeeds that was awesome
And Sue for all those quotes
And everyone else.

 

[scrubby]

How does this work with soaks?

When we drench we're feeding the soil right? .36 x 7 is 2.5 (roughly). .36 x 10 is 3.6...and so on. You want your proportion of drench ro match your container size to get the proper feed for the SOIL...and therefore, the plant

 

[SweetSue]

This is one of those confusing points scrubby, so maybe you can help me clear it out. Before they go into the final pots you soak instead of dunk. Let's try this way scrubby: I have five small pots that hold about 4 cups of soil apiece. I understand this is very different from normal, but stay with me please. Would you walk me through how you would set up the drench process, including what materials and supplies you would have on hand? Kind of a step-by-step? In particular how much water would you use, and I'm assuming this would be in a 5 gallon bucket? I think the problem some of us have we get little bits and pieces of it scattered about, but it's just enough to feel intimidating. Hell scrubby, I don't intimidate easily and it makes me pause. It's probably because we get the impression that you have to be so precise, but something tells me that's part of the misunderstanding we're trying to clear up.

I appreciate you trying to help us make this easier to grasp scrubby.

 

[SweetSue]

Hey scrubby, Major PITA explained it to me. You calculate the amount of drench per 7 gallon of soil and add that to the amount of water you know, by experience or instinct, that will allow for a thorough soak of the pots. The water volume isn't set because that would depend on your individual needs. Does that make more sense to those potentially confused? It actually cleared the confusion up for me. Thanks Major.

I know that once I get this rolling it's going to mesh beautifully with my LOS amendment schedule. They're actually very similar. Minimal inputs on a schedule, without much variation. Any changes should be tracked over time to judge the effects. Follow the roadmap and find yourself harvesting fabulously healthy cannabis, regardless of the soil chosen. Isn't that sweet?

I feel much better. That little bit of confusion has been swirling round in my brain for a couple weeks, and time was running out. Whew! Now if the seeds will just get a move on it.

 

[MysterySeeds]

Whats so confusing about the kit directions MysterySeeds?

The kit directions are well written. I should've said that learning about Doc's High Brix Kit is confusing. When I first heard about it, I had no idea where to buy it or what "High Brix" even meant. The way others talked about it, I thought it was a magic number made up by growers to judge their plants. Almost like, "Hey man, that bud was killer. I give it a brix of 16."

After much digging, I now understand that "brix" a real number measured by real instruments to test the real health of a plants. Doc's Kit isn't "brix" or "high brix" by itself, it is a kit that helps growers create an ideal environment to grow plants that test at a "high brix" level. That said, all plants can be tested for brix. Here is a chart put together by Dr. Carey Reams, touted by some as the father of "brix" growing:

The original chart can be found at: Brix Chart - Brix Chart - HighBrix Gardens | HighBrix Gardens

Below the chart is a small quote that tells what a "higher refractive index" (aka "high brix") means to a plant:

Within a given species of plant, the crop with the higher refractive index will have a higher sugar content, higher mineral content, higher protein content and a greater specific gravity or density. This add up to a sweeter tasting, more minerally nutritious food with lower nitrate and water content, lower freezing point, and better storage attributes.

Growing healthy, high brix plants shouldn't be an elusive idea known only to elite growers. I believe everybody should start growing with brix in mind, whether they buy a refractometer or not, because healthy plants do a better job of defending against pests and disease while creating a much better final product.

Growing high brix doesn't mean big, delicious buds. High brix means growing healthy and hearty plants with a major side-effect being big, delicious buds.

"Insects and disease are the symptoms of a failing crop, not the cause of it."
- Dr. William Albrecht

 

[TheBoogyman]

I think the only reason using doc's kit might be a little confusing is that his thread is 500 pages and it's pretty overwhelming lol. I'm trying to get a schedule down with high brix before I order the kit and get rolling with it. I think I can manage it now, finally. I'll be watching to see how you do, Sue. I like seeing what everyone is doing with the kit!

 

[SweetSue]

I think the only reason using doc's kit might be a little confusing is that his thread is 500 pages and it's pretty overwhelming lol. I'm trying to get a schedule down with high brix before I order the kit and get rolling with it. I think I can manage it now, finally. I'll be watching to see how you do, Sue. I like seeing what everyone is doing with the kit!

I plan to document the hell out of the process Boogyman. By the end we should be able to take that documentation and build an easy to follow tutorial. I encourage anyone interested to join that process. If there's some part of using the kit you think I haven't covered or covered incompletely or (gasp!) incorrectly, please chime in. Between Ziggy, Max and Major I'm feeling more confident by the minute. I have no ego to be concerned about and I'm fairly thick-skinned, so offending me shouldn't be anyone's concern. Quite frankly, getting together a cohesive manual showing how this kit is used is more important to me than my ego.

I don't know why it intimidates me so. Could I be intimidated about so many of you watching me? HA! Couldn't even get that all the way out without laughing! But I battle that uncertainty, and will until I've gotten my first drench and foliar behind me. I was intimidated by SSTs too in the beginning, and now they're just standard procedure. The same will happen with the kit. I'd go ahead and order Boogyman. By the time you get started with the schedules you'll be feeling more confident too. The lure of expected quality harvests has obviously caught your eye. No time like the present.

MysterySeeds - if you were closer there'd be a warm hug with your name on it. This is the best I can do, but it came with a rep bump too.

 

[MysterySeeds]

MysterySeeds - if you were closer there'd be a warm hug with your name on it. This is the best I can do, but it came with a rep bump too.

Thanks for the rep bump, SS... and the warm hug.

I just updated a blog post about Doc's Kit. There are a bunch of things I still plan to add as I learn more about "The Kit," like an easy-to-follow feeding schedule for noobs like me. Plus, directions for how to use the kit for smaller grows from 1-5 plants. To note, my kit arrived a few days ago and I already have my first half-batch of soil cooking.

Anyway, here is a link to the blog post: The Basics of Doc Bud's High Brix Kit w/ Instructions

Half of my half-batch of soil. The bottom is ProMix HP Myco, the middle is Wiggle Worm earthworm castings, and the top is Doc's Soil Amendment. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

By the way, you're tent is looking awesome!

 

[SweetSue]

For some reason it's still coming up "Invalid Blog Entry" when you follow the link. See if you can work this out. I'm excited to see it. It sounds like just what I was talking about. Yes!

 

[MysterySeeds]

For some reason it's still coming up "Invalid Blog Entry" when you follow the link. See if you can work this out. I'm excited to see it. It sounds like just what I was talking about. Yes!

Sorry about that. I accidentally hit "Save Draft" instead of "Post". Anyway, here is the correct link: The Basics of Doc Bud's High Brix Kit w/ Instructions - Blogs - 420 Magazine ®

 

[SweetSue]

Daily Update: Dark Devil Auto - Day 50

Up before sunrise this morning, I only had five minutes to top off the SWICKs before I had to run to make an appointment with Dale. I don't even remember saying "Good Morning, Little One" as is my norm. (Sigh)

Home after lights out, I didn't even bother to stand on tiptoe to look in. Instead, I pointed the iPad into the tent and hoped for the best. Then I closed it all up for the night.

They survived without my shadow today. Let's not have many days like that OK?

You guys have weathered some serious emotional storms with me over the past few months, so I need to share a bit of good news. The Social Worker at the dialysis center Dale visits took us through the process to apply for a veteran's disability pension benefits with aid and attendance. I came home today to find their decision, an award letter that I believe just more than doubled our monthly income. After we get shifted off the rolls of programs that have been our safety net up to now we still come out ahead of the game. Never really saw this one coming.

I'm stunned and a bit in shock and very, very tired. Think I'll treat myself to a cat nap.

You all can handle spreading the joy without me for a short while. I suspect you're all getting better and better at it every day, aren't you? Go ahead, you can admit it.

 

[Graytail]

Haha! Great news!

Ain' life a gas?! The exceptions - I live for them!

Today, you're the windshield!

(from Mark Knopfler - "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" - you can find the song in Fish's thread - I posted it recently for Dennise. )

 

[SweetSue]

Haha! Great news!

Ain' life a gas?! The exceptions - I live for them!

Today, you're the windshield!

(from Mark Knopfler - "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" - you can find the song in Fish's thread - I posted it recently for Dennise. )

My life seems to run on exceptions Graytail. You have no idea. No complaints here.

 

[scrubby]

This is one of those confusing points scrubby, so maybe you can help me clear it out. Before they go into the final pots you soak instead of dunk. Let's try this way scrubby: I have five small pots that hold about 4 cups of soil apiece. I understand this is very different from normal, but stay with me please. Would you walk me through how you would set up the drench process, including what materials and supplies you would have on hand? Kind of a step-by-step? In particular how much water would you use, and I'm assuming this would be in a 5 gallon bucket? I think the problem some of us have we get little bits and pieces of it scattered about, but it's just enough to feel intimidating. Hell scrubby, I don't intimidate easily and it makes me pause. It's probably because we get the impression that you have to be so precise, but something tells me that's part of the misunderstanding we're trying to clear up.

I appreciate you trying to help us make this easier to grasp scrubby.

This is what I do when im feeding my small pots. I go from solo cups to 1 gals to finish (7 or 10) btw. In solos ill use 1 gallon of water in something smaller than a 5 gal bucket so that when theyre all dunked the feed liquid comes over half way up the cup. I use the 1.25 mils of drench in said gallon of water and have found that's good for 4 solo cups. After dunking those 4 ill pour the remaining water down the tops and let em drain for a while. If youre doing 5 quarts id use the 5 gal bucket, put 2 gallons of water in it and do 2.5 mils of feed. Now that sounds like alot but you gotta take drain into consideration and actually 2.5 mils is miniscule! I let mine get rootbound in the solos then go to 1 gal plastics. In the 1 gals that's when I go to my .36 mils per gallon. I have a bin that will hold all 4 1 gallon pots and a tray for the runoff. Ill use 1.5 mils of feed in 2 gallons of water with .5 mils of tea and soak all 4 pots for about 20 mins. Then take the remaining liquid and pour it down the tops of the pots and let it set in the tray, theyll absorb what's left over over night. My goal is to get that .36 mils of drench into each pot...one way or another! When I feed my 7s (what I'm using now) ill use 2 or 3 gallons of water...It kinda depends on conditions. But you want 2.5 mils of drench in the 7s. I usually pour a gallon of straight water in the tray and then a gallon of feed down the top, or 2 gallons if I didnt get around to it for a while (beautiful thing about the kit is that your plants will become very forgiving lol). Anything that comes out the bottom will be absorbed in a short time...like I said earlier
Others might do stuff differently but thats what works for me...Check my plants out and theyll tell you the same

 

[SweetSue]

This is what I do when im feeding my small pots. I go from solo cups to 1 gals to finish (7 or 10) btw. In solos ill use 1 gallon of water in something smaller than a 5 gal bucket so that when theyre all dunked the feed liquid comes over half way up the cup. I use the 1.25 mils of drench in said gallon of water and have found that's good for 4 solo cups. After dunking those 4 ill pour the remaining water down the tops and let em drain for a while. If youre doing 5 quarts id use the 5 gal bucket, put 2 gallons of water in it and do 2.5 mils of feed. Now that sounds like alot but you gotta take drain into consideration and actually 2.5 mils is miniscule! I let mine get rootbound in the solos then go to 1 gal plastics. In the 1 gals that's when I go to my .36 mils per gallon. I have a bin that will hold all 4 1 gallon pots and a tray for the runoff. Ill use 1.5 mils of feed in 2 gallons of water with .5 mils of tea and soak all 4 pots for about 20 mins. Then take the remaining liquid and pour it down the tops of the pots and let it set in the tray, theyll absorb what's left over over night. My goal is to get that .36 mils of drench into each pot...one way or another! When I feed my 7s (what I'm using now) ill use 2 or 3 gallons of water...It kinda depends on conditions. But you want 2.5 mils of drench in the 7s. I usually pour a gallon of straight water in the tray and then a gallon of feed down the top, or 2 gallons if I didnt get around to it for a while (beautiful thing about the kit is that your plants will become very forgiving lol). Anything that comes out the bottom will be absorbed in a short time...like I said earlier
Others might do stuff differently but thats what works for me...Check my plants out and theyll tell you the same

Exactly what I had hoped for scrubby. Please have Mrs. Scrubby give you a big hug from me.

 

[scrubby]

Whatcha think? Are they saying theyre happy