Woodsman's Northern Light #5 Grow

[Nirvanagypsy]

Welcome to the site then and you'll get help by just asking or you can search out what you need on the site. We will all try to help ya out!

Back to your NL5 have you harvested the crop yet or is it 'live'. That's why I asked for a smoke report, or review as I thought it was done.

Thank you for the warm welcome friend. I am just trying ta find my way arround & learning the slightly different set up here vs IC. I definatly am digging it more & more as I go along. I harvested it at 45 days. The pictures are from aprox 28 ta 30 Days into flowering. Here is some of the fresh trimmed stalks. Most of it is still Drying though. I definatly would like to get some grow reports going for tracking of the strains I grow. :0)

 

[DroJo]

Those definitly look like nuts to me. They look like some swollen balls too. Clip one off and disect. If you find something powdery in it you'll kno its a male. Turn off your circ fans before clipping it tho, and be gentle!!

 

[Woodsman]

i don't know !! But rain water here is like 8.4, while my tap water is only 7.3. That's a great question , and since we got a fresh foot yesterday, i'll go check it !! That was after 18 inches the day before that !! Wow !! This snow checks 6.5 ph. I just wonder why it would be lower than the rainfall ??

I guess if I were to use either one, I'd have to do some up or down maneuvering with the pH.

Thank you for the warm welcome friend. I am just trying ta find my way arround & learning the slightly different set up here vs IC. I definatly am digging it more & more as I go along. I harvested it at 45 days. The pictures are from aprox 28 ta 30 Days into flowering. Here is some of the fresh trimmed stalks. Most of it is still Drying though. I definatly would like to get some grow reports going for tracking of the strains I grow. :0)

Your welcome my friend. Those are some huge nugs you got. Be sure to to let us know what it's like when dry. They were only 28 to 30 days in flower? Wow! very nice.

Those definitly look like nuts to me. They look like some swollen balls too. Clip one off and disect. If you find something powdery in it you'll kno its a male. Turn off your circ fans before clipping it tho, and be gentle!!

Ya so If they are males then what do ya think the chances are with the other three that are not showing anything whatsoever? Hope they're my girls!

Thanks Dro!

 

[Hypo Hippy]

Yo Wood....tell you what. When you scrounge up some extra coin, go out and order one of the Milwaukee pH53 unit. Tortured Soul rec'd it to me and that thing works like a dang champ. Gives you a bunch of confidence in knowing for sure what the pH is down to a gnat's ass. I paid about $65 online and got it within days. Just thought I would throw it out at you. I would be afraid to use the melted snow or rainwater without knowing the pH. It would be my luck to get hold of some crazy high pH snow and f-up my girls. FWIW

 

[Woodsman]

Alright folks dilemma here!

First:
Just fed the plants a lite dose of FFTB (1 1/4 tablespoon per gal) also they got a lite dose of Molasses thrown in (1 1/4 tablespoon per gal also). Prior to feeding with nutes, I watered the soil with a good dose of water (distilled) and disposed of the drainage. OK so I added the nutes and took two soil pH readings (two different plants). I got a soil pH reading of 6.1 and 6.3...Isn't this low? Going acidic here I guess.

Reading on the subject I've found different figures. Some say soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.0........some say anything between 6 and 7 is fine but closer to 6.5 is best? What should I be doing. I really can't buy anything because I just can't ($). We do have bone meal that my wife uses in her garden. I've read somewhere that bone meal is used to raise soil pH levels, but nowhere does it suggest how to use it and how much to use. Can I make a tea with it or do I mix it into the soil? Any and all ideas are very much appreciated.

Life was simpler before the pH meter ( but pot was probably not as good).

 

[Woodsman]

Yo Wood....tell you what. When you scrounge up some extra coin, go out and order one of the Milwaukee pH53 unit. Tortured Soul rec'd it to me and that thing works like a dang champ. Gives you a bunch of confidence in knowing for sure what the pH is down to a gnat's ass. I paid about $65 online and got it within days. Just thought I would throw it out at you. I would be afraid to use the melted snow or rainwater without knowing the pH. It would be my luck to get hold of some crazy high pH snow and f-up my girls. FWIW

Thanks hypo as you can see above (saw your post after I posted mine) I have some questions! Unfortunately I cannot buy anything else for this grow.... I have to explain to the wife about the distilled water every time I have to get some! That's why I was asking about the snow earlier.. I'm not going to deal with the snow because of the pH issue. As it turns out, I may have to correct the pH anyway. And that's using the distilled water (which I just went out and bought)!

 

[Hypo Hippy]

Wood....our pH is running 6.31 (runoff) and it hasn't caused any problems in the slightest. Unless you have a really accurate meter or testing system the pH could be off by several tenths. You might get yourself in more trouble trying to adjust a pH that really isn't too low only to find yourself in a situation where you are binding up your nutes with an abnormally high pH. My rule of thumb has and always will be....if the plants are looking good don't f with 'em. If you start running into obvious nutrient deficiencies and can trace it to pH problems then that is a different story. By the way, to save money in the future.....we use water filtered through our Brita pitcher and it is working like a charm.

 

[Woodsman]

I appreciate you guys helping me out and I know it must be frustrating for you guys to hear me say 'I cant buy this or get that' when to most of you, it is no big deal. If things were normal here, I'd have them also! I have a wish list a mile long! Again, this is a low budget grow for a reason. Just look at my tent! What a piece of work that is! Just remember that I am on an extremely tight budget as in 'need to tighten the belt'. Also trying not to loose the house to the bank. So far so good, not defaulted yet.

So the wife is correct in being stingy to some extent and I really appreciate her letting me grow inside this winter as last years outdoor grow never happened as I got all males (twice!). And I cannot normally find (and now afford) to buy my smoke.

It is simpler, in some aspect of the grow, not having a choice. It would be very nice to be able to grow like many of you and have some of the equipment that is out there, but that is not going to happen. We've never been loaded, but we always worked and always got by, even spoiled ourselves sometimes. Right now we are out of work (first time in my adult lifetime). We know we will get through this and look back on it like a bad dream and even learn from it in many ways.

That's why I ask you folks occasionally for suggestions about things I could use from around the house or even something at grocery store etc.. free or not very expensive.

Thanks folks for listening to me ramble on! Like the rest of you, I just want to grow some stuff I can smoke.



I just felt like venting, don't even know why?
Now I really need to smoke my meds!!

 

[Woodsman]

Wood....our pH is running 6.31 (runoff) and it hasn't caused any problems in the slightest. Unless you have a really accurate meter or testing system the pH could be off by several tenths. You might get yourself in more trouble trying to adjust a pH that really isn't too low only to find yourself in a situation where you are binding up your nutes with an abnormally high pH. My rule of thumb has and always will be....if the plants are looking good don't f with 'em. If you start running into obvious nutrient deficiencies and can trace it to pH problems then that is a different story. By the way, to save money in the future.....we use water filtered through our Brita pitcher and it is working like a charm.

Is the runoff pH the same as the soil pH. What I mean is, if I was able to text both, would they be the same number?

We have really yucky well water (at least to smell and drink) and it runs through a water softener. So it's salty I would think. Would a Brita still work on that?

 

[Hypo Hippy]

Feels good to vent sometimes doesn't it? Hey man, you are doing what you can do, right? That's all any of us can really do. What I was saying is I think your girls are doing fine. Don't sweat the small stuff too much...you know what I mean? Unless you have diabolically bad water there at your house you should be able to filter it and in the long run save money (instead of buying the distilled water). I think your grow is great and I am sure glad you are on this forum because I get a lot of joy getting on here and bs'ing with my boys.

 

[Woodsman]

Feels good to vent sometimes doesn't it? Hey man, you are doing what you can do, right? That's all any of us can really do. What I was saying is I think your girls are doing fine. Don't sweat the small stuff too much...you know what I mean? Unless you have diabolically bad water there at your house you should be able to filter it and in the long run save money (instead of buying the distilled water). I think your grow is great and I am sure glad you are on this forum because I get a lot of joy getting on here and bs'ing with my boys.

Thanks bud, I enjoy it very much, it is a terrific therapy.

How would I know if the water is alright to use? (no meter). I now that those with city water can just leave it out for a day or two and there fine. But mine goes through a salt softener first, I would think that the snow or rain is better. I understand if the plant looks fine then it probably is. That's how I always grew... Only I worry that my stuff could be 'sub par' and that is not good!

 

[Hypo Hippy]

Wood...definitely do NOT use water that goes through a softener. If you don't live near a big city then rain/snow should be pretty clean, but if near a large industrial base the precip tends to leach all the bad stuff out of the atmosphere. Can you run the water from a hose bib outside and let it sit? When I lived in Kansas I had a water softener for the whole house, but not for the hose bibs outside (didn't want to soften water to water the yard with you know). Just a thought

 

[Woodsman]

You know I've no idea about that I always presumed that the hose was independent of the softener, but now I'm not sure! It is no easy task to check LOL. We have a crawl space under the house. The softener tank is right at the ladder so we don't have to go all the way in.. The trap door is also right in the middle of our storage area under the 'head banging' iron spiral staircase! This cabin we own is really a weekenders place. The only time I get down there is when I got to go and light the furnace if the pilot light goes out.

I'll have to 'suit up' with my anti spider and knee pads and take a look.

 

[DroJo]

Woods you're set with the PH. PH should be between 6.3-6.8. But if you mix up your nutes and they are 6.1 they'll be fine. 6.3-6.8 is optimal. But it will still live and grow 6-7. Slight deficiencies may manifest, but it probably wont be serious if at all. Once you're outta the 6-7 range you will start dealing with serious deficiencies. Hope this helps some

 

[Woodsman]

Woods you're set with the PH. PH should be between 6.3-6.8. But if you mix up your nutes and they are 6.1 they'll be fine. 6.3-6.8 is optimal. But it will still live and grow 6-7. Slight deficiencies may manifest, but it probably wont be serious if at all. Once you're outta the 6-7 range you will start dealing with serious deficiencies. Hope this helps some

Hey Dro, thanks for the advise. And yes it makes me feel much better and much less anxious. I really don't know much about pH and I appreciate all the help I can get. Could you answer my question about the bone meal? If my pH does go lower I would have to raise it. I've read that bone meal (we have some) can raise the pH. Just don't know how to do it.

 

[DroJo]

That one you'd have to jus add a lil bone meal at a time to see. I'll admit that both bone meal and blood meal can affect ph, but I've never tried to use them for the purpose of raising or lowering ph, so i cant help on that one, sorry bro. But don't worry, i'm sure someone will jump in and help ya.

 

[BreakPoint]

from what little I know, I think you don't want to run the water through a water softener...but maybe I'm miscontruing what I've seen in print, so I'll show you...
p. 240-241 of MH horticulture (Jorge C.) , "...Do not use salt-softened water. Salty, brackish, salt-softened water is detrimental to cannibas. Chlorine also tends to acidify soil after repeated applications..."
I don't know because it doesn't state it, if the water softener you refer to = the salt-softened water system he refers to...but he goes on and on about how this soil will retain high levels of salt build up and screw with your plants...

 

[MountainHigh]

I appreciate you guys helping me out and I know it must be frustrating for you guys to hear me say 'I cant buy this or get that' when to most of you, it is no big deal. If things were normal here, I'd have them also! I have a wish list a mile long! Again, this is a low budget grow for a reason. Just look at my tent! What a piece of work that is! Just remember that I am on an extremely tight budget as in 'need to tighten the belt'. Also trying not to loose the house to the bank. So far so good, not defaulted yet.

So the wife is correct in being stingy to some extent and I really appreciate her letting me grow inside this winter as last years outdoor grow never happened as I got all males (twice!). And I cannot normally find (and now afford) to buy my smoke.

It is simpler, in some aspect of the grow, not having a choice. It would be very nice to be able to grow like many of you and have some of the equipment that is out there, but that is not going to happen. We've never been loaded, but we always worked and always got by, even spoiled ourselves sometimes. Right now we are out of work (first time in my adult lifetime). We know we will get through this and look back on it like a bad dream and even learn from it in many ways.

That's why I ask you folks occasionally for suggestions about things I could use from around the house or even something at grocery store etc.. free or not very expensive.

Thanks folks for listening to me ramble on! Like the rest of you, I just want to grow some stuff I can smoke.



I just felt like venting, don't even know why?
Now I really need to smoke my meds!!

I know exactly what you are going through, my wife and I live on a shoestring budget. Only through little odd jobs do we pay our bills every month, so I completely understand the budget discussion, gets frustrating to have to cheap on everything but you know what, you can do it and when you and I do it, it is a real triumph.

's do help give perspective on the things that really make us rich, like a wonderful wife, good friends, peace of mind and rock and roll and good meds.

brother.

 

[DroJo]

Hey, Baking soda can raise PH, I used to use it myself

 

[Woodsman]

from what little I know, I think you don't want to run the water through a water softener...but maybe I'm miscontruing what I've seen in print, so I'll show you...
p. 240-241 of MH horticulture (Jorge C.) , "...Do not use salt-softened water. Salty, brackish, salt-softened water is detrimental to cannibas. Chlorine also tends to acidify soil after repeated applications..."
I don't know because it doesn't state it, if the water softener you refer to = the salt-softened water system he refers to...but he goes on and on about how this soil will retain high levels of salt build up and screw with your plants...

Your right, I have to check on our hose connection as I've used it for my outdoor grows (also use collected rainwater). If it is connected to the softener (salt pellets) then that's a problem.

I know exactly what you are going through, my wife and I live on a shoestring budget. Only through little odd jobs do we pay our bills every month, so I completely understand the budget discussion, gets frustrating to have to cheap on everything but you know what, you can do it and when you and I do it, it is a real triumph.

's do help give perspective on the things that really make us rich, like a wonderful wife, good friends, peace of mind and rock and roll and good meds.

brother.

Thanks bro, I don't know what came over me to write that stuff. It did come from the heart. I know I worry about the grow not being good. When something happens like the pH stuff, I feel I have no control anymore. I think that if I had all the 'right equipment', the up and down stuff, the right kind of meter a more powerful light etc., I'd feel more at ease. Just need to keep the faith and do what I can and thanks to you folks I'm sure I'll get a lot of help! Thanks to all of you!

That one you'd have to jus add a lil bone meal at a time to see. I'll admit that both bone meal and blood meal can affect ph, but I've never tried to use them for the purpose of raising or lowering ph, so i cant help on that one, sorry bro. But don't worry, i'm sure someone will jump in and help ya.

Hey, Baking soda can raise PH, I used to use it myself

how much would you use (per gal) to raise the pH from 6.1 to like 6.8 let's say?