🪴 Back to Growing After Decades Away — With a Little Help from AI Coaching

[kenb]

Flowering Day 26

Bulking is in full gear. Climate is staying nicely at 71-73 degrees, RH at 58-60%, and VPD at 1.00 – 1.05 kPa. I'll be doing some defoliation tonight and, if there is no stress detected in a couple of days, the light will go up to full power (level 10).

 

[kenb]

Flower Day 27 Update

Stretch is finished and they’ve clearly shifted into bulk. Calyx stacking is underway now, with early frost building across the sugar leaves. Trunks and cola stems are thick and strong, and water uptake remains steady late into the light cycle.

Canopy posture is relaxed, airflow is dialed in top to bottom, and there are no signs of stress. From here it’s just maintaining a stable environment and letting them fill in over the next couple of weeks.

Appreciate all the solid info shared here — it definitely helps keep things on track.

 

[kenb]

Flower Day 27 Update
Water uptake is massive - nearly 8 qts per day with the bases and humidifier. Light has been turned up to 10 with no signs of stress. The ladies are looking good!

 

[ChairmanFester]

If you re-use the soil try a few egg shells per gallon. This is the stage where is jacks the pistil numbers. I did it two grows ago and my current ones in flower. More dense bracts too.

 

[kenb]

Pretty sure I discovered the culprit this morning. Right after flowering began, I ran out of distilled water for the humidifier. Today I noticed a thin patina of white dust on TOP of the light, right below the vent tube for the dehumidifier. So I'm thinking this is calcium and other minerals from the tap water (it does get pH balanced). Thoughts?
P.S. there are three clip fans in the tent - two S7s oscillating above the canopy and an S9 giving the undercarriage a light breeze.

 

[Week4Bytch]

Interesting.., never thought of asking Chatgpt for advice I saw a YouTube mechanic playing with Chatgpt and it was near perfect helping him pinpoint the engine problem.

 

[kenb]

Flower Day 30 – PM Scare Resolved (Mineral Dust Confirmation)

Date: Flower Day 30
Stage: Early–Mid Flower (Bulk Phase Initiation)

Observation

Over the past several days, a light white/gray film was observed on portions of upper fan leaves and sugar leaves. The appearance raised concerns within online grow communities (THCFarmer, Facebook groups) that this could be early powdery mildew (PM).

Diagnostic Checks Performed

Before taking any action, the following diagnostics were completed:

Smell test: Tent smells of earth and cannabis only; no musty or mildew odor.

Peroxide test: No bubbling reaction consistent with PM.

Progression check: No spreading or patch development over time.

Environmental review: RH maintained in the 45–55% range with strong airflow and stable VPD.


Key Discovery (Root Cause)

A fine white patina was discovered on top of the LED light fixture. This confirmed mineral (calcium) dust fallout from prior ultrasonic humidifier use with non-distilled water.

This finding aligns with:

Even, non-fuzzy residue

Greater visibility under LED light

Accumulation on upper surfaces

Lack of disease progression


Conclusion

The white film on leaves was humidifier mineral dust, not powdery mildew.

No remediation (spraying or wiping leaves) was performed to avoid trichome damage or unnecessary stress during bulk flower.

Corrective Action

Humidifier turned OFF (environment now self-stabilizing)

Future humidifier use (if needed) will be distilled or RO water only

Continued monitoring of RH/VPD, especially at lights-on transition


Current Environment (Stable)

RH holding steady without humidifier

VPD appropriate for Flower Day 30+

No signs of stress, PM, or decline


Notes

This event reinforced the importance of:

Evidence-based diagnosis over visual assumption

Understanding humidifier mineral fallout as a PM lookalike

Avoiding unnecessary interventions in mid-flower


Grow remains healthy, vigorous, and on track for bulk phase.


---

Lesson learned: Don’t fix what data says isn’t broken.

 

[ChairmanFester]

Interesting.., never thought of asking Chatgpt for advice I saw a YouTube mechanic playing with Chatgpt and it was near perfect helping him pinpoint the engine problem.

It works pretty much as long as you apply a common sense filter. I do from time to time and I have for like a grow extensively end to end.

 

[cpurola]

Yay!!! I was so worried for your grow! This is fantastic news 'cause your plants are looking amazing.

 

[kenb]

Flowering Day 30

The humidifier hasn't run in nearly 36 hrs - by design - since the RH was staying above 62 after light off. The exhaust fan is doing its thing but there just wasn't enough air getting in so I unzipped each door a few inches and the RH immediately fell into the correct range. The tent is in my basement with cool, dry air so I need to monitor temp, RH, and VPD closely. We're about to get a bad cold snap in our weather so I'm really glad that I insulated under and behind the tent.

Cap junky leader for today's pic.

 

[kenb]

Flower is stacking nicely

Mid-flower now and the tent smells incredible. Buds are frosting up, structure is strong, and everything’s cruising right where it should be.

Lots of patience from here on out… but it’s getting harder not to stare

 

[kenb]

Flower Day 32

Environment​

• Temp: ~71°F
• RH: ~58% (lights on)
• VPD: ~1.05–1.10
• Humidifier: OFF
• Exhaust: Level 5
• Airflow: Multiple clip fans, gentle canopy movement

Environment has fully stabilized. RH rise after lights off remains controlled with no spikes. Tent is now largely self-regulating, which is exactly where I want it at this stage.

Water Uptake​

• Plants continue to drink aggressively
• Bases functioning well; no signs of root stress or imbalance
• Plan is to allow a slight dry-down before next top dressing
  

Nutrition Plan​

• Next top dress: Flower Day 35–38
• Final top dress mix (per plant):
  • Gaia Green Power Bloom: 2 Tbsp
  • Gaia Green All Purpose: 1 Tbsp
  • Fresh worm castings: ½–¾ cup
• Will allow bases to run low, then top dress and top-water once to activate before returning to bottom watering.

This will be the final meaningful feeding before water-only.

 

[ChairmanFester]

As long as you're factoring in top dress begins to work in 14 days and that amount lasts for 4 weeks...

 

[kenb]

As long as you're factoring in top dress begins to work in 14 days and that amount lasts for 4 weeks...

This is good info. I thought that the fresh worm castings would increase the speed of the microbe breakdown. Sounds like I need to do the final top dress sooner than later....

 

[ChairmanFester]

Well castings might go the full 14... Gaia Green can't be much faster than a few days shy but I suspect it has to be optimized for something to do with availability. But as I run into a lot, you can't argue with a clock either.

Root-exuded sugars as drivers of rhizosphere microbiome assembly - PubMed

Sugars in root exudates play a pivotal role in shaping plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, serving as carbon sources and signaling molecules that orchestrate microbial behavior, community structure, and plant resilience. Recent research has shed light on the dynamics of sugar levels...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sort of talks about how the downward microbial colonizing from your castings find their place during this.

 

[ChairmanFester]

I'd tag in @Mikedin for anything further, he knows more.

 

[kenb]

This is the hardest part of the grow....being patient and letting them do their thing. They are drinking massively ~2-3 gallons per day, between the bases and humidifier. Climate numbers are spot on in light and dark cycles.

I need to vent outdoors very soon. There's a basement hopper window just a few feet away from the exhaust fan duct. I'm thinking of just pulling the window (the window insert, not the entre frame), inserting a piece of 2" faced foam board, doing a 6" cutout for a baffle on the interior side of the board, and a louvered vent on the outside. I'll need to seal both sides of the cutout where the hardware will be, and weather tape and seal the board from the inside. Any insights on how to to do this are welcome and appreciated.

Todays canopy shot about 10m before light went off. The cap junky's are in front and the ginger kush's are in the back. They are building nicely.

 

[JIMKSI64]

Amazon.com: BAFOLLGY Window Dryer Vent Kit, Fit for Sliding Windows,for 4''/5''/6'' Duct Hose, for Warm Air Ducts, Portable Air Conditioners, Dryers, Grow Rooms Ventilation and Exhaust : Appliances

Amazon.com: BAFOLLGY Window Dryer Vent Kit, Fit for Sliding Windows,for 4''/5''/6'' Duct Hose, for Warm Air Ducts, Portable Air Conditioners, Dryers, Grow Rooms Ventilation and Exhaust : Appliances

www.amazon.com

[Upgraded] Hon&Guan 6 Inch Backdraft Damper Draft Blocker, One-Way Airflow Duct Damper 6 Inch Ducting Insert Backflow Preventer Inline Fan Vent Deflector-Black - Amazon.com

[Upgraded] Hon&Guan 6 Inch Backdraft Damper Draft Blocker, One-Way Airflow Duct Damper 6 Inch Ducting Insert Backflow Preventer Inline Fan Vent Deflector-Black - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[kenb]

Hey folks

Checking in at Flower Day 35 and wanted to share some canopy and cola shots along with a technical snapshot. This is my first run dialing things in at this level, so I’m documenting carefully and very open to feedback from experienced eyes.

Setup​

• Tent: 4×4
• Plants: 4 total (mixed cultivars, clone run)
• Medium: Living soil (top-dress program, no bottled nutrients)
• Containers: Fabric pots with bases
• Training: Early training + dual trellis (support + canopy control)
• Lighting: LED, high intensity (no recent changes)
• CO₂: Passive bag (not injected)

Environment (current targets)

• Lights ON:
  • Temp: ~75–78°F
  • RH: ~45–50%
  • VPD: ~1.1–1.3
• Lights OFF:
  • RH kept below 55%
  • Strong focus on airflow and avoiding overnight spikes

Automation is limited — I’ve found fewer swings = better consistency at this stage.

---

Observations @ Day 35​

• Canopy: Even and well-supported by the net. No dominant tops running away.
• Stretch: Fully done. Plants are clearly transitioning from vertical build to lateral swell.
• Bud structure: Dense, conical stacking — no foxtailing so far.
• Lower sites: Still productive; light penetration seems to be holding up.
• Resin: Heavy trichome development extending well onto sugar leaves.
• Leaf health: Slight, expected fade beginning. No clawing, no burn, no obvious deficiencies.

I’ve been extra cautious about humidity due to mid/late flower mold risk, but so far I’m not seeing anything concerning visually or aromatically.

---

Questions for the Group​

1. Based on structure at Day 35, does this look on pace for solid late-flower swell?
2. Would you leave the canopy alone from here, or do a very light cleanup after Day 40?
3. For those running similar density, do you tighten RH further as buds bulk, or prioritize airflow over chasing numbers?

Appreciate any thoughts — always learning from the collective experience here.
More updates to come as they head into the heavy swelling phase.


(Images attached below)

 

[kenb]

Flower Day 37 – quick status update​

Minor hiccup overnight — exhaust was accidentally left off and RH climbed into the low 80s for a short window. Corrected as soon as it was caught and let the room normalize without chasing numbers.


By lights-off this morning the tent was fully back in range (≈55–56% RH, ~65°F, VPD ~0.94). Canopy looks dry, relaxed, and healthy. No signs of PM, botrytis, or moisture stress anywhere in the buds.


Letting the environment settle through today’s dark cycle and will reassess at lights-on tonight before deciding on the next (light) top dress. No rush at this stage.


Best canopy shot from this morning attached.
As always, appreciate the eyes.