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Emilya Green
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Because, then YOU are deciding how much water your plants need, instead of them, and it is very easy to over and under water that way.
420 Magazine's Official Girl Scout Cookies Comparative Grow By Emilya
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BarnacleBill
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So true Emilya. As you are well aware of, overwatering is one of the greatest problem with inexperienced growers. I actually wait till I notice slight dropping of the leaves. They will actually turn downward slightly and if you are familiar with your strain you can actually smell an increase in odor. Once you get to that point it's time to water. Know your plants, show them love and they will love you back in the end!
I'm just saying that if it takes, say 6 or 7 days to drink all the water, maybe it would be better to cut the watering in half for a few cycles. That way you give nutes more frequently since there are more cycles and the roots dry out quicker than they would if it took 7-10 or more days to drain the plant. You've said yourself you water lightly around the edges if the plant goes more than three days and still hasn't drained all the water.
Once the roots get large enough to drain the water in 2-4 days I totally get soaking the root ball and letting the plant tell you when it needs more, but I have plants with such poorly developed root systems due to overwatering that it takes way longer to drain the water than 10 days and it feels like I'm just extending the problem by soaking the rootball when they finally do.
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Emilya Green
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I consider 3 days to be a magic number in the closed container growing business. Three days is how long of a buffer your soil should provide for you, no matter the size of the container. While you are building roots, (veg) if it is taking longer than that to drain the container, your roots are not yet developed enough to handle that much soil, and extra measures must be taken to get your plant there. If it is taking less than 3 days, you are filling that space with roots and you are well on your way to the next uppotting.
Please take a careful look at how I am doing things here, and how fast my plants are growing. My wet/dry cycle method is not just showing me the strength of the roots and the water usage, but it is also regularly forcing oxygen down deep into the soil, keeping the lower roots very energized. Roots absolutely must get regular hits of oxygen in order to thrive.
Also please note that after the plants came to the surface and it was clear that I had saturated the soil to the point of runoff by giving the seeds small amounts of water twice each day, that I stopped watering, but only until the 3 day point. This first cycle, so far has been the ONLY time that my plants took over 3 days to drain the water, and when they clearly didn't need watering again after 3 days that first time, I lightly watered only around the edges. Also note that after that around the edges watering, the roots expanded laterally so rapidly that the plants all drained the containers on that 4th day and needed a full watering. Then, by forcing the plants to try to get to the 3 day mark again the next time, the roots were so strong that they have been able to clear all of the water 2 times now, and I expect that this time, the wet/dry cycle will even be faster. Each wet/dry cycle shows us by its ever shortening duration that we have stronger roots, as the plant can drain the cup faster and faster each time and soon the plant is going to tell me when it needs to be uppotted. If I was instead, choosing for the plant how much water I think it needed and how often to cycle that water, I would have no idea where my roots were at any given point and I would be flying blind. My lower roots would likely not be seeing regular hits of oxygen, and my plants would not be growing as fast as they are capable. You should expect extremely fast growth from this weed if all the conditions are right, and these are the reasons that I regularly achieve hydro growth speeds in soil.
I’m sure there is a method to your day numbering system but I confess to not understanding it, Emilya.
You posted your first day of seedlings as May 11 and yesterday you posted Day 8 of veg but numerically from May 11th, yesterday would have been 11 days ago so I don't understand why yesterday wasn't posted as Day 11 instead of Day 8?
I’m a little confused.
You posted your first day of seedlings as May 11 and yesterday you posted Day 8 of veg but numerically from May 11th, yesterday would have been 11 days ago so I don't understand why yesterday wasn't posted as Day 11 instead of Day 8?
I’m a little confused.
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Emilya Green
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Veg, Day 9
As often happens at this stage in the grow, several of the plants are still slightly ahead of the others in development and water usage rate.
Today we see that 6 of the plants still do not quite need water this evening, but I predict that they will, by morning. They have been rotated and moved, but no water has been given.
The other 5 plants are light as a feather, after having just short of 48 hours to use the water. The wet/dry cycle is definitely shortening for all of the plants in the room, but these 5 are taking the lead for now. They have been rewarded with just a little water around the edges, so that their weight now roughly equals that of the plants that still have water weight. I am betting that they can easily use this extra water overnight.
My goal is to water them all to saturation together, probably tomorrow morning. Each time we do this the roots get stronger and the gap between these two groups grows smaller and smaller as these plants continue to sync up. The next goal is to be able to go to the next containers all on the same day.
As often happens at this stage in the grow, several of the plants are still slightly ahead of the others in development and water usage rate.
Today we see that 6 of the plants still do not quite need water this evening, but I predict that they will, by morning. They have been rotated and moved, but no water has been given.
The other 5 plants are light as a feather, after having just short of 48 hours to use the water. The wet/dry cycle is definitely shortening for all of the plants in the room, but these 5 are taking the lead for now. They have been rewarded with just a little water around the edges, so that their weight now roughly equals that of the plants that still have water weight. I am betting that they can easily use this extra water overnight.
My goal is to water them all to saturation together, probably tomorrow morning. Each time we do this the roots get stronger and the gap between these two groups grows smaller and smaller as these plants continue to sync up. The next goal is to be able to go to the next containers all on the same day.
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- #127
Emilya Green
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Sorry Homer, let me explain. I have added a seedling stage to my grow. I was going to go a full week in the seedling stage as I waited for the stragglers to come up and get going with things and for the seedlings to establish themselves in the cups, or in other words, stop floating around when they were watered. After 5 days from the first appearance of a seedling and 3 days after the last one, it became obvious that the seedlings were fully established and it was time to call the new phase, Veg. The start of veg is sort of subjective anyway with some plants coming up several days before the others, so you have to pick a number in there somewhere to call Day #1 for the entire room... so I just waited 3 days after the last one came up and called it Veg.I’m sure there is a method to your day numbering system but I confess to not understanding it, Emilya.
You posted your first day of seedlings as May 11 and yesterday you posted Day 8 of veg but numerically from May 11th, yesterday would have been 11 days ago so I don't understand why yesterday wasn't posted as Day 11 instead of Day 8?
I’m a little confused.
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- #128
Emilya Green
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I forgot another detail. I lowered the lights this evening about 3 inches, bringing the LUX up from about 19K to 25k at the top of the plants... I am pretty sure they can handle the extra light.
Now I think I'm more confused but as long as you understand your system that's all that matters.
Fortunately, yours broke ground one day before mine so it's easy to compare my simple system against your supercharged soil concoction. I'm only in competition with myself so I'm really interested in what difference all your amendments make and it looks like you're already pulling ahead.
Looking great, Emilya.
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Emilya Green
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This morning I surprised the girls by turning on their lights about 15 minutes early. They were still hunkered down in night mode and blinking and reacting to the brighter light but not really needing water just yet... but I think that will change after another 12 hours of light. I will update with pictures this evening, but for now I have just let them continue on without messing with them and I will water them again this evening on the 3 day mark. This should be the last time we have a 3 day wet/dry cycle in these cups and the plants should end up being fairly well synchronized after this next watering. This morning is another example of letting the fast ones sit when they very well could have been watered, while waiting for the slow ones to catch up. Please note that when given a choice, I would rather force some of them to go mostly dry, rather than to force the slow ones to be too wet.
BarnacleBill
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Wow, your plants have eyes? Mine just have mouth's and shout orders at me!...
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- #132
Emilya Green
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Mine have adapted because it does no good to shout at a deaf lady. I am attempting to teach them some BSL, botanical sign language, so we can communicate a bit easier.Wow, your plants have eyes? Mine just have mouth's and shout orders at me!...
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- #133
Emilya Green
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Veg, Day 10
The girls did not let me down. All the plants on the table needed to be watered as they were as light as a feather and dry as the Sahara Desert. They were dry all the way down to the bottom and compared to a cup with just dry soil in it, no water weight could be discerned.
They were all slowly watered to runoff. I expect a growth spurt.
Soon we will be thinking about topping these plants. The internodal spacing is excellent and shows that the plants have been very happy with the amount of light they are getting. All cotyledons are intact and in excellent condition. No signs of deficiencies or overages can be seen. The hot soil in the bottom and the raw nutrients in middle of the cups and the Geoflora and soil activator all seem to not be harming the plants in the very least. All is well in Emmie's garden and I hope in your garden too!
The girls did not let me down. All the plants on the table needed to be watered as they were as light as a feather and dry as the Sahara Desert. They were dry all the way down to the bottom and compared to a cup with just dry soil in it, no water weight could be discerned.
They were all slowly watered to runoff. I expect a growth spurt.
Soon we will be thinking about topping these plants. The internodal spacing is excellent and shows that the plants have been very happy with the amount of light they are getting. All cotyledons are intact and in excellent condition. No signs of deficiencies or overages can be seen. The hot soil in the bottom and the raw nutrients in middle of the cups and the Geoflora and soil activator all seem to not be harming the plants in the very least. All is well in Emmie's garden and I hope in your garden too!
Hey Emilya, was I correct on the mosquito dunks? And I finally found the Golden key to all of my problems all my genetics have either been germinated by me or came from a reputable breeder. Besides 4-5 clones I brought home from a guy that sold me the 10x10 tent, tent was new sealed inside original box and packaging. At first ya thought it was white powdery mildew, but there is this little spots of it easily taken care of and then I thought it was a pH problem but that was on point. So I dug a little further and I see these microscopic Little things I was able to get them under a macro video I have a macro photo as well the photo you just can't see them because they're kind of dark and I don't think we can post video clips or can we?? Either way my problem is root aphids. Do the dunks work on them as well? I went ahead and used some SNS 203 but the application rate is crazy. Do picked up some root cleaner, made by same people who make green clean. Even if the dunks don't work on root aphids thanks for the tip on those for at least fungus gnats. They kinda look like a dog treat donut? Lol at first I was having problems cooling now wanna cut everything down and just let it burn at 150 for 3 days I think is what I need ( believe that's the temp they use when renting a house for termites for 72 hours). Hopefully this works as good as green clean and if u have any other or better tips plz let me in thanks.
Lux led strips? I have mine under them as well I'll have to read back and check ur hanging distance but I believe mine are at 12” but 2 come in a box so they over lap the recommended spacing. Must take all in from emilyas journal so I can learn SOIL. I will keep 2 best ones probably for moms so I can fill tables and out under stronger lamps with CO2.... And then I will take over the world ... Haha ur the greatest help emilya much appreciated.
Dang salt water tanks in the mid west must be expensive we just go snorkel lol but even back home saltwater fish are expensive. Anyways I know this is an organic grow not to poke buttons honest question terpinator is organic?
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Emilya Green
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Fish, coral, inverts... all are very expensive in the midwest, not to mention that there are very few "good" shops.
Yes, Terpinator is organic... nothing synthetic in there at all. I have heard you could drink it.
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- #138
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Lux is simply a light measurement, not a type of light. My hanging distance may not be what is optimal for any other type of light... every light and every light array, with reflectors or not, will be different from one another. The important thing in my journal is the LUX measurement that I am reporting at each stage of the grow.
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- #139
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you are getting it dialed in! Bugs are a constant problem around my house too. I don't think the dunks work on the aphids. The heat treatment sounds like a good plan too. I already saw a few gnats in the veg room so I put up a sticky yellow card in addition to using the dunk water. I regret it now, but I probably should have taken SNS up on their offer with this grow for a preventative.
I googled it dunks do list it but it's supposed to do just as it doesn't list fungus gnats
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