Yankeetoker's 2nd Grow Attempt - 2016 - All Advice Welcome!

[yankeetoker]

My only concern is that the bottom 10-12 inches of Hope and Lexi will be 'not quite worth trimming' popcorn buds.

A rule I apply in flower (600W HPS) - remove all leaves and buds more than 12" below the canopy.
A rule I plan to apply in flower - remove any branch smaller than a pencil.

In totally uncharted waters at this point, so all advice welcome!

So should I let the flowers "set" more or start to trim now? I guess I will take a look back at your journal (and more recently Smoke's).

YT

 

[CareStaker]

For pruning, you should wait till the plants have been in 12/12 for about 18-23 days - or a couple a days after they stop stretching and aren't growing upwards at all. Otherwise, the added stress could cause them to self pollinate.

At that time, you could take some leafs and branches. I wouldn't do much on the topside of Lexi, as she has adequate spacing between leaf fingers, and her canopy looks great. On the bottom of her, and the all the others except the Auto - I would strip any leafs and bud sites from the bottom 1/3 of the plant as measured from the top of the soil, to the top of the plant. Hope looks like she could use a light defol at the top, where you would just be taking the larger fans that are covering a lower 'top' that would grow better if the leaf was removed. Bernie is behind by a few days, but is female and should flower more.

Looking great overall, they have come a long way. From here on in, patience is key - more isn't better. I recall that you are in PJ's soil...and you have pretty good plant/container size, so you shouldn't have to feed too much. They will want CalMag in slightly higher doses during the first three weeks of flower. I use 4ml/gal to supplement my city water that has very little Ca, and up it to 5ml during the first week, then 6ml for weeks two and three, then back down to 4ml for weeks 4-7, then nothing for the last 2 weeks. From your prior deficiencies, I'm guessing your water is somewhat similar. Other than that - maybe PJ will pop in - but I don't think his soil requires much if any feeding/nutrients.

 

[yankeetoker]

For pruning, you should wait till the plants have been in 12/12 for about 18-23 days - or a couple a days after they stop stretching and aren't growing upwards at all. Otherwise, the added stress could cause them to self pollinate.

At that time, you could take some leafs and branches. I wouldn't do much on the topside of Lexi, as she has adequate spacing between leaf fingers, and her canopy looks great. On the bottom of her, and the all the others except the Auto - I would strip any leafs and bud sites from the bottom 1/3 of the plant as measured from the top of the soil, to the top of the plant. Hope looks like she could use a light defol at the top, where you would just be taking the larger fans that are covering a lower 'top' that would grow better if the leaf was removed. Bernie is behind by a few days, but is female and should flower more.

Looking great overall, they have come a long way. From here on in, patience is key - more isn't better. I recall that you are in PJ's soil...and you have pretty good plant/container size, so you shouldn't have to feed too much. They will want CalMag in slightly higher doses during the first three weeks of flower. I use 4ml/gal to supplement my city water that has very little Ca, and up it to 5ml during the first week, then 6ml for weeks two and three, then back down to 4ml for weeks 4-7, then nothing for the last 2 weeks. From your prior deficiencies, I'm guessing your water is somewhat similar. Other than that - maybe PJ will pop in - but I don't think his soil requires much if any feeding/nutrients.

Thanks a bunch! I was starting to "panic" they are outgrowing my tent....can molasses be added to their water in lieu of Calmag? Read that somewhere and thought the sugar could be used as additional energy. What do you think?

The soil is a modification of PJ's so they should be fine nutrient wise.

YT

 

[Radogast]

Thanks a bunch! I was starting to "panic" they are outgrowing my tent....can molasses be added to their water in lieu of Calmag? Read that somewhere and thought the sugar could be used as additional energy. What do you think?

The soil is a modification of PJ's so they should be fine nutrient wise.

YT

Great advice from CareStaker on waiting until after stretch to clear out the undergrowth. I tend to start clearing the low growth when in late veg because I tend to take a water and ignore approach once they are in flower. I intend to keep clearing after they are in flower, but I usually don't. My bud to popcorn ratio suffers. - Don't do as I do

I'm not a fan of adding molasses to water unless it is to make a compost tea.

In a health soil community you want your mycorrhizal friendlies feeding nutrients to your plant roots in exchange for sugars. If you give them free food, why would they trade for food with your plants?

 

[yankeetoker]

Great advice from CareStaker on waiting until after stretch to clear out the undergrowth. I tend to start clearing the low growth when in late veg because I tend to take a water and ignore approach once they are in flower. I intend to keep clearing after they are in flower, but I usually don't. My bud to popcorn ratio suffers. - Don't do as I do

I'm not a fan of adding molasses to water unless it is to make a compost tea.

In a health soil community you want your mycorrhizal friendlies feeding nutrients to your plant roots in exchange for sugars. If you give them free food, why would they trade for food with your plants?

Thanks, Rado! At this point, I am just watering every 6 days or so, pulling off any dead/yellowing leaves, and recording tent conditions. I'll wait another couple of weeks before starting to seriously defol.

Will chill with the molasses......no need to change anything, they have been doing well with just water.

As these girls continue to stretch, I'm afraid
I'll run out of headroom.....I have been thinking about switching out the HPS for my LEDS to finish them out...

What say you?

YT

 

[CareStaker]

Thanks, Rado! At this point, I am just watering every 6 days or so, pulling off any dead/yellowing leaves, and recording tent conditions. I'll wait another couple of weeks before starting to seriously defol.

Will chill with the molasses......no need to change anything, they have been doing well with just water.

As these girls continue to stretch, I'm afraid
I'll run out of headroom.....I have been thinking about switching out the HPS for my LEDS to finish them out...

What say you?

YT

The LED can help keep 'pressure' on them to stay lower. I use both LED/HPS at the same time, but I've used both alone too. They should be close to done stetching, but you can swap the lights. The light change may even stall their growth a bit, but your buds will stall too. I'd leave them with the HPS and either add a single LED up high and out of the way, or to the side and angled in like I've been doing lately. You can only do that, if your ventilation and tent can handle that amount of heat. LED does put out heat, it's just less concentrated, and typically more efficient (less heat, more light).

Hope that helps YT!

 

[PeeJay]

I agree with Mr. Staker, Yankee. Keep the car between the dotted lines as much as possible. The plants will slow way down on vertical growth soon. There is no reason to subject them to a sudden change of lighting. Add a LED in there if you can but if not, no big deal if you can't.

For this grow you should be thinking about establishing a steady baseline. The dirt is working well so see how long it continues to do so without feeding. If it ain't broke don't fix it. A grower doesn't REALLY know if feeding additions help or hurt if they don't know what the plants will do in a given medium without constantly dumping other things on them. Starting simple with good water and a good organic growing medium is by far the easiest way to get growing great cannabis, in my opinion.

Feeding sugars to the soil should be done prudently. There is a downside to too much sugar in the soil.

Carestaker is right on with the defol. Wait until the plant stops stretching. Don't go too crazy on it all at once. You can continuously remove offending growth over the whole flowering cycle as needed.

 

[PeeJay]

If you do feel the need to feed... I'd recommend mixing 1 part fresh soil, 1/2 part castings and 1/6 part Vegan mix and scratching ~ 1 cup of that mixture into the top of the soil of each pot in a week or so.

 

[yankeetoker]

The LED can help keep 'pressure' on them to stay lower. I use both LED/HPS at the same time, but I've used both alone too. They should be close to done stetching, but you can swap the lights. The light change may even stall their growth a bit, but your buds will stall too. I'd leave them with the HPS and either add a single LED up high and out of the way, or to the side and angled in like I've been doing lately. You can only do that, if your ventilation and tent can handle that amount of heat. LED does put out heat, it's just less concentrated, and typically more efficient (less heat, more light).

Hope that helps YT!

Thanks for stopping by, I will just let them be...don't see any signs of heat stress or burning, so I'll let them ride. White widows day 14 of 12/12.....

YT

 

[yankeetoker]

I agree with Mr. Staker, Yankee. Keep the car between the dotted lines as much as possible. The plants will slow way down on vertical growth soon. There is no reason to subject them to a sudden change of lighting. Add a LED in there if you can but if not, no big deal if you can't.

Ok, I'll let things ride.....everything seems to be going well. Lexi , the tallest of the three showed a little heat stress last night. I took her out of the tent for a bit and gave her a little drink of water.

For this grow you should be thinking about establishing a steady baseline. The dirt is working well so see how long it continues to do so without feeding. If it ain't broke don't fix it. A grower doesn't REALLY know if feeding additions help or hurt if they don't know what the plants will do in a given medium without constantly dumping other things on them. Starting simple with good water and a good organic growing medium is by far the easiest way to get growing great cannabis, in my opinion.

I agree, actually they are doing so well there isn't much for me to do watch.....this first soil is my baseline....see how they grow in this soil and tweak as needed.

Feeding sugars to the soil should be done prudently. There is a downside to too much sugar in the soil.

Carestaker is right on with the defol. Wait until the plant stops stretching. Don't go too crazy on it all at once. You can continuously remove offending growth over the whole flowering cycle as needed.

I will just continue to remove yellow leaves for the next few weeks...

If you do feel the need to feed... I'd recommend mixing 1 part fresh soil, 1/2 part castings and 1/6 part Vegan mix and scratching ~ 1 cup of that mixture into the top of the soil of each pot in a week or so.

They seem fine right now, just felt like I should be doing "something" ....I will take a step back and just chill.
Thanks for all your help!

 

[yankeetoker]

Gettin kinda frosty in here...lol

 

[CareStaker]

You just grew your own THC from a seed. It's so rewarding to grow your own.

 

[yankeetoker]

They look even better under natural lighting....

 

[Dennise]

High Yankee... Sorry I disappeared on ya but I went to get a plasma exchange and they made me stay a bit longer than I had planned... everything seems to be perfect in here though... feeling a bit unneeded... but I do have a favor to ask.... I am going to post a link on here and hopefully all your traffic will go there and hit the like on the post so I can make up for the time I was not here to win the Twilight light and I really really want it... Dennise - No Longer The Newest Of Newbies - Not Growing In MG - Perpetual the link is also in my address but please everyone go to the link and hit the "like" and "thanks".... and may you have a blessed and green day.....

 

[Radogast]

They look even better under natural lighting....

Now I see the sugar

 

[yankeetoker]

A few updates...Hope and Lexi both looked a little pale so I soaked and top watered (with 1 TBSP fish fertilizer to give them a wee shot of nitrogen, also a bit of phosphorus). Not sure if that is the correct diagnosis, do you guys see anything else that might be affecting their color?

Today was Day 18 in flower (or on 12/12 light cycle). Both Hope and Lexi seem to be developing pretty well. Lexi is showing signs of heat stress with her being so tall and closest to the lights (which I have all the way up).

A few pics of Hope...

A few pics of Lexi.....

Bernie is the least developed of the three girls, but bud sites are starting to develop just not as many as the other girls.

Thanks for your time...

YT

 

[Radogast]

You are getting good trichome development for early flower.

Keep up the good work. !

 

[CareStaker]

They are looking great. They do look a little hungry and a little hot. Other than that ..

 

[yankeetoker]

They are looking great. They do look a little hungry and a little hot. Other than that ..

I actually watered them yesterday (and added some fish ferts), not sure what else they need since I added so much to my soil.

I will turn my fan up a bit to deal with the heat. Thanks!

 

[yankeetoker]

Checked on the girls this morning and temps had shot up to 90 degrees! I currently have 2 150w HPS in there and I'm trying to keep the temps down, but it is pretty hot in there.

My tent is in a basement (which is pretty cool), so these high temps are a pain. I put a larger circulating fan at the bottom of the tent (there is lots of movement) and already had 2 clip on fans at the top pointed at the lights/top of canopy. I also turned up my extraction fan (but it increased the "noise" coming from the grow room.

Also my plants do look a bit hungry which is crazy with all the amendments I put in the bloom soil they're in....

Starting to panic a bit.....I have some nice buds going and don't want to mess things up now.

Ok, guys as my 4 year old niece likes to say. .."I need help"....lol

YT