The Gee Spot - You Finally Found It

[Gee64]

Could you please check my understanding? For me, if I can spit it back at you in the form of accurate analogy, I get it. Regarding the sugar (I have the kill blackstrap organic unsulphured), if I get it, it’s like this: the microbes are my children. Sugar for my children is a treat, not a staple. You don’t give your kid Snickers bars with every meal. But once in a while and the kid is thrilled.

Is that a good way to think about it?

lol pretty much yes. Microbes do everything they do in their quest for carbon. Organics actually translates to "of carbon based" so if the plant supplies the carbon, in the form of sugary exudates, the microbes are the plants bitches. If you feed them sugar you become their sugar dealer and they all quit working for the plant, but the odd dose here or there won't harm anything, and if the microbes are sluggish then it will boost them. Just don't get them addicted to your sugar water is all.

 

[Azimuth]

Just don't get them addicted to your sugar water is all.

And what would you consider the maximum effective frequency of supplying the BSM?

 

[Gee64]

And what would you consider the maximum effective frequency of supplying the BSM?

Im not sure. I only use it once or sometimes twice. Any time I brew a microbial tea I add it to keep the microbes fed in the brew. I always use one tea at about day 35 of veg and sometimes a tea again at the start of stretch if they look sluggish

 

[Graytail]

I didn't mean to step on you, Gee. Sorry.

I agree that a sugar "primer" for a specific purpose can be a good idea. We'll often do the same thing about Nitrogen - dump a good shot of fish ferts in the soil if it needs an artificial boost.

But it pollutes an otherwise good blend. Gotta let the dynamic system do it's own work.

 

[Jon]

lol pretty much yes. Microbes do everything they do in their quest for carbon. Organics actually translates to "of carbon based" so if the plant supplies the carbon, in the form of sugary exudates, the microbes are the plants bitches. If you feed them sugar you become their sugar dealer and they all quit working for the plant, but the odd dose here or there won't harm anything, and if the microbes are sluggish then it will boost them. Just don't get them addicted to your sugar water is all.

Thanks! And here’s a piece of me that’s hilariously connected to this: in my long ago past I weathered more than my share of addiction, just ask four rehabs and 113 days in jail. Lmao! So your analogy is actually more apropos than mine. I have no kids. I do know addiction. Lol!

 

[Jon]

And what would you consider the maximum effective frequency of supplying the BSM?

BSM? Basic sugar minimum?

 

[Sparkey224]

Day 54 of veg

Well it's not my best canopy but at least it has light again.

I set the light at 50% which gives me 500 ppfd at the canopy 36" from the light. I will increase it gradually.

They are 20" tall so that should stretch me to 16" from the light if I flower now.

I guess I go in 1 day early.

The low light of the rescue strips stretched them out.

Tomorrow will be the 1st day of Flower.

Otherwise, they came through their ordeal quite well.

I need to get brix back up and watch for signs of bugs. They hardly drank any water this week so they should be well rested.

Tomorrow I will water in all the top dressing and mulch.

As they stretch out I will flex the colas into a more uniform forest. I only had to top 2 colas on the one back right plant, so when each of those coals doubled into 2, I plucked 1 off from each, so still 32 colas in total.

Looking great in there Gee. But hopefully you finally hit the g spot to spit out some trichs..lol..
Just playing plants look great bro

 

[Azimuth]

BSM? Basic sugar minimum?

Black Strap Molasses

 

[Jon]

Black Strap Molasses

Duh. Thanks. Of course. Well, knowing only the bare minimum about brix, and heading in at 13.1 a week before the flip, and with the consensus being I’m doing well, I see no reason to add this yet. I may give them the crack pipe right as we start to stretch, as imho that is when the plant expends the most energy of the entire grow. If sugar ultimately = power, that feels like a good time to do it.

 

[Jon]

Looking great in there Gee. But hopefully you finally hit the g spot to spit out some trichs..lol..
Just playing plants look great bro

G spot. Lmao! That works here for so many reasons! Bravo.

 

[Azimuth]

Duh. Thanks. Of course. Well, knowing only the bare minimum about brix, and heading in at 13.1 a week before the flip, and with the consensus being I’m doing well, I see no reason to add this yet. I may give them the crack pipe right as we start to stretch, as imho that is when the plant expends the most energy of the entire grow. If sugar ultimately = power, that feels like a good time to do it.

No reason to wait on the castings, though. Get those things working asap.

 

[Keffka]

And what would you consider the maximum effective frequency of supplying the BSM?

No more than once every 30 days at the absolute max. Anything more than that will give you problems. Honestly I wouldn’t even give it more than once in each phase of growth.

I don’t feed BSM at all any more unless I’m having to rescue a plant. There’s just no bonus to it and too many potential problems. If you’re really keen on feeding something, give the myco fish ferts (Hydrolyzed fish only please) or fish ferts and seaweed.

I don’t have to rescue plants any more because I just plan ahead now. There’s a pretty big difference in the end result between a rescued/sugar addicted plant and one that was balanced the whole way. It’s also just way less work to prep ahead of time. Last time I rescued a plant I had to brew a tea every 10 days, it was a super headache and such a pain in the butt I don’t even brew teas any more either

 

[Gee64]

Looking great in there Gee. But hopefully you finally hit the g spot to spit out some trichs..lol..
Just playing plants look great bro

Yeah its been awhile. 2 light failures in a row

 

[Gee64]

I didn't mean to step on you, Gee. Sorry.

I agree that a sugar "primer" for a specific purpose can be a good idea. We'll often do the same thing about Nitrogen - dump a good shot of fish ferts in the soil if it needs an artificial boost.

But it pollutes an otherwise good blend. Gotta let the dynamic system do it's own work.

Definitely. If you don't need it don't use it. Used properly the end result is similar to a foliar feed. Its an artificial boost at root level. I don't like foliars so I go this route.

 

[Gee64]

Day 55.

1 more plant to straighten out tomorrow. Tonight they go to bed early.

The shortest is 23" tall from the soil.

The tallest is 24" tall from the soil.

The ppfd at the canopy is 450. RH is 57. Temp is 75F.

Tomorrow is Flower Day 1.

 

[Absorber]

Day 55.

1 more plant to straighten out tomorrow. Tonight they go to bed early.

The shortest is 23" tall from the soil.

The tallest is 24" tall from the soil.

The ppfd at the canopy is 450. RH is 57. Temp is 75F.

Tomorrow is Flower Day 1.

Your plants look like they want for nothing, beautiful job

 

[Gee64]

Your plants look like they want for nothing, beautiful job

Thanks Absorber. They are quite happy. I do need it to warm up in the tent a bit though. I may need the heater pretty soon.

They are drinking again already, so tomorrow I will turn the drippers back on.

So far so good on this soil mix.

Only 70 days to go.

What could go wrong?

 

[Graytail]

They're looking great! Just spent a dim cloudy week, is all.

Hmm, I wonder if they'll catch up? The roots kept growing ...

 

[Gee64]

They're looking great! Just spent a dim cloudy week, is all.

Hmm, I wonder if they'll catch up? The roots kept growing ...

lol it was a cloudy week

I moved the driver to inside the tent to warm it a bit more. They look cold when you see them up close.

Im curious to see how the brix recovers. I don't want to pluck any leaves yet.

VPD is 75F, 73F, and 57RH for a VPD of 1.08 so they aren't working too hard yet.

I will up the light and drop the rh a bit over the next week and get them running harder.

They just had a tea right before the light died, so they should be good for awhile.

They never even needed to be watered all week under the small lights.

 

[Absorber]

Thanks Absorber. They are quite happy. I do need it to warm up in the tent a bit though. I may need the heater pretty soon.

They are drinking again already, so tomorrow I will turn the drippers back on.

So far so good on this soil mix.

Only 70 days to go.

What could go wrong?

They look superb, what soil mix do you use?