Autumn Autos 2019

blackthumbbetty · October 14, 2019, 6:46pm

It also asterisks that thing about pH/surfactant, saying to adjust, if needed. I admittedly adjusted it without first testing it, because I did not trust it to not burn this strain, which is I have found to be sensitive to nutrients over many grows. If the people over there say 4.7 is ok, I will do that next time.

Feedwise, Dirty is listed as using the exact same mix as their hydro products.

I have grown this strain several times, and I promise you, by day 21 it’s going to be throwing pistils. The bottle instructions say feed every 5 days throughout veg and a couple weeks into flower; veg for this strain starts now and ends in a week or so. I have been using kelp products during autoflower veg without any adverse reaction, as have many other growers.

I grow organically. I am sacrificing one of my favorite strains to test a product I would most likely never choose to use. Why? Because I like experimenting and testing things. I am not a pro. Just a home grower trying to grow the best weed I can for myself. Home growers do things differently than you might approve of or that a company might approve of. We have to, since most products are not developed with us in mind.

blackthumbbetty · October 15, 2019, 6:20pm

And now welcome to this season’s premier episode of Cooking For Buds

Last night, at 10pm, I prepared The Girls’ First Meal. Since I feed Earth Juice, I bubble the main meal for about 40-48 hours, allowing the microbe herd to multiply and pH to start moving up. I can never get mine to move far, even after 48 hours of bubbling, so I do adjust up…to a point.

Bubbled Solution:
1 gal Tap
2 tbsp Grow
1.5 tbsp Catalyst
1.5 tsp Meta K

Once that’s bubbled for 40-48 hours, I’ll add:
1 gal Tap
2 tsp Demeter’s
1 tsp Microblast

Adding the above brings the pH into the range of 5.8-6.2, which I usually leave it at, unless my medium’s pH is testing too acidic, which has not happened, yet. Surprisingly, for this set-up, the pH likes to hit that 7 mark.

No pics, just talk radio today, really. Tune in tomorrow for exciting, live color commentary.

blackthumbbetty · October 16, 2019, 10:47pm

Day# 17/10
First Feed

Light:
A. 120w/21.75"/16000 lux/247ppfd
B. 120w/22.5"/17000 lux/247ppfd

Temps/rh: holding steady at 75-77F/64-66%

Yes, these girls are young, but a few already have yellowing cots, plus I have found that starting the organics early really helps give the microbes time to do their thing. I decided to feed BB Blue Cheese, too, even though she’s getting non-organic nutes.

Seven Girls got 6 cups of the mix referenced in the post above, with a pH of 5.8.

BB Blue Cheese got 6 cups of the following pH 6.5 solution:
1 gal Tap
2.5 grams Veg + Bloom

Tent A

Tent B

blackthumbbetty · October 17, 2019, 9:49pm

Day#18/10

Light Update

Last night, in a moment of panic, I realized my lights might be set weaker than they needed be. So, I did something, which could be a bad thing. It could also be a good thing. Whatever happens, it’s a thing of some sort.

Tent A: 140w/24"/17250/267
Tent B: 140w/24.5"/18250/265
Cycle: 20/4

Yesterday morning, I had already lowered the light down a few inches to take the ppfd from 225 to 247.

Then, late last night, I did many things that took it from 247 to 267.

I know, I know! From 225 to 267 in one day. Look, I panicked. They actually look wonderful, today.

Tomorrow, I plan on taking it from 20/4 to 18/6.

LST Day

I decided to train: Blue Dream’atic, Blue Amnesia xxl, Critical Blue, and Sweet CBD. Originally, I had planned on Blue Pearl, too, but she’s staying too squat to safely manhandle; close-up pic of her to follow.

I also ATTEMPTED to train Dinafem Blue Cheese, but was thwarted due to pistils! I hope I didn’t damage her. I had her all tied-up, but then when I went to take some pics for you perverts, I noticed pistils. I untied her, but she’s kinda listing to the side, now. Oopsy?

Pics on the way, I promise! Taking foreeeeeeeever to upload because of my signal.

blackthumbbetty · October 17, 2019, 10:25pm

Tent A
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/2/e/2efdb2e10dee9ed3c9031797bb74f57f6375259a.jpeg

https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/1/e/1e590f26e9b80ed0ae3a48342a7873de4c8ff0bc.jpeg

Tent B
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/5/f/5f84814d7edf24050c9ac894b9ba1aa8ea16cfae.jpeg

https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/7/e/7e92d5641e09ad3342c2bc8d2527fe87f05c3b37.jpeg

AFTER LST
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/9/9/99a983a500f6b541b4647bae0e585970d93715ff.jpeg

https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/1/4/1488461e63dc7df6327dfd99cb735cab75559b59.jpeg

blackthumbbetty · October 20, 2019, 2:19am

Day#20/13
Watering/Microbe/Calcium Day

Yesterday, all was well when I left the house at noon. At midnight, when I was able to check on them again, Big Buddha Blue Cheese was showing a major Calcium deficiency. Friday was technically Push Day, anyway, but still–such an insane deficiency showing in only 12 hours! I blame the higher ppfd from this morning in combo with the Veg + Bloom line not having enough Calcium for the lights.

BBBC Push Application at 1:30am:
12ml Push
1 qt RO
NOT pH adjusted, per the company

Applied just before lights off. Applied, allowed to set a few minutes, rinsed, then dried.

Main Solution
The 8 Girls: 6 cups to all but Chiesel, who got 2 cups
2¼ gallons Tap
2 tbsp Persephone’s Palate
1 tsp Recharge
pH 6.2

BB Blue Cheese: 6 cups given
1 gallon Tap
1 tsp Demeter’s Destiny
¼ tsp Persephone’s Palate
¼ tsp Life
pH 6.2
I wasn’t planning on adding any products except those included in the Veg+Bloom kit, but then I noticed a little loophole for myself: the instructions say to adjust everything up to an ec of .2-.3 using CalMag. Since this plant clearly needs the extra Calcium, I decided to add DD & PP to take my tap’s ec from .2 to just under .3. It was unnecessary for the ec, but I’ll use any excuse to get these girls the nutrients they need.

Pistils showing on all EXCEPT Expert Blue Cheese, Blue Amnesia, and Chiesel (surprise!).

BudBrother · October 20, 2019, 1:13pm

Hit the nail on the head there. Thanks, BTB

blackthumbbetty · October 22, 2019, 5:58am

Day 22/15

Light Update
Tent A: 175w/21“/26,000 lux/400 ppfd
Tent B: 175w/24“/27,000 lux/395 ppfd
INCREASED by 35 Watts & ~ 100ppfd

Temps/RH: 79-81F/64-66% (need to install my room exhaust outlet, now)

Food Bubbling
will make 3 gallons total
1 gal Tap
6 tbsp Grow
2 tbsp Catalyst
1 tbsp Meta K

AFTER bubbling, I’ll add 2 gallons of Tap and 3 tsp Demeter’s Destiny.

https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/c/f/cf05ed8dbd9b6080a66a92eb6d05f72259c6c5a6.jpeg
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/3X/6/2/62a04f5bc29a6045c8ea62c78dbe0c0786fa8df6.jpeg

blackthumbbetty · October 23, 2019, 10:34pm

Day#23/16 Week 4
Feed Day

All but Blue Amnesia are showing pistils!

Even so, everyone is still getting veg food this week. Week 5 will be Late Veg/Transition #1. Week 6 will be either Trans Wk#2 or Bloom#1, depending on what the plants tell me.

The Main Girls
6 cups each, pH adjusted up to 6.1
1 gallon Bubbled Nutes
2 gallons Tap
1 tbsp Demeter’s

Big Buddha Blue Cheese Veg + Bloom
6 cups, unadjusted pH of 6.2
1 gallon Tap
4 gr V+B
1 tbsp Persephone
1 tsp Demeter

I decided to drop the Push completely and just go with the DD & PP for Calcium. Not too concerned with missing the Silica and other stuff in the Push.

https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/4X/6/5/8/658f4272899a4da11b6a1a2bead01c9e9b52c580.jpeg
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/4X/f/9/3/f936b4905bcdf56df63bfb5740845d352bdf3cd6.jpeg
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/4X/f/d/d/fddbe4b5499adf4a57f691be0cfa6e043453a455.jpeg

–BB Blue Cheese has terrible scars from last week’s Calcium suck.
–Critical Blue just started showing minor Calcium deficiency overnight
–Chiesel is trying!
–Dinafem Blue Cheese has some minor light burn on her top leaf tips; she’s growing like a mofo weed
–Blue Amnesia has some minor light burn, as well. Tbh, all the girls in Tent B are showing very minor light burn, but nothing unexpected. I tend to push that tent, for some reason. Looking back, the B girls tend get light burn around this time, then I back off the light and problem solved.
–Next week, before meal time, I’ll do some pH testing of the medium, just to have the info

Tygrow78 · October 24, 2019, 12:43am

Your plants are all looking amazing! They all look very healthy from the time they sprouted. You can tell how much love, time, and energy you put into your plants!!! I love your grow journal also, and the way you set it up with all the info. Going to borrow a few ideas for my white widow journal I just started.

blackthumbbetty · October 26, 2019, 8:28pm

Day 27
Water/Microbe Day

8 Girls received 4-7 cups of the following 6.0 pH solution:
4 gallons Tap
4 tbsp Persephone’s
2 tsp Recharge
1 tbsp Epsom

BB Blue Cheese received 7 cups of the following 6.3 pH solution:
1 gallon Tap
1 tbsp Persephone’s
¼ tsp Life
1 tsp Epsom

Tent A

Tent B

blackthumbbetty · October 28, 2019, 8:46pm

Day# 29/22

The Girls are transitioning to bloom, though I think a couple could be in outright bloom. This has made food prep a bit confusing, today.

Main Food Mix(Bloom/Transition):
Bubbling:
¾ gallon Tap
4 tbsp Grow
4 tbsp Bloom
2¾ tbsp Catalyst
1½ tbsp Meta K

Add Post Bubbling:
3¼ gallons Tap
4 tsp Demeter’s
1.5 tsp EACH Root Trio: Piranha, Voodoo, Tarantula

Grow/Transition Bubbling:
To be mixed with 1¾ gallons of Main Post Bubble Mix
1 qt Tap
2 tbsp Grow

After all is mixed, hopefully the pH will be peachy keen. The Girls will each get about 8 cups. Blue Pearl, Expert Blue Cheese, Blue Amnesia, and Chiesel will receive Grow/Trans, while all others will get Bloom/Trans.

–Currently, BB Blue Cheese and Critical Blue are recovering from Ca issues. BB Blue Cheese’s new growth looks ok, but the verdict is still out on Critical Blue. I think BBBC’s deficiency has caused her to stall out in her growth, so I don’t expect much from her, come harvest. Same for Critical Blue, though she might be worse off.
–Expert Blue Cheese is trying to start a Magnesium deficiency, but I hope the epsom foliar feed from last week and the Microblast foliar from last night (1 qt RO, ½ tsp Microblast, pH 6.6) helped everybody get on track. I sprayed all the girls last night, because frankly I screwed up and have been neglecting the micronutes and Magnesium. I won’t do any more foliar feeds after this last one, as they are getting too far along into trans/bloom.
–Blue Amnesia and Blue Pearl have some light burnt tips. Usually, I’d be worried, but my best plants from past grows had the same thing, so…yay, I guess?
–Dinafem Blue Cheese is growing pretty much how I expected her to grow; it’s how I expected all the Blue Cheeses to grow, from past experience. She is getting a bit tall, so her tent position might get swapped with Chiesel.
–Chiesel is still growing and getting better each day! She’s still a runty mutant, but she’s going to give me a few buds.
–running slurry tests on BBBC, Crit Blue, and EBC.

blackthumbbetty · October 29, 2019, 4:53pm

Slurry Results:

BB Blue Cheese–5.9 (screw nutes with pH buffers! I freaking hate them)
Critical Blue–6.4
Expert Blue Cheese–6.3
Blue Amnesia–6.3

Ok, so except for the Veg+Bloom fed BBBC, everyone is in fine shape, pH wise. That means my issues are most likely from hungry plants caused by strong lights and a good VPD? I am ok with that. That’s easy to fix. Look at me, being all positive.

The BBBC, I will start adjusting her pH up, rather than letting the buffers in the nutes screw me over.

I don’t think I’ll ever have a trouble free grow, ever. I’ve accepted that. I do have this blackthumb. No matter how much I prepare, plan, and carefully tend the girls, something always happens. This time, just some minor issues, but still. Stupid freaking product test…wtf was I thinking?! Stupid freaking me for not keeping up on Secondary and Micronutes! Stupid freaking me for not feeding heavier with this VPD and these lights!

Ok, now that I know things aren’t completely screwed-up, I feel better. I did NOT want to have to flush 9 freaking 5 gallon pots.

blackthumbbetty · October 30, 2019, 7:59pm

Day# 31/24
Feed Day

I mixed the Main Food Mix Bubbling with 3½ gallons of tap water, then seperated out about 2 gallons of that mixture for Grow/Trans.

Bloom/Trans recieved 8 cups each of the following solution:
-2.25 gallons of the above
-2 tsp Demeter
-1 tbsp each Root Trio (in a previous post, it should have said 1.5 tsp/gal)
pH to 6.3

Grow/Trans received 8 cups of the following solution:
-2 gallons of the above
-1 qt (a bit less, due to bubble out) Grow/Trans Mix
-2 tsp Demeter’s
pH to 6.2

BB Blue Cheese recieved:
-1 gallon Tap
-4.5 grams V+B
-.5 grams Shine
-1 tsp Demeter’s
pH 6.7

Run-off pH: 6.4
Run-off ec/ppm (500 scale): 2.6/1300

With the pH drift inherent in this product, not sure where it will ultimately end up. That ec is awfully high, isn’t it?

Lights are up to 200w, but I’ve kept the ppfd at 400, because the girls are barely handling that anyway; I want to be ready to easily raise and lower the light, rather than deal with the killawatts every couple of days.

Tent A
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/4X/2/1/9/219bc19fbae04d7700de40b50a9f68a191665977.jpeg

Tent B
https://aws1.discourse-cdn.com/business6/uploads/growingmarijuana/original/4X/9/6/5/965d7d1ab1b1c58ae40e68dca86006a05446c3b9.jpeg

LST REMOVED

Hey, forgot that I gave the girls a total of 5 tsp Microblast with their meals.