Blackberry Kush - Platinum Girl Scout Cookies - 400W MH/HPS

[Twox]

From what I understand is that if you put more than one plant in a pot there roots are going to fight each other for space, one always wins and the Other one will suffer. Definetly not recommended.

I currently have 12 2gallon pots in a 4x4 and I could probably switch to 3 gallons but it would be packed at the bottom. I'm thinking about switching to 9 3gallon pots and I could do that with ease.. it would be more room and more canopy space per plant than I have now. I use to do 4 3gallon pots but that didn't cover my needs for meds..

 

[TheFertilizer]

From what I understand is that if you put more than one plant in a pot there roots are going to fight each other for space, one always wins and the Other one will suffer. Definetly not recommended.

I currently have 12 2gallon pots in a 4x4 and I could probably switch to 3 gallons but it would be packed at the bottom. I'm thinking about switching to 9 3gallon pots and I could do that with ease.. it would be more room and more canopy space per plant than I have now. I use to do 4 3gallon pots but that didn't cover my needs for meds..

I was thinking 9 would better because I could put them in a 3x3 grid, but that would mean culling 4 plants I figured 10 would at least give me an even number between strains.

My goal really is to be able to pull a quarter pound per harvest, which I know doesn't sound very unobtainable but... Ain't happened yet...

 

[Twox]

I was thinking 9 would better because I could put them in a 3x3 grid, but that would mean culling 4 plants I figured 10 would at least give me an even number between strains.

You always do ten and just squeeze one of the smallest plants in the cornor or just fit five on each side. Or you could consider her a back up incase one isn't up to standards.

My goal really is to be able to pull a quarter pound per harvest, which I know doesn't sound very unobtainable but... Ain't happened yet...

You did ok your last run considering all the extra space you had and you went 12/12 from seed so if your planing 9 to 10 3 gallon pots you will most likely hit 3/4 to a pound.. that was about my yeild for my first two grows with full tents.

Don't worry to much about the stretching because they all have plenty of time to recover and grow strong

 

[TheFertilizer]

Yeah I know the potential for the 12/12 from seed is there I really wanted to try it again in 3 gallon pots, but I don't think I am really dialed in enough to be getting maximum yields yet and I think having a longer veg period to get larger plants will help compensate for my lack of skills and get me a stash I can make last longer to experiment with 12/12 from seed again. Plus I mean the way I was looking at it, these are pretty choice genetics, and I wanted to get as much bud per seed from them as I could, so it all seemed to make sense to do the more traditional veg/flower approach.

I did get ahold of a tiny bit of Black Cherry Soda pollen, and it's regular photo-period. So if I end up getting some seeds off it, I am definitely going to do a seed crop and go for 12/12 from seed again. I literally got a bit of pollen about the size of a grain of rice though.

Twox good point on having an extra, especially if I'm going to try to pollenate one. Though the choice of Blackberry Kush x Black Cherry Soda versus Platinum Girl Scout Cookies vs Black Cherry Soda would be a hard one to make.

In other news I am pretty sure that my tap water's PPM is not too high...

 

[Twox]

Twox good point on having an extra, especially if I'm going to try to pollenate one. Though the choice of Blackberry Kush x Black Cherry Soda versus Platinum Girl Scout Cookies vs Black Cherry Soda.

Why not attempt Pollenate a branch or two of both strains instead of a whole plant?

 

[TheFertilizer]

Why not attempt Pollenate a branch or two of both strains instead of a whole plant?

So little pollen and I'm not sure how viable it really is so I didn't know if trying to split it over multiple plants or even multiple buds would be a good idea. Was going to just try and paint as many pistils on a mid-bud somewhere and hope at least a couple seeds or two take. From there I would be using those and hoping I got a male and female to seed crop with.

Then again maybe spreading it over two would help my chances of success?

 

[TheFertilizer]

When you're ready mix it off 50/50 with corn starch. Use a rice grain with tweezers to apply it, the starch helps you see what has been pollinated. This will extend the use.



>.<

Like, literally put the pollen on a grain of rice held in tweezers and use that to apply it? I think I may have misunderstood...

 

[TheFertilizer]

Well they're looking better, they've grown a good deal in a couple of days, I am trying some of those organic nutrients so hopefully they work well. My TDS meter says the mixture was at 320 PPM.

BBK on the left and center, and PGSC on the right.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Well I guess I forgot I took pics yesterday, but oh well here's some more. I spaced the cups out a little because I don't want their leaves to touch and make them think they ran out of room to grow. They're growing quite fast now, won't be long before I need to transplant them up. There's some pretty obvious runts that will be culled.

The BBK this go around still has that weird waxy looking substance on the stems again. Maybe it's some kind of protection against pests.

 

[Twox]

Lookin good... those stems look nice now..

 

[Slowpuffer]

Just a suggestion, if it was me and I was doing this, I'd go with 6, 3 gal pots and better yet is 6 fabric bags. I'd veg them in those cups, until you have to water them everyday. Then transplant to like one gal pots till they need watering everyday, again, then plant into the 3 gal bags. When I used the 400w hps, i kept it much higher than 1 ft.. Probably more like two feet to start, then gradually lower it to that sweet spot. !! I don't see how you're controlling your tent temps., without an exhaust system. Wish you good luck on your grow and if i can help, i will.

 

[Far East Buds]

Just a suggestion, if it was me and I was doing this, I'd go with 6, 3 gal pots and better yet is 6 fabric bags. I'd veg them in those cups, until you have to water them everyday. Then transplant to like one gal pots till they need watering everyday, again, then plant into the 3 gal bags. When I used the 400w hps, i kept it much higher than 1 ft.. Probably more like two feet to start, then gradually lower it to that sweet spot. !! I don't see how you're controlling your tent temps., without an exhaust system. Wish you good luck on your grow and if i can help, i will.

Great advice. This would have amazing roots done like this... Reps SP!

 

[Sneakygreen]

Hey looking good. That stuff on the stem is shedding all seedlings do it as the stem becomes thicker

 

[TheFertilizer]

Just a suggestion, if it was me and I was doing this, I'd go with 6, 3 gal pots and better yet is 6 fabric bags. I'd veg them in those cups, until you have to water them everyday. Then transplant to like one gal pots till they need watering everyday, again, then plant into the 3 gal bags. When I used the 400w hps, i kept it much higher than 1 ft.. Probably more like two feet to start, then gradually lower it to that sweet spot. !! I don't see how you're controlling your tent temps., without an exhaust system. Wish you good luck on your grow and if i can help, i will.

The exhaust fan is outside of the tent, and it's an air cooled hood. Temperatures stay between 68-77 F and humitiy is constantly low at like 20-40% I could practically set the light on top of them and they'd stay cool, I am mostly concerned with giving them too much light when it comes to do the distance.

How long do you think it would take to grow into the one gallon pots like that? I need to be ready to harvest by the first or second week of December, so I am going more by time than by plant size. I know I could get better yield but I have to manage my time, and I have winter break to do all my trimming and stuff so I'd like to get them cut on time. All that being the case I am probably going to switch in mid October regardless of size, I am just trying to get them as big as I can in that mean time.

They're already growing into their solo cups really fast, needing water every two days already. Thinking about transplanting them into gallon pots before the 3 gallon ones as you said, but I only have 9 of those. :/ Plus they're not even a full gallon. I doubt I'll get paid before they outgrow the solo cups either.

I guess this organic nutrient mix is working okay. One of them had slightly burned tips, like super slight, none of the rest did. Maybe that one is more sensitive to nutrients. I mixed up another batch for them and am letting it brew. 300 PPM mix

I am thinking about amending my soil with some of this stuff before transplanting. I don't want to go too light or too infrequent with feedings again. Seems like nutrient burn doesn't do as much to stunt growth as malnutrition does.

Some pictures of the girls, couple days ago. Right now they're looking a little ugly since I let them dry out right until they were about to wilt. I guess this must be building the root system up pretty big, because before they needed water every 3 days and now it's down to 2.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Well crud, I think they fooled me with their water needs. Wilted looks so damn close to over-watered... But there's no way these need water again so soon, so I guess overwatering. I also noticed some browning on the lower leaves already, so I'm nixing the organic fertilizer, going back to Flora Nova. Going to have to let them dry out a good bit before feeding again though.

The thing that makes me think it's overwatering and not wilting, is even though the stems of the leaves are drooping down, they don't feel limp, they're nice and firm and if I lift the leaf petiole, it pushes the entire stem up. I've wilted plants before and they generally feel relaly limp, so this seems like overwatering or something else entirely.

I'm not sure why the leaves are taco'ing though... The temps have been between 72-79, humidity the same, etc. I spaced them out a bit further apart and raised the light so it covered them all, it was kind of "spot lighting" too small an area.

Bummer, just once I'd like to give them a trauma free childhood.

 

[Twox]

I agree that they my be over watered. I let my solo cups get bone dry before I water. I mean dry, dry, dry. Feels like zero water in the soil and my plants are perky still when this happens. Once they get older they get that droppyness when ther thirsty. During flower I do NOT let them get dry, once they are light with dry top soil I water. The tacoing is most likely from being over watered, they will be ok, they're still young..

 

[Slowpuffer]

You plants are looking great, and you're doing them a big favor letting them dry out between waterings. I'd guess another week before you'll be watering everyday, then 10 days or less in the 1 gal, So you'll be going 12/12 about the 1st. week of oct., perfect for an early dec. harvest, if you have an 8 wk. strain .

 

[TheFertilizer]

Welllll they're not looking so hot. I am wondering if this organic nutrient mix isn't part of the problem, should the new leaves be growing in like that? Maybe N overdose? Maybe pH, I have been following the logic that organic doesn't need pH adjustment.

 

[TheFertilizer]

Well I did some transplanting today, they're really hurting it seems, so hope this helps

 

[TheFertilizer]

Well they're looking a lot better today after transplanting them into bigger pots. They still look a little burnt, but at the same time look like they're yellowing a bit too, not sure when to do the next nutrient application. I need to get some neem on them soon too but between burning them and over-watering still haven't had a chance.