I tried to sell Bubba today, but no one wanted it. No surprise there since it's all covered in mildew. For now I'll have to pick out some of the more unaffected buds and simply throw away the rest. I estimate that I'll lose at least half of the batch, leaving me with 400 grams of Bubba instead of 800 if I'm lucky. That cuts into my total yield dramatically, and my profit for this harvest will be close to nothing if everything else still sells. And there's no guarantee that I can still sell the remaining Bubba or the other strains either.
VEG
Water
pH 5.8
I watered the HPS Veg lightly so as to avoid overwatering. The temperature in the veg is cold, so it won't add too much humidity even if I water heavily, but I don't want to stunt the plants. There's a lot more space between branches and underneath the canopy after I trimmed and cloned yesterday. A few of the trees look like they've been trimmed too much, but given that I still have a few days to set up the Master to receive these plants, it shouldn't be a big deal.
MH Veg is progressing rapidly. I trimmed all the Bubbas and left only the top three branches on all of them. I haven't trimmed the other strains yet because I want to clone them first. I only have a few weeks before I have to flower this rotation, so I have to be careful about the timing. If I clone too soon, the clones might be underdeveloped and won't survive. If I trim too late, these trees won't have adequate time to recover before they have to be flowered.
Not much going on with the clones yet since they were just made yesterday. The older Phantom clones that survived the mildew attack are also showing a total reversal. All of them were dipped in fungicide, and I also left some of the cloning water in the tray to soak the rockwool. One of the clones actually rooted, which is a good sign that these clones are going to make it to the net cups.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.8
I have this strong feeling that not using Phosphoload was a mistake. The quality seemed to come out a lot better than usual in the Master, and without PM I would've been able to sell all of it without any problems.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Master Harvest 3.2
It's been a while since I updated this because I've simply been busy as fuck. I harvested a week and a half ago and I've had to juggle harvesting, cleaning, cloning, more cleaning, and basic chores around the house over the past week. Since Christmas just passed, I also had to show my face around with the family for a couple of days. I would've rather enjoyed staying my ass home and completing all my work.
The Master hit roughly 3.2 lbs for this month. The weight distribution is as follows;
Bubba - 800 grams
Abusive - 300 grams
GG - 350 grams
Candyland? - 120 grams
I say roughly 3.2 because there will be shake. Considering that I didn't expect anything over 2, it wouldn't be a bad harvest, except that there's mildew all over the Bubba, which I happen to have the most of. I tried to sell a small amount of it to one of my more loyal customers, and he noticed the problem right away and refused to buy. It was a rushed trim job, but it's still demoralizing. I'll have to do a better job of eliminating the mildew, otherwise I'll have to either find another way to deal with it or drop the price completely, if that would even work. The market isn't too hot for mildew-infested weed.
MASTER
The Master looks a lot better going into the next rotation, but I spent part of today trimming the bottom leaves. I told myself I would leave it alone this time around, with all the research I did on trimming during flowering, but it would really be a waste for those branches to stay on the trees. I didn't trim the Middle and it seems to have caused a bottleneck in growth somewhat. I changed the tarp this time around. The old one was nasty and probably covered in mildew. I also mounted the wall fan by the entrance to the bathroom. It seems like this has helped the humidity problem a little, although not much. I haven't set up the dehumidifier yet, so that's one more thing I'll have to do as this rotation progresses.
The trees themselves are looking healthy as they should. I didn't water as often as I usually do because of time constraints (and some laziness). I figured they wouldn't need that much water since they were just transplanted. The lack of watering didn't seem to harm them as much, if at all, but they're generally more forgiving during the first few weeks of flowering anyway, so I shouldn't take it for granted. While I trimmed, I also rearranged a lot of the top branches to allow more light distribution. This was a huge problem with the previous Master rotation, so I'm trying to fix that problem this time around.
MIDDLE
The Middle still looks promising, but I'll have to keep a close eye on mildew and spider mites. It doesn't seem like there's any problem with the growth so far, only that it's smaller than I would've liked. (What a surprise) I didn't use Phosphoload this time around for fear of stunting growth too much, but I may have made a mistake. Hitting 3.2 in the Master changes things a bit, especially with regards to the Bubba. I noticed a lot of the buds had what I would call "calyx crowding." It's like more calyxes being bunched up together on the same bud, adding density and weight to the flower. It completely destroyed the other trees, so maybe there's a certain time frame in which I can use it? For now, I'll just have to compare the results of this rotation to the Master's. Hopefully it'll be better.
I chose not to trim these trees because the canopy was looking a little thin to begin with, but now I feel like that might have been a mistake since the flowers don't seem to be as big as they should be. I also used a lot of Big Bud this time around, so hopefully that will have some positive effects on the yield.
VEG
This room is an absolute shitshow. For starters, the HPS Veg that I tranferred from the MH is now overgrown. I transplanted them into the PW Heavy pots and now they're growing even more aggressively. I've decided to use this towards an expanded Master rotation rather than for the Middle. Considering I have about three weeks to veg for the Middle, this shouldn't be a problem. I have 14 trees total under HPS, of which I can only use 12 for a decent flowering. I figured I can use either two 1000 watt HPS bulbs or one special Gavita bulb for this. If I decide to go with HPS with the reflectors I have now, I'll have to purchase another two bulbs which could cost up to 350 bucks, not to mention I'd have to draw another 2000 watts and add additional ventilation. I also suspect that I'd have to find a way to cool the room even more, since HPS bulbs tend to produce more heat. If I decide to go with a single Gavita, it'll cost me about the same amount of money but would draw less power and produce less heat, but I'm still somewhat skeptical about how it'll perform. I'll have to test it here, side by side with two HPS bulbs, to know what they're really worth.
The MH Veg is looking good. I have a total of 25 pots in PW Mid pots. I think this was a good move, since the growth seems to be accelerated ever since I transplanted. I should stick to this type of rotation from now on. I haven't trimmed these plants yet because I need the clones from them. I lost a lot of the Abusive clones I wanted from the previous trays I made, and I want to continue using it for future rotations. It's a popular strain and I need to be very selective from now on regarding the strains I use.
Clone trays are a different story. I think leaving the humidity domes on them was a bad idea. Mildew completely infected the Phantom tray, which turned out to be a disaster. Ideally, I wanted about 60 clones to survive for the net cups, but now I only have close to half that amount. A lot of them also look pretty weak, and I had to throw some away today. I even had to plant the older clones I made about a month ago, which is even more upsetting since I know those Phantom clones would've been strong had they survived.
I made a new tray today consisting of mostly Phantom, with some GSC and No-Q, which is probably also GSC. I dipped each one at the cut in a generous amount of Clonex and then dipped the heads in a fungicide solution before stabbing each clone into the rockwool plugs. Hopefully this will help the plant resist any mildew that might infect it in the weeks to come. I expect that these clones should root in about two weeks, when the Middle cuts down. This will still fit into the rotation I've set up here. I have two weeks until the MH goes to flower, and I have a few days to set up the Master to receive the HPS Veg. If I wait a few days to clone off these trees, I'll have about a week and a half until they have to go into the Middle. They'll be shorter than usual, and I'll have to time the topping and trimming accurately to allow enough branches to fill out, but I have 25 trees to work with instead of the usual 16, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. In all likelihood, the increased number of trees might actually be much better.
I still have some leftover Phantom clones that survived the mildew attack, not to mention lack of water. I threw away all the duds and dipped the remainder into the same fungicide solution and I added the cloning water, (with root accelerator) into the tray. Hopefully these will root in a few days to replace the net cups I had to throw away.
All in all, not really a successful month, but not horrible. I had a decent harvest, but I'll have to keep working on the Bubba to get rid of all the mildew so I can actually sell it. I have enough money to take care of bills for now, seeing as I probably won't be able to clear out my entire inventory before the bills are due. The Middle room comes down in a few weeks, and with proper maintenance I should be able to get a decent harvest out of there as well. It doesn't look like the 4+ lbs I wanted, but then again, the Master initially looked like it was only going to give me 2 lbs, so I'll have to just wait until the final weigh-in. The Veg seems to be coming along, although I'll have to adjust the rotation slightly to accommodate for the fact that I'm short on plants for an entire room.
I think I'm going to go forward with the Gavita plan, as I'm calling it. If these 13 trees are under HPS for another two weeks, they'll be massive and disproportionate. I don't have the space to accommodate these trees in the veg. They're already just as tall as the trees in the Master anyway, despite being nearly two weeks behind in terms of flowering time. This plan hinders on the ability for the MH veg to catch up, but I can stretch their veg time if I have to, even if I have to trim and clone them. This will also be a good opportunity to test the Gavita against the HPS, and from then on I'll have up to 30 trees for an entire rotation, which was the first step towards expansion anyway. All of this is pointless without more 4+ harvests, and I'll definitely be able to get there with another light. Ironically, one problem has presented multiple opportunities.
I'll have to stay more current with posts from now on. It's no coincidence that my work seemed to fall off as I stopped posting.
The Master hit roughly 3.2 lbs for this month. The weight distribution is as follows;
Bubba - 800 grams
Abusive - 300 grams
GG - 350 grams
Candyland? - 120 grams
I say roughly 3.2 because there will be shake. Considering that I didn't expect anything over 2, it wouldn't be a bad harvest, except that there's mildew all over the Bubba, which I happen to have the most of. I tried to sell a small amount of it to one of my more loyal customers, and he noticed the problem right away and refused to buy. It was a rushed trim job, but it's still demoralizing. I'll have to do a better job of eliminating the mildew, otherwise I'll have to either find another way to deal with it or drop the price completely, if that would even work. The market isn't too hot for mildew-infested weed.
MASTER
The Master looks a lot better going into the next rotation, but I spent part of today trimming the bottom leaves. I told myself I would leave it alone this time around, with all the research I did on trimming during flowering, but it would really be a waste for those branches to stay on the trees. I didn't trim the Middle and it seems to have caused a bottleneck in growth somewhat. I changed the tarp this time around. The old one was nasty and probably covered in mildew. I also mounted the wall fan by the entrance to the bathroom. It seems like this has helped the humidity problem a little, although not much. I haven't set up the dehumidifier yet, so that's one more thing I'll have to do as this rotation progresses.
The trees themselves are looking healthy as they should. I didn't water as often as I usually do because of time constraints (and some laziness). I figured they wouldn't need that much water since they were just transplanted. The lack of watering didn't seem to harm them as much, if at all, but they're generally more forgiving during the first few weeks of flowering anyway, so I shouldn't take it for granted. While I trimmed, I also rearranged a lot of the top branches to allow more light distribution. This was a huge problem with the previous Master rotation, so I'm trying to fix that problem this time around.
MIDDLE
The Middle still looks promising, but I'll have to keep a close eye on mildew and spider mites. It doesn't seem like there's any problem with the growth so far, only that it's smaller than I would've liked. (What a surprise) I didn't use Phosphoload this time around for fear of stunting growth too much, but I may have made a mistake. Hitting 3.2 in the Master changes things a bit, especially with regards to the Bubba. I noticed a lot of the buds had what I would call "calyx crowding." It's like more calyxes being bunched up together on the same bud, adding density and weight to the flower. It completely destroyed the other trees, so maybe there's a certain time frame in which I can use it? For now, I'll just have to compare the results of this rotation to the Master's. Hopefully it'll be better.
I chose not to trim these trees because the canopy was looking a little thin to begin with, but now I feel like that might have been a mistake since the flowers don't seem to be as big as they should be. I also used a lot of Big Bud this time around, so hopefully that will have some positive effects on the yield.
VEG
This room is an absolute shitshow. For starters, the HPS Veg that I tranferred from the MH is now overgrown. I transplanted them into the PW Heavy pots and now they're growing even more aggressively. I've decided to use this towards an expanded Master rotation rather than for the Middle. Considering I have about three weeks to veg for the Middle, this shouldn't be a problem. I have 14 trees total under HPS, of which I can only use 12 for a decent flowering. I figured I can use either two 1000 watt HPS bulbs or one special Gavita bulb for this. If I decide to go with HPS with the reflectors I have now, I'll have to purchase another two bulbs which could cost up to 350 bucks, not to mention I'd have to draw another 2000 watts and add additional ventilation. I also suspect that I'd have to find a way to cool the room even more, since HPS bulbs tend to produce more heat. If I decide to go with a single Gavita, it'll cost me about the same amount of money but would draw less power and produce less heat, but I'm still somewhat skeptical about how it'll perform. I'll have to test it here, side by side with two HPS bulbs, to know what they're really worth.
The MH Veg is looking good. I have a total of 25 pots in PW Mid pots. I think this was a good move, since the growth seems to be accelerated ever since I transplanted. I should stick to this type of rotation from now on. I haven't trimmed these plants yet because I need the clones from them. I lost a lot of the Abusive clones I wanted from the previous trays I made, and I want to continue using it for future rotations. It's a popular strain and I need to be very selective from now on regarding the strains I use.
Clone trays are a different story. I think leaving the humidity domes on them was a bad idea. Mildew completely infected the Phantom tray, which turned out to be a disaster. Ideally, I wanted about 60 clones to survive for the net cups, but now I only have close to half that amount. A lot of them also look pretty weak, and I had to throw some away today. I even had to plant the older clones I made about a month ago, which is even more upsetting since I know those Phantom clones would've been strong had they survived.
I made a new tray today consisting of mostly Phantom, with some GSC and No-Q, which is probably also GSC. I dipped each one at the cut in a generous amount of Clonex and then dipped the heads in a fungicide solution before stabbing each clone into the rockwool plugs. Hopefully this will help the plant resist any mildew that might infect it in the weeks to come. I expect that these clones should root in about two weeks, when the Middle cuts down. This will still fit into the rotation I've set up here. I have two weeks until the MH goes to flower, and I have a few days to set up the Master to receive the HPS Veg. If I wait a few days to clone off these trees, I'll have about a week and a half until they have to go into the Middle. They'll be shorter than usual, and I'll have to time the topping and trimming accurately to allow enough branches to fill out, but I have 25 trees to work with instead of the usual 16, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. In all likelihood, the increased number of trees might actually be much better.
I still have some leftover Phantom clones that survived the mildew attack, not to mention lack of water. I threw away all the duds and dipped the remainder into the same fungicide solution and I added the cloning water, (with root accelerator) into the tray. Hopefully these will root in a few days to replace the net cups I had to throw away.
All in all, not really a successful month, but not horrible. I had a decent harvest, but I'll have to keep working on the Bubba to get rid of all the mildew so I can actually sell it. I have enough money to take care of bills for now, seeing as I probably won't be able to clear out my entire inventory before the bills are due. The Middle room comes down in a few weeks, and with proper maintenance I should be able to get a decent harvest out of there as well. It doesn't look like the 4+ lbs I wanted, but then again, the Master initially looked like it was only going to give me 2 lbs, so I'll have to just wait until the final weigh-in. The Veg seems to be coming along, although I'll have to adjust the rotation slightly to accommodate for the fact that I'm short on plants for an entire room.
I think I'm going to go forward with the Gavita plan, as I'm calling it. If these 13 trees are under HPS for another two weeks, they'll be massive and disproportionate. I don't have the space to accommodate these trees in the veg. They're already just as tall as the trees in the Master anyway, despite being nearly two weeks behind in terms of flowering time. This plan hinders on the ability for the MH veg to catch up, but I can stretch their veg time if I have to, even if I have to trim and clone them. This will also be a good opportunity to test the Gavita against the HPS, and from then on I'll have up to 30 trees for an entire rotation, which was the first step towards expansion anyway. All of this is pointless without more 4+ harvests, and I'll definitely be able to get there with another light. Ironically, one problem has presented multiple opportunities.
I'll have to stay more current with posts from now on. It's no coincidence that my work seemed to fall off as I stopped posting.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Weak Harvest, Master Too Tall
Actions:
-Finished harvest
-HPS Veg transplanted, transferred to Master
-New tarp in Master
-Feed/water
-Full veg rotation
VEG
300ml base
1000-1100 ppm
HPS Veg was too tall this time around, but may have been ideal height five days ago when the harvest was supposed to have been finished. I'll have to trim bottom branches and constantly adjust tops to evenly bend, thereby executing a correct SCROG. My other option is to allow the tree to simply grow to its full height without any restraints, but possibly at the cost of light penetration to the lower part of the canopy.
MH Veg is also overgrown, and I'm conflicted about what to do with it. Although this veg was initially meant for the Middle rotation, I may have an opportunity to open two more lights in the Master for these trees, as long as I can control the temperature in that room. I could also expand into my bedroom, but that'll take more time, effort, and money, although it'll be the only time I'll have to make any more modifications to the setup for at least six months. My main option is to continue the rotation as planned, but with two rounds of cloning; one tomorrow and another round in two weeks, to contain vertical growth and sprout more heads. With four weeks to go, they should have enough time to recover and I'll have maximized light distribution in the Middle with a shortage of trees.
Clones look like shit. The Phantom tray has been afflicted by heavy mildew, and I had to throw about ten of them away. It seems that dipping them in fungicide is now mandatory. Only a couple of these rooted. Some of the other strains rooted just fine or better than usual. The older trays are still holding on, surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, at this point. These fuckers were dipped in fungicide, so it's no wonder they've made it this long (almost a month).
MIDDLE
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
100ml Overdrive
1400-1600 ppm
I decided to introduce Overdrive at 2/3 strength while still using Big Bud at full dosage. It's possible that I may have been underfeeding during the mid-flowering stage of the rotation. 1400-1600 ppm seems like the right range for mid to late flowering, as said on forums and other sources. Without a combination of Big Bud and Overdrive, PPM might be reduced to 1200-1400, which might be inadequate considering the plant is entering its prime physical and reproductive state. It's too soon to gauge the effects this may have had, but I can always simply flush if the PPM is too high.
Colas are already looking bigger in this room than they were in the Master, although that isn't saying too much since the Master colas were pitiful. Thankfully I haven't seen a single tree with unusual development other than the ones being covered from light.
Mildew has returned, and of course, it's all over the Bubba. Fucking Bubba. Fucking mildew. Fuck everything.
MASTER (DAY ONE)
300ml base
This room is tall as fuck. There's going to be some heavy training over the next few weeks in this room, but I'll have to refrain from cutting as much as I usually do. The only consolation I have is with the amount of branches all these trees have despite all this overgrowth. If I had harvested sooner, I may have avoided this problem, but it's soon enough that I can take appropriate action. I'll most likely rely on proper SCROG or simply just allow everything to grow into the trellis. Humidity will be the main concern here. I cannot afford to have this room, or any for the matter, affected by mildew. I'll have to keep air flow constant as well. I've mounted a wall fan at the corner of the room blowing halfway into dead space, and another into the canopy. I'll have to put the other fan in the opposite corner to evenly shift the air. I'm also considering opening a hole in one of the AC tubes to point into the wall fan so it can blow cool air into the canopy.
The challenge in this room is going to be controlling the height. I could use Phosphoload in Week 2 to keep the trees short, but this will immediately halt vertical growth. I can only use it if I feel like I have the appropriate amount of heads to get a good yield. If I decide not to use it, I'll have to rely on bending the branches up to Week 3 to get a proper spread on the canopy. I also have to trim bottom branches tomorrow as well, which will probably stall growth for the next few days.
I'm also fucked with regards to the timing. Today is the 20th (or 21st) and I'm on track to harvest this rotation on February 21. If I decide to cut down a week early, it'll be February 12. Not exactly an ideal date to be working my ass off.
Harvest Notes
The Bubba was surprisingly bigger than expected. Many of the colas were actually hidden by excess foliage. Most of them were also pretty dense. The problem is that they're all covered in mildew. I tried to trim most of the mildew off, but there are still many colas that will have to be trimmed even further before I can sell them.
The GG is fucking horrible. Had it not been soft, it may have contributed to the yield significantly, but the weight is so light that I might have a problem selling it. There also seems to be an absence of aroma despite all the Terpinator I gave it. One of the trees didn't even grow beyond the mid sized pot; an indicator of some type of root disease. Either way, I'll probably have to break even, or actually take a loss on this yield.
There is another strain here that wasn't identified. Colas were tiny, but THC was more abundant on these trees than others, although it could've been because there was less surface area for the THC to cover. Colas were also pretty dense, and hopefully they won't shrink too much so I can actually sell these too.
I estimate that this yield is probably in the 1.5 to 2 range. Shitty, but it's enough to keep me going for now. Throughout the harvest I noticed that many of the trees still showed pretty decent growth despite all the trouble it went through. Bubba, in particular, had some beautiful well-rounded colas as long as it had sufficient exposure to light. This has led me to believe that light distribution played a key role in the yield here. Bottom colas were unsurprisingly small, but not by much.
-Finished harvest
-HPS Veg transplanted, transferred to Master
-New tarp in Master
-Feed/water
-Full veg rotation
VEG
300ml base
1000-1100 ppm
HPS Veg was too tall this time around, but may have been ideal height five days ago when the harvest was supposed to have been finished. I'll have to trim bottom branches and constantly adjust tops to evenly bend, thereby executing a correct SCROG. My other option is to allow the tree to simply grow to its full height without any restraints, but possibly at the cost of light penetration to the lower part of the canopy.
MH Veg is also overgrown, and I'm conflicted about what to do with it. Although this veg was initially meant for the Middle rotation, I may have an opportunity to open two more lights in the Master for these trees, as long as I can control the temperature in that room. I could also expand into my bedroom, but that'll take more time, effort, and money, although it'll be the only time I'll have to make any more modifications to the setup for at least six months. My main option is to continue the rotation as planned, but with two rounds of cloning; one tomorrow and another round in two weeks, to contain vertical growth and sprout more heads. With four weeks to go, they should have enough time to recover and I'll have maximized light distribution in the Middle with a shortage of trees.
Clones look like shit. The Phantom tray has been afflicted by heavy mildew, and I had to throw about ten of them away. It seems that dipping them in fungicide is now mandatory. Only a couple of these rooted. Some of the other strains rooted just fine or better than usual. The older trays are still holding on, surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, at this point. These fuckers were dipped in fungicide, so it's no wonder they've made it this long (almost a month).
MIDDLE
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
100ml Overdrive
1400-1600 ppm
I decided to introduce Overdrive at 2/3 strength while still using Big Bud at full dosage. It's possible that I may have been underfeeding during the mid-flowering stage of the rotation. 1400-1600 ppm seems like the right range for mid to late flowering, as said on forums and other sources. Without a combination of Big Bud and Overdrive, PPM might be reduced to 1200-1400, which might be inadequate considering the plant is entering its prime physical and reproductive state. It's too soon to gauge the effects this may have had, but I can always simply flush if the PPM is too high.
Colas are already looking bigger in this room than they were in the Master, although that isn't saying too much since the Master colas were pitiful. Thankfully I haven't seen a single tree with unusual development other than the ones being covered from light.
Mildew has returned, and of course, it's all over the Bubba. Fucking Bubba. Fucking mildew. Fuck everything.
MASTER (DAY ONE)
300ml base
This room is tall as fuck. There's going to be some heavy training over the next few weeks in this room, but I'll have to refrain from cutting as much as I usually do. The only consolation I have is with the amount of branches all these trees have despite all this overgrowth. If I had harvested sooner, I may have avoided this problem, but it's soon enough that I can take appropriate action. I'll most likely rely on proper SCROG or simply just allow everything to grow into the trellis. Humidity will be the main concern here. I cannot afford to have this room, or any for the matter, affected by mildew. I'll have to keep air flow constant as well. I've mounted a wall fan at the corner of the room blowing halfway into dead space, and another into the canopy. I'll have to put the other fan in the opposite corner to evenly shift the air. I'm also considering opening a hole in one of the AC tubes to point into the wall fan so it can blow cool air into the canopy.
The challenge in this room is going to be controlling the height. I could use Phosphoload in Week 2 to keep the trees short, but this will immediately halt vertical growth. I can only use it if I feel like I have the appropriate amount of heads to get a good yield. If I decide not to use it, I'll have to rely on bending the branches up to Week 3 to get a proper spread on the canopy. I also have to trim bottom branches tomorrow as well, which will probably stall growth for the next few days.
I'm also fucked with regards to the timing. Today is the 20th (or 21st) and I'm on track to harvest this rotation on February 21. If I decide to cut down a week early, it'll be February 12. Not exactly an ideal date to be working my ass off.
Harvest Notes
The Bubba was surprisingly bigger than expected. Many of the colas were actually hidden by excess foliage. Most of them were also pretty dense. The problem is that they're all covered in mildew. I tried to trim most of the mildew off, but there are still many colas that will have to be trimmed even further before I can sell them.
The GG is fucking horrible. Had it not been soft, it may have contributed to the yield significantly, but the weight is so light that I might have a problem selling it. There also seems to be an absence of aroma despite all the Terpinator I gave it. One of the trees didn't even grow beyond the mid sized pot; an indicator of some type of root disease. Either way, I'll probably have to break even, or actually take a loss on this yield.
There is another strain here that wasn't identified. Colas were tiny, but THC was more abundant on these trees than others, although it could've been because there was less surface area for the THC to cover. Colas were also pretty dense, and hopefully they won't shrink too much so I can actually sell these too.
I estimate that this yield is probably in the 1.5 to 2 range. Shitty, but it's enough to keep me going for now. Throughout the harvest I noticed that many of the trees still showed pretty decent growth despite all the trouble it went through. Bubba, in particular, had some beautiful well-rounded colas as long as it had sufficient exposure to light. This has led me to believe that light distribution played a key role in the yield here. Bottom colas were unsurprisingly small, but not by much.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
How I Fucked Up
Action:
-Replace clone tray water
-Water
-Fungicide Middle
-Calibrate pH meter
VEG
Water
pH 5.9
~17 gal
HPS Veg has shown relatively rapid vertical growth over the past few days, peaking at about one foot from the reflector. The canopy as a whole is almost too tall for Veg at this point, and these trees need to be transplanted within the next couple of days to prevent disproportional growth. In the future it will be necessary to do a second trimming/cloning to stall growth. I will have to trim/clone this veg anyway, but it would be more ideal to trim earlier to allow the plants to recover so growth isn't stalled during flowering.
The veg tables are also showing their limitations; plants seem to be growing taller rather than wider since the table sits in the corner of the room. However, this hasn't been a problem until this week, which probably could've been prevented if I had trimmed this veg last week to stall growth. Ideally, the plants would have recovered from trimming by now.
MH Veg is also growing taller and wider, as is expected. Distance between the reflector and canopy is about one foot. Although this shouldn't be dangerous in terms of light intensity since the ballast is running at 750 watts, the heat is still substantial enough to curl the leaves. Branches are wide and thick, which is good. I'll have to top/trim/clone when I trim the HPS veg, since the rotation is about to shift. I will probably trim again two weeks into HPS as part of a pre-flowering preparation.
Older clone trays are about a month old now and the success rate has been better this time around, with a rough estimate of about 70%. I'll know the exact number once they're planted. The newer clone trays are two weeks old now, and are showing signs of a mildew infestation. Some clones deteriorated at the base rather than the leaves and branches, which means that dipping clones in fungicide during cloning was a success. A few of the other clones that most likely weren't dipped in fungicide are showing mildew infestation at the leaves. Interestingly, a few of the clones have rooted above the rockwool as a result of 100% humidity, although this also helped the mold spread more rapidly.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.8
Fungicide (2 caps/1.5 gal)
Spider mites have returned, which is odd considering fungicide was sprayed aggressively above and below the canopy merely three days ago. There is a dangerous amount of yellow mite trails on the leaves and I will have to spray this room throughout the week to prevent further deterioration. Mildew is mostly absent from this room.
There also seems to be a pungent aroma emanating from these plants now, more so than previous harvests. It's hard to determine if this is merely the result of consistent growth or heavy use of Terpinator, but either way it's a good indicator of a favorable yield. Bubba is increasing in size rapidly, whereas the other indica-dominant strains seem to be noticeably less so. I've opted not to use Phosphoload here because I don't want to hinder cola production as I did in the Master. Whether or not I use Overdrive in the next feed will largely depend on how this room progresses over the next couple of days. If colas are still underdeveloped, I will wait until next week and continue with Big Bud.
MASTER
I've opted not to water today so the soil can dry for tomorrow, as most of the pots seem moderately moist. Upon examining the buds, I've noticed that many of the main colas in this room are Bubba, and are either leaning sideways on the trellis or propped closer to the light than other trees. It's possible that ineffective light distribution was a factor in underdevelopment of colas, but it's more likely that it was a combination of factors that lead to a low yield. On the bright side, THC production has stayed constant, and the colas are covered in THC, which will be the determining factor in how these flowers are sold.
HOW I FUCKED UP
Here I will identify the reasons why this room had a lackluster performance this rotation, and I'll order them by how much of an effect I think they had:
Trimming
If all the other mistakes were made here without trimming, this yield may would have probably been much higher. These trees were trimmed during Week 3-4 to promote growth on the upper portion of the canopy, but what happened instead was that the trees themselves were weakened to the point that it probably took close to an entire week (if not longer) to recover. During the first few weeks (pre-flower) light trimming may have been acceptable, even encouraged, to regulate growth, but during a time when the trees had already halted vertical growth and were trying to produce colas, trimming was counter-effective. On a technical note, the tree may have been stripped of valuable chlorophyll, among other nutrients, to effectively photosynthesize, thereby causing a bottleneck in the metabolic functions of the plants. Whatever the case may have been, it is imperative to limit trimming to veg only, and instead physically train the plants to allow for light penetration if the plants grow disproportionately.
Phosphoload
I intended to use Phosphoload as a means to boost cola production while not recognizing the chief function of Phosphoload as a plant growth regulator rather than a bud booster. Phosphoload may have been beneficial during the first few weeks to inhibit vertical growth, considering that this rotation consisted of overly tall plants, but it probably would've been better to avoid using Phosphoload altogether since I already had contained the growth with the trellis. Phosphoload should be used if the plants themselves are already formed in a manner that has allowed for even light distribution and height needs to be contained.
Growth Manipulation Techniques
Using the trellis to bend branches down here would have produced favorable results without Phosphoload, but the trellis still needs to be used more as a structural support tool rather than a growth manipulator. During past rotations, bending heads down didn't guarantee that lower branches would grow taller. The trellis only served to keep the heads lower than their natural height, but much of the top foliage still outgrew the bottom. It would have been much safer to instead bend all the branches outward from the center stalk, if at all. With proper training techniques implemented in veg, however, I wouldn't have to physically bend any branches at all, and the trellis would merely serve to keep the plants from falling over, as was initially intended.
Veg
Incorrect veg techniques and timing between trimming and cloning was also a factor here. From what I remember, these trees were left to grow tall and lanky, which is clearly a result of bad timing. Had growth been contained in veg, accounting for trim recovery time and vertical growth rates, I wouldn't have had to trim or bend branches in the first place. Phosphoload may have even been able to regulate growth for efficient light distribution, which also could have resulted in a higher yield.
-Replace clone tray water
-Water
-Fungicide Middle
-Calibrate pH meter
VEG
Water
pH 5.9
~17 gal
HPS Veg has shown relatively rapid vertical growth over the past few days, peaking at about one foot from the reflector. The canopy as a whole is almost too tall for Veg at this point, and these trees need to be transplanted within the next couple of days to prevent disproportional growth. In the future it will be necessary to do a second trimming/cloning to stall growth. I will have to trim/clone this veg anyway, but it would be more ideal to trim earlier to allow the plants to recover so growth isn't stalled during flowering.
The veg tables are also showing their limitations; plants seem to be growing taller rather than wider since the table sits in the corner of the room. However, this hasn't been a problem until this week, which probably could've been prevented if I had trimmed this veg last week to stall growth. Ideally, the plants would have recovered from trimming by now.
MH Veg is also growing taller and wider, as is expected. Distance between the reflector and canopy is about one foot. Although this shouldn't be dangerous in terms of light intensity since the ballast is running at 750 watts, the heat is still substantial enough to curl the leaves. Branches are wide and thick, which is good. I'll have to top/trim/clone when I trim the HPS veg, since the rotation is about to shift. I will probably trim again two weeks into HPS as part of a pre-flowering preparation.
Older clone trays are about a month old now and the success rate has been better this time around, with a rough estimate of about 70%. I'll know the exact number once they're planted. The newer clone trays are two weeks old now, and are showing signs of a mildew infestation. Some clones deteriorated at the base rather than the leaves and branches, which means that dipping clones in fungicide during cloning was a success. A few of the other clones that most likely weren't dipped in fungicide are showing mildew infestation at the leaves. Interestingly, a few of the clones have rooted above the rockwool as a result of 100% humidity, although this also helped the mold spread more rapidly.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.8
Fungicide (2 caps/1.5 gal)
Spider mites have returned, which is odd considering fungicide was sprayed aggressively above and below the canopy merely three days ago. There is a dangerous amount of yellow mite trails on the leaves and I will have to spray this room throughout the week to prevent further deterioration. Mildew is mostly absent from this room.
There also seems to be a pungent aroma emanating from these plants now, more so than previous harvests. It's hard to determine if this is merely the result of consistent growth or heavy use of Terpinator, but either way it's a good indicator of a favorable yield. Bubba is increasing in size rapidly, whereas the other indica-dominant strains seem to be noticeably less so. I've opted not to use Phosphoload here because I don't want to hinder cola production as I did in the Master. Whether or not I use Overdrive in the next feed will largely depend on how this room progresses over the next couple of days. If colas are still underdeveloped, I will wait until next week and continue with Big Bud.
MASTER
I've opted not to water today so the soil can dry for tomorrow, as most of the pots seem moderately moist. Upon examining the buds, I've noticed that many of the main colas in this room are Bubba, and are either leaning sideways on the trellis or propped closer to the light than other trees. It's possible that ineffective light distribution was a factor in underdevelopment of colas, but it's more likely that it was a combination of factors that lead to a low yield. On the bright side, THC production has stayed constant, and the colas are covered in THC, which will be the determining factor in how these flowers are sold.
HOW I FUCKED UP
Here I will identify the reasons why this room had a lackluster performance this rotation, and I'll order them by how much of an effect I think they had:
Trimming
If all the other mistakes were made here without trimming, this yield may would have probably been much higher. These trees were trimmed during Week 3-4 to promote growth on the upper portion of the canopy, but what happened instead was that the trees themselves were weakened to the point that it probably took close to an entire week (if not longer) to recover. During the first few weeks (pre-flower) light trimming may have been acceptable, even encouraged, to regulate growth, but during a time when the trees had already halted vertical growth and were trying to produce colas, trimming was counter-effective. On a technical note, the tree may have been stripped of valuable chlorophyll, among other nutrients, to effectively photosynthesize, thereby causing a bottleneck in the metabolic functions of the plants. Whatever the case may have been, it is imperative to limit trimming to veg only, and instead physically train the plants to allow for light penetration if the plants grow disproportionately.
Phosphoload
I intended to use Phosphoload as a means to boost cola production while not recognizing the chief function of Phosphoload as a plant growth regulator rather than a bud booster. Phosphoload may have been beneficial during the first few weeks to inhibit vertical growth, considering that this rotation consisted of overly tall plants, but it probably would've been better to avoid using Phosphoload altogether since I already had contained the growth with the trellis. Phosphoload should be used if the plants themselves are already formed in a manner that has allowed for even light distribution and height needs to be contained.
Growth Manipulation Techniques
Using the trellis to bend branches down here would have produced favorable results without Phosphoload, but the trellis still needs to be used more as a structural support tool rather than a growth manipulator. During past rotations, bending heads down didn't guarantee that lower branches would grow taller. The trellis only served to keep the heads lower than their natural height, but much of the top foliage still outgrew the bottom. It would have been much safer to instead bend all the branches outward from the center stalk, if at all. With proper training techniques implemented in veg, however, I wouldn't have to physically bend any branches at all, and the trellis would merely serve to keep the plants from falling over, as was initially intended.
Veg
Incorrect veg techniques and timing between trimming and cloning was also a factor here. From what I remember, these trees were left to grow tall and lanky, which is clearly a result of bad timing. Had growth been contained in veg, accounting for trim recovery time and vertical growth rates, I wouldn't have had to trim or bend branches in the first place. Phosphoload may have even been able to regulate growth for efficient light distribution, which also could have resulted in a higher yield.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Reaffirmation
During particular stretches of unfortunate events, such as low yields, it's important to consider all the reasons why we choose this line of work. Certainly there are plenty of other career paths and business opportunities that exist outside of the cannabis industry, all of which would require a substantial amount of time and effort just to get a foot in the door. It goes without saying that I've been through these "trials and tribulations," as they call it, after my first two years in the business, having suffered many losses and setbacks along the way. Some could even argue that my business is a "failure." I haven't seen the kind of monetary profit one would expect in an industry that mirrors the resurgence of alcohol in the 30's and the dot com boom of the 90's. At times, it seems like there is little to no advantage in doing what I do now, other than to avoid having to join the corporate rat race.
So why do this? Because profit doesn't have to always be monetary. Today I woke up a half an hour past noon. I stayed in bed for another two hours before I got up, took a shower, got dressed, and made a half hour drive to a Vietnamese restaurant for a bowl of pho and cup of iced coffee. I didn't call in sick. In fact, I didn't call anyone. I didn't have to be anywhere other than where I wanted to be. And it's Tuesday.
But with minimal tasks comes the thought of minimal progress. It's been said that you don't get anywhere by sitting on your ass doing nothing all day. Certainly there are things to do, such as general maintenance and planning for future projects. I still have a list of tasks that haven't been completed, although I've always been good at completing any set tasks within a specific amount of time regardless of when I start them. So where do we draw the line between generous time management and lethargy? How do we differentiate between "patient planning" and laziness?
The difference lies in how we define "work." Does work have to involve physical labor? Is it the amount of work we put in defined by the time spent on a particular set of tasks, or even the amount of tasks being completed within a certain amount of time? Do we define progress as the physical result of the work being completed? A restaurant manager might feel that they did a good job if all of the customers left the restaurant content with the food and service, whereas the owner might feel otherwise if there weren't enough customers to keep up revenues. A web developer for Amazon might be content with their performance after resolving a few lines of code to improve functionality of the website, whereas their CTO might feel that the entire code itself is fundamentally flawed.
Businesses such as these measure the quality of work by their peers, their competition, and their ability to sustain themselves, but therein lies one of the biggest difficulties of a sole proprietor. Without a general consensus of peers and competition, I have to constantly review my own work according to my own standards, which leaves little room for patting myself on the back even after hitting 4.5 under 4000 watts. I'm successful in my ability to grow decent product, but a failure as a business owner to keep profits high, and if I was to measure my own ability as an entrepreneur, I would be an absolute failure; entrepreneurs tend to measure themselves by net worth, and my business isn't an asset.
Looking forward, it almost seems like this business is inherently doomed. Legislation for cannabis isn't going to affect me directly, but if dispensaries have to adhere to government standards and customers refuse to buy from places that don't, I will have to adhere to the legislation as well, otherwise my market will be limited to non-compliant businesses. Powdery mildew and spider mites are going to be common problems even among experienced and well-funded growers, and there will definitely be compliant solutions to them, but I can only hope that these solutions will still be cheap. At this stage of my career as a private cannabis grower, I simply cannot afford to adhere to the rules without improving my yields.
There are other solutions. The cannabis industry is still growing, and a lot of money is going to be invested in cannabis in the near future. Every harvest is a resume that I'm sending to other growers and business owners. As long as the product is good and I am judicious with my choice in associates, I feel that I won't have to fold up my business in the near future. If I maintain production at a sustainable rate and progressively increase it, I may have a chance at something bigger. Staying the course I've set and meeting my own personal benchmarks is the best course of action at this point.
So why do this? Because profit doesn't have to always be monetary. Today I woke up a half an hour past noon. I stayed in bed for another two hours before I got up, took a shower, got dressed, and made a half hour drive to a Vietnamese restaurant for a bowl of pho and cup of iced coffee. I didn't call in sick. In fact, I didn't call anyone. I didn't have to be anywhere other than where I wanted to be. And it's Tuesday.
But with minimal tasks comes the thought of minimal progress. It's been said that you don't get anywhere by sitting on your ass doing nothing all day. Certainly there are things to do, such as general maintenance and planning for future projects. I still have a list of tasks that haven't been completed, although I've always been good at completing any set tasks within a specific amount of time regardless of when I start them. So where do we draw the line between generous time management and lethargy? How do we differentiate between "patient planning" and laziness?
The difference lies in how we define "work." Does work have to involve physical labor? Is it the amount of work we put in defined by the time spent on a particular set of tasks, or even the amount of tasks being completed within a certain amount of time? Do we define progress as the physical result of the work being completed? A restaurant manager might feel that they did a good job if all of the customers left the restaurant content with the food and service, whereas the owner might feel otherwise if there weren't enough customers to keep up revenues. A web developer for Amazon might be content with their performance after resolving a few lines of code to improve functionality of the website, whereas their CTO might feel that the entire code itself is fundamentally flawed.
Businesses such as these measure the quality of work by their peers, their competition, and their ability to sustain themselves, but therein lies one of the biggest difficulties of a sole proprietor. Without a general consensus of peers and competition, I have to constantly review my own work according to my own standards, which leaves little room for patting myself on the back even after hitting 4.5 under 4000 watts. I'm successful in my ability to grow decent product, but a failure as a business owner to keep profits high, and if I was to measure my own ability as an entrepreneur, I would be an absolute failure; entrepreneurs tend to measure themselves by net worth, and my business isn't an asset.
Looking forward, it almost seems like this business is inherently doomed. Legislation for cannabis isn't going to affect me directly, but if dispensaries have to adhere to government standards and customers refuse to buy from places that don't, I will have to adhere to the legislation as well, otherwise my market will be limited to non-compliant businesses. Powdery mildew and spider mites are going to be common problems even among experienced and well-funded growers, and there will definitely be compliant solutions to them, but I can only hope that these solutions will still be cheap. At this stage of my career as a private cannabis grower, I simply cannot afford to adhere to the rules without improving my yields.
There are other solutions. The cannabis industry is still growing, and a lot of money is going to be invested in cannabis in the near future. Every harvest is a resume that I'm sending to other growers and business owners. As long as the product is good and I am judicious with my choice in associates, I feel that I won't have to fold up my business in the near future. If I maintain production at a sustainable rate and progressively increase it, I may have a chance at something bigger. Staying the course I've set and meeting my own personal benchmarks is the best course of action at this point.
Pre-Harvest
Action:
-Feed/water
-Fungicide
VEG
300ml base
1000-1100 ppm
pH 6.0
HPS Veg is wilting more with every watering. Sub-branches are beginning to stretch more aggressively since last week. It's now apparent that early topping is necessary as an effective manipulating technique to inhibit vertical growth along with promoting sub-branch growth. I will need to transplant these as soon as possible.
MH Veg is also showing strong growth n branch circumference and overall foliage despite the shortage of plants here. Interestingly these plants are also growing wider than usual, although this is probably attributed to the shortage. Top branches seem to be producing more "Christmas" tree-like formations. By next week these trees should be topped to avoid any disproportionate growth.
T5 is growing at a much slower rate than all the other plants, which is expected. At least two of these plants are showing vertical and horizontal growth, while the rest struggling to produce more foliage. Powdery mildew has returned on the Bubba, as was also expected.
Clone trays are starting to show signs of deterioration. Older clones should already be rooted for the most part, and will be planted within a few days. The newer trays are showing some slight yellowing, but are mostly healthy. One Bubba clone on the newest tray elevated towards the HPS light has actually rooted. This tray consisted of only clones made with plugs in pH balanced water infused with the rooting supplement. It's unclear what the exact concentration of Clonex was used with these set of clones, but it most likely played a significant factor. So far, all the trays have had water changes every 3-4 days, with water exceeding no more than 2 cm in depth. Humidity dome was left closed throughout the process.
It's important to note that the main difference between this "Bubba" tray and the other trays is its proximity to the HPS light. This tray is elevated about two feet higher, while the other trays were placed in closer proximity to the T5 and MH. It's probably safe to assume that placing clones within a certain distance from the HPS could provide more favorable conditions than placing them near the T5. More research needs to be done to examine the difference effects each light might have on the clones, as well as with the entire grow as a whole.
MIDDLE
300ml base
150 Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
Focus on growth has completely shifted from vertical stretching to cola production. Buds are becoming more prominent in size and weight. Fungicide was sprayed during the previous water, although there are very small signs of powdery mildew spreading among the Bubba, if at all. THC crystals are also forming heavily on the top colas. A point of concern in this room is the canopy size; many branches that were supposed to reach the second trellis haven't done so, while the foliage is only heavy among the trees in the front of the room. This could affect the final yield, but for now I believe it would actually be inefficient to add Phosphoload, as vertical growth as already stopped completely. This room is also approaching its 5th week, so the next feed will include Overdrive.
MASTER
Flush
Spraying fungicide aggresively (2 cups/gallon) seemed to work in washing a lot of the powdery mildew off the flowers, but I'll probably have to include a hydrogen peroxide bath when harvesting to clean as much of the buds as possible without harming yields and sales. Bubba seems to have ripened past its ideal harvesting stage as the pistils have turned from a light orange to a darker orange.
Growing Bubba has proven to be one of the more problematic strains to grow relative to other strains, given its lack of resistance to powdery mildew, difficulty in growth manipulation, and its 6-7 week flowering time. Interestingly, I've never had a problem selling Bubba, although there are many variations of the strain circulating in the markets. The problem lies in its inability to integrate into the system I have for growing mostly indica-dominant strains in addition to its low yield relative to other strains. If every Bubba tree was substituted for Abusive, True OG, Phantom, or Sour, the final yield would not only be greater, but the finished product would be easier to market. If Bubba is to be grown, it should be kept within a reasonable amount to simply fulfill a minimum order quantity, topping at maybe 1/2 pounds at most.
-Feed/water
-Fungicide
VEG
300ml base
1000-1100 ppm
pH 6.0
HPS Veg is wilting more with every watering. Sub-branches are beginning to stretch more aggressively since last week. It's now apparent that early topping is necessary as an effective manipulating technique to inhibit vertical growth along with promoting sub-branch growth. I will need to transplant these as soon as possible.
MH Veg is also showing strong growth n branch circumference and overall foliage despite the shortage of plants here. Interestingly these plants are also growing wider than usual, although this is probably attributed to the shortage. Top branches seem to be producing more "Christmas" tree-like formations. By next week these trees should be topped to avoid any disproportionate growth.
T5 is growing at a much slower rate than all the other plants, which is expected. At least two of these plants are showing vertical and horizontal growth, while the rest struggling to produce more foliage. Powdery mildew has returned on the Bubba, as was also expected.
Clone trays are starting to show signs of deterioration. Older clones should already be rooted for the most part, and will be planted within a few days. The newer trays are showing some slight yellowing, but are mostly healthy. One Bubba clone on the newest tray elevated towards the HPS light has actually rooted. This tray consisted of only clones made with plugs in pH balanced water infused with the rooting supplement. It's unclear what the exact concentration of Clonex was used with these set of clones, but it most likely played a significant factor. So far, all the trays have had water changes every 3-4 days, with water exceeding no more than 2 cm in depth. Humidity dome was left closed throughout the process.
It's important to note that the main difference between this "Bubba" tray and the other trays is its proximity to the HPS light. This tray is elevated about two feet higher, while the other trays were placed in closer proximity to the T5 and MH. It's probably safe to assume that placing clones within a certain distance from the HPS could provide more favorable conditions than placing them near the T5. More research needs to be done to examine the difference effects each light might have on the clones, as well as with the entire grow as a whole.
MIDDLE
300ml base
150 Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
Focus on growth has completely shifted from vertical stretching to cola production. Buds are becoming more prominent in size and weight. Fungicide was sprayed during the previous water, although there are very small signs of powdery mildew spreading among the Bubba, if at all. THC crystals are also forming heavily on the top colas. A point of concern in this room is the canopy size; many branches that were supposed to reach the second trellis haven't done so, while the foliage is only heavy among the trees in the front of the room. This could affect the final yield, but for now I believe it would actually be inefficient to add Phosphoload, as vertical growth as already stopped completely. This room is also approaching its 5th week, so the next feed will include Overdrive.
MASTER
Flush
Spraying fungicide aggresively (2 cups/gallon) seemed to work in washing a lot of the powdery mildew off the flowers, but I'll probably have to include a hydrogen peroxide bath when harvesting to clean as much of the buds as possible without harming yields and sales. Bubba seems to have ripened past its ideal harvesting stage as the pistils have turned from a light orange to a darker orange.
Growing Bubba has proven to be one of the more problematic strains to grow relative to other strains, given its lack of resistance to powdery mildew, difficulty in growth manipulation, and its 6-7 week flowering time. Interestingly, I've never had a problem selling Bubba, although there are many variations of the strain circulating in the markets. The problem lies in its inability to integrate into the system I have for growing mostly indica-dominant strains in addition to its low yield relative to other strains. If every Bubba tree was substituted for Abusive, True OG, Phantom, or Sour, the final yield would not only be greater, but the finished product would be easier to market. If Bubba is to be grown, it should be kept within a reasonable amount to simply fulfill a minimum order quantity, topping at maybe 1/2 pounds at most.
No Post
Actions:
-Feed
-Master flush
VEG
300ml base
pH 5.9
1000-1100 ppm
~15 gal
HPS Veg was more wilted than it's been so far, which is an indicator of increased metabolic activity. This rotation should be transplanted before next week to prevent any halt in photosynthesis, although it can probably wait until Monday at the latest. Sub branches are getting longer as well, and a light trimming will be necessary for bottom branches. Clones from this trimming session will be the most ideal to use for future rotations.
MH Veg is also drying at a faster rate, which is a good sign, although there is a concern that these pots might not be sufficient for continuous growth over the next month. I will probably have to transplant these sooner than usual, which shouldn't be a problem given that there are only 14 that are going in this rotation anyway.
T5 is progressing slower than anything else in the room, but steadily. GG, Abusive, and Mystery (probably GG) are growing tall and lanky, but fairly even. Bubba is growing compact, with almost no space between branches. This warrants constant trimming on the Bubba.
MIDDLE
320ml base
150ml Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
pH 5.9
1200-1400 ppm
~18 gal
Top colas are quickly increasing in volume. Middle colas aren't that far behind tops and still growing. It's worth noting that pistils seem to be stretched out further than usual, which usually is a good indicator that the colas are developing as they should. There aren't any signs of wind burn despite the oscillating fan being in close proximity to the right side of the canopy, although the back right corner of the canopy has barely breached the first level trellis. There seems to be a higher concentration of heads reaching past the second level trellis in the middle of the canopy.
It's also worth noting that I haven't sprayed fungicide in the Middle in about a week. There hasn't been a noticeable sign of powdery mildew infecting this room other than in the back area. It's possible that fungicide hinders growth substantially, so I will refrain from applying it too often with this rotation.
MASTER
Flush
No data recorded.
-Feed
-Master flush
VEG
300ml base
pH 5.9
1000-1100 ppm
~15 gal
HPS Veg was more wilted than it's been so far, which is an indicator of increased metabolic activity. This rotation should be transplanted before next week to prevent any halt in photosynthesis, although it can probably wait until Monday at the latest. Sub branches are getting longer as well, and a light trimming will be necessary for bottom branches. Clones from this trimming session will be the most ideal to use for future rotations.
MH Veg is also drying at a faster rate, which is a good sign, although there is a concern that these pots might not be sufficient for continuous growth over the next month. I will probably have to transplant these sooner than usual, which shouldn't be a problem given that there are only 14 that are going in this rotation anyway.
T5 is progressing slower than anything else in the room, but steadily. GG, Abusive, and Mystery (probably GG) are growing tall and lanky, but fairly even. Bubba is growing compact, with almost no space between branches. This warrants constant trimming on the Bubba.
MIDDLE
320ml base
150ml Terpinator
6 tbsp Big Bud
pH 5.9
1200-1400 ppm
~18 gal
Top colas are quickly increasing in volume. Middle colas aren't that far behind tops and still growing. It's worth noting that pistils seem to be stretched out further than usual, which usually is a good indicator that the colas are developing as they should. There aren't any signs of wind burn despite the oscillating fan being in close proximity to the right side of the canopy, although the back right corner of the canopy has barely breached the first level trellis. There seems to be a higher concentration of heads reaching past the second level trellis in the middle of the canopy.
It's also worth noting that I haven't sprayed fungicide in the Middle in about a week. There hasn't been a noticeable sign of powdery mildew infecting this room other than in the back area. It's possible that fungicide hinders growth substantially, so I will refrain from applying it too often with this rotation.
MASTER
Flush
No data recorded.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Air Circulation
Actions:
-Water
-Changed clone tray water
VEG
Water
pH 5.8
~15 gal
HPS Veg isn't wilting as it usually would in square pots, except with the trees that weren't trimmed and cloned from, which leads me to believe that less moisture is absorbed from the roots following a heavy trimming. This would also lend more credence to the idea that trimming any foliage will actually result in a decrease in the overall metabolic processes of the plant. Trimming, therefore, must be timed precisely to allow for adequate recovery times, especially during pre-flowering.
MH Veg is progressing better than I had initially hoped. Branches are noticeable thicker, with even growth all around and consistent vertical growth, albeit a little slower than HPS. There was a possibility that MH, at 750 watts, was actually a major bottleneck in my production, but so far this theory has been dispelled by the progress of these plants. There is a fair degree of certainty that the bottleneck was attributed to pot size, as that is the only major difference between HPS and MH at this point. PW Lights and small square pots would initially show promise, but would stagnate while still under MH, producing skinnier branches, along with less desirable clones. Coupled with reckless and mistimed trimming in veg and bloom, root-bound pots would be a major reason as to why yields have been consistently low.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.9
~19 gal
Steady calyx development into colas. Vertical growth has nearly halted completely throughout the room. Most branches still haven't reached second level trellis. GG without SCROG, although boosted, seems to have shown the most vertical growth, as expected. I'll have to compare the yield of this individual tree with the Abusive in the back left corner to determine if SCROG produced any positive results; this Abusive was similar to GG in width, although GG had to be boosted to match in height.
Considering how the GG has developed, it would probably be better with future rotations to contain height below the first trellis upon transplanting into bloom without SCROG. All other variables considered, SCROG could actually hurt yields. In the past, when yields were higher without the use of trellis', branches were allowed to stretch horizontally, allowing for light penetration to the lower half of the canopy. Healthy development in bottom to mid colas was actually a benefit to achieving higher yields. For now I can only observe the differences in yields between the Middle and Master, but I intend to use the trellis in the Master as more of a support structure rather than a growth regulator.
MASTER
Water
pH 6.0
~15 gal
Bubba has ripened faster than all the other strains, which may warrant an early harvest. One GG in particular, however, hasn't developed at the same rate as all the other trees, and may actually need to be harvested earlier than it should for the sake of sticking to the schedule for the entire room. Hopefully this tree ripens fast enough over this coming weekend to meet quality standards. Abusive looks like it's deteriorating as well, and probably needs to be cut down early.
This room is a disaster. Powdery mildew, inconsistent growth, and the overall derelict appearance of the plants are all going to contribute to a shitty harvest. I'll have to spray fungicide again, and aggressively so, which might hurt the quality even further. I'll also be considering harvesting using a hydrogen peroxide bath to wash as much mildew off as possible. I'll also be flushing this room for the rest of the rotation.
Air Circulation
Proper air circulation involves using fans with adequate CFM ratings relative to the volume of the grow area to displace stagnant, warm, or humid air and replace it with fresh air. It was conceived that displacing hot air and pulling cooler air was necessary simply for temperature control, but the reasons behind it are actually biological.
The stomata on the leaves function as a way for the plant to absorb CO2 and oxygen while dispersing water vapor as a waste product in a process called transpiration, at which point the plant will draw more water from the roots. The stomata will behave according to the conditions of the plant and its surroundings. With a bright light and enough moisture available through the roots, the stomata will become dilated, allowing for more CO2 and oxygen to be absorbed. As the soil becomes dry, the stomata will close to preserve water, thereby halting photosynthesis. With too much water (overwatering) the stomata will dilate to release as much water vapor as possible, but at a rate that is dangerous to the plant's survival and development.
As the stomata releases water vapor as a waste product, this waste must be displaced from the room via dehumidifiers and inline fans. If the air becomes too thick with water vapor released from the stomata, the plant will have less access to essential CO2 and oxygen, which will disrupt photosynthesis depending on the stage of the grow. This is generally offset through the use of dehumidifiers and inline fans.
Oscillating fans present an interesting challenge. Placing these fans too close to the plants will cause "wind burns," where leaves become damaged through constant air being blown onto them. Oscillating fans would ideally be placed to gently circulate air around and above and canopy to keep the air from becoming stagnant.
Calculating the amount of CFM needed involves basic math. The Middle room will serve as an example here:
Volume: 10' x 10' x 12' = 1200 cubic feet
Adequate extraction time is about 3 minutes:
1200/3 = 400 CFM
Given a standard 6" inline fan provides 400 CFM, one should be adequate for a room of this size, but there are also other variables to consider. The number of lights, active/passive intake, use of carbon filters, and CO2 enrichment are all factors that should be included in determining a final CFM requirement, although a general rule of thumb is to always provide more CFM than required regardless of the situation.
In the case of the Master, with a requirement of 750 CFM, two 400 CFM exhaust fans with an active intake should be able to adequately circulate the air. The only foreseeable problem would be humidity, which can easily be offset with proper placement of oscillating fans and dehumidifiers.
-Water
-Changed clone tray water
VEG
Water
pH 5.8
~15 gal
HPS Veg isn't wilting as it usually would in square pots, except with the trees that weren't trimmed and cloned from, which leads me to believe that less moisture is absorbed from the roots following a heavy trimming. This would also lend more credence to the idea that trimming any foliage will actually result in a decrease in the overall metabolic processes of the plant. Trimming, therefore, must be timed precisely to allow for adequate recovery times, especially during pre-flowering.
MH Veg is progressing better than I had initially hoped. Branches are noticeable thicker, with even growth all around and consistent vertical growth, albeit a little slower than HPS. There was a possibility that MH, at 750 watts, was actually a major bottleneck in my production, but so far this theory has been dispelled by the progress of these plants. There is a fair degree of certainty that the bottleneck was attributed to pot size, as that is the only major difference between HPS and MH at this point. PW Lights and small square pots would initially show promise, but would stagnate while still under MH, producing skinnier branches, along with less desirable clones. Coupled with reckless and mistimed trimming in veg and bloom, root-bound pots would be a major reason as to why yields have been consistently low.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.9
~19 gal
Steady calyx development into colas. Vertical growth has nearly halted completely throughout the room. Most branches still haven't reached second level trellis. GG without SCROG, although boosted, seems to have shown the most vertical growth, as expected. I'll have to compare the yield of this individual tree with the Abusive in the back left corner to determine if SCROG produced any positive results; this Abusive was similar to GG in width, although GG had to be boosted to match in height.
Considering how the GG has developed, it would probably be better with future rotations to contain height below the first trellis upon transplanting into bloom without SCROG. All other variables considered, SCROG could actually hurt yields. In the past, when yields were higher without the use of trellis', branches were allowed to stretch horizontally, allowing for light penetration to the lower half of the canopy. Healthy development in bottom to mid colas was actually a benefit to achieving higher yields. For now I can only observe the differences in yields between the Middle and Master, but I intend to use the trellis in the Master as more of a support structure rather than a growth regulator.
MASTER
Water
pH 6.0
~15 gal
Bubba has ripened faster than all the other strains, which may warrant an early harvest. One GG in particular, however, hasn't developed at the same rate as all the other trees, and may actually need to be harvested earlier than it should for the sake of sticking to the schedule for the entire room. Hopefully this tree ripens fast enough over this coming weekend to meet quality standards. Abusive looks like it's deteriorating as well, and probably needs to be cut down early.
This room is a disaster. Powdery mildew, inconsistent growth, and the overall derelict appearance of the plants are all going to contribute to a shitty harvest. I'll have to spray fungicide again, and aggressively so, which might hurt the quality even further. I'll also be considering harvesting using a hydrogen peroxide bath to wash as much mildew off as possible. I'll also be flushing this room for the rest of the rotation.
Air Circulation
Proper air circulation involves using fans with adequate CFM ratings relative to the volume of the grow area to displace stagnant, warm, or humid air and replace it with fresh air. It was conceived that displacing hot air and pulling cooler air was necessary simply for temperature control, but the reasons behind it are actually biological.
The stomata on the leaves function as a way for the plant to absorb CO2 and oxygen while dispersing water vapor as a waste product in a process called transpiration, at which point the plant will draw more water from the roots. The stomata will behave according to the conditions of the plant and its surroundings. With a bright light and enough moisture available through the roots, the stomata will become dilated, allowing for more CO2 and oxygen to be absorbed. As the soil becomes dry, the stomata will close to preserve water, thereby halting photosynthesis. With too much water (overwatering) the stomata will dilate to release as much water vapor as possible, but at a rate that is dangerous to the plant's survival and development.
As the stomata releases water vapor as a waste product, this waste must be displaced from the room via dehumidifiers and inline fans. If the air becomes too thick with water vapor released from the stomata, the plant will have less access to essential CO2 and oxygen, which will disrupt photosynthesis depending on the stage of the grow. This is generally offset through the use of dehumidifiers and inline fans.
Oscillating fans present an interesting challenge. Placing these fans too close to the plants will cause "wind burns," where leaves become damaged through constant air being blown onto them. Oscillating fans would ideally be placed to gently circulate air around and above and canopy to keep the air from becoming stagnant.
Calculating the amount of CFM needed involves basic math. The Middle room will serve as an example here:
Volume: 10' x 10' x 12' = 1200 cubic feet
Adequate extraction time is about 3 minutes:
1200/3 = 400 CFM
Given a standard 6" inline fan provides 400 CFM, one should be adequate for a room of this size, but there are also other variables to consider. The number of lights, active/passive intake, use of carbon filters, and CO2 enrichment are all factors that should be included in determining a final CFM requirement, although a general rule of thumb is to always provide more CFM than required regardless of the situation.
In the case of the Master, with a requirement of 750 CFM, two 400 CFM exhaust fans with an active intake should be able to adequately circulate the air. The only foreseeable problem would be humidity, which can easily be offset with proper placement of oscillating fans and dehumidifiers.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Watering Intervals, Keeping Height Consistent, Trimming
Actions:
-Feed
-Fungicide
-Rearrange MH veg
VEG
300ml base
~15gal, little runoff
Top branches on HPS Veg are showing healthy growth, but lower branches don't seem to be going anywhere. I won't trim them for now because they could benefit me when they're put into the Master. Not much vertical growth except on the trees that weren't trimmed, although it's starting to pick up a little more. Recovery time seems to be average (about a week) from trimming.
MH Veg had to be rearranged. I'm down to 14 trees, which should be still be enough even without plants from T5 to compensate for the shortage. I believe there's enough foliage to cover an entire 4-light canopy, but this largely depends on their development over the next four weeks.
The Bubba clone tray, with the exception of maybe one or two clones, seems to be a lost cause due to mildew. Interestingly, The clones from last week are looking healthier than most of the others. I suspect that the use of plugs over cubes, generous use of Clonex, and more developed cuttings all played a factor, although it's too soon to say if they'll make it. They should be rooted later this week or early next week.
MASTER
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
150ml Overdrive
~15 gal, moderate runoff
Aggressive fungicide with focus on Bubba
Yield doesn't seem to be as hopeless as I previously thought, but it's still relatively low. Some of the colas from the middle of the canopy are looking the way they were intended, with natural calyxes and a cone shape. The production in the Master will still depend on the Bubba, but at least other strains aren't as hopeless.
MIDDLE
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
2 tbsp (6 tsp) Big Bud
~20 gal, moderate to heavy runoff
Soil was drier than usual with little condensation from AC, and without continuous operation of dehumidifier. Vertical growth is still slowing down but hasn't stopped completely, with more colas breaching the second level trellis. Other prominent colas are growing too close to the light, and I'm considering bending these branches down. Top colas have started to increase in size in the trees that have stopped vertical growth altogether, despite heavy foliage and slight obstruction from the light.
I procured a decent amount of Big Bud powder and introduced it for the first time here. I took a calculated risk, considering the powder had been slightly exposed to summer heat and winter moisture over the last year and a half. I mixed it according to instructions on the label, which recommended 1.5 tsp per 5 gallons. At 20 gallons this would equate to 6 tsp, or 2 tbsp, although I measured slightly less-than-level tablespoons. in addition to breaking up any clumps in the bag, in case the powder has indeed become toxic.
Powdery mildew for the most part hasn't returned in most of the trees except for the Bubba in the back of the room. It would seem that the lower humidity has kept the spread at bay as expected. I will have to continue applying fungicide for preventative purposes, but less aggressively.
Watering Intervals
Rule of thumb dictates that the soil should only be watered after the soil becomes relatively dry, but there are conflicting opinions about what "relatively dry" means. Many say that a soil medium needs to be dry up to one inch from the surface of the top layer of dirt, meaning that I would have to poke each individual pot of dirt to measure moisture.
With regards to coco coir, many say that it should be watered every two days and treated as a hydroponic medium, as coco doesn't break down in the same manner that other soil mediums do. It also has good aeration, especially when perlite is included in the mixture. In my experience with coco and Promix, plants need to be watered every two days, with the exception of newly-transplanted trees that may allow 3-day intervals.
Keeping Consistent Plant Sizes Pre-Bloom
The primary goal in Veg is to keep all the trees level in height, which can be difficult when it comes to strains that have a tendency to grow tall. This is especially true with Indica strains like Abusive, GG, and Sour. Several variables should be considered when dealing with height:
-Proximity of each individual plant to light source
-Growth rates of specific strains
-Pot size
-Foliage density
-Interval between trimming/cloning and transplant
This is given all other variables of the setup stay constant, including pot-to-light distance, grow space, feeding schedule, and plant size. (Between 4-5 feet at Day One in flower)
Rotating the plants around is an absolute must in Veg. Plants that are closer to the light tend to grow out of control, and even the bigger trees placed on the edges will tend to obstruct the light from adjacent trees. Similar strains should be grown together and trimmed accordingly to focus growth on the top third of the plant. Topping has to be timed precisely to allow adequate lateral growth, and should take place at least one week after cloning, and two weeks before flowering. Ideally, there will be a "menorah" branch formation prior to bloom.
Trimming
Trimming should also be limited to veg only, where growth can be easily manipulated. Avoid leafing and pruning in flower at all costs. It is more beneficial for the plant to absorb as much chlorophyll as it can in bloom through the existing leaves rather than produce new chlorophyll in new leaves. Leafing also disrupts the metabolic balance in the plant, which can induce premature maturation and under consumption of supplemental nutrients. This will result in undersized colas and can even lead to changes in sex. Despite bottom leaves turning yellow, there is a higher advantage in allowing the plant to flower without having to refocus its energy towards healing itself.
-Feed
-Fungicide
-Rearrange MH veg
VEG
300ml base
~15gal, little runoff
Top branches on HPS Veg are showing healthy growth, but lower branches don't seem to be going anywhere. I won't trim them for now because they could benefit me when they're put into the Master. Not much vertical growth except on the trees that weren't trimmed, although it's starting to pick up a little more. Recovery time seems to be average (about a week) from trimming.
MH Veg had to be rearranged. I'm down to 14 trees, which should be still be enough even without plants from T5 to compensate for the shortage. I believe there's enough foliage to cover an entire 4-light canopy, but this largely depends on their development over the next four weeks.
The Bubba clone tray, with the exception of maybe one or two clones, seems to be a lost cause due to mildew. Interestingly, The clones from last week are looking healthier than most of the others. I suspect that the use of plugs over cubes, generous use of Clonex, and more developed cuttings all played a factor, although it's too soon to say if they'll make it. They should be rooted later this week or early next week.
MASTER
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
150ml Overdrive
~15 gal, moderate runoff
Aggressive fungicide with focus on Bubba
Yield doesn't seem to be as hopeless as I previously thought, but it's still relatively low. Some of the colas from the middle of the canopy are looking the way they were intended, with natural calyxes and a cone shape. The production in the Master will still depend on the Bubba, but at least other strains aren't as hopeless.
MIDDLE
300ml base
150ml Terpinator
2 tbsp (6 tsp) Big Bud
~20 gal, moderate to heavy runoff
Soil was drier than usual with little condensation from AC, and without continuous operation of dehumidifier. Vertical growth is still slowing down but hasn't stopped completely, with more colas breaching the second level trellis. Other prominent colas are growing too close to the light, and I'm considering bending these branches down. Top colas have started to increase in size in the trees that have stopped vertical growth altogether, despite heavy foliage and slight obstruction from the light.
I procured a decent amount of Big Bud powder and introduced it for the first time here. I took a calculated risk, considering the powder had been slightly exposed to summer heat and winter moisture over the last year and a half. I mixed it according to instructions on the label, which recommended 1.5 tsp per 5 gallons. At 20 gallons this would equate to 6 tsp, or 2 tbsp, although I measured slightly less-than-level tablespoons. in addition to breaking up any clumps in the bag, in case the powder has indeed become toxic.
Powdery mildew for the most part hasn't returned in most of the trees except for the Bubba in the back of the room. It would seem that the lower humidity has kept the spread at bay as expected. I will have to continue applying fungicide for preventative purposes, but less aggressively.
Watering Intervals
Rule of thumb dictates that the soil should only be watered after the soil becomes relatively dry, but there are conflicting opinions about what "relatively dry" means. Many say that a soil medium needs to be dry up to one inch from the surface of the top layer of dirt, meaning that I would have to poke each individual pot of dirt to measure moisture.
With regards to coco coir, many say that it should be watered every two days and treated as a hydroponic medium, as coco doesn't break down in the same manner that other soil mediums do. It also has good aeration, especially when perlite is included in the mixture. In my experience with coco and Promix, plants need to be watered every two days, with the exception of newly-transplanted trees that may allow 3-day intervals.
Keeping Consistent Plant Sizes Pre-Bloom
The primary goal in Veg is to keep all the trees level in height, which can be difficult when it comes to strains that have a tendency to grow tall. This is especially true with Indica strains like Abusive, GG, and Sour. Several variables should be considered when dealing with height:
-Proximity of each individual plant to light source
-Growth rates of specific strains
-Pot size
-Foliage density
-Interval between trimming/cloning and transplant
This is given all other variables of the setup stay constant, including pot-to-light distance, grow space, feeding schedule, and plant size. (Between 4-5 feet at Day One in flower)
Rotating the plants around is an absolute must in Veg. Plants that are closer to the light tend to grow out of control, and even the bigger trees placed on the edges will tend to obstruct the light from adjacent trees. Similar strains should be grown together and trimmed accordingly to focus growth on the top third of the plant. Topping has to be timed precisely to allow adequate lateral growth, and should take place at least one week after cloning, and two weeks before flowering. Ideally, there will be a "menorah" branch formation prior to bloom.
Trimming
Trimming should also be limited to veg only, where growth can be easily manipulated. Avoid leafing and pruning in flower at all costs. It is more beneficial for the plant to absorb as much chlorophyll as it can in bloom through the existing leaves rather than produce new chlorophyll in new leaves. Leafing also disrupts the metabolic balance in the plant, which can induce premature maturation and under consumption of supplemental nutrients. This will result in undersized colas and can even lead to changes in sex. Despite bottom leaves turning yellow, there is a higher advantage in allowing the plant to flower without having to refocus its energy towards healing itself.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Harvesting and Curing
Actions:
-Water
-Fungicide everything
-Replaced water in clone trays
VEG
Water
pH 5.9
Late feed
The older Phantom clones are starting to show more roots, but most of the roots are coming from the Abusive and GSC. Some leaves on the Phantom are yellowing, but there seems to be enough rooted for T5 to be on schedule for a more than adequate rotation. There are also roots appearing on the stem above the rooting cubes, which is a definite sign of improvement compared to previous trays. Mildew has infected the Bubba tray as expected despite heavy saturation of fungicide. I am considering not using Bubba at all for upcoming rotations. A gel-like substance has formed at the bottom of the cubes as well, which I can only explain as waste product from plant development, although this could also be attributed to lack of aeration between the cubes; this type of thing wasn't a concern with the plugs.
HPS Veg wasn't as wilted again. New heads are sprouting from branches after topping, which is a good indicator of steady growth. I'm a little concerned about the lower branches not getting enough light, so I'll either have to clone a few more or just throw them away. I'll observe their growth more closely over the weekend to determine what I need to do next week.
MH Veg is growing well despite my concerns about overwatering. I'm tempted to top some of them, but I have to wait until the Master is cut down.
MASTER
Water
pH 5.9
Early feed
More white pistils and a slight increase in the underdeveloped colas, which is a strong indicator of a recovery from whatever happened to this room over the last two weeks. I still suspect an underwhelming yield.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.9
Dark feed
Humidity seems to be lower at this stage of flowering. AC condenser collected about 2-3 gallons over the past two days, while the dehumidifier ran almost a full day after the last feed. Vertical growth hasn't fully stopped yet, while calyxes are starting to form colas.
It's not certain if SCROG was a mistake here. In the plants that were bent over, more of the canopy seems filled and lush, with at least two heads per square in the trellis. Vertical growth almost surpassed the second level trellis as well. The trees that weren't SCROG'd seem to be more spaced out, and perhaps may even yield less considering their proximity to the lights. SCROG'd colas are slightly smaller than their un-SCROG'd counterparts, so it's difficult to say which method worked better. There also seems to be overgrowth underneath the canopy. I've refrained from trimming until vertical growth completely stops.
HARVESTING AND CURING
The Master is scheduled to be harvested in a couple of weeks, so it's important to review proper trimming and curing techniques. After years of experimenting with different methods of trimming and drying, I've opted to cut off as many leaves as possible at harvest rather than at point of sale. It's said that chlorophyll from the leaves is fed back into the colas during the drying process, which affects smell, taste and potency. It also adds moisture to the buds, which would explain why the last harvest, during which the buds were trimmed bare of any leaves, dried up faster than previous harvests.
Buds should have below 15% moisture to prevent fungal growth, and about 10-12% moisture for optimum quality. Finished product tends to actually increase in quality over time as moisture becomes uniform throughout the jar, although this also involves airing out the jars over the course of a week or two to "sweat" out excess moisture. As moisture gravitates towards the bottom of the jars, the product needs to be poured out and "fluffed" for a period of time and then placed back into the jars for a uniform look and feel to the buds.
Some of this can be tricky when faced with strict sale deadlines and looming overhead expenses, and proper techniques sometimes have to be compromised for sales. My current schedule gives me two full weeks from harvest to sale. Drying the buds usually takes anywhere between 4-7 days, while I'll have about another week to sell at least two pounds to cover overhead expenses. I've been fortunate enough to sell an adequate amount of product within the first two days of curing to cover those expenses, but without proper curing with low yields, lower quality product, or saturated markets, I need to be very cautious about curing.
Preserving weight while maintaining proper moisture levels hasn't been too much of a challenge, but storage, even if only for a couple of days, can have dramatic effects on the product if done improperly, as was the case with the True OG from the 4.5 harvest. Jars have to be cleaned thoroughly and buds have to be aired out sufficiently while awaiting sale. Daily maintenance should include a fluffing routine during pre-sale periods.
-Water
-Fungicide everything
-Replaced water in clone trays
VEG
Water
pH 5.9
Late feed
The older Phantom clones are starting to show more roots, but most of the roots are coming from the Abusive and GSC. Some leaves on the Phantom are yellowing, but there seems to be enough rooted for T5 to be on schedule for a more than adequate rotation. There are also roots appearing on the stem above the rooting cubes, which is a definite sign of improvement compared to previous trays. Mildew has infected the Bubba tray as expected despite heavy saturation of fungicide. I am considering not using Bubba at all for upcoming rotations. A gel-like substance has formed at the bottom of the cubes as well, which I can only explain as waste product from plant development, although this could also be attributed to lack of aeration between the cubes; this type of thing wasn't a concern with the plugs.
HPS Veg wasn't as wilted again. New heads are sprouting from branches after topping, which is a good indicator of steady growth. I'm a little concerned about the lower branches not getting enough light, so I'll either have to clone a few more or just throw them away. I'll observe their growth more closely over the weekend to determine what I need to do next week.
MH Veg is growing well despite my concerns about overwatering. I'm tempted to top some of them, but I have to wait until the Master is cut down.
MASTER
Water
pH 5.9
Early feed
More white pistils and a slight increase in the underdeveloped colas, which is a strong indicator of a recovery from whatever happened to this room over the last two weeks. I still suspect an underwhelming yield.
MIDDLE
Water
pH 5.9
Dark feed
Humidity seems to be lower at this stage of flowering. AC condenser collected about 2-3 gallons over the past two days, while the dehumidifier ran almost a full day after the last feed. Vertical growth hasn't fully stopped yet, while calyxes are starting to form colas.
It's not certain if SCROG was a mistake here. In the plants that were bent over, more of the canopy seems filled and lush, with at least two heads per square in the trellis. Vertical growth almost surpassed the second level trellis as well. The trees that weren't SCROG'd seem to be more spaced out, and perhaps may even yield less considering their proximity to the lights. SCROG'd colas are slightly smaller than their un-SCROG'd counterparts, so it's difficult to say which method worked better. There also seems to be overgrowth underneath the canopy. I've refrained from trimming until vertical growth completely stops.
HARVESTING AND CURING
The Master is scheduled to be harvested in a couple of weeks, so it's important to review proper trimming and curing techniques. After years of experimenting with different methods of trimming and drying, I've opted to cut off as many leaves as possible at harvest rather than at point of sale. It's said that chlorophyll from the leaves is fed back into the colas during the drying process, which affects smell, taste and potency. It also adds moisture to the buds, which would explain why the last harvest, during which the buds were trimmed bare of any leaves, dried up faster than previous harvests.
Buds should have below 15% moisture to prevent fungal growth, and about 10-12% moisture for optimum quality. Finished product tends to actually increase in quality over time as moisture becomes uniform throughout the jar, although this also involves airing out the jars over the course of a week or two to "sweat" out excess moisture. As moisture gravitates towards the bottom of the jars, the product needs to be poured out and "fluffed" for a period of time and then placed back into the jars for a uniform look and feel to the buds.
Some of this can be tricky when faced with strict sale deadlines and looming overhead expenses, and proper techniques sometimes have to be compromised for sales. My current schedule gives me two full weeks from harvest to sale. Drying the buds usually takes anywhere between 4-7 days, while I'll have about another week to sell at least two pounds to cover overhead expenses. I've been fortunate enough to sell an adequate amount of product within the first two days of curing to cover those expenses, but without proper curing with low yields, lower quality product, or saturated markets, I need to be very cautious about curing.
Preserving weight while maintaining proper moisture levels hasn't been too much of a challenge, but storage, even if only for a couple of days, can have dramatic effects on the product if done improperly, as was the case with the True OG from the 4.5 harvest. Jars have to be cleaned thoroughly and buds have to be aired out sufficiently while awaiting sale. Daily maintenance should include a fluffing routine during pre-sale periods.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Terpinator, Big Bud, and NPK
Actions:
-Nutrient feed
-Adjusted AC timer in Master (+1 hr)
VEG
300 ml Base nutrients
1000-1100 ppm
pH 5.9
Late feed
About 18 gallons
HPS Veg wasn't as wilted as earlier watering days, which is interesting considering they were in recovery from trimming and cloning. The trees that weren't trimmed were actually more wilted than the others. There may have been more water available since the drain bucket was nearly filled to the top, but it is possible that trees with less foliage require less water. This could be attributed to the idea that with less foliage, photosynthesis is taking place at a lower rate. If this holds true, lights should actually be raised slightly following a trim to compensate for loss of calcium and other nutrients that are lost during photosynthesis. If not, a feed is absolutely necessary to compensate for any nutrient loss post-trimming.
MH Veg is still produced desired results. I will postpone topping until plants are ready for HPS, since vertical growth tends to be dramatic during the first weeks of HPS. Keeping the heads of the plant level with each other without topping is tricky, but with adequate spacing and constant rearranging, I should be able to transfer them to HPS without any issues.
CLONES
Growth in the older trays seems stagnant except for GSC and Abusive. It's possible that the Phantom clones were actually too weak to root quickly, although I'll have to remove the cubes from the trays and examine them closer tomorrow. Nevertheless, if the newer trays root within the next two weeks as they should, the process is still keeping to the schedule for transplanting to T5. I'm looking forward to getting these newer clones started, as they are more desirable and marketable strains.
MASTER
300 ml Base nutrients
150 ml Terpinator
150 ml Overdrive
Estimated 1200-1400 ppm
pH 5.9
Early feed
About 18 gallons
Trees are ripening as expected. If the canopy had been fuller, Bubba could have compensated for the low yields of the other strains, but it seems like it still won't be enough. I'm still considering other reasons why the Master has turned out the way it has.
One possible cause of the low yields is the use of wider pots. Transplanting from PW Mids to these pots could have left a gap in the bottom of the pot. I also didn't need a lot of soil to transplant to these pots, which means that there's a smaller volume of root space. These pots tend to dry quicker than PW 5-gals, which could also be a factor. With the wider mouth, I'm forced to water a wider surface, and perhaps there is an inconsistent mix of nutrients within the soil given that my nozzle hits a narrow area. The only way to know is to completely flush them out, which is problematic since standard flushing practice requires 3 times the water needed to fill the pot. Given that Phosphoload was added in this rotation and ripening is practically ahead of schedule, I think I can afford to spend an entire week or more flushing this room out before harvest.
It's also likely that overfeeding may have occurred, which would also necessitate a thorough flushing. I'll be able to better ascertain what really happened here while I observe how the plants react from this flush. I'll be looking at changes in the pistils, leaves, and top colas. If the plants show signs of returning to normal development, overfeeding would have likely been one of the primary reasons for the low yield.
MIDDLE
300ml Base nutrients
150ml Terpinator
1000-1100 ppm
pH 5.9
About 18 gallons
Dark feed
Vertical growth is beginning to stall, although I counted more branches breaching the second level trellis. SCROG hasn't had the same adverse effect that it had in the Master, which is fortunate considering these trees were seemingly weaker on Day One. Powdery mildew is still being held at bay through fungicide and possibly because of the dehumidifier and decent air flow through the canopy. The Abusive tree in the back corner has gotten taller, and I'm sure that the top cola will be too close to the light. If I'm going to bend the stalk to prevent overgrowth, now would be the opportune time. I'm refraining from trimming excess branches so as not to hurt the plant development until next week.
Soil was drier than usual, but I was cautious about overwatering two days ago. I was generous with the feed today. I was hesitant to use Terpinator, but decided to use it considering it was used throughout my 4.5 harvest.
TERPINATOR AND BIG BUD
Terpinator is a 0-0-4 supplement, said to increase terpinoids and stimulate growth of essential plant oils. The only thing I've noticed is that it enhances the odors of the plants, although it seemed to have favorable results in the 4.5 harvest. It's hard to say what else it does exactly, if anything, and whether or not it is actually useful, but increasing the odor would theoretically increase market value since buyers are focused on superficial elements of the product like smell and taste.
One thing to note about Terpinator is its concentration of K. Potassium is a catalyst for the synthesis of carbohydrates, metabolic processes, and overall consumption of other nutrients. A potassium deficiency will result in yellow/orange leaves and lower yields, as the plant will not be able to metabolize all the nutrients it receives, including light. A toxicity, on the other hand, will lessen the absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. It's interesting to note that a calcium toxicity will affect potassium absorption in the same manner, so a balance between calcium and potassium must be achieved along with other nutrients.
Given success in the past using equal parts of Advanced Nutrient's 3-part base, I will be sticking to that with regards to NPK, as it should already give me the desired NPK ratio throughout veg and bloom. AN suggests adding Voodoo Juice, Big Bud, B-52, and Overdrive in bloom, but without calculating NPK ratios it's hard to determine if these supplements, with the exception of Overdrive, will do anything to increase yields cost-effectively.
Big Bud in particular functions the same way as Terpinator, but includes half the amount of phosphorus as potassium. I may have used Big Bud once in the 4.5 harvest, but I haven't considered it a necessity for strong yields. It is also very expensive, at $230 for 2.5 kg. Since it's recommended use is through Week 2-4, one tablespoon per feed at moderate usage would equate to 120 grams per rotation, which would allow me 20 rotations. Not bad, but if it does nothing, or has adverse effects on the yield or quality, it'll be a significant loss that will be compounded by small profits from lower yields in the future.
-Nutrient feed
-Adjusted AC timer in Master (+1 hr)
VEG
300 ml Base nutrients
1000-1100 ppm
pH 5.9
Late feed
About 18 gallons
HPS Veg wasn't as wilted as earlier watering days, which is interesting considering they were in recovery from trimming and cloning. The trees that weren't trimmed were actually more wilted than the others. There may have been more water available since the drain bucket was nearly filled to the top, but it is possible that trees with less foliage require less water. This could be attributed to the idea that with less foliage, photosynthesis is taking place at a lower rate. If this holds true, lights should actually be raised slightly following a trim to compensate for loss of calcium and other nutrients that are lost during photosynthesis. If not, a feed is absolutely necessary to compensate for any nutrient loss post-trimming.
MH Veg is still produced desired results. I will postpone topping until plants are ready for HPS, since vertical growth tends to be dramatic during the first weeks of HPS. Keeping the heads of the plant level with each other without topping is tricky, but with adequate spacing and constant rearranging, I should be able to transfer them to HPS without any issues.
CLONES
Growth in the older trays seems stagnant except for GSC and Abusive. It's possible that the Phantom clones were actually too weak to root quickly, although I'll have to remove the cubes from the trays and examine them closer tomorrow. Nevertheless, if the newer trays root within the next two weeks as they should, the process is still keeping to the schedule for transplanting to T5. I'm looking forward to getting these newer clones started, as they are more desirable and marketable strains.
MASTER
300 ml Base nutrients
150 ml Terpinator
150 ml Overdrive
Estimated 1200-1400 ppm
pH 5.9
Early feed
About 18 gallons
Trees are ripening as expected. If the canopy had been fuller, Bubba could have compensated for the low yields of the other strains, but it seems like it still won't be enough. I'm still considering other reasons why the Master has turned out the way it has.
One possible cause of the low yields is the use of wider pots. Transplanting from PW Mids to these pots could have left a gap in the bottom of the pot. I also didn't need a lot of soil to transplant to these pots, which means that there's a smaller volume of root space. These pots tend to dry quicker than PW 5-gals, which could also be a factor. With the wider mouth, I'm forced to water a wider surface, and perhaps there is an inconsistent mix of nutrients within the soil given that my nozzle hits a narrow area. The only way to know is to completely flush them out, which is problematic since standard flushing practice requires 3 times the water needed to fill the pot. Given that Phosphoload was added in this rotation and ripening is practically ahead of schedule, I think I can afford to spend an entire week or more flushing this room out before harvest.
It's also likely that overfeeding may have occurred, which would also necessitate a thorough flushing. I'll be able to better ascertain what really happened here while I observe how the plants react from this flush. I'll be looking at changes in the pistils, leaves, and top colas. If the plants show signs of returning to normal development, overfeeding would have likely been one of the primary reasons for the low yield.
MIDDLE
300ml Base nutrients
150ml Terpinator
1000-1100 ppm
pH 5.9
About 18 gallons
Dark feed
Vertical growth is beginning to stall, although I counted more branches breaching the second level trellis. SCROG hasn't had the same adverse effect that it had in the Master, which is fortunate considering these trees were seemingly weaker on Day One. Powdery mildew is still being held at bay through fungicide and possibly because of the dehumidifier and decent air flow through the canopy. The Abusive tree in the back corner has gotten taller, and I'm sure that the top cola will be too close to the light. If I'm going to bend the stalk to prevent overgrowth, now would be the opportune time. I'm refraining from trimming excess branches so as not to hurt the plant development until next week.
Soil was drier than usual, but I was cautious about overwatering two days ago. I was generous with the feed today. I was hesitant to use Terpinator, but decided to use it considering it was used throughout my 4.5 harvest.
TERPINATOR AND BIG BUD
Terpinator is a 0-0-4 supplement, said to increase terpinoids and stimulate growth of essential plant oils. The only thing I've noticed is that it enhances the odors of the plants, although it seemed to have favorable results in the 4.5 harvest. It's hard to say what else it does exactly, if anything, and whether or not it is actually useful, but increasing the odor would theoretically increase market value since buyers are focused on superficial elements of the product like smell and taste.
One thing to note about Terpinator is its concentration of K. Potassium is a catalyst for the synthesis of carbohydrates, metabolic processes, and overall consumption of other nutrients. A potassium deficiency will result in yellow/orange leaves and lower yields, as the plant will not be able to metabolize all the nutrients it receives, including light. A toxicity, on the other hand, will lessen the absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. It's interesting to note that a calcium toxicity will affect potassium absorption in the same manner, so a balance between calcium and potassium must be achieved along with other nutrients.
Given success in the past using equal parts of Advanced Nutrient's 3-part base, I will be sticking to that with regards to NPK, as it should already give me the desired NPK ratio throughout veg and bloom. AN suggests adding Voodoo Juice, Big Bud, B-52, and Overdrive in bloom, but without calculating NPK ratios it's hard to determine if these supplements, with the exception of Overdrive, will do anything to increase yields cost-effectively.
Big Bud in particular functions the same way as Terpinator, but includes half the amount of phosphorus as potassium. I may have used Big Bud once in the 4.5 harvest, but I haven't considered it a necessity for strong yields. It is also very expensive, at $230 for 2.5 kg. Since it's recommended use is through Week 2-4, one tablespoon per feed at moderate usage would equate to 120 grams per rotation, which would allow me 20 rotations. Not bad, but if it does nothing, or has adverse effects on the yield or quality, it'll be a significant loss that will be compounded by small profits from lower yields in the future.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
The Phosphoload Dilemma, Flowering Phases
Actions:
-Trimmed net cups, favoring top half of trees
-Positioned net cups for increased light distribution under T5
-Rearranged some PW mid pots under HPS
-Cleaned out garage, procured some equipment and tools
CLONES
The clones I made yesterday are standing straight without any signs of stress so far. I poured some of the extra cloning water in the trays before I closed all the lids, which is pH balanced and infused with a rooting supplement.
VEG
All the plants that were trimmed seem to be in recovery, although leaves look noticeably more pronounced than yesterday. This is probably due to the availability of water in the pots, and I suspect that tomorrow they will be drooping as they were yesterday due to lack of water.
Interestingly, a few of the trees under MH look just as healthy, if not healthier, than the trees under HPS. Considering that the trees under MH were put in a few weeks after those under HPS, it would seem that my theory about using PW mid pots would hold true here. I'm still unsure about when I want to top them, but I will probably top them as early as one month before bloom, given that my newly made clones have a high rate of rooting.
Rearranging the plants under HPS will be crucial in the next few weeks. It is imperative that any superfluous branches are trimmed this week to allow healing time and growth of major branches before they're bloomed.
MASTER
Powdery mildew is back with a vengeance yet again, and I'm considering cutting out Bubba from the rotation altogether to prevent any future problems with PM. In the last harvest, I yielded about two ounces of Bubba that I haven't sold for fear of rejection due to mildew. Mildew on bubba, and in general, has been a problem since closing L's house two years ago.
Bud formation seems to be definite right now, but I'm not expecting much from this harvest. The colas aren't forming as big as I'd hoped for, and they've also begun ripening. It's possible that I may have introduced Overdrive too early, as well as Phosphoload. It's becoming obvious now that implementing SCROG while using Phosphoload had disastrous results in the Master. Not only was there insufficient vertical growth, but Phosphoload seemed to cause inconsistent bud formations throughout the room. From an economic standpoint, Bubba seems to be the most appealing choice of strain using this method since it doesn't rely on vertical growth and seems to bud adequately regardless. I estimate that this room will yield nearly 3 lbs, but it will depend entirely on how well the Bubba yields. The other strains, including Abusive despite its performance in the past, will not have have a substantial impact on the final number.
MIDDLE
Powdery mildew, again, has gravitated towards Bubba, although most of the other trees remain unaffected by the spread. Much of the canopy is sitting evenly, with sub branches not quite reaching the height I hoped for. Vertical growth has halted for the most part, and the buds have begun to sprout. Being that it's in the middle of its third week in bloom, I will refrain from using Phosphoload here.
THE PHOSPHOLOAD DILEMMA
Research suggests that Phosphoload, Bushload, and other so-called "hardeners" contain harmful, cancer-causing carcinogens. Given my lack of knowledge in chemistry, I can only assume that there is a significant danger if used improperly, as was the case with H's Bushload recipe, where much of his crop produced thick orange hairs that had to be trimmed off, it can be hazardous, but with careful use, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. There are, however, other concerns regarding Phosphoload that should be addressed before using it again.
There is a consensus among people talking about Phosphoload that it halts vertical growth immediately and that it initiates the plant to start producing flowers. In fact, it could be said that it could actually decrease yields due to its nature of speeding the flowering process. Phosphoload, in particular, when used "correctly," speeds up the natural bloom phase to the point that it can ripen a week earlier than originally intended. If this is true, it is understandable that using Phosphoload could actually reduce yields.
Phosphoload is intended for use during Weeks 3-4, and it is important to understand what's happening with the trees during this time. Instead of looking at the bloom phase by the weeks, they should be observed by stages of flowering over an 8-week cycle:
Early-Flowering (Week 1-3)
The initial phase of blooming consists of residual vegetative growth as the plant becomes acclimated to its new environment. This is where most of the vertical growth occurs. Under the proper conditions, the plant will stretch to consume as much light as possible. Calyxes, the actual buds themselves, will begin to form out of the "heads" of the branches along with white pistils, and more so wherever the plant is closest to the light.
Phosphorus is said to play a major role during this period; the total amount of phosphorus absorbed by the plant apparently takes place during the first quarter of its life. Lights should be raised high (about three feet) above the canopy than during the rest of the flowering stage, otherwise a calcium deficiency will develop from the high intensity of the light. This also disproves the theory that giving the most amount of light early will stimulate growth.
Mid-Flowering (Week 4-6)
This is where the entire structure of the plant is set. Vertical growth slows and calyxes form into colas. Any calyxes that haven't received adequate light and favorable growing conditions will stall in development, and colas will be noticeably smaller than desired. Taking into consideration that colas take their full shape during this stage of the process, this is where yield is also decided.
Late-Flowering (Week 7-8)
Colas harden, THC production is at its peak, and pistils will undergo necrosis (turn orange) as the plant reaches full maturity and potency. Colas stop increasing in surface area, but will still continue to gain density slightly. This is where the true quality of the product is decided.
With regards to Phosphoload, it is understandable that using too much of it could reduce yields because the colas haven't had adequate time and nutrients to build on themselves. Phosphoload and other similar products seem to force the plant to essentially "skip" part of the early flowering stage, and perhaps even rush it to late flowering. This could hold true in the Master room during this rotation, where colas weren't fully developed during the application of Phosphoload. Instead, small colas ripened within the following week, and with three more weeks remaining in the cycle, many of the plants seemed to show signs of late flowering, with increased THC production and orange pistils.
It is worth mentioning that Bubba didn't show any unusual signs of deficiencies or toxicities, while Abusive produced smaller colas despite having more than adequate lighting and a wide canopy. It is also possible that the combination of Phosphoload, early Overdrive during Week 4-5, and SCROG was overall detrimental to yield. The last harvest in the Master consisted of Abusive, True OG, and Sour, which yielded a total of 4.5+ lbs. with Phosphoload in Week 4, Overdrive in Week 5-8, and no fucking SCROG. Any detraction from this schedule relative to how the plant seems to progress would probably hurt my yields.
The Ethical Dilemma
Plant growth regulators are used for ornamental plants to keep them shorter for logistical purposes, such as trees grown under power lines. In cannabis, plant growth regulators present easy, cost-effective ways to contain plant growth to optimal sizes with minimal manipulation through SCROG, trimming, topping, FIM, etc. The problem with plant growth regulators is that most of them are banned in the United States, and are generally considered hazardous for crops grown for human consumption. There is no conclusive research to determine if Phosphoload or Bushload make cannabis toxic, but it nevertheless presents an ethical dilemma.
For the business to sustain profitability, quality and yield must go hand-in-hand. A respectable weight-to-light ratio with a low-quality product can result in a surplus, even with solid distribution channels and favorable market conditions. Growing high-quality products at lower yields can still be a sustainable business model given the same conditions, albeit with a considerably higher level of physical and mental strain. From a business standpoint, the pros of using Phosphoload outweigh the cons; when used correctly, Phosphoload can dramatically increase yields while maybe slightly degrading quality. In extreme cases I might have to lower the price by 10-20%, but 5 lbs at $2200 is much better than 3 lbs at $2500, assuming quality is actually compromised, which wouldn't happen in most cases.
On the other hand, using Phosphoload raises ethical questions:
-Do we sacrifice the integrity of our product for the sake of profit?
-Despite the fact that there is still no conclusive data to say that Phosphoload, in particular, is dangerous to people, would it be irresponsible to use it anyway?
-Do we justify the use of plant growth regulators by the simple fact that we need to compete with other growers who use them?
-Is selling cannabis infused with Phosphoload any different from selling cannabis treated with fungicide, miticide, or any other chemicals that could also be considered hazardous for human consumption?
-If higher profits are impossible without compromising the safety of our product, do we go for it anyway?
These are questions that strike at the core of how we intend to operate not only in this industry, but in any industry. In the beginning of my career in cannabis, I would have done whatever was necessary to sustain profit, even at the cost of my own health. But given my experience over the last five years, I am fairly confident in my ability to produce a high quality product that is safe for consumption. This will, however, require an increased investment of time, money, effort, and forethought into keeping all the variables in my operation in equilibrium.
-Trimmed net cups, favoring top half of trees
-Positioned net cups for increased light distribution under T5
-Rearranged some PW mid pots under HPS
-Cleaned out garage, procured some equipment and tools
CLONES
The clones I made yesterday are standing straight without any signs of stress so far. I poured some of the extra cloning water in the trays before I closed all the lids, which is pH balanced and infused with a rooting supplement.
VEG
All the plants that were trimmed seem to be in recovery, although leaves look noticeably more pronounced than yesterday. This is probably due to the availability of water in the pots, and I suspect that tomorrow they will be drooping as they were yesterday due to lack of water.
Interestingly, a few of the trees under MH look just as healthy, if not healthier, than the trees under HPS. Considering that the trees under MH were put in a few weeks after those under HPS, it would seem that my theory about using PW mid pots would hold true here. I'm still unsure about when I want to top them, but I will probably top them as early as one month before bloom, given that my newly made clones have a high rate of rooting.
Rearranging the plants under HPS will be crucial in the next few weeks. It is imperative that any superfluous branches are trimmed this week to allow healing time and growth of major branches before they're bloomed.
MASTER
Powdery mildew is back with a vengeance yet again, and I'm considering cutting out Bubba from the rotation altogether to prevent any future problems with PM. In the last harvest, I yielded about two ounces of Bubba that I haven't sold for fear of rejection due to mildew. Mildew on bubba, and in general, has been a problem since closing L's house two years ago.
Bud formation seems to be definite right now, but I'm not expecting much from this harvest. The colas aren't forming as big as I'd hoped for, and they've also begun ripening. It's possible that I may have introduced Overdrive too early, as well as Phosphoload. It's becoming obvious now that implementing SCROG while using Phosphoload had disastrous results in the Master. Not only was there insufficient vertical growth, but Phosphoload seemed to cause inconsistent bud formations throughout the room. From an economic standpoint, Bubba seems to be the most appealing choice of strain using this method since it doesn't rely on vertical growth and seems to bud adequately regardless. I estimate that this room will yield nearly 3 lbs, but it will depend entirely on how well the Bubba yields. The other strains, including Abusive despite its performance in the past, will not have have a substantial impact on the final number.
MIDDLE
Powdery mildew, again, has gravitated towards Bubba, although most of the other trees remain unaffected by the spread. Much of the canopy is sitting evenly, with sub branches not quite reaching the height I hoped for. Vertical growth has halted for the most part, and the buds have begun to sprout. Being that it's in the middle of its third week in bloom, I will refrain from using Phosphoload here.
THE PHOSPHOLOAD DILEMMA
Research suggests that Phosphoload, Bushload, and other so-called "hardeners" contain harmful, cancer-causing carcinogens. Given my lack of knowledge in chemistry, I can only assume that there is a significant danger if used improperly, as was the case with H's Bushload recipe, where much of his crop produced thick orange hairs that had to be trimmed off, it can be hazardous, but with careful use, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. There are, however, other concerns regarding Phosphoload that should be addressed before using it again.
There is a consensus among people talking about Phosphoload that it halts vertical growth immediately and that it initiates the plant to start producing flowers. In fact, it could be said that it could actually decrease yields due to its nature of speeding the flowering process. Phosphoload, in particular, when used "correctly," speeds up the natural bloom phase to the point that it can ripen a week earlier than originally intended. If this is true, it is understandable that using Phosphoload could actually reduce yields.
Phosphoload is intended for use during Weeks 3-4, and it is important to understand what's happening with the trees during this time. Instead of looking at the bloom phase by the weeks, they should be observed by stages of flowering over an 8-week cycle:
Early-Flowering (Week 1-3)
The initial phase of blooming consists of residual vegetative growth as the plant becomes acclimated to its new environment. This is where most of the vertical growth occurs. Under the proper conditions, the plant will stretch to consume as much light as possible. Calyxes, the actual buds themselves, will begin to form out of the "heads" of the branches along with white pistils, and more so wherever the plant is closest to the light.
Phosphorus is said to play a major role during this period; the total amount of phosphorus absorbed by the plant apparently takes place during the first quarter of its life. Lights should be raised high (about three feet) above the canopy than during the rest of the flowering stage, otherwise a calcium deficiency will develop from the high intensity of the light. This also disproves the theory that giving the most amount of light early will stimulate growth.
Mid-Flowering (Week 4-6)
This is where the entire structure of the plant is set. Vertical growth slows and calyxes form into colas. Any calyxes that haven't received adequate light and favorable growing conditions will stall in development, and colas will be noticeably smaller than desired. Taking into consideration that colas take their full shape during this stage of the process, this is where yield is also decided.
Late-Flowering (Week 7-8)
Colas harden, THC production is at its peak, and pistils will undergo necrosis (turn orange) as the plant reaches full maturity and potency. Colas stop increasing in surface area, but will still continue to gain density slightly. This is where the true quality of the product is decided.
With regards to Phosphoload, it is understandable that using too much of it could reduce yields because the colas haven't had adequate time and nutrients to build on themselves. Phosphoload and other similar products seem to force the plant to essentially "skip" part of the early flowering stage, and perhaps even rush it to late flowering. This could hold true in the Master room during this rotation, where colas weren't fully developed during the application of Phosphoload. Instead, small colas ripened within the following week, and with three more weeks remaining in the cycle, many of the plants seemed to show signs of late flowering, with increased THC production and orange pistils.
It is worth mentioning that Bubba didn't show any unusual signs of deficiencies or toxicities, while Abusive produced smaller colas despite having more than adequate lighting and a wide canopy. It is also possible that the combination of Phosphoload, early Overdrive during Week 4-5, and SCROG was overall detrimental to yield. The last harvest in the Master consisted of Abusive, True OG, and Sour, which yielded a total of 4.5+ lbs. with Phosphoload in Week 4, Overdrive in Week 5-8, and no fucking SCROG. Any detraction from this schedule relative to how the plant seems to progress would probably hurt my yields.
The Ethical Dilemma
Plant growth regulators are used for ornamental plants to keep them shorter for logistical purposes, such as trees grown under power lines. In cannabis, plant growth regulators present easy, cost-effective ways to contain plant growth to optimal sizes with minimal manipulation through SCROG, trimming, topping, FIM, etc. The problem with plant growth regulators is that most of them are banned in the United States, and are generally considered hazardous for crops grown for human consumption. There is no conclusive research to determine if Phosphoload or Bushload make cannabis toxic, but it nevertheless presents an ethical dilemma.
For the business to sustain profitability, quality and yield must go hand-in-hand. A respectable weight-to-light ratio with a low-quality product can result in a surplus, even with solid distribution channels and favorable market conditions. Growing high-quality products at lower yields can still be a sustainable business model given the same conditions, albeit with a considerably higher level of physical and mental strain. From a business standpoint, the pros of using Phosphoload outweigh the cons; when used correctly, Phosphoload can dramatically increase yields while maybe slightly degrading quality. In extreme cases I might have to lower the price by 10-20%, but 5 lbs at $2200 is much better than 3 lbs at $2500, assuming quality is actually compromised, which wouldn't happen in most cases.
On the other hand, using Phosphoload raises ethical questions:
-Do we sacrifice the integrity of our product for the sake of profit?
-Despite the fact that there is still no conclusive data to say that Phosphoload, in particular, is dangerous to people, would it be irresponsible to use it anyway?
-Do we justify the use of plant growth regulators by the simple fact that we need to compete with other growers who use them?
-Is selling cannabis infused with Phosphoload any different from selling cannabis treated with fungicide, miticide, or any other chemicals that could also be considered hazardous for human consumption?
-If higher profits are impossible without compromising the safety of our product, do we go for it anyway?
These are questions that strike at the core of how we intend to operate not only in this industry, but in any industry. In the beginning of my career in cannabis, I would have done whatever was necessary to sustain profit, even at the cost of my own health. But given my experience over the last five years, I am fairly confident in my ability to produce a high quality product that is safe for consumption. This will, however, require an increased investment of time, money, effort, and forethought into keeping all the variables in my operation in equilibrium.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Cloning, Notes on SCROG
Actions:
-Final trimming of late veg in preparation for bloom
-Clones of Phantom, Abusive, Bubba, GSC, No-Q
-Water
-Fungicide all
-Added 8 net cups to T5
-Calibrated pH meter (-0.2)
VEG (HPS)
I currently have 16 trees in late veg that could be bloomed instantly, but I still have a couple of weeks until I have to bloom them. Many of the trees are too tall as they have been so I topped all of these trees to stunt vertical growth, trying to preserve as many lower branches as needed. The problem with a few of the trees is that most of the "good" growth is near the top of the tree, while the bottom branches seem to progress inconsistently. This is most likely due to the absence of light in the bottom areas of the canopy. Without the need for cloning, it would seem that they could have been topped once they were placed under the HPS light. For now I will test this theory by topping the next wave of trees once they're put under HPS.
VEG (MH)
Early veg is progressing relatively well, although I had to throw away one. These were trees that were transplanted from net cups to the PW mid pots, which have more soil than the white square pots I used earlier in veg. I'm now certain that transplanting to mid pots is much more effective. Despite the fact that I only have 14 trees for this cycle at the moment, I'm confident that I'll be able to transplant a few of the plants from the T5 to compensate for the shortage. A few of these trees even look like they would be ready to bloom for the Master, but this mainly depends on the progress of the plants in net cups.
VEG (T5)
I have a total of 32 net cups under T5, which includes an assortment of WF (Candyland), Abusive, Bubba, GG, and a Mystery strain which is probably GG as well, although there is a small chance that it is Sour Kush. About half of them were planted about two weeks ago, while the other half were planted this past week. Based on the current schedule, I'm given about another two weeks (from the start of the next bloom) plus eight weeks (full bloom cycle) to get these trees ready for the Master room. Heavy emphasis should be on controlling height and maintaining plant strength, which means I'll have to constantly trim lower leaves throughout the entire T5 cycle. Powdery mildew is returning on the Bubba, but with regular training and application of fungicide I shouldn't have too big of a problem.
CLONES
I've decided to experiment with smaller rockwool "plugs" rather than cubes. Although the number of clones I've been able to make hasn't been much of a concern, getting them to root in time is a real problem. My theory is that with smaller plugs, the roots will become visible sooner. On the other hand, the clones I made two weeks ago are showing promise; a few have already rooted beyond the cubes, and some roots are even coming out of the top of the cubes. Several things worth noting:
-Water was being changed out regularly and left to sit on the tray
-Mostly Phantom, although Abusive and GSC are showing similar results
-Humidity dome was left on the entire time, with the ventilation holes gradually being opened after the first week
-Tray sat on the floor next to the T5, and clones that were towards the back of the tray (furthest from MH) were the first to show roots
-Clone gel was scarce during cloning
-Almost every clone was dipped in a GreenCure solution for mildew eradication
-Some clones showed yellowing on the leaves, prompting me to change the water
-Many clones were skinnier than usual, consisting of bottom branches from this late veg
With this next cloning session, I dipped only a few clones with heavy mildew in a fungicide solution. In hindsight I probably should've dipped them all, but I will keep a close eye on these clones to see if any mildew develops and I'll spray them in necessary. I made mostly Phantom clones, but I also have Abusive, Bubba, No-Q and GSC.
The total amount of clones is more than I've probably ever had. I only need an assortment of 50-60 (20 per room) and I have close to two hundred, if not more. A rooting rate of about 25% is necessary to maintain constant production levels.
MASTER (Start week 7)
Colas are smaller than usual, and attempting to SCROG the overly tall trees did not help production. I moved the fan to circulate air underneath the canopy rather than around it. I also noticed that the AC timer was set to turn on three hours earlier than required, but I doubt this had any huge effect on the production. A major concern, however, is that many of the colas that are getting adequate light are still not showing any major development. I suspect that watering too much could be an issue. Mildew is a constant uphill battle in this room, particularly due to the high number of Bubba trees. Spraying with fungicide only keeps the spread contained, but it isn't eradicating the problem. I suspect that the wider pots I used for this bloom cycle is drying out due to the increased surface area of the soil, thus adding humidity to the room and stimulating mildew growth. For now, I'm going to have to set up the dehumidifier to run constantly, attaching a drainage line to the toilet in the bathroom.
MIDDLE (Start week 3)
Colas have just begun to develop. Vertical growth has stopped for the most part and many of the trees don't reach the second trellis. The density of the canopy is seemingly good for yield, but this may be a problem if mildew spreads inside of the canopy. Fortunately the wall fan is moving the air adequately around the canopy. I was forced to raise the back left corner light to its peak, which means that the trees underneath that light are at an ideal height. It's worth noting that one of those trees is Abusive, and wasn't SCROG'd like most of the other trees. In fact, the GG towards the front of the canopy that wasn't SCROG'd is also showing decent growth, despite the fact that it was an undersized tree that had to be boosted by an extra foot or so. The most heavily SCROG'd trees are under the front right light, and I will watch this area of the canopy closely to examine the effect that the SCROG method has had.
Notes on SCROG
SCROG isn't working for a variety of reasons:
-SCROG requires training throughout veg and the beginning of bloom
-SCROG requires fewer, smaller trees
-SCROG requires that each individual branch is supported or tied down
Without these requirements, attempting SCROG will only hurt my yields. In hindsight, I imagine that without SCROG, I would have tall, albeit fuller, trees with average sized colas regardless of how the trees came in from veg. Most of these trees had 3 or more heads, which would have been enough considering vertical height during the beginning of bloom would have allowed for lower branches to reach the canopy anyway. The concern was that these trees were stripped of lower branches when they first entered bloom, which left me with an inadequate number of cola sites to begin with, but emphasis should be placed on light distribution rather than plant manipulation. Instead of bending the entire tree off to the side and hoping that sub branches will grow out, trees should only be bent outwards from their centers in a "menorah" formation.
Trimming is also a tricky part of SCROG. Most other growers show a canopy of only about one foot thickness, whereas my past heavy yields have been with canopies of about 2-3 feet thickness without SCROG. Considering the size of the trellis/frame, I'm limited to about 9 square feet of surface area of light, but with a thicker canopy I'm able to multiply my yield even further. If I can find an exception to this, it will be with the front right light in the middle room, where there is a high density of top cola sites. I'm refraining from trimming to see if the density of the canopy will show favorable results.
-Final trimming of late veg in preparation for bloom
-Clones of Phantom, Abusive, Bubba, GSC, No-Q
-Water
-Fungicide all
-Added 8 net cups to T5
-Calibrated pH meter (-0.2)
VEG (HPS)
I currently have 16 trees in late veg that could be bloomed instantly, but I still have a couple of weeks until I have to bloom them. Many of the trees are too tall as they have been so I topped all of these trees to stunt vertical growth, trying to preserve as many lower branches as needed. The problem with a few of the trees is that most of the "good" growth is near the top of the tree, while the bottom branches seem to progress inconsistently. This is most likely due to the absence of light in the bottom areas of the canopy. Without the need for cloning, it would seem that they could have been topped once they were placed under the HPS light. For now I will test this theory by topping the next wave of trees once they're put under HPS.
VEG (MH)
Early veg is progressing relatively well, although I had to throw away one. These were trees that were transplanted from net cups to the PW mid pots, which have more soil than the white square pots I used earlier in veg. I'm now certain that transplanting to mid pots is much more effective. Despite the fact that I only have 14 trees for this cycle at the moment, I'm confident that I'll be able to transplant a few of the plants from the T5 to compensate for the shortage. A few of these trees even look like they would be ready to bloom for the Master, but this mainly depends on the progress of the plants in net cups.
VEG (T5)
I have a total of 32 net cups under T5, which includes an assortment of WF (Candyland), Abusive, Bubba, GG, and a Mystery strain which is probably GG as well, although there is a small chance that it is Sour Kush. About half of them were planted about two weeks ago, while the other half were planted this past week. Based on the current schedule, I'm given about another two weeks (from the start of the next bloom) plus eight weeks (full bloom cycle) to get these trees ready for the Master room. Heavy emphasis should be on controlling height and maintaining plant strength, which means I'll have to constantly trim lower leaves throughout the entire T5 cycle. Powdery mildew is returning on the Bubba, but with regular training and application of fungicide I shouldn't have too big of a problem.
CLONES
I've decided to experiment with smaller rockwool "plugs" rather than cubes. Although the number of clones I've been able to make hasn't been much of a concern, getting them to root in time is a real problem. My theory is that with smaller plugs, the roots will become visible sooner. On the other hand, the clones I made two weeks ago are showing promise; a few have already rooted beyond the cubes, and some roots are even coming out of the top of the cubes. Several things worth noting:
-Water was being changed out regularly and left to sit on the tray
-Mostly Phantom, although Abusive and GSC are showing similar results
-Humidity dome was left on the entire time, with the ventilation holes gradually being opened after the first week
-Tray sat on the floor next to the T5, and clones that were towards the back of the tray (furthest from MH) were the first to show roots
-Clone gel was scarce during cloning
-Almost every clone was dipped in a GreenCure solution for mildew eradication
-Some clones showed yellowing on the leaves, prompting me to change the water
-Many clones were skinnier than usual, consisting of bottom branches from this late veg
With this next cloning session, I dipped only a few clones with heavy mildew in a fungicide solution. In hindsight I probably should've dipped them all, but I will keep a close eye on these clones to see if any mildew develops and I'll spray them in necessary. I made mostly Phantom clones, but I also have Abusive, Bubba, No-Q and GSC.
The total amount of clones is more than I've probably ever had. I only need an assortment of 50-60 (20 per room) and I have close to two hundred, if not more. A rooting rate of about 25% is necessary to maintain constant production levels.
MASTER (Start week 7)
Colas are smaller than usual, and attempting to SCROG the overly tall trees did not help production. I moved the fan to circulate air underneath the canopy rather than around it. I also noticed that the AC timer was set to turn on three hours earlier than required, but I doubt this had any huge effect on the production. A major concern, however, is that many of the colas that are getting adequate light are still not showing any major development. I suspect that watering too much could be an issue. Mildew is a constant uphill battle in this room, particularly due to the high number of Bubba trees. Spraying with fungicide only keeps the spread contained, but it isn't eradicating the problem. I suspect that the wider pots I used for this bloom cycle is drying out due to the increased surface area of the soil, thus adding humidity to the room and stimulating mildew growth. For now, I'm going to have to set up the dehumidifier to run constantly, attaching a drainage line to the toilet in the bathroom.
MIDDLE (Start week 3)
Colas have just begun to develop. Vertical growth has stopped for the most part and many of the trees don't reach the second trellis. The density of the canopy is seemingly good for yield, but this may be a problem if mildew spreads inside of the canopy. Fortunately the wall fan is moving the air adequately around the canopy. I was forced to raise the back left corner light to its peak, which means that the trees underneath that light are at an ideal height. It's worth noting that one of those trees is Abusive, and wasn't SCROG'd like most of the other trees. In fact, the GG towards the front of the canopy that wasn't SCROG'd is also showing decent growth, despite the fact that it was an undersized tree that had to be boosted by an extra foot or so. The most heavily SCROG'd trees are under the front right light, and I will watch this area of the canopy closely to examine the effect that the SCROG method has had.
Notes on SCROG
SCROG isn't working for a variety of reasons:
-SCROG requires training throughout veg and the beginning of bloom
-SCROG requires fewer, smaller trees
-SCROG requires that each individual branch is supported or tied down
Without these requirements, attempting SCROG will only hurt my yields. In hindsight, I imagine that without SCROG, I would have tall, albeit fuller, trees with average sized colas regardless of how the trees came in from veg. Most of these trees had 3 or more heads, which would have been enough considering vertical height during the beginning of bloom would have allowed for lower branches to reach the canopy anyway. The concern was that these trees were stripped of lower branches when they first entered bloom, which left me with an inadequate number of cola sites to begin with, but emphasis should be placed on light distribution rather than plant manipulation. Instead of bending the entire tree off to the side and hoping that sub branches will grow out, trees should only be bent outwards from their centers in a "menorah" formation.
Trimming is also a tricky part of SCROG. Most other growers show a canopy of only about one foot thickness, whereas my past heavy yields have been with canopies of about 2-3 feet thickness without SCROG. Considering the size of the trellis/frame, I'm limited to about 9 square feet of surface area of light, but with a thicker canopy I'm able to multiply my yield even further. If I can find an exception to this, it will be with the front right light in the middle room, where there is a high density of top cola sites. I'm refraining from trimming to see if the density of the canopy will show favorable results.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Starting from scratch
Due to negligence on my part and other circumstances, my yields have dropped significantly over the past year. I have a shortage of plants for the next bloom cycle. A few problems have also arisen:
CLONES
Clones have become a huge nuisance. I would estimate that only 25% of the clones I cut survive to root, whereas the remaining 75% succumb to a variety of problems. The most troublesome aspect of not having all the clones root is that my selection of strains to plant is limited. As the problem persists, I'm limited to growing only the plants that survive, leaving me with a variety of unmarketable strains. Of the clones that do survive, many are not strong enough to grow quickly.
Action:
-Check pH of clone trays daily.
-Calibrate pH meter weekly.
-Record when clones are made and when they begin to root.
-Keep note of how humidity dome is used.
-Cut as many clones as possible while favoring stronger cuts.
POWDERY MILDEW
The mildew problem has gotten worse despite regular application of fungicide. This hasn't affected yield nearly as much as any other problem right now, but Bubba seems to be affected the most in terms of marketability because of the density of mildew at harvest.
Action:
-Direct fans to adequately control air flow.
-Utilize carbon filters to reduce spread.
-Reduce humidity as much as possible by utilizing dehumidifiers.
-Purchase a water line for the Master dehumidifier to allow for continuous operation.
YIELD
Yield is paramount to this grow. Without adequate yield, business will continue to operate at a loss. The highest yield this year was in September, when I hit 4.5. Some key factors to consider regarding high yield:
-High yielding strains
-Strong veg WITHOUT attempting to scrog
-Consistent monitoring of pH
-Introduction of Overdrive late 4th week, usually during harvest of opposite room
-Early topping in veg (at least 2 weeks prior to bloom)
-Monitor moisture levels in soil
TRANSPLANTING
A strong, reliable system of transplanting has been absent from this grow in the past few months. Finding the right system to accommodate for the timing has been difficult, as there hasn't been a standard approach so far. I have been relying on transplanting impulsively rather than by a specific schedule, which has resulted in inconsistent sizes of plants entering bloom. I have to examine possible transplanting schedules and using the right pots to fit that schedule so that soil doesn't become dry in less than two days. I cannot use anything other than net cups for the T5 since I won't be able to fit enough to transplant.
Starting with the clones I'm waiting to root, I have possible schedules ahead of me, going from small veg to big veg to bloom:
Net cups > PW Mid > PW Heavy
This method seems like the most balanced, as it would allow me to fit at least 32 net cups under the T5. The PW Mid pots don't require as much soil as a standard pot and I would be able to choose up to 25 plants to fit on the table. I can also expand to a 4x8 table and utilize a middle row, which would allow me to put at least 55 total under 1750 watts. Given enough clones survive to root, I would always have an adequate number of plants to choose from. I am experimenting this method at the moment, and it is showing promising results, although I am concerned that the soil will be inadequate as the plants grow bigger towards the end of veg.
Net cups > Full Mid > Full Heavy
Although it would require another investment into another set of pots and increased soil use, the amount of soil would be adequate for the entire veg cycle without dry soil problems. One major concern is that the newer pots are wider, thereby taking more of the tray surface and leaving me with a smaller number of trees to prepare for bloom.
SCHEDULING
If I open up the third bloom room and place two more lights, I would need at least another 10-20 trees to fill the space. With the Master fully utilized at 30 trees under 6000 watts and the Middle with 20 under 4000, that would be a total of around 60-70 trees, meaning I need to veg about 30 per cycle for each room. In this case, I could treat the third room as filler for extra trees that come in between the two monthly harvests or, ideally, treat the extra two lights in the third room as an extension of the middle room and supply an equal number of plants as the master.
However, the problem is that placing merely 10 extra trees under 2000 watts may not justify the use of the room. Supplying 30 per room is also difficult given the limited space I'm given on the grow trays in veg; each tray allows for up to 25 medium sized PW pots. I would either have to downsize my pots to accommodate for more trees or simply use the extra two lights to veg extra trees in preparation for a bloom, which could be costly if it takes too long.
For now, I will concentrate on hitting the right yields with the lights I'm currently using, and I will prepare myself for a potential expansion with the clones I've made and will make in the next week. Following the action plans I've made, most of my problems should be gradually rectified. I plan on making a significant number of clones this week, which will be better quality than the clones I made last week.
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