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.
