Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - Gold Leaf - 2017

[Rider509]

If you've seen my White Widow journal you know that I'm a complete noob armed with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Not wanting all my buds in one basket I figured I'd fire up the Red Leaf.

I know what it's like to be an experienced member of a forum so I'll apologize for boring you with minute details of what most of you take for common knowledge. This is all new and exciting for me and this is an awesome place to chronicle my grows.

Where the WW popped a stiffy after 24 odd hours of soaking, the RL just floated around for about 18 hours before finally sinking. After three days under cover in paper towels (and thinking they were goners) they finally showed signs of life and I've moved them to sphagnum pucks.

I've likely made things more difficult for myself by having two grows start two weeks apart, but what worthwhile is ever easy?

If yer gunna be stoopid ya gotta be tuff.

 

[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Maybe you should whip up a quick and dirty dwc for the Gold Leaf and give it a whirl.

I'm subbed in with ya for the long haul anyway.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Maybe you should whip up a quick and dirty dwc for the Gold Leaf and give it a whirl.

I'm right there with you, Dawg. I got on Amazon last night and picked up a few odds and ends to build a system. I'm going to keep the WW Auto in soil and do the GOLD Leaf in an RDWC system. I might as well make all my embarrassing noobie screwups in my first few grows. LOL.

 

[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

It may be minimal but I'll offer what help I can. Started my first RDWC about a month ago, I've had a couple of small self induced upsets but overall things are going well.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Let the madness begin. I just got back from the grow store with everything I think I need to set up a two pot RDWC grow, based on the advice of the store staff. Since we're in the middle of a heavy winter snow storm I doubt there'll be much piercing or tattooing going on today. Time to get started drilling holes in buckets. This is all your fault, Scrogdawg! LOL

 

[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Pictures or it didn't happen...lol.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Too busy at the shop to drill any holes. Still waiting for the Gold Leaf to break the surface. Assembly/testing in the next couple of days.

 

[ramstimple]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

I might just take a seat here if ya don't mind old son.


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[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Looks like the folks at the store got you set up pretty well. Only suggestion I might offer is to get some black hose to replace that clear. Don't want any light getting at that water which can cause you algae issues.

When you drill the buckets, stay just far enough off the bottom that the bulkhead can screw in and the top holes should be measured so as to be about 1.5" above where the bottom of the netpot will sit.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

I might just take a seat here if ya don't mind old son.

Glad for the company along this journey, Ramstimple.

 

[Velk]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

I'll join in on this one won't lie all of the above made me laugh and I could do with a few smiles in my life atm


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[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Welcome to my walk of shame, Velk! I'm hoping to redeem myself with a decent grow.


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[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Did the Gold Leaf pull its head out of the dirt today?

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Not yet. I'm hoping for some sign of life by tomorrow. The Gold Leaf is way slower than the White Widow was.
If it doesn't pop up soon I'm going to germinate a couple more GL seeds in a more hydro friendly seedling medium. I'm using sphagnum pucks now.


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[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

I'm looking forward to seeing your system when you've got it together Rider.

You mentioned you were going to run the system till the plants were ready to move in, good idea. Not sure if your using tap water (I do) but if you are that will get rid of the chlorine. Add your PH down first and get it to where you want it, thats all you want when you first transplant, no nutrients. When you get some roots established outside of the net pots start the nutes very light. When making your water for a water change, always get your PH in line first, then add Micro, then Gro, then Bloom. Always in that order. If you have a TDS meter take note of the TDS of your water before and after you PH it, then again after you add each nutrient. That'll help you get your head around the whole TDS thing and whats contributing to it. You'll be shooting for around 400-600 ppm total in the early veg weeks.

I hope you have some fun with it. RDWC is a blast watching the growth when everything is dialed in properly.

 

[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

When selecting the PH you want to run take a look at this chart. I got it from someone one this board, wished I could remeber who so I could credit them, but I can't. As you can see and if you believe this chart it looks like 5.8 is kinda the sweet spot for cannabis.
.
.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

Good stuff, Dawg. I've printed out that chart for future reference. Much appreciated.

So, after gently digging into my starter pucks like a brain surgeon I find that the Gold Leaf seeds are very much unchanged, i.e. the root is very small and just barely breaking the seed hull. I made a command decision and am now soaking two more GL seeds after shaking them in a scratch box. I'm going to leave them there until the roots are well clear of the hull.

Worst case, the first two seeds don't make it. Best case, I need to add two pots to the hydro system and fire up my big grow house. I was hoping to keep everything in the 4x4 but seven plants is a lot for such a tight space.

 

[Rider509]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - 420 Red Leaf - 2017

As luck would have it the first two Gold Leaf seeds are still alive and are now snuggled into Rapid Rooters. AND... the two that have been soaking are waking up.
I guess I'm going to have to expand the RDWC system.


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[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - Gold Leaf - 2017

Hopefully you can return the air and water pumps and exchange for bigger ones.

 

[Scrogdawg]

re: Rider 509 - Out Of The Pan & Into The Fire - Gold Leaf - 2017

I just looked back in my log and noticed that I moved my plants from the soil to the RDWC 19 days after they broke the surface of the soil. Don't know if thats good or bad but its at least a reference point for your first two.