GrowingGirls' Mystery Seed Growing Adventure Journal - 2010

[xkjtx]

I am 75% sure the lime will bring it up. No such thing as 24/7 if your at 18/6 and thinking of 24/0 I would not suggest it.

I wont change it then... I will keep doing what I'm doing and update my thread
as I go. Thanks for the reply!

I don't know the answers to any of your questions.

Can hurt to ask... Not trying to bug, just seeing if you had answers... I
wont bug you with everything. I brought a very good friend, that I have known
for over 23 years, in on this and he has done his own research. So I think I
will be in good hands. Check on my post every so often to see how I am doing.
I will keep it updated.. Thanks for your help!

-xkjtx

 

[GrowingGirls]

I wont change it then... I will keep doing what I'm doing and update my thread
as I go. Thanks for the reply!



Can hurt to ask... Not trying to bug, just seeing if you had answers... I
wont bug you with everything. I brought a very good friend, that I have known
for over 23 years, in on this and he has done his own research. So I think I
will be in good hands. Check on my post every so often to see how I am doing.
I will keep it updated.. Thanks for your help!

-xkjtx

Have you started a journal here yet? Get one started, and I'll subscribe for sure! The top sticky post on that page tells you how to set up a journal, and you could even put a link to your other thread inside so people could see the earlier stuff. By starting a journal you will get more people to follow your progress and they will jump in and help out when they can. I sometimes find I get advice/opinions faster when I post questions/concerns in my journal, where folks who are familiar with my grow already can chime in, rather than in the support forums, where my queries are sometimes overlooked.

Just because I'm ornery and impatient sometimes doesn't mean I don't want to see how your plants turn out.

 

[GrowingGirls]

So, late last night I was in the veg room, smoking a big bowl and looking at this beautiful rack of healthy, happy girls...

I don't know why, but I started thinking about whether or not this room could handle the heat of an HID light someday. Looked up, and saw this:

That's right folks, I have a duct going through that room that is clamped together at the perfect spot to get AC right above the rack. Then I got to thinking about SCROG setups, probably because I'd been researching them earlier in the day with a future grow in mind. Oh look, if I wanted to SCROG right here on this rack, it's shelving would make a perfect screen:

Problem: Not enough room here to SCROG the 8 of these plants that I plan on flowering.

It was then that I had the greatest highdea ever. Forget HID...I'm going to make a double decker CFL SCROG cabinet! It's got 5 shelves plus a domed top...I DO have enough room! I made a little list, did a little math, and I think I can get this room completely set up for about $100.

It is going to take a lot of work (and it's a bit risky...could fail) to keep these stretchy sativas from getting too tall for the setup...but I'm going to do it. For now, they are being trained to stay as short as possible. I said before that the ties I made were temporary, but they're staying...one tie per plant (adjusted daily) to keep the top down, and I think I'm going to start supercropping the bejebus out of them (and also keep FIMing) to train them around the pots and try to keep them flat but bushy.

I am super super excited about this.

Here are pics of my prettiest FIM results...

...and a couple brand-new group shots:

 

[GrownManHollr]

Looking good there GG!
I guess their never too young to learn a little discipline!
At least you didn't tie your mother down....oh yeah, that's right. You did.

 

[xkjtx]

Damn girl! You know your sheeet! Them ladies looking nice! Love the idea you have about the new room and the air duct!!! Lucky ass! I don't know what I'm going to do when it comes to that, but I have some ideas... Also, I have 4 sisters and they can get ornery and impatient sometimes, but I know how it is when you get asked questions that are out there for me to read... Don't worry, I am on the right track now and you have helped. Thank you for showing me the journal area! I will be making one right away. I just have to get a few things done tomorrow and your going to love it!!! I found all the things I need for it to work and you have to tell me what you think? I am not going to give it away yet, but I spent about 100$ on it cause I didn't have the tools for it. Had to buy some. Anyways, I am so excited as well!!! Cant wait to tell you!@!@!@ Lmao!

-xkjtx

 

[GrowingGirls]

I'm starting to think it might be time to do some trimming around the buds to help them get more light...

I call this one The Bush. She's happy to be short, and her node spacing is crazy tight.

These are the other 3 that were transplanted at the same time as The Bush. They are trained out past the edge of the pots now, so I'm going to start getting them trained around the edge of the pots soon.

I think there's just a tiny but of nute burn starting to show on these 4 plants, probably because I put them on the same nute plan as the 4 slightly bigger ones that I transplanted a week earlier. I'm just going to stop nutes until they get a bit bigger...I'm not going to flush them at this time.

I have chosen a sister of The Bush to be my mother plant. Yes, she's incredibly tiny, but that's why I want her to be the mom...could be a long time before I need her for anything again and I know she'll be happy to stay short. Yes, it might mean that I don't get great clones from her when the time comes, since she was the last to root...but I'm okay with that. She's been set aside under her own little lamp because I want more room for the others.

That leaves me with one extra plant and nothing fun to do with it but stick it in with the flowering ladies to see what it does. Hey, why not? She's a spare. Spares become experiments.

 

[dfw-guy]

Your little ones look great GG. So much improvement from when they first started. Looks like you got your nutrient deficiency taken care of, so awesome job on that. You may want a bigger screen if your going to do SCROG. Chicken wire & dowel rods to support it would work to expand the shelf you already have. Oh and if you do go with SCROG, it's mandatory to trim off everything below the screen

Don't worry about what your trichs are looking like right now. Trust me they have got a ways to go before harvest. When your girls are ready for harvest the pistils will be mostly amber and the leaves will be dying off.

That's great that you can get the room set up for $100. However maybe after that grow you can invest in a wonderful 400watt HPS. That will grow the dense buds CFL's cannot.

Once again the girls are looking good, all of them, so just keep at it and you'll be smoking em' before you know it.

 

[GrowingGirls]

Your little ones look great GG. So much improvement from when they first started. Looks like you got your nutrient deficiency taken care of, so awesome job on that. You may want a bigger screen if your going to do SCROG. Chicken wire & dowel rods to support it would work to expand the shelf you already have. Oh and if you do go with SCROG, it's mandatory to trim off everything below the screen

Don't worry about what your trichs are looking like right now. Trust me they have got a ways to go before harvest. When your girls are ready for harvest the pistils will be mostly amber and the leaves will be dying off.

That's great that you can get the room set up for $100. However maybe after that grow you can invest in a wonderful 400watt HPS. That will grow the dense buds CFL's cannot.

Once again the girls are looking good, all of them, so just keep at it and you'll be smoking em' before you know it.

I was afraid someone would tell me I need more square footage for my SCROG. Making the rack wider/deeper is going to give me space issues, though. With using the screens/shelves as-is, 2 plants on each of the 2 levels would be ideal. If I could figure out something to do with the other 4 plants, I'd be set.

There might be one other option; I'll have to take a closer look at the room to see if this is feasible. There are shelves built across the other end of the room. Right now they hold paint and painting supplies, which could easily be relocated. I might actually be able to set up a SCROG back there for all 8 of them...it'll depend on how much space I've got between the shelves. Possible drawback: I'd only have access to the plants from one side. But if I set them up 4 across and 2 deep, it should be manageable.

I'm digging the idea of a 400W, but it would be for the other room, freeing up my 150 for the smaller room. I'm tempted to start checking out prices...

 

[LilJah]

im in. good luck

 

[SanibelGreen]

Looking good GG come a long way!

SG

 

[xkjtx]

Hey, GG, when you have a chance check out my JOURNAL I started. I think your going to be impressed! I have pulled through for my babies!!!

-xkjtx

 

[Reefa Cheefa]

Wow looks great! I predict some fat nugs in your future

 

[GaladrielDreams]

Looking good GG!

Do you use a rooting hormone for your clones? If so, what one? I plan on experimenting with clones with my next grow. I'm going to try cloning for sexing out plants, so I don't waste months growing males!

 

[GrowingGirls]

Looking good GG!

Do you use a rooting hormone for your clones? If so, what one? I plan on experimenting with clones with my next grow. I'm going to try cloning for sexing out plants, so I don't waste months growing males!

Yes, I used Schultz rooting powder that I got at Home Depot. It was the only kind they had. I'm sure my hydro store has a larger selection, but this stuff worked great...10/12 rooted. You can get rooting stuff in gel form also, which some people prefer.

When you are ready to cut some clones, let me know and I'd be glad to write up my process for you...with tips added in for how to do it even better. I may even write it up later tonight, in case anyone else wants it.

Actually, it may even be in this thread somewhere already. I'll check later.

 

[GaladrielDreams]

Yes, I used Schultz rooting powder that I got at Home Depot. It was the only kind they had. I'm sure my hydro store has a larger selection, but this stuff worked great...10/12 rooted. You can get rooting stuff in gel form also, which some people prefer.

When you are ready to cut some clones, let me know and I'd be glad to write up my process for you...with tips added in for how to do it even better. I may even write it up later tonight, in case anyone else wants it.

Actually, it may even be in this thread somewhere already. I'll check later.

No Home Depot within 50 miles, I did see a hydro store in town, I'm going to check it out. I've heard great stuff about Clonex, and if I can't find it, I plan on ordering it through Amazon (as well as soil, nutes etc). What do you use for the roots to anchor to? Rockwool? Peat Pellets? Something else?

 

[Search]

cant wait to see what this looks like in a few weeks

 

[GrowingGirls]

No Home Depot within 50 miles, I did see a hydro store in town, I'm going to check it out. I've heard great stuff about Clonex, and if I can't find it, I plan on ordering it through Amazon (as well as soil, nutes etc). What do you use for the roots to anchor to? Rockwool? Peat Pellets? Something else?

I would guess that any place that sells a half-decent array of gardening supplies should have at least one kind of rooting agent. Got a Walmart or an approximate Walmart equivalent nearby? A hardware store might even have it. You live way out in the middle of nowhere, don't you?

Definitely check out the hydro store! Mine is huge, the selection is staggering...but there are lots of things they overprice that are easily obtained elsewhere. I've only bought nutes, B&W poly sheeting, and a couple of humidity domes from them. Almost everything else came from Home Depot or Walmart, where the light bulbs and electrical supplies and assorted little pieces of miscellaneous bullshit are cheaper.

Rockwool is good, and I will likely use it in the future, but I didn't use it this time. I put my cuttings straight into a 50/50 mix of potting soil and perlite. I used Miracle Grow soil, which was dumb because it's chock full of nutes that cuttings do not want or need. I also stupidly used water straight from the tap. But, it worked. What YOU should do for better results is use something that's not full off all the crap in Miracle Grow soil, along with PH-adjusted water. No nutes for babies!

I'm not going to tell you what part of the plant to take your clones from, or exactly where to cut the branch, or where the stem should hit the soil/rockwool, because even though it all worked out for me, I'm pretty sure I went against some popular guidelines. There are plenty of better resources on that than me.

But, I will tell you how to make the cuts.

I used a razor blade to cut my clones, but not the same kind as most people. Disposable razors have very thin, very sharp, very flexible blades. You're going to have to dismantle it by prying and poking and twisting and whatnot...be careful, it's tricky and you might bleed a bit but it's worth it. Those little blades are easy to sneak in wherever you want to put them. They are even more awesome for topping/FIM.

I think a 45 degree angle is enough, but mine were more like 30.

Oh, sterilize that razor blade with alcohol, both before you start and in between each clone or at least when you start working on a different plant.

Okay, so take the thing you've just cut off and split it with your razor blade, straight up from the bottom just under 1/2 inch or so. Use the dull side of the razor to spread the halves apart a bit into a little Y.

Dip the stem in water for a few seconds, then in the powder. Shake off the excess powder and plant the cutting in its pot. I used a pencil to make a hole in the soil. Press the soil around the stem gently but kinda firmly (don't pack it together too hard).

Grab your razor blade, repeat until you've got enough clones.

I used 16 oz plastic disposable drink cups, and here's where a mistake turned into an awesome idea. I bought clear ones because they were cheap, not thinking about how roots don't like light. My fix was to simply buy the right cups, and place the clones already in their clear cups inside the new cups. I thought the double cup thing was kind of annoying until I realized it allowed me to check for roots without disturbing the plants by just pulling the clear cup out to sneak a peek.

Cuttings have to suck up moisture from the air because they don't have the roots needed to get it from the soil. I'm lucky to have a growing rack that has a zippered clear plastic cover that will keep the humidity up over 80% for me...I ended up not needing the humidity domes I bought. I also have a humidifier, a warm mist one that adds a bit of heat too, which they loved. But, you can do it without a humidifier and with DIY domes; a great example is in dfw-guy's journal, but I'm too tired to look it up right now. I need to wrap this up. I've rambled. I'm not even going to proofread, so I'm sure I'll read this tomorrow and find some nonsense.

I'm sure I'll think of more stuff later.

 

[GaladrielDreams]

Yea, I live in the middle of no where. It's 20 miles into a small mountain town, 50 miles into the city. Even the Walmart in town is smaller than other Walmart's in the city. Most of the hardware stores are more construction based and don't have a lot of gardening stuff, since I live at such high altitude, and the growing season is extremely short. So I probably will be ordering a few supplies through Amazon.

Me and disposable razor blades? Definitely a no no. I'm on blood thinners, I could cut myself and not get it to stop. Can I use the one sided ones?

 

[GrowingGirls]

Can I use the one sided ones?

Definitely; I think that's what most people do.

 

[GrowingGirls]

Picture time!

The girls, post-training. The bigger ones are getting a little crowded; I'll be moving these to set up their SCROG as soon as I've got my budget figured out so I can get more lighting supplies.

In the big ladies' room, the tape job on my duct fan came apart while I was trying to adjust its position last night. I bought some new ducting (yes I know this super flexible stuff isn't the greatest, but I needed super flexibility) and some proper tape today, and I've got a better setup than before. I also got the AC piped way over by the plants, like 6 feet closer than it had been.

Duct fan:

AC: