Kellogg cactus soil, MiracleGro "Tomato" & household LED lightbulbs

[az2000]

Overview
This grow is intended to be cheap and simple, intended for those who might want to try growing cannabis, but put off by the complexity of lighting & nutrient choices. If they could just go to the local hardware store and get everything they need, maybe that would be appealing.

I've already grown a plant (veg to harvest) with MiracleGro Tomato (fertilizer). I know that works. I've also grown a plant with LED lightbulbs. I know that works too. The only variable in this grow is the soil.

4-5 years ago I saw a bag of Kellogg Palm & Cactus torn open, and instantly thought that was the right texture for cannabis. I was never motivated to try it until recently.[1] A couple weeks ago I bought a bag. Did some pH testing (using a Control Wizard Accurate8 soil pH probe). This is the texture of the soil:

Kellogg Palm & Cactus has a lot of perlite compared to other potting mixes. But, in some ways it looks heavy. My inclination is to add 20-30% perlite. But, the heavy appearance is sand/pumice. It drains fast and doesn't retain water (like peat). So, maybe it would work straight out of the bag.

In this grow, I'm using the soil straight out of the bag (no additional perlite). However, I will add dolomite lime to one container.

Germination
I planted two seeds[2] directly into the soil Aug. 9 @ 7pm. (I didn't soak the seeds, no wet towels. I didn't use a fine-peat seedling bed. The soil I normally use is too chunky for seeds. I always use a fine-peat & perlite mix as a bed which fills a hollowed/scooped-out portion of the soil. This time I planted directly in soil because this soil's texture seems suitable for that).

One seed went into unmodified soil. The other went into soil amended with dolomite.[3] Hereinafter I refer to them as Dolo and Nodolo.

DAY 1
Nodolo broke ground 7pm Aug 11. (72 hours after planting). Dolo broke ground 7am Aug 12 (84 hours). The following photos are from that morning, as I put them under light.

Nodolo has the shell stuck (broke ground 12 hours earlier):

Dolo:

Dolo greened up within 1-2 hours after being under light.

I setup one 8.5w (60w-equiv) household LED lightbulb (globeless & relectored)[4]:

That is a GE "basic" lightbulb sold at Lowes, 8.5w (60w-squiv) 5000k (daylight). The globe has been cut off for directional light. (The reflector adds a small amount of directionality.).

Normally I would use a globed (unmodified, but in a reflector) bulb, much closer. However, I recently bought a PAR meter. I read that seedlings like 100-300ppfd (or 200-400). I set the bulb at that distance to get 130ppfd (5,500 lux[5]).

However, the seedlings stretched quite a bit this first day. I think that height was wrong. (It could also have something to do with 5000k "daylight" lightbulbs not being as blue/cool as seedlings might like. 6500k lightbulbs can be ordered on Amazon. I might try 130ppfd again with one of those cool-white bulbs to see if it makes a difference. But, 200-300ppfd would have probably been better. That would be the globeless & reflected bulb moved to half the distance. Or, a globed bulb at 1/3 to 1/4 distance.

[1] I have my own "soiled soilless" soil (<<link) which works well with my inexpensive nutrients. (<<link). I never had a reason to experiment to experiement with this cactus potting mix.
[2] Bagseed, which has been in the refrigerator for 3-4 years.
[3] 1-1/2 Tablespoon dolomite per gallon of mix. I used 0.938 Tbsp (23.1g) dolomititic, and .563 Tbsp (9.3g) calcitic limestone to create a 2.32:1 ratio Ca:Mg. I used Fertilome Hi-Yield Agricultural Lime (dolomite). That dolomite has a 1.67:1 ratio. That works fine by itself. I try to improve it with calcitic lime. But, it may not be an improvement. I've read calcitic breaks down faster. That would make the ratio diferent.

It's unclear if this soil needs dolomite. It has no peat.
[4] I wrote some blog articles about this topic 4-5 years ago. I ended up putting them in PDFs on Google Drive. (<<link). I won't go into too much about the lighting. Everything I do is in those PDFs.
[5] Lux measurements are from a Sunche HS1010 lux meter.

 

[az2000]

DAY 2:

The last post ended with the beginning of Day 1. This post resumes with 7am, Aug 13 (the beginning of Day 2).

Nodolo still had a stuck shell:

I left it alone all day (Day 1). I sprayed it with water this morning (Day 2) and the pent up energy of the cotyledon leaves pushed it off (to the extent you see in the photo). This is always a stressful activity because trying to help can kill the seedling. It's best to leave it alone.

Dolo has greened up, and seems hardy:

I mentioned on Day 1 that I recently obtained a PAR light meter. I set the light to 130ppfd, the low end of 100-300 (which is recommended by one souce. Or, 200-400 by another.). The seeds stretched a lot by my standard:

This may have something to do with the 5000k "daylight" not being blue enough. But, I know 5000k works if close enough.[1] I plan to buy some 6500K household LED lightbulbs on Amazon, and try 130ppfd again. Maybe that lower amount of light would work if the spectrum were more blue.

This morning (Day 2) I increased the lighting:

That's 290ppfd (17,000 lux). Later in the day I played around with an articulating arm[2]:

That took the light intensity up to 390ppfd (25,000 lux)

[1] I typically use a 8-10w (60w-equiv) with the globes installed (unmodified), in a reflector. I put that light about 4-5" away. Globeless might be ok. It's harsher, less diffuse.

[2] The folding arm is based upon my tent-leg lamp mount (<<link, which you see beneath the folding arm), and my flexible top-light fixture. The only difference is 1) the arm folds on the horizontal plane, 2) I use a 3/4" PVC "T" fitting (instead of a 3/4" PVC coupler), and 3) I added a "hand" to the end (where the lamp mounts) for vertical-plane adjustment.

 

[az2000]

DAY 3 (Aug 14 @ 10am)

Nodolo's cotyledon's leaves opened up. Two small serrated leaves are underway:

Last night, the cotyledons were closed, and just the tips of the serrated leaves were poking out the sides. (I was thinking it might not survive.).

Dolo is growing:

The serrated leaves look a little pale/lime/yellow. That might be from how I over-corrected with the lighting (from not enough, to perhaps too much). It could also be that the Kellogg Palm & Cactus soil has no nutrients.

The lighting hasn't changed (still 390ppfd / 25,000 lux):

Almost all that stretch occurred Day 1, when the light was only 130ppfd.

FEEDING
The soil is starting to feel dry. The Kellogg Palm & Cactus potting mix (bag) doesn't show any nutrients (except iron, which it says it's required to publish if it exists at that level). The bag says it contains: "Recycled forest products, pumice, sand, bark fines, dehydrated poultry manure, hydrolyzed feather meal." Therefore, it must contains some nutrients.

I'm planning to feed 1/8th or 1/16th strength nutrients the first watering. I have grown with MiracleGro "Tomato" before. Full strength is 1/2 to 5/8tsp (1.7 to 2.2g[1]). So, I'm considering 1/8th to 1/16th of that.

[1] 1 Tbsp MiracleGro Tomato weighs 10.336g. This may depend on how fresh it is, if it's absorbed moisture, or dried out. I scooped out a tablespoon, didn't compact it, dragged a straightedge across the top of the measuring spoon. Anyone who chooses to recreate what I'm doing should weigh their fertilizer. Ultimately the strength depends upon the weight, not the volume.

 

[az2000]

DAY 4
Yesterday the soil felt light/dry. I anticipated a sizable watering yesterday, and contemplated feeding 1/8th or 1/16th strength. The idea of feeding seemed crazy for a mere 3-day old seedling. But, Kellogg Palm & Cactus doesn't state any nutrient content. The first serrated leaves were looking lime (light green). That could be hunger; or the soil being too dense (my gut sense). Or, the way I overcompensated with light (Day 2) in response to being too weak the first day, the stretched seedlings.

Later yesterday, Nodolo's soil seemed too light (when lifting the container) to make it until the morning. (I didn't want to feed close to lights out.). So, I sprayed the top of the both container's soil, enough to wet the top 1". (Before spraying, the container felt bottom heavy, like it was still fairly wet on the bottom.).

This afternoon, the soil was fairly dry again. I let it continue drying until 3pm, when I fed:

FEED (first time)
I decided to feed 1/4 strength (1/8th tsp, or 0.431 gram/gallon MiracleGro Tomato). That sounds crazy for a 4-day old seedling. However, I know what I call "full strength" (1/2 to 5/8 tsp/gal) is moderate. And, the soil's bag doesn't show nutrients. And, the pale new growth could suggest a lack of nitrogen. So, I decided to roll the dice. The calculations say it should only produce 50 to 66ppm.

• I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 173ppm.
• I added 0.11g MiracleGro Tomato (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 234 (a 61ppm increase).
• I slowly poured this in 2-3 stages. A little to soak. A few minutes later, more to runoff. I got about 10% runoff. (I poured about 3/4 of the quart.).

I didn't ph the water nor nutrient solution. I didn't test the runoff ppms. (I don't usually care about those until transition. But, it might have been useful to see the numbers from the first watering.).

ADDED SOIL (stretch repair)
The potting mix had settled about 1/2". That was fortuitous because the seedlings stretched Day 1 (and a little Day 2). I filled the containers to the level they should be. (I've never done this before. I've read that the stalk will begin sending out roots from that newly buried part.). It doesn't look as stretched now that the soil is higher.

I added the dolomite-amended soil to Dolo. Nodolo was topped off using soil directly from the bag.

These photos were taken 2 hours after feeding. Dolo is starting to form the 2nd set of fan leaves:

Nodolo is the one that struggled to shed it's shell, and then struggled opening its cotyledon leaves:

The tips of nodolo's leaves look yellow/burnt. I think this might be due to it being driven hard with light for 8-10 hours on Day 2, when the tips of those leaves were barely protruding out of the sides of the closed cotyledon leaves. When I went to bed that night, the tips of those leaves were just small nubs protruding out each side of the closed cotyledon leaves. I was worried I was giving it too much light. But, also worried it wouldn't open (I thought the light might help motivate it to seek light. I think it did help, because the next morning, Day 3, the cotyledon leaves were opened. The night before, those tips were probably tender.).

LIGHTS
Nothing has changed with the lights. Still three 8-8.5w (60w-equiv) 5000k LED lightbulbs. Two new GE 8.5w "Basic" sold at Lowes. (One bulb, the closest to Nodolo, still has the globe attached.). And, one old Philips 8w I bought at Home Depot back in 2015. It's globeless, and can be seen in this photo:

Since yesterday (Day 3) it's been my impression that Dolo (right) prefers the old Philips lightbulb. There may be something better about that bulb's spectrum. I have some new Philips 8w. I'm going to replace the old Philips tomorrow (Day 5), and see if Dolo continues to seek it.

I still think I'm pushing these seedlings with too much light. I think I overcompensated on Day 2 (after a day of 25-33% of this light.). I don't want to change things a lot, and not know what's a problem. I could always plant new seeds if this went wrong. Only a week would have been wasted.

The light should still be 290ppfd (17,000 lux). I'm going to measure it again tomorrow before/after replacing the old Philips 8w with the new one.

 

[az2000]

DAY 5
These photos were taken 24 hours after the first feeding (which was a very light 61ppm).

Dolo:

Nodolo:

You can see the burnt tips on Nodolo's first serrated leaves. As I mentioned yesterday, I think this was due to the shell being stuck, and the cotyledon leaves not opening. The tips of those first serrated leaves were barely poking out by the end of Day 2. I had the light pretty strong then. I think that did it.

Lighting
Yesterday (Day 4) I mentioned that it looked like Dolo was leaning toward an old 8w (60w-equiv) Philips LED globeless lightbulb. This morning I replaced that bulb with a new Philips (9w) from Home Depot[1] (to see if there's a difference between old/new Philips bulbs). So far, it looks like both plants are leaning toward it. I need more time to see that.

I also cut the globe off the 8.5w GE "basic" lightbulb (Lowes). (I previously had one of two GE bulbs globed, over Nodolo because it was less developed.).

Before changing the lighting the strength was 630ppfd (44,500 lux). I didn't think it was that strong. I must have measured from the soil surface, not the leaves (back on Day 2-3). After changing the lighting, and raising it a little the strength is 530ppfd (38,500 lux). That's still a little strong. But, I got nervous after the first day's stretching under only 130ppfd.

Currently using two globeless GE "basic" 8.5w 5000k[2], one globeless Philips 9w 5000k.

[1] I cut the globe off.
Philips 9w 5000k (Home Depot)
Model: 9290018365A
UPC: 0 46677 47958 9

[2] GE "basic" 8.5w 5000k (Lowes)
PC: 93097653
Desc: LED9A195K-7LT8
Res. PK-00100137-1
UPC: 0 43168 50128 6

 

[az2000]

Catching up: DAY 6 (Aug 17)
My last post was 24 hours after the first feeding (a very light 1/4-strength 61ppm feeding).

48 hours after that feeding: The leaves looked greener. But, I'm starting to think the cactus mix has no nutrients, and that it would have been better to 1) use a weak nutrient solution (1/4-strength: 1/8tsp/gal, 0.431g, 50/66ppm) to wet the soil before planting the seeds, and 2) feed 1/2-strength (1/4tsp/gal, 0.861g, 100/131ppm).

That doesn't sound intuitive for germination and a young seedling. But, that's what I've been sensing. I'm especially thinking higher-N would be better. For example, maybe pre-wet the soil with MiracleGro All-Purpose (24-8-16, ratio 3-1-2).[1] That could even be used weaker than Tomato, but supply more N to the plant.

LIGHT
I moved the lights a tiny bit higher (500ppfd / 325 lux).

I previously mentioned: Dolo leaned toward an old 8w Philips 5000k. I replaced that bulb with a new Philips 9w 5000k from Home Depot. Result: either I didn't notice much preference toward this light, or the period of preference is over.

8pm: I replaced that new Philips 9w with a new Cree 10w 5000k (from Home Depot). The Cree is a 95 CRI. I want to see if Dolo would lean toward that.(BTW: lights come on at 5am; off at 11pm.).

DAY 7 (Aug 18)
DETERMINING WHEN THE SOIL IS DRY
Because Kellogg Cactus potting mix is sand, it feels heavy even when dry. It's very well draining, and the top of the soil dries pretty fast. But, when the entire container is dry, it doesn't have that paper-light feeling I'm accustomed to with the peat-based soil I use.

I have a container-full sitting in the tent (no seed, never watered). I use that as a gauge.

FEED (second time, half-strength)
This feeding is 3 days after the first (1/4-strength) feed. I have not watered between feedings.

3:30pm - I fed 1/2 strength (1/4tsp/gal, 0.861g, 100/131ppm) MiracleGro Tomato.

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 162 ppm.​

- I added 0.22g MiracleGro Tomato (1/4th the amount used for a gallon, since I'm only making a quart). The resulting ppm was 270 (a 108ppm increase).​

- I poured this in 3 stages. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 5 minutes, pour more for 20% runoff. Wait 5 minutes. Poured the rest for another 20% runoff. This amount of runoff would usually be excessive. But, since the soil is well-draining and doesn't seem to have any nutrients, I thought it might be good to rinse it out, reset it.​

RUNOFF PPM: Once again, I forgot to measure the ppms of that first 20% runoff. However, I measured the runoff from the final pour: 400ppm. (As mentioned previously, I don't usually concern myself with runoff ppm until transition & flower. In veg: I don't pay attention to it. In transition & flower: the runoff ppm can climb fast, and, for the soil & nutrients which I normally grow in, runoff ppm is a good indicator of salt buildup (for me, lockout occurs 2400-2500ppm.).

DAY 8 (today)
It's been 24 hours since I fed the 2nd feeding (half-strength). I took these photos:

Dolo (one in the tent; one outside, natural light)

In the above, you can see the third set of fan leaves forming. Outside:

Nodolo (one in the tent; one outside, natural light)

Nodolo has had red stem and veins for 3-4 days. I suppose it' genetics.

Together:

THOUGHTS
Sometimes they look too lime-green & iridescent under the lights. I feel like they would benefit from more nitrogen. (But, under natural light, they look normal. Maybe a bit pale. But not lime/yellow.).

However, I also wonder if having the lights too close bleached the young leaves (I overreacted after the first day's stretch, and then didn't want to change things, never knowing what's causing what.). And, I wonder if it's the soil. Maybe sand works different? What is the pH of sand? How does sand interact with nutrients?

So, I've been hesitant to increase the food. Giving it time.

ALTERNATE FEEDINGS[2]
My original goal was to keep it as simple as possible. (Just one bag of soil, one box of fertilizer.).

But, if the plants don't green up by the next feeding (two more days), I'm planning to increase N by mixing MiracleGro All-Purpose (24-8-16) with Tomato (18-18-21). Equal parts creates NPK ratio 1.62-1-1.42. That sounds really good, actually. One gram of each creates 225/280ppm. (That's my "full strength" when I used Tomato-only for a previous grow.). Mix it 1/4- or 1/2-strength for the previous feedings. I bet the seedlings would have greened up faster if I did this from the start. (And, I still think wetting the soil with a weak nutrient solution would have helped too. Maybe 1/8-strength.).

The pale green is something I saw when I previously grew a plant with MG Tomato. That plant ended up having a nice emerald-green color. But, it took 2-3 weeks to get there. This grow seems more pronounced. I think the difference is that this soil has no nutrients at all. (My soil, what I used last time, has a small amount of nutrients.).

LIGHTING
I haven't changed the lighting (still 500ppfd / 325 lux). I haven't noticed the plants leaning toward the Cree 10w 5000k. The lighting is still two GE "basic" 9.5w 5000K lightbulbs from Lowes (globeless, in reflectors. But, the reflectors don't add much to the lightbulbs' performance). And, one Cree 10w 5000k.

Tonight I will replace the Cree with the old Philips 8w 5000k, to see if I notice Dolo favoring that light again.

SOIL
I don't know if I like the soil yet. I think it is too compacted with sand. Before I started this grow, my gut told me it needed 30% perlite (it already has a lot of perlite by potting-mix standards).

After using the soil, I think I was right. However: I think the perlite needs to be crushed into a sand consistency. Not large islands of perlite among fine sand, but fine perlite among fine sand.

I would not have thought of this if I hadn't grown straight out of the bag like this. If I'd added perlite the traditional way (unmodified perlite), it would have worked (or not), and I would have never thought about the texture making a difference.

I'm increasingly thinking of this potting mix as soilless. It has none of the things that make soil "soil." It's like a sand-based "medium." That's all. No compost, worm castings, guano. If more perlite is added, it's just more "soilless." That could be bad, using soil nutrients in soilless. That's not optimal.

[1] 1 Tablespoon MiracleGro All Purpose (24-8-16) weighs 11.03g. This may depend on how fresh it is, if it's absorbed moisture, or dried out. I scooped out a tablespoon, didn't compact it, dragged a straightedge across the top of the measuring spoon. Anyone who chooses to recreate what I'm doing should weigh their fertilizer. Ultimately the strength depends upon the weight, not the volume.

All-Purpose is a little weaker than Tomato. I consider full-strength Tomato to be 1/2 to 5/8tsp/gal (2.5 ml, 1.723g 200/263ppm to 3.13ml, 2.153g 250/328ppm). To get similar strength of All-Purpose you would use: 1.9g (2.58ml, 206/243ppm) to 2.4g (3.2ml, 261/307ppm).

[2] When mixing dry products I use a jeweler's sub-gram scale. I use a Horizon Pro-20B scale sold by "anyvolume" on eBay, Amazon and their own web site. I like this scale because its capacity is only 20 grams. I think that helps it be more precise measuring small amounts (compared to a scale that can measure up to 100g). But, I also have a Horizon HB-01 which goes to 100g. It would work too. These amounts don't have to be precise.

 

[TerriR]

Please do not prove that all the fancy, expensive crap I buy is worthless!

 

[az2000]

Please do not prove that all the fancy, expensive crap I buy is worthless!

It's definitely possible to grow good stuff on a shoestring. I've grown a decent plant using only household LED lightbulbs, and again with only MiracleGro Tomato fertilizer. (I saw a grow using MG Tomato in a small hydroponic setup too. I wouldn't have thought of doing that.). There was a recent thread here showing very nice results (<<link) in Dollar-General TrueLiving Outdoor soil (<<link, $3 for a 3.5 gallon bag.). Just watering for 3-4 months. No nutrients.

I'm still not sure this Kellogg Palm & Cactus soil will be a good example of that. The two test plants don't look as happy/thriving as in my soil by now. I don't know if it's lack of nutrients in the mostly sand soil. Or, if the sand is too heavy/dense (keeping the roots too wet too long). Or, if I had the lights too intense days 2-6. (I overreacted to day-1 stretch when I had too little light, to see how 130ppfd works. That lower light intensity might have worked better with 6000-6500k. I use 5000k bulbs. I usually have 2 times that much light, and 3 times the next day. I went to 4-5 times that much light the next day.).

There was a recent comment (<<link, in the Dollar-General thread) about soil interfering with P availability. Soilless/hydro can have a higher N to P ratio because there's more P available than there would be in soil. (For example: 3-1-2 NPK ratio in hydro might be more like a 2-1-1.5 ratio in soil because not all the P is as freely available in soil. Something like that.).

That comment came at a good time because I was already thinking about how this cactus soil is more like soilless. And, I've been thinking it needs more N (not greening up enough. But, that could be one of the other reasons mentioned two paragraphs above.). I was thinking of mixing MiracleGro's Tomato (18-18-21, ratio: 1-1-1.2 ) and All Purpose (24-8-16, ratio: 3-1-2). One gram of each creates a ratio 1.62-1-1.42 at 225/280 ppm (similar strength to what I consider full-strength using Tomato by itself.[1]).

But, now that I know soilless could make P be higher, I'm thinking about using All-Purpose (24-8-16) by itself.[2] If the cactus has no/little real soil, aybe Tomato's 1-1-1.2 ratio looks like 1-2-1.2. The pale leaves look like that. The sort thing you see when you switch to "bloom nutes" too early in flower.

About 24 hours until I roll the dice and feed that. If this grow really mattered, it would be prudent to do 1gram each (Tomato & All Purpose). I use that ratio (1.62-1-1.42) with my soil and nutrients in veg. But, since this grow is to test the Cactus potting mix, and I'm thinking it's different than ordinary soil... I'm leaning toward rolling the dice with what sounds like too much N (as a proportion).

While I'm posting. I might as well give an update:

DAY 9 (an hour ago)

Together:

Dolo (in the tent):

Nodolo (in the tent):

Again, the Nodolo's burnt tips (first set of serrated leaves) were from the light, when I jumped up from 130ppfd to 500-600 the 2nd day, trying to put the brakes on (hard) stretch. The tips of Dolo's 2nd set looked a little yellow for awhile too. They were just coming in at that time. They might have been too tender (like Nodolo's tips where as they were just peeking out the still-closed cotyledon leaves.

They still look too iridescent green to me, a bit yellow/lime under the lights. When I pull them out, they look normal under regular/diffuse light. A bit pale though. Looking at the above photos, I'm leaning back toward NPK rato 1.62-1-1.42 (not rolling the dice with ratio 3-1-2). I'm eager to do this grow again with crushed (sand-consistency) perlite mixed into the cactus potting mix (50/50, I suppose). I almost wouldn't mind an experiment going awry right now. :) It wouldn't be bad to lose a week or two. But, if they'll grow in the soil as is... that would be a good comparison to a later grow with heavy/fine perlite.

LIGHTING
Last night I swapped the new Cree 10w 5000k globeless lightbulb with the old Philips 8w 5000k (the bulb the 2 and 3-day old seedlings seem to lean toward, preferring it over the GE "basic" 8.5w.). I haven't noticed the plants leaning. Maybe they've grown past that point now.

[1] 1/2 tsp to 5/8 tsp/gal MiracleGro Tomato; 1.723g to 2.153g; ratio: 1.62-1-1.42 at 200/263 to 250/328 ppm.
[2] 2 grams/gal MiracleGro All Purpose, 2.72ml (a slightly rounded 1/2 tsp?) ratio 3-1-2 at 217/255ppm.

 

[az2000]

DAY 10 (yesterday, Aug 21)
FEED (third time, full-strength, CHANGED TO MiracleGro ALL-PURPOSE 24-8-16, ratio: 3-1-2)
This feeding is 3 days after the second feeding (which was 1/2-strength Tomato; which itself was 3 days after the first-feeding, which was 1/4-strength Tomato). I have not watered between feedings.

2pm - I fed full-strength All-Purpose 24-8-16. I've never used this before. For now, I consider full-strength All-Purpose to be 2g/gal (217/255ppm), which is a rounded 1/2 teaspoon/gal.[1]

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 151 ppm.​

- I added 0.5g MiracleGro All-Purpose (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 361 (a 210ppm increase).​

- I added a tiny bit of ordinary, granulated sugar (from the kitchen).[2] I touched the tip of my finger to the sugar, and rubbed off 12-15 grains.​

- I poured this in 3 stages. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 5 minutes, pour more for slight runoff. Wait 5 minutes. Poured more for 10-20% runoff.​

- RUNOFF PPM: I finally remembered to measure the runoff PPM: 642.​

[1] My MiracleGro Tomato has been stored in a screw-lid plastic container for 4 years. When I originally grew a plant with it, 1 Tbsp weighed 10.8g. Back then, I considered full-strength:

1/2 tsp = 1.8g (209/275ppm)​

5/8tsp = 2.25g (262/343ppm)​

However, today 1 Tbsp MiracleGro Tomato weighs 10.336g. Perhaps it's dried a little in that container. I've been considering the following range to be full-strength:

1/2 tsp = 1.723g (200/263)​

5/8 tsp = 2.153g (250/328)​

That's about 5% weaker.

My MiracleGro All-Purpose has been stored in a less-airtight plastic container for 4 years too. 1 Tbsp = 10.336g. Perhaps that was also 5% heavier when newer. Since this is my first use of All-Purpose, and it's *much* higher N (proportionally), my initial notion of "full-strength" is:

1/2 (rounded) tsp = 2.0g (217/255)​

5/8 tsp = 2.298g (250/294)​

[2] I normally add a "pinch" of granulated sugar (from the kitchen) to every gallon of water (nutrient solution). That's 1/16th tsp (0.313 ml). I do this to offset the possible effect of chlorine in the tap water. It boosts the soil microbes. (However, more may not be better. Sugar can create a hypertonic osmotic condition, sucking water out of the plant. I'm just giving the microbes a boost.). The roots do this naturally, exuding carbs to stimulate the microbes to produce nutrients.

It's unclear if I should be adding stuff like this to this cactus potting mix. The potting mix is virtually soilless. It's not as hospitable to soil microbes as soil would be.

DAY 11
I took these photos 24 hours after the third feeding (All-Purpose, full strength).

Dolo

Starting to stack:

Nodolo

Starting to stack:

Nodolo's cotyledon leaves are starting to yellow at the tips:

Together

Thoughts:
They seem greener today. It's coming in like a tan. It's too soon to tell if MG All-Purpose (3-1-2 ratio) made a difference. But, I bet this would have been better to use than Tomato (1-1-1.2 ratio). I bet it has something to do with this potting mix not being much of a soil, and more P is available (as mentioned as a theory 2-3 posts back).

I'm not thrilled with how they're growing. I don't think it's going to work out. If it were me, I would end this grow and start over with 30-50% fine (crushed) perlite mixed into the cactus mix. But... google says I'm the first person in recorded history to try growing cannabis in cactus potting mix. I suppose I have a duty to ride this out for posterity.

I still feel the plant is N deficient. I think I should have fed stronger sooner. And, maybe pre-wet the soil with a mild nutrient solution when I planted the seeds. Unless they look better in two days, I'm thinking about hitting them with 50% more nutrients. See what happens.

 

[Edinburgh]

Of course you can grow a plant useing full spec high lumen spotlights from home depo, I did it myself, but I found if you buy a $10 clamp light and screw in the full spec spots instant sidelight witch I use to this day.

 

[az2000]

DAY 12
These photos were taken 48 hours after their 3rd feeding (which was 2g/gal MiracleGro All-Purpose, a much larger amount of nitrogen compared to Tomato.):

Dolo:

Nodolo:

You can see Nodolo's cotyledon leaf yellowing more:

Thoughts:
I think they look much greener. It's easier to see in natural light. (Yesterday's photos were taken in the tent. The leaves "glow" in the tent, being back-lit.). There's definitely more green coming in (like a tan).

All-Purpose's higher N (as a proportion) definitely seems better.

I had been thinking Tomato should have been fed stronger the first two feedings. Now I'm wondering if All-Purpose at the same strength would have been good enough. I would start there next time, before increasing the strength. (I'm also thinking the soil should have been pre-wet with 1/8th strength all-purpose before planting the seeds. I felt they were underfed from the very beginning. That small amount might have helped without being too strong. Before getting into All-Purpose, I was thinking I should have used 1/4th strength Tomato to pre-wet. But, now that it's definitely an N thing, maybe 1/8th strength of All-Purpose would be safer.). Maybe it wasn't a strength problem, but a ratio problem (because the cactus mix seems more like soilless, which could have caused too much P to be available due to the lack of clay? I speculated about this 3-5 days ago.).

4th feeding (anticipated):
Tomorrow they'll need feeding again. I'm thinking about increasing the strength from 2g/gal to 3g/gal. That sounds like a big jump. But, it's only from 210 to 335ppm. That's not strong. Since they've been hungry all this time, I think it might wise to hit them once and see what happens. (Never know where the ceiling is unless you hit it.).

When I grew a plant with Tomato, I had slight pale green. It seemed to take 2-3 weeks for the N in Tomato to kick in. During that time, I tested double the strength that I thought was "full-strength" (and which I'm basing this grow's strength upon). The worst that happened was that I overshot it, and had N toxicity symptoms.

I'm nervous the N will start kicking in slowly this time too -- and if I start feeding heavier, I'll overshoot it again. But, this grow was much, much paler green. There's something more going on. (The previous Tomato grow used soil that had some nutrients in it. I don't think this cactus mix has anything in it. So, I'm leaning toward being ambitious again. If I'm cautious, I'll never know what's too much.).

I'll decide what they look like tomorrow.

 

[az2000]

They were even more green this morning.

Yesterday I was considering feeding 50% more (3g/gal All Purpose). But, this morning I changed my mind. I began thinking 2.3g/gal (250/294ppm). That would be 5/8 tsp/gal (a heaping 1/2 tsp. The last feed was 2.0g/gal, 217/255ppm. That was a rounded 1/2 tsp/gal.).

But, I ended up feeding 2.15g/gal (234/275ppm). Just 8% stronger than last time.

FEED (fourth time, full-strength 2.15g/gal, ALL-PURPOSE 24-8-16, ratio: 3-1-2)
This feeding is 3 days after the third feeding (which was full-strength 2.0g/gal MiracleGro All-Purpose; which itself was 3 days after the second-feeding, which was 1/2-strength Tomato). I have not watered between feedings.

12pm - I fed 8% stronger 2.15g/gal All-Purpose 24-8-16.

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 152 ppm.​

- I added 0.54g MiracleGro All-Purpose (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 383 (a 231ppm increase).​

- I didn't add sugar (from the kitchen, like I did the last feeding. I'm still unclear about this cactus potting mix being soilless and not conducive to a lot of biologic activity. I'll add a little sugar next time.).​

- I poured this in 3 stages. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 2 minutes, pour more for slight runoff. Wait 2 minutes. Poured more for 10-20% runoff. (I only used half the quart. It's probably better not to pour it all through for more runoff. That could exacerbate the low-nutrient problem I think it was having.).​

- RUNOFF PPM: I finally remembered to measure the runoff PPM: 562.​

I took these photos 3 hours after feeding. But, most of the greening was before feeding.

Dolo:

Nodolo:

Thoughts:
I definitely feel better about this soil now that the plants look healthier, I was worried the problem was pH. (I didn't want to mess with that. I just wanted something that would work without that overhead.). Now I feel like it was just N-deficient. I should have fed more, sooner (pre-wet the seedling soil with 1/8th strength). And, a higher percentage of N.

I had been worried the sandy soil is too compacted/dense/heavy. But, it's drying in 3 days. That's good. I'd still like to try it with crushed (sand-consistency) perlite mixed in. Maybe 30%. But, it seems to be drying fast enough by itself.

All-Purposes's 3-1-2 ratio may be too much N. I may end up mixing equal parts All-Purpose and Tomato for ratio 1.62-1-1.42. I may end up using Tomato (ratio 1-1-1.2) in flower. But, for now things seem to be on track.

If I were doing this for myself, I'd use some Botanicare Rhizo & Liquid Kama the past 10 days. I'd be using Dyna Pro-Tekt silica. But, since my goal is to keep it simple for a first-time grower, I'm not doing that. (I wasn't intending to use both MiracleGro Tomato & All Purpose either. But, it didn't seem like it would work out with Tomato. I think it would have needed twice the strength. But, what it really seemed to need was more N. Same strength. Just more N.

 

[az2000]

The last post was DAY 14 (it seemed to lose that heading).

DAY15 (yesterday, Aug 25, catching up)
LIGHTS: I am experimenting with the light. I used a gooseneck desklamp to point a 4.5w (40w-equiv, Ecosmart from Home Depot) 2700 WARM globed lightubulb at the side of the plants. It seemed like they might have stretched a little after 5-6 hours.

I replaced that with a 9w (60w-equiv, Ecosmart from Home Depot) 5000k DAYLIGHT globeless lightbulb. I ran that and the three existing top-light bulbs (you've seen in previous photos) for 12-15 hours. That's 37w/sq ft. Seems like a lot for the small space these plants use.

DAY16 (today)
LIGHTS: 8AM: I turned off the back-corner top-down light. So, it's back to three 9'ish watt (60w-equiv) globeless 5000K lightbulbs. But, one is pointing horizontally now, as side-light.

This is Nodolo (L) and Dolo (R) today at noon, 24 hours after the last feeding:

They have some blotchy green again. I continue to wonder if it's ph problem with the potting mix. (The mix isn't really a soil. Just sand, perlite and wood chips.). Maybe it lacks the buffers of soil. But, I added 1.5 Tablespoon/gal dolomite lime to "Dolo." It's not different than "Nodolo."

The only thing I've seen improve this condition is more food (especially N).

NOTE: Dolo (R) seems to show a curled-edge/tacoed leave (far center). I think this was from one of the side leaves crowding it.

FEED (fifth time, stronger "full-strength" 2.76g/gal, ALL-PURPOSE 24-8-16, ratio: 3-1-2)
This feeding is 2 days + 6 hours after the fourth feeding (which was full-strength 2.15g/gal MiracleGro All-Purpose; which itself was 3 days after the third-feeding, which was 2.0g/gal All-Purpose). I have not watered between feedings.

The cactus mix seems to be drying faster than 3 days (maybe because the plants are larger, more roots). I don't think it will make it until tomorrow morning (without being too dry, let alone noon tomorrow: which would be 3 days.). It could wait a few more hours. But, then it would be close to lights-out. (I don't like to feed before lights out.).

6pm - I fed 8% stronger 2.76g/gal (3/4 tsp/gal, 300/352ppm) All-Purpose 24-8-16

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 143 ppm.​

- I added 0.69g MiracleGro All-Purpose (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 408 (a 265ppm increase).​

- I added a small amount of sugar (from the kitchen, like I did two feedings ago.).​

- I poured in 3 stages. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 2 minutes, pour more for slight runoff. Wait 2 minutes. Poured more for 20% runoff. (I only used half the quart. discarded the remainder.).​

- RUNOFF PPM: 596.​

I'm not sure why the resulting PPM was only 265 (expected 300). It could be that the fertilizer product isn't that uniformly mixed, and my sub-gram amounts reflect that. I should either mix a gallon and discard more. And/or, detect this mismatch and add more to get the ppms I expect.

I was hoping to go stronger. This feeding's PPMs were closer to 5/8th (heaping) tsp. (The last feeding was closer to a rounded 1/2 tsp.). I didn't notice the mismatch until after I poured. But, this is still stronger than last feeding (231ppm). Plus, it's being occurring sooner. It's receiving more nutrients over time. (It will probably be fed again in 2 days, even sooner than this time). So, maybe it's "stronger" in that sense.

 

[Jack og]

Get man love the journey you have put us through! Waiting patiently as they grow. I don’t like Kellogg’s soul cause of the extra fluff they use , price point you can get their organic line and for a few plants it’s maybe 10$ more and the results are better , you won’t need to feed for about month. So the offset in cost is less feed that early and risking stunting if they burn. But man epic thread

 

[az2000]

I don’t like Kellogg’s soil because of the extra fluff they use , price point you can get their organic line and for a few plants it’s maybe 10$ more and the results are better , you won’t need to feed for about month.

Personally, I don't think I'd like a soil that can carry the plants for a month. I like to be in more control of what they receive. I also see stories of what sounds like batches of nutrient-rich soils changing. People eventually getting a "bad bag." I feel like having a light soil eliminates that variable. (But, I didn't expect this cactus mix to be so light in nutrients. I.e., I didn't realize how much I appreciate my light soil carrying me with some nutrients. (With my light soil, I start feeding after 6-7 days, and am feeding full strength after 13-14. I think I should have done that the first week with this cactus mix. Even pre-wet the soil with weak nutrient solution.).

I noticed Kellogg makes a "Native Smart planting mix." (<<link) It has 0.30-0.10-0.10. That's the same nutrient strength as the "Patio Plus" which I use in my light soil (which carries the plant further than I realized, until I used this cactus mix which has nothing, apparently). But, the texture sounds more like the cactus mix. The ingredients are: "Recycled forest products, pumice, sand, aged arbor fines, dehydrated chicken manure, hydrolyzed feather meal." That's close to the cactus mix, but has a NPK rating. The cactus mix doesn't (which, apparently means it really has no nutrients. Which is fine. I just should have fed more sooner, I think.).

I haven't seen Kellogg's "G&B Organics" (bagged soils) at the store. I've only seen them on their web site. To me, this is fun to try something different, see if I can make it work. It's definitely out of my comfort zone. I've wanted to do this specific cactus mix for 4-5 years. Now I'm having other ideas about things to try. I might grow this way for awhile. (I don't need to grow pounds. I have enough cured bud to last me two years. And, I already know I have a soil/nutrients that works without any problems. I can fall back on if I need to. I can experiment, get more varied experience. I think that would be more fun than big harvests.).

DAY 16 (Tuesday, Aug. 27)
Last two posts are confused:

- Yesterday's post (Monday, Aug. 26) was DAY 15! (It said it was "day 16." But, that's today.)​

- Yesterday's post referred to the post prior to it (made two days prior to it, Saturday, Aug. 24) as "day 14." That was actually DAY 13!​

- Yesterday's post covered yesterday and the day before (Sunday, Aug, 25). It referred to that day as "day 15." It was actually DAY 14.​

After feeding yesterday (DAY 15!, Monday Aug 26 @ 6pm), the plants received 5 hours of light; darkness for 6 hours; and, another 5 hours of light this morning. I took the following photos at 10AM this morning (DAY 16):

Dolo:

Nodolo:

Together: (Left: Nodolo, Right: Dolo)

The uneven green isn't as obvious under natural light (outside).

LEAF-EDGE CURLING:
On Day 2 (<<link) a photo showed a small tower-fan in the tent. Now that the plants are taller, I was thinking maybe they're getting more wind (as the fan oscillates back and forth). I turned off the oscilator and pointed the at the side of the tent, to create a diffuse breeze toward the plants.

I still think the curl seen on a couple of Dolo's leaves is just leaves growing against each other. But, I thought I would reduce the breeze in case that's stressing the leaves. (The humidity is about 40-42%, and the temperature is 84F (29C). I'm not sure I trust that temperature reading. The house thermostat is 81-82. But, maybe the house's thermostat is off. Or, maybe it's a little warmer at the tent than at the house thermostat. I could cool the house more. It feels comfortable to me. I should get a good thermometer so I can figure out what's reading wrong.).

NEXT FEEDING (ideas):
I've been think about how this cactus mix seems like soilless. I keep thinking something's not right with the pH. I woke up last night thinking about how cannabis more Ca, Mg & S requirements (like tomatoes?). And, how that stuff is usually expected to be in the soil. And, how hydro/soilless growers supply it. I'm wondering if the uneven green is a symptom of S deficiency. Maybe Mg too.

I'm considering supplementing with 0.5g/gal gypsum & 0.5g epsom salt. That would be 86ppm (Mg=13, Ca=30, S=42).

Or, I might do 1g/gal epsom salt for 60ppm (Mg=26, S=34). I don't think I see Ca problems.

I'm going to continue thinking about that. I think I'm feeding enough. I can either hit it harder with nutrients to see if that does the job. Or, I can try adding these secondary nutrients. (I think it looks more like something other than just hungry. They're growing well. It's just the uneven/patchy green doesn't look right.).

I wanted to keep it simple (for example, I'm absolutely not dealing with pH.). I hate to complicate it with more stuff (I've already added "ALL PURPOSE" nutrients). But, gypsum & epsom salt is ordinary stuff, easy to acquire.

LIGHTING
This photo shows the current lighting (since DAY 14, Sunday, Aug 25):

The furthest light in the corner is turned off. The gooseneck desklamp has a 9w EcoSmart 5000k globeless ligtbulb (it's the lowest-end bulb you can get at Home Depot. A brown cardboard box.[1]). The two lights above have the same GE "basic" 9.5w 5000k globeless (from Lowes) that were described a few days ago. So, it's still three 60w-equiv bulbs. 28w total.

[1] From the Ecosmart box:
1002 861 487
B7A19A60WUL14
SKU: 6 93690 56418 3

 

[az2000]

DAY 17 (Wednesday, Aug. 28)
11am: Poked two holes in the soil using a 1/8" diameter rod (which I made for that purpose, with a rounded/tapered end to reduce damage to the roots). I usually do this every week or two through the grow, especially in flower. I wouldn't typically do it to such small plants. But, I kept thinking about how this sandy cactus soil compacts (like beach sand). I thought some aeration might help. I gave each hole a little sideways "lever" action to disturb the rest of the soil a little, make the sand particles move, open up a little.

I think my concern about the soil being too compacted is misplaced. Even though it settles together tightly, it's still very frangible (like wet beach sand). It doesn't hold together. Ultimately, it's very loose and "gives" with any pressure.

FEED (sixth time, MUCH stronger "full-strength" 4.147g/gal, ALL-PURPOSE 24-8-16)
This feeding is exact 48 hours after the fifth feeding. I have not watered between feedings. The cactus mix seems to be drying even faster. I like that. It's similar to my soil in it's fast-draining/drying.

I've been obsessing about whether to feed stronger, or supplement with epsom salt (magnesium and sulfur). Something about the plants doesn't seem right. And, it doesn't look like merely underfed. I keep thinking it's Mg & S (because the cactus potting mix isn't really a soil which would supply those nutrients). But, the one time I saw it green up was when I fed stronger.

Before feeding, I took these two photos of Nodolo (L) and Dolo (R):

The photos don't show it very well, but the new growth was considerably yellower than the older growth. Dolo was especially lighter. It's always been that way. The older growth still has some "tan" appearance where the darker green came in once (when I fed heavier). One of Dolo's (R) newer leaves has what looks like a burnt tip (it's the one pointing toward the back corner of the tent).

Based upon that appearance, I decided to feed very strong (no more playing around with minor increases):

6pm - I fed 50% stronger 4.147g/gal (1-1/8 tsp/gal, 451/530ppm) All-Purpose 24-8-16

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 142 ppm.​

- I added 1.037g MiracleGro All-Purpose (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 623 (a 481ppm increase).​

- I added a small amount of sugar (from the kitchen, like I did the last feeding.).​

- I spread the pouring out over 1 hour. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 20 minutes, pour more for 10% runoff. Wait 40 minutes. Poured more for 10% runoff. (I used almost the entire quart. Discarded the remainder.).​

- RUNOFF PPM: First: 758ppm. Second: 746ppm.​

I looked at them 2-3 hours later, and Dolo's newest leaves were dramatically greener. It was very much like the "tan" I saw a few days ago when I fed stronger. It was really dramatic seeing it just 2-3 hours later.

DAY 18 (today, Thursday, Aug. 29)
The following photos were taken the next morning after feeding. (The plants got 5 hours of light after feeding yesterday evening; 6 hours of darkness; 5 hours of light this morning):

The leaves look more "tan" with green, again. So, the problem must be underfeeding. (I've been reluctant to feed too much because: when I grew a plant using MG TOMATO, I caused some N toxicity experimenting that way, trying to find whether "too strong" would burn. It never burned. But, I did end up with some N tox. The amount I'm feeding now is much higher than I fed with TOMATO. It's about the same weight as when I pushed TOMATO's limit, to see if I could burn. It's almost twice the weight of what proved to be the right amount to use for TOMATO.

But, ALL PURPOSE is 48% fertilizer. TOMATO is 57%. I.e., ALL PURPOSE is 20% weaker. And, when I grew using TOMATO it was using my soil, which has 22% Patio Plus. That adds some nutrients. (Apparently that much nutrients in the soil makes a big difference.).

NEXT FEEDING
I plan to feed strongly like this (probably push it stronger.). But, I still think there is an Mg & S issue. Next feeding I'm going to try epsom salt. I was thinking I should reduce the ALL-PURPOSE strength to accommodate the ppms from epsom salt. But, maybe I won't. It definitely seems like the plants want more food.

THINKING FURTHER AHEAD
I didn't intend to grow large plants. I just wanted to see how the soil/nutrients worked. I will "top" these plants above the 5th node, and transplant into 1gal containers (these are 20oz seedling containers). I'll let them veg out to fill that container. That will give me more time to play with the nutrient strength. Then switch to 12/12. Two weeks later, I'll probably switch back to TOMATO for it's 1-1-1.2 ratio. I think that would be better for flower.

Maybe it's good to grow with high N (ratio 3-1-2) all the way through flower. I've never done it. I don't think I want to experiment with that right now.

 

[az2000]

DAY 19 (today, Friday, Aug. 30)
I took these photos 2 hours before feeding today (taken 20 hours after the last feeding). Nodolo (L), Dolo (R):

Wednesday's heavy feeding helped. Dolo now looks more green than Nodolo. (It had been the other way as long as I remember.). I'm pretty sure I should have been feeding twice as heavy from the beginning (maybe even prewet the soil with 1/8th strength nutrients).

FEED (strong, same as last feeding: 4.147g/gal (1-1/8 tsp/gal, 451/530ppm) & 1g/gal (4ml) EPSOM SALT (60/60ppm; Mg=26ppm, S=34pppm).
This feeding is 22 hours after the last feeding. I have not watered between feedings.

I still like how fast the cactus mix is drying. I like watering/feeding frequently. Originally, I thought this soil would benefit from crushed perlite added. But, maybe not. If I did that, I might add some vermiculite for water-holding capacity. I think a looser, airey'er texture might be better. But, maybe some reserves of water (vermiculite) within it.

I fed the same as last time (strong, by my standards). Except, I added 1g/gal epsom salt (60/60ppm). I did this because I've been thinking the plant may be deficient (since it's not a soil, and the ALL-PURPOSE nutrient doesn't supply any.).

4pm - I fed 4.147g/gal (1-1/8 tsp/gal, 451/530ppm) All-Purpose 24-8-16 + 1g/gal (4ml, slightly less than 1/4 tsp) EPSOM SALT (60/60ppm)

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 143 ppm.'​

- I added 0.25g epsom salt. The resulting PPM was 246 (a 103ppm increase. I'm not sure why this was higher than the calculated ppm of 60/60. (As mentioned before, maybe these materials are not uniformly mixed, and the tiny amounts I use reflect this.).​

- I added 1.037g MiracleGro All-Purpose (1/4th the amount used for a gallon). The resulting ppm was 723 (a 446ppm increase not counting epsom salt. 580ppm increase counting epsom salt).​

- I added a small amount of sugar (from the kitchen, like I did the last feeding.). But, I rubbed a little more than the last times.​

- I spread the pouring out over 1 hour. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 20 minutes, pour more for 10% runoff. Wait 40 minutes. Poured more for 10% runoff. (I used almost the entire quart. Discarded the remainder.).​

- RUNOFF PPM: First: 855ppm. Second: 830ppm.​

To me, this is a strong feeding. I continue to think this potting mix is more like soilless (stronger nutrients, frequent delivery, more runoff). Depending on how this feeding turns out, I may increase the strength to 1-3/8 tsp/gal. And/or do epsom salt again. (I considered adding calcium too, create a 2:1 ratio Ca:Mg. But, I wouldn't know which caused what (if there were any changes in the plant.). I may try that next time.

I'm still surprised how I was able to feed a plant (in my soil) just 5/8tsp/gal TOMATO through the grow. I'm feeding almost twice that. (Although, ALL-PURPOSE is 20% weaker. It's NPK adds up to less than TOMATO's.). My soil contains some real soil with nutrients. That must make a difference. That's why this cactus mix feels so much like soilless.

LIGHTING
Late yesterday (DAY18) I turned on the unused 9w bulb in the back corner. Now there are four 9'ish watt (60w-equiv) globeless 5000k lightbulbs. About 36w total.

The next bulb I add will be a warm 2700k.

 

[basscaptain]

Ok Loving this sir.....

 

[az2000]

DAY 19 (today, Saturday, Aug. 31)
I took these photos 24 hours after feeding (heavy for the 2nd time + epsom salt for 1st time). Nodolo (L) and Dolo (R):

They seem hardy. But, something about the leaf appearance never seems right. I see some burnt tips on Dolo's new growth. That happened when I fed stronger the first time (DAY 17. You see it in the "morning after" photos.).

Nodolo is still more yellow/lime than Dolo. (That's new. It's always been the other way around until yesterday or the day before). Nodolo has a lot of aggressive growth happening in the center (seems to be kicked into veg growth, while Dolo greened up after a early life of being more yellow.).

Nodolo has an overwatered appearance (and maybe some N-tox claw). But, Dolo is always praying upward.

FEEDING NEXT TIME (ideas)
I don't know if the epsom salt helped. I'm probably going to feed stronger MG ALL-PURPOSE next time (by itself, no epsom). The feeding after that, I may feed MG TOMATO once (I switched abruptly. It might not hurt to try it once just to see if there's a difference.).

If the leaves don't look healthier after that, I may try some Alaska Fish Emulsion. That always seems to create a lush veg. I don't think I should use it in this seemingly "soilless" soil. But something about the leaves don't look right to me. They seem papery, not lush. The green fills in partially.

 

[az2000]

[CORRECTION: The prior post, yesterday, was DAY 20]
DAY 21 (today, Sunday, Sep. 1)

FEED (All-purpose & fish emulsion!!! 2.758g/gal (3/4 tsp/gal) ALL-PURPOSE (300/352ppm) & 10ml/gal (2tsp) Pennington Alaska Fish Emulsion (159/177ppm).
This feeding is 18 hours after the last feeding. I have not watered between feedings.

The soil is drying faster with larger plants. I like that a lot. I took this photo (Nodolo-L, Dolo-R) just before feeding (18 hours after previous feeding):

Nodolo continues to look more yellow/lime. But, it had a spurt of new growth in the center. I can't tell whether the epsom salt helped. I see some burnt tips on Nodolo's new gowth. (Dolo has 2 burnt tips from the feeding prior to that.).

I was considering increasing the ALL-PURPOSE to 5.056g/gal (1-3/8 tsp 549/646). Or, trying TOMATO again at the same PPMs as the last feeding. 1-1/8 tsp = 3.876g 451/591.

But, since I've gotten burnt tips the last two strong feedings, the first choice seemed wrong. And, since I keep thinking it's N def, trying Tomato again seems like a bad idea. I decided to try FISH EMULSION.

10am - I fed 2.758g/gal (3/4 tsp/gal, 300/352ppm) All-Purpose 24-8-16 + 10ml/gal (2 tsp) PENNINGTON ALASKA FISH EMULSION (159/177ppm)

- creates NPK ratio: 3.61-1-1.7 (458/530). That's higher N than ALL-PURPOSE by itsel.​

- I started with one quart of tap & RO water to get 153 ppm.​

- I added 0.69g MiracleGro All-Purpose. The resulting ppm was 459 (a 299ppm increase).​

- I added 2.5ml Pennington Alaska Fish Emulsion. The resulting ppm was 736 (a 248ppm increase over ALL-PURPOSE. 583ppm increase over water only. I don't know why this is significantly stronger than calculated. The bottle is old. Maybe it has dried out. I'm not worrying about it because fish emulsion is gentle, not prone to burn.).​

- I added a small amount of sugar (from the kitchen, like I did the last feeding.).​

- I spread the pouring over 1 hour. Initial slow wetting without runoff. Wait 30 minutes, pour for slight runoff. Wait 30 minutes, pour more for 15% runoff. (Discarded 20% of the nutrient solution.).​

- RUNOFF PPM: 1100ppm.​

THOUGHTS
I've been nervous about using FISH EMULSION. I feel like the cactus potting mix is almost soilless. The leaf-color problems I'm having could be ph-related. I'm nervous gunky, organic stuff might not be appropriate for this low-soil (sandy) mix. I'm afraid it might acidify. But, it seemed better than the other two options mentioned at the start. And, this sandy mix washes out quickly.

I'm going to transplant into 1gal containers in the next 1-3 days.

I'm planning to top Dolo after the 5th node (soon). If Nodolo continues to be compact and droopy. I might not top it.

I tried supplementing Mg + S last time. I think next time I'd like to try that again, but add Ca (gypsum, for even more sulfur).