Utopia Haze - CFL - Cabinet Grow - LST

[sugarpistol]

Hi, kids! This is my second-and-a-half grow [check my sig for a link to the first if you missed it]. Started an Arjan's Haze #3 seed in early July, then lost the baby to heat stress before I realized what was wrong. Turns out air conditioning is not optional during the summer months - go figure.

Today is day 37 of vegging 20/4, and I just found my first alternating nodes, which I've gathered indicates sexual maturity, yes? So I'm flipping the switch now instead of waiting for day 42. !

Deets:
Feminized Utopia Haze from seed, ordered from Worldwide [very profesh].
2/3 FFOF, 1/3 perlite.
Started 1/4 strength FF nutes at the beginning of week 3, currently at 1/2 strength.
As of about five minutes ago, working with 6 2700k CFLs of varying output; four bulbs suspended above, and one on each side wall, all at slightly different heights. I turn the main pot a little bit every day.
80°F, 60% RH, both pretty steady.
DIY carbon filter. Goofy looking but pretty effective. Probably due for a refresher.
Passive exhaust system + a desk fan attached to one of the cab walls blowing things around and helping keep the temp down.
Using cotton twine and binder clips for disciplinary purposes.

I took four clones from down low 9 days ago and they seem to be doing okay, I'm pleasantly surprised to say. They started out in straight perlite in improvised seedling pots constructed of toilet paper tubes cut in half with one end covered with newspaper held in place with masking tape. Phew. Five or six days after I got them started I stuck the tubes in my normal starter pots and took off their tents...which they didn't like. They got really droopy and sad looking almost immediately. They've perked up a little since I gave them a good dousing and stuck their tents back in place, but they are still recovering from that little ordeal. I used a honey solution instead of rooting hormone.

Pictures!

Day 30:

Day 32:

Green green green! Look at those lower branches go!

That's my top there to the right. Pretty silly looking, eh?

Happy babies.

Day 34:

Those guys got tied down a bit immediately after their photo op. Feisty. I let the top up a wee bit, too.

Noooooo!

Day 35:

Day 37:

I'm gonna throw out one big YAY! for this group and call it a day.

 

[sugarpistol]

Day 40 [2], nutes are up to full strength, tinies got the seedling dose of BB yesterday, and everything's still good! Clones don't look like the healthiest clones that have ever been, but they do have new growth, so I'm satisfied.

Pics from today:

 

[ds8802]

Update?

We're reading, just too stoned to post, hahaha...

Your setup is awesome and that plant is gorgeous.

 

[sugarpistol]

Update?

We're reading, just too stoned to post, hahaha...

Your setup is awesome and that plant is gorgeous.

Hahaha, awww, thanks! I will give a little update later tonight. I have a couple days worth of photos, too.

 

[sugarpistol]

Day 42 [4]:

What's all this, then?

Oh! Well, hello, there!

Day 45 [7]:

Cranky.

Ew. That can't be good. I dug the bebes out of their cardboard pants just after these were taken. I won't be using that method again. Their roots managed to get through the newspaper on the bottoms, but the cardboard part got icky pretty fast. I was very pleased to see that all of the clones have very strong root systems! I did my best not to damage them.

Day 47 [9]:

There are more of these popping up daily.

Before a good watering and readjusting bonds.

After a good watering and readjusting bonds. I have found that my ladies get a little droopy immediately after watering - this happened last grow, also. Should I be concernicus?

The babies are looking better than those last crunchy-looking bunch of pics but it's tough to get a decent picture through all the condensation. They're still living in their tents, obvs. Should I be getting them acclimated to being out in the open?

Oh, and I'm doing 13/11 rather than 12/12...I read that that extra hour of light can really make a difference. Thoughts?

Okay, bedtime.

 

[BUD08]

very nice looking girls you have there. Im in!

I could be wrong but im almost sure that 12/12 is the best you can do for flowering so that the girls dont get stressed. I dont dare mess with my lights during 12/12 but if it works for you i would do it up. Any thing to make the yeild amd health better with out killing them is a good thing. Way to grow +rep if i may...

 

[ds8802]

Actually, there a few hard-core conniseur growers/breeders out there that swear up and down on an 11/13 cycle.
i'll post it here if i can find it, an article by Dj Short (i.e. THE Breeder) that explains this in more depth.

 

[Tunes420]

Looking great! ....I rember seeing something about light cycles so searched and this is what i found quoted by DJ Short
" After many years of first-hand experience breeding herb indoors as well as outdoors, I am of the opinion that the two most influential factors involving phenotypic variation and expression among current indoor herb breeding projects are the photoperiod (hours of light per day) and the angle of light in relationship to the growing plant.

Specifically, I find the single most powerful influence to the Indica dominant phenotype is the traditional 18/6 veggie cycle and 12/12 flowering cycle. The 18/6 veggie and 12/12 flower cycle is an attempt, however poor, to mimic the Indica-producing photoperiod. It is my belief that this light cycle strongly influences for Indica phenotypic expression.

Sativa phenotype characteristics will manifest under a more equatorial photoperiod, closer to a 13/11 veggie cycle and an 11/13 flower cycle. This is the light timing range to use to elicit more Sativa dominant expression from your plants.

As for the exact photoperiod formula that I incorporate into my growing/breeding regime, this will presently remain a trade secret. My advice is to experiment with different photoperiods, keep good notes and pay attention. Avoid the 18/6 and 12/12 photoperiods, while tweaking the times a bit differently with each breeding cycle until more desirable results in the finished product and their offspring are noted. Heres a hint: work in half-hour increments or a little less, and good luck! "


Not sure if that helps any Keep up great job

 

[Sonzor]

13/11, thats the first I have heard of that but if it works go for it. My outdoor plants flowered with 10 hour and even less of darkness so I don't see why it would not work, but what do I know, still learning something new every day. Anyway you grow looks great and you plant look very green and healthy, Good luck in the coming weeks and will stay tuned to see you progress. Great job + rep

 

[fluroman]

great job plants are looking healthy i like the LST job im a big fan of it as for the lighting i stick with 18-6/12-12 it works and i see no reason to change it until i see proof of something different so i'll be watching this closely. +reps

 

[sugarpistol]

very nice looking girls you have there. Im in!

I could be wrong but im almost sure that 12/12 is the best you can do for flowering so that the girls dont get stressed. I dont dare mess with my lights during 12/12 but if it works for you i would do it up. Any thing to make the yeild amd health better with out killing them is a good thing. Way to grow +rep if i may...

Glad to have ya and thanks for your support!

Actually, there a few hard-core conniseur growers/breeders out there that swear up and down on an 11/13 cycle.
i'll post it here if i can find it, an article by Dj Short (i.e. THE Breeder) that explains this in more depth.

Tunes beat you, ahahah. Good effort though! Thanks for the tip!

Looking great! ....I rember seeing something about light cycles so searched and this is what i found quoted by DJ Short
" After many years of first-hand experience breeding herb indoors as well as outdoors, I am of the opinion that the two most influential factors involving phenotypic variation and expression among current indoor herb breeding projects are the photoperiod (hours of light per day) and the angle of light in relationship to the growing plant.

Specifically, I find the single most powerful influence to the Indica dominant phenotype is the traditional 18/6 veggie cycle and 12/12 flowering cycle. The 18/6 veggie and 12/12 flower cycle is an attempt, however poor, to mimic the Indica-producing photoperiod. It is my belief that this light cycle strongly influences for Indica phenotypic expression.

Sativa phenotype characteristics will manifest under a more equatorial photoperiod, closer to a 13/11 veggie cycle and an 11/13 flower cycle. This is the light timing range to use to elicit more Sativa dominant expression from your plants.

As for the exact photoperiod formula that I incorporate into my growing/breeding regime, this will presently remain a trade secret. My advice is to experiment with different photoperiods, keep good notes and pay attention. Avoid the 18/6 and 12/12 photoperiods, while tweaking the times a bit differently with each breeding cycle until more desirable results in the finished product and their offspring are noted. Heres a hint: work in half-hour increments or a little less, and good luck! "


Not sure if that helps any Keep up great job

Yesss, thank you! Super info, glad to know I'm on the right track! I've never heard of such a short photoperiod for vegging sativa dominant strains, I may have to try that next time around. I am fond of my sativas.

13/11, thats the first I have heard of that but if it works go for it. My outdoor plants flowered with 10 hour and even less of darkness so I don't see why it would not work, but what do I know, still learning something new every day. Anyway you grow looks great and you plant look very green and healthy, Good luck in the coming weeks and will stay tuned to see you progress. Great job + rep

Thanks so much for the kind words and the reps! How did your SLH work out? I think I want to give her a whirl sometime in the future!

great job plants are looking healthy i like the LST job im a big fan of it as for the lighting i stick with 18-6/12-12 it works and i see no reason to change it until i see proof of something different so i'll be watching this closely. +reps

Your babies are beautiful, too! I love LST. How does your skewer system work? I am intrigued. Thanks for the reps!

 

[Sonzor]

The SLH is still flowering. The plants not much to look at but it looks like some quality buds are swelling up on it. I will post and update on it when I get the chance. Good Luck...

 

[sugarpistol]

Hey. I messed my day counts up in there someplace.

Day 48 [9]:

Day 51 [12]:

Today is day 54 [15]. I did a little reworking of the light situation today, mama's getting bushy and those side lights have been causing trouble. There are now eight CFLs total.

The babies are officially tent-free! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them once they really get going, there's not a whole lot of room to spare here, haha.

I've got some runty ladies over on this side trying hard to catch up with everybody else.

 

[Sonzor]

Nice looking, healthy plants you have growing. Look like you doing a great job and love all the pictures. Great job...

 

[GMT1975A]

Just caught up on this grow and I must say, looking great so far. This is the first I have heard of varying light schedules to 13/11. We are currently running 3 grow chambers, one with auto's that are on a 22/2 light schedule. Second chamber is currently 18/6 veg cycle and the 3rd chamber is on 12/12 for flowering. I will def have to read up more on this. Anywhooo, plants look like they are lovin what your doing, so keep up the great work.

 

[sugarpistol]

Hey hi, it's day 61 [22]. Here's a bunch of pics from yesterday:

Headshots:

I culled the weaker clone from each pot yesterday, then fed the remaining babies. They shot up overnight, another inch at least. I also stuck them on a stack of books to get them closer to the light. Mama's still a little droopy. I think I may be overwatering a touch. I'm going to give her an extra day of dry this time around and see how she feels about it. There are no signs of flowering on the wee babes - is this to be expected?

No news otherwise. Whiling away the days...

 

[sugarpistol]

Thanks for the kind words, guys!

 

[Sonzor]

You have some nice looking flowers going there. Congrats and give those little ones some time they will give you some flowers before you know it.. Great job + rep..

 

[GMT1975A]

Gonna be a load of buds soon enough. The hardest part is the waiting. Be patient, it will happen. Plants look healthy overall, so keep up the great work. ^5

 

[Tunes420]

Looking really nice