San Diego, 1st indoor, 4x4 tent, soil, organic grow journal

[stp]

I’ve not been testing PH of my water since I first tested and it was what it was, I think it was maybe .5 higher than rules said I should, I’ve never adjusted for Ph. I’ve never test my nutrients in the water, figured it’s organic, do I have to really? I run all organic with R/o water so I add cal/mg just because, nutrients as the mfg suggests, mix in a few tea waterings plus foliar sprays, one plain water (cal/mg adjusted as always) and I never water to get runoff, in fact, I’m giving them one gallon each and so far it’s been fine. There has been some lighter colors on the new growth and tops, some curling that comes and goes, and the little bit of variegated coloring.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

If I do that, I’m introducing chlorine to the mix, even if it’s a small amount, I’m fine with what I’ve got. Guys think some of my color lightness and curling leaves could be too low airflow and not enough fresh air, which I agree, I have no direct source of fresh air and I exhaust into the room/house. I can open a few windows on parts of the house to allow fresh air but then I’m messing with my controlled RH (dehumidifier).

API tap water conditioner. A quart is cheap and at a drop a gallon lasts a long time.

There can be nutrient issues causing color in leaves but not always.

This one is outside in North County, 9 wks in flower. Shes's very healthy and I'm lovin the colors.

 

[stp]

I love the variegated leaves. Beautiful colors.

Close shot of one and a funky twist of one. Got mechanical timers, they are on 12/12 now.

 

[stp]

API tap water conditioner. A quart is cheap and at a drop a gallon lasts a long time.

There can be nutrient issues causing color in leaves but not always.
View attachment 931768
This one is outside in North County, 9 wks in flower. Shes's very healthy and I'm lovin the colors.

Man, everytime we grow outdoors we battle cutworms like crazy. You don’t have that problem?

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Man, everytime we grow outdoors we battle cutworms like crazy. You don’t have that problem?

Oh yeah I do as well as moth larva in summer/fall. Monterey Bt knocks them down.

This is moth larva eggs on the underside of a leaf in my small greenhouse.

Little bastards can do a lot of damage.

Had them on a flowering plant this past year and I was harvesting the dried bud and cleaning out their poop.

The cut worms can easily take down seedlings and do a lot of damage to young plants. A little Bt and they die pretty quick after a meal.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Close shot of one and a funky twist of one. Got mechanical timers, they are on 12/12 now.

Growing outside I pay little attention to individual leafs. Now if many or most are doing something not normal then I'll spend the time to investigate. It's rare and usually caused by bugs.

Besides bugs the main problems I see in other grows are over watering and over fertilizing which weakens plants and makes them much more susceptible to bugs.

A few leafs browning or fading I ignore. During flower many leafs will be used up, brown and fall off. Normal and nothing to worry about.

Main thing is to keep the plants healthy and keep an eye on pests.

Outside we'll never get the perfect looking plants you see grown indoors but we get sunshine and an abundance of fresh air and both are free!

 

[stp]

Yeah, my thing now is, I want to know what I’m smoking is just bud...no neem oil, no powders, no bacillus (Bt), all that. I’m anti what others tell me is good for me or safe for me to smoke or eat. Nobody is looking out for me but me, so that’s why I take the time to grow my own now, don’t believe or trust the over the counter folks looking to make big bucks off me. I’m not knocking the free sun, but it’s a battle outdoors and the end result takes a lot of effort to pick them off live each day and buying predator bugs, mantis’, microscopic nematodes, whatever...we’ve done that forever, trying something new now.

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Yeah, my thing now is, I want to know what I’m smoking is just bud...no neem oil, no powders, no bacillus (Bt), all that. I’m anti what others tell me is good for me or safe for me to smoke or eat. Nobody is looking out for me but me, so that’s why I take the time to grow my own now, don’t believe or trust the over the counter folks looking to make big bucks off me. I’m not knocking the free sun, but it’s a battle outdoors and the end result takes a lot of effort to pick them off live each day and buying predator bugs, mantis’, microscopic nematodes, whatever...we’ve done that forever, trying something new now.

Yeah, I'm pretty much the same but when moth larva are getting more bud then I am it's time to nuke 'em.

Not worried about the Bt but I won't use much on my weed. Neem leaves a bad taste if applied too close to harvest and I don't use it on my girls.

I'll use a little soap and water from time to time but being outside it's easy to wash off. Most of it gets washed off by the morning dew anyway.

In comparison to what many commercial growers spray on their plants and put into the soil I'm way better off with the soap and Bt and I never spray anything several weeks or more before harvest, mainly just during veg.

 

[stp]

This morning we had a successful timer on. Now we’re 12/12! Fed them heavier than normal last night as they were dry! They only had about 30 minutes of light before they clicked off after watering. They look amazingly happy today!

 

[stp]

We’re having girls, already showing all four after the screwed up start into flower on Friday, this was today. Some of these I tried to edit and some didn’t.

 

[stp]

Fed these the night of the flip, Sunday night. Wednesday night they got cal/mg water only. Seems like they got lighter since I watered no nutrients. Maybe I should be feeding each time and not skipping for water or tea?

 

[PlumberSoCal]

Fed these the night of the flip, Sunday night. Wednesday night they got cal/mg water only. Seems like they got lighter since I watered no nutrients. Maybe I should be feeding each time and not skipping for water or tea?

Tea is usually okay but go easy on the nutes. Very easy to burn the plant.

 

[stp]

Just chilling at 72 degrees and 60%RH.

 

[Smoking Gun]

@stp I have to be honest I have never given plants in 5 gallon pots more than half a gallon at a time. So the fact you are giving each a full gallon to me implies over-watering. How often are you giving the plants water? Personally in soil I never water daily unless the plants tell me they need it, its an every other day, or even an every third day thing. Also, you said you are using organic nutes, I know you mentioned it before but which line are you using? I prefer a feed, feed, water schedule when using organic nutes and I rarely give them at full strength. Ultimately when using organics we are putting more organic matter into the soil to break down and become available to the plant well after we have applied it. So when using organic nutes it is surprisingly easy to over do it; however it can be tough to tell that it was too much because organic nutes will not typically cause nutrient burn like when using mineral nutrients. If there is too much of one element in an organic system it is most likely going to cause lock outs of other nutrients and we will typically see deficiencies rather than overdose symptoms. I would suggest doing the next two waterings with cal-mag only to help flush the soil, though you will not be able to flush it fully as you have been adding more and more organic material that has become part of the soil composition. After the two waterings with cal-mag go back to using nutes, but use them at half strength. Hopefully this will help them get back to their proper color.

Also, now that you are in flowering you may see some of the growth come in a bit lighter, I find that happens with the initial stretch as the plants haven't yet ramped up their metabolism to use quite as much nutrients as their growth really needs. When everything is in balance they will green right back up on their own.

 

[stp]

I’m Watering every third or fourth day. I use Bio Canna nutrients. The gallon per plant i believe is fine, just wondered if I need more as one gallon almost never shows any runoff through the bottom...it does, but it’s minimal, which I’m fine with. I was thinking it wants more N as it never seemed to get much of my Vega nutrient since the transplanting had them in brand new Happy Frog each time, and now it is wanting me to keep the N (Vega) to a minimum and I’m just thinking it might be too early to do that as I keep seeing lighter new growth. But the new growth is developing and getting darker so it could just be the way it does it. Thank you for the advice. Today is feeding day and they look ready. I have a soil tester I use before I water and I make sure they are dry before they get watered. As for over watering, I thought that if I’m using organics and smart pots, the chances of over watering them were slim as these pots are somewhat self regulating in regards to that. If I water them too much in one session (like a gallon versus a half) it should just leech out the bottom and I’d think be no problem???? Really appreciate your input! Thank you!

 

[stp]

Sunday they got nutrients. Added more N stuff and a little of the Flores this time. Plants look good to me. So much growth stretching out Im not sure what to do, I mean, it’s not a problem yet but I can’t imagine tying all these down. Tops are all pulled over except for the one Indica.

 

[stp]

Long Island Iced Tea! These were really thirsty this morning so I ran home from work about 8:30 and gave them more nutrients. Yep, back to back against all rules! I mean, it’s organic, when I water with water only I always see lighter tops. The food schedule is telling me one more week of N food and then it’s pretty much done with Nitrogen from the Vega stuff...today they got everything like a freaking Long Island Iced Tea and they look like they have plant boners. Sorry the photo doesn’t do it justice, it’s my cam screenshot. This is the second time I only gave them 3 gallons between the four (5) gallon pots. Takes a whole day away from time between watering so far. Not sure which is better, but if I leave town, it’s 4 gallons for sure.

 

[stp]

Couple shots with my phone camera and a video. One was leaking some sap, might be that I snapped it a little trying to tweak tops. Things are popping in here!

 

[707finisher]

Looks good, it’s working for you!!!

 

[stp]

So I’m on the second week of flower. Since I flipped lights, I have watered the first two times with nutrients. The third time, last night, I watered with only cal/mg. Take a look at the yellowing that happens when I do that. Do you think that means I should be feeding them nutrients each time I water or what?