ClosetCase420's - RDWC - 600W MH/HPS - Wonder Woman - Grow Journal - 2015

I have been meaning to ask if you are going to take clones. If you are I like to do it a week before flipping the lights. but you can do it any time. Doing it after they start bloom is a bit more difficult on the clone. But if you revert a blooming branch to veg it will be awesome and is called Monster Cropping. you can google that to find out. But I don't do it. I just clone what I want.
 
I've never taken or used a clone before. I like the idea but I'm not set up for it.

My plan is to order seeds again mainly because I want to try something different next time. I have a bunch of CFLs left over from my first grow so I'm going to try and start growing a second set of girls under the CFLs while these girls finish out flower. I don't want them to get too big, just enough to fill solo cups. I'm thinking flower will take about 6-8 weeks. I'm thinking about starting the second set of seeds about four weeks after I switch to flower. This will allow me to grow the seeds for 2-4 weeks before the cabinet is available to move them.
 
Day 42 (6 weeks under the lights)

Everything is stable and growing steadily.

My plan is to flip the lights to 12-12 next weekend assuming I get enough growth this week to fill in the SCROG a little more. I'm relying on the plant to stretch a bit to complete the SCROG before letting her grow upwards.

water level over the last day.

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PH/PPM chart for the last week.

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Water mixture when I did the water change Friday.

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Some bondage :)

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SCROG filling up..

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Day 46

What's the saying.. Just keep growing.. Just keep growing ;)

The girls are still coming along nicely.

The amount of water they are drinking is just absurd. I'd say the rate is between 1 - 1.5 gallons a day right now.

PH has been steady for the most part. It had dropped down as low at 4.9 when the water level was down about 5 gallons but each time I top the tank off it comes back up to around 5.9. PPMs also have been steady which seems kinda strange.

Take note that I was hovering between 650-680 until I refilled the tank which brought me down to 550-570

I assumed the PPMs were going to continue to drop from the plants intake since the nute levels were soo low but they've been steady for the last few days now around 550-570. I don't understand why they continue to be stable, does that mean the plants aren't taking in the nutes or there taking in the same amount of nutes regardless of how concentrated it is.

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Steady nute uptake is the perfect scenario. Wht you are saying is you are adding a gallon or so a day with nutes and the ppms are not changing. that means all the mutes in that gallon are being absorbed. if they wernot the PPMs go up and if the they wer being absrobed rapidly the ppms would be droping. Steady ppm with continuous feeding means you are giving it exactly the amount it wants. You have this thing dialed in and are running at the perfect pace. The harsh pH drop then stable on refill is exactly because of what I explained earlier about getting the nutes up a little.

I told you before and know you might believe me. Nute uptake is a function of your photosynthesis. It depends on the number of fan leaves, the availability and quality of light, and the temps / humidity. So what you have here is you have found the ideal amount of PPMs for your environment at this stage of growth.

By the way I was about to post "where's the update" and you read my mind.


This is such a great journal...you are the man!!!!


I say 1 more week tucking the SCROG and we go to bloom. But lets just keep updating and talking.


:thumb:
 
I get what you are saying, problem is when I have refilled the tank I have not added nutrients.

I've been topping off with PH balanced water that has CalMag, Silica Blast, and a couple drops of the Orca.

Up until the 14th the PPMs were staying steady around 650-680 so I assumed i must have found the correct nutrient level.

When I topped off the tank I added the water as I stated above which caused the PPMs to drop to 550. This was expected.

I figured when I would take my next reading that it would drop and continue to drop until I replenish the nutrients.

The problem is that's not what happened.

Instead of dropping the nutrient levels remained the same, now hovering around 550-570.


Also.. What is your thought process for waiting another week before switching to flower?
My original plan was to flip the light tomorrow. Do you think the SCROG still needs to fill in more?
 
Up to you..I think you are correct lets get this one done. It will stretch a lot and fill it in. I think you have plenty of bud sites. The plants will grow about the same amounts in total weight at this point just few bigger ones or more smaller ones. It is about the same at this point. It will be better on the flowers to have space to grow into instead of fighting for light. They will get big enough

I think you have done a lot right on the grow. I think your next one will be even better. You are half way there and have learned a lot. Lets finish your freshman year and get you onto your sophomore classes.


I wouldn't worry about the ppms. If you have a stable pH and stable uptake you have it dialed in. Just keep topping off with 550 ppm. If you are going to flip the lights soon start the bloom nutes now. Transition works better if the bloom nutes have already been packed in there. Don't forget to change the bulb and switch the ballast if you want stretch.

I think you are right and we will be tucking for 2 more weeks anyway so go for it.
 
never mind I read that wrong.

Yes those are exactly what you want to use.

Start the MOAB now and the rest as directed in bloom. Use the MOAB at about 1/4 recommendation since you have other stuff in there.

MOAB and KOOL bloom are both basically the same thing so don't have them over run each other. try to use one or the other every other feeding or so. But go slow so we don't burn.
 
I would go with MOAB...and get some Andavnce Nutrients Nirvana.

Next time I will tech you how to make Nirvana but for no just get some. It is like $27 bucks for a bottle that will last you a few grows.



I totaly misread your post. I thought what you said was... you didn't know what I meant...you have just been using those 3 additives you posted. I was like Holly shit bawllz...you grew through veg on additives? That's crazy!!!!


Obviously I misread your post.
 
Yes sort of...

For $24 this late in the game it is worth it. Next time I will teach you how to make your own.

Nirvana is a few things but primarily it is 2 things that really matter. And they are VERY important to any blooming plant. There is a lot of info on this so I would ask you go research this at you leisure. The two main ingredients are Alfalfa and North Atlantic Kelp. There is a special type of Kelp from the Atlantic that is supper food for plants. I can't teach you about it in a post go read about Ascophyllum nodosum. This is what the kelp breaks down to and is seriously super food. Alfalfa has been well established since God was a boy as an amazing fertilizer for any blooming or fruiting plant. Please google alfalfa tea. Nirvana is basically those 2 things plus some stuff that is way expensive and doesn't matter for us.

I make a special tea that has both so next time we can go there. I don't want you burning your plants by doing something crazy like I do and going overboard. Lets just get some Nirvana and run it at a low dose.

The MOAB is straight up chemical fertilizer and that is good for bloom but the Nirvana has a lot of micro nutes that are wonderful.

So we use MOAB early in the last week of veg to help set up bloom. Then the first week and third week of bloom we use Nirvana. Depending on the outcome we shall see what we do.

And don't forget the sugar. we will want to use that probably a lot to help counteract any possible nute burn. Most people only use it near the end when the fan leafs are failing but not to worry we want to use it through most of bloom to just push things along.

Let me know if the sugars is not something you understand.
 
Ok, I went ahead and ordered MOAB, Nirvana, and GH Flora Nectar and switched the lighting to 12-12 last night.

So last night I made my first absolute blunder :(

I was tucking her under the SCROG like I've been doing on a daily basis and I must have pulled too hard and broke the stem on my main girl.

The stem was torn and cracked but still half together. I used a bunch of paper clips and electrical tape to stabilize the stem.

I feel sick, hoping I'm not going to lose the top colas.

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I too have snapped the main stem and used a tongue depressor and plant tape to repair. I did stunt the growth a bit, but it did recover thru harvest. Remember, at this age they act like 14 year old teenage girls. They are great to have around, but are temperamental and if you don't treat them gently, they can SNAP!
 
She will be fine. We all do it once in a while...I did it last week. I was pulling a male out of my SCROG and relocating my biggest girl to get the best light...bam. Should have just lifted the whole SCROG up, relocated the females and dropped back down. I am fairly new to the SCROG. I just did LST in the past. This is my 2nd real SCROG.


What you did will work but I will tell you how I do it. I will wrap them in paper towel (no ink just white) an use a little clear tap to hold that on there as a band aid. Then depending on the break use some Zip ties and maybe a supporting device like the tongue depressor...or just tie it back to a main stem with the zip ties. Then I can use a spray bottle to keep the fracture site wet so water can still transport up the branch until it has healed. It will scab over in no time and rebuild around it and you will be fine. You are early enough that it wont really impact much at all.
 
Day 48

First day under the HPS lighting.

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So my first attempt at a SCROG has not been a great attempt.

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I've learned that next time the SCROG needs to be closer to the plants and I need to start training the plants to grow sideways much sooner.

I also just added almost 5 gallons of water (PH balanced with CalMag and Silica Blast). Still drinking like a drunk sailor.

PH 5.8
PPM 440

Think I should add some nutes to bring her back up to the 550 - 600 range?
 
I gotta run but I want you to do some researching on Lollipoping. It is a technique we stole from orchard farmers (primarily apple trees farmers).

I will explain later if it is not clear. But now is the time to lollipop and it will increase the overall potency and make it real easy to gauge when to harvest and make fatter buds.

Look it up on Youtube.


Only branches and nodes though...leave the fan leaves to come off when ready.

:peace:
 
OK so Lollipoping. Interestingly enough I had already started earlier that morning on cleaning out some of the undergrowth.

I watched a couple videos and read some threads and most people state bottom 3rd of the plant. I dont think it'd be wise for me to take off the bottom 3rd as that would take out 50% of what is sitting on the SCROG right now.

I cleaned up all the micro bud sites that will never see the day of light. Anything that is already on the SCROG or will be on the SCROG I left alone. You also said leave the leaves correct?

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Also for reference, I should have done this 1-2 weeks ago. I'm going into flower now so I don't want to stunt them too much.
 
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