Woodsman's Northern Light #5 Grow

[afgooey]

the branches on the left in this pic are hid and right side cfl ya its not a close up but tric count is the same its only bud size that was difered and hid was 10-20% bigger cause it grows more bud quicker shity pic i know but gets the point out

 

[Woodsman]

Away for awhile folks, but looks like all of you have quite a debate going on! I'm only going to say that like Mountain, I would grow with a larger HID at least 400w if I could. Ya CFL's work, but do not get the penetration needed to get through the top canopy of a large plant. for a small plant they are sufficient as long as you have enough of them at the right locations.


Update - Flower Day 18

I did some work on the plants while I was away (form the computer). Originally I had planned on transplanting the large plant to a larger pot. I decided to put that off for now.. Couple of reasons. With all the issues I was having with the pH and such, the plant has stopped it's flowering production. It is virtually nil. I still have trouble locating the two nodes that have 'hairs'! That's all this plant has put out. So transplanting it now will only delay this more. On the other hand. and that is a question I'm putting out there for someone to answer, is this.

Could the slow development be because it may be root bound? It is very quick to go limp. within days after a watering or a nute feed, it will start to look limp. More so than the other two plants. Now plant#4 is also very slow to develop buds and is only a step or two ahead of the Big Girl. Fatleaf on the other hand is doing just fine and is far ahead of the other two. Nice bud sites are rapidly growing.

Yesterday was water day. Everything was going fine until I screwed up! I had mixed two gallons of water with molasses. Nice brow looking water, right. Took the first gallon and wet down all three plants evenly. Drained some of the runoff into another gallon water container. Guess what I did with that! Yup, I used that one instead of the one with the molasses to finish the three plants. It wasn't till I checked the soil pH and found an alarmingly acidic pH that I realized what I had done! With upper 5's for pH in two and low 6 in Fatleaf, I decided tho flush with clean water. I did this until (added some lime) I got back into the upper 6's for pH. I had a heck of a time and took a run to the store for more water! I finished just as the lights went off last night.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find the girls all perky and 'erect'. this was a great releif as it always is when they are looking 'fine'.

So have I slowed down the flower growth again? I hope not or I may be growing two of these into the Summer!

One other note.
Prior to my escapade with the 'dirty water' I had done some good trimming underneath the canopy. I'd say the bottom half of each plant is devoid of growth now. I have the tops of the three plants at a level plain now also.

So with all the drama the girls have gone through, they are looking very good today (other than the lack of flowers).

 

[Woodsman]

I will try to do the transplant on Big Girl just prior to the next nute feed. I have only enough soil left to transplant the one plant to a larger container (5 gal).

Also trying to figure out a way to get some FF big bloom (I think that is what you call it). Main obstacle of course is my wife. Am I right in assuming that those added ferts could help me with the two 'slow developers'? Or could there be another issue?

 

[Nicademus]

Could the slow development be because it may be root bound?.

When i doubt...transplant. Its all ready not growing? It could be root bound or it could not, but a bigger pot is going to signal the plant that it has more space. The 2 plants i just re-potted(pics of the root ball in my journal) shot up 6 and 3 inches respectively in 2 days. It couldn't hurt to try it. The 2 other sisters to the re-potted plants are still small and growing slowly. I don't have the funds to buy good soil right now so i will have to wait to re-pot them but i can see they are suffering because of it already. I have seen successful harvest's from plants grown in 12 OZ red party cups to so...sorry pretty medicated and rambling...

 

[Nicademus]

I will try to do the transplant on Big Girl just prior to the next nute feed. I have only enough soil left to transplant the one plant to a larger container (5 gal).

Also trying to figure out a way to get some FF big bloom (I think that is what you call it). Main obstacle of course is my wife. Am I right in assuming that those added ferts could help me with the two 'slow developers'? Or could there be another issue?

Funny you should say that because my next advice, if you are like me, waiting on funds you could just feed it more often and/or more?
I also have a theory that as our soil gets older, more of the nutes are leached out and the plant relies more heavily on nute supplements. The plants are obviously? drinking so maybe feed 2-3 waterings in a row and see what happens?

 

[3lions]

You probabaly know my thoughts already on pot sizes, if you are wanting to grow the plants 15feet tall and 12 feet accross then by all means transplant into those HUGE pots, use more soil, more nutes, more difficult to water etc etc

I would be more inclined to think on the line of more nutes required also but Im certainly not an expert in that, just like to think logically.

 

[Woodsman]

Funny you should say that because my next advice, if you are like me, waiting on funds you could just feed it more often and/or more?
I also have a theory that as our soil gets older, more of the nutes are leached out and the plant relies more heavily on nute supplements. The plants are obviously? drinking so maybe feed 2-3 waterings in a row and see what happens?

I'm not sure I'd want to feed them that much. Every time I feed them, the pH drops and I am not a big fan of that!LOL.

Below are some pics from today.

Group shot of the girls. All three brought up to the same level using bricks of various sizes.

Removed the foliage from the bottom half of all three plants. This pic is of Big Girl.

Here is a pic showing the lack of flowers on Big Girl at 18 days of flower. Suggestions?

This pic shows the growing buddage on Fatleaf. This is the only one of the three that is progressing at a 'normal' or 'satisfactory' pace.

 

[Woodsman]

You probabaly know my thoughts already on pot sizes, if you are wanting to grow the plants 15feet tall and 12 feet accross then by all means transplant into those HUGE pots, use more soil, more nutes, more difficult to water etc etc

I would be more inclined to think on the line of more nutes required also but Im certainly not an expert in that, just like to think logically.

The larger pot is the one that I used in there on the last grow. The plant was not that large, but I understand what your saying. I have limited space to grow a large plant. I would have to bend, twist and intertwine the branches from all three plants in order to fit them all in.

Nutes. Are you referring to adding big bloom or more nutes in general?

 

[MountainHigh]

My guess would be different pheno's, different times. You do your part to feed them and water them (not over or under), then you have done what you can...besides LOVE.. (And adjust your lights and keep your buds OFF them....sigh), my best cola on Abbie touched the sun just a bit, hope only the little curly guard sugar leaves were damaged. And some pistils of course...

You know, I would of really been bummed my first grow...but you learn very quickly you are human and if you do the best you can, most of the time it is enough lol.

brother.

 

[Woodsman]

My guess would be different pheno's, different times. You do your part to feed them and water them (not over or under), then you have done what you can...besides LOVE.. (And adjust your lights and keep your buds OFF them....sigh), my best cola on Abbie touched the sun just a bit, hope only the little curly guard sugar leaves were damaged. And some pistils of course...

You know, I would of really been bummed my first grow...but you learn very quickly you are human and if you do the best you can, most of the time it is enough lol.

brother.

Hey Mountain. So you don't think that it is all the rigmarole that the plants have gone through? Just have never seen a plant take so long to develop before. As you know, I don't have any 'enhancements' like big bloom or open sesame etc. Seems like all of you use this stuff. I'm just so set on having great smoke from this grow. Wish I had all the 'right stuff'.

 

[3lions]

It depends how you look at it Woodsman amigo. You can buy a couple of proven additives that might cost you 20 quid and your smoke may be twice as strong or produce twice the weight, or grow at twice the rate; therefore is actually saving you money not costing.

I agree that there probabaly is not the need to throw dozens of nutes at the plants that seems to be fashionable nowadays but genuinelly proven products are definately worth the consideration at least, they are not all super expensive.

"Every time I feed them, the pH drops and I am not a big fan of that"

Drops to what? The soil, run off drops?

 

[Woodsman]

It depends how you look at it Woodsman amigo. You can buy a couple of proven additives that might cost you 20 quid and your smoke may be twice as strong or produce twice the weight, or grow at twice the rate; therefore is actually saving you money not costing.

I agree that there probabaly is not the need to throw dozens of nutes at the plants that seems to be fashionable nowadays but genuinelly proven products are definately worth the consideration at least, they are not all super expensive.

"Every time I feed them, the pH drops and I am not a big fan of that"

Drops to what? The soil, run off drops?

I only have a soil pH meter. Drops to like 6

 

[3lions]

It is more common with nutes that they raise the PH as oppose to lower them so I would still say they would enjoy more food

 

[afgooey]

you can get huge plants in small pots by just letting the plant out grow the pot rootwise then cut off roots not all leave 25% then repot with new soil in the same pot works like a dream hey woods can we get a pic of the hole growbox with it open that would be awsome and i got my grow up check it out i uploaded 80 some pics and they will be up later

 

[BreakPoint]

trimming a lot of foilage at once can cause stress also, so maybe that's affected things. As far as nutes go, everyone including fox farms agress that "less is more". A Catalyst like Big Bloom, or a cheapo alternative with comparable nute configuration might help. I just say that since i Know $$$ is a concern. The only prob with miracle grow is that it can burn plants bad so you have to be VERY careful with it, and flush a LOT... I can't remember what you've got for nutes and it was lazy of me not to go back and look before posting...but I was just working under the assumption you don't have enough nutes...I don't know but I sure hope it gets pulled together because you don't know me but I'm behind you a hundred percent man...I've been in ur shoes so many times over the years that if I could magically make your plants grow from here I'd sure do it...

 

[jacobharry]

Your ladies look pretty and perky and are coming along nicely!

 

[Woodsman]

It is more common with nutes that they raise the PH as oppose to lower them so I would still say they would enjoy more food

Seems like mine drops with the nutes? distilled water and fftb

you can get huge plants in small pots by just letting the plant out grow the pot rootwise then cut off roots not all leave 25% then repot with new soil in the same pot works like a dream hey woods can we get a pic of the hole growbox with it open that would be awsome and i got my grow up check it out i uploaded 80 some pics and they will be up later

Interesting idea. I don't think I'm at that poiont yet. thank goodness! Congratulations on your new journal! I'll give it a look tonight or tomorrow. Check the link below. It will tell you 'step by stp' how to do your signature the right way (it will show your grow 'title')(How to Add Links to Signatures - 420 Magazine

trimming a lot of foilage at once can cause stress also, so maybe that's affected things. As far as nutes go, everyone including fox farms agress that "less is more". A Catalyst like Big Bloom, or a cheapo alternative with comparable nute configuration might help. I just say that since i Know $$$ is a concern. The only prob with miracle grow is that it can burn plants bad so you have to be VERY careful with it, and flush a LOT... I can't remember what you've got for nutes and it was lazy of me not to go back and look before posting...but I was just working under the assumption you don't have enough nutes...I don't know but I sure hope it gets pulled together because you don't know me but I'm behind you a hundred percent man...I've been in ur shoes so many times over the years that if I could magically make your plants grow from here I'd sure do it...

Thanks for the support bro. I appreciate you routing for me! I use FF Tiger Bloom for flower and used Alaska Fish Emulsion for veg. I also add molasses during flower. Just wish I could get something extra like Big Bloom.

Your ladies look pretty and perky and are coming along nicely!

Thank Jacob for the nice words!

 

[Woodsman]

Update - Flower Day 18

I'm finally seeing some bud formation on Big Girl! #4 (not yet named) is also showing some improvement.

It's Working!

 

[jacobharry]

Anytime man, also thanks for the help with my light problem. I went to Home depot, and found 2 lamp fixture parts for $3, and I bought extension cords and cut the female end, and wired it to the fixture, and it works perfect!

 

[BreakPoint]

yeah it's a catalyst that aids the tigerbloom and growbig so your plant can manipulate the nutes better. it seems like that'd be an easy thing to get naturally. worm castings or guano maybe? I dunno but I'll keep reading into it. I was just told bb is just a catalyst, the punch is in the growbig and tiger bloom...