Obi's Aurora Indica - Indoor - T5 - Perlite Hempy

It does seem low. I have some Milwaukee calibration solution around here somewhere. Good call.

/Obi
 
Keep on rocking Obi Wan.
 
What the hell?! How did I stop getting notifications on your journal? I'm following quite a few, but I accidentally stumbled across yours this morning. I need to go back and get caught up!
Girls are looking great!

I've got a 4th grader, and I agree on the math deal. Thank goodness for Google, I don't know why they make it so complicated. You get the same damn answer, but for some reason it takes 3 minutes to solve a simple problem.
 
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Log Date:
[/TD]
[TD]11/03/2014 [/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Growth Stage:[/TD]
[TD]Flower[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Veg Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]61d (8w) [/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Flower Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]34d (4w)[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]95d (13w)[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Health:[/TD]
[TD]Healthy[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Canopy Temp Max: [/TD]
[TD]84F/28C[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Canopy Temp Min:[/TD]
[TD]64F/17C[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ceiling Temp Avg:[/TD]
[TD]76F/24C[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Floor Temp Avg:[/TD]
[TD]76/24C
[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RH Min:[/TD]
[TD]33%[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RH Max:
[/TD]
[TD]59%[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Water Type:
[/TD]
[TD]RO[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Grow:
[/TD]
[TD]1ml
[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Micro:[/TD]
[TD]4ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Bloom:[/TD]
[TD]6ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH CALiMAGic[/TD]
[TD]5ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]pH:[/TD]
[TD]5.7[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]PPM:[/TD]
[TD]850[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Light Schedule:
[/TD]
[TD]12/12
[/TD]
[TD]√
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light Type:[/TD]
[TD]T5HO[/TD]
[TD]√
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Color Temp:
[/TD]
[TD]Red 3000K[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Notes: Plants were bone dry. Fed 1.3gal each. No run off. 5% orange Calyxes and only near the tops of a few colas. I still need to calibrate the TDS meter though it seems to read better tonight.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

​

I thought I had some TDS calibration solution. Turns out I have 2 bottles of buffer solution. 4.1 and 7.1. Facepalm. Gotta get me some more.

I always think of Carrot Cake when I see the Calyxes turning orange.
 
Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

Right about now is when I start holding my breath again hoping not to mess things up! :)

I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. Keeping it simple and stable.


Good green vibes to all,
/Obi Wan
 
So, I've been using Fox Farms nutes. Their feeding schedule has their ppms topping out at around 1600.
I saw your ppms, and looked at the GH Flora feeding schedule. It tops out at 800ppm.
I'm a little surprised to see such a drastic difference. I always just assumed the nutes were similar. Now I see that I was operating under a complete misunderstanding. I've looked at a few different schedules and they really vary widely.
hmmm... not really a point to all that.... just an observation.
 
That is a fantastic observation. I think it is definitely something to be aware of. I wonder if it has any correlation to how early one can start feeding with a particular brand. Some seem to be able to feed early and some seem to burn at 50 or 25% strength at the same time.

Many small details to consider along this journey!

Thanks for your insight, Tead. It's these subtleties that make the difference between good and great.

Learning something every day,
/Obi Wan
 
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Log Date:
[/TD]
[TD]11/09/2014 [/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Growth Stage:[/TD]
[TD]Flower[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Veg Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]61d (8w)[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Flower Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]41d (5w)[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total Days (Weeks):[/TD]
[TD]102d (14w)[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Health:[/TD]
[TD]Healthy[/TD]
[TD]√ [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Canopy Temp Max: [/TD]
[TD]82F/28C[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Canopy Temp Min:[/TD]
[TD]64F/18C[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Ceiling Temp Avg:[/TD]
[TD]76F/24C[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Floor Temp Avg:[/TD]
[TD]74/23C
[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RH Min:[/TD]
[TD]34%[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RH Max:
[/TD]
[TD]62%[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Water Type:
[/TD]
[TD]RO[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Grow:
[/TD]
[TD]0ml
[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Micro:[/TD]
[TD]0ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH Flora-Bloom:[/TD]
[TD]0ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GH CALiMAGic[/TD]
[TD]0ml[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]pH:[/TD]
[TD]5.6[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]PPM:[/TD]
[TD]not measured[/TD]
[TD]√[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD][TABLE="width: 300, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Light Schedule:
[/TD]
[TD]12/12
[/TD]
[TD]√
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Light Type:[/TD]
[TD]T5HO[/TD]
[TD]√
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Color Temp:
[/TD]
[TD]Red 3000K[/TD]
[TD]√ -[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Notes: plain pH adjusted today. No CalMag. Watered each with 1.66gal. No runoff. Grow media beyond bone dry. Plants look good. Less leaf fade than expected today.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
Musings from throughout my day yesterday...

I think the smell of flowering is permeating the wood construction of my cabinet. I primed and painted all wall surfaces and caulked the seams and joints inside. I have enough negative air pressure in the cab to pull the wood doors shut from close range. I'm running dual carbon filters and a fan @ 450 CFM yet I can still detect odor, now from as far away as the top of the basement stairs. I hung some air fresheners around the exhaust filter. I don't think that's the problem. Maybe... but I'm suspect of the cab itself.

Branches continue to become burden with the slowly mounting weight of their flowers. I noticed they now sway from the air movement or a light touch. A nice gentle to and fro. This amazes me since I allow them to get extremely dry between feedings.

I've been going 3, 4, or even more days between opening the cabinet. Each time expecting to be greeted with severe signs of neglect. I've been lucky to say the least. I'm confident the plants could be doing better but they are doing fine despite my lackluster approach during flower. I still hold my previous sentiment that these Aurora Indica are a hearty and forgiving strain.

Flowers and sugar leaves are quite frosty. I haven't bothered with a Trichome check yet. We're too far out from finish to even start thinking about that. There are a few more Calyxes turning Orange but so few it's barely worth mentioning. Most main colas (6) are about two fingers wide so far. Not huge but they are still young. I just measured my fingers... colas are about 1.75inch/4.44cm wide. I have smallish hands (but I know how to use 'em /wink).

That's about if for the grow.

I'm still working on myself and my exit from my job of 20 years. I have nothing lined up yet to take its place. It's been 15 days since my announcement to resign. I held meetings with the CEO, GM, and HR department as well as the current store manager. Since then I've not heard a peep from anyone. I've offered to help train my replacement or otherwise provide current management with important information. This week I'm beginning to not do the extra things I typically do to keep things running smooth. It's the only way I can think of to force people to take action. It's a pretty stressful time. Still, for these reasons and many more I believe it is the right decision for me to leave. The burden is too much for me to bear right now. I can hardly carry myself let alone others.

I'm struggling with a lifelong panic disorder and agoraphobia (a fear of having a panic attack) which is like a cruel joke. Depression is a common companion to both issues. As I continue on my self discovery journey I've had many "ah ha" moments lately as I examine myself and my life through different eyes.

I dug into my past a bit. More specifically my biological past. It turns out that every member of my biological father's bloodline suffers from mental illness. From my oldest living grandmother who has been hospitalized a time or two for "nervous breakdowns" to my youngest alcoholic cousin to undiagnosed family members who took their own lives. Anxiety and depression seem to be genetically programmed into them. Into us.

With this new knowledge I've been looking back on my life and how I reacted to lifes events and my surroundings, re-examining my decisions that shaped my adult life. Most of these decisions were good, moral and true. They created the person I project on the outside. Other decisions were made to protect myself (knowingly or unknowingly) from stressful situations, fear and worry. Decisions and actions like "I'd rather do it myself", "I prefer to be alone", "anything less than perfect is not an option", "I hate crowds" and feelings of always being "under a microscope". These things (and many more, really) are much, much more intense than they should be and quite honestly... I'm exhausted.

I decided to start at the beginning of it all. The start of my life. What do I first remember. What happened?

My mother and father split when I was quite young @ 5yrs old. I am fortunate that I did have a great stepfather who filled the male role model void not too long afterward. He was/is kind, compassionate, wise, family loving and extremely patient. He taught me the things I needed to be a good man and a good father. He taught me the difference between right and wrong. He drove into me the importance of honesty and integrity. We fished, hunted, rode our snowmobiles and ATV's. We swam at his parents lake house on fourth of July's and had huge family gatherings filled with noisy chatter and loud laughter from decades long jokes and good natured teasing. Man, I had it good. My parents gave me everything I technically needed. I respect them and love them dearly.

Despite all of that love and all of the opportunities, I still struggled with life. Every day was a battle. A battle against fear, nervousness or perfection. I had no idea why. I felt like I was doing everything right but somehow I was limiting myself. Even my school counselors saw something was amiss. One once said something that has always stuck with me: "You have a fear of success". I was flabbergasted. How could anyone be afraid of success? It made absolutely no sense to me so I dismissed it and decided to keep going at it alone.

I kept my body pretty clean throughout the next 30 years of my life. In my youth I knew of some family members that struggled with alcohol on both my mother's and bio-father's sides and vowed to myself it would not affect me the same way. I knew part of the reason why my parents divorced was due to my fathers alcohol abuse. I refused to let myself go down that path. The same goes for drugs of any kind, prescription or otherwise. I've always been keenly aware and overly respectful of the chance I could become an addict.

I try my best to follow the Golden Rule. To treat people the way I would like to be treated. I don't say things about people I wouldn't say directly to their face; friend or foe. I respect my elders. I do my best to practice what I preach. I keep my head down and mouth shut until the job is done. I help those in need however I can. Sometimes to a fault. I've been taken advantage of a time or two for things like giving someone shelter and food for far longer than I should have which bankrupt me in my 20's. I guess what I'm getting at is I think I am a good person on the whole. On the outside.

I cannot put into words the enormity of the irrational fears I have on the inside and the constant all out battle it is to suppress them every waking moment of my life. To say I am exhausted is almost laughable.

I'm not housebound. I have too many responsibilities to just not function but I have clever ways of avoiding my fears without notice. A knock at the door? Have one of the kids answer it, it's probably one of their friends anyway. Need to go to the market? Let's make a family event out of it, I'll have someone to talk to = a buffer to keep panic at bay. Unrecognised phone number calling? It's probably a salesperson, let it go to answer machine. I'll return a call if it's important or pass on a message.

The avoidance is tiring. Acting like I'm fine is not fair for my family, others or myself.

The good news is: It's not too late. For me or anyone, really.

I am, in a strange way, glad to finally accept and address the knowledge that my mind works a little differently than most. I'm ready to stop hiding from irrational fears and get on with the rest of my life. I know it is easier said than done but there really is no other option. This is one absolute I feel I must follow through on.

I need to learn how to cope with and overcome my fears, for my own happiness and well being and because I have two children of my own. There is a very good chance one or both will experience similar challenges growing up and no parent wants their children to make the same mistakes they did. I truly believe my mother and stepfather taught me good life values and gave me the moral fortitude to persevere. I am proud of myself for making it this far on my own, for choosing a good path in life and staying the course despite seemingly impossible odds.

My only regret is that it took me so long to put the pieces of my puzzle together. I waited too long to start helping myself. Don't make the same mistake.

With all my love,
/Obi Wan
 
Good Morning Obi! Thanks for letting us get to know you a little better. Sounds like you're in a tough spot, but on your way out. It sounds like your grow is going very, very well...jealous.

In my line of work I have learned that, without a doubt, there is no "normal" out there in the world. Only a very wide range of "typical" feelings and behaviors that sometimes go out of balance.

We all do what we gotta do to go through our days - then some of us hit a wall (metaphorically, unless you are indeed hitting walls) and we get a chance to grow. Which is hard.

I am so looking forward to retirement. My own burnout runs deep let me tell you! I'm hoping you get a good long dose of freedom my friend - you truly deserve it!

:Namaste:
 
Share these words with you children and other loved ones. It's always best to try to shine a light on the path for your offspring as they'll no doubt travel some of the same paths. The words of CSN come to mind.... "Teach your children well, their father's hell did slowly go by".

On your cabinet smell issues.... isn't it much more likely that there is some sort of unknown air exchange occurring? Run a candle near the cab and ducting... see which way the flame leans. It wouldn't take much to smell up your room.... especially if it's not got a lot of air exchange going in the exterior room.
 
Thank you for the well wishes, your encouragement and your thoughts. I truly appreciate it. It crosses my mind from time to time when I'm not online and I think this community is very special.

Here are a few pics from tonight. I only opened the one door and snapped a few pics for you. It is common for me to see a little more aggressive yellowing of large fan leaves after a plain pH watering. I will feed in a day or three.

Any way, on with the pics. The flowers are beginning to add weight about every other day or so. I'm beginning to impress myself which is a weird feeling, lol.

I'm guessing December 15 to begin harvest. I'll start Trichome check perhaps starting Dec 1.

Cheers everyone,

/Obi Wan
:Love:
 
Oh, as a side note. The last watering in which I thought I had no runoff... There is standing water in the drip pans so the 1.66gal/each was perfect.

/Obi
 
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