Rooftop Garden

[ZebSoames]

The june 9th pic is a super crop. Nothing snapped. Thank goodness. i did have to duct tape the second one.
I grow indoors.
I have a 2.5×2.5×5.2 tent with one maxsisun 300w dimmable LED. I grow in my own promix and currently I'm using 4gl fabric pots.
Go look at my bagseed grow. The link is in my signature.

 

[andIhalped]

@andIhalped, thanks they are feminised, not autos, we had bad spring, but now the sun is shining,and weather is good until beginning/middle of October...anyway, started bending...

I snapped a little branch this morning too, stupid accident.

Don't worry about the snapped branch. It happens. Part of the learning process. The plant will be ok!

DV-T brings up a good point about stretching as related to ultimate height at harvest & how aggressively you decide to train those plants.

I'd guess that they are likely to stretch at least 0.4 m during flowering. You probably have an idea of the tallest you'd be willing to let them get before harvest.

So:

Factor in the stretch & train them so that you don't exceed your preferred height for the stealth grow, accounting for likely stretch, during which you will not want to do any topping.

Having learned the hard way, it's much easier & less frustrating to do this on the front end.

Another approach to getting harvestable flower without exceeding your height limit is to force flowering by only leaving them in the sun about 12 hrs per day and moving them into someplace quite dark (closet?) for the other 12 hrs/day until they reach maturity. Don't know if that's possible for you, but it's an option, if it is possible.

Keep up the good work & enjoy the ride...

 

[faster]

Thank you all for the help. I learned a lot and finally I’m glad I started a journal because it’s so much easier to get help and advice.

What’s not clear:
I thought that if I top the plant, it will only start to spread sideways, (which it does), it’s wider than taller and the stem is getting fat. The plant is about a foot tall. How much will it grow (in height) if I left the main stem alone and kept LSTing the new nodes/branches that are growing out and making new nodes?

I’m afraid that by bending the main stem I’m creating a shade over the lower branches? I started anyway, but almost would prefer if I didn’t have to, just for the symmetry of the plants.

What are my choices? (I hope that I don’t sound like I’m arguing or saying I know better lol)

 

[andIhalped]

You don't sound like you're arguing. You sound like you're trying to figure it out.

It's tough to predict how tall they'll get, because it depends not only on the strain, but the particular plant, weather, nutrients, location, as well as LST/ topping. But sativas are going to try to go tall, especially with a relatively long (12 wk?) flowering period.

Don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with. Pay attention to the results you get from what you do & learn along the way. & enjoy it & the final results.

 

[faster]

Thanks @andIhalped, if left alone both strains can grow up to 4 meters outdoors, (says the info). I’ll be happy to keep it 50cm H, and 1m W.

Yes, I must take the whole thing it as a learning experience...no panic and learn. I will definitely pay attention to all the stages etc.

 

[ZebSoames]

Post some pics. Want to see how it's all lookin like.

 

[faster]

Hi all, been a while, here’s a couple of photos. Ran into a big problem, nutrient lockout

Today I was finally able to measure runoff and auch, pH is 7.8
I had stunted growth, lowest leaves turning yellow in excellent quality organic soil....could not figure out what was going on...

How do I correct this ASAP? Should I start watering with water pHed down to 5.5 - 6.0 to compensate?
Thanks in advance

 

[ZebSoames]

Yes. pH down your water. But don't go from a 8 to a 5. To big a swing to fast causes problems as well. Take it down to a 6.8ish then down to 6. You get it.

 

[faster]

Thanks @DV-travis, since I really drenched them, I will probably water in next 3 days or so...

So you’re saying next watering 6.8 and after 6.0 until I get the 6.2-6.5 average?

How long time of watering with low pH water does it take to FIX the ph to ~6.5? Is it relatively fast?

Thanks

 

[ZebSoames]

Soil has a buffer. Hydro is fast. You may never be able to "fix" it. Not as important in soil as hydro. But alway pH your water and nutes. Set 6 as your target and see what happen. And yes a flush helps get the salt and crap out. And just ease it down. I used 6.8 as an example.

 

[faster]

Soil has a buffer. Hydro is fast. You may never be able to "fix" it. Not as important in soil as hydro. But alway pH your water and nutes. Set 6 as your target and see what happen. And yes a flush helps get the salt and crap out. And just ease it down. I used 6.8 as an example.

But I should be able to at least “unlock” the nutrients so the plants can take what they need and grow, right? I am going to try watering/flushing with 6.0 to 6.3...and see how it goes...

My Bougainville need pH of 5.5-6.5 guess what they have been getting...and Sundaville needs 4.5-5.5 I think am a gardener from hell

All this has been a learning experience and I hope I get at least a few grams out of it...lol

Next year I will be super ready and hopefully more successful than this year...

Also, I got some seabird guano NPK 12-12-2.5 and been making tea with it. One cup to ~4gallons of pHed water with a bit of Cannazym (enzymes to help break down nutrients)
Is it safe to use that? I’m using it to help stunned growth..
(I have also pure bat guano NPK 3-3-2.5)

Later I will use the flower enhancement nutrients (if they ever get to that point)....

 

[ZebSoames]

This is not the best idea. But 20-20-20 plant food helps. Do you pH the run off?
You can play with soil way more the hydro.

 

[ZebSoames]

I run my grow at 6.8pH in regular soil. My own promix with no nutes. I'm still learning the nute thing myself. I use 20-20-20 plant food. Fish fert. Liquid seaweed. Mallassos. Epsom salt. Lemon juice. Rustly nails. And a root activator. Of course not all at once. And now I'm using bloom nutes. Oh and GHbloom. I use Genral Hydroponics nutes also as foliar spray to help with root lock. But don't spray when in bloom

 

[faster]

I run my grow at 6.8pH in regular soil. My own promix with no nutes.

That’s what I thought I was doing until I discovered that my water is 8.3+ph... I had no clue and no pH meter...
I bought soil that is loaded with nutrients for the whole life of plant. But I had no idea how water ph can F&@k things up royally.

Yes now I started to ph the runoff

Anyway, I won’t take up any more of your time, I really appreciate all your tips and help.
Many thanks

 

[ZebSoames]

For the chart I posted
C3 plants are the most common and the most efficient at photosynthesis in cool, wet climates. C4 plants are most efficient at photosynthesis in hot, sunny climates. CAM plants are adapted to avoid water loss during photosynthesis so they are best in deserts.

 

[faster]

My location falls under C4 climate. Is this chart here with various plants in those categories?

 

[ZebSoames]

My location falls under C4 climate. Is this chart here with various plants in those categories?

But your plants are C3 plants

 

[faster]

Hi all, been a while, meanwhile my 4 girls are flowering, I have been feeding them with organic flower booster.
One interesting observation that I wanted to share:
I noticed that one side of 2 plants has almost no flowers, while the other side is full of buds.
The problem was a tall lamp next to the window that is on in the evening and being strong enough interfered with the light cycle of my plants, fooling (part of) them it’s still middle of summer.
I got rid of the lamp and draw curtains in the evening... I hope the plants will start budding on both sides.

 

[andIhalped]

Nice work!

How tall did they get?

How did the training go?

 

[faster]

Thanks for asking @andIhalped, everything seems to go OK, they got only 75cm high, because I severely trimmed them and one was a weakling that just wasn’t growing because of nutrients lockout and once I got it all sorted out , they took off like rockets and doubled in size in 3-4 weeks.

I’m still tying branches down, sort of mild training only those that start to peak over the ledge.

One kind of a neat thing I did is a drip-watering system with Blumat carrots, auto shut-off valve, low water level (light), air bubbler (for oxygen and mixing of pH down acid.) All that mounted in a 220 liter tank, a plastic heavy duty barrel with screw on lid.

Plants are looking great, (knock on wood), one side flowers better than the other due to light influence. Never even thought about it...

How about you? Close to harvesting?