New Guy Growing

SpursGrower · May 30, 2024

Hi all,

Just signed up as I’ve found a lot of answers to my grow problems on the forums.

Half way through my second grow, 1st time trying to use living soil but running into a few issues.

I think I’ve become addicted to growing and I’m thirsty for knowledge.

Look forward to speaking to you all

Imzzaudae · May 31, 2024

Hello and welcome to the forum.
If you want to grow in living soil. In order to produce enough food for the plant you need to grow one plant
in a very large pot.

When it comes to living soil growing educating yourself goes a very long way.
Although this youtube channel is about gardening in general.
As Cannabis is just another plant everything is directly transferable to cannabis growing.
I hope you enjoy. Garden like a viking.

Garden Like a Viking

The time is now to reawaken the spirit of our ancestors and grow food using ancient techniques that enrich the land instead of depleting it. Send Packages To: Garden Like A Viking P.O. Box 9101 Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46899

www.youtube.com

I myself grow in living soil outdoors.

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

I started with a cutting of wild grass. You can just as easily do this with lawn clippings in a 20L bucket. Filled a 55 gal drum 3/4 full of wild grass and fresh cut alfalfa. 2 nice scoops of 2 year old compost. Added 2x20L buckets of Microbial solution and topped the barrel off with rain...

www.thcfarmer.com

And I am a small space grower indoors. Nothing fancy but I find it rewarding.

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

After growing a monster Buddha last summer I wanted to try a mini Buddha. As my indoor setup is only 24" X 24" about 40" tall. I prefer to grow one plant at a time rather than stuff my grow space. Light is an older Mars 300 60 LED at 24". Soil. Recipe came from a Dr Bruce Bugbee video. 50 / 50...

www.thcfarmer.com

For your next grow.

BearWater · May 31, 2024

Welcome to the farm! As you’ve seen already, tons of info here : ) Lots of knowledgeable folks here!

SpursGrower · May 31, 2024

Imzzaudae said:
Hello and welcome to the forum.
If you want to grow in living soil. In order to produce enough food for the plant you need to grow one plant
in a very large pot.

When it comes to living soil growing educating yourself goes a very long way.
Although this youtube channel is about gardening in general.
As Cannabis is just another plant everything is directly transferable to cannabis growing.
I hope you enjoy. Garden like a viking.

Garden Like a Viking

The time is now to reawaken the spirit of our ancestors and grow food using ancient techniques that enrich the land instead of depleting it. Send Packages To: Garden Like A Viking P.O. Box 9101 Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46899

www.youtube.com

I myself grow in living soil outdoors.

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

I started with a cutting of wild grass. You can just as easily do this with lawn clippings in a 20L bucket. Filled a 55 gal drum 3/4 full of wild grass and fresh cut alfalfa. 2 nice scoops of 2 year old compost. Added 2x20L buckets of Microbial solution and topped the barrel off with rain...

www.thcfarmer.com

And I am a small space grower indoors. Nothing fancy but I find it rewarding.

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

After growing a monster Buddha last summer I wanted to try a mini Buddha. As my indoor setup is only 24" X 24" about 40" tall. I prefer to grow one plant at a time rather than stuff my grow space. Light is an older Mars 300 60 LED at 24". Soil. Recipe came from a Dr Bruce Bugbee video. 50 / 50...

www.thcfarmer.com

For your next grow.

Hey mate, thanks for the info.

It was actually your post that got me to sign up as I was trying to watch the videos you posted in

Midflower Problems - topdressing not helping?

But they weren’t playing so I’m going to go back and try again.

Would you say a 20litre pot is big enough as that is what I’ve got per plant at the moment?

Thanks again

SpursGrower · May 31, 2024

BearWater said:
Welcome to the farm! As you’ve seen already, tons of info here : ) Lots of knowledgeable folks here!

Thanks,

I’ve just looked at your intro post and it’s exactly the same as me. I love the science behind it and if I’m doing it I need to know all there is to know (or as much as my dumb brain can take in).

Farmville · May 31, 2024

Personally I’d use a 10 gallon or 15 gallon when using living soil. A top dress could take a few days or more for the living organisms in your soil to break down into plant food for the plant.

If you are doing no til living soil grow a 15 gal pot or more is ideal because when not tilling and reusing the soil it’s best to not use all the nutrients in the soil and have a reserve.

You’re pretty late into your cycle right now to up pot but your next cycle will be better if you take notes of this amendment, add it sooner next time in a bigger pot. When using living soil it’s hard to know the schedule of the plant ahead of time unless you have a source who grew it offering up the detailed feed schedule. Or if it is previous knowledge from growing out this particular strain using cloning techniques you could apply your learned knowledge to the next cycle.

You’re doing great and living soil is harder to grow until you get that sort of sixth sense to feed. Great job just don’t fret finish this cycle out like you’ve been so far.

SpursGrower · May 31, 2024

Farmville said:
Personally I’d use a 10 gallon or 15 gallon when using living soil. A top dress could take a few days or more for the living organisms in your soil to break down into plant food for the plant.

If you are doing no til living soil grow a 15 gal pot or more is ideal because when not tilling and reusing the soil it’s best to not use all the nutrients in the soil and have a reserve.

You’re pretty late into your cycle right now to up pot but your next cycle will be better if you take notes of this amendment, add it sooner next time in a bigger pot. When using living soil it’s hard to know the schedule of the plant ahead of time unless you have a source who grew it offering up the detailed feed schedule. Or if it is previous knowledge from growing out this particular strain using cloning techniques you could apply your learned knowledge to the next cycle.

You’re doing great and living soil is harder to grow until you get that sort of sixth sense to feed. Great job just don’t fret finish this cycle out like you’ve been so far.

Thanks man
Definitely learnt to go earlier on the top dress amendments.

My issue with a larger pot per plant is it will lead to larger plants and I have an issue with head height in the space I have.
The picture below is the max room I have, that is a new marshydro 300w light which is now above the fan right at the top of the room as it is a lot more powerful/efficient then my old 100w light.

I don’t think I can have a plant that’s much taller than they already are as the light is only on 75% and the temp at the top bud is 27-29 degrees C. Any closer and I think they will stress.

Farmville · May 31, 2024

There’s a lot of space between your ceiling and the fixture. I would use shorter cables or try to attach the ratchets together or directly to the hooks on top. That will give you an extra foot almost. Also if you top your plant a couple times it’ll make it grow less tall as it’s focusing its energy on repairing and making a new split stem. Also when the others branches catch up too them once.

That should help keep your plants bushy and be able to fill into the bigger pots. Going bigger pot size can be intimidating but someone once said a bigger pot just means more horsepower for your plant so bigger colas.

SpursGrower · May 31, 2024

Farmville said:
There’s a lot of space between your ceiling and the fixture. I would use shorter cables or try to attach the ratchets together or directly to the hooks on top. That will give you an extra foot almost. Also if you top your plant a couple times it’ll make it grow less tall as it’s focusing its energy on repairing and making a new split stem. Also when the others branches catch up too them once.

That should help keep your plants bushy and be able to fill into the bigger pots. Going bigger pot size can be intimidating but someone once said a bigger pot just means more horsepower for your plant so bigger colas.

Thanks

Sorry I wasn’t clear.

The photo above is when I first put the new light in. It was far too close and caused light damage to the foliage. For the last few weeks it is actually right at the top just below the ceiling and above the fan. I may have gone too big on the light for the space I have but at least it is dimmable.

I’ve only grown autos so far so didn’t really want to top them but I have done LST on them to keep them as short as possible.

Lots to think about

Thanks again for your help

Imzzaudae · May 31, 2024

SpursGrower said:
Thanks man
Definitely learnt to go earlier on the top dress amendments.

My issue with a larger pot per plant is it will lead to larger plants and I have an issue with head height in the space I have.
The picture below is the max room I have, that is a new marshydro 300w light which is now above the fan right at the top of the room as it is a lot more powerful/efficient then my old 100w light.

I don’t think I can have a plant that’s much taller than they already are as the light is only on 75% and the temp at the top bud is 27-29 degrees C. Any closer and I think they will stress.

A 300 should be 30 inches above canopy. Set 75%.
There are good amendments for growing in living soil indoors. One is Gaia Green.

Farmville · May 31, 2024

Photone on the App Store is good. It’s 5.99 for the full spectrum led setting. Then you’ll make a strip of paper around the phone taped. Then your phone becomes able to measure ppfd. It’s what I do. I got a fce8000 in a 5x5 and seen them in 4x4.

having a bigger light then you need will actually help you not burn the light out having to run it at 100%. You actually made a smart purchase in my opinion. After you get that app and use an iphone, that parts very important. They are more accurate then android when using that ppfd app. Then you will never sweat over if your light is to bright. Trust me it’s how I’ve been doing it and seeing tons of other people zeroing in their ppfd for each stage of growth.

SpursGrower · Jun 1, 2024

Farmville said:
Photone on the App Store is good. It’s 5.99 for the full spectrum led setting. Then you’ll make a strip of paper around the phone taped. Then your phone becomes able to measure ppfd. It’s what I do. I got a fce8000 in a 5x5 and seen them in 4x4.

having a bigger light then you need will actually help you not burn the light out having to run it at 100%. You actually made a smart purchase in my opinion. After you get that app and use an iphone, that parts very important. They are more accurate then android when using that ppfd app. Then you will never sweat over if your light is to bright. Trust me it’s how I’ve been doing it and seeing tons of other people zeroing in their ppfd for each stage of growth.

Cheers mate

Just downloaded, will do some arts and crafts later to make the diffuser

Mikedin · Jun 1, 2024

Farmville said:
Photone on the App Store is good. It’s 5.99 for the full spectrum led setting. Then you’ll make a strip of paper around the phone taped. Then your phone becomes able to measure ppfd. It’s what I do. I got a fce8000 in a 5x5 and seen them in 4x4.

having a bigger light then you need will actually help you not burn the light out having to run it at 100%. You actually made a smart purchase in my opinion. After you get that app and use an iphone, that parts very important. They are more accurate then android when using that ppfd app. Then you will never sweat over if your light is to bright. Trust me it’s how I’ve been doing it and seeing tons of other people zeroing in their ppfd for each stage of growth.

Yep I agree I do the same but I actually cut the FC-E8000 in n half and set it up to flower a 8’x2’ scrog table in my 4x8, and am only pulling 500w from the wall to her, I’ve always overpowered lights and ran them no more than 75-80%, she was up to 600-650w at the peak but I backed her down 50-75w the past 2 weeks heading into the end of flower

Photone is great don’t use it as a all out gauge to run but more as a find the happy place for your plants and record setting (or wattage I prefer wattage) and height where your plants are happy, you’ll know where to start at for a safe spot next run around that same growth stage

SpursGrower · Jun 1, 2024

Here’s the state of play..

I’ve got 23 inches from the light to the highest bud

The light is at about 60-65%

And here’s the reading with the photons app and piece of paper diffuser

Is that reading a bit low? Could I go higher?

I think a lot if not all of the heat damage was caused a couple of weeks ago when I had the light stupidly close (about 12 inches) and about 80-90%

Mikedin · Jun 1, 2024

My usual theory is I’ll go up 30-40w (not sure dial percentage) and let that ride for a day or 2 if they seem to say the same and no change to their rhythm then I’ll go another 30-40w and do the same again, if they seem negatively affected I’ll back it back down to last happy setpoint, once I see that is when I take my readings, I didn’t go super crazy trying to push them was dealing with enough heat and humidity for nearly a week straight near record highs everyday with 85-90%RH so that’s when I started backing the power down, I normally back it down the last few weeks of the run anyways I think I maxed out at 850ish PPFD by week 2 of flower (on photone app as well) with the light at 18” at that 650ish watts

Cheap to pick up a watt meter on Amazon, it’ll even calculate cost if you enter your exact price per watt lol once I started adjusting by wattage I stopped even looking at the dial anymore

SpursGrower · Jun 1, 2024

Mikedin said:
My usual theory is I’ll go up 30-40w (not sure dial percentage) and let that ride for a day or 2 if they seem to say the same and no change to their rhythm then I’ll go another 30-40w and do the same again, if they seem negatively affected I’ll back it back down to last happy setpoint, once I see that is when I take my readings, I didn’t go super crazy trying to push them was dealing with enough heat and humidity for nearly a week straight near record highs everyday with 85-90%RH so that’s when I started backing the power down, I normally back it down the last few weeks of the run anyways I think I maxed out at 850ish PPFD by week 2 of flower (on photone app as well) with the light at 18” at that 650ish watts

Cheap to pick up a watt meter on Amazon, it’ll even calculate cost if you enter your exact price per watt lol once I started adjusting by wattage I stopped even looking at the dial anymore

Nice.

I’ll use my clamp meter to see the amps pulled then convert to watts and I’ll be in the ball park.

SpursGrower · Jun 1, 2024

S

Mikedin said:
My usual theory is I’ll go up 30-40w (not sure dial percentage) and let that ride for a day or 2 if they seem to say the same and no change to their rhythm then I’ll go another 30-40w and do the same again, if they seem negatively affected I’ll back it back down to last happy setpoint, once I see that is when I take my readings, I didn’t go super crazy trying to push them was dealing with enough heat and humidity for nearly a week straight near record highs everyday with 85-90%RH so that’s when I started backing the power down, I normally back it down the last few weeks of the run anyways I think I maxed out at 850ish PPFD by week 2 of flower (on photone app as well) with the light at 18” at that 650ish watts

Cheap to pick up a watt meter on Amazon, it’ll even calculate cost if you enter your exact price per watt lol once I started adjusting by wattage I stopped even looking at the dial anymore

Sorry another question.

Ive been trying to get my leaves praying as I always thought a praying leaf was a happy leaf. But I think I’ve read a couple of times here that if they are praying then they are getting too much light.

Is this true?

Mikedin · Jun 1, 2024

SpursGrower said:
Nice.

I’ll use my clamp meter to see the amps pulled then convert to watts and I’ll be in the ball park.

Track that to the PPFD reading you at getting at that 18” point so you know what to set power to and won’t even have to check if you know ballpark where you are already

Farmville · Jun 2, 2024

SpursGrower said:
Here’s the state of play..

I’ve got 23 inches from the light to the highest bud
View attachment 2183021

The light is at about 60-65%
View attachment 2183022
And here’s the reading with the photons app and piece of paper diffuser
View attachment 2183023

Is that reading a bit low? Could I go higher?

I think a lot if not all of the heat damage was caused a couple of weeks ago when I had the light stupidly close (about 12 inches) and about 80-90%

Dude I love this. You really went gung ho on the arts and crafts nice job. It’s not exact that’s for sure but it’s the closest you’ll get for 6$ I feel so it’s amazing you tried Photone. So for ppfd I usually go

seedlings and clones: 100-300 ppfd
Vegetative stage: 400-600 ppfd
Flowering(first three weeks): 1000ppfd
Flowering(last two weeks): 800 ppfd

Ive heard of people walking their ppfd up slowly to the 1000 for stretch during the first week. I don’t. I just feed when I flip and usually I feel like that feeding helps give the plant the food it’ll need for stretch

SpursGrower · Jun 2, 2024

Thanks for the tip, it’s a good app and I’m an electrician so can use it for work which means I can claim the £5.99 back. Win/win

New Guy Growing

New Guy Growing

SpursGrower

Imzzaudae

Garden Like a Viking

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

BearWater

If you were a hotdog would you eat yourself?

SpursGrower

Garden Like a Viking

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

Midflower Problems - topdressing not helping?

SpursGrower

Farmville

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Imzzaudae

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Mikedin

Living Soil Student

Farmville

SpursGrower

New Guy Growing

New Guy Growing

SpursGrower

Imzzaudae

Garden Like a Viking

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

BearWater

If you were a hotdog would you eat yourself?

SpursGrower

Garden Like a Viking

Country Boys EZ Organic Grow

Small space Laughing Buddha Plant

Midflower Problems - topdressing not helping?​

SpursGrower

Farmville

SpursGrower

Attachments

Farmville

SpursGrower

Imzzaudae

Farmville

SpursGrower

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Living Soil Student

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Midflower Problems - topdressing not helping?