First Journal, third grow

[LedCherryBerry]

Update:
I bought the sensi cal-mag-fe integrator. It should come between 8 and 11 november. 
About overdosing, i think i'll start with less than half the dosage recommended (5ml per gallon, will use 0.5ML/LT).
While waiting, i'll try to use my Tap Water, which i see has some Cal-Mag-Fe itself. 
It's possible that my sink water has been filtered from mag and fe.
I'll see if next watering something changes (which is scheduled for 4th-5th november).

I also bought a small dehumidifier (400ml capacity), and the bug zapper.
Both items are 25cm tall, 15cm wide in average, so they should fit well inside the already small cabinet.
 

[Cannabissapean]

Uhh, my friend, the hairs are the Pistils.  The nearly microscopic sacks of fluid all over the leaves of the flowers are the Trichomes.

Pistils are normally white, then can begin to turn colors (yellow, pink, red, brown) as they die.

Trichomes start clear, then turn cloudy, then turn amber as they mature.

For either, I imagine there could definitely be variations on the colors, depending on the strain, nutrients or environmental conditions.

 

Here is an interesting read about the anatomy of cannabis flowers.  It even discusses the processes that are occurring in the flower during the time that the pistils are changing colors.  I thought you might like this:

 

http://www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/anatomy-of-a-marijuana-flower-and-explanation-of-the-pollination-process/

 

deficiency?  genetics?  Could be either.  Could be both.  I don't know.  Do your best.  I know you will.

[LedCherryBerry]

Shit. All my knowledge is WRONG!
ALL MY LIFE WAS A LIE! AAAAHHHHH!!!

Nah, i fucked up. Sorry bout that.
Thanks for the tips, AND for the encouragement. I needed it

 

[Cannabissapean]

No, no, no, my friend.  I'm not gonna let you get away with saying shit like that about yourself.

 

You're a wonderful person.

[LedCherryBerry]

Wait, dude. This is escalating too quickly.

I just confused the 2 things. It's supposed to be easy to remember, Pistils are Pistilli in italian (pretty fucking close), while Trichomes are Tricomi (still too close), but i guess i should stop smoking BEFORE going to work.

I also thank you for the kind words.
I tend to be friendly around here because i have profound respect to the people who are willing to share their knowledge, as i love everything about this wonderful plant, and wish it'll be an important side of my job/life (still a big mistery for me).
But, in real life, i'm much more an asshole than you'd think. I'm a very cynical and introvert person. I rarely socialize, barely have friends, and have an overall bad attitude.
I just don't like 99% of the people who live on this potato-shaped rock. Included myself.

But don't worry. I don't hate you, nor the guys on this forum. Without you guys, you already know, i would've started over the grow.
I just need to stop "having illusions fucking me up in my mind" quoting Cypress Hill.

Spray scheduled in afternoon. I'll post pictures.

[LedCherryBerry]

Heyo,

I am proud to say i defeated mites, completely. 
Can't see a single motherfucker lurking under my leaves! HA!
I'll avoid spraying today, and do it tomorrow, for a last time.

Below, the main buds of the girls (for your eye-gasms).

S2, aka Rebecca:

I am AMAZED at the frost this girl is putting out at DAY 30 of flowering. Incredible.

S3, aka Cindy:

 

She's the one with Iron Deficiency. The leaves affected are the low-mid fan leaves, for now. 
The cal mag integrator will arrive between 8-11 november, so i hope i can cure this in time.
The flowers seem to have slowed growing, and some of the pistils are starting to turn yellow/orangeish, which at day 20 isn't a really good sign.

Anyway, Next update should come indeed around those days. See you by then.
Peace!

[LedCherryBerry]

Thank you @Cindy, but the one i casually named Cindy (S3) is actually doing bad, so she'll need extra love in these days.
But overall yes, they're looking good! I'm actually surprised i got this far alone and high heheheh

 

[Cannabissapean]

On 3.11.2017 at 4:52 PM, LedCherryBerry said:

I tend to be friendly around here because i have profound respect to the people who are willing to share their knowledge, as i love everything about this wonderful plant, and wish it'll be an important side of my job/life (still a big mistery for me).
But, in real life, i'm much more an asshole than you'd think. I'm a very cynical and introvert person. I rarely socialize, barely have friends, and have an overall bad attitude.
I just don't like 99% of the people who live on this potato-shaped rock. Included myself.

But don't worry. I don't hate you, nor the guys on this forum. Without you guys, you already know, i would've started over the grow.
I just need to stop "having illusions fucking me up in my mind" quoting Cypress Hill.

 

LedCherryBerry, meet one of my heros.  He may be your hero already, but if not, I am happy to introduce you to him:

 

 

[LedCherryBerry]

Dude, Carlin is a Legend.
Now i'm going to blame you for this 47th rewatch-routine i have to endure.. hehe

Anyway, small update.
I am pretty sure S3 has an Iron Deficiency, combined with a small Calcium and Magnesium Deficiency. 
I noticed, though, that the leaf i pictured above showed big signs of necrosis between the green "skeleton" (couldn't find a better word), as much as a Boron deficiency would look like. 
Another thing which i find pretty weird (but cool): i watered S3 Only, S2 was still pretty humid.
RO was around 6.1 using a 7.4 PH water: instead of using regular water, i used tap water this time, which stands at 7.46PH instead oh my regular 6.8.
So i figured out that S3 needs another semi-flush before her cal-mag thingie. The cool thing is that BEFORE watering her, she smelled like grass, or tea, i dunno. It was pretty disgusting. After i watered her, though, she put out her fruity smell, as if she was saying "fucking finally dude".

I'll see how things come around in these days. 

[LedCherryBerry]

Hey Cindy,
You calculated your nutes based on how much soil? I'm using for S2 a 11L pot, while for S3 a 6L pot.
I currently run them 1ML BioBizz Grow + 2ML BioBizz Bloom Per Liter of water, but i sometimes run them at half of that strenght, so i don't really know how to compare this to your chart.. sorry
But thanks for your thought! I'm learning step by step that you can't miss a single piece of basic equipment, otherwise it'll end crashing into the wall.
First with PH, then with pests, then with nutes, and probably a bit lack of soil. 

Next grow shall be far better

[LedCherryBerry]

Heyo,

Small update.
Since @Cindy brought up the idea of a metallic net underneath the pots, i've been working on building one myself.
And i succeeded! It works! Of course, now i'm going to have to figure out how to collect the run off water beneath the pots when i water.
But i managed to give the girls a good 10cm of height from the ground. This will help A LOT to create a flow in the small, cramped cabinet i built.
Thank you Cindy, for giving MY cindy some fresh air with a fresh idea!

I also crafted some reflectors.
Well, i like to call these De-flectors, since they don't reflect much at all! 
But, in this way, my eyes will not melt each time i open this heaven, and now there's no excess light outside the cabinet (which is a big up against too-curious eyes).

Anyway, a photo credit beneath:

 

On the left, my Cindy, with an Iron Deficiency. Next feeding will be 0.5ML/LT cal-mag only, then resuming and alternating between BBG/BBB and cal-mag each 3-4 days.

On the right, Rebecca. I don't know if my eyes are mistaken (usually not), but she is putting out colour!
On the side of the bud leaves, she has this Blood Red tint, while is getting coloured yellow (not sick) inside, as if she was turning orange/purple. 
I'll post a photo tomorrow of this, when i feed her and have a better chance to look at her up-close. 

I know that if she shows colour ON the leaf (red, purple, blu-ish, etc) she has a good chance of being a Kush.. But what about her SIDES? I've never seen that before in my short life.

Well, see you tomorrow. Peace!

[ShaggyGrower]

4 hours ago, Cindy said:

.... then you can just empty the bucket in the toilet ... 

 

I use the run-off to water the grass outside.  It's still got some nutrients in it, so instead of wasting it down the toilet, it gets used by the grass outside

[ShaggyGrower]

3 minutes ago, Cindy said:

Hello saggy 

good idea 💡 

didnt think of that I was just thinking of how to help cherry with his problem 

yours cindy x

 

Well that got personal quickly  hehehe

 

Regs, Saggy Shaggy

 

[ShaggyGrower]

It's fine Cindy, I'm just pulling your leg. xx

 

[LedCherryBerry]

Heyo,

Thanks y'all for the tips.
I'm currently trying to understand how to Collect runoff in the first place. Wasting it is another thing i am not considering atm (i can't come down with 5 litres of runoff like it came from the roof hehehehe), so i guess i'll just dump it in the toilet. 
I already collect rain water, and mix it with a compost tea i do each month (or each time it rains), but i use this water ONLY for my greenhouse (where i grow peppers and tomatoes), not my grow room.
Since i am a metalworker i have access to a good amount of resources, but i am not trained enough to craft a "saucer" (if that's what you call underpots) that fits a rectangular area of 56x52 cm, while also being able to be liftable easily, and easy to clean.
I'll need the whole weekend to figure out a way to collect it, i am thinking of half-sized and connected rectangular saucers (much less heavy to lift, easier to remove and clean). 

This afternoon, the pictures of the "coloured" leaves i think i am seeing.
Cheers!

[ShaggyGrower]

Hi @LedCherryBerry,

Here are two ways I catch run-off. 

The first is with a hole in the saucer that the pot, which is on stilts, rests in.  When watering I raise the saucer with some wood so I can put something underneath the hole in the saucer to catch the run-off.  

 

The other photo is of a standard plastic clothes-under-the-bed tidy.  Same again regarding collecting run-off from hole.  I think this would be your best option if you can find/fashion a 56cm x 52cm tray (buy or make one out of metal) with a hole in it, you could rest your grill on it and collect the run off from underneath the hole (perhaps the tray on some stilts as well).
 
Not sure if you read the Faraway Tree as a kid, but I'm pretty sure Dame Wash-a-lot used to just chuck her run-off away from a great height.

[LedCherryBerry]

Heyo,

Thank you shaggy for your kind and detailed answer.
I don't have the physical space to implement such a technique, but i'll keep it in mind for future grows :3

Anyway, i took a picture of the Leaf Colour i was talking about in the previous posts.
I'm sorry about the quality, it's kinda hard to image something that isn't wider than half a millimiter

 

As you can see, on her leaf sides she's developing this blood-red / purple-ish tint, and the leaf body is turning yellow.
The plant is 95% healthy, so i'm assuming this is from genetics.

She is also foxtailing a bit, i'll need to decrease (somehow) the temperature inside (it reaches 31° with lights on).

I'll water S2 today, and start feeding the cal-mag.
Cheers!

[LedCherryBerry]

S2 received a 1ML/LT cal-mag, 2 LT of water instead of 3. 
Runoff was 25% anyway, and it measured 6.4 PH.

I figured out 2 ways of collecting RO water.
One is handcrafted, the other one is very simple.
First method i took a square 43x43 and flat piece of wood (7mm thickness) and cut it in 4 triangles (not squares).
Then i took another 4 pieces of wood, approx 50x5x5 cm, creating a square frame.
I then jointed the 4 triangles to the frame, a bit inclined towards the floor. 
My friends like to call me the "duct tape king", and for a reason.
I discovered that american duct tape makes WONDERS. So, i jointed the 4 triangles, and the frame, with duct tape. 
In the middle, i cut a hole of approx 10mm. Underneath i then place a Saucer (Yes, i discovered thanks to you guys how they are called hahahah) to collect ALL PLANTS RUNOFF. The saucer underneath is 40cm in diameter.

Second way: leave the original saucers in place, caring to positioning them. 
It is the most rudimental tech, but hey, it works better than the first one (that took casually 3-4 hours to make).

So i guess Occam's razor hahahahaha

Anyway, i wanted to ask @Jose.gh or @Cannabissapean if there is a "offtopic" section in this forum. I'd love sometimes to share my findings regarding music, but feel bad about posting in this grow journal: it is not the right thing to do. I'd feel like spamming heheh 

So, as always, BIG UPS for YOU GUYS. 
This forum is the proof that if people cooperate, we can evolve and advance. It is also the most, most friendly place i've ever visited.
You guys ROCK!

 

[Cannabissapean]

Do you mean like this one?

 

http://forums.strainhunters.com/topic/771-music4plants-and-sh/

 

 

 

Or you could simply start a new topic of your own.  The Chill Out Lounge is a topic-area that is quite open for just about anything.

[LedCherryBerry]

@Cannabissapean Yes, YES!
Exactly what i need in the morning, or when i come back home from work.

 

@Cindy Oh god that's so nice. You made it ALL YOURSELF?!
Damn Cindy you're a hard worker! Good job!!
I'll post some picture of the greenhouse i'm "handling", in the weekend, when i get the chance to work there.

Today's going to be the day i build a custom drier box. 
I'll need to hide it somewhere, only to aerate a few hours at night, so i'll need to be relatively small..
I'll figure this out

[ShaggyGrower]

@LedCherryBerry Not many use Occam's Razor.  Not sure how I'd survive with out Occam and Duct tape.

[LedCherryBerry]

59 minutes ago, ShaggyGrower said:

@LedCherryBerry Not many use Occam's Razor.  Not sure how I'd survive with out Occam and Duct tape.

Don't ask me why or how did my neurons cooperate to pull out Occam's razor. I didn't even study it.

Duct tape on the other hand.. Is a bliss.
My greenhouse stands thanks mainly to duct tape hahahaha

[LedCherryBerry]

Heyo,

Smelly update.
Just checked on the girls, and wanted to touch the buds to smell the actual resin on the buds.
Just by barely touching with a finger S2, she smells like a pound of peaches. 
S3 instead, pulled out from the tent smells like fucking grass.
BUT, i squeezed a bit a small flower. She smells like lime. Not lemon, it has a clear lime scent. 
I wonder how she'll look like in a week.

I also realized i've entered last week of flowering for S2, before entering the "harvest range" (another 2 weeks of flowering).
I am quite curious to find out what she tastes like, but am also quite uncertain of when cutting it. 
I have no scopes to look at the resin, i usually look at them and decide what to cut, and what not. 
But S2 keeps growing and pumping the buds. She doubled her bud thickness in less than 10 days!!
Also she keeps putting out both red and white pistils, like if she understood there are no seasons where she's growing.

No seasons.. Uhmm...
I wonder how weed would grow on tidally locked planets!

[LedCherryBerry]

Little recap of what i've understood so far, so everyone reading INCLUDING ME has a clear view of what's going on in the kitchen.
I'm losing my mind a bit.


Things i learned for a SOIL GROW

- PH is super important. DON'T FUCK WITH IT, and respect schedules :3

- Drainage is also very important. Square and round pots, with flat floors, are BAD at draining. No matter how many holes you do on them, they keep sucking at their best.

- Drainage should be done with perlite, or similar products. Use Clay Pebbles ONLY AND IF their PH is around 6.5, and only if you can't find Perlite. It is true that clay pebbles drain, but thet also retain SOME water. I figured out that they can also retain nutrients, so that can cause a nute block, or lead to a PH issue. 

- Time schedule. BUY THE F*****G TIMERS! Don't rely on you waking up AS I DO. Either way, i follow the schedule with alarms.

- Light schedule. This is where things got interesting for me. Most of us use single lamps, with some extra cfl here and there. I use 8 led lights (4 x 35W 6500K; 4 x 45W full spectrum), and can regulate each lamp height, in an area of about 56x58x154cm (Yes, i fucked up building my grow box LOL).

- Airflow is necessary, but can be catastrophic. Airflow needs to be uniform, if you buy a 130m3 extractor, make sure you buy 2 of those, for intake and extraction, indeed. Different extractors will only cause trouble. Make sure to have also 2 fans pointing at your buds: you don't want all the humid and hot air stagnate around them, or mold and other funky and fuzzy shit will appear.

- Saucers. Oh, boy. Saucers are the worst, worst thing we could ever imagine to craft. They're flat, they're really hard to handle if they're, like, 1/3 full, and you'll STILL END UP SPILLING SOME ON THE FLOOR. Every-single-goddamn-time. This is gonna be a guide-in-a-guide.
How to resolve the saucer issue (in my case):
. Elevate the pots to a height of approx 30cm, with a self-standing net. 
. Place a square 54x54 tray underneath the net, to a height of approx 25cm. The tray also needs to be self-standing, and handcrafted. It needs to be inclined to some degree, so the water can flow to its center. In the middle, make a hole of 1cm in diameter.
. Under the hole, place a GODDAMN BUCKET. 
. Proceed watering.

- PESTS. Never give up on them. They WILL come back. Don't expect an easy victory, they're going to laugh at your hard work. If you have the chance, clean your enviroment like a mad man (or ma'am), and make very sure you've disinfected your soil. 
I didn't. They noticed. I didn't notice them. They thrived. I suffered. I fought hard, and at last.. They're still here, but in greatly reduced numbers, and much, much more stupid. 
Neem oil fucks the shit out of their brains. Spider mites wander around the leaves, without leaving webs, eggs, or other things. Sometimes they stop, then start walking again, then stop, but never bite. 
But neem oil doesn't kill them all. There are TONS of pesticides that do a better job in far less days.
 

- And, at last, don't write updates when you had a bad day, or you're high, or both. This is what you'll end up with.


What i'm going to do with this grow:

- I've set S2 Harvest day at 18, or 25 November. 
- I'm going to change the feeding schedule for both plants, starting from now:
. S2 will only receive water from now until harvest day. I want to be extra-sure that all the nutes have been flushed out before harvesting. Don't want my buds to taste too chemical.
. S3 is going to have 2 weeks of low-strenght-flushing with water and very diluted cal-mag (i'll try to ajust this to approx. 0.25ML/LT), in preparation for the BioBizz Heaven (which should come around 18 November). I heard it is a good product that helps to eliminate toxins accumulated during stress periods, and OH BOY did i stress those girls. I'll then feed her regularly, but add the heaven once every 2 feedings. 
. S3 is set to be harvested 20 December, but she is looking so bad i'm having doubts she will survive the growth. She doesn't smell good at all, but if you touch her she does really smell of citrus. Weird, weird plant.

What i think i'm going to harvest:

- S2 will approximately weigh 20 grams dry, but she'll be the most potent among the 2. 
- S3 will approximately weigh 35 grams dry, if she survives this bad phase.

What will i do after this grow:

- I'll NUKE the place with everything. Alcohol, pesticides, cats, flamethrowers.. Whatever it takes to get rid of the infesting species that live in my room, without paying the rent!
- I saved myself 30ish seeds from different weeds i bought while growing. Some of them have their own bag, because they came from really, really good tasting weeds.
I am going to try to plant 2 reallygoodtastingweed seeds, and 2 mehnotsobadweed seeds.
For a comparison, S2 came from a weed that tasted badly, but kept you high for hours. What i think is that it was either harvested too early, or cured very, very badly.
S3 came instead from a good tasting weed, but i don't think i've ever had so many problems with one plant in my lifetime as with her. Maybe i forgot something in the way, but i've got to say i've also been extremely unlucky with pests.
- I will choose the best looking out of the 4.
- Meanwhile, i'll buy a pack of *any* indica seeds. I need them to be Low, but capable of melting your wires.
- I'll germinate 3 of them, and see what i can get out of those 4 plants.


Tomorrow i'll start the new schedule, and post some pictures.
Cheers!

[slimjim]

Love the report, theres a lot of truth in there.

peace