Sativacat's Soil Tent Grow - Five-o & Alpujarrena - First Grow

[sativacat]

re: Sativacat's Soil Tent Grow - Five-o & Alpujarrena - First Grow

Stems are often times red, don't worry too much I am not exactly sure on the precise cause but I know its not too serious. They are looking real good, though. If bugs continue I would check your soil for larvae and possibly transplant.

Thank you for the advice on the red stems. Its the first I see of this color change. I was wondering if this was damage from the time the plants seemed ill or perhaps from over foliar-feeding.

I havent documented too much here though its been a big battle with these bugs. My infestation got really bad, really quick. There was lots of larvae in the soil, you could see them if you moved soil around with a finger. The raw potato slices merely reinforced it. Today marks 4 weeks since I started trying to get rid of the gnats.

I watered with plenty of mosquito dunk pieces added to the top of the soil. Over three weeks the numbers of flying adults did go down but didnt totally vanish. I hung tons of sticky traps from the lights and hundreds upon hundreds of adults got trapped in the glue.

Finally this week I was given a "garden and vegetable safe" pyrethrin based spray and after one application to the top of the soil and the holes at the bottom of the pot the adults are pretty much gone. All I can find are dead ones now. Between the adults being killed off and 4 weeks of BTI in the soil I have high hopes.

The first 3 weeks did not look too bright. My plants were dying off with the smaller two looking like they were not going to make it. I was guessing that the roots had been damaged significantly. I started foliar feeding nightly. Alternating between plain water and nutrients each night. I mixed the GH nutes as indicated on the back. 25% nutes for the first 4 feeds (8 days), 50% for the next 2 feedings, 75% for 2 more and finally to 100% strength. I think the foliar feeds did the trick. They stopped dying and were looking healthier and healthier with tons of new growth on the big two.

At this point I am figuring I am almost done with the bugs. Time to move onto the next level. I am thinking of ways to torture them into better and more productive shapes. I would also like to take clones from the bigger two and move them into a second tent I have on the way. Ive also picked up a Mars II 700 as I am thinking 12/12 isnt too far away.

 

[KingJohnC]

re: Sativacat's Soil Tent Grow - Five-o & Alpujarrena - First Grow

I have found that when the stems redden or purple on the top sides but are green on the undersides of leaves this is a normal reaction to light.

 

[TheBoogyman]

re: Sativacat's Soil Tent Grow - Five-o & Alpujarrena - First Grow

Thank you for the advice on the red stems. Its the first I see of this color change. I was wondering if this was damage from the time the plants seemed ill or perhaps from over foliar-feeding.

I havent documented too much here though its been a big battle with these bugs. My infestation got really bad, really quick. There was lots of larvae in the soil, you could see them if you moved soil around with a finger. The raw potato slices merely reinforced it. Today marks 4 weeks since I started trying to get rid of the gnats.

I watered with plenty of mosquito dunk pieces added to the top of the soil. Over three weeks the numbers of flying adults did go down but didnt totally vanish. I hung tons of sticky traps from the lights and hundreds upon hundreds of adults got trapped in the glue.

Finally this week I was given a "garden and vegetable safe" pyrethrin based spray and after one application to the top of the soil and the holes at the bottom of the pot the adults are pretty much gone. All I can find are dead ones now. Between the adults being killed off and 4 weeks of BTI in the soil I have high hopes.

The first 3 weeks did not look too bright. My plants were dying off with the smaller two looking like they were not going to make it. I was guessing that the roots had been damaged significantly. I started foliar feeding nightly. Alternating between plain water and nutrients each night. I mixed the GH nutes as indicated on the back. 25% nutes for the first 4 feeds (8 days), 50% for the next 2 feedings, 75% for 2 more and finally to 100% strength. I think the foliar feeds did the trick. They stopped dying and were looking healthier and healthier with tons of new growth on the big two.

At this point I am figuring I am almost done with the bugs. Time to move onto the next level. I am thinking of ways to torture them into better and more productive shapes. I would also like to take clones from the bigger two and move them into a second tent I have on the way. Ive also picked up a Mars II 700 as I am thinking 12/12 isnt too far away.

you had a rough start to your first grow but it's already back on track and looking great. that's all that matters! your second tent is going to be awesome. are you going to use your 93x3w as a veg light? take a bunch of clones! always keep your plants going in rotation. i try to have a harvest every 2-3 months with a couple plants.

 

[sativacat]

you had a rough start to your first grow but it's already back on track and looking great. that's all that matters! your second tent is going to be awesome. are you going to use your 93x3w as a veg light? take a bunch of clones! always keep your plants going in rotation. i try to have a harvest every 2-3 months with a couple plants.

Veg tent with the 93x3. You hit the nail on the head. I would like to start taking some clones. I was looking at my plants earlier and I dont see enough material to take cuttings without chopping a lot off them. Perhaps I need to let them get a little bigger first. Upgrading to the mars 700 should make for some bigger plants during bloom.

 

[sativacat]

Hmm.

I was moving and cleaning up some wires and took a look at my timer. It was only on for 14 hours a day. I am guessing math is not my strong suit. Anyone care to comment if I should bother switching to 16 hours at this point or stick with 14?

 

[TheBoogyman]

I'd switch to 16-18 on for veg.

 

[sativacat]

I'd switch to 16-18 on for veg.

Yeah, I already did. Set the timer for 18 hours for realreal this time. I felt pretty stupid. =>

 

[COgrower419]

Good call you can veg at 14 but it will stimulate root growth. So at the very least you will have some a wicked strong root system that's not a bad thing. Good catch saticacat. Your plants are looking good. I'm happy you won the battle with the bugs!

 

[KingJohnC]

I would use a 18/6 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness lighting schedule. I read a study where lighting schedule versus root length was tested and plants grown under a 16/8 lighting schedule grew the longest roots, 18/6 was not tested. I was made aware of a study where lighting schedule versus growth was tested and plants given at least 5.5 hours of darkness grew the most.

 

[sativacat]

The girls should be used to 18/6 soon enough. I am considering slowly shifting the period around so that their daytime is at night during the cooler hours. It gets pretty warm here during the day. Ive seen it in the low 90's during lights on.

 

[KingJohnC]

I run my vegetative lights from 12:00 midnight to 6 pm and my flowering lights from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon so that my lights are on during the coolest parts of the day.

 

[sativacat]

So it seems I must have been confused or cloudy-eyed at some point. I have been watering at 5.5-5.8 this whole time. Looks like it is causing magnesium lockout. I am going to flush my babies with some light nutes at 6.5 and see how they do.

My plants are about 80 days old. I don't see anyone else on here staying in veg for 3 months. Is this a major factor in what I am perceiving as incredibly slow growth or should I be blaming that on the fungus gnats? Luckily the gnats are pretty much history. I still see a few dead ones in the water trays but no longer is there a plauge of flyers.

 

[TheBoogyman]

most likely stunted a little from the fungus gnats. are you feeding them?

 

[KingJohnC]

For soil insects I use diatomaceous earth on top of the soil as a barrier, it cuts them as they move through it. I bought my diatomaceous earth from an animal feed store, do not use the type meant for pool filters. Mosquito dunks can also be used as a soil drench for fungus gnats. Sierra Natural Sciences also makes a soil drench called SNS-203 for fungus gnats and other soil insects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous earth

https://www.homedepot.com Mosquito Dunks 6 Pack

https://sierranaturalscience.com natural pesticides sns-203

 

[sativacat]

Today is my 3 month anniversary of starting along this adventure. There have been moments of extreme joy and others of extreme worry.
I am still in veg and plan to switch the 2 bigger plants into flower in about 2 weeks. I have a second tent partially setup to continue vegging out the two smaller plants and some clones.

The gnats are pretty much gone. The two bigger plants are growing nicely and Ive started tying down some branches. The sativa seems to be growing quicker and quicker each day. I managed to hurt one branch on the indica and its grown a callous knuckle. The two smaller girls are starting to look better. They are tiny for 3 month old plants. I am going to try and grow them out. I figure if they survived the gnats their clones might be hearty ones.

I took 4 clones a week ago. As of today 3 have rooted nicely.

Things are moving along and I am still getting much satisfaction from sitting with them a little while each day.

 

[sativacat]

most likely stunted a little from the fungus gnats. are you feeding them?

They are getting fed though for a long time I was adjusting the ph to 5.5 instead of 6.5.
I believe this is what is causing a few fan leaves to look magnesium starved. Silly me!
Ive flushed with clean water and starting adjusting ph to 6.5.

 

[OnTheMove]

nice that you are trying alphuharrenian from pyramid.. i live mostly in the alphuharras, and have also here in switzerland started seeds from the mountain indicas in the alphuharras.. im am interested to see the final bud and how much it produces for you, in spain outdorrs we egt minimum 350g dry from one plant ( and i do bushes not trees) but all the indicas are very robust and fast growing, so yeh im interested to see how it goes for you.. good luck, and have fun growing

 

[sativacat]

nice that you are trying alphuharrenian from pyramid.. i live mostly in the alphuharras, and have also here in switzerland started seeds from the mountain indicas in the alphuharras.. im am interested to see the final bud and how much it produces for you, in spain outdorrs we egt minimum 350g dry from one plant ( and i do bushes not trees) but all the indicas are very robust and fast growing, so yeh im interested to see how it goes for you.. good luck, and have fun growing

Very nice! I am not expecting 350g from mine. Time will tell how well she does. I have 2 Alpujarrena grown from seed and two clones from the larger of them. From 4 plants started from seed 2 were stunted badly by bugs. I have now been vegging for 3 months and am eager to start flowering.

 

[sativacat]

I have made some changes to my setup over the last couple of weeks. Ive taken clones with is putting me down the path of making this a perpetual grow. I like the Henry Ford assembly line idea of harvesting more frequently. I also like the "set it and forget it" possibilities behind hydro. --

After the sour taste in my mouth left by the fungus gnat infestation and the thought of automated watering and being able to go on a longer vacation away from home I decided to experiment with hydro!
I put together a homemade ebb and flow table so small I call it "The Littlest Hydro" If you get the canine reference behind the name then you get a personal high-five from me.

My original tent is 7' high and takes up the whole height of the closet an only half the width. I piked up a 5' tent for the other half. This left me with some vertical room.

With an attic over the closet I am able to vent right up into the crawlspace. I added an extra hole next to the first. (Photos are of the first)



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Here is what the new tent looks like today with my original 4 plants and the new clones in my 'Littlest Hydro'.
Two of the original plants grown from seed have been repotted back into smaller pots. They were just not growing after the gnat infestation and I am getting desperate trying to save them. I found some larvae squirming around the one currently in the smallest pot. It was repotted this week. That light green color makes it look so sickly.

The Littlest Hydro is a 79c shoe container with botanicare ebb/flow fittings sitting on a white 2 gallon bucket with a pump and airstone inside. Weak GH nutes are mixed into the water. It is currently flooding 3 times per light cycle day.

This is a temporary hydro setup until I move the 2 larger plants to the flower tent making room for a larger flood table setup. The reservoir will be underneath the tent.



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I bet I know what you're thinking. Underneath the tent? How is that?
Since the new tent is a bit shorter I have some vertical space to play with. Using schedule 40 PVC pipe and a sheet of wood I constructed a raised platform. Underneath I've mounted a T5HO light for rooting cuttings. Next to this propagation area a large black plastic tub sits and waits to be turned into a reservoir.

I must say that working with the plants is a lot more enjoyable now that they are raised up a bit off the ground. If you're building a grow space and have the opportunity to raise it up off the ground I would highly recommend it.



This has been an exciting adventure that just keeps getting more exciting. I am really eager to fire up my new Mars II 700 in the flower tent and see how it affects the girls. I am considering making that switch next week after I get back from a weekend vacation.

 

[sativacat]

Looking at the photo above should I let the two larger plants grow a bit larger before going 12/12? What do you folks think?