Carcass' $150 Low Budget Grow 2019

[bluter]

Thanks, bluter!
I actually never thought about cutting the MC a little- I'll definitely do it that way in the future...
Back when I was using the mc, (which I'm going back to soon) what I did do was cut the BE way down to like .2g- No burnt plants, but
no real benefit that I could see from that low of a dosage- although sometimes it's hard to tell when you're using too little....but when you use too much, there's no guesswork involved- the plant will show you right away...

i never really dialed it in all the way. i could rock the BE better with a bit of work.
part of my issue was the plants were marginal going in and i was pushing hard. i never got a great balance ever right til the chop.

what i did to get in the window was :

measure by gram / litre, but run by ppm

start with the base mount of MC, measured by the gram/litre. - it's how i feed with MC.
checked the greenleaf website to be sure i was within the right gram window for plants at my stage of flower
checked what the corresponding ppm would be
checked to see if i was within that window

checked the g/l recommend for BE with plants at that stage of flower
made a mix of BE alone - measured the ppm.

reduced the g/l mix of MC to run lower.
with both combined it should equal about where you run the MC alone.


worked great but i adjusted that formula as my run was hot going in. i let it stay hot, so my ppm would have been about a 100 - 200 or so less normally. i finished flower in the 1200ppm range or so which most would find super hot with MC in a passive hydro. it's about where i finished with other nutes though.


edit : should add - ran less than the max amount of BE recommended. i think we wound up at about .5g / l under the top. we played around with both.

 

[Bean Genie]

i never really dialed it in all the way. i could rock the BE better with a bit of work.
part of my issue was the plants were marginal going in and i was pushing hard. i never got a great balance ever right til the chop.

what i did to get in the window was :

measure by gram / litre, but run by ppm

start with the base mount of MC, measured by the gram/litre. - it's how i feed with MC.
checked the greenleaf website to be sure i was within the right gram window for plants at my stage of flower
checked what the corresponding ppm would be
checked to see if i was within that window

checked the g/l recommend for BE with plants at that stage of flower
made a mix of BE alone - measured the ppm.

reduced the g/l mix of MC to run lower.
with both combined it should equal about where you run the MC alone.


worked great but i adjusted that formula as my run was hot going in. i let it stay hot, so my ppm would have been about a 100 - 200 or so less normally. i finished flower in the 1200ppm range or so which most would find super hot with MC in a passive hydro. it's about where i finished with other nutes though.

I found similar results with MC in my grows. I used to try to get to 6g/G as fast as I could but supplements (SC) would end up burning them up with K.
Now I never go above 5.5 with the MC and never above 6g/G total with the weight all nutes combined. Almost no leaf burn problems since then, and 2 of my best crops ever by weight.

 

[InTheShed]

In terms of dropping the MC to make room for the BE, this is all that's in BE:

If you back off the MC, you lose your calcium and a lot of micronutrients, not to mention nitrogen (yellowing lowers anyone?). 9-6-17 or 10-7-18 is more than enough phosphorus and potassium for cannabis plants. Don't be influenced by the marketing departments at the nute companies! @MrSauga runs his crops at 5-1-5 and I'm not seeing deficiencies here:

And remember, you can't force feed plants nutrients just by adding them to the substrate.

 

[Carcass]

start with the base mount of MC, measured by the gram/litre. - it's how i feed with MC.
checked the greenleaf website to be sure i was within the right gram window for plants at my stage of flower
checked what the corresponding ppm would be
checked to see if i was within that window

checked the g/l recommend for BE with plants at that stage of flower
made a mix of BE alone - measured the ppm.

Thanks, Bluter great info to have- I'll have to just go by weight (as usual), because I don't have a ppm tester...

Now I never go above 5.5 with the MC and never above 6g/G total with the weight all nutes combined.

Yeah, I was always in a bit of a hurry to get to 6g+, but my best plant (SSH) never went over 5.5g- she could of possibly benefitted from a bit more BE, but I've been a little "gun shy" with that stuff since my Northern Lights incident almost two years ago:

9-6-17 or 10-7-18 is more than enough phosphorus and potassium for cannabis plants.

Thanks, Shed!- It's easy to forget that MC does a damn good job on it's own-
What do you think of Terpinator or Purpinator (I know, they're not the same) but aren't they just more P & K also?

 

[InTheShed]

What do you think of Terpinator or Purpinator (I know, they're not the same) but aren't they just more P & K also?

Terp is 0-0-4 and is potassium sulfate. That needs to be broken down into potassium and sulfur before it can be used by the plant. If you have enough of those two elements already, the plant will live up to its potential. If the plant needs more, then it's helpful there. Will adding more to a plant that already has enough K and S make it smellier? Will the plant use more than it needs?

All they say is:
"Terpinator provides the building blocks for improved terpene production and trichome production in plants, improving your plant’s ability to produce secondary compounds unique to your genetic cultivar."


Purp is 0-2-4 made from potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, & monopotassium sulfate. Here is what is says on their website:

"Flavonoids are a group of water soluble metabolites found in plants. Some of these influence pigmentation, such as cyanidin. Cyanidin has a varying color expression based on the pH of its container vacuole, expressing red in low pH conditions, purple in neutral pH conditions, and blue in high pH conditions.

"Purpinator is a simple, effective means of promoting and improving purple pigmentation in plants with the genetic capability to produce anthocyanin and cyanidin compounds when combined with light in the 400-500nm range."
Source

I have done absolutely no research on what can or cannot change the colors of cannabis flowers. I only know that hydrangeas will show different colors based on the pH of the soil! Is purp changing the pH of the vacuole?

 

[bluter]

I found similar results with MC in my grows. I used to try to get to 6g/G as fast as I could but supplements (SC) would end up burning them up with K.
Now I never go above 5.5 with the MC and never above 6g/G total with the weight all nutes combined. Almost no leaf burn problems since then, and 2 of my best crops ever by weight.

i've hit as high as 7g/gal.

i run a good third more led light than most would in similar spaces though. did it similar with hid for yrs too. i bake the shit out of the poor things in flower. my veg rig is a third of the flower rig. they eat heavy when the flower rig hits them.

In terms of dropping the MC to make room for the BE, this is all that's in BE:

If you back off the MC, you lose your calcium and a lot of micronutrients, not to mention nitrogen (yellowing lowers anyone?). 9-6-17 or 10-7-18 is more than enough phosphorus and potassium for cannabis plants.

i started adding in calmag as well in late veg through flower. it brings in the N a bit more as well as 1-0-0. not huge but it is there. if you hit the cal-mag right it puts the n at least close. a 2-0-0 could be better.

Don't be influenced by the marketing departments at the nute companies! @MrSauga runs his crops at 5-1-5 and I'm not seeing deficiencies here

i'm not influenced by marketing. i am straight up cheap and run hard.

i love sauga's plants. if i stop doing these hyper micro plants i'm shifting to a HP media and trying for fewer but greener plants. nothing i run can ever do a potm. maybe fotm ... fuc - er freak of the month

And remember, you can't force feed plants nutrients just by adding them to the substrate.

all you can do is make it available. more and it's a scorched earth.

i had a white cookies i can cite.

 

[Carcass]

I have done absolutely no research on what can or cannot change the colors of cannabis flowers

I haven't either- but now I know it's also dependant on pH ..Thanks, Shed!
I'm pretty happy with green(ish) buds, so I probably won't worry about making them more colorful...

i'm not influenced by marketing.

I think I probably am...I wouldn't of bought either one (BE & SC) if I hadn't read how great they are on the GL website....although, I think they can be beneficial if they're actually needed, and if actually used correctly...

 

[bluter]

I haven't either- but now I know it's also dependant on pH ..Thanks, Shed!
I'm pretty happy with green(ish) buds, so I probably won't worry about making them more colorful...

you're doing busters by that pic brother

edit : that means drooool

I think I probably am...I wouldn't of bought either one (BE & SC) if I hadn't read how great they are on the GL website....although, I think they can be beneficial if they're actually needed, and if actually used correctly...

MC on it's own is super complete and even too hot for some media.
plus it can be pissy to balance in flower as it's only one thing. all you can do is less or more.

good news is it should always get you there a touch better than other base bottle nutes. and it's cheap.
with a bit of work you do a little better.

there are other nutes that strike a similar chord.

 

[Carcass]

you're doing busters by that pic brother

That pic was 2 years ago, I've gotten better since...those leaves toasted up literally overnight after a BE/SC overdose...

MC on it's own is super complete and even too hot for some media.

I had the old formula (v2?) dialed in pretty well, then I switched to GF for awhile, but I can't seem to get the results that others get with that stuff, so I'm going back. (3 plants is a fair try, I'd say)
My old mc (brown with balls) looks un usable now (lots of goo in there) but I have an unused bag of the new formula (gray with balls) so that's what I'll be switching to.
Hopefully, the gray stuff works like the brown stuff did...we will see!

 

[Fredwak]

Yeah, I tried the max dosage with both additives, found out real quick that's not the right way to apply them...by "headroom, do you mean use less MC when adding BE and SC?

They gave her a little "time out" so she was here instead of at daycare, and she did fine...

4 for the day? Just having 2 of them here wears me out, I can't imagine 4....although we did raise 4 kids, but we were both a little bit younger then...

For real! On a good weekend we'll have 4 grand, 1 great grand and a couple new ones stopping by for a visit. We're so blessed they love it (even the 13 year olds keep coming for the weekend) We have as much fun as they do. Plus, I can buy new toys for them that I want to get stoned and play with and they love our old hot wheels tracks . Smile and stay stoneder!

 

[InTheShed]

Hopefully, the gray stuff works like the brown stuff did...we will see!

VG is liking the newest version, so that's good news!

 

[BooWho2]

you can't force feed plants nutrients just by adding them to the substrate.

That is such a great statement. When I first joined here and started looking at journals I was under the impression that more, more, more was better. More of everything! Not so.

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

That pic was 2 years ago, I've gotten better since...those leaves toasted up literally overnight after a BE/SC overdose...

I had the old formula (v2?) dialed in pretty well, then I switched to GF for awhile, but I can't seem to get the results that others get with that stuff, so I'm going back. (3 plants is a fair try, I'd say)
My old mc (brown with balls) looks un usable now (lots of goo in there) but I have an unused bag of the new formula (gray with balls) so that's what I'll be switching to.
Hopefully, the gray stuff works like the brown stuff did...we will see!

I like the gray stuff!

 

[Carcass]

We have as much fun as they do.

I know what you mean- it's the stuff great memories are made of- the 5 year old and I made some "jiffy pop" popcorn on the stove, and she was just amazed...making popcorn without a microwave?? she had no idea it could even be done...

VG is liking the newest version, so that's good news!

That's good to know - I know they've made some changes to the formula, which isn't always a good thing-
but if she likes it, I'm not going to worry about switching back to it -in fact...it's proven itself this week-
Last Sunday, my Chocodope was such a pale green it almost looked yellow- 2 feeds later, it's nice 'n green.

more, more, more was better. More of everything! Not so.

I also learned that early on- the lesson sucked, but I also haven't burnt a plant up since...

I like the gray stuff!

That makes 2 of us!

Check this shit out:

Last Monday before adding the gray stuff:

6 days and 2 feeds later:

Still a short little thing...but nice 'n green - (not quite verdant, but not too bad )

 

[BooWho2]

Hi Carcass! Happy 4th of July to you. It's amazing how the difference between the two versions of MC can make such a profound difference. Chocodope looks gorgeous.

the 5 year old and I made some "jiffy pop" popcorn on the stove, and she was just amazed...making popcorn without a microwave??

That is so sweet and also makes you so, so cool! I can't believe that I will be a grandma before this round of grows are done. So looking forward to it and I will hopefully be able to pull fascinating things like Jiffy Pop out of my trick bag!

I was chuckling about her getting sent home while remembering my 5 year old son getting sent home on the first day of kindergarten for pulling his pants down and mooning the entire class while saying "shake, shake, shake, shake your booty". OMG, I was mortified. It was helpful when the teacher busted up laughing on the phone when she called later that evening. Oof! What a great start!

 

[Carcass]

Hi Carcass! Happy 4th of July to you.

Happy 4th to you and yours also, Boo! I hope you guys are all having a great day!

I can't believe that I will be a grandma before this round of grows are done.

You're gonna love it, Boo! Their smiling little faces will just melt your heart- I know they do mine- I thought I was immune to the melting thing, after not being around little kids for quite a few years...
(grumpy old man, curmudgeon, etc...) but no, they still do it to me...in fact, I'm finding out that I'm a lot more emotional than when I was young (insert crying emoji here... )

difference between the two versions

Just the new version, the outdoor autos were both GF plants, now only the little Amnesia is...

first day of kindergarten for pulling his pants down and mooning the entire class

Aren't they a hoot? My youngest had to walk to school almost every day because he liked to give the bus driver "the bird".... he cut school one day, and wrote his own note...he might have gotten away with it, had he not signed it "My Mom"....

 

[Carcass]

I hope you all had a great weekend, and are lucky enough to have a day off today!
And now, it's time for Monday's Update...
A few things happened this week, plant-wise, and none of them bad!

First, the 13 day old Gorilla Glue (indoor plant) is growing very well- she got up-potted yesterday to her permanent 3 gallon home,(ProMix HP) which was pre-charged apx.10 days ago with 50g of GeoFlora Veg nutes.
I also got some Dynomyco a couple of days ago, so 1 tbsp. of that went into the hole when
I transplanted her yesterday.

No pics of the transplant process, but here she is this morning, looking happy in her new home....

A closer look- I'm going to top this one above node#4 in a few days- I usually top above node 3, but I'd like to try and get this one a little taller than the last two photoperiod plants, which both topped out at 17"...
I'm not sure yet what I'm going to feed this one- she won't need water again for 2 weeks or so, so I've got a little time to decide...

Now on to the outdoor plants- first up is the 73 day old Chocodope auto- not any taller, but getting fatter everyday...
She's also not yellow anymore- I just couldn't get her to green up with the GF nutes, so she's an mc plant now- 2 mc feedings, and she's green again....I'm feeding her every other watering right now, which will continue until I figure all the GF in her pot is used up, probably in another week or so- then, she'll get fed mc every watering....

For being such a small plant (12"), she's got a lot of nice, healthy buds...

a Chocodope bud:

And then there's the stinky little 64 day old Amnesia auto- 11" tall, and still being fed GeoFlora Bloom nutes...
so, right on schedule, she's starting to fade to pale green...at least now I've got a fix for that, if need be...

There's just not much there...but she'll be a quick and easy plant to trim at harvest time..

She is a really frosty plant, so what little I get from her will probably be pretty good...

Both these autos have been living in "the box" at night, so they get an additional 8 or 9 hours of light every day- the box is on a 20/4 light schedule right now.
I'll keep doing it this way as long as they'll all fit in the box...hopefully, the GorillaGlue crowds them out soon...

I know I'm taking a risk, bringing outdoor plants indoors (pests and whatnot) but I'm willing to take that chance, at least this one time- I've found zero pests on any of the plants so far- If I do see any pests, I'll stop putting them in there at night...

And that's about all for this update-
Thanks for looking, I really appreciate the support..
I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable week!

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

Everything looks wonderful Mr. C!

That Chocodope is a nice follow-up to the IG and that's quite a feat.

The Amnesia is uber-frosty.

 

[BooWho2]

Yay for Monday updates! Really excited that the Gorrilla Glue decided to surprise you by growing! She’s a beauty already. Your Amnesia is a beauty smallish or not. Mine is topped but I’m not expecting much from her - she smells amazing though. Miss Chocodope is a lovely little one as well. Her buds are huge for her age! I need to go back and get a bud shot of mine - yours looks exactly like it. I love her smoke. She still smells peppery to me.

 

[Carcass]

That Chocodope is a nice follow-up to the IG and that's quite a feat.

Thanks, GDB - She sure looks better green than she did yellow (or almost yellow...)

Miss Chocodope is a lovely little one as well. Her buds are huge for her age!

She really is a pretty one!
She's a thirsty little thing too- 3 gallons in 3 days, and it hasn't even been very hot here (low 80's)
In comparison, Amnesia only needs water once a week...