Grow Diary 2024: The 9/11 Tribute Grow

[KVBR]

I'm retired military, and was off duty when I got a phone call at 6am pacific. It's moment one will never forget and changed our lives worldwide forever. SO to honor those that sacrificed on that day, I'm naming this grow the "9/11".

Anyways my format might stink trying to document this, but I'll give it my best.

Starting from scratch, I wanna keep a diary since it seems like one can learn more over the months by doing so.

I made my own mix and reused some of last grows soil:

60% peat
20% PERLITE
20% COMPOST
with buildasoil amendments mixed in (craft and kasha blend, worm castings and top dress)

I got the soil pre soaked and started the seeds directly into soil.

1 - RQS F1 auto
3 - RQS OG Kush fem

RQS grow bags 6.6 gal/25L
SpiderFarmer 4x4
Magnolia 3 bar LED (lights off for now)
AC Infinity controller
A couple of fans

Anyways, a thanks to all the folks here that share and contribute! I've learned so much in a short amount of time!

 

[KVBR]

Update 9/15:

3/4 seeds broke ground....2 OG Kush and 1 Epsilon F1. I have no doubt the 4th seed will sprout, but I may have put it in upside down. I tried to keep all the seeds on their sides as best I could when I dropped them.

Water sensor is at 70% today, it was around 90% when I started. No additional watering needed.

 

[KVBR]

Observation:

I found a roach (bug) crawling around in my tent.....how the heck did it even get in there? My tent is a fairly well sealed environment, and it's within a fairly sealed tight environment.

I don't like bugs, especially those. WTF, haha

 

[KVBR]

update 9/16 ish:

Basically day 6 from dropping seeds. 4/4 on germination.....temps around 75*, RH 65%, water probe 66%

I guess the rest is on me : )

I have to preface that Epsilon F1 I've run before as my very first grow. One plant was 7" tall, the other like 14" and the yield was crap, the smoke was good though. Anyways, what I'm getting to, is that my rookie ass thinks the F1 hybrids from RQS just don't grow very tall to begin with. And it's showing it a little as the "runt" out of the all 4 seedlings.

The OGs I have no doubt will thrive. I've grown them before as well, and are def fast veg.

Positioned from facing front of tent

1 2
3 4


1 Epsilon

OG #2

OG #3

OG #4

 

[KVBR]

Update 9/21:

Did some watering just to keep the top soil moist.

Turned the lamp on and it shot my temps up a bit. I measured the LUX at 10000 right now 32" inches above ground level. Midway measured 30k LUX, and 6" from the top is at 45K lux. The lamp is turned down to 25%. Set the lamp to 18/6, and keeping the humidity domes for another week I thinks.

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[KVBR]

So...about a month to the day I put the seeds in soil. Same soil, same watering. : /

I scratched up the top soil to see if all was well....and it was.

 

[Galgrows]

Fella that's some healthy soil you got there, those gals don't need nothin in my view for now.

 

[KVBR]

Fella that's some healthy soil you got there, those gals don't need nothin in my view for now.

Thx! I hope it is......I'm just not sure since all 4 plants seem to be in different stages of growth. I watch too many videos where they all grow uniformly and thinking something is up.

The Auto seed is def runty and I've been thinking about culling it with something before it's too late.....maybe it already is too late and I'll just run it???

 

[KVBR]

Well it's been roughly 30 days of veg time. Yesterday, I did a top dress (kashi, craft, worm and compost) with a decent watering in prep for the next couple months where I hope I don't need to add anything to the soil other than water. I prettied them up with some alfalfa straw after the top dress. Most of the newer fan leaves are shooting 7 and 9 leaflets, so I guess that a good sign.

The OG's are thriving, and the auto looks pathetic. I'm sure the auto is just bad genetics and I'll never buy that strain again (RQS Epsilon). Not sure why the OG #4 is runty, but I treated them all the same.....so I guess that could be genetics as well??? IDK, I may have over watered OG#4 a little.

#1 Auto - I'll let it do it's thing, but I'm giving very little effort or attention to this plant from here on out.
#2 OG - Def the healthiest, so far I only trimmed a couple lower leaves and a few blocking light to expose newer growth.
#3 OG - Def healthy, I did a little experiment where I pinched off the main stems fresh growth as a form of toping. I read that it is supposed to grow two new mains, but I have no idea as I've never tried it.
#4 OG - Small but healthy....I'm not sure if it's going to catch up to the others. I haven't messed with it.

Topped OG#3

I'm open to ideas so I can finish the 3 healthy plants all at the same time. Keep topping? put a screen on and nip/tuck/bend? Just finish the 2 strong plants? I'm still a rookie, so keep that in mind : )

Anyways, thanks for reading/viewing.
-K

 

[KVBR]

Forgot to a closer pic of the "topping" I did.

 

[KVBR]

Update 11/1: It's truly been boring for this part....as a rookie, I want things to go fast, but this is a learning process for sure.

SO in the mean time:

- I did some defoliating, trying to get watering figured out, and get this new grow light dialed in. I mention grow light because I turned it up to 75% and the next day I was seeing tacos and wierd curling and new something wasn't right. Backed off the light, and all went back to normal.

- Experienced some burnt tips which could have been from the blast of light to close, or wind burn as my fans were kinda close....the plants corrected I think

- Did some LST, and broke off one of my 2 mains on one plant....it's shooting a new main, but def behind the others.....

- turned light schedule to 14/8, raised it to full height, turned up to 80%

The runts are still runts and the auto is throwing hair; OG 4 is kinda a dud too, but hoping it will stretch as I flip in the next week or so.

So far so good....keeping my fingers crossed : )

 

[Galgrows]

Hey man i got shit auto too LOL. Lots will change fast when they flip to flower on the photos. Training looks good fella.

 

[KVBR]

Hey man i got shit auto too LOL. Lots will change fast when they flip to flower on the photos. Training looks good fella.

11/2: I checked on things and they all sprung.....I def have a fav of the group...og#2

 

[KVBR]

11/8: Things are moving along now since I flipped to flower last week. Just been watering every few days and all seems well and starting to show hairs:

The runty auto is nearly done. It was advertised as 60 days to harvest and well it's nearly there.

The 2 OGs are looking fine....I need to stop being too rough with them cuz I snapped another branch. I'm learning, lol. However, there is one runty OG that looks like it may have a deficiency of some sort or it could be nothing, idk...None of the other plants are displaying this (lower fan leaf only and not throughout the entire plant):

Anyways, Cheers All!!!! Thanks for viewing

 

[KVBR]

Observations and thoughts from today (11/8):

- if I expect/want to fill up a 4x4, I'm gonna have to start 5 fem'd seeds and pick the best 4 and go from there...I'm not gonna mess around with diff strains at the same time, not yet : )
- I have to start photo seeds in solo's to get to the previous note, I don't want to waste energy growing a runt anymore and want the best bang for buck
- Watering is changing since the flip; I'm starting to see huge diffs between weight and the moisture meter in the runt OG....so I've been lifting them to see what's drier than others
- I may try 5 auto's next time, just cuz I have them and they grow fast

 

[KVBR]

11/12: Everything seems chill....no drastic moves other than shifting plants around.

- I should lift the runty OG a little
- havent watered for 3+ days
- raised the lights and screen 4"
- kept light at 50% ish

 

[KVBR]

It's truly boring now.....water, a little nutrients, every once in a while...They all are growing differently...Finding I don't think I'll need the screen.

I can see the finish line now: