1st time back to soil in several years Feb 2025

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Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

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Back in the mid '90s I started growing indoors 100% organic in soil. Over time I've migrated over to soilless and hydro. Somewhere in another thread this morning, I made the comment that it may in fact have been soulless, instead of soilless. At least that's how I've been feeling the past couple grows.

Today I'm starting a grow and getting back into soil. While this will not be purely organic, at least it's a step in the right direction. To get my feet wet, or I mean to get my feet dirtier, I'll be growing my last four GG4 autoflower seeds. This grow will definitely be transitional, not only by getting back into soil, but also getting away from autoflowers and going back to regulars.

Facts for this grow:

• GG4 Autos
• 5 x 5 tent
• Fc6500 LED panel @ 24/7 schedule
• Fox Farm Happy Frog & Ocean Forest soils
• GH trio, humic/fulvic, & whatever else I currently have on hand that I may need
• Hand watering! I'll be using my ebb and flow bucket system simply to evacuate runoff. The resulting runoff will be collected in the reservoir and will go to outdoor flowers and other wild vegetation around our property.
• In the meantime, I'll be investigating auto-watering techniques and systems. I will likely be rolling my own, so to speak.

This isn't going to be a whiz-bang grow. I don't want to waste these last four autoflower seeds, because free smoke! This will give me a chance to get back into soil and do some learning about The Fox Farm soils I've chosen, and get back into hand watering, and being closer to my plants in general. In other words, put my soul back into it instead of it being a mere mechanical endeavor. Might there come a day when I no longer need my fancy pH/ppm meter? 🤔
 
RoyalCannaSeedbank

RoyalCannaSeedbank

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I use KIS Organics exclusively but your back on track for a start. I have not pHd my well water in probably 5 yrs or more. I have actually grown in the same soil over a dozen times or more. Just reamend after every grow and go again. Works OK for me :)
Chopday
 
Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

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Got the tent re-tooled and ready. The pots drain to an ebb and flow control bucket that will evacuate runoff to a reservoir. I'll be hand watering this grow and figured I would make my hydro equipment somewhat useful.

The heating mat is set to and warming up the soil to 76° in the second pic. Can't wait for them to pop.

4pot setup1


4pot setup2


Germination
 
Dank.in.Donuts

Dank.in.Donuts

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RoyalCannaSeedbank said:
I use KIS Organics exclusively but your back on track for a start. I have not pHd my well water in probably 5 yrs or more. I have actually grown in the same soil over a dozen times or more. Just reamend after every grow and go again. Works OK for me :)View attachment 2378092
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Thanks for sharing that. I grow indoor and have been using Coco/soil blend I found it works for me. Buying new soil gets expensive so I have been wanting to do that going forward. I use a flush with a 3% Solution of Peroxide + PH Water to kill off anything and Prep soil mix before I use it outside for my Bell Peppers and Heirloom Tom. I was going to try it this grow with this ‘Clase Azul’ I have and just grabbed some Fox Ocean out of the bag that has been in a Sealed Container and I had a sprout but in 2 weeks it seemed to be growing too slow I know some strains may be like that but then I noticed soil critters so I flushed a new batch with Peroxide water and then with just ph water after a day transplanted the plant and took to the prepped soil. I was just going to buy new. Thanks for confirming my conclusions that it is possible to reUse Soil. Growing in FL is a pain: Bugs, Humidity, and Temp are a hassle especially bugs n humidity. I would love to get those Giant Cola Tree! Hopefully this plan with old business friends will yield a facility. 💚
 
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Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

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Bobcat.Branch said:
Waiting for beans to sprout is literally the shittiest part of growing. 😐


View attachment 2379203
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3 out 4 has sprouted so far. #1 emerged on the 17th, #2 yesterday, and #3 was breaking ground as I woke at 0500 this morning. 🥳 One more to go! 🫣

Reset and all 4 cowpots are in a larger dome on the heat pad. I increased the distance from the lights and increased the light intensity to maintain some heat since colder weather approaches. If they get leggy, I'll bump up the light intensity.

My FC6500 is set to 25% for now @ 38 inches from seedling tops. I'm not even going to fiddle with Photone and a stupid piece of paper again. When the proper filter I ordered for my phone (and Photone) comes in, I'll dial it in. I'm considering a real par meter, too. I've done just fine without one, but I'm a data slut, number whore, and info-nympho.

That's all for now. 🤞🏻
 
Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

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GG4 seed #3 aborted takeoff. Major helmet head caused everything except one cotyledon to fall off. (It was weirdly trapped under the cotyledon leaf and I just thought some soil bits were stuck to the end of the leaf. I should wear my glasses more often 😐)

After several days it was trying to grow back, but it was so slow and deformed that I decided to yank it... Being an autoflower and the clock ticking. GG4 seed #4 never sprouted. So, for 20 GG4 autoflower seeds, only one of 20 seeds failed. Not a bad germination rate. That signals the end of my autoflower journey for now.

Back to soil, and back to regulars going forward.

Now I have the two GG4 autos going, and I popped 2 regular seeds over the last 4 days, with a third soaking as I type this. They are seeds I got from an indoor "farmer," for lack of a better term. He basically crossed and bred plants that were selected for vigorous growth, yield, and smoke reports. So, lineages are basically unknown even though he's named them names like Nigerian Poison, Nigerian Jack, Durban Skunk, Ice Cream Punch, GMO + Gorilla Dawg, etc.

He's regarded as an OG grower and breeder, but admits his bulk seeds are from loosely bred plants of possibly questionable lineages. And that's fine by me, given the price! So, I'm regarding these as choice bag seeds lol. It will be fun to hunt these different "strains" and find some rando winners to play with.

Playing with cheap seeds will get my head back into regular game, and returning to soil - should I make some big missteps - it won't cost me any good heirloom or landrace seeds. I've been collecting those along the way and have a nice stash of good genetics. In due time, I suppose.

I'm in the process of adding 2x4x6' tent to serve as a veg/clone/seedling rig. It should be in service by mid March if not sooner!

So that allows the 5x5 to become a dedicated flower chamber. It's been a while since I've had that luxury, and I'm pretty excited! I'm looking forward to having a perpetual process once again and hunting some interesting phenos. For now it's going to be quick veg then straight to flower for most of what I germinate until I get some clone worthy plants. By that time I'll be ready to start popping some of those quality seeds I've been acquiring.

That's my update. I'm on my way back to basics (and my roots) as a grower. Returning to a time long past is an overall theme to my life these days and the arc of going back to simpler things, times, and life has been great! ✌🏻

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Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

391
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OldOneEye said:
Sweet set up bud.
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I appreciate ya! My original plan here was to use my ebb and flow equipment to handle runoff from hand watering.

I'll be ripping all that out now and going even further back to basics. Plus, it will make more room and the area beside this 5x5 is where my new 2x4 veg tent will go (which is also the area where the reservoir and control bucket currently reside).

That reminds me... I need deep dish pot saucers or a few decent size collection trays for runoff. 🤔 Been a hot minute since I've gone this route 😬.

Or elevate the pots above deep dish saucers so they aren't sitting in runoff... 🤔
 
O

OldOneEye

647
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Bobcat.Branch said:
I appreciate ya! My original plan here was to use my ebb and flow equipment to handle runoff from hand watering.

I'll be ripping all that out now and going even further back to basics. Plus, it will make more room and the area beside this 5x5 is where my new 2x4 veg tent will go (which is also the area where the reservoir and control bucket currently reside).

That reminds me... I need deep dish pot saucers or a few decent size collection trays for runoff. 🤔 Been a hot minute since I've gone this route 😬.

Or elevate the pots above deep dish saucers so they aren't sitting in runoff... 🤔
Click to expand...
Grows are always evolving in my experience. 😁
Those wire closet shelves work great for that.
 
Bobcat.Branch

Bobcat.Branch

391
93
OldOneEye said:
Those wire closet shelves work great for that
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Thanks for that! Gives me an idea to use two big rectangular catch-pans, those shelves, and repurpose my submersible pumps; with an eye towards having different size/age plants flowering alongside each other at any given time.

I'm trying to be as lazy as possible in my day to day garden tending 😁 - moving away from frenetic frittering over every MFing detail.
 
O

OldOneEye

647
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Bobcat.Branch said:
Thanks for that! Gives me an idea to use two big rectangular catch-pans, those shelves, and repurpose my submersible pumps; with an eye towards having different size/age plants flowering alongside each other at any given time.

I'm trying to be as lazy as possible in my day to day garden tending 😁 - moving away from frenetic frittering over every MFing detail.
Click to expand...
Lazy as possible is how I operate.
 
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