Vortex's Dev Lab: A Perpetual Thread For Developing Young Plants

[multiVortex]

GDP after a fresh adjustment of her reins. I'd tell ya what day she's on, but honestly I quit keeping track of her days a while ago. I could figure it out, but not overly concerned. She's about 2 months old though.

There's the clones. Sorry about the glare from the filter, but it is what it is.

From left to right: Durban Poison 1, 2; Strawberry Lemonade 1.1, 1.2; Strawberry Lemonade 2.1, 2.2.


Planted them a little deep, but that was intentional. Clipped the ends of the leaves to try and promote more root growth. For now they will reside in the 3x3 part of the Dev Lab with the GDP.

Not sure what I'll do with them when I flip GDP, but I've got a week or two to figure that part out. They don't need a ton of light, so maybe I'll bump them into a temporary home or something.

 

[multiVortex]

There's our lil Runt GDP. She's close to gettin the flip.

Not the greatest shot, but I tried. She's almost 24" across from furthest leaf tip to leaf tip. Now node tip... not so much. But she's spreading out well, and being an indica I'm going to let her get on it before flipping her. Maybe another 10-14 days, and then I'll see where she's at by then.

You can see the clones in the tray on the floor. They're ok. Not super, but doing well enough. Got a little tip burn to them from the Ocean Forest. But that's ok because it means... roots!

They'll adapt and overcome. I have faith.

 

[multiVortex]

Gave the GDP another round of bondage on a quick break a few minutes ago.

Need to give her a bit of a thinning around the edges before flipping. She seems to be doing well though. Getting some nice new growth, great node spacing on her, just been slow to get here and she is definitely on her own time. She has the space to go wider still, however I also don't want to push the reaches of my backup light that she is under. At some point I'll get proper lighting for this space, but for now this little blurple will suffice. Especially if under normal conditions it's just going to be a veg chamber for whatever. If that's the case, I'm not overly concerned about the situation. It would be nice to have the option though. Either way, having a cheap-ish backup light for emergencies is never a bad idea.


Now for the clones. When I flip her to flower, I'll have to find somewhere for the clones. Their original spot is being used for drying, so that's out. I guess I could always pick up a cheap-ish 4" inline fan and make a different drying space. Already have the filter, so at least there's that option.

Most likely I'll move them into the Lab tent. Even though those girls are in flower, the lights are 5ft off the floor. So that wouldn't be a bad experience for them. A little longer light cycle than I'd like for them, but the same as what they're under now (18/6) so pretty much a wash. their little pints are close to dry, so will probably give them a drink Wednesday. Trying to keep a decent dry cycle on them to help curb size since two of them will (hopefully) end up as bonsai-style mothers.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP a couple days ago.

And GDP last night. Getting quite the collection of fans on her. I’m planning on thinning her out a bit tomorrow. I need to find a place for the clones so I can flip her soon.

 

[MrSauga]

Excuse my manners MV!
Congratulations on your well deserverd MOTM nomination. Thanks for making the community that much better with your contributions.
Good luck sir!

 

[multiVortex]

Excuse my manners MV!
Congratulations on your well deserverd MOTM nomination. Thanks for making the community that much better with your contributions.
Good luck sir!

Why thank you very much Mr S!

It was quite a surprise, and I'm very humbled to have been nominated! I try to be social, and while I get behind a bit, it's very enjoyable to chit chat, share, and learn about this wonderful hobby.

The people here are wonderful, and this is really a great community to be a part of. I learn things here every day, and y'all have made me a better grower without a doubt.

I need to get better with journaling, but more from presentation and such. But I'll get there some day!

 

[multiVortex]

Whatever day this is from Dec 5th... GDP Veg

Got a little purple through the filter, but is what it is.

Added some initial support for the GDP to help widen her out a bit more in conjunction with her quad training. Going to get her organized and prepared to flip in the next week or two.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP Veg: Day 88

Yes, today is the 88th day of life for our little GDP runt.

Here she was at the 3-week mark, just before being moved from the RDWC into perlite:

After just a week of being in a solo cup and perlite:

What a difference that made, huh!?!!???



Now, day 81:

Then day 84:

And now finally, today, day 88!

OK, technically it was last night just before lights out. Close enough though.


Tomorrow she will be flipped to 12/12, and we shall see what we get from her. She is under my "in case of emergency" blurple, but I honestly can't fault the light here. It's doing a pretty decent enough job to be fully honest. I'm not 100% sure, but I could probably move one of my Budget LED lights into this setup after the last plant has been harvested. However, I think I may just keep it under the blurple and see how that does for now. The only issue I really see coming up is footprint. At shorted heights the footprint is smaller (go figure, right? I mean, duh!) than a lot of lights, and right now at about the 18" mark I think most of her is covered. Her "support" is 2x2, so maybe it will be ok. I will keep an eye on her and if need be I can move one of the Budget LED lights over. (I can do early veg in the other tent with just one light, so no worries on that.)


All in all, it looks like she's been saved and turned into a viable possibility. Next step: see how she flowers.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP: Day 98 - Day 8 from Flip

Just 10 days later, and she's working on taking advantage of the entire 3x3. I flipped her on 3/2, and didn't notice any obvious pistils when I snapped this pic last night. She'll get there. She is obviously on her own schedule, and I am but a mere observer that keeps things running behind the scenes.

She sure is stretching though. Today I'll work on her canopy a little bit when I can find time to take a break.

She is drinking a good bit, and come time to drain and fill the res this past Sunday, all that was left of 5gal was enough to barely cover the bottom of the bucket. That being the case, I'll be checking her on Wednesday's and topping off a little bit. Not a ton, but adding another gallon or two just to make sure we make it to the end of the week. The only issue could be for the EC to start accumulating if she decides to drink a little more than eat. Not quite so much of a worry with topping off with just a little bit at mid-week, but still a slight concern. I may just let her drink it up and replenish as needed.

It's a bit of a balancing act with the RO. I can dip and use whatever I need, but Friday at some point I have to hold off so I can get it full for the 50gal change on Saturdays, which means no more water until Sunday. Not an issue, just a balance to keep in tune.

Overall, she's been easy to grow. Not overly fussy, just keeps plugging along at her own pace. Still loving the recirculating dutch bucket setup, and can't wait to get the main Lab running the same type of setup. It does kinda suck getting the perlite ready, but that's honestly the "worst" part. Even with an easy rinse setup, that crap still gets everywhere.

 

[multiVortex]

Gave the GDP a new bucket of water. More accurately, refilled her bucket of water. She had drank the last one close to dry.

Mixed up at 5.5g/gal of MC, and still adding in the flowering calmag as well at 1.5ml/gal. She's doing well. She's 19 days from the flip today, and was flowering a week after that. So I guess that makes for almost the end of week 2 of flower, 3 from flip.

I've been quite tempted to move over one of my 250w Budget LED panels to finish her off. She should have about another 6 weeks or so of flower left, but I'll need that light over the next round in the main Lab before that time. The light she's under is fine, just not over the top. She's flowering ok, but we'll see. I may pick up a cheap something or other just to give it a little more. I'm not sure yet, but we'll see how things go.

I also bit the bullet and ordered the Dev Lab it's own extraction fan. I already have a carbon filter on hand, but the whole piggybacking off of the main lab exhaust needs to come to an end. It's going to be time to turn the speed down and keep the temps/humidity up for veg in there, which is counter productive to what the Dev Lab needs.

I'll get down and take some new pics later today. She's certainly done her fair share of stretching in the last couple of weeks. She's fairly even, although there is always room for improvement and she's no exception. With the harvest duties wrapped up, that frees up a big chunk of time for me. That being the case, it's just in time where there is little attention that needs to be paid to her.

Well, of course that isn't exactly true. She's about ready for the post-stretch defol, which I'll do sometime in the next day or two. Other than that, she's about to enter that cruise control phase where you just watch and wait without much maintenance required. Water, and that's about the extent of it.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP: Day 108 - Flower Day 11 - Day 18 from Flip

Pick your poison on what day you want to recognize.

Didn't clean up the residual blurple from the pic, but just showing current size.

Tomorrow she will get a good post-stretch thinning to open up the canopy to the light, While it's doing alright for what it is, it needs all the help it can get. But I will say at least it's growing a plant. I still may move one of the 250w over in its place. I shouldn't, and I know this, but need to think up something.


Maybe a couple strip lights around the edge. I have a few of those, and maybe they could help a bit. I'll think it over as I defol her.

The new water I mentioned this morning was given to her day before yesterday. She'd already guzzled down almost half of that, so I topped her off this evening with the little bit of water I had left from the RDWC water change (which I completed this evening instead of tomorrow.)


That's about that. I'll get a few more pics after she gets the defol.

 

[multiVortex]

I’m starting to get a harebrained idea...



running another of those Super Lemon autos, but solo in the 3x3 after the GDP is through.

Why? Just to see if she can fill the space out. I’m betting she can.

Problem being, lighting. I wouldn’t throw her under the blurple. Just wouldn’t be right. I’ll have to think this one through. Might not happen, but it’s a thought so figured I l’d better write it down in some form of fashion.

 

[multiVortex]

Put a heavy defol on the GDP. Didn’t snap a pic, but will try to remember tomorrow.

She needed it. Bad. She was thick, bushy, and well, the light in there needs all the help it can get. Not really the intensity of a good light. It does ok for what it is, and on that level is at least a bit impressive, however it still isn’t near what a quality light spits out. Enough, but could be much better.

She looks pathetically naked now, but that’s kind of the point, right?

 

[multiVortex]

And now for something completely different.

Some might even say out of left field....



The little Dev Lab is getting an upgrade in the lighting department today. It's going to get its own 250w @BudgetLED panel.

Wait, wut?

I've decided to move one of the lights from the main Lab (4x4 #2) into the DevLab.


But what about the Lab? Am I just going to cross my fingers that I won't need the second panel? Why mess with it when I just pulled 34.24oz from it on the last run?

Well, that answer is simple. Although I will say the path to get there wasn't.

The short of it is that I just picked up a 250w Series 3+ to add to the Lab, and replace the one that I'm moving over. Crossing my fingers it's here soon (I have faith it will be), and since I won't really need it hanging for a couple weeks (I can veg under a single fixture, if needed, but I won't need to) I think we're good here.

I'll be moving the light over to the tent later this afternoon, and firing it up. The tent needs it, and it's flower coverage is 4x2/3x3, so we're good there.

Hopefully the stretch is over (should be), as the GDP top level canopy is reaching into the 12" mark from the current light. I guess if I need to, I can always turn it down a tick.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP: 24 days from flip

Got the new-to-her light up and running. Her nekkid ass seems to like it thus far. Of course, what’s not to like?

Defol may have been a hair early, and honestly could have been 5 days ago. She’s stretched her butt off, and it's now a game of inches with the light height.

When I hook this tent up to its own exhaust after bit, that filter is going to have to run in push mode. Really no way around it.

Now for the long stretch of slow-to-see progress.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP: 31 days from flip

I should have got some closer pics. She's starting to frost up nicely, and she's growing. There are a couple leaves that are bulging a good bit towards the top, and I may knock those back. Need to look harder at them, as I don't think most are actually shading anything since they are around the outer edges. A couple in the middle may go though. We'll see.


Nothing really exciting to document. She's drinking a 5gal bucket about every 3 days, maybe 3.5 days. Not really much of a chore. I fill up her bucket, and then make another. When she's low, I fill her up. Let the bucket air out, then rinse repeat.

Still loving the setup though. Dutch Buckets (style anyway, as these are DIY) rock!


I went a good bit heavier on the defol than in previous grows. I figured why not? Wasn't expecting anything at all from her, so might as well tinker and see if that energy goes into fatter flowers or not. If all the flowers plump up, she'll be a nice haul for herself.


On the other side of the tent, I did a tape up job last night. Silver gorilla tape around the edges of the partition, so I can run a longer light schedule on the shelf side. Why?

Well, I need to move the clones out of the main Lab, and get them settled in. Wait, wut? Where am I going to be drying? Fear not, I have a plan...

I just can't disclose it yet.

 

[multiVortex]

GDP: 40 days from flip (~33 Days in Flower)

Here we are. About the middle of week 5 of Flower, 6 from flip.

Flowers are coming along well. How well? How about a random shot, huh?

At a first, quick glance from a foot or two away, I thought something was going wrong with the buds. The edges of the sugar leaves had an oddly funky look to them. I took a deep breath and looked closer. This is what I found... densely frosty AF! The sugar leaf edges are just that crusty already. Been quite the productive week for her.



Speaking of production....

Building up that woody trunk and knuckles to pump that food up to the goodies.

 

[MrSauga]

Yup, you got some solid sugar rails going on there. Nice job MV!

 

[multiVortex]

Thanks Mr S!

I’m looking forward to her for sure. That trim though... oh that trim is gonna be fun to run.

 

[SOG001]

I am caught up on your journal MV I see now why my plants look underfed your are much darker green than mine. The GDP is putting out some nice buds good job!