Grow #2 - Barney's Farm Acapulco Gold Feminized

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BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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It's day 31. My plants are not dead, but they are far behind. That's okay, though. Other than my own incompetence, nothing seems to be between me and a successful crop. The pictures show how much better they're looking.

The Inkbird controllers arrived. The humidity controller is working well. The temperature controller is working but not connected to the heater yet. I am impressed by both of them. I spent an extra $30 to get the WiFi versions because reviewers wrote that setup is easier using the phone app. I believe they were correct. The phone app is excellent. It's still nice to have a VPD reading on the AC Infinity Controller 69 Pro, but that and a quick look at the other settings is all I'm using it for now.

I also added soil humidity testers to my toolbox. All my soil tested on the "wet" side of the scale.

Most improvement is surely from the nutrients. I've been careful about not to make the soil too moist. So I've watered in the nutrients slowly and carefully. At first, I just added a little near the stem of the plants. I also increased the dose to let the plants adjust. They're pretty hungry, though. The one in the plastic pot is younger and the soil is wetter. I'll probably transplant it into a fabric pot when it's ready. I have some 5-gallon pots available. Then the only problem is making room in my 2x4 tent.

So, it seems I'm headed in the right direction. Thanks to everyone who helped. I appreciate it. Thanks.

D31 P1   20221130 115824
D31 P2   20221130 115834
D31 P3   20221130 115847
 
biggerbud420

biggerbud420

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It's day 31. My plants are not dead, but they are far behind. That's okay, though. Other than my own incompetence, nothing seems to be between me and a successful crop. The pictures show how much better they're looking.

The Inkbird controllers arrived. The humidity controller is working well. The temperature controller is working but not connected to the heater yet. I am impressed by both of them. I spent an extra $30 to get the WiFi versions because reviewers wrote that setup is easier using the phone app. I believe they were correct. The phone app is excellent. It's still nice to have a VPD reading on the AC Infinity Controller 69 Pro, but that and a quick look at the other settings is all I'm using it for now.

I also added soil humidity testers to my toolbox. All my soil tested on the "wet" side of the scale.

Most improvement is surely from the nutrients. I've been careful about not to make the soil too moist. So I've watered in the nutrients slowly and carefully. At first, I just added a little near the stem of the plants. I also increased the dose to let the plants adjust. They're pretty hungry, though. The one in the plastic pot is younger and the soil is wetter. I'll probably transplant it into a fabric pot when it's ready. I have some 5-gallon pots available. Then the only problem is making room in my 2x4 tent.

So, it seems I'm headed in the right direction. Thanks to everyone who helped. I appreciate it. Thanks.

View attachment 1307375View attachment 1307376View attachment 1307377
they will get better i turned these 3 plants around just takes time and there autos this was before and after pics
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BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
Day 37

The plants are doing much better now that they're being fed better. I also have both Inkbird controllers installed: one for the humidifier and one for the heater. The humidity is set to 60% and the heat is set to 77F. I began defoliating the fan leaves a few days ago, starting from the bottom.

I bought some soil moisture meters. They're helpful. It's interesting to measure the moisture at different depths of the soil.

Plant #1 is second largest. It is 7 1/2 inches tall. It's looking good and growing rapidly. I removed many of the lower fan leaves, leaving the upper leaves in place to energize the plant. I'll clip those later, as the branches develop.

P1 D37   20221206 062733


Plant #2 is the largest of the three. It is 10 inches tall. The branching looks good to my eye. I'll be removing more fan leaves soon.

P2 D37   20221206 062804


Plant #3 is struggling. It's also about a week younger than the other two. It's about 5 inches tall. It is getting healthier, though. I haven't removed any fan leaves yet. The soil has been staying too moist because of the plastic pot, so this morning I transplanted it to a 5-gallon fabric pot.

P3 D37   20221206 062841


Here is plant #3 in its new home. I should be able to get more nutrients into its soil. Its roots were already circling the bottom of the plastic pot. I was able to keep the root ball intact when I repotted it. So prospects are good. The only problem is that I don't have a trivet or saucer for this size of pot, so I'll be ordering one soon. This is also my first plant grown in a 5-gallon fabric pot.

P3 D37   After Repotting   20221206 082414
 
ninjadip

ninjadip

1,268
263
Day 37

The plants are doing much better now that they're being fed better. I also have both Inkbird controllers installed: one for the humidifier and one for the heater. The humidity is set to 60% and the heat is set to 77F. I began defoliating the fan leaves a few days ago, starting from the bottom.

I bought some soil moisture meters. They're helpful. It's interesting to measure the moisture at different depths of the soil.

Plant #1 is second largest. It is 7 1/2 inches tall. It's looking good and growing rapidly. I removed many of the lower fan leaves, leaving the upper leaves in place to energize the plant. I'll clip those later, as the branches develop.

View attachment 1309079

Plant #2 is the largest of the three. It is 10 inches tall. The branching looks good to my eye. I'll be removing more fan leaves soon.

View attachment 1309080

Plant #3 is struggling. It's also about a week younger than the other two. It's about 5 inches tall. It is getting healthier, though. I haven't removed any fan leaves yet. The soil has been staying too moist because of the plastic pot, so this morning I transplanted it to a 5-gallon fabric pot.

View attachment 1309081

Here is plant #3 in its new home. I should be able to get more nutrients into its soil. Its roots were already circling the bottom of the plastic pot. I was able to keep the root ball intact when I repotted it. So prospects are good. The only problem is that I don't have a trivet or saucer for this size of pot, so I'll be ordering one soon. This is also my first plant grown in a 5-gallon fabric pot.

View attachment 1309082
Yes!!!! Almost all of them look great now!!

Was just checking in on ya and I'm so happy they are going in the right direction
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
Day 43

I have been removing fan leaves on the main stem on all three plants, except at the top. I also turn the plants about an eighth of a turn every day.

The two Viparspectra XS2000 lights are set at about 50%.

I am using a soil moisture test meter to help with the watering. I'm not sure what meter reading is best, so I'm just learning as I go. I think the meter is helpful, though. It clearly shows how moist the soil is at different levels. I usually test at about two inches and then push it down its full length to test the moisture near the bottom of the pot.

Plant 1 - It was topped after I took the picture. The plant seems to be doing well. The branches should grow better now that it has been topped.

P1 D43   20221212 112418


Plant 2 - This is the best of the three. It was topped more than a week ago on day 35. The branching looks very good. It looks like I'll need to prune the lower parts of the branches soon.

P2 D43   20221212 112427


Plant 3 - This one has problems. Its leaves are still curling and turning brown. It's about the same height as plant 1, but branching is minimal. It has not been topped yet. I want it to be healthier when I top it, if I top it. It hasn't improved much since it was transplanted to a 5-gallon fabric pot six days ago.

I suspect nutrient lockout may be this plant's problem. Its lighter color is an indicator. So the reason it hasn't improved could be because it still isn't getting enough nutrients. The plastic pot it was in kept the soil too wet and it is still very wet at the bottom. I ordered a trivet to help aerate the bottom of the pot because the pot is sitting on a plastic saucer. I also forgot to add rice hulls to its soil, like I did for the other two plants. So this plant is having a difficult time. The soil moisture tests since transplanting it are promising, though.

I may let this one grow without topping it. I only have one tent, so all three have to be flipped at the same time.

P3 D43   20221212 112443
 
ninjadip

ninjadip

1,268
263
Day 43

I have been removing fan leaves on the main stem on all three plants, except at the top. I also turn the plants about an eighth of a turn every day.

The two Viparspectra XS2000 lights are set at about 50%.

I am using a soil moisture test meter to help with the watering. I'm not sure what meter reading is best, so I'm just learning as I go. I think the meter is helpful, though. It clearly shows how moist the soil is at different levels. I usually test at about two inches and then push it down its full length to test the moisture near the bottom of the pot.

Plant 1 - It was topped after I took the picture. The plant seems to be doing well. The branches should grow better now that it has been topped.

View attachment 1310815

Plant 2 - This is the best of the three. It was topped more than a week ago on day 35. The branching looks very good. It looks like I'll need to prune the lower parts of the branches soon.

View attachment 1310813

Plant 3 - This one has problems. Its leaves are still curling and turning brown. It's about the same height as plant 1, but branching is minimal. It has not been topped yet. I want it to be healthier when I top it, if I top it. It hasn't improved much since it was transplanted to a 5-gallon fabric pot six days ago.

I suspect nutrient lockout may be this plant's problem. Its lighter color is an indicator. So the reason it hasn't improved could be because it still isn't getting enough nutrients. The plastic pot it was in kept the soil too wet and it is still very wet at the bottom. I ordered a trivet to help aerate the bottom of the pot because the pot is sitting on a plastic saucer. I also forgot to add rice hulls to its soil, like I did for the other two plants. So this plant is having a difficult time. The soil moisture tests since transplanting it are promising, though.

I may let this one grow without topping it. I only have one tent, so all three have to be flipped at the same time.

View attachment 1310814
You're probably right about the lock out. I wonder if from ph, or if you say this one has been too wet for too long it could be root issues. Cause that's exactly what they like, the bad guys that is. Hopefully it's not, but maybe some root zone bennies will help?

Oh but those other two look great!
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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263
You're probably right about the lock out. I wonder if from ph, or if you say this one has been too wet for too long it could be root issues. Cause that's exactly what they like, the bad guys that is. Hopefully it's not, but maybe some root zone bennies will help?

Oh but those other two look great!
I'm hoping it's not root issues. The roots looked okay when I transplanted it. The soil moisture test is looking better and we slid a cooling rack from the kitchen underneath the pot. I'll let it dry out for a few days to see if that helps. The new growth looks good, so there's hope. It probably won't produce as much as the other tow, but that's okay.
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

1,700
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how much water are you giving, that 3rd one looks dry af
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
how much water are you giving, that 3rd one looks dry af
It's probably too wet. The soil moisture meter says the bottom of the pot is very wet. I'm trying to dry it out, but it isn't going well. So I think it's problem is nutrient lockout or perhaps root rot.

Many things went wrong with that one. I don't think it will recover. I was just thinking about what to do with it. It doesn't look like it will be ready to flip when the other two are.
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

1,700
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ok sorry wasn't following properly, so that damage was from overwatering. makes sense now
would itch to trim them personally
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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263
Day 50

Here's a top-down view of the crop. The bigger two are the same age. The small one is a week younger. The difference is amazing. The only difference between the larger two is that I put soil around the stem of the one on the right shortly after it sprouted. I did it because it didn't look like it was going to survive. Everything else is the same, except for their position in the tent.

The small one has had different pots and soil mix, that obviously didn't go well for it. It seems to be getting healthier, but sadly, it probably won't catch up to the other two by the time it comes to flip.

1671494953325



Here's something I added recently. I mounted a double-gang electrical box to a board and put two outlets in it. I then added power meters. Each light is plugged into its own power meter. That way, I can set both lights to about the same amount of power. It's very hard to set them both to exactly the same value, but a slight variance surely won't matter. So, this works out to 35 watts per square foot. That's as much as the plants can handle right now. I set the lights higher, but noticed some light burn, so I turned the power back down. I should have plenty of headroom for the stretch and plenty of power for flowering.

1671495790689
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
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Day 53

I defoliated the lower fan leaves and branches on the biggest two plants yesterday. Both plants seem to have responded well to the defoliation. This picture was taken about two hours after lights on this morning.

I haven't figured out why there is so much difference between the two larger plants. The smaller one on the left looks like it needs more nutrients, so I have been giving it more. Maybe it's still isn't enough. I don't think the left plant's problem is over watering, because I have been checking the soil moisture several times a day.

The plant on the left is 12 inches tall and the plant on the right is 17 inches tall. I am thinking about flipping them soon--maybe when the smaller is close 18 inches.

The smallest plant wasn't defoliated. I'm pretty sure its slow-growth problem is the poor soil mix and the resulting poor drainage. I forgot to add rice hulls to the soil when I up-potted it. The soil has been very slow to dry, making it difficult to add nutrients. It does seem to be recovering, but it won't be ready to flip when the other two are. I'm not sure what to do with it. I think with more TLC it might live a good life.

All Plants D53   20221222 072527
 
GreenGalaxyFarm

GreenGalaxyFarm

1,700
263
cant plant the runt outdoors brother? to fend for herself
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
sometimes a lil tlc is a little too much
Sometimes, TLC is simply leaving it alone, which is mostly what I've been doing. I only topped it and did some minor defoliating. I have thought about figuring out a way to keep it going outside of the tent it's in. I have a spare 120 watt LED light. I would just need a small tent for it. Later on, maybe I could use the tent for seedlings. That way, I can flip the other two plants and let the little one veg. I'll have to order it soon, though.
 
SSgrower

SSgrower

2,374
263
Day 53

I defoliated the lower fan leaves and branches on the biggest two plants yesterday. Both plants seem to have responded well to the defoliation. This picture was taken about two hours after lights on this morning.

I haven't figured out why there is so much difference between the two larger plants. The smaller one on the left looks like it needs more nutrients, so I have been giving it more. Maybe it's still isn't enough. I don't think the left plant's problem is over watering, because I have been checking the soil moisture several times a day.

The plant on the left is 12 inches tall and the plant on the right is 17 inches tall. I am thinking about flipping them soon--maybe when the smaller is close 18 inches.

The smallest plant wasn't defoliated. I'm pretty sure its slow-growth problem is the poor soil mix and the resulting poor drainage. I forgot to add rice hulls to the soil when I up-potted it. The soil has been very slow to dry, making it difficult to add nutrients. It does seem to be recovering, but it won't be ready to flip when the other two are. I'm not sure what to do with it. I think with more TLC it might live a good life.

View attachment 1313325
I see the radiator style heater as I just bought one for my home and knew it might be needed in my 4x4 flower tent this run as it's 30 degrees outside and I have no heat in my grow room or "lung room",Cheers SS
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

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263
I see the radiator style heater as I just bought one for my home and knew it might be needed in my 4x4 flower tent this run as it's 30 degrees outside and I have no heat in my grow room or "lung room",Cheers SS
I think the oil-filled radiator heaters provide more consistent temperature. I run it using an Inkbird controller. The heater thermostat is set to the highest level.
 
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