My gardening drills, the easy way....and a Help Desk if you're "needy" LOL. Questions? Fire away, I'm here to help.

[Old Uncle Ben]

What is your light on flowering temps?

Is the KS5000 good for both veg and flower?

Mid 80's. Light works for both.

The need for this and that during veg and/or flower is more of the same old marketing stuff by the grow light industry targeted primarily to cannabis forum noobs. Bottom line - HPS contains enough blues, MH contains enough reds, for good plant performance. Case in point, my first light was a 600W HPS. This before anyone really tried them in lieu of everyone running 1,000 HPS. This is old Amsterdam stock like Sensi Skunk with a few of the old Bros. Grimm stock called "In-Out". Talking late 90's period. I did a lot of studies on light and photomorphogenesis, using colored mulches like they do with tomatoes.

Here's a HPS light spectrum chart.

Pix are poor. This was before the digital age.

Pure HPS:

This is the same time I developed the "2 to 4 Main Cola" method. I've experimented a lot with cannabis. For example taking some Mex. bag weed I found out that the root radicle was about 4.5" by the time it shot thru the soil. That drove me to use tall pots to germ seeds in. I use pots that are 6.5" tall filled to around 6".

Seedling topped

Harvested, scaffold shows 4 main "trunks" aka colas.

Grow hard,
Uncle Ben

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Watered last night. Nothing else. Getting close to going 12/12 except for the last 3 in the back which were started weeks later. Gonna be a PITA to pull them everyday and give them supplemental light while the others are doing 12/12.

I place a large edge to edge reflecting panel to close in the garden. Reflecting panels can increase light the plants see by as much as 30%. They must be placed close to the plants however. I don't do tents.

When it comes to all the silly supplements.....

Less is more,
Uncle Ben

 

[bigsur51]

some healthy looking plants there Amigo…

say , I was wondering what your thoughts were on ”flushing” plants with plain water during the last two weeks or so just before harvest?

also , what are you thoughts on putting plants in total darkness for 48 hours before harvest?

I am sure these two questions have been answered by you many times in the past so my apologies if they are redundant to you…

cheers
big

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

some healthy looking plants there Amigo…

say , I was wondering what your thoughts were on ”flushing” plants with plain water during the last two weeks or so just before harvest?

also , what are you thoughts on putting plants in total darkness for 48 hours before harvest?

I am sure these two questions have been answered by you many times in the past so my apologies if they are redundant to you…

cheers
big

Flushing is a myth. Plant isn't a radiator, you can't flush anything out as there's no drain LOL. Those fertilizer salts were quickly broken down and distributed in the plant upon uptake. Kicker is too many try to force their plants with too much stuff, so to atone for their (gardening sins) they came up with yet another forum, feel good, crap solution many years ago.

Mel Frank is one of my botany gurus, still use his 80's gardening book for reference because it has actual studies to back his positions up...... many done by the U. of Miss. back in the day. He said that THC content does rise a bit just before lights on. Is the increase worth writing home about? I doubt it. I just prep my table for harvesting in the morning and then bring the plant(s) out of darkness and harvest.

I'll look for a graft on this subject.

Didn't find the pic on file but this oldie chart on THC and what degrades it into whatever is interesting.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

Monday Jan 25. Growing an inch a day. Loving the ordinary conventions.

I've got to come up with a way to let the newest ones go another week or so in veg and get the older indicas (front row) into a 12/12. I don't want to finish out big plants.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

How much nutrients does your soil mix carry without the added Osmocote?

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

How much nutrients does your soil mix carry without the added Osmocote?

Very little, most of what I'm using now is recycled. I did toss in a couple of handfuls of the meals and gypsum into my tractor's bucket where I mix it.

 

[bigsur51]

Very little, most of what I'm using now is recycled. I did toss in a couple of handfuls of the meals and gypsum into my tractor's bucket where I mix it.

similar to Coots Mix

Old Uncle Ben’s Mix

keeping it real and simple

cheers

 

[Tomatoesonly]

Very little, most of what I'm using now is recycled. I did toss in a couple of handfuls of the meals and gypsum into my tractor's bucket where I mix it.

It would be interesting if you had the the space or time to do one clone or seed without the Osmocote to see how much nutrients are left over and available in your basic mix. Blood and Bone meal are no joke.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I don't over think this stuff. I just do it.

 

[iTarzan]

You could put a 5 gallon bucket over each plant to light deprive them for 2 weeks while the other veg. Contractor garbage bag. Giant tote for all 3.

 

[iTarzan]

I ordered those same ACE seeds this past year.
You add osmocote and then just water the rest of the way? What is the ph of the water? Do you even care about ph? I use well water too. It has Ca, Mg and Fe and has a ph of 7.8-8.5. It has sulphur gas that dissipates in bubbles, like Grandpa Munster poured it for you, but it gets super clear in seconds and has no taste. When I mix nutrients I ph it to 6.5-7. I do 6.5, next time 6.6 to 7 and repeat. How would my water work with Osmocote?
Does lime bring high ph down like it brings low ph up? Inside I get ph problems if I don't control ph of fluids.
Outside in the ground my garden is beautiful and I just water with rain water if I can and from the well with the hose and I never have ph problems. Why???

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

You could put a 5 gallon bucket over each plant to light deprive them for 2 weeks while the other veg. Contractor garbage bag. Giant tote for all 3.

I thought of that. 5 gal. is too small. Got big boxes I might use or just do all but the back row left 2 that are still young. They're my backcrosses of the C99 stuff.

I just topped one of the Master Kush, one on the left. After watering it grew 1.5" over night. Will go 12/12 on all but a couple. This is what I get for starting seeds over a period of a few weeks.

Cut off about 7", front row, left. Master Kush X Afghani 90

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I ordered those same ACE seeds this past year.
You add osmocote and then just water the rest of the way? What is the ph of the water?

Don't worry about it but the last time I measured my rainwater tanks, 3,500 gal. of it, it was running 5.8 most likely due to anerobic fermentation. I collect off a large greenhouse via gutter downspouts.

Do you even care about ph? I use well water too. It has Ca, Mg and Fe and has a ph of 7.8-8.5. It has sulphur gas that dissipates in bubbles, like Grandpa Munster poured it for you, but it gets super clear in seconds and has no taste. When I mix nutrients I ph it to 6.5-7. I do 6.5, next time 6.6 to 7 and repeat. How would my water work with Osmocote?

Should be no problem. Where in the hell are the minerals coming from?

No need to screw around with the pH. That's noobie forum stuff. Now, if it was really out of whack basic or acidic, then yes. You might want to buffer it. Soil is a powerful buffer. You might want to check the pH of your soil. The only accurate way to do so is to take a sample, say 2 TBS., drop into a clean jar, add any amount of deionized water to it, shake well, let sit for 5 minutes and check with a newly calibrated pH meter.

Cheapie Walmart water and soil testers are crap.

Does lime bring high ph down like it brings low ph up? Inside I get ph problems if I don't control ph of fluids. Outside in the ground my garden is beautiful and I just water with rain water if I can and from the well with the hose and I never have ph problems. Why???

Lime raises pH. You can use auto supply sulfuric acid to drop the pH if you want. Dilute it first as it's 78%. Add the acid to the water.

UB

 

[iTarzan]

I figured lime is ph7 and brings acidic ferts up towards 7. I was thinking it would then lower high ph. If my well water is 8 you are saying ph7 lime will raise it more? I was thinking it would lower it towards 7.
I use Blue Lab meters.
If you use rain water, mine is ph 6, doesn't your ph drop like my ph drops after adding ferts. It is much lower than when I use my well water. If I mix Miracle Grow the MG stabilizes the ferts right at 7. If I mix MG with well water the ph is still high.
I don't have ph problems because I deal with them by phing solutions. I am just tired of phing stuff. I want to just add water and nutrients. I bought a bunch of fancy premix soils to try for next grows. Ones you just water.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I figured lime is ph7 and brings acidic ferts up towards 7. I was thinking it would then lower high ph. If my well water is 8 you are saying ph7 lime will raise it more? I was thinking it would lower it towards 7.
I use Blue Lab meters.
If you use rain water, mine is ph 6, doesn't your ph drop like my ph drops after adding ferts. It is much lower than when I use my well water. If I mix Miracle Grow the MG stabilizes the ferts right at 7. If I mix MG with well water the ph is still high.
I don't have ph problems because I deal with them by phing solutions. I am just tired of phing stuff. I want to just add water and nutrients. I bought a bunch of fancy premix soils to try for next grows. Ones you just water.

Like I said, lime is basic, raises the pH especially Quick Lime.

Again, don't worry about your pH. I often water with my well water only or mix it with rain. It is very hard with a very high TDS of Mg and Ca bicarbonates. Aquifer runs thru sandstone and limestone.

Recommend you ignore the forum pH posts. Folks will screw things up with a lot of cannabis supplements and rocket fuels and and quickly blame their fuck ups on pH or epsom salts.

What is a "fancy premix soil"? Does it feed for a long time? If so it's got a slow feeding prill in it. Is it one of the "super" soils?

I have a super soil too! Whatever is stockpiled outside or laying around in bags.

Washed builder's sand is sitting in the bucket. It's stockpiled outdoors.

Pine bark fines plus vermiculite is a really good mix. Just use a balanced NPK food with micros and you're good to go.

UB

 

[iTarzan]

Fox Farm, Blue Cow and a couple I can't remember. Some you veg in and then do a transplant in to the flowering soil. By transplant I mean you add some flower mix to a bigger pot and then just slide the plant out and on top of new soil and fill in sides. I haven't done this yet. I usually make a soil mix and then water and Fert along the way while phing.
I was always an outdoor guy. Started seeds or clones in spring and stuck them in the ground and used Osmocote. I never ph'd my water if I gave them any and rain was their main source. I wanted to grow longer flowering strains and started some indoor growing.
I never used Osmocote on indoor plants. I am going to do some your way. I have also increased my capabilities to collect rainwater and also am going to use creek water from a limestone creek with a ph of 6.6.
What John Deer tractor do you have? I have a 1993 445 with mower deck, FEL, 3 point hitch, plow and rototiller.

 

[#1cheesebuds]

I struggle to get seeds to sprout.

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

What John Deer tractor do you have? I have a 1993 445 with mower deck, FEL, 3 point hitch, plow and rototiller.

JD 4310 Traded it in on a Kubota with enclosed cab recently. Traveling in style now!

 

[Old Uncle Ben]

I struggle to get seeds to sprout.

Lots of factors could be at play. Improper storage is the biggie. I just germed C99 backcrosses I did 22 years ago! Been stored in the fridge all those years with a little rice. I don't do the wet paper towel method FWIW.