GardeningGnome's Gorilla Glue, Jack Herer, Critical & Northern Lights: Coco & LED, 2020

[candycane]

Looking great over here! Lovely girls and great strain choices Did you say your PH was around 7? In coco it should be lower the sweet spot at 5.8 could be some of what your seeing. If I’m remembering incorrectly just unmind that comment Hope you’re having a great weekend so far

 

[GardeningGnome]

Hi GG, watering is probably the most important thing. Folks do it a few ways but I find the way the watering link in my sig below works for me the best. They thrive with a wet/dry cycle. Give it a read, see what you think. Right now I believe you're watering too much.

Thanks a million for your feedback!
The article is great, and I'll keep that in mind if I do switch to growing standard soil.
However ; I'm growing in coco, not soil.

Coco is closer to hydroponics than soil and I've actually found a similar method/strategy to what I'm using here:
"All you need to know about how to feed in Coco".

I will keep it to one watering per day, or every second day at the moment due to the nematodes. But I can feel (by the weight of the pots) that much water already has been used up by the plant, the constant air-flow, heat-evaporation and by the dishcloth I've used under the pot to drain pooling water from the bottom of the pot.

Thanks again for your feedback!

 

[GardeningGnome]

Looking great over here! Lovely girls and great strain choices Did you say your PH was around 7? In coco it should be lower the sweet spot at 5.8 could be some of what your seeing. If I’m remembering incorrectly just unmind that comment Hope you’re having a great weekend so far

Thanks for dropping by @candycane !! Yeah, I'm happy with the strains, a personal favorite is the Jack Herer.

Regarding the pH: Yes, you are absolutely correct, way too high for coco!
I've only got a simple "pH drip and shake" kit, and it is showing me about 7 pH.
I will redo the tests tomorrow with a few different mixes of the nutrients... Let us see how/if I can get it down to atleast around 6 pH without buying any "pH Down" product. I'll write an update here with the results. Thanks again for your feedback! I've been thinking about my pH level since I tested it for the first time ever just two days ago...

 

[GIjose]

I know you are being flooded with info.. i just wanted to share a vid i found. From the greatful grower. It helped me on my first coco grow. The girls are looking great by the way!
Happy Growing,
CHEERS!

Watch "A TO Z CANNABIS GARDEN TUTORIAL. WHOLE GARDEN INSTRUCTION. EARLY VEG. TO HARVEST" on YouTube

 

[candycane]

Thanks for dropping by @candycane !! Yeah, I'm happy with the strains, a personal favorite is the Jack Herer.

Regarding the pH: Yes, you are absolutely correct, way too high for coco!
I've only got a simple "pH drip and shake" kit, and it is showing me about 7 pH.
I will redo the tests tomorrow with a few different mixes of the nutrients... Let us see how/if I can get it down to atleast around 6 pH without buying any "pH Down" product. I'll write an update here with the results. Thanks again for your feedback! I've been thinking about my pH level since I tested it for the first time ever just two days ago...

Jack is my fave as well and one that will never get old for me. I’m glad ya found Barney’s coco link too, it’s a great read. I loath checking PH but it’s a necessary evil to keep the ladies happy and thriving

 

[GardeningGnome]

I know you are being flooded with info.. i just wanted to share a vid i found. From the greatful grower. It helped me on my first coco grow. The girls are looking great by the way!
Happy Growing,
CHEERS!

Watch "A TO Z CANNABIS GARDEN TUTORIAL. WHOLE GARDEN INSTRUCTION. EARLY VEG. TO HARVEST" on YouTube

Thanks a bunch for the video suggestion!! I've had a few successful grows with coco, yet there is sooo much to learn, test, calibrate and test some more Will download the whole video.... Scrolled/skipped a bit in it and it seems like something well worth having on the harddrive.

@GIjose please do not hesitate to share knowledge with me! I'm determined to make this grow the best I've ever accomplished

 

[nivek]

this thread movin faster than i can scroll,ha

i peruse new journals often but rarely delve deeply,, and not that i have delved deeply here yet, but the tag that tagged me was this,,

'my Painted Nettle/Coleus collection' ,,

i had to look it up to be sure but instantly saw the 'weed' that i battle with each year,, ha,, i call it a weed because it is so invasive,, and gets a bit ratty end of season,, but is so pretty most season,, and the biggest bonus,, the bees simply adore the flowers,,

pretty sure that is the culprit,, ha. it is all over the yard,,

oh,, guess what was in them pots there,, ha,, yep

cheers friend,, karma sent to the venture,,

 

[GardeningGnome]

Jack is my fave as well and one that will never get old for me. I’m glad ya found Barney’s coco link too, it’s a great read. I loath checking PH but it’s a necessary evil to keep the ladies happy and thriving

Yeah, Barney's feeding concept really resonates with me! I've done some changes based on that information on how I've treated the ladies already and will monitor the results with a magnifying glass

During the last years grows I never bothered with measuring the pH, still have some great results.... But now that I'm seeing how high above the optimal for coco I have.... I feel like it is the next big thing that needs to be addressed. Since I have nothing to compare to @candycane ; will the results of lowering the pH from over 7.0 to 5.5-6.0 be clearly noticeable?

The "pH down" is just a few bucks.... I know how this will end: "since I'm ordering that, the shipping costs are too high for just one product... why not get some other things as well.." Haha

 

[GardeningGnome]

this thread movin faster than i can scroll,ha

i peruse new journals often but rarely delve deeply,, and not that i have delved deeply here yet, but the tag that tagged me was this,,

'my Painted Nettle/Coleus collection' ,,

i had to look it up to be sure but instantly saw the 'weed' that i battle with each year,, ha,, i call it a weed because it is so invasive,, and gets a bit ratty end of season,, but is so pretty most season,, and the biggest bonus,, the bees simply adore the flowers,,

pretty sure that is the culprit,, ha. it is all over the yard,,

oh,, guess what was in them pots there,, ha,, yep

cheers friend,, karma sent to the venture,,

Haha!! Wish that I was able to grow Coleus/Solenostemon like that here Way too cold for that.
Yeah, it gets quite ratty and die after setting flowers and seeds. The pollinating insects do luv it! Could very well be a "painted nettle" as the brits call it.
The plant comes in all shapes and colors. One of my personal favorites is the "Fishnet Stockings":

Nice to have you swing by @nivek ! I just saw you thread "Grow room electrical and general safety". Something I need to look closer into myself within a few months.... Take it easy, cheers!

 

[nivek]

Since I have nothing to compare to @candycane ; will the results of lowering the pH from over 7.0 to 5.5-6.0 be clearly noticeable?

The "pH down" is just a few bucks....

gol darn that is one pretty plant,,

there are a cpl alternatives to commercially produced ph down,, as in,, vinegar, which i have used for years,, and lemon juice,, which i used once but vinegar is cheaper.

i do hempy, which is similar to coco, tho not at all the same perhaps,, similar in ph for sure,, and important in any passive hydro system,, definitely low ph is a problem, as i suffered thru a faulty ph pen and saw the results

i am about the 5.9 range now,, and seems positive,, yay

cheers agin,,

 

[StoneOtter]

Thanks a million for your feedback!
The article is great, and I'll keep that in mind if I do switch to growing standard soil.
However ; I'm growing in coco, not soil.

Coco is closer to hydroponics than soil and I've actually found a similar method/strategy to what I'm using here:
"All you need to know about how to feed in Coco".

I will keep it to one watering per day, or every second day at the moment due to the nematodes. But I can feel (by the weight of the pots) that much water already has been used up by the plant, the constant air-flow, heat-evaporation and by the dishcloth I've used under the pot to drain pooling water from the bottom of the pot.

Thanks again for your feedback!

Dang I didn't see that man. In that case you're on it! My mistake, though I haven't grown in it I do know better. Glad you knew better and spoke up! I see some of the growers water coco multiple times a day with excellent results.

 

[GardeningGnome]

cpl alternatives to commercially produced ph down,, as in,, vinegar, which i have used for years,, and lemon juice

Now that is interesting... Brilliant input @nivek !!

I got both lime-juice and apple-vinegar at home.
Make sense that both of them would drop the pH, since they are so sour.
What kind of vinegar do you use?
Perhaps it is time to put on the lab coat and do some testing.

I will make sure to take things slowly, and not do anything stupid at the moment, especially with my new housepets (nematodes) added yesterday. Not sure how they would react to vinegar or lime juice... However, I don't see how any of those alternatives would be worse for the nematodes than the "pH Down" product that contains an 81% solution of phosphoric acid...

Again, thanks for the information!

 

[nivek]

plain white vinegar, and we be talkin drops per gallon,, not an issue at all

btw,, me and the missus had a discussion about the plant we have in the yard, whether it was a coleus or not,, we have no definitive proof,, but i thot it was family right away,, the leave shape and purple parts on the leaves,, prob ably a bit hairy too,, but, the kicker,, the four sided stalks,, the 'mint' connection.

would i be correct that you know what i reference?

cheers

 

[GardeningGnome]

Dang I didn't see that man. In that case you're on it! My mistake, though I haven't grown in it I do know better. Glad you knew better and spoke up! I see some of the growers water coco multiple times a day with excellent results.

No worries mate!!!

I've gotten good results with watering/feeding coco daily in the past, and when I started to dive into the absolute goldmine of knowledge on the subject here on the forum, I've done some changes, which have given good results already. I had a look at the link you provided and I understand why you posted it. Excellent information for soil growers. Enjoy your weekend @stoneotter !

 

[StoneOtter]

No worries mate!!!

I've gotten good results with watering/feeding coco daily in the past, and when I started to dive into the absolute goldmine of knowledge on the subject here on the forum, I've done some changes, which have given good results already. I had a look at the link you provided and I understand why you posted it. Excellent information for soil growers. Enjoy your weekend @stoneotter !

Have a great weekend yourself Double G!

 

[candycane]

Yeah, Barney's feeding concept really resonates with me! I've done some changes based on that information on how I've treated the ladies already and will monitor the results with a magnifying glass

During the last years grows I never bothered with measuring the pH, still have some great results.... But now that I'm seeing how high above the optimal for coco I have.... I feel like it is the next big thing that needs to be addressed. Since I have nothing to compare to @candycane ; will the results of lowering the pH from over 7.0 to 5.5-6.0 be clearly noticeable?

The "pH down" is just a few bucks.... I know how this will end: "since I'm ordering that, the shipping costs are too high for just one product... why not get some other things as well.." Haha

I’ve just always PH’d mine to the recommended sweet spots because when I was first learning before I even started growing it was the first thing that was drilled into my brain. I have seen other gardens suffer tho with all kinds of different nutrient uptake issues because certain nutrients are taken up at different PH levels and they are different with soil and hydro. There are as Nivek stated other cheaper alternatives to the commercial PH up and down products that are relatively easy to find around the house. It does seem with growing there’s almost always something else to get. With the dehumidifier I thankfully get free prime shipping but can imagine on a unit that heavy it would be astronomical. With the humidity issues cheaper alternatives that help some but not a whole lot if the humidity is too high is heat (I put a small heater in the tent to get the temps up some which lowers the humidity in the air, also things called damp rids that are also helpful) those are the two things I have been using to keep mine at a not great but reasonable level.

 

[GardeningGnome]

prob ably a bit hairy too,, but, the kicker,, the four sided stalks,, the 'mint' connection.

would i be correct that you know what i reference?

Absolutely!! They are a bit hairy, one of the reasons why the Brits call them "painted nettle". Spot on with the four-sided stalks as well!

The Coleus comes in aaaaaall kinds of shapes and colors. Let me share another personal favorite, called "Lion Fish":

Sweet eh?

Funny thing is with this plant; the seeds and offspring have often no similarity at all of the genetics of the parents. I've forgotten what that is called in the botany world, but there is a term for it. (Never understood how that works.... That the offspring of two dull, colorless and boring Coleus parents can be an amazing punch of color with totally different genetic setup showing completely different colors and leaf shapes. They must be packed with all sorts of different genetic setups. Think I would need to blaze up and think about that for a while.)

Would say that the one in the front of your picture is quite similar to a few of the types shown in this collection:

 

[Modest Grower]

For ph down I have been using my homebrewed kombucha. Similar to vinegar I suppose but with all sorts of goodies. The plants seem to like it. Still waiting for someone else to say they do too haha

 

[Killerbudz]

Thanks for dropping by @candycane !! Yeah, I'm happy with the strains, a personal favorite is the Jack Herer.

Regarding the pH: Yes, you are absolutely correct, way too high for coco!
I've only got a simple "pH drip and shake" kit, and it is showing me about 7 pH.
I will redo the tests tomorrow with a few different mixes of the nutrients... Let us see how/if I can get it down to atleast around 6 pH without buying any "pH Down" product. I'll write an update here with the results. Thanks again for your feedback! I've been thinking about my pH level since I tested it for the first time ever just two days ago...

Get yourself a decent pH pen and keep and get the pH down. If your running coco its very important to keep pH in the right range or it will create nutrient lock out.

 

[shottafire]

Thanks a million for your feedback!
The article is great, and I'll keep that in mind if I do switch to growing standard soil.
However ; I'm growing in coco, not soil.

Coco is closer to hydroponics than soil and I've actually found a similar method/strategy to what I'm using here:
"All you need to know about how to feed in Coco".

I will keep it to one watering per day, or every second day at the moment due to the nematodes. But I can feel (by the weight of the pots) that much water already has been used up by the plant, the constant air-flow, heat-evaporation and by the dishcloth I've used under the pot to drain pooling water from the bottom of the pot.

Thanks again for your feedback!

Use your best judgement. I did notice some brown tips on the leaves. But once those roots get put down, it’s imperative that you water daily. I am curious what nutrient line are you using GG?