Green House Seed Co. Jack Herer- Grow Journal Take 2

[drzin978 30]

Hey guys,

So I was trying to grow some Jack Herer with a Deep Water Culture system at my old apartment earlier this summer. There's a whole journal of my failing attempts to keep seedling after seedling alive. I eventually had to give up: because I realized it was just too hot in there, and because I was planning to move before my baby would have a chance to flower. You can check out the whole process of my fail if you want in my first grow journal, and other posts on the various forums here.

Anyways, now that I'm in my new apartment, its cooler, and I've updated my grow closet (see this thread to check out the box/closet... ), I've decided to plant another little baby.

Since I had such bad luck last time, and because I'm new at this, I decided to go with soil instead of hydro this time. I got a 3 gallon pot and some fox farm Happy Frog Soil. I'm still planning to fertilize with my General Hydroponics FloraSeries nutrients.

I had to make sure temperature was okay first, but I have a venting scheme right now that keeps it at around 82-86 degrees in there. I know this is a little hot, but I'm planning on putting a better fan on top to pull more air thru and keep it cooler. I'll post more on that in my other thread, this is about the plant.

I placed my seed in a wet paper towel three days ago to germinate. I pH balanced the water to around 5.8 first. Once it had broken out of the shell, (yesterday), I gently moved it into the soil. I've been watering it with more pH 5.8 water periodically, and misting it as well. I placed a clear plastic dome over it too. Check out my photos!

I'm pumped the seedling looks like this already after only ~24 hours in soil! Both baby leaves survived, it perked straight up overnight, and two tiny adult leaves are coming in too; Hopefully it doesn't get burned like its ill fated predecessors...

That's it for now, but stay tuned for more updates!

[THURSDAY. 48]

tagging along mate, have got some beans of this, be great to see how they grow.

the first few i put in mate never cracked so good luck with this grow, i am keen to see the finished product.

THURSDAY....

[drzin978 30]

I'll definitely keep you posted. four out of five of the Jack Herer seeds I got all cracked properly. The one that didn't probably didn't because I squeezed too much rockwool on top of it. The reason they kept dying was my error- improper use of hydroponics combined with too hot of a space. Hopefully I have remedied both of these problems... we'll see how this grows!

[Dust 6,284]

Thanks for opening a journal man! I hope that updated version of the room will make it this time and give you nice happy plant!

have a good veg

[drzin978 30]

Thanks, Dust!

The plant sure does seem happy so far... It's been a week since I took my popped seed out of the wet paper towel and put it in the soil. this girl is looking much better than her ill fated hydro predecessors did after a week.

I'm glad things have gone so well thus far... I've tried hard to keep temps around 84~86 degrees F. I also kept the plant in a dome until it got too big, and I am sure to mist it regularly.

In addition today is the day I decided to begin a feeding regimen of flora series hydro food. I mixed up a batch according to the side of the box but on the low end.. About 298 ppm, with water from the tap (initially ~78 ppm). I tried to pH balance the water down to around 5.8 with lemon juice first, but I should have done this after I added the nutes, which brought it down a little bit further. Hopefully A 5.5 pH isn't too low.

Here's a closeup of the plant so far. I'm really happy with my results so far!

More leaves, and bigger leaves! I think its looking good, what do you guys think? How often do you think I should water her with the nutrient water?

[Dust 6,284]

yes it is looking good 5,5 in soil might be a little too low so next time make sure to stabilize PH before adding the nutes it is a very important factor in the growing for the nutes usually i prefer to wait a few more days before starting to feed them, if you go very slow it will do the job, and start maybe to give food only once every 3 watering, and if you see the girl start to be hungry the you can give once every 2 feedings etc and find your own perfect cycle

Good luck man thanks for the news

[drzin978 30]

Thanks for the tip Dust-

Its been a week, and I've basically just been feeding her exclusively the 298 ppm feed solution. I'm planning to double the concentration this week.

She's looking like this:

More to come!

[drzin978 30]

Pretty explosive growth, no?

[Bam-Bhole 1,903]

definitely ! Amzing. Looks mor like 3 weeks than 2 weeks. Maybe the heat helps - But in order for a perfect environment higher the hunidity to 55 % at least and lower the temps to around 80 degrees ( 78 to 82 is okay when lights are on ) - You got an air exchange going on = air sucked in / pressed out ? This is also a crucial feature of any grow room. Still nothing to complain when it comes to the lil Jack Herer here. It is a vital strain usually and a real good smoke - so hopefully this seedling will bring you a lot of nice weed to smoke in the end.

[Dust 6,284]

looking great man, bushy and healthy

Have a good grow keep us updated

[drzin978 30]

Thanks guys! I'm doing what I can to keep temps down. I have a number of fans going in there... Check out my setup on this post:

I went into more detail on the construction side of things over there.

You're right tho, it gets too hot in there. I need put some glass on my reflector to keep the heat in.

​

Thanks for the input, guys, I'll keep you posted!

[drzin978 30]

Hey all-

Its been about a month, and I've been sort of busy.  But my little closet project has been going great!  I've been taking photos right along the way.

 

Here she is after four weeks:

 

 

As you can see, right around four weeks in I built and installed a screen of green.  This consists of a 1 by 2 frame, with little eyelet screws at 2 inch intervals.  These screws are strung with synthetic string to create a lattice.  I used two tension curtain rods to hold it up so that its height can be adjusted.  That was a few weeks ago, here is the growth up to now at the beginning of week 7 (it has been six weeks since planting):

 

 

I've been tying down the ten or so big main branches to spread and stretch them out sideways.  One was tied down and grew up to the point that it snapped itself a little bit... it has stayed alive, however, and I splinted it with a little piece of bbq skewer and some string so it will hopefully stay alive and yield something.

 

 

It seems to be going well all in all.  I'm concerned about the fan leaves, however.  I want to prune them so the bud sites along the branches can produce more.  I'm not sure how much of this is too much, however.  Any thoughts?  Also- should I cut my losses on the damaged branch or keep it around?

 

Ponder my questions as you gaze upon this last picture and its magesty:

 

[Dust 6,284]

look at her she ain't a little baby anymore seems like she has filled the net nicely and is starting to give you some preflowers

 

Hope the flowering goes well

Have a good day!

[Dust 6,284]

for the trimming at this stage usually i wait a little more to trim the fan leaves, at least i wait for the flowers to develop a little and once the Stretch stops and flower start to get wider, then i trim the fan leaves. But it's just a personal choice not a growing rule

 

Have a good day

[drzin978 30]

Thanks for the tips, Dust!  I have tucked my girl's fan leaves down into the screen and re-tied the branches down so that as many bud sites as possible are getting light.  I also trimmed out the leaves beneath the canopy level.  Right now she has a bunch of little baby bud sites that are starting to grow hairs and everything!

In addition, I built a vent fan assembly for my light fixture.  I used a flange and a glass lens from the manufacturer, with a computer fan adapted to plug into the wall.  This is keeping the hot air off the plant and sucking it up and out.

All in all she's looking great right now.  I'm only posting one picture this week, because all the other ones are too big and I don't feel like resizing them right now.  Here is one of the nicest looking pre buds:

 

More to come when I have more progress/smaller photo sizes!

 

[Cannabissapean 1,223]

Wow DrZin,

 

Wonderful Progress ! 

 

Earlier in the first thread regarding the construction of the box, you had posted that the scrubber was not yet in place.  With the flowers coming so nice, that is now a critical issue, man.  Remember where that air is going...

 

Also, for us Viewers, it is a bit difficult to discern the finer aspects of the health of the plant from your photos because under those particular lamps, we cannot see the plant's true colours.  From what I can see so far, she seems healthy. 

 

The following is suggested to improve your presentation photography:  Install or stand somewhere some kind of regular light bulb lamps for use during the photo sessions.  Not necessarily to be on all the time for the plant, but for your porn shots.  At the start of your shooting, turn on the regular bulbs, then turn off the lamps that cause the odd colors or the striations in the photos (usually caused by the 50 or 60 Hertz flicker in CFLs, fluorescets or some LEDs).  This will enable you and us to see the true colours of the leaves and stems for nutrient deficiency analysis.  Just remember to restore your grow-lighting soon thereafter so as not to disturb the girl. 

Yow, she's a Beauty !  You done good.  Just don't get caught.  And don't forget to make your Studio light-tight during the shoots, as all the moving lights and changing spectrums will make it look like a Disco is in there.

 

I've added you as a friend if that's OK.

[Cannabissapean 1,223]

DrZin,

 

Just in case you haven't seen this wonderful guide to the plant's deficiencies, I shall provide it here:

 

I shall hand-write it into the post so as not to be confused with spamming.  Very useful Information here. I'm not selling anything.

 

 

http:    //    growweedeasy   .   com   /   marijuana-symptoms

 

 

 

(I have asked the admin about the subject of posting links in These Forums.  I forsee possible Problems in the future.  I wait patiently for any replies.)

[drzin978 30]

Thanks for all your advice, cannabissapean.

I'm thinking I'll order one of these: http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-GrowBright-Pure-Flow-4-Jr.-Carbon-Filter

or spring for a 12" Phat filter here: http://www.naturalrootshydroponics.com/index.php/our-product-selection/gardening-supplies/air-purification-odor-control

Do you think I should drop an extra thirty bucks on a filter with "Pre-cambrian carbon", or just get the $50 dealie?

 

Otherwise, I want to put some porn lights up for my plant, but its sort of on the low end of my priorities.  I think the plant is getting enough nutrients, however, as I'm feeding it the recommended proportion and concentration of Floraseries hydro food from General Hydroponics.  I have it planted in some Fox Farm happyfrog soil, too.  I don't think a nute deficiency is a problem.

I'm going to get a filter at earliest convenience, though.  Looking forward to hearing some feedback on which model I should invest in.

[Cannabissapean 1,223]

Hey Mad Doc,

I think the 49$ scrubber from HTG should be adaquate for the size of your box.  You would be pushing it to ever grow more than 1 or 2 full-sized plants at a time in there. 

 

But you may experience Exhaust Airflow problems and heat build-up again.  Here's why: the filter is rated "Recommended Max Airflow: 150-265cfm".  Last I read, your upper fan pushes only 70 CFM (that is, if you are still using that fan).

 

The rule of thumb (as I understand it according to Natural Root Hydroponics website) is that the CFM of the fan should be no less than half the CFM Rating of the filter. 

 

If we apply that formula to the HTC product, then your existing fan is just below the minimum acceptable CFM Rating to match the Minimum Rating(150) of the HTC filter.  

 

                150 / 2 = 75                      (suggested minimum)   75        >       70   (your fan)

 

*** See Footnote.

The most likely result may be that you will be pulling somewhat less than half the CFM out of your box WITH the filter    as you are today WITHOUT a filter.

 

But you ARE just soooo close to that lower peg for this filter.  Who knows, maybe it will work for you.  Go ahead and try it.  Let us know the results.  There can be 2 bad situations that arise however:

#1. The CFM of the Exhaust System(exhaust fan + filter + exhaust ducting) drops to LESS than the CFM of the Intake System (the lower box-fan) resulting in positive box pressure, and thereby the smell would vent into the Studio. (To regain negative pressure you could reduce the lower fan to a slower setting, but that would reduce your Overall CFM even further, resulting in further heat build-up.)    Or,

#2.  You experience unacceptable heat build-up anyway, despite maintaining negative pressure.

 

To resolve potential Problem #1, you may need to upgrade the exhaust fan to one with sufficient CFM to match the filter resistance. (That may prevent Problem #2 altogether.)  When you have some time, do some Google or AVG research on ULTRA-QUIET Inline Fans and Squirrelcage Fans.  Sorry, they're not cheap.

 

If only Problem #2 arises, then consider reducing the Current-draw (Wattage) of the lighting by switching away from HPS to broad-spectrum LEDs.  This will reduce the heat dissipated by the lights and reduce your electricity bill as well.  Another advantage to using multiples of smaller broad-spectrum LEDs is that they can be hung from the corners of your box on a rail system so that you can adjust the heights of each lamp individually and simultaneously selectively target Vegetation of varying heights and Locations.  This would also help in getting energy to the lower leaves and buds since the radiation is emmitting from multiple sources around and over the plant.  Sorry, the best ones also are not cheap.

 

Can't wait til the next Pics.

 

Peace

 

'sapean

 

***

I have re-entered my post to insert a comment, here in orange, to say that my interpretation of the Formula found at the NRH Website was not exactly correct.  When I am wrong, I admit that I am wrong.  I have left my misinterpretation in the original posting for all to see and ponder.  However, my gut feeling regarding the adaquacy of the upper fan and my suggested remedies remains the same. 

I am certain that there are Tables and Formulas already established within the Heating&Ventilation Industry to enable a more precisely engineered Ventilation & Filtration Plan.  Is there anyone among us who can enlighten our Family with better Formulas or easy-to-follow "Rules of Thumb" regarding the interaction of Growspace Volume, CFM, static pressure, exhaust fans, exhaust filter resistances, exhaust pipe Diameter and Length and the like?  I think I may start a thread.

[Cannabissapean 1,223]

drzin,

I'm curious, did you top the Girl sometime in early October? or did she branch so evenly on her own?  I saw that you had trained the branches apart, but on the above photos, I don't see a clear leader, which leads me to think that you may have topped her or trained the top completely down.

 

You were concerned about a damaged branch where you had performed a beautiful BBQ skewer splint, and then asked whether or not to eliminate the branch.  I hope you saved it. 

 

I understand that there is actually a technique whereby one purposefully (but cautiously) produces slight cracking of the Cambrian Tissue through the twisting/squeezing of the branches during the Vegetative Phase.  Apparently, these damaged areas will heal(so long as the central core is not opened and left to dry out) and grow cambrian tissue much larger and stronger than they normally would have.  This increased tissue transports nutrients more efficiently to the flowers during the Flowering Phase. 

 

Did that branch make it?  If so, is there a difference in yield compared to her Peers?  I forget exactly the name of this technique (if not already named, I propose "Snap-Crackle-Pop"), but it is a part of a greater set of procedures I have read somewhere called "Super-Cropping", the intention of which is to increase the average yield some 20%? 30%?  Can you make photos of the matured repair site at harvest and photos and/or measurements of the yield differences if any?

 

Thanks my friend.

I really enjoy your set-up and grow.

 

'sapean

[drzin978 30]

'sapean

To answer your your questions- I did accidentally break the top off of the plant when teaching myself to train it with a screen of green, so none of these is the one top.  The dominant branch is the one that snapped a little, and its going strong!  huge bud on it.  I'll try to do an experiment to see how the wound has healed, and how the yield changes.

Otherwise, I'm about to post some photos n stuff in another post, regarding my recent filter install, growth developments, etc.  stay tuned!

[drzin978 30]

So yeah- here's a real update since I haven't posted one in a while.  I've gone ahead and installed a charcoal filter for my setup.  I decided to splurge on the Phat Filter with Pre-Cambrian carbon, because the carbon in the fifty dollar one was pelletized- meaning it has binders and glues in it as well.

I built a manifold to affix this filter on the inside of my unit out of some shiny reflective foam insulation board and a 4 inch vent flange from the hydroponics store.  I then affixed the filter to this with a length of 4" duct.  This was sealed with hose clamps, and the filter itself was held in place with a strap tie down and some loop eyelet screws.  here are some photos:

Otherwise, as far as the plant goes (or grows), things are great!  I have done minimal pruning, pulling dead leaves out from underneath and trimming occasional fan leaves in the upper canopy that are blocking light from bud sites.  It looks like this now:

What do you guys think?  I'm thinking I'll give it like four more weeks.

[Cannabissapean 1,223]

Beautiful grow. Tantalizing Trichomes.

How does the Jack Herer smell? Herrlich?

Really good Job!

[shawn 80]

really good work flowers are looking beautiful bro

[drzin978 30]

Thanks guys! It has a minty smell that gets really pungent like coffee when you get close. Lol. I hope the next few Weeks go well like the past few have... More updates to come...