Sweetsue's First Grow - Stealthy Trio of Autos Under CFLs

[SweetSue]

Yes I do smithy.

I've spent the afternoon finally catching up on Greytail's journal with his Intelligent Gro LED. I've been wondering if I could be satisfied with just growing out using only CFLs and the answer is "No". I'm definitely investing in the programmable Intelligent Gro light. I can get away with the smallest one and maximize the effect by continuing to utilize CFLs in strategic locations and keep rotating the plants to assure equal light distribution.

Bit by bit the plan falls into place. One month down.

 

[smithy8806]

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing sue. I should ordering the Mars II by the end of the month hopefully. I've harvested with using strictly cfl's before, and had decent harvests but after countless and countless hours of reading forum after forum I've Definetely decided to go with an led.

 

[sillysally]

This is very interesting, subbed!

 

[SweetSue]

Welcome sillysally. We can all learn together. Your little ones look so tiny after being lost in my bushes all day. You never forget the rush when they crack the soil barrier.

 

[sillysally]

I can't wait til my little ones start getting big. I'm looking at them so many times per day it feels like they aren't doing anything!

 

[SoilGirl]

It's used against the larvae, and I don't believe it's harmful to the worms. Let me do a quick search.

Edit: a quick search sent me to a page from Colorado State University.

https://https://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.html

The bacteria is a naturally occurring bacterial disease of insects. The israelensis strain that these dunks contain are specifically geared to attack mosquitos, black flies and fungus gnats. The bacteria is not harmful to humans or other living creatures, worms included. Israelensis may adversely effect some no biting midges, but that doesn't really concern us.

Reading through this I'm hoping mine was still viable. It's been quite a few years since we purchased these and it's hard to determine what they mean by " reduced effectiveness after two to three years of storage". It's definitely been longer than two to three years. I think I'll give it a few weeks to see before I try to replace it. Patience is called for here.

I took the time to carefully sift it down through the mulch before watering.

I would recommend it CO. Think of a grow without fungus gnats! Purchase some fresh. The chief advantage of the dunks, IMO, is their affordability. If memory serves me, these cost less than $10 and a package would be enough for multiple soil batches.

ugh - I'm sorry Sue! Still behind in your journal. Soon I will knock it all out in one big forum binger lol. But I'm getting gnats out of my constant-pita worm can like CO, very glad I re-read your post (more thoroughly) ... but also, hmm do you think the dunks will get rid of black soldier fly larvae if they go for black flies - on top of the gnats? Those ugly monsters are back. I've also been worried about hurting my worms so I've not done anything drastic... but if those dunks will end my worm can problems, I need some. I also think thats where my remaining gnats are coming from >.< I don't see them in my mulch anymore... It's nice to see predator mites every now and then do something useful. but they seem to leave my mealybugs alone... - god lol hearing all of the bugs I have listed like that definitely brings home the point that organic growing is pest friendly >.< whatever... still worth it. Hope you're doing well! I'm so sorry to hear of how you started 2015.

 

[SweetSue]

SoilGirl, the dunks WILL work to get rid of the FG, but it will take a few weeks to work through the life cycles of what's already there. So be prepared to wait it out, knowing the bacteria are in there and doing their thing. It's not an instant solution. Resist the temptation to reapply or back it up with anything else or you run the risk of overkill and damage to the micro community.

The dunks won't kill the soldier flies, as far as I can determine. My understanding is that the soldier flies are a good thing. Part of the community of decomposers that serve a valuable function in the wider micro community. Is it just that they're a pain indoors? They're voracious composters.

 

[SoilGirl]

yeah I thought they were good at first too Sue hahaha - but that was before I saw how they coexist with my worms. Its a constant battle between the two for food and living space, and it actually gets violent lol, I've seen each killing the other in big writhing masses. Lately my worms have been winning but I found some Big black ugly larvae popping out of my worm can yesterday. Ugh. Well maybe I'll get the BT dunks anyways... I just really wish I could isolate my worms in there >.< I suppose that may never happen, so many bugs hahaha... thanks for the response Sue!

By the way - while I haven't read those latest posts yet, still making my way there, the pictures are definitely worth a thousand words. Your plants are really getting big and thriving! It's awesome to see! - just hope you'll have the LED by the time they're showing sex, those first few weeks of flower (especially the third and fourth) make a huge difference in the end yield.

 

[SweetSue]

A quick update before breakfast and a busy day getting to and from cardiac rehab.

They get shifted 1/4 turn every morning. This morning was watering, rainwater only. They took about 5 quarts between them, slow and steady, just until they began to drip.

THC Bomb is measuring in at between 10 1/2 and 11".

The Buddha Magnum is right behind at around 9 1/2".

There's riotous growth going on inside each plant. The Bomb.....

..... and the Happy Buddha. It's funny, but the Bomb reminds me of a steady girl and the Buddha looks like she's ready to go to a rave. LOL!!

A profile shot of the Bomb.....

..... and the Buddha.....

..... with a final group shot for side-by-side comparison.

I'm happy with the way they're going.

SoilGirl, these are autos, and they're already showing their sex and starting to bloom. It's fascinating watching this accelerated time line as they race through life. My adoptees weren't this vigorous and healthy. The LED light likely won't get here until late in the flowering stage, so we really won't be able to fully reap those benefits until the next grow. I'm comfortable with the blaze of illumination I've been able to get going in this tiny closet. You need sunglasses to look in there. You can see from the pictures how bright it is in there already and I have a whole bunch of lights to add yet. My goal is always to eliminate shadows.

I was researching worm towers yesterday. I'm going to see if I can design and construct some that will work for my 7 gallon pots. Not sure if it can be adapted to a small pot, but you never know. There's a good argument to be made for one big bed in the space for both plants, but there are logistical concern in such a small space. I need to dig deeper into size constraints for a decent tower. My thinking is that if I can make it work here it will be easier to add to my future garden space on our balcony this spring.

I'm excited. The air smells of the sweet perfume of blooming cannabis. Life is sweet.

 

[SweetSue]

Some thoughts on lighting with CFLs.

My lights hang free in the breeze, allowing me maximum flexibility for rearranging each time I turn the plants. Sometimes when I shift the plants it requires me to do the same with the lights. We planned on this when we put the cords together and made them extra long. Obviously, they are constantly growing vertically, so the canopy lights get moved up every day, but there are many other reasons for moving the lights. Using a combination of wooden clothes pins and strips of Velcro I keep them securely fastened to the overhead grid. We wouldn't want any lights falling on the girls now, would we?

Sometimes when you turn the plant there's a bulb right up against a leaf that can't be corrected by a simple shift of the plant. Either you place another leaf against a bulb when you shift or you end up with a bulb too far from other leaves. I'm striving for balance in the lighting, as far as is possible. I accept that the constant shifting will get that light in further tomorrow or at some other point, but I still want as much close light as possible today and I always want the canopy lights to be placed directly over the very tip of the plant. That means the light itself may need shifted just a smidgen.

This type of fluid arrangement is most easily done by having some way to hook that cord and pull it just a tad until it's placed just so. My happy solution was soft ties. I had some from previous gardening adventures that are getting great usage here. They have the added advantage of looking like curly vines running through my cords.

Practicality, adaptability and thrift. That's my approach in a nutshell. I need to remember to pick up more of this lovely stuff when it goes on sale this spring, or order some the next time I place an Amazon order. I keep forgetting. It will also come in handy when it's time to use support to keep branches from falling over. The ties are strong and hold securely with a simple twist without being any threat to the delicate nature of the plant surface. If I were going to do LST on a plant this would be my preferred tie down material.

 

[COorganics]

Sue, you should use Enzyme teas for powerful development as they head into flower! (And during)
Coconut water if u have it, or go buy organic popcorn for a few bucks and sprout that and purée and use for an enzyme tea! They make a difference during flower, for sure!!

Impressive plants btw.

 

[SweetSue]

Sue, you should use Enzyme teas for powerful development as they head into flower! (And during)
Coconut water if u have it, or go buy organic popcorn for a few bucks and sprout that and purée and use for an enzyme tea! They make a difference during flower, for sure!!

Impressive plants btw.

Thanks CO. I credit you with pointing me in the right direction from the beginning. I've been browsing other first grow journals and I consider myself blessed to have met you so early on. Following your advice is definitely helping me to have a stellar grow to this stage. I actually feel a little sad to read the problems others have with bottled nutes.

Finances restrict me to only one more purchase this month, and I'm making that kelp meal. I can source organic young coconut water but haven't been able to find organic popcorn in my local stores. Tne first of Feb, when my budget gets it's next infusion, I'll order malted barley grain and hit them with a high quality enzyme tea with that. Until then I may just use some other available seed tea. They are already beginning to bloom. So the plan is coconut water, an SST in about another week and then a malted barley grain enzyme tea in Feb. as they really get into the bloom cycle. Simplicity itself.

 

[COorganics]

I live in the boonies and they have organic popcorn at the grocery store. Look harder, you will find.
Popcorn, lol. Cytokinins! Dirt cheap!

Thanks for the compliments. My last run was fantastic, (first in LOS!) just like yours is! It isn't me.. Or you... That deserve credit, it's the folks who designed it. Although they don't post at 420, the info is out there for anybody who is willing to dig.

Watching your success does make me very happy.

 

[SAMtheAPman]

Do you guys bubble/aerate your SST? I haven't ever made a tea like this before but after seeing it here, looking into it a bit more and having plants that are just starting to flower I thought it would be a great addition to the soil. So I've got some wheat berries soaking (these are all that I had on hand - I soak and sprout them regularly for my birds) ready for my first SST.

I've seen people just blend up the sprouts in water and apply, and then others do this but aerate for 24hrs. What are you doing Sweetsue?

 

[SweetSue]

Do you guys bubble/aerate your SST? I haven't ever made a tea like this before but after seeing it here, looking into it a bit more and having plants that are just starting to flower I thought it would be a great addition to the soil. So I've got some wheat berries soaking (these are all that I had on hand - I soak and sprout them regularly for my birds) ready for my first SST.

I've seen people just blend up the sprouts in water and apply, and then others do this but aerate for 24hrs. What are you doing Sweetsue?

I plan to bubble between 4-24 hours, as per CC's recommendations. His extensive research over years of experimentation has shown malted barley grain to be the ultimate choice, so although I will use what's available, and to good effect nonetheless, I will be ordering malted barley grain next month. All the benefit (and the max at that) with no need to sprout. Keeping it simple.

 

[SweetSue]

I live in the boonies and they have organic popcorn at the grocery store. Look harder, you will find.
Popcorn, lol. Cytokinins! Dirt cheap!

Thanks for the compliments. My last run was fantastic, (first in LOS!) just like yours is! It isn't me.. Or you... That deserve credit, it's the folks who designed it. Although they don't post at 420, the info is out there for anybody who is willing to dig.

Watching your success does make me very happy.

You live in the boonies of a progressive society state. I live in a provincial commonwealth where progressive living is in small enclaves, but I love it here all the same. Cardiac rehab is in one of those progressive neighborhoods. I need to look in their stores. I'll do that tomorrow.

It should make you happy to watch my grow. Your passion was infectious. That MOTM award was well deserved.

 

[Radogast]

All caught up! It took 3 or 4 days but I ask finally following and learning from your grow!

Now to read through soilgirls grow

 

[COorganics]

I sprout seeds and simply blend and mix with water and go. Easy. Is bubbling it better? I'm not sure why as my understanding is it's an enzyme extraction, rather than trying to culture aerobic microbes (like compost tea).
I don't know, really.

 

[SAMtheAPman]

The enzymes do seem to like oxygen so you'd think that bubbling can't be a bad thing. But, is it a necessary step? I don't know either.

And I did read somewhere that enzymes degrade over time.... so if you've sprouted your seeds and blended them up, and enzymes are at their peak, then the extra time taken to aerate them may cause a decrease in enzymes..... Don't know....

 

[COorganics]

Me either, good question.