Emmie's Vegan Fertilizer, Pineapple Chunk 2020 Celebration: Experimental Soil Grow

[StoneOtter]

Up is down! Left is right! You're turning things around Em. Much appreciated! I see the Mega Crop Warriors growing beautiful plants here. It's very different. Love the work you're doing on one of my favorite cultivars. I just got a bag o pc seeds the other week myself. Excellent medicine choice! Can't wait to see them. My pc grow was outside.

 

[Emilya Green]

Veg, Day 13
Wow! These plants LOVE MegaCrop! These plants are able to expand so rapidly because of the @Vulx mixed into the soil! In the 12 hours since taking the last pictures (go back and look) which includes 6 hours of darkness, there has again been incredible growth.

Other than the funny spots on a few of the leaves, especially on the one plant in a container only 2/3 full, everything seems fine. The plants are moving throughout the day with a dramatic droop during the dark period and a strong and vigorous uplift during the light period and the amount of growth could easily be captured on a time lapse camera if there was one in the tent. They got 3g/gal last night in a proper full watering of the containers, and along with the rapid and dramatic growth, the spotting problem has increased. I can see why people are reacting to this as if it were a magnesium deficiency, but I am skeptical that this is what is happening. I am going to keep adding 1/2 gram of MC per gallon on each watering until I see a clear sign that I am overdoing it. So far, what I am seeing does NOT appear to be burning.
Trying to explain why the plant with the most complaints is the one in the partially filled container, I have a theory. Due to the randomness of the leaf damage, it does not appear to me to be nutritional. I believe that several things have come together, the supersoil, the @Vulx and the MegaCrop, to provide for extremely rapid growth of these plants. If we follow the belief that the shape of the roots is roughly equivalent to the shape of the plant above, we can easily assume at this point that some of the rapidly growing roots have already encountered the edges of the cloth smart pot, and they have been air pruned. Note how the damage first started to appear as the plants got as wide as the container. It is my theory that the damage we see on the leaves is nothing more than the presentation that this has happened... and the reason that only one of the leaves on a node are showing the effect of this, compared to how a nutrition problem is usually presented in both leaves at any particular level.

Lastly, a look at internodal spacing with a shot from the side. All appears to be good here and we see that the plants are developing a good strong base structure. These plants will be ready to get their first topping very soon.

 

[SQl2kGuy]

I love the first few weeks of veg ... the changes can be so dramatic!!!

I'm learning that topping is a great tool to know how/when to use ... and I like the technique in your last grow.

One thing I picked up on with my SOG (I used a bunch of clone cuttings), ... is that topping after the sixth node really helps; that is, I found that topping a clone at node #6 creates two nice branches ... while the untopped clones have an underdeveloped and strange looking single primary top.

Things are looking good in this garden, ... and there's another great grow coming up here for sure!

 

[Emilya Green]

Veg, Day 14
Here we are two weeks in, and if I really wanted to, I could top between 4 and 5 today. This is nothing short of amazing.

I spoke earlier about the remarkable amount of movement of these plants during a day/night cycle... here is what they looked like during their 6 hour nap:

The increase in MC dosage seems to have halted the spotting that was starting to appear in the middle of some of the leaves and the areas shown yesterday have not gotten any larger or spread to other areas. I do note this morning however, again in the plant dealing with the most constricted root space of the three, a bit of a complaint that usually is a result of some sort of physical damage to the roots, sort of like a cringe that can be seen up in the leaves. This is more an indication of personality than the indication of a problem that I need to address... this plant is only complaining.

 

[Ganjagrandaddy]

GG, don't feel bad. I give my seedlings a little food too. Not a lot by any means, but a tiny light snack.

My point exactly.lol
worrying enough to include tiny , light and snack. hahaha. no more guilt for me.

 

[multiVortex]

Nothing short of amazing. You're getting hydro speeds with these little ones!

Gotta be that @Vulx at work! Mine that are pretty close to yours (a few days ahead) are a bit behind yours in growth. They're fine, nothing wrong with them (promix + mega crop), just not on some type of plant speed.

Of course they are also autos, and in their final pot.

I do note this morning however, again in the plant dealing with the most constricted root space of the three, a bit of a complaint that usually is a result of some sort of physical damage to the roots, sort of like a cringe that can be seen up in the leaves. This is more an indication of personality than the indication of a problem that I need to address... this plant is only complaining.

I will probably see some of this myself. One of my autos is in a 3gal fabric pot. I wasn't expecting her to pop, so she's more of a bonus at this point. I'd transplant, but you know... auto and all.

Guess I could cut the bottom out of the fabric pot and slip her into a 7gal, but not sure if it is worth the risk. She's starting week 3 now, and I bet her roots are really close to the sides if not already in air pruning mode.

 

[Vulx]

@multiVortex If you can manage the shock consistently, it should be fine. People say that transplanting is bad only because if an auto gets shock (or stem rot) you can't just extend veg to make up for lost growth. A loss of 5-10 days can be common..

I'd recommend myco blends for this. We use Wildroot Organic.

 

[Emilya Green]

Veg, Day 16
The growth remains at the incredible rates it has been all along. Water usage is off the charts and I will need to water again tomorrow, giving us a 3 day wet/dry cycle already. Because of the extreme vigor on these plants I am going to wait just a little longer to top. I see node 5 rising up now and I could easily do the 4-5 cut now, but seeing how aggressive the growth is even on the lower nodes, I am going to wait to do the cut between 5-6, just so I have more side growth that will rise up. I see no reason why all of the nodes would not rise up to join the canopy before I flip to bloom.
The vertical growth of the plants has been such that the LED light needed to be raised up, not because the plants are becoming leggy, but because they are simply getting that big and were getting too close to the light.

Lastly, we can now see the early magnesium deficiency on the first fan leaves, that was neatly solved by adding more MC. The spots are definitely there, but they are not spreading and it was hard to determine that it was indeed a magnesium deficiency so early on. No other indications of problems can be seen. Simply in reaction to their massive size, I will be increasing the MC by 1/2 gram on the next watering, just to be sure to stay ahead of this.

 

[Billpopy79]

These are growing amazingly.

It's helped me decide to try starting in 1 gal bags next time.

I love the idea of the MC, nutes made easy, I can't buy it here in the UK but it's top of my shopping list when I visit the states next year.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I don’t know... I’ve see a lot of people growing with MC and not getting that kind of vigor. I think some of the credit really needs to go to the Vulx. 16 days with that kind of stem girth and plant size is astounding.

 

[Emilya Green]

I don’t know... I’ve see a lot of people growing with MC and not getting that kind of vigor. I think some of the credit really needs to go to the Vulx. 16 days with that kind of stem girth and plant size is astounding.

oh definitely... more than some credit. @Vulx really changes the soil in some fundamental ways. I really think its qualities make things a lot easier for the roots to expand while also maintaining excellent contact with the nutrients at the same time. It also allows the soil to absorb a bit more water, but as you can see the plants are using water so fast that this is not as big of a factor as its other features.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I think I’m gonna need to get some myself.

 

[Vulx]

oh definitely... more than some credit. @Vulx really changes the soil in some fundamental ways. I really think its qualities make things a lot easier for the roots to expand while also maintaining excellent contact with the nutrients at the same time. It also allows the soil to absorb a bit more water, but as you can see the plants are using water so fast that this is not as big of a factor as its other features.

Want to do a mini explanation but before I get into that, credit where credit is due, and that's to Emilya for being a talented cultivator, and the other product sponsor(s) participating here.

You're 100% right, the winning combination of loosened soil structure and cation exchange efficiency make the other benefits seem almost moot.

To elucidate a bit on this, smaller particles have larger surface area, so our micronized mixture of minerals with natrual affinity for nutrient cations means that those cations are attracted to exchange sites - and since the surface area is large there are a lot of these sites in a small space.

When working at these micro levels, cations are suspended in something called a hydrosphere, which is essentially a small barrier of water - just enough to make it able to be taken up. So you've got all the food food lined up in the most convenient and available form possible for the roots, condensed in a very small area.

I like to say it's the difference between pouring a bowl of soup on the table and trying to drink it with a straw vs sticking a funnel down your gullet and pouring the soup in.. but you know, for roots.

 

[Emilya Green]

I think I’m gonna need to get some myself.

You all should... at least try it.

The science is sound and as you can see here, it works. Modern gardeners now grow the very best pot ever grown, and products like Vulx help contribute to that. You all experimenting and spreading the word about products that work, are a big reason that the science of indoor cannabis farming keeps advancing.

 

[AdaminCO]

Veg, Day 4
The 3 new Chunkettes are growing like crazy, with a special note to all. I hear all the time the warnings against starting seeds in "hot" soil. Well folks, please take note of this crazy growth in my supersoil mix with Vulx. This soil right out of the compost bin is about as hot as it gets. You see the results. FFOF is nothing compared to this soil. So far, no flames have erupted from the leaves.
But, you all know me... crazy as a bedbug she is, I hear the rumors. So not to be a disappointment to anyone, I gave my little seedlings a drink tonight because we are still many days away from them draining the 1 gallon pots. That drink was full of MegaCrop! If there ever was a chance to over fertilize... I just did it. Yep, crazy... I know. We will wait and see what happens.

Hopping on for this ride... I’m just now catching up.
When I saw the nixxing of the solos, then dropping seedlings into your soil mix, I had to chime in.
I was literally going today to get seeding soil because I’ve been told it’s too “hot” for seedlings to go into.
Nothing like debunking “tribal” knowledge.

 

[Emilya Green]

Hoping on for this ride... I’m just now catching up.
When I saw the nixxing of the solos, then dropping seedlings into your soil mix, I had to chime in.
I was literally going today to get seeding soil because I’ve been told it’s too “hot” for seedlings to go into.
Nothing like debunking “tribal” knowledge.

Glad to have you here Adam, thanks for joining!

That is my goal in life. if it can not be proven, I am where bro science goes to die.

I feel the same way about the cute little domes that folks put over their seedlings. I see absolutely no reason to do this silly thing and at least 5 reasons you should not do it. Plants have been popping out of the soil for a long long time without humidity domes. Talk about crippling a seedling right out of the gate...

Bro science... I think it will always be part of this community in one form or another... and this explains one of the adages I fly in my signature lines.
Question everything, test what you can. - Wee'zard

 

[ChefDGreen]

You all should... at least try it.

The science is sound and as you can see here, it works. Modern gardeners now grow the very best pot ever grown, and products like Vulx help contribute to that. You all experimenting and spreading the word about products that work, are a big reason that the science of indoor cannabis farming keeps advancing.

You know it’s a crazy thing. I think about this all time. How we home growers (especially at 420M) that talk to each other and share knowledge are really on the cutting edge of growing technology and technique. There are so many of us with so many different methodologies that our ability to Information gather is outrageous

 

[multiVortex]

You all should... at least try it.

The science is sound and as you can see here, it works. Modern gardeners now grow the very best pot ever grown, and products like Vulx help contribute to that. You all experimenting and spreading the word about products that work, are a big reason that the science of indoor cannabis farming keeps advancing.

Your results have me wanting to give it a go, but doesn't really seem viable in terms of cost (provided my math was right) if I'm running soilless and chucking it out after each run.

No doubt that @Vulx is doing some amazing work though!

 

[Emilya Green]

Your results have me wanting to give it a go, but doesn't really seem viable in terms of cost (provided my math was right) if I'm running soilless and chucking it out after each run.

No doubt that @Vulx is doing some amazing work though!

another good reason to give up soilless maybe? I am on my 7th year with this soil and that almost brings my soil costs down to nothing other than amendments.

 

[Vulx]

Your results have me wanting to give it a go, but doesn't really seem viable in terms of cost (provided my math was right) if I'm running soilless and chucking it out after each run.

No doubt that @Vulx is doing some amazing work though!

I usually look at it in terms of, do you think I can realistically get you an extra $15 worth of bud to break even on the cost for treating a 5 gal pot?

An extra couple grams? Easy peasy.