34 days into first ever grow - the story so far...

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Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

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Evening all. Day 34 since seeds went into coco, and really happy so far wth the results. Germinated seven seeds altogether, some were shit and not worthy, these four were my Highlanders (there can be only four). Have benefited from the assistance of so many of the crew here, managed to avoid seriously fucking up thanks to some timely advice.

First lesson learned was add perlite next time, I know rookie mistake, I got given some bad advice. It's not the end of the world I just wait longer between waterings. Next time I will add so I can do heaps regular fertigation.

I'm in a 4x4 wth 2x Mars Hydro TSL 2000s side by side for 585 true watts at the wall. Have just moved them up as optimum spread is at 14" from canopy and they were growing into that. Moved up to about 17" to let the grow into it again - still only set at 30%. Should have more than enough ppfd to get me right the way through, we'll see how it works out for spectrum as we go but I'm pretty impressed with the node spacing of my four Green Crack, being about 70% sativa I was concerned about height but they are staying shrubby. All we're topped around day 30-32, have now begun to train fans and shoots aside to get maximum bid sites developing and fill out the canopy ready for trellis.

Had a lot of trouble working out watering schedule, lots of help from Aqua Man there, watering too often in 100% Coco definitely caused some minor root damage to one of the plants. See plant two below. Also tested my tap water the other day and realised EC is 0.7!!!! I have been giving Canna A+B at 1.7 and wondering why they are lacking magnesium and nitrogen. The big girl is obviously taking longer than the others to respond I guess due to size. I can only go up to 2.0 without worrying about nute burn which only gives me 1.3 EC to squeeze all my nutes into. Needless to say I've ordered an RO tap filter, will be here tomorrow. No more loading my Coco up with useless inaccessible salts from the water lines. In the meantime I went to the hardware and bought four gallons of distilled water to get me through. Can give the girls a proper 2.0 that is all good quality nutes. You can really see the remnants of that early lack of magnesium on those early leaves. I'm loving the colour and vibrancy of all the new growth after topping.

Girl 1 was the first to pop and has raced along. Signs of those small early deficiencies in older growth buy just explosive since topping about 5-6 days ago. My first attempts at LST trying to get the shoots out from under the fans.

34 days into first ever grow   the story so far
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 2
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 3


Girl 2 suffered when I moved to more regular waterings which just didn't work. Another plant showed early signs but this one just didn't handle it. I've already cut the fan leaves of the first three nodes, I have wanted to cut any more off while it is recovering from topping but those two leaves just insist on flopping in the dirt. I know it's better to cut off damaged leaves but the plant will be okay with just its new growth?

34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 4
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 5
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 6
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 7


Girl 3 was a strange one, popped upside down and needed help, recovered and has just plodded along, but loved being topped and has just exploded. As with girl 2 at the moment I'm doing a lot of fan tucking mostly, will start to tie down as they stretch for the light.

34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 8
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 9


Girl 4 came off the bench after a couple didn't make it. Is a week younger than girl 1 in terms of germination date, but has done well, while perhaps taking a little longer to recover from topping. She's very airy and open so I hope that makes her easy to train and that her flowers aren't also airy..

34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 10
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 11
34 days into first ever grow   the story so far 12


Cheers for checking out my first grow. Hopefully some okay pics there. Really happy and grateful for loads of help and reassurance here so far. Peace and blaze.
 
BorealCuring

BorealCuring

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They look hungry. Make sure your PH is on point.
For sure they need MG. Add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts (unscented) per gallon of water. I'm not a coco grower so someone will tell you what to do about the N.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
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Yeah they are. I've only identified the hard water problem in the last two days and switched to distilled, while I wait for my RO tap filter. So they have basically been getting less than the minimum recommended EC of A+B while I thought I was feeding at the high end, because 0.7 EC was already in the water. Looking forward to seeing how they respond over the next week to proper feedings that aren't loaded up with salts from the tap water.

pH is on point. 5.8-5.9 in, getting 6.3 out. I calibrate the pen once a week. I'm confident it's the hard water issue but if no change over the next few days will revisit that thinking.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

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I will say also the photos I find of green crack are typically quite light in colour. I notice as well photos from the side are more yellow, no doubt from the yellow light being more diffused from that angle. Below is the photo on another grow website of what the variety looks like. Reckon my new growth is not far off that.
 
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Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
They look hungry. Make sure your PH is on point.
For sure they need MG. Add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts (unscented) per gallon of water. I'm not a coco grower so someone will tell you what to do about the N.
Realised I was using my iPhone like an old man and not taking proper advantage of the camera. Kept wondering why I think my plants look great irl and everyone sees photos and thinks they're hungry. Realised I should be using a cool filter that takes some of the yellow spectrum of the LEDs out. This is what I actually see when I open the tent. Much nicer photos.
 
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Lynch_Ironside

Lynch_Ironside

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Looking good man, had a similar problem before with my tap water, use to now too. Might want to consider trimming off those leaves resting on the coco/ tops. Perspiration occurs on the bottom of the leaves. It will also help with air flow under the plants.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
Looking good man, had a similar problem before with my tap water, use to now too. Might want to consider trimming off those leaves resting on the coco/ tops. Perspiration occurs on the bottom of the leaves. It will also help with air flow under the plants.
Thanks mate appreciate it. Yeah that 0.7 EC was a mofo, 0.2 I could accept and work with but can't be giving my young plants 2.2 just to even be getting 1.5 into them that's crazy. Can't wait for my RO to arrive. Distilled water is $3 a gallon at the hardware that keeps me going until then.

Cheers also for the confirmation on pruning. I already took three sets of leaves off the girl in the second picture and didn't know if I could afford taking any more, but more and more people keep confirming if you're taking away something that's lying in moisture you're only taking away a hindrance to the plant. I think the new growth is more than lush enough to support itself anyway.

So here's a question - someone said on this site the other day you trim just the leaf and leave the stem so the plant can draw the nutrients that are still trapped in it then shed it when it's done with it. Any truth to that?
 
PauliBhoy

PauliBhoy

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Mag is a key nutrient used in photosynthesis so just adding mag might get them a nice dark green.
Yeah they are. I've only identified the hard water problem in the last two days and switched to distilled, while I wait for my RO tap filter. So they have basically been getting less than the minimum recommended EC of A+B while I thought I was feeding at the high end, because 0.7 EC was already in the water. Looking forward to seeing how they respond over the next week to proper feedings that aren't loaded up with salts from the tap water.

pH is on point. 5.8-5.9 in, getting 6.3 out. I calibrate the pen once a week. I'm confident it's the hard water issue but if no change over the next few days will revisit that thinking.
hard water isn't a problem, it's free calcium 🙂

How hard is it? Suggest you get an aquarium test kit, they're super cheap. Then you can dial in a fert that works with your water rather than having to get different water ☺️
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
Mag is a key nutrient used in photosynthesis so just adding mag might get them a nice dark green.

hard water isn't a problem, it's free calcium 🙂

How hard is it? Suggest you get an aquarium test kit, they're super cheap. Then you can dial in a fert that works with your water rather than having to get different water ☺️
Hmm didn't know that was an option. Normally in my city tap water is 0.2-0.4 EC. I'm getting 0.7 at my place.
 
Lynch_Ironside

Lynch_Ironside

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You’d probably be ok with regular old spring water until it arrives. Might be a bit cheaper.
As far as trimming the leaf and leaving the stem I haven’t heard of that I think any difference in either direction would be negligible. Once they are established they are pretty bulletproof when it comes to trimming them back.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
Mag is a key nutrient used in photosynthesis so just adding mag might get them a nice dark green.

hard water isn't a problem, it's free calcium 🙂

How hard is it? Suggest you get an aquarium test kit, they're super cheap. Then you can dial in a fert that works with your water rather than having to get different water ☺️
The stuff in this water isn't free calcium, it's carbonates and other solubles the lines, some of it from the city lines and I think some from the house. It's an issue that's been in the news here. From what I've read it just takes up receptor sites which blocks available alkali metals from binding and causes lockouts. I will take note of that advice though, I'm gonna go the RO route and just play god (or at least demiurge) for a while and control every ounce of mineral they eat (as much as possible). If not happy with results at least I know there's another option. ☺️
 
Lynch_Ironside

Lynch_Ironside

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I hear ya, there’s no telling what’s in the water unless you have an analysis done. I have an old house with galvanized pipes, ppm out of the tap is near 500! Ro is just the safer bet
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
143
You’d probably be ok with regular old spring water until it arrives. Might be a bit cheaper.
As far as trimming the leaf and leaving the stem I haven’t heard of that I think any difference in either direction would be negligible. Once they are established they are pretty bulletproof when it comes to trimming them back.
I live in one of the driest parts of the world haha. I managed to collect a few gallons of rain water in a tub over winter but it was gone in a few days. Will probably spend $20 on distilled until that gets here I'll wear that. If I get a lb out of this tent I'll still have paid back every cent I paid to setup and do first grow hehe. Especially with flower prices these days...
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
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What are you using to check your EC?
It's consistent with news reports here about the issue. Had it tested at the store yesterday to see if it needed calibration and was right on the money
 
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Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

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It looks like you ordered an RO unit. That will take it down to zero.
Yeah I tried small tap units with a carbon filter which will take chlorine and stuff out but they don't lower TDS at all which is no good. While there is some free minerals in that 0.7 I can't trust how much of it is unavailable trash or worse, either way takes up room in my max EC that could go towards real nutes ☺️. Just gonna go the whole hog and start at 0 and they get what I give them and nothing else. What coco is all about hehe
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

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Finding that some of the older lower node fan leaves are starting to droop into the Coco. They were all a little damaged from some earlier water stress and low nutes but have all recovered pretty well and been contributing to the plant. From what I can gather a healthy plant that is being trained out and down will eventually cover over those leaves like this one is and they become worthless if they are slightly damaged as they're now no longer getting enough light to justify what they use from the plant? Seems to me like the plant knows this and stops even trying to support them and they just drop. I'm just listening to the plant and chopping them when she makes it clear she doesn't want them. You can see from the new growth there's no watering or nute issues I think!

The first photo is my big girl. You can see she still bears the scars of low Mg in those big old fan leaves, but they are so stretched they are outside the new growth and supported by the pots so I'm happy they are doing great work for the plant. Second photo is the one I took a second node fan off just now. Both first node leaves had already been rejected by the plant. You can see how even the third node fan closest is now being crowded out by the new growth and will likely have to go, looking like the plant is already stopping giving a shit about it.

Included a photo of the fan I cut. Beautiful to see the line where I worked out the high starting EC in my water and why my girls were not getting enough Mg. Clear yellow spotting to about 1/3 way up, then much nicer green colour on the later growth.

Learning to listen to my girls and not try to tell them what foliage I think they need. Seems to me a lot of debate over pruning could be solved by the answer 'what does THIS plant actually want'. Thoughts?
 
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PauliBhoy

PauliBhoy

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The stuff in this water isn't free calcium, it's carbonates and other solubles the lines, some of it from the city lines and I think some from the house. It's an issue that's been in the news here. From what I've read it just takes up receptor sites which blocks available alkali metals from binding and causes lockouts.
Well of course you need to acidify it to neutralize those carbonates to avoid lime scale and nutrient lockout. I use citric acid because I grow organically but other options are out there.
 
Nectarivorous

Nectarivorous

708
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Well of course you need to acidify it to neutralize those carbonates to avoid lime scale and nutrient lockout. I use citric acid because I grow organically but other options are out there.
Yeah I use pH down to get to 5.9, not doing organic. Still 0.7 EC is too much to give away. Gonna run with RO for now.
 
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