Justiceman's grow: The quest for Resin

[justiceman]

Root Shots!

They look like they're still swelling lol. I wonder if plants actually do that?

-Supa

I think they are pretty much done after they get cut away from the root ball. Speaking of roots. I got some shots everyone.

Alright guys so I decided after showing you some drying pictures I might as well show you my roots. The results are very interesting. They bring up good discussion topics. For instance. The GC roots are much bigger and robust then the GD. They definitely made use of their space while the GD did not. Not to mention that the GC roots actually grew completely into and around the perlite engulfing it. The GD still grew into the perlite but it didn't dominate it as much as the GC. Well you will see that in the pictures(decent amount). My speculation is the GD likes a medium with a higher air/water ratio then the current roots organics soil ratio. The GC apparently loved it and thrived by creating tons of roots, however more aeration would have still been better. Interestingly enough a form of algae is growing near the drain holes of the pots and on some parts of the root ball. More so on the GC drain holes. In organics algae help with nitrogen fixation, and they also help to bind soil particles together. Essentially in soil they aren't a bad thing to have. So it seems the Roots organics certainly provides an excellent medium for a thriving a thriving and diverse micro herd. However to some algae is undesirable especially in a sterile environment like hydro. You may also notice that some of the roots on the sides look slightly green. That is probably because of the white pots I use. They definitely let more light through then black pots. I am considering switching to black ones when I use coco. So here are some pictures of the Roots for ya! Any comments, or questions are more then welcome!

Green Crack on top. Granddaddy the bottom(all pictures are from left to right)
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2154.jpg

Grandaddy(notice how the roots don't compare to the GC)
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy5.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy14.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy15.jpg
Bottom perlite layer(GD)
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy9.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy10.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy11.jpg
Algae spot on the root ball
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/Granddaddy17.jpg
Green Crack(:))
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush13.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush14.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush15.jpg
Bottom perlite layer(GC)
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush8.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/GreenCush9.jpg

 

[justiceman]

Got any comments on the roots? Do you guys ever check out your roots after you harvest? It is quite interesting to compare. It can give you an idea of what was going on in the environment as well. Cool stuff.

 

[Shady]

Very fascinating comparison... Hmmm is algae okay in soil? I've got similar white pots and they are much smaller than my previous round wherein I used 3 gal black pots... Seemingly too big for the plants or they didn't like my mix... On a side note the Purple Kush seems to like hydro so far...

 

[supasticky]

Maybe more rooting hormones in the beginning could have helped the roots and probably would have made the plant bigger. Or it could be like a problem you couldnt see going down in the soil that stunted root growth. Whatever though they still look like fire!

@Shadyy.....

Interestingly enough a form of algae is growing near the drain holes of the pots and on some parts of the root ball. More so on the GC drain holes. In organics algae help with nitrogen fixation, and they also help to bind soil particles together. Essentially in soil they aren't a bad thing to have.

^I didn't even know about that.^

-Supa

 

[justiceman]

Very fascinating comparison... Hmmm is algae okay in soil? I've got similar white pots and they are much smaller than my previous round wherein I used 3 gal black pots... Seemingly too big for the plants or they didn't like my mix... On a side note the Purple Kush seems to like hydro so far...

I read a book called "Teaming with microbes". It actually speaks about algae and its role in the soil web environment. Here is an excerpt.

"Algae help to create soil by forming carbonic acids as part of their metabolic functions. This causes rock to weather- a great example of chemical weathering brought about by biological activity. Resultant bits of minerals and the dead algae combine, producing soil eventually. This is not unlike the decay of rock surfaces caused by lichens- the symbiotic relationship between certain algae and fungi. The fungus provides a humid and somewhat protected environment in which the alga can live and , in return, receives photosynthesized food from the alga. In this relationship, the decay abilities of algae are aided by their fungal partners, and the process of weathering is sped up considerably. Lichens contribute nitrogen to the soil, and blue-green algae (cyanophyta) Use the enzyme nitrogenase to fix nitrogen, either in symbiotic relationship or non-symbiotically, similar to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This is how rice plants can get nitrogen from the water in which they grow. In truth, the role of algae in gardening is minor because of their need for sunlight, which can only penetrate a short distance into the soil. However, where they do exist in soil algae can excrete polysaccharides, mucilage, and slimes- all sticky stuff- which help bind and aggregate soil particles. Their presence can also help to form air passageways in otherwise compacted soil. And algae fit into some soil food webs as primary producers that are eaten by certain nematodes." -Teaming with Microbes

So it helps to break up rocks(minerals) into usable forms for soil(my soil had rock phosphate, green sand, oyster shell, and glacial rock dust in it). It creates a small supply of food for my fungal buddies. It also releases a small amount of byproduct N to the plants, and it helps to bind soil particles together. So technically green Algae isn't necessarily a bad thing. It actually exists everywhere in spore form. So when you buy soil you are also buying a bunch of algae spores too. It just depends on if they receive the right conditions to grow or not. I do believe though that the algae take some nutrients from your soil. So they are technically robbing you of nutrients though.

I believe the reason algae appeared on my root balls especially near the drainage holes where there was light is because my pots are white, and they let light through unlike black pots. Of course I didn't think about it at the time when i bought them, but it makes sense no? So I am considering either covering the white pots with something black or just buying black pots.

Interesting observation with your black and whit pots shady. I went with white pots thinking they will reflect some light, and be overall more efficient in that sense, but I think black pots might be the way to go. I wonder what a lot of white pot users do? I am sure they must have run into the same occurrence.

Maybe more rooting hormones in the beginning could have helped the roots and probably would have made the plant bigger. Or it could be like a problem you couldnt see going down in the soil that stunted root growth. Whatever though they still look like fire!

-Supa

Ya i just got hooked up with a sample of some roots excelurator so that will probably help out in the root department. I think the reason why the GDP roots weren't anywhere near as robust as the GC is because the soil didn't have enough aeration for her. She didn't dry out as fast as the GC and needed less watering. And yes it could be some other reason, or variable. Lots of things to consider indeed.

 

[Shady]

Huh... Very Interesting biology at play here. Scientific and thorough information, but that makes me wonder why there was that yellowing early on... So do you think it was N deficiency or Mg?

 

[justiceman]

Huh... Very Interesting biology at play here. Scientific and thorough information, but that makes me wonder why there was that yellowing early on... So do you think it was N deficiency or Mg?

The hole soil biology is very interesting to me. I still have a lot more to learn. I have a couple ideas on why the early yellowing happened. Remember when I got the interveinal chlorosis about 1 or 2 weeks into flowering. I believe that was either Mg or possibly even light burn because the plant in question was right under the hottest part of the lamp. The ones next to it were affected but not as much. I was assuming that the increased light made it's nutrient uptake increase so I am still unsure if it was Mg or light burn at the 1-2 flower week point.

But at about 3-4 weeks into flowering that Is when I definitely started to get some type of N deficiency. I think this happened for one because my waterings weren't frequent enough(too much water retention) so not enough food, and I am thinking that not only does the plant require N but the Micro heard requires it as well. So I am assuming their wasn't enough to go around. I am sure the algae helped with some N fixation, but It probably took some away as well. It's hard to say what the microbes chose to do. i don't even know what types were present in my soil.

But I am sure it all comes down too one thing. ADEQUATE DRAINAGE. I should have given more EWC(N) to my plants and micro herd and I would have been able to If I had more drainage. I just didn't want to over water them. You can even tell that my soil was devoid of many nutrients towards the end. It had become compacted and bound by microbial, and algae slimes, and It didn't smell like anything. Where as it use to smell like rich fresh earth.

 

[Tha Docta]

Hm very interesting indeed... This is the kind of thick info I just love to make my way through! Keep it up justiceman!!!

 

[supasticky]

You can even tell that my soil was devoid of many nutrients towards the end. It had become compacted and bound by microbial, and algae slimes, and It didn't smell like anything. Where as it use to smell like rich fresh earth.

Thats going to happen though because your plants will eventually receive all of the nutrients in the soil.

I think coco will work a lot more efficiently and you will have less of a guessing game if things go wrong.

-Supa
:bow

 

[justiceman]

Hm very interesting indeed... This is the kind of thick info I just love to make my way through! Keep it up justiceman!!!

Hell ya Docta. Definitely very interesting stuff. It excites me to try and find the answers.

Thats going to happen though because your plants will eventually receive all of the nutrients in the soil.

I think coco will work a lot more efficiently and you will have less of a guessing game if things go wrong.

-Supa
:bow

Ya definitely especially sine I gave them pure water for the last 2 weeks.

Hell ya man I bought some coco the other day and I got a free sample of some roots excelurator. I also got PBP and some smaller pots but the pots are white:sweating. I got them before I checked the root balls haha. So I might get black ones or cover them.

 

[supasticky]

White is no color meaning that light does not penetrate it, it reflects light. Black on the other hand is every color and absorbs light. I think white is a better pot to go with.

-Supa

 

[justiceman]

White is no color meaning that light does not penetrate it, it reflects light. Black on the other hand is every color and absorbs light. I think white is a better pot to go with.

-Supa

White also keeps the roots zone cooler since it doesn't absorb the heat as much, but the problem with my specific white pots is they do in fact let light in because they are not thick enough. If you put them up to a light you can see the light through them and that is why I got algae on my root ball as it was able to receive enough light through the plastic to photosynthesize. That does not happen with a black pot

In Theory white is better to go with, but I suppose it depends on the composition or thickness of the plastic itself.

 

[supasticky]

oh i see..

 

[justiceman]

BUD PORN

Alright guys It has been almost 2 weeks since the initial cut. I have been slow drying them in my tent since then checking for mold, mildew, ect. and fortunately I have not encountered anything of the sort. In the first week I just let buds hang as is on the plant with a lot of leaf left on. After 7 days I cut the buds and separated them into individual branches(sorry forgot to take pictures of that) and then I dried them again for about 5 more days and I removed most of the fan leaves but left the sugar leaves on. Recently a few days ago I was able to obtain my dry net from the local hydro store so I Finally cut the buds off the branches and did the final manicuring. Then I placed them on my dry net to get an even dry, and Now I await. I don't have a final weigh in quite yet as they are still moist, but I will have one soon. I got a nice amount of sugar leaf and I plan on making some BHO soon when my O kief extractor tube arrives. I know I am an organic type of guy and I like the idea of making more bubble hash, but I just can't resist the call of bho oil haha. I may even document it in this thread.

So here are some manicured bud pictures for you guys. I hope you like them as much as I do!
drynet(It is about 3ft in diameter)

 

[winta]

very nice justice! i like th 2nd gc and the last bud shot! great job

 

[justiceman]

Thanks winta I cannot wait to get in on some of this herb:animbong:

Stay tuned guys. Soon I will get my O kief extractor II and I will make some BHO for ya(well really for me)

 

[winta]

so selfish sharing is caring lol:)

Stay tuned guys. Soon I will get my O kief extractor II and I will make some BHO for ya(well really for me)

 

[Oregonic]

Really nice grow +1!

I am gonna go ahead and give roots a shot your journal convinced me :)

Any advice for changes you would make soil wise?

 

[justiceman]

Thanks Oregonic,

Well If I was using it outside I would say its perfect in terms of aeration. Maybe it could due with a little bit of extra worm castings for N but worm casting aid in water retention so then you would probably want to add a little bit of perlite too.

If your using it inside with cool temps I would try to add about 20-30% perlite to make sure you have consistent wet/dry periods, or you could just use their straight soil-less version. Then you don't need to do anything to it. Just make sure you feed enough if you use the soil-less version because it is light on NPK.

 

[justiceman]

Bho

Hey guys I just got my O kief tube and I had to make some BHO immediately. So here are some shots for ya. First time making any. It is Green Crack BHO baby! I good milestone in my quest for resin.:big_boss:
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2273.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2270.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2277.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2278.jpg
http://i23.invalid.com/albums/b389/kingoflessthen3/IMG_2285.jpg