420 Magazine's Official Girl Scout Cookies Comparative Grow By Emilya

Fish, coral, inverts... all are very expensive in the midwest, not to mention that there are very few "good" shops.
I had a reef tank for several years but moved across the country and had to tear it down. It was very expensive. I did a build journal on it on reef central. (Almost said reefer central)
 
And I was fine with seeds I popped or clones from reputable breeder it was the ones I got for free from a guy when I bought a tent from him. Wasn't the tent, had original seal in box and sealed as well. Root aphids in genetics tent possibly few fungus gnats in flower room. You can barely see them but I was able to get a macro video clip if u know how to upload one. This whole time I'm thinking I'm doing something wrong not enough air circulation plants too close ...... Low and behold simply a bug.
 
Very pretty and yes, some fairly pricey corals in there! I just started adding a few frags last week, but my new tank has not really gotten to the ugly stage yet in its cycling and I am pushing things a bit. How long had this tank been going when you took this picture?
The tank was almost 3 years old when I took this.
 
Maybe mine did too but what it doesn't is root aphids which it works on and a few others. I'll check later but it's made by summit correct?

root aphids do not go to a larvae stage that will be affected by the poison in dunks. Aphids require a much more focused approach and they are very hard to get rid of. I am currently fighting them naturally with a mycoinscecticide containing Beauveria bassiana Strain GHA spores. The stuff is not cheap, but it does seem to be working.
 
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.
Do you use an root igniter/excelurator at this time? My thoughts are when I end up getting my seeds, plant about 6 In small cups, doing what you are doing at this time, then follow those steps you have provided us... no overwatering, only feed water around the edges of the cups enough to keep soil moist, and provide the needed amount of water. Give them about 3-4 days to drink all that up, before checking to see when more water Is needed.. Feeding root igniter the same day I water. If I were to water that small bit with about half a teaspoon of root igniter, then wait until every dries up, feed water again.. lightly watering of course, then feed root igniter again, after the second watering, on the 3rd watering/feeding. Give or take a day or too, my take would be that I would receive amazing results!!
 
Do you use an root igniter/excelurator at this time? My thoughts are when I end up getting my seeds, plant about 6 In small cups, doing what you are doing at this time, then follow those steps you have provided us... no overwatering, only feed water around the edges of the cups enough to keep soil moist, and provide the needed amount of water. Give them about 3-4 days to drink all that up, before checking to see when more water Is needed.. Feeding root igniter the same day I water. If I were to water that small bit with about half a teaspoon of root igniter, then wait until every dries up, feed water again.. lightly watering of course, then feed root igniter again, after the second watering, on the 3rd watering/feeding. Give or take a day or too, my take would be that I would receive amazing results!!
no, nothing special for the roots this time, except the very enticing layer of aged cow manure at the very bottom and the supersoil above that. I do have a supplement that I have used in the past made from distilled dandelion roots, but I really didn't think it was necessary with the geoflora and dynomyco already in there. Your root ignitor should be very exciting to watch and I am sure there will be a difference.
:thumb:
 
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.
Wow... I was sure they would burn when the root hit the compost and manure layers. They look awesome though and all that in a solo cup too!
 
no, nothing special for the roots this time, except the very enticing layer of aged cow manure at the very bottom and the supersoil above that. I do have a supplement that I have used in the past made from distilled dandelion roots, but I really didn't think it was necessary with the geoflora and dynomyco already in there. Your root ignitor should be very exciting to watch and I am sure there will be a difference.
:thumb:
Ahh ok, I see. You got a Great soil mix going on... I enjoy using the root igniter from Elite Gardens. Works magic for my girls. That dandelion supplement sounds like It would work very well! Looking to purchase a few other nutrients such as bud denser, and Terpinator.
 
Veg, Day 11
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I have to admit... this even surprised me. All of the plants except for 2 could have gotten watered this evening. These plants have achieved, almost all in unison, emptying their containers in 24 hours. I could have justified watering... but Im still going to hold out one more time for the slow ones and I will water in the morning, not tonight. These plants are ready to transplant to 1 gallon containers in the next day or so.

I predicted a growth spurt. What actually happened is ridiculous. Some of the plants are pushing up the 5th node already and by tomorrow I could snip it, if I were of a mind to.

The wet/dry cycle... it is incredibly effective when done right. Fast forward a second and see what we have here. If I topped tomorrow and at this speed, by week 4 I could have very capable plants ready to go into bloom in at least 3 gallon containers. We are going to do much better than that though, because although the plants may be in a hurry, we are not. My goal is 8oz dry per plant. The question is, how long will it take us?

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Veg, Day 11
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I have to admit... this even surprised me. All of the plants except for 2 could have gotten watered this evening. These plants have achieved, almost all in unison, emptying their containers in 24 hours. I could have justified watering... but Im still going to hold out one more time for the slow ones and I will water in the morning, not tonight. These plants are ready to transplant to 1 gallon containers in the next day or so.

I predicted a growth spurt. What actually happened is ridiculous. Some of the plants are pushing up the 5th node already and by tomorrow I could snip it, if I were of a mind to.

The wet/dry cycle... it is incredibly effective when done right. Fast forward a second and see what we have here. If I topped tomorrow and at this speed, by week 4 I could have very capable plants ready to go into bloom in at least 3 gallon containers. We are going to do much better than that though, because although the plants may be in a hurry, we are not. My goal is 8oz dry per plant. The question is, how long will it take us?

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Amazing how fast these girls have grown. Your watering techniques have shown, and proven that they work, and extremely well. 8Oz dry bud per plant Is a great harvest In my opinion. Great job Emiyla!
 
root aphids do not go to a larvae stage that will be affected by the poison in dunks. Aphids require a much more focused approach and they are very hard to get rid of. I am currently fighting them naturally with a mycoinscecticide containing Beauveria bassiana Strain GHA spores. The stuff is not cheap, but it does seem to be working.
Can't always trust Google but this is what I found even tho no larva stage perhaps effects the eggs?
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Also trying natural ways such as SNS another product called mercenary by I can't remember the name but basically it's like rosemary oil thyme oil cinnamon oil it smells good if anything I think they would like it. Most of the natural ones require multiple applications I'm using root cleaner by the same people that make green cleaner it's supposedly natural you can use it from seed to harvest only thing I mean it basically supposed to disrupt the egg cycle and supposed to dry out the adults but you have to the key point is at least two to three treatments within a 7 to 10 day. Able to clearly see them with macro it's I mean I don't know what a bad infestation is but mine look pretty bad even though the plants are surviving from you know 12 inches up everything below though looks like nutrient deficient or pH problems it just turns yellow and basically dries out and dies yet none of them have tried to climb up the stocks or even leave the soil.
 
Maybe I need to double my dunks in the 55 gal barrel. I am still seeing fungus gnats and my big Durbans in the bloom room have root aphids. I am pulling out the big guns... the bug problem must stop around here. You and I both need to stop them now... before they spread any more. I can hot shot the gnats in the veg room and along with yellow cards and dunk water, get them under control, but the bloom room is more delicate. This is where the beneficial nematodes come in... I am calling in an army... a very expensive but powerful army. I am not playing.
 
oooooh everythings's looking amazing!
Geez 8 ounces a plant whatcha thinking a like 2-3 month veg?
Probably closer to 2... we will see what happens. Just wait till you see the bushes I am going to create!

This morning I did water all of the plants together to runoff and will continue to water as needed until I get them uppotted in the next couple of days. We have now hit a point of diminishing returns as far as root growth in the cups go, and we may even see water usage go down again as the roots start getting in each other's way. Without close supervision we might have missed this first time that the plants drained the containers in 36 hours or less and as a result we might have stayed in the solo cups longer than the optimal amount of time. I have been guilty of this mistake in the past, but have learned my lesson. The plants are ready to uppot the FIRST time you see them use all of their water in 36 hours or less... don't wait, thinking it could not be true, or expect water usage to remain that high. Diminishing returns is a thing.
 
Veg, Day 12
Today is one of those days where nothing much needs to be done, if I am not ready to transplant... and I am not. Tomorrow is a short day at work heading into a glorious 4 day weekend, and I will do it then. Tonight, just a couple of the plants were able to use a significant amount of water during these daylight hours, but I held tight to my resolve and did not water. I am saving that for the morning again, when the mosquito dunk that I put in the 5 gallon water container in the veg room this evening can gain full strength. This evening I noticed a lot fewer gnats than I did yesterday and a few of them did get captured by the yellow sticky card and I suspect that a lot more of them succumbed to the hot shot.

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Tomorrow or the next day the nematodes show up, and then I will put this nasty poison away again. I keep these two in a shipping box sealed up till I need them, and yesterday my friends, I needed them.

Most of the plants are now rising the 5th node. I suspect that we will transplant on one day and top on the next, sometime this weekend.

Remember those who didn't come home this holiday weekend... Memorial Day is to honor those Veterans who died to give us our freedoms today, and they deserve our thanks. Anyone doing anything special this weekend? I am planning a BBQ with lots of adult beverages, and Poison Daddy.

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