She'll revert back pretty quickly. When we bring them from 18/6 or whatever light schedule, to nature they will begin to flower. This year I slowly cut my indoor start time to 15 hours light before I'm putting them out hoping to change that.
Jon's Second Grow, First Grow Journal, Soil Grow Autos & Photoperiod
- Thread starter
- #662
Autotown Update
Jelly Rancher New Home
Autoflower New Home
Ok so I am going to do one update here to cover a bunch of changes. Here they are and why:
- Moved the autos outdoors to finish up. I created a little alley for them between our house and the house next door. I had to cut my screen apart to get them out. And I had to create a spot for each of them, while trying to be as stealthy as possible in a neighborhood where stealth is almost impossible. Lol. You can see them from the street if you look. Oh well. If someone calls the cops and they come I guess they'll take my autos. But I care MUCH more about the Jelly Rancher I have poured my heart and soul into than I do the pedestrian autoflowers. So by emptying the auto tent I created space to bud the outdoor Jelly Rancher out.
- Cleaned the auto tent
- Rearranged the lights, fans and humidifier in auto tent
- Did a par test to make sure the lights were where I wanted them
- Did an environment test to see how the tent was with everything out of it and set up for the Jelly Rancher
- Watered the Jelly Rancher. Began her on blooming nutes. For budding I went back to the Fox Farms trio. So the Jelly Rancher in the auto tent, for the next three weeks, will be getting 50% Big Bloom, 50% Grow Big, 50% Tiger Bloom, 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses, and 1 tsp of CalMag plus Iron. She'll get that two waterings in a row then a clean water with an extra two gallons of flush each third watering, to eliminate the molasses buildup that I have found becomes inevitable if you use a lot of molasses as I and many do. If you don't rinse the roots periodically it can mess up your Ph and/or give you nute lock.
- Did a minor defoliation on the Jelly Rancher and all the autos as they went into Auto Alley.
- After all that I had to completely clean and sweep out the grow room space and tighten everything up.
I think that's it. That is what I have been doing since 6:30 am.
I have some select autoflower pics and the pics of the Jelly Rancher in her new digs.
Photographs:
Lemon #1
Lemon #2
Cinderella Jack #3
Cinderella Jack perspective shot
Closeup Lemon 1 buds
Closeup Lemon 2 buds
Auto Alleyway
New digs for the Jelly Rancher
The Jelly Rancher in her glory as she goes in to the tent
The lighting the Jelly Rancher is budding with
Thanks everyone for your input on this. What an interesting grow this is turning out to be. I need and greatly appreciate all the assistance.
Jelly Rancher New Home
Autoflower New Home
Ok so I am going to do one update here to cover a bunch of changes. Here they are and why:
- Moved the autos outdoors to finish up. I created a little alley for them between our house and the house next door. I had to cut my screen apart to get them out. And I had to create a spot for each of them, while trying to be as stealthy as possible in a neighborhood where stealth is almost impossible. Lol. You can see them from the street if you look. Oh well. If someone calls the cops and they come I guess they'll take my autos. But I care MUCH more about the Jelly Rancher I have poured my heart and soul into than I do the pedestrian autoflowers. So by emptying the auto tent I created space to bud the outdoor Jelly Rancher out.
- Cleaned the auto tent
- Rearranged the lights, fans and humidifier in auto tent
- Did a par test to make sure the lights were where I wanted them
- Did an environment test to see how the tent was with everything out of it and set up for the Jelly Rancher
- Watered the Jelly Rancher. Began her on blooming nutes. For budding I went back to the Fox Farms trio. So the Jelly Rancher in the auto tent, for the next three weeks, will be getting 50% Big Bloom, 50% Grow Big, 50% Tiger Bloom, 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses, and 1 tsp of CalMag plus Iron. She'll get that two waterings in a row then a clean water with an extra two gallons of flush each third watering, to eliminate the molasses buildup that I have found becomes inevitable if you use a lot of molasses as I and many do. If you don't rinse the roots periodically it can mess up your Ph and/or give you nute lock.
- Did a minor defoliation on the Jelly Rancher and all the autos as they went into Auto Alley.
- After all that I had to completely clean and sweep out the grow room space and tighten everything up.
I think that's it. That is what I have been doing since 6:30 am.
I have some select autoflower pics and the pics of the Jelly Rancher in her new digs.
Photographs:
Lemon #1
Lemon #2
Cinderella Jack #3
Cinderella Jack perspective shot
Closeup Lemon 1 buds
Closeup Lemon 2 buds
Auto Alleyway
New digs for the Jelly Rancher
The Jelly Rancher in her glory as she goes in to the tent
The lighting the Jelly Rancher is budding with
Thanks everyone for your input on this. What an interesting grow this is turning out to be. I need and greatly appreciate all the assistance.
- Thread starter
- #663
Phototown Update
Grow Day 81
Stretch/Flower Day 7
Filling out this screen takes a lot of work. I had no idea. But it sure is the case to keep up with it. Slowly this screen is filling. Everything is going well in Phototown. I did add a new resident, as the girls are starting to throw some moisture, so I added the dehumidifier to it's upper canopy shelf in the corner you can see in the picture.
One week of stretch in the books. Haven't killed the plants yet, or broken a branch. Have not yet had to supercrop. So far everything done has been tucking.
I will say after a week that it appears the folks at Humboldt Seed Company were correct - the three strains really DO seem to be stretching approximately the same amount. The Blueberry Muffin would probably win the contest, but not by much. This is a pleasant surprise and is maybe the only thing keeping the scrog manageable.
Photographs
(The reds, far reds, and IR now in play since I kicked in the flower booster affects the way my pictures turn out I have found. For the real reference on their actual colors, use the far back group shot. All the closeups have a red hue that makes the leaves look off. Trust me they are not.
- The entire scrog from as far away as necessary to fit it in the frame
- Screen level left (note dehumidifier back left behind the fan)
- Screen level middle
- Screen level right
- Overhead shot Pineapple Upside Down Cake 1
- Overhead shot Pineapple Upside Down Cake 2
- Overhead shot Blueberry Muffin
- Overhead shot Jelly Rancher
Grow Day 81
Stretch/Flower Day 7
Filling out this screen takes a lot of work. I had no idea. But it sure is the case to keep up with it. Slowly this screen is filling. Everything is going well in Phototown. I did add a new resident, as the girls are starting to throw some moisture, so I added the dehumidifier to it's upper canopy shelf in the corner you can see in the picture.
One week of stretch in the books. Haven't killed the plants yet, or broken a branch. Have not yet had to supercrop. So far everything done has been tucking.
I will say after a week that it appears the folks at Humboldt Seed Company were correct - the three strains really DO seem to be stretching approximately the same amount. The Blueberry Muffin would probably win the contest, but not by much. This is a pleasant surprise and is maybe the only thing keeping the scrog manageable.
Photographs
(The reds, far reds, and IR now in play since I kicked in the flower booster affects the way my pictures turn out I have found. For the real reference on their actual colors, use the far back group shot. All the closeups have a red hue that makes the leaves look off. Trust me they are not.
- The entire scrog from as far away as necessary to fit it in the frame
- Screen level left (note dehumidifier back left behind the fan)
- Screen level middle
- Screen level right
- Overhead shot Pineapple Upside Down Cake 1
- Overhead shot Pineapple Upside Down Cake 2
- Overhead shot Blueberry Muffin
- Overhead shot Jelly Rancher
Bud Love
Well-Known Member
Looking real good there Jon .Stella job mate.
Diatomacious
Well-Known Member
I think you could have gone either way with the moving... maybe should have finished out the autos (since moisture on the bud will cause bud rot... even the morning dew). The photo would have probably been alright in the moisture since buds are small and dry out quick.
Only drawback to days getting longer is the plant will revert to veg. Hermie is more a genetic condition in my opinion.
I think you did the right thing (going with your instinct) just keep an eye on the autos for mold or move them in at night (or at least under a tarp or something to keep the dew off).
- Thread starter
- #666
So glad you said this, cuz I hadn't considered dew at all. Just now I checked the autos first thing this morning after their first night outside, and sure enough, the were covered in dew. I shook them off a little, and the sun is out and will dry them quickly, BUT....I see your point completely, and the Cinderella Jack buds, which are particularly dense, are the ones most inclined to bud rot. Fortunately I believe today is harvest day for her. So since I can't use a tarp or cover of any kind over them where I'm at, I guess I can just bring them into the garage once it gets dark and let them hang in there overnight til the morning and put them back out at first light. Thank you very much.
I think you could have gone either way with the moving... maybe should have finished out the autos (since moisture on the bud will cause bud rot... even the morning dew). The photo would have probably been alright in the moisture since buds are small and dry out quick.
Only drawback to days getting longer is the plant will revert to veg. Hermie is more a genetic condition in my opinion.
I think you did the right thing (going with your instinct) just keep an eye on the autos for mold or move them in at night (or at least under a tarp or something to keep the dew off).
- Thread starter
- #667
Solo Jelly Rancher
Day 3 Flower
Day 82 Grow
Here she is. I'm counting days of flower from when I first noticed the plant was budding outdoors, thus today is day 3, and after one night in the tent on a real 12 hour schedule everything is hunky dory. Didn't know how she was going to react to going from the glory of the real sun to quantum boards and blurples.
There has been much discussion about par levels and how much light is too much. There is a percentage of folks, including some long time growers for whom I have a lot of respect, who insist to me that any par numbers higher than 1100, without CO2, is wasted effort and can hurt yield. With these folks, all due respect, I strongly disagree. I suspect they haven't tried it. Has anyone ever smoked amazing weed that was grown outdoors in the sun? Those plants budded at par numbers that are so high nobody's par meter can even measure them. That's the primary reason I disagree. Yes, it's a little different in a tent, but still, it is literally impossible to get anywhere near sunlike par numbers with any light you would ever come across. I believe I will get a better yield with fatter and more trichome covered buds with higher par numbers than 1100, even with only my crappy two Exhale bags in the tent. So we're going to find out. The plants in the scrog in the photo tent include a Jelly Rancher. Those plants, since they are three different strains, may have slightly different preferences when it comes to light. Therefore in the scrog tent I will bud them at lower numbers than I would if it were all the same strain - somewhere between 1100-1250 or so. On the other hand, I just took measurements in the solo Jelly Rancher tent, and she is getting hit with an extremely consistent 1320 par all across the plant. There is no spot on this plant getting below 1300 par. And that is with the quantum board on full power at 36" and the blurples on veg/bloom at 28". Obviously if I were only using one or the other I would have them closer, but in combination I get a SUPER even footprint, or at least I do in the diameter this plant is going to achieve. So let's see how they do at 1300 par. I won't go too much higher than that cuz I believe the actual spot of diminishing returns is not 1100, but more like 1400 par. Just me, I'm no light expert. But until someone can show me actual charts with numbers and serious comparison grows under seriously well controlled conditions, I'm going to stick to my guns. Lol. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. This will be my first comparison grow opportunity. We'll compare how the Jelly Rancher in the scrog buds compare to the solo Jelly Rancher buds. Don't think yield will be a fair comparison, as the solo plant is, well, solo, and has unlimited space around her, unlike in the scrog with the other one. But quality should be a fair comparison. They are getting identical everything other than light level.
Here she is on Day 3 of budding, and we'll see if she stretches any since she was already showing actual buds when she went into the tent. None on the first night.
Day 3 Flower
Day 82 Grow
Here she is. I'm counting days of flower from when I first noticed the plant was budding outdoors, thus today is day 3, and after one night in the tent on a real 12 hour schedule everything is hunky dory. Didn't know how she was going to react to going from the glory of the real sun to quantum boards and blurples.
There has been much discussion about par levels and how much light is too much. There is a percentage of folks, including some long time growers for whom I have a lot of respect, who insist to me that any par numbers higher than 1100, without CO2, is wasted effort and can hurt yield. With these folks, all due respect, I strongly disagree. I suspect they haven't tried it. Has anyone ever smoked amazing weed that was grown outdoors in the sun? Those plants budded at par numbers that are so high nobody's par meter can even measure them. That's the primary reason I disagree. Yes, it's a little different in a tent, but still, it is literally impossible to get anywhere near sunlike par numbers with any light you would ever come across. I believe I will get a better yield with fatter and more trichome covered buds with higher par numbers than 1100, even with only my crappy two Exhale bags in the tent. So we're going to find out. The plants in the scrog in the photo tent include a Jelly Rancher. Those plants, since they are three different strains, may have slightly different preferences when it comes to light. Therefore in the scrog tent I will bud them at lower numbers than I would if it were all the same strain - somewhere between 1100-1250 or so. On the other hand, I just took measurements in the solo Jelly Rancher tent, and she is getting hit with an extremely consistent 1320 par all across the plant. There is no spot on this plant getting below 1300 par. And that is with the quantum board on full power at 36" and the blurples on veg/bloom at 28". Obviously if I were only using one or the other I would have them closer, but in combination I get a SUPER even footprint, or at least I do in the diameter this plant is going to achieve. So let's see how they do at 1300 par. I won't go too much higher than that cuz I believe the actual spot of diminishing returns is not 1100, but more like 1400 par. Just me, I'm no light expert. But until someone can show me actual charts with numbers and serious comparison grows under seriously well controlled conditions, I'm going to stick to my guns. Lol. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. This will be my first comparison grow opportunity. We'll compare how the Jelly Rancher in the scrog buds compare to the solo Jelly Rancher buds. Don't think yield will be a fair comparison, as the solo plant is, well, solo, and has unlimited space around her, unlike in the scrog with the other one. But quality should be a fair comparison. They are getting identical everything other than light level.
Here she is on Day 3 of budding, and we'll see if she stretches any since she was already showing actual buds when she went into the tent. None on the first night.
Thanks Jon! A comparison in the name of science! Awesome! I think you're onto something there!
Michael Hunt
Well-Known Member
Plants are lookin good man. I agree on your light theories. As you know we run our’s very bright and other than bleaching there has been no negative effect on bud size or growth. My vote is to crank it 
As long as temps stay safe and your tops arent turning paper white of course.
I will admit, those plants outside look right at home under the sun. But, having them lined down the side of your house like that makes me NERVOUS lol. In this state, the popo would be taking a lot more than just the plants. Also, being in plane view, I'm pretty sure nullify’s their need for a warrant to come into your house and take the rest of your stuff, along with you. Ive never encountered more nosy people in my life before moving down here. All it takes is one nosy parent to drive by and say to themselves “my child could wander right over there and get a hold of drugs, i better call this in”. Ive seen neighbors get reported to the city for all sorts of bs like boats parked in peoples driveways and grass being too long. If you live in an hoa neighborhood, its even worse. Please please be careful man
As long as temps stay safe and your tops arent turning paper white of course.I will admit, those plants outside look right at home under the sun. But, having them lined down the side of your house like that makes me NERVOUS lol. In this state, the popo would be taking a lot more than just the plants. Also, being in plane view, I'm pretty sure nullify’s their need for a warrant to come into your house and take the rest of your stuff, along with you. Ive never encountered more nosy people in my life before moving down here. All it takes is one nosy parent to drive by and say to themselves “my child could wander right over there and get a hold of drugs, i better call this in”. Ive seen neighbors get reported to the city for all sorts of bs like boats parked in peoples driveways and grass being too long. If you live in an hoa neighborhood, its even worse. Please please be careful man
- Thread starter
- #670
Agreed on all counts. And as such I relocated them a little bit. Instead of how the photo is (that was my "get them out of the tent as quickly as possible" placement), they are now all the way against the wall of the house, and from anyone walking or driving by you can't see them at all. There is a big knob of pre fab shrubbery/landscaping that completely blocks them from view. That should be fine. Besides, I have no choice. So it's a chance I'm willing to take. Also, I'm falling back a little bit on knowing the Florida mentality and I highly doubt I would face any consequences as a guy in a wheelchair. They'd take pity on me. Lmao. Anyway, straight up it's a lot more stealthy now. Thanks.Plants are lookin good man. I agree on your light theories. As you know we run our’s very bright and other than bleaching there has been no negative effect on bud size or growth. My vote is to crank it
I will admit, those plants outside look right at home under the sun. But, having them lined down the side of your house like that makes me NERVOUS lol. In this state, the popo would be taking a lot more than just the plants. Also, being in plane view, I'm pretty sure nullify’s their need for a warrant to come into your house and take the rest of your stuff, along with you. Ive never encountered more nosy people in my life before moving down here. All it takes is one nosy parent to drive by and say to themselves “my child could wander right over there and get a hold of drugs, i better call this in”. Ive seen neighbors get reported to the city for all sorts of bs like boats parked in peoples driveways and grass being too long. If you live in an hoa neighborhood, its even worse. Please please be careful man
Michael Hunt
Well-Known Member
Coming from a few encounters with the fuzz regarding “funny flowers”, i wouldn't count on them going easy because of the wheelchair. At least you have em hidden now
Not trying to nag, just coming from a genuine place of concern. We moved down here a handful of years ago but due to unnamed circumstances we havent had much opportunity to meet people and make new friends. You all on here are my friends these days. And i’d hate to see something happen to ya man
Diatomacious
Well-Known Member
Yea it's heartbreaking to go out one morning just as the buds are nearing maturity only to find grey or white mold growing out from the center of the bud. Been there... done that.
This is why it is written into the constitution that "the trial of all crimes shall be by jury"!
A judge has no legal right to try a criminal case without a jury. When you wave your right to a trial by jury you are actually breaking federal law (real federal law not the made up stuff they try and make you believe in today).
Don't let the gov walk all over you... America was and still is founded on the ideals of freedom and justice and stealing someone's dope is not justice!
Diatomacious
Well-Known Member
Don't get me wrong... not trying to get you to hate the police. They are there to catch thieves IMO... I never have trouble with the police unless I've stolen something and then they come knocking.
God is always watching
whether you like it or not
God is always watching
whether you like it or not
- Thread starter
- #674
To be honest I really don't give two shits about being busted for it. If a nosy neighbor were to see it and figure it out and call the fuzz and they came, then that's what happens. Screw it. It isn't as if I have another choice anyway. Just don't care about a pot bust, never had one before, don't expect or care now. I'd fight tooth and nail against any charge as I can support my position in three ways:
1. It's my medicine and it's necessary for me to manage pain.
2. It's my religion, in as much as I have one, and I believe I have the right to consume a God-given plant any fucking time I choose. I could easily make a religion based argument based on weed.
3. This state has done everything in it's power to make it as expensive and as hard as possible to not spend your shirt if you need weed for medicine on a monthly basis. The limits are too low. They try to low ball the acceptable legal limit for THC content to 10%, which helps nobody, and that's about to get voted on if it hasn't already. The point is that I could make the legal argument that the State of ____________ where I live is literally hurting me with their arcane policies that are attempting to have it both ways.
Would any of that work? I dunno. I don't care.
This is one are you and I agree my friend, politically speaking. FUC- them politicians.
Diatomacious
Well-Known Member
Even if you beat the wrap and didn't get 30 years for smoking in a free country, it's still a major pain in the ass when they traipse through your house and go through all your stuff taking what they want. Better safe than sorry just wanted you to keep your eye on the ball.
Michael Hunt
Well-Known Member
This right here. Couldnt agree more man.
Diatomacious
Well-Known Member
You're probably fine though... if you were worried about it that would be a bad sign.
You doing good man.
You doing good man.
- Thread starter
- #679
Phototown Update
Changes/Adjustments
Grow Day 83
Flower/Stretch Day 9
Last night I had a long conversation with my Yoda from Oregon, and I took him on an extensive FaceTime tour of the scrog and the autos. Funny. Dude doesn't give a damn about my autos and thinks they're for children. Lol. Professional grower snobs. Ha. However, he has keen interest in my scrog. I am the one who talked him into growing this same strain of Pineapple Upside Down Cake in one of his greenhouses this grow for him, and he has a ton of very large ones. He wanted to see so I took him on the tour, and then he said wait, zoom in on a couple of those leaves on the Blueberry Muffin. I did so. Then he told me to pick one and show it to him in the normal light. I did that. Then he had me show him leaves from all four plants so he could see all four to compare.
After all that extensive tour, dude said, you got a lot of work to do. Tonight.
WHAT????
It took him all of five seconds to diagnose that my EC is off just a touch on the Blueberry Muffin and I needed to correct it immediately since I am nine days into budding. I looked at the same leaves he looked at. The same leaves you guys see in the picture. I STILL can't see anything wrong with it, unless I look WAY close. I have no idea how the dude saw this, but the reality is that some of the lower leaves on the Blueberry Muffin that you can't see in the picture are getting the tiniest amount of a golden/rusty looking sort of sheen. Just a few, and it's literally so barely noticeable it's not worth posting. But he said FOR SURE I am in the very infant stage with the Blueberry Muffin of starting to get lockout. He says I have too much salt built up in the soil and it's JUST starting to show. He said to correct it immediately I needed to flush that plant with plain water first, at least five gallons through her. So I did that. I flushed her last night until the water was basically the same coming out as it was going in. Clear. Then he said to wait til she's all done shedding the runoff, and then follow it up with a one gallon nutrient feeding, wherever I was with nutes. And he said to add CalMag. So I did that.
Then dude says I gotta clean out under the canopy. I said isn't it too soon for that? He said yes, it's too soon for you to strip them of all the leaves and stuff like you're going to in a few weeks. But he said to go underneath, take anything that was dead, dying, or not getting any light, and then to focus on taking any BRANCHES that were thin, or flarfy, or were no way going to make it up to the screen. He said these are robbing energy from the buds and to do that immediately, so that as they start to form buds I don't have to hurt the plant by cutting that stuff off after buds start forming and cost myself a day or two of budding while the plant recovers. He says to remove that under the canopy growth in stages over a couple weeks, NOT all at once, so that you don't give the plants a gigantic shock all at once and instead it's spread out and minimized. So I did that. You can see (sort of, I tried) the removal of those branches a little bit in the picture, and my PARTIAL under canopy defol.
Then he says, put your damn dehumidifier UNDER the canopy, not above it. I said why, don't I want to lessen the humidity in the climate zone ABOVE the canopy? He said yes, but you do that by removing it from underneath. That's where your humidity starts, with the wet pots and soil in addition to the plants respiration. He also said that the exhaust fan is drawing the air to the top of the tent and that since I'm running AC into the bottom, I want to let the less humid air underneath (assuming the dehumidifier is doing it's job) get pulled UP and THROUGH the canopy and buds. So I put the dehumidifier underneath in the middle of the plants as directed.
Then he says to install my extra stretchy screen that hooks to the tent poles, about 8" above the first screen. I said why do I need it? He said for support. BECAUSE, he said, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TUCK ANYMORE AFTER THE MORNING TUCK. I said why not, I thought I tucked til the screen was filled or actual buds form, whichever comes first. He said dude, the screen is fricking filled. Don't be a cola junkie trying to get EVERY HOLE FILLED, you already filled nearly all of them and there's undergrowth ready to fill a lot of the remaining holes. He says now I should LET THE PLANTS GROW UP. The reason is to get a little verticality to the bud sites before they start to become actual buds. He said it will grow evenly as I have an even screen. He says letting it go now will increase my yield cuz the buds will have more to work with above the canopy. So, he said install the screen and when they get to it I'll have support, and I'll also have a way to attend to any rogue buds that decide they want to outpace and outgrow (vertically) all their friends, and I can tuck those using the second screen if necessary to maintain the evenness of the canopy as a whole. So that takes two seconds and I'll do that in a day or two when the buds get close to six or eight inches above the first screen.
So that was a lot of work out of nowhere when I had no idea I had all this stuff to do.
I trust this guy like I trust @Emilya, and if he told me I needed to do all those things, I take it to the bank and do them. He saved my first grow three times with diagnoses. NEVER led me astray. And he has yet to be wrong about a diagnosis or a solution to it. So since I laud my friend (who I wish I could Identify so BAD!! Lol!) with frequency and take his advice always, you guys tell me. This is my first scrog. Was my friend on point about the things he told me to get done? Do you guys have any input on the above? If so I'd love to hear it. He's Yoda, not God. And there's lots of Yodas here too. So I'm very curious if anyone has any input on the veracity of what he had me do and the whys of it?
Anyway, there it is. This is my scrog.
Here's the state of it after the final tucking session from above and below. Sorry about the below picture, it's a bit rough. Just trying to show what a partial stripping under the canopy looks like versus a total stripping.
Thanks guys. Happy Tuesday. If anyone has some absolutely amazing, killer, frosty buds they want me to try for them, tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be 56. Whoo Hoo. Feel free to ask me for my address off the public feed and send me some.
Changes/Adjustments
Grow Day 83
Flower/Stretch Day 9
Last night I had a long conversation with my Yoda from Oregon, and I took him on an extensive FaceTime tour of the scrog and the autos. Funny. Dude doesn't give a damn about my autos and thinks they're for children. Lol. Professional grower snobs. Ha. However, he has keen interest in my scrog. I am the one who talked him into growing this same strain of Pineapple Upside Down Cake in one of his greenhouses this grow for him, and he has a ton of very large ones. He wanted to see so I took him on the tour, and then he said wait, zoom in on a couple of those leaves on the Blueberry Muffin. I did so. Then he told me to pick one and show it to him in the normal light. I did that. Then he had me show him leaves from all four plants so he could see all four to compare.
After all that extensive tour, dude said, you got a lot of work to do. Tonight.
WHAT????
It took him all of five seconds to diagnose that my EC is off just a touch on the Blueberry Muffin and I needed to correct it immediately since I am nine days into budding. I looked at the same leaves he looked at. The same leaves you guys see in the picture. I STILL can't see anything wrong with it, unless I look WAY close. I have no idea how the dude saw this, but the reality is that some of the lower leaves on the Blueberry Muffin that you can't see in the picture are getting the tiniest amount of a golden/rusty looking sort of sheen. Just a few, and it's literally so barely noticeable it's not worth posting. But he said FOR SURE I am in the very infant stage with the Blueberry Muffin of starting to get lockout. He says I have too much salt built up in the soil and it's JUST starting to show. He said to correct it immediately I needed to flush that plant with plain water first, at least five gallons through her. So I did that. I flushed her last night until the water was basically the same coming out as it was going in. Clear. Then he said to wait til she's all done shedding the runoff, and then follow it up with a one gallon nutrient feeding, wherever I was with nutes. And he said to add CalMag. So I did that.
Then dude says I gotta clean out under the canopy. I said isn't it too soon for that? He said yes, it's too soon for you to strip them of all the leaves and stuff like you're going to in a few weeks. But he said to go underneath, take anything that was dead, dying, or not getting any light, and then to focus on taking any BRANCHES that were thin, or flarfy, or were no way going to make it up to the screen. He said these are robbing energy from the buds and to do that immediately, so that as they start to form buds I don't have to hurt the plant by cutting that stuff off after buds start forming and cost myself a day or two of budding while the plant recovers. He says to remove that under the canopy growth in stages over a couple weeks, NOT all at once, so that you don't give the plants a gigantic shock all at once and instead it's spread out and minimized. So I did that. You can see (sort of, I tried) the removal of those branches a little bit in the picture, and my PARTIAL under canopy defol.
Then he says, put your damn dehumidifier UNDER the canopy, not above it. I said why, don't I want to lessen the humidity in the climate zone ABOVE the canopy? He said yes, but you do that by removing it from underneath. That's where your humidity starts, with the wet pots and soil in addition to the plants respiration. He also said that the exhaust fan is drawing the air to the top of the tent and that since I'm running AC into the bottom, I want to let the less humid air underneath (assuming the dehumidifier is doing it's job) get pulled UP and THROUGH the canopy and buds. So I put the dehumidifier underneath in the middle of the plants as directed.
Then he says to install my extra stretchy screen that hooks to the tent poles, about 8" above the first screen. I said why do I need it? He said for support. BECAUSE, he said, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TUCK ANYMORE AFTER THE MORNING TUCK. I said why not, I thought I tucked til the screen was filled or actual buds form, whichever comes first. He said dude, the screen is fricking filled. Don't be a cola junkie trying to get EVERY HOLE FILLED, you already filled nearly all of them and there's undergrowth ready to fill a lot of the remaining holes. He says now I should LET THE PLANTS GROW UP. The reason is to get a little verticality to the bud sites before they start to become actual buds. He said it will grow evenly as I have an even screen. He says letting it go now will increase my yield cuz the buds will have more to work with above the canopy. So, he said install the screen and when they get to it I'll have support, and I'll also have a way to attend to any rogue buds that decide they want to outpace and outgrow (vertically) all their friends, and I can tuck those using the second screen if necessary to maintain the evenness of the canopy as a whole. So that takes two seconds and I'll do that in a day or two when the buds get close to six or eight inches above the first screen.
So that was a lot of work out of nowhere when I had no idea I had all this stuff to do.
I trust this guy like I trust @Emilya, and if he told me I needed to do all those things, I take it to the bank and do them. He saved my first grow three times with diagnoses. NEVER led me astray. And he has yet to be wrong about a diagnosis or a solution to it. So since I laud my friend (who I wish I could Identify so BAD!! Lol!) with frequency and take his advice always, you guys tell me. This is my first scrog. Was my friend on point about the things he told me to get done? Do you guys have any input on the above? If so I'd love to hear it. He's Yoda, not God. And there's lots of Yodas here too. So I'm very curious if anyone has any input on the veracity of what he had me do and the whys of it?
Anyway, there it is. This is my scrog.
Here's the state of it after the final tucking session from above and below. Sorry about the below picture, it's a bit rough. Just trying to show what a partial stripping under the canopy looks like versus a total stripping.
Thanks guys. Happy Tuesday. If anyone has some absolutely amazing, killer, frosty buds they want me to try for them, tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be 56. Whoo Hoo. Feel free to ask me for my address off the public feed and send me some.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
All of it sounds like great advice! You are lucky to have a Yoda with such good eyes!