Booja Buds

[Booja]

Well, with luck this grow does not fall flat, I haven't had anything to smoke in months.

I'm a newbie grower that's learning. Currently I have 2 Sour Diesel and 2 N. Lights in a 32x32x68 tent. A 600 watt claimed led for lighting and the plants are in 2 gal airpots with coco and peralite. A fifth plant, free bag seed of unknown type, is growing in a 5 gal homer bucket of dirt and peralite under an 800 watt claimed led.

The bag seed started out with 3 other seeds back in early May. Only one survived a host of mistakes on my part and why it never croaked is beyond me. Nitrogen deficiency, over watering, ph problems and no added nutes tried it's best to kill it. Tough plant. A little over a month ago I finally transplanted it into another 5 gal bucket with dirt and peralite mixed in and started a regiment of GH nutes and calmag. It responded, and it was easy to see my other 4 plants weren't going to compete well for available light, so off to the shed it went.

Here is a picture of the 4 seeds just sprouting in the grow tent with the bag seed plant. As stated before, something was not like the others and needed to be changed.

 

[Booja]

The above picture was from July 15th. The bag seed plant ended up in a shed with it's own cheapo 800 watt (sic) led. I know it does not have enough light but I'm not going to throw more money at it at this point. This picture is from August 16th and a few days later it is already starting to stretch. I'm hoping 8 feet of headroom will be enough.

It was changed to a 12/12 light cycle on the August 13th. I'm hoping the light cycle doesn't cause issues, it kicks on at 7:30 pm and kicks back off at 7:30 am. Nights have been in the 50's here in N. Michigan and freezing temps will be here well before it's time to harvest. Time will tell.

I started trimming some of the lower leaves but am having trouble finding "definitive" guides on how to deal with it. Stumbling along.

 

[Canuckush]

Welcome, that's a nice looking plant!

 

[HugePeckerhead]

Welcome to the site. for changing the light unless it's an autoflower you need to reduce lighting to start flowering. Most growers stick to 12\12 light cycles. Make sure at lights out she's receives no light at all. everything looks great and it's coming along nicely.

 

[HugePeckerhead]

....another tip but you can leave your lights on at night and off during the day. This will help with heat a little bit.

 

[Booja]

The SD and NL are doing well once I tossed the litmus test strips and bought an actual ph pen. While using the litmus test strips I'm confident that I had a few wild ph fluctuations that caused some leaf problems early on. Fearing I was going to loose the plants, I did a flush then watered again with 1/2 strength nutes later in the day. The effected areas of the leaves eventually died off but the plants held fast.

Picture of leaf damage early on from what I believe to be too high of a ph.

I've been without bud for so long I'm stressed that I'm going to screw something up, but I still wanted to dabble. I ended up topping one of my plants, which seems to have worked out just fine. They were in 20/4 veg phase for about 3 weeks and then switched over to 12/12 on August 13th.

The lighting schedule is the same as the bag seed plant, on at 7:30 pm and off at 7:30 am. With no heat in the garage or shed it is a race against freezing night temps before harvest. I would have liked to have left the 4 in veg a bit longer but didn't want to take the chance.

 

[Booja]

Peckerhead, you nailed it. I'm running 12/12 lighting at night to combat cooler and eventually freezing temperatures.

 

[HugePeckerhead]

Just a tip. When you take pictures...try to take them in natural lighting. Specially when you have something wrong and you're looking for advice. We need to be able to see what you see.

 

[Booja]

Well, my plants have been on flower mode for 10 days. I'm using a cheap mechanical timer set for 12/12. I timed it as 11:35 on and 12:25 off, close enough.

The SD and NL started to stretch at first but since slowed down. I have been watering them twice a day, once at lights on and once just before lights out. 20 oz of water gives me a good 10-20% runoff which has been consistent since the beginning. I'm not seeing any buds forming yet but they are finally starting to stink.

The bag seed plant is at the 10 day mark as well and continues to stretch. I'm thinking a bigger/better or additional lighting might help. I really dont want to throw more money into lighting just yet though.

I moved the existing light higher in the shed for a little more coverage. I have a little more room for adjustment but not much. The top of the plant is almost 6 feet with an 8 foot ceiling.

At least the bag seed plant has started to produce a number of buds. One main bud and the complimentary popcorn, pretty standard I skapose for no training or topping. Interesting note is the plant has no smell despite the starting of buds. Quite the contrast to the other 4 without buds.

 

[Booja]

Ok, my 4 plants are currently at day 12 of flowering. At what point should I start trimming/thinking some of the lower understory and or shade leaves? The plants have finally started to bud and most of them are obstructed from above. Am I overthinking things and they eventually work their way out?

 

[Backlipslide]

Wait until the initial stretch is over before you do a major defol. Could be anywhere from 20-24 days. If one or two are bugging you and blocking light don’t be afraid to pull them off. But a big Defol should be done around after the initial stretch.

I noticed in a pic above, asking about a possible deficiency or which ever... are you leaving water on your leaves after feedings?

 

[Booja]

I've had a little spillage on leaves a few times but remove it as best I can. I was under the impression that leaving it on the leaves could result in burns.

 

[Backlipslide]

I've had a little spillage on leaves a few times but remove it as best I can. I was under the impression that leaving it on the leaves could result in burns.

Yep! Exacto-mundo!! You are absolutely correct. Cary on lol thought I’d bring it up incase you didn’t know.

 

[Preston9mm]

Just cruising through to say high!


Journal caught my eye... I'll hang out if ya don't mind.

Looks like you're chugging right along.

 

[Booja]

Yep! Exacto-mundo!! You are absolutely correct. Cary on lol thought I’d bring it up incase you didn’t know.

I went out and watered this evening and something on the leaves caught my eye. Most of it was on one plant but all four of them had the same thing to varying degrees. It almost looks like the veins of the leaves were sweating. I don't regulate temperature or humdidity in the tent.

We have a weather front that has been moving in all day, sitting at 58% right now with mild temps. Evapotranspiration? I water twice per light cycle, once at lights on and once in the morning just before lights off. They are in coco/peralite so it's not like plants are swimming. Should this be a concern?

Just cruising through to say high!


Journal caught my eye... I'll hang out if ya don't mind.

Looks like you're chugging right along.

By all means, swing by from time to time, outside input is a good thing.

 

[Backlipslide]

You know...

I have no idea what the hell that is brother!

I’ve noticed wet spots on my plants like that as well.. I’m assuming it’s just the plant transpiring, A) because of the humidity, and B) because, well it’s an eating breathing living plant... I assume that shit happens hahaha

If someone else has a better explanation I would love to hear, at why this happens...

 

[Preston9mm]

You know...

I have no idea what the hell that is brother!

I’ve noticed wet spots on my plants like that as well.. I’m assuming it’s just the plant transpiring, A) because of the humidity, and B) because, well it’s an eating breathing living plant... I assume that shit happens hahaha

If someone else has a better explanation I would love to hear, at why this happens...

They do crossfit when you're outta the tent. Trying to get their swole on!

 

[Backlipslide]

They do crossfit when you're outta the tent. Trying to get their swole on!

I think you just won the internet right now!

 

[Booja]

Well the grow is still struggling along. We had a little bit of cool weather (42 deg F this morning). The grow tent in the garage had an internal temp of 62 shortly before the LED light kicked off for the next 12+ hours during the day. In the early evening it quickly worked its way up to and leveled off around 72 but that certainly didn't last.

I knew the LED wasn't going to be enough to keep the girls warm, so I made a modification to the intake and exhaust from the fan. The fan is not variable speed so I had to work something out. I cut a 2 liter soda bottle in half and used it as a coupling for the fan intake and exhaust vents, making a loop system. In order to bring in at least some fresh air, I cut a hole in the "coupling" and pushed in the top of said 2 liter bottle. It's not air tight by any stretch of the imagination but better than a tent down into the 40's, and still gets some fresh air mixed in.

The night before was not quite as cool but still enough to worry me. I had left the fan off to try and bring up temps inside the tent (LED on at night/off during the day) In the morning It was 74, good to go. When I opened the tent it was a sauna inside. I don't have a humidity gauge (my bad) but it was high. The plants were sweating like in post #15 above though far worse. Lack of air movement was not good <------insert yet another newbie mistake.

The 2 liter soda bottle "coupling" of the intake and exhaust vents seemed to work other than the lower than hoped for temps. I'll try and constrict it a little bit tonight in hopes of finding a happy medium. Aside from that, the plants are roughly 3 weeks into flower and still stretching. There is not much in the way of bud growth, which could be good or bad I skapose. Not established enough to sweat them to rot/mold but also a doubtful they will be ready to harvest near October 1st. I should have put them into flower sooner, oh well.

Oddly, the bag seed plant in the shed seems to be doing just fine with actual bonafide visible buds.

 

[Backlipslide]