So now's probably a good time to put on a pot of coffee.
On Feb 3rd I rescued the plants from the over calciumed soil. I cut the soil 50/50 with used soil from my last grow and repotted into that. The plants initially seemed happier but then stalled and literally sat there doing nothing. They didn't regress, no leaves got cannibalized, and they didn't grow either but it's organics, so it can take 10-14 days to show change, so I was willing to wait.
They got a full root drench at repotting with just RO water, and on Day 6 they were drying down so they got a thorough watering of fish ferts.
On Day 12 they got a light watering of RO water. So far they hadn't changed.
By Day 14 with no change I knew it wasn't right so I soil PH'ed the pots. They were all 6.9. Too high.
So I hit them with fish ferts again, as fish ferts will promote fungus, and fungus lowers PH. No go. Too much calcium still.
So on Day 21 with all 4 still stuck in growth, I slowly sank the pots, 1 by one, in a 5gal bucket of RO water until the rootballs were fully submerged under their own weight, and 15 minutes longer.
Then onto a rack to drip out. One by one. My intent was to help the heavy calcium fall out the bottom but not leach all the nutes with it, so when I pulled them out I removed them slowly.
Then after dripping for 30-ish minutes, each pot got 4 litres of RO water slowly poured thru it. Slowly, no run-off over the edges, it all absorbed thru and gushed out the bottoms of the soaking pots.
Then I dripped them out again, added EWC up top, and each pot got 1 litre of fish water, which pushed another litre of RO water out the bottoms. I finished that all up late on Day 21.
On Day 23 2 pots were at PH 6.2 and 2 at PH 6.3.
Today is Day 25 and I see healthy looking new growth popping out of 3 of them, and LC-18, although she doesn't look good, is definitely looking like she will get better soon.
So that's cool, because I started 4 seeds of Batchelor Kush (Rose Kush female x C-99 male) because I made the seeds and they are free to experiment with. As a hybrid, they grow well. It's the strain from my cloning link in my sig.
I started 4 regular BK's hoping for 2 Ladies. Their purpose will be to run ahead of my next Table Mountain Sativa grow to test the new mix before I torture any more of my TMSC seeds. They are in a mix of 1 part used soil, 1 part EWC, and some coco by eye, about half a part, and then 1 part perlite.
The mix I'm going with isn't fully confirmed, but I have 20 gallons of soil in 1 tub cooking, and 10 gallons of another soil cooking in a seperate tub. The 20 gal tub is 10 parts The Answer organic potting soil. (Pete moss and aged forest stuff, 5 parts EWC, and 5 parts perlite, ammended with 30 Tbsp Gaia Green 4-4-4. The 10gal tub is 7.5 parts The Answer, 2.5 parts Seasoil ( a mix of wild salmon guts and aged forest stuff all fully composted), 5 parts EWC, and 5 parts perlite, with 10 Tbsp Gaia Green 2-8-4 PowerBloom, and 5 Tbsp 4-4-4. It's all been cooking for 3 days.
I also added 2 cups of prilled dolomite to the 20 gal tub. I have never used any of these products in a grow yet, but on paper they look great and I have been wanting to try this for awhile.
I don't think it will flower on it's own, but I think it will veg well. So I will not use any spikes or layers, I will only follow the topdressing instructions, and see how it goes.
If they start to look hungry I can always feed them thru and strengthen the next round of soil.
My plan as of now, is to mix the 2 tubs after cooking, add 3.5 gals more EWC, and 1.5 gals perlite at potting, and in about 3.5 weeks move these TMSC's into it in 10gals for flowering, and if these 4 don't keep perking up, then continue the trials with the BK seeds that are sprouted.
If this Gaia Green thing works it will be a really easy way for beginners to make their own soil.
If it all goes South I will cook up a fresh batch with my favorite recipe and get on with it.
I'll post some pic's tomorrow.
. Thats last shot is beautiful! What a cool looking canopy
. It looks like Autumn in the mountains
. I love the really long trichs on the AG
. I think she will.