Xlr8's Quest For The Best - 2012

[sqwheels]

Hi X,

Great pics, looking frosty...man I love to watch them grow...yes, more pics, more pics

Thanks for posting the links to Corey's new products. I'm gonna have to make an order. I'm with you Blue Planet Nutrients are great!

I will continue to support Corey and his wonderful efforts to help us all grow better plants.

But you come first. Take care of yourself #1. We'll all be here when you're feeling better.



Sq

 

[naphtali5725]

Hey XL!

Man, I stay away for just a little bit, and you have another journal! What the heck is going on over there with you? You must be getting pretty good at this stuff

My hopes for your success brother!

Kindest regards

 

[shizznizzle]

Kicking ass Xlr8!!! This is so cool my girls are just a touch older than yours, I did a photo update of one of my faves yesterday. I sure hope you are well and glad to see everything going swimmingly for you!
Shizzy

 

[Xlr8]

Hey X, hope you are feeling better. That Deadhead Ripper ought to get you feeling better.

Thanks OG -

I'm feeling a bit better, though it's slow getting that way. I appreciate the well-wishes very much.

Yes, I'm really excited about the Deadhead Ripper for sure. There are two of them (clones from different moms) and one is standing out so far in that it's just covered with trichomes - even the stems and fan leaves are covered with them.

Good to see you OG, and thanks again.

 

[Xlr8]

I liked your latest photo update XL! Looking great as usual!

I'm coming down to the wire with my own harvests now with only a couple more plants to go before "I'M DONE FOR THE SEASON!"

Looking forward to having more time to hang around your journal (s) as well as my other 420 friends! I hope to have the last of my buds jarred up and curing by the end of this week!

These latest strains you are working on sound interesting! Looking forward to seeing how they mature!

Talk to ya soon!

Hi Goose -

First thank you for the props on the last pics.

My harvests, trimming and drying processes are so tiny compared to yours... I have NO idea how it doesn't just completely wipe you out. I can't imagine how much work that must be for you! On that note, congrats on being close to finished with it all.

It was a lot of fun making a couple of my own crosses, and it should be fun to see how they turn out. Heck, it's a blast just watching them come along this far and seeing the interesting combinations of traits. I am a big fan of the strains involved in the crosses, so I'm hoping the resulting offspring are especially good/interesting. It's been fun enough that I'm sure I'll do it again - going into this I kinda thought of it as a one time deal, but I can't help but imagine more fun crosses.

I have it in my head to cross a Jack the Ripper male with my Chocolope mom (Jackalope!) . It should be done for the name alone, don't you think?!

Good luck with the rest of the harvesting!

 

[Xlr8]

Hi X,

Great pics, looking frosty...man I love to watch them grow...yes, more pics, more pics

Thanks for posting the links to Corey's new products. I'm gonna have to make an order. I'm with you Blue Planet Nutrients are great!

I will continue to support Corey and his wonderful efforts to help us all grow better plants.

But you come first. Take care of yourself #1. We'll all be here when you're feeling better.



Sq

What an incredibly sweet message, Sqwheels!

Yes, I've become a really big fan of Blue Planet's products, and Corey for his dedication to the community here and making truly quality products that don't break the bank. These latest products truly have an impressive list of ingredients for the $$. I'm sure you'd pay double from some other companies (or more) to get that sort of formulation. I feel like the value on these are huge.

I'm feeling a bit better, and can't help but visit with people here... Thanks again for the really great well-wishes, it's been a rough few days.

I have some more pics coming up very soon!

 

[Xlr8]

Hey XL!

Man, I stay away for just a little bit, and you have another journal! What the heck is going on over there with you? You must be getting pretty good at this stuff

My hopes for your success brother!

Kindest regards

Hey Naphtali!

Really glad you found the new hang-out, and it's great hearing from you. Seeing you reminds me, I need to see how Spikes doing. I haven't seen him around in a bit, and I'm concerned since he's had a few health concernes lately. You haven't seen/heard from him by chance have you?

I'm getting a little better at this all the time, but I sure have a lot yet to learn and try. This grow, I'm trying out some super-cropping during flower and defoliating a little heavier than I have in the past. Thanks again for dropping by!

 

[Xlr8]

Kicking ass Xlr8!!! This is so cool my girls are just a touch older than yours, I did a photo update of one of my faves yesterday. I sure hope you are well and glad to see everything going swimmingly for you!
Shizzy

Hey Shizzy!

Thanks buddy. I need to check out your newest photos. Things are going pretty well, and I'm super happy with the grow so far. Just wish I could get myself feeling better with a little more consistency. I'm working on that, too, but it's sloooow going sometimes. Hoping your world is a little less crazy lately - you deserve a calmer sea to swim in for a bit. Take care, and thanks again!

 

[Xlr8]

Tip on storing your bud!

Hey everyone. I was recently trying to help someone out with some questions on storing their bud. I know some of you have heard me talk about Boveda Humidipaks before, but I'm sure some people are probably still not familiar with them. Basically, they are packets that can be placed in your jars to keep the humidity at a pre-set level. GoldenGoose7 and I were also talking about these recently in his journal (he uses them too, as do a number of other members here).

The cool thing about them, is that can both reduce or increase the humidity in your jars as needed to keep the humidity at the ideal level for curing your bud. They are sterile and really reduce the risk of mold or prematurely drying out your bud.

Until recently, they were designed primarily for Cigars, and the humidity levels were more friendly for Cigar storage. But, they saw an opportunity in the MMJ market, and started making them at a 62% humidity level, which is ideal for storing cannabis (something that they researched in advance, as well).

I have no affiliation with this company or their products, but I love these things! One important note: They aren't a substitute for properly drying your herb first. It's still important that you go through a proper drying process before using these. However, once you've properly dried your medicine, this will help keep it moist, sticky, and at that perfect level of dryness/moisture. If you've ever ended up with a bag or jar of bone dry bud, or worse yet, moldy bud... you'll appreciate why these things rock so much!

Part of why I'm bringing it up today, is that I just became aware that a member and sponsor here (JJ Bones) has them available in his store. Not sure if he has the 62% packets in all sizes yet, but I see he has the larger size packets, which might be ideal for larger jars/storage needs (so far I've only used the smaller ones - I use 2-3 small packets per quart sized mason jar). Anyway, thought I'd pass on a link for anybody interested in them and looking for a good resource:

Boveda Humidipak 62% - 4 pack

 

[donpaul.p]

ill be following along to see how these products improve the plants, i will be placing an order around xmas for my next batch of bpn, i heard while back that corey was working on enzymes and stuff like that to improve his products, so are these new products the improvements or is corey still going to improve on the old products, im more than happy with the 3 part plus bloom booster, and this is what ill be buying when i place an order, so ill be possibly ordering the extras to go with it, ill follow along and see how this grow goes.

i have also been looking into this humidity packs, they seem to do the job we want them to, so ill be ordering some of these as well, ive been reading about these in different journals now and it seems the growers that use them say their do the job well, so if this can improve the cure process and keep everything at the correct rh then this can only mean we get higher quality buds after a decent cure.

i just wonder how long they work for, do they keep working or do they stop working after a certain amount of time

 

[Xlr8]

Also, in relation to harvesting and drying...

Here's a link to a blog post of mine where I detail my thought process on when to harvest, and the process I go through for drying, etc. There are many ways to do this successfully, but this is what has worked for me:

Tips on harvesting, and when to harvest cannabis

I've mentioned this in the past as well, but I try to use my blog as a place to put the information I think might be most helpful to other people - tips from several other members here, and just some of my own ramblings and thoughts on things and how I do them in case some else finds the info useful as well.

For example: In addition to harvesting/drying, my process for cloning, seed starting, tips on understanding PH and PPMs, DIY co2 generator (courtesy of Jandre), homemade "flushing" formula (courtesy of GoldenGoose7), homemade "root zone conditioner" (courtesy of Corey from Blue Planet Nutrients), and other posts/ideas/processes that perhaps, someone might find useful.

 

[Xlr8]

ill be following along to see how these products improve the plants, i will be placing an order around xmas for my next batch of bpn, i heard while back that corey was working on enzymes and stuff like that to improve his products, so are these new products the improvements or is corey still going to improve on the old products, im more than happy with the 3 part plus bloom booster, and this is what ill be buying when i place an order, so ill be possibly ordering the extras to go with it, ill follow along and see how this grow goes.

i have also been looking into this humidity packs, they seem to do the job we want them to, so ill be ordering some of these as well, ive been reading about these in different journals now and it seems the growers that use them say their do the job well, so if this can improve the cure process and keep everything at the correct rh then this can only mean we get higher quality buds after a decent cure.

i just wonder how long they work for, do they keep working or do they stop working after a certain amount of time

Hi Don -

The humidipaks eventually stop working. I've not had that happen yet, so they seem to last quite a while for me and the conditions I'm giving them... They "harden" when they stop working, which is your clue to replace them or know that they are done. I only have a few that have started to feel firmer, but every situation is unique, and if they are working harder for one person vs. another, I'm sure they're life expectancy will vary. But, I'm pleased so far to say that I've had a bunch for many months now that still seem good. It may help that I put 2-3 per quart sized jar (of the smaller size). One didn't seem to be enough for jars that size or larger. 2-3 seems ideal of the smaller 2"x 2" size in a wide-mouth mason jar (to me).

Some of your other questions I'm sure would be better answered by Corey at Blue Planet Nutrients, but the new products sure seem to be packed with good stuff... Vitamins, hormones, micro-nutrients, etc.

 

[Billy420]

Hi Don -

The humidipaks eventually stop working. I've not had that happen yet, so they seem to last quite a while for me and the conditions I'm giving them... They "harden" when they stop working, which is your clue to replace them or know that they are done. I only have a few that have started to feel firmer, but every situation is unique, and if they are working harder for one person vs. another, I'm sure they're life expectancy will vary. But, I'm pleased so far to say that I've had a bunch for many months now that still seem good. It may help that I put 2-3 per quart sized jar (of the smaller size). One didn't seem to be enough for jars that size or larger. 2-3 seems ideal of the smaller 2"x 2" size in a wide-mouth mason jar (to me).

Some of your other questions I'm sure would be better answered by Corey at Blue Planet Nutrients, but the new products sure seem to be packed with good stuff... Vitamins, hormones, micro-nutrients, etc.

Heh, I was going to ask Exact this !!! You covered it well xlr8.
The website says they need to be replaced every 2 months , I assume a little longer, probably 3-4 depending on the conditions, as you said !! Great info xlr8 , will come in handy for sure !!!

 

[donpaul.p]

thanks for the info, ill reps you if it lets me, ill drop corey a msg closer to the time of my next order and see what he going going on, i got enough to last me till xmas so ill be placing my order around that time, ill drop him an email and see what he says,

 

[Xlr8]

Picture update - Day 29 of bloom period:

Deadhead Ripper

OG Ripper

Jack the Ripper

Group shot (well, most of the group!):

From Above:

Group from the side - I need to elevate the Jack the Ripper on the left, which can be done since it's in it's own airpot with coco coir:

Overall, they seem to be loving their new nutrient mix and focusing most of their energy on building flowers... The stretch seems to be winding down somewhat, though vertical growth hasn't completely stopped (these are mostly Sativa strains so sometimes they will just keep growing until close to finish).

I haven't elevated the Jack the Ripper (which is in it's own airpot with coco-coir) in a few days, so it's fallen a couple of inches below the rest of the canopy. Fortunately, this is easily resolved and something I'll take care of tonight. Most of the super-cropped branches have nearly stood themselves back up straight, but in the meantime everything else kinda caught up, so it's working out nicely.

Hope everyone had a great weekend - thanks for all the well wishes!

 

[UrbanGrower]

my buddy uses the large cvault and it's too sick. Props for the post on those, i found some locally that are $1.25 each. your plants look amazing bro, on day 29 too? thats going to be a real good harvest. i like how you hang the nps from the lights(or middle duct), thats a good idea and will do the same myself . May i ask how far your lights are apart? and did you use a cuppler or just flex duct? i dunno if I should do 6 inches or like 12? (im assuming closer together would be better, like the 3rd light effect or whatever lol)

 

[Xlr8]

my buddy uses the cvault large and it's too sick. Props for the post on those, didn't know they sold em individually. your plants look amazing bro, on day 29 too? thats going to be a real good harvest. i like how you hang the nps from the lights(or middle duct), thats a good idea and will do the same myself . May i ask how far your lights are apart? and did you use a cuppler or just flex duct? i dunno if I should do 6 inches or like 12? (im assuming closer together would be better, like the 3rd light effect or whatever lol)

Hi UG!

My lights are as close together as they can be - out of necessity, frankly. Basically the round port on each hood is butted up to the other, and then duct taped together to seal the seam. Then, there is a cuff-like collar that you can get at hydro stores that I wrapped around and tightened down/clamped. So, there is really zero space between them - they literally butt up to one-another as close as is possible. It was the only way I could get them both in there and still have room for the ducting on the ends. In fact, these were the only hoods I could find locally that would fit end to end in my particular tent - but I like them considerably and they work pretty darned well with my set-up. One thing for certain, there is a cross over effect that always causes the largest buds and branches to be right smack in the center pretty much. I try to work with that knowledge when I lay things out so that each plant gets a portion of that center area where the lights are over-lapping, or at least the ones I'm most wanting to get it!

I think the harvest will be pretty good, but these have a lot of sativa influence to them, and don't necessarily lend themselves to huge yields naturally, and I really need to bush them out to keep them from being 10 feet tall. Thing is, since I'm just growing for me, that's okay as it'll for sure be plenty. I actually want to grow some more indica heavy strains again soon to see what kind of harvest I can really get if I work at that element a little more.

On the NPS - It did just hang down from the center, but it hung down a little closer to the plants than I liked so I sort of wired it up horizontally just this morning...

Thanks for dropping by my friend!

 

[Xlr8]

Heh, I was going to ask Exact this !!! You covered it well xlr8.
The website says they need to be replaced every 2 months , I assume a little longer, probably 3-4 depending on the conditions, as you said !! Great info xlr8 , will come in handy for sure !!!

Thanks Billy! I'm thinking because I use multiple per jar that perhaps they last a little longer, but I'm not sure. Some do seem to be getting questionably firm, but I've had no issues getting them to last way beyond 2 months, personally. They're the greatest thing since sliced bread IMO.

 

[UrbanGrower]

your posts are very well worded Xlr8, you are a very articulate speaker but it's still very easy for me to read and that's almost impossible these days lol. thank you for the fast reply and all the information you included! I will try to keep them as close as I can for the cross over effect and it should be a lil easier to cool too no? it all looks so good on your end man I will copy cat all I can from you hahah. My main goal is quality as well so yield isn't the big thing for me, obviously ill be pissed if a mistake made by me screws up an overall yield but id prefer 2 oz of amazing bud to 6 oz of fire throat lol. i think youve proved your yield capabilities with that big bang auto . also... thanks for the nps tips

 

[Xlr8]

your posts are very well worded Xlr8, you are a very articulate speaker but it's still very easy for me to read and that's almost impossible these days lol. thank you for the fast reply and all the information you included! I will try to keep them as close as I can for the cross over effect and it should be a lil easier to cool too no? it all looks so good on your end man I will copy cat all I can from you hahah. My main goal is quality as well so yield isn't the big thing for me, obviously ill be pissed if a mistake made by me screws up an overall yield but id prefer 2 oz of amazing bud to 6 oz of fire throat lol. i think youve proved your yield capabilities with that big bang auto . also... thanks for the nps tips

That's very, very nice of you. I think your idea on doing the lights like I do is fine as long as you don't lose out on lighting the perimeter as well as it should be. It's nice being able to get the crossover power for sure. For me, I was kind of "stuffing" these in there, lol. I wish I knew more about lighting and coverage, but it was nearly moot in my situation as there weren't many options for doing two lamps. A single 600w might have worked fine in my situation as well, but I just sort of chose a direction and went with it.

On the cooling... I'm not sure it matters as long as you have things ducted correctly and a fan appropriate to the need.

Thanks again for all the kind words - glad I was able to be helpful with the info! Can't wait to see your set-up once it's all completed.