Lets try this again...3rd times a charm? Grow journal #3

[BearWater]

Thanks Bear! I am learning with each run and someday I will have one of those pretty plants, like y'all are always posting pictures of on here! LOL

The other thing that I forgot to mention is smell.

My "grow room" is in one of the extra bedrooms. I sealed off the warm air return vent to the HVAC system in that room. The central air ducts are always blowing into the room and I have the tents exhausting up through the attic and directly out of the house through a dryer vent/hood that I installed. (The look on my wifes face when she saw me up on the roof, blasting a 4" hole through the stucco to install my refer ventilation system.....EPIC!)

If I keep the tent closed and the bedroom/growroom door closed, there is zero smell in the rest of the house. But the tent exhaust always has to be at level 3 or higher for it to work. I am not running any carbon filters or anything, just venting from the tent directly outside of the house.

As soon as I open the tent door....holy shit, these girls are LOUD!!!. I am shocked that my wife is not pissed, but I can feel her patience wearing thin. Tomorrow night, I am gonna turn the exhaust up to "10" before I open the tent to see if that is enough to exhaust the whole room and keep the stank out of the house.

Otherwise, I will try one of those room sized carbon filters for the grow room. (or maybe just get a cheap 4" exhaust fan, hook a carbon filter to it and just let it run in the grow room???)

Man you’re right up there too! If I can do it you absolutely can! You’re doing it right now brother! That’s some nice flower you got there, stuff is good and covered!

At one point last year I had my air filter and fan running in the shed as an air scrubber I think cranking your exhaust a minute or two before you open the door to the tent might help, and like you said also just leave it on while you’re working. And maybe don’t flang the door open like Cramer (not saying you do)

 

[Smokeshow]

I'm a little late with the update for this week, but here it is.

Today was Day 52 since the flip to 12/12 for the Blueberry Muffin plants. All four of them got watered on Sunday night (morning for the plants) and I expect that might be the last watering for this run as I expect them to slow down as we get closer to the end.

These girls never really drank a ton and the shortest duration between waterings was 7 days during early flower. My prior two attempts were in 5 gal fabric bags, but I wouldn't think that moving up to 7 gal bags would make a very big difference, so I am guessing it might just be the strain?

Plant #1 is still looking good and healthy. The other three plants are rocking some fried fan leafs & tips, but it's only at one level on those three plants up toward the top of the plants. My best guess is that it was a combo of a calcium deficiency that happened at the same time I was trying to turn up the light intensity. So stressed plant and then firing the light to them....(when I tried to push the SE5000 to 70% at 23 to 24" from the canopy.) I wouldn't think that would be too much for them, but maybe the oversized light in the 39x39" tent is doing just that?

Over the past couple of days I have certainly noticed the buds swelling/fattening up, so that is making me happy....but they were flopped all over the place. In an attempt to straighten things out and make sure everything was getting light and airflow, I slid my trellis net down on them and popped the tops through the netting to help hold them up. I tried to do everything as gentle as possible, but it was kind of a shit show, banging buds around...etc. I will say that getting rough with them release a scent bomb that damn near made my eyes water. My wife came upstairs, opened the door and said "what the fuck are you doing to them?!?!" LOL Oops!

I did get some pics with the digital microscope, but to be honest I cant really tell if I am looking at leaf or bud in some of the pics. I think I am still seeing a good amount of clear heads on the buds, but I will check them again over the weekend. Knowing that I have plant #1 cloned (2 plants in 1 gal bags now!) and will be doing a four plant run in the near future. I just want to get to the end without plants that look like they got hit with a weedwhacker....but if this stuff smokes ok I'll be happy!

Anyway, here are some pics from Day 52 since the flip....

Smoke

Edit....I forgot to add the pic from the digital microscope. This is from "Plant #1"

 

[funkdoctorspock]

Sunday update time! Today was day 14 since light change....and my girls are making buds!

All four of the BBM's got watered tonight (Sunday evening) and I started once the lights came on at 10:00. I did add 5ml CalMag to each gallon of my RO water and each pot got a scoop of worm castings mixed into the soil before watering.

It seems like the stretch has dramatically slowed down and maybe even stopped already??? The tallest (#1 in the back left of the tent) is 37" tall from the floor and I have 28" to the light. The shortest plant (#4 in the front right) is 34" tall from the floor and we have 31" to the light.

I did start to bump the light up to 50% for a few hours per day over the past couple of days. I am going to give them about 6 hours @ 50% tonight and see how they react. If they are happy, I'll leave it there. If the girls don't get any taller, I am guessing I will be turning it up, or I will have to remount the light so I can lower it. I "hard mounted" it to the top of the tent and it's not adjustable. I'd rather leave it up high and just turn the light up if needed (the install as it sits looks clean, and I don't want to clutter it up...LOL

The Deathstar plant is doing nicely and one of her cuttings has rooted and I put that one into a solo tonight. So far only the one deathstar cutting has rooted...none of the BBM cuttings have rooted yet, but I will be patient. Now that I have one rooted cutting, I am planning to put the big Deathstar outside to see what she can do in the sunlight!

I am thinking that the BBM's will be ready for a top dressing with the next watering. I will be doing Gaia Green @ 70% PB and 30% AP, and I will add some glacial rock money dust stuff in as well. If there is anything you guys recommend to help through flower, I am all ears! They look so healthy right now and I am terrified that I am gonna fug it up!

I am really happy with my ventilation system and the temps during lights on have been peaking at 81 degrees but mostly staying at 78 degrees. During lights off it is holding at 71 to 72 degrees.

Quick question.... should I do the "big" defoliation after the end of week three, or do I want to do it as soon as I am sure they are done with the stretch? There is quite a bit of stuff that will never see light that I need to get rid of and I don't want to screw the timing up. (I have all of my scissors cleaned up and ready for surgery!)

Here is the pic dump of todays pictures, day 14 of light change

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I hope that you all have a nice relaxing Memorial Day!
Smoke

Looking way organised. Gonna be sick!¡

 

[Smokeshow]

Sunday update time for the Blueberry Muffins! Today was the last day of week 8 since light change, or day 56.

They are getting real close and I expect to be chopping them down in the next couple of days, just watching them and keeping the environment as stable as possible.

My next "project" is to figure out the drying situation for these girls. I did use this problem as an excuse to grab one of the Spider Farber 3x3 "Pro Series" grow tents which will serve as the drying tent for this run. I also decided to pick up another AC Infinity 69Pro controllers and exhaust fan kits. Both the tent and the controller fan were delivered today.

The new SF tent is nice and it feels thick. I was skeptical of the pole corner assemblies, but they actually seem really nice.

Then I opened up the AC Infinity box to check out the controller and the fan and WTF.....they sent me the new AI+ controller instead of the 69. Now I gotta try to figure this thing out....

My drying dilemma is this...
OPTION A: I dry in a tent upstairs in my "grow room" Humidity is generally around the mid 50's but the temps during the day can get up to 74 degrees or so. Night time it will drop into the upper 60's temp wise.
Pros = Ventilation is already set up and exhausting directly out of the house.
Cons - temps are too high and humidity is generally too low (but I have the ACI humidifier that I can use....so I guess it is all coming down to temps being too high. I really don't want to screw up the flavor profile of this bud by drying it out too fast!

OPTION B: I set up the new tent in the basement. In the unfinished room, the temp is staying right around 64 degrees. Humidity is my concern, it is normally around 60% but when it rains/weather it can go and hang right around 70 for a day or so. Temps are much better averaging 62 to 64 degrees consistently. Humidity is generally at 60% but can go higher.
Pros = Temps are lower and might result in a longer/better dry and cure?
Cons = Humidity can go higher than 60%, but when it spikes up to 70% or so, if I bump the airflow of the oscillating fan and increase the air exchange by increasing exhaust fan speed, I am thinking that will help avoid/prevent possible mold issues?
The potential biggest con for drying in the basement is the ventilation issue... In the basement, I would be using the ACI 4" exhaust fan in the tent with a carbon canister filter installed, then the vent hose out of the tent will be exhausting through another carbon canister filter. Will this be enough to get rid of the smell while drying, assuming that the tent doors stay shut?

Anyway, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Here are some pics from "Day 56 of flower" for the Humboldt Blueberry Muffin plants! Plant #1 is still my favorite and I have two cuttings rooted and ready to make clones for a full run of the same plant, which I am excited about!

 

[Randyy]

Looks like you'll get a good and nice harvest! Awesome man.